How To Sew A Block With A Partial Seam

What quilting skills intimidate you? There are some techniques that have a reputation for being hard, even if they're actually pretty simple, and the partial seam definitely falls into that category. It sounds confusing and scary, but I promise it's not! Gaye Glasspie (ggmadeit on Instagram) has a saying I love, "It's not hard, it's new." Isn't that a great shift in perspective?

I'm excited to open the Stash Artists membership for Founding Members on Tuesday, June 27th (get on the waiting list, to be sure you don't miss it!), and Reverberate will be the first pattern available to members. The Reverberate block goes together with a partial seam, so this seemed like a great opportunity to share a tutorial. Let's dive in!

I'll be sharing my full Reverberate cover quilt soon, but after a friend suggested the Reverberate block would look great with bright stars on a black background, I had to give it a try! I love it as much as I thought I would, so making more blocks has been added to my 'someday' list. That list never grows shorter, no matter how many quilts I make, and that actually makes me happy. I love knowing I'll never run out of things to make.

Here are the units for my Reverberate block. You can see how it wouldn't be possible to put the block together with normal seams, since all of the outside pieces are longer than the center square. This is the same problem you'll see with any block that needs a partial seam, and the method for assembling the block will always be the same. So these steps apply to any block with a partial seam, not just the Reverberate block!

Starting with the unit on the top of the block, sew the first couple inches of the seam, backstitching a couple stitches where you stop. Press that portion of the seam open.

Now we'll add the unit on the left. With the first part of the top seam sewn, the left side of the center square unit is now the same length as the outside unit, so we can sew this seam normally. Press the seam open.

Add the bottom unit the same way.

And then the unit on the right.

Now it's time to finish the top seam. 

Fold the top unit down so the raw edge lines up.

Start stitching where you stopped earlier, overlapping the stitches slightly, and backstitching again to secure those first stitches. Then just stitch the rest of the seam. Press the seam open, and your block is finished!

I hope you'll give partial seams a try, and discover just how doable they are! Remember, "It's not hard, it's new!"