Quilt Tips: Design Board

I just returned from the Quilters of South Carolina retreat. This state guild brings together quilters for communication and education; it is an amazing, creative, talented group! My class was about precision piecing and the perfect ¼” seam allowance.

Our fabulous teacher made everyone in the class a design board so we could lay out our blocks – it was indispensable!   I thought our Quilt Blocks quilters would like to make one to lay out your block to check piece size, orientation, and stay organized in a small space.  This one is 14”, just right for a 12 ½” block.

Cut the foam core board to 14”, and a square of left over batting to 19”. It doesn’t matter if it’s cotton or polyester, the pieces seem to stick the same.  Simply wrap it to the back and secure with or packing tape or duct tape. (Tape just isn’t my friend it wrinkles everywhere, just forget you ever saw this side of the project.)

Lay out your pieces before you sew. You can check size to be sure you’re using the right piece, and see if the direction of all the units is correct. Here, the larger squares are set aside to make the half-square triangles.

As you sew, put the pieces back into place.  The design board can be carried over to the ironing board to press the seams correctly, too. You can now walk away from your block and know right where you left off when you return.

What tricks do you use to keep your pieces organized?