My love for the Interwoven quilt began roughly 3-4 years ago when I re-emerged from a long quilting hiatus, right in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. During this time, I quickly fell in love with all things Lo and Behold. The Interwoven quilt looked challenging yet offered the perfect amount of mental stimulation I had been seeking.

As I dove back into quilting, my son Jack took an interest in my projects. He personally requested a replacement quilt for the baby clothes quilt I had made him 12 years prior. The poor thing was shredded after years of nightly use as his one and only blanket since he was just one year old. Cue the mom tears!

Jack and I flipped through my pattern library, and he quickly fell in love with the beautiful Interwoven design. Knowing this project would require some research, I ordered fabric and turned to Google for assistance.

To my delight, I discovered that Brittany had just wrapped up an Interwoven Quilt Along (QAL) and had saved her posts on her website. I eagerly read through each post, but I soon realized that the “scant 1/4 inch” seam allowance would be my biggest challenge.

I thought I was well-prepared, so I borrowed my neighbor’s magnetic seam guide and got to work sewing strips. However, I quickly learned I was in serious trouble. The magnetic seam guide shifted on the metal sewing plate despite my periodic checks, resulting in blocks that were off by an inch in both directions. I was devastated. Jack’s quilt got boxed up for a bit while I collected my thoughts.

Fast forward a year: Brittany held a sale for quilt kits, and to my delight, she offered Interwoven kits. Wanting to redeem myself, I grabbed not one, but TWO Interwoven kits. (Okay, maybe I have a small problem with quilt kits—LOL!)

During this time, Brittany released a post titled “The Mystery of the 1/4 Scant Seams”which finally helped me understand the nuances of seam allowances. I also started connecting with others about their Interwoven experiences (thanks, Michelle of @Calivins_quilts). I picked up a seam guide for my Bernina sewing machine that screws in place, moved my needle over three clicks to the right, and began testing with scraps. After a few tests, I knew I was ready to go again!

My first finished Interwoven quilt was for my husband Sean, constructed with Doeskin and White fabric from Kona. It’s now one of my favorite complex quilts, and here we are with Jack’s quilt—the 2.0 version!

Before starting any Interwoven project, I always give my yardage a good press with starch. I like to use Faultless Spray Starch Luxe for nice, crisp edges.

Once your yardage is starched and pressed, it’s time to cut your strips. Your best tool for this is the Stripology Ruler by Creative Grids. I know it’s an investment, but this ruler is a huge time-saver. It’s precise and helps prevent mistakes that lead to seam ripping later. Check out this video on how to use the ruler.

From here, follow the instructions for how many strip sets to sew, press, and cut for the blocks.

A bit of advice: “Press” your seams, don’t “iron.” Pressing is like a bunny hopping down your strips! Here’s a fun visual that shows the difference between pressing and ironing. It’s also helpful to finger press your seams open before setting them with an iron, as this will help keep warping under control.

My last bit of advice is to pin generously at every intersection. Use every single pin you own! Align those intersecting points, pin them in place, and don’t hate me for saying this, but sew over your pins. Yes, go slowly, but if you remove the pin before sewing over it, you risk shifting and may end up seam ripping. For Jack’s quilt, I backstitched the intersection blocks on sections with ten points, and everything turned out fine, even with a 2.0 stitch length.

Speaking of stitch length, make sure to keep yours at the suggested length per the pattern (1.6-1.8). You’ll be putting a lot of stress on intersections, and a smaller stitch length keeps those seams secure.

That’s it! The construction is relatively simple, but perfecting that scant seam is crucial. I hope this guide helps you on your journey to creating one of the most incredible quilts I’ve made. And guess what? I still have another Interwoven kit (ombre) waiting for me. Stitched by Alexis QAL?! Hmm…

Make sure to check out the fantastic kits Brittany offers, and let us know if you’d like to participate in a QAL!

-Alexis

Ombre Version

Doeskin Version