Sparklers Quilt-Along: Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 of the Sparklers Quilt-Along!  This is the week we move from prep to sewing — and you’ll start to see your fabrics coming together in such a satisfying way!

Here’s what we’re focusing on:

1 – Sew your strip sets together (strip piecing)
2 – Press your seams
3 – Cut strip-pieced sets into 6.5″ squares

Simple steps — but this is where accuracy really matters!

1 – Strip Piecing

If you’ve never tried strip piecing before, you’re going to love it. I still remember the first time I sewed strips together and then cut them apart to create a whole stack of smaller pieced blocks. I about cried — it felt like magic! With just a few seams and a few cuts… voilà! suddenly there were all these perfectly pieced blocks ready to go.

A few things to remember:

• When strip piecing your sets together, line up the cut vertical edges first, then sew along the long horizontal edge. Don’t worry if the selvage ends don’t perfectly match — we’ll trim those off later.
• Keep that consistent ¼” seam allowance you tested last week. This is where that small prep step really pays off.

2 – Pressing Makes a Difference

If there’s one piece of advice I would give to a new quilter, it would be this: learn to press every seam you sew. I know pressing isn’t everyone’s favorite part of the process, but it’s one of those things that truly makes a big difference. It might seem small, but good pressing is often the reason your seams will line up beautifully and your blocks will finish at the correct size.

A few things to remember:

• Press all seams within each strip-pieced set in the same direction.
• “Set your seam” first, before pressing it to the side. (see video below)

If you’d like a quick refresher on easiest way I’ve found to press your strip pieces, I’ve linked my pressing video below!

3 – Sub-Cutting Your Strip-Pieced Sets into Squares

Once your strip-pieced sets are sewn and pressed, you’ll sub-cut them into 6.5″ squares.

To save time, try layering multiple strip-pieced sets on your cutting mat at once. Stagger the seam allowances to reduce bulk and cut several layers in one motion. I’ll include a photo so you can see exactly how I do it — it’s such a time-saver.

In the photo below you’ll see how I layer multiple strip sets and stagger the seams so I can cut several squares at once.

And here’s a helpful tip:

If your strips measure at least 21″+ long, I found it easiest to round up slightly and cut my sections into 7″ increments instead of 6.5″. It’s faster and more efficient to cut in whole-inch increments rather than adding the extra ½”. And… since the pieces will become HSTs and get trimmed to their finished size later, this works perfectly well.

Yes — accuracy and efficiency can absolutely work together!

Looking Ahead to HSTs

Next week we move into Half Square Triangles, and here’s something to remember:

Sew all of your HSTs first!

Fight the urge to immediately turn them into pinwheels.

When you wait until they’re all sewn, you’ll have the maximum amount of variety to choose from when building your blocks — and that’s what gives each pinwheel that ultimate scrappy look.

It’s worth the patience, I promise!

This week…

As you start cutting those 6.5″ squares, don’t forget to share your strip combinations inside the Facebook group or tag me on Instagram. It’s so fun seeing everyone’s scrappy mixes side by side.

And next week is when things really start to transform…!

Julia