All About Strip Piecing - Quilting’s Time-Saving Secret

I love creating intricate quilt patterns that use lots of little pieces to make a complex design (just look at Petite Plaid for example!)…but I also love using strip piecing to make sewing all those little pieces way easier! Many of my quilt patterns look more complicated than they actually are, and it’s all thanks to the magic of strip piecing.

If you’ve never tried strip piecing before, I think you’ll love it too! Today, I’ll tell you all about how strip piecing works…plus I’ll share some extra tips and even patterns to try it with!

What is strip piecing?

Strip piecing is one of those smart techniques that quilters have developed to save time. You start by sewing together strips of fabric (at least two) to make a strip set, and then you sub-cut that strip set to make several smaller pieced units.

In other words, instead of individually cutting out and sewing together a bunch of small pieces, you can get the same result by sewing together a couple big pieces and making a few cuts…which is often much easier!

BENEFITS OF STRIP PIECING

The biggest upside to strip piecing for most quilters is the speed. Take my Knitted Blooms quilt pattern. If you cut and sewed each rectangle individually, you’d be working with more than 100 pieces in a single block…and that would take ages! With strip piecing, though, you can cut down the time by making several units at once and then piecing with those units instead of individual rectangles.

Strip piecing can also help with accuracy and consistency in your quilt top. Again, thinking about Knitted Blooms as an example, it can be really hard to keep things neat and consistent when you’re dealing with tiny pieces. By sewing larger strips and then making cuts, you’ll have an easier time keeping things accurate.

How to strip piece your quilt

If you’re following a quilt pattern, it should give you specific directions on how to create and cut your strip sets. In general, though, the steps will look something like this:

STEP 1: CREATE YOUR STRIP SET.

Start off by cutting fabric strips as directed. In some patterns, you’ll only work with two strips at a time…but other patterns (like Petite Plaid) call for a bunch of strips in a single set. Either way, gather up all the strips you need, and then sew them together. Make sure you keep them in the right order!

After you’ve finished assembling your strips, go ahead and press your set (following the pattern’s pressing directions, if it has any).

STEP 2: SQUARE UP YOUR STRIP SET.

The edges of your strips probably won’t line up perfectly, but that’s okay! Most patterns give you a little wiggle room to square up your strip set. Take your favorite ruler and cut a clean edge, using your seam lines as a guide to keep things aligned.

Try to cut as little as possible off your strip set, because you need to leave enough room to make all your sub-cuts.

STEP 3: SUB-CUT YOUR STRIPS.

Now you’ll cut your strip set into smaller pieces. Refer to your quilt pattern to find the number and dimensions of your cuts.

Try to keep things nice and square as you cut…but keep in mind, sometimes you’ll need to square up again (especially if you’re working with really long strips). Like before, just cut off as little as possible to create a clean, square edge so you don’t lose too much fabric.

STEP 4: PIECE AS DIRECTED.

Once you’ve made your cuts, you’ll have your new units, all ready to use in your quilt top! Your pattern should tell you what to do from there.

Pattern: Granny Patch | Kit: Cherry Blossom

And just like that, you’ve successfully strip pieced…and probably saved a lot of time doing it!

Tips for better strip piecing

As you can see, strip piecing is pretty simple…at least in theory. In practice, there are some things you want to watch out for as you strip piece. These tips will help you get the best results:

TIP 1: CUT YOUR STRIPS ACCURATELY.

You should always try to cut your fabric accurately, but it’s even more important than usual with strip piecing. A crooked strip will create a crooked strip set, and then that crooked strip set will give you a bunch of crooked and differently-sized sub-cut units!

The same goes for sub-cutting your strip set. If you don’t square up and pay close attention to your measurements, you could end up with wonky and uneven units…or you could even run out of room to cut all your units!

Simply put, keep your ruler on hand, and make your cutting as precise as possible.

TIP 2: PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO YOUR SEAM ALLOWANCE.

Small variations in seam allowance can lead to big differences in your strip-pieced units. In my experience, you’re most likely to have seam allowance trouble at the beginning and end of your seam. (It’s easier to keep things even in the middle.) So the units you cut from the edges of your strip set can end up too big or a little too small.

A ¼” piecing foot can help you stay consistent, as can using leaders and enders while you piece.

Keep in mind too that the more strips in a set, the more likely you are to need to use a scant ¼” seam…so definitely take the time to test and adjust your scant ¼” seam before you sew up all your strip sets!

TIP 3: PRESS YOUR STRIP SETS WELL.

Cutting and sewing consistently will get you most of the way there, but pay attention to your pressing too! Try to press your strip set seams evenly (and thoroughly) to get the most accurate results when you start sub-cutting. (I have some tips for flat seams that can help!)

Lo & Behold patterns with strip piecing

Strip piecing is one of my favorite quilting skills…so I’ve used it in quite a few of my own quilt patterns! If you want to practice your strip piecing, try one of these:

Each of these patterns walks you through exactly how to sew and cut your strip sets, so they’re perfect for building your strip piecing confidence.

Happy quilting!

-Brittany

Strip piecing FAQ

IS IT EASIER TO STRIP PIECE OR PIECE INDIVIDUAL BLOCKS?

In many cases, it’s easier to strip piece your quilt than to piece individual blocks…especially if you’re working with small pieces.

HOW DO YOU KEEP STRIPS FROM GETTING WAVY OR STRETCHED?

To keep your strips from getting wavy or stretched as you saw, you can use starch, cut on grain, pin a lot, and use a walking foot. For more details and tips, check out my guide to sewing long seams on quilts!

IS STRIP PIECING A GOOD WAY TO MAKE A QUILT?

Strip piecing is a great way to make a quilt! It speeds up the piecing process and can help you keep things neat and accurate.