maviskw

This is what I do, but with straight pins. After all rows have been sewn and each row is numbered, I take them to the ironing board. Odd numbered rows get pressed to the right and even numbered rows get pressed to the left. Then they all nest perfectly. When you flip row one over row two, be sure and put a pin in the side where you will start to sew. You can really mess up an Around the World by sewing on the wrong side of the row.

Put two rows under the needle with the bottom seam pointing toward you and the seam on top facing away from you. That way, your bottom seam will never flip the wrong way and you can keep an eye on the top seam. If you sew to the right side of your needle for the first joining of two rows, it will be easier to sew all the rest of the largest quilt to the left of the needle. Row one can be added from the left later.

csknott

I use paper plates that are numbered row 1 etc. After row is sewn together I gently fold and return to appropriate plate. I do however take pictures of the rows before sewing.
I do like Jan's way too. Will have to try that sometime.

osewme

After I have the blocks where I want them on my design wall, I put a pin in the upper left corner of the top block on the left (I always work from left to right). This tells me that this is the first top block of my quilt. Then, starting with the first block with the pin in it, I take & put the block next to it underneath it, then take the third block under the second, then the fourth & put it under the third, etc. until I've stacked up all the blocks on the first row. Take them to the sewing machine & sew the first block (the one with the pin) to the 2nd block (the one underneath the first block & sew them together. Then take the third block & sew it to the 1st & 2nd that are already sewn together, etc. until your first stack of blocks are all sewn together.
To me, the pin is the key. If you drop the block, you still know which direction & position it is. Also, If you drop the whole row after you've sewn it, you know which is the top of the row.

Anyway, this is the method I use.

Wanabee Quiltin

I use paper and number my row and blocks. I like to go across and they would be A1, A2 etc. my DGD helped me once with pinning these papers to a quilt and she put them vertical instead of horizontal, drove me nuts. Yes, I can get up and down but if my blocks are exactly where I want them to be, I don't care. It's the process not the outcome I enjoy. Well, I enjoy looking at my finished quilt top with no two fabric touching each other too.

quiltingshorttimer

I splurged on myself and bought a set of these and pin the whole row together before I take it off the design wall.

Kris P

I use the Camp Pick Up Method. (Which I think may also be the EB method.) Imagine your quilt blocks in columns A, B, C and the Rows as 1,2,3... Take block B1 and lay it face to face with A1. Place a pin along the side you wish to sew. Place B2 on A2, and B3 on A3... all the way down. Then stack all the rest of the column on top of each other... C1 on C2,C3,C4... until you have the entire stack in numerical order with C1 on top. Do that for each of the columns.

Then just pick up the pile. A/B on top, C next, the D...
At your sewing machine, Chain stitch A/B blocks along the pinned line. Don't cut the chain. When you run out of blocks that are face to face, you know you are at the bottom. Cut your chain and start again at the top, chain stitching the next block onto the A/B set. When you get to the bottom of the chain set, you know it's time to move to the next column at the top of your chain piecing. Just be sure not to rotate your pile of blocks, ( or place a pin in the top block of each column to orient them as top or the seam line.)

once you run out of blocks, you just need to turn your quilt and l stitch all the rows together. The chain threads help hold it all together.

maviskw

Kris, that's a very good idea. I've seen this done and know it works.

madamekelly

As I pick up each piece of a row, I put a pin to hold the squares together where each seam will be sititched. Carefully carry it to the machine, and sew each join as I remove the pins. Might not work for others, but it does work for me.

misseva

Thanks Jan for this post.

marcias

Following this. Interesting.