Joining rows for English Garden

  Joining the rows for the English Garden quilt is a little unnerving for me.   First, almost every row in this quilt is different!  The staggered drop is the villain that causes this to happen.
Second, in the quilt world,  those perfectly matched seams are so prized, and expected of someone with experience.  Ha!  In this quilt layout, I find only a few spots to match a seam with long stretches of nothingness to guide and reassure me.

   I have 3 vertical rows joined here.  Two wide ones and one narrow one on the left side.   I have a few more vertical rows sewn that are just pinned to the wall, too.  The first 2 rows were a breeze.....then the third one came along.
  The top row of the first block in the third row--confused yet?----needs to align with bottom row of the first block in the first row.  Giggle/grin/sigh.....I know, that is exactly how I felt.

  This close up should help you see why I was a bit unnerved.  I got to the third row and found little to match.  The staggered blocks are a blessing---ease of sewing---and a curse---nothing to register with.
   So out came the pins....those long, pointy things with knobs on the top  that leave pricks along the way.  I pinned the places that need to align....and hoped for the best.

  Actually, the rows are going together well....just a bit slower sewing than normal.  Since each one is different, I am slowing down in an attempt to avoid mistakes  in joining pieces.  I sure would hate to have to return to the store and buy more fabric!
  One other little trick I used while piecing the vertical rows for this one.....I used a sticky note on the layout photo in the book to mark which row I was piecing.  Example......when I finished up the third row, I moved the piece on to the fourth row----lining up the edge of the  sticky note with the row in the book.  It helped keep the confusion down.

  I also got one donation quilt pinned.
  This is a guild quilt for Habitat for Humanity that I was volunteered to quilt.  LOL.....wait till I show the backing...it's a doozy.   I am pinning a table topper/runner right now too.  I am just stacking them up for Hot Legs.
Happy stitching.