How to Assemble the Double Wedding Ring Block...

How to assemble the block...the first timer way! I've been quilting for years, but I've never sewn the double wedding block. It was a learning experience, but with some researching online and some trial and error, I came up with this.

Double Wedding Ring Block...

You can cut your pieces from a template, but I used the AccuQuilt Go Big cutter from this post. The cutting was so fast and easy with their new die!

Lay out all the pieces in a specific color order or in a scrappy look. I picked scrappy.

The post is filled with lots of pictures, so come in and see the steps.



I sewed one section of the circle at a time...I'm calling these sections the "football shape".

I started sewing the top row of the football shape from the purple to the gray piece.

I'm writing these instructions with all the details, so if you are an experienced quilter, you can skip over all the parts that are second nature for you.

When I first started sewing years ago, I came up with my "thigh sewing" method. It sounds crazy, but it works for me. I'll show you in the following photos. Why on the thigh? Well, it's close by, I can keep track of the fabric and it's like a built in table for me.

On a side note, I was going to type "thigh sewer" (as in someone who sews on their thigh), but it's spelled the same ways as "thigh sewer" ( as in the sewer pipe that drains from your house), so I'm going to call it my thigh sewing method. Any who...let's move on! lol

The first step in my "thigh sewing", is to stack the pieces one on top of the other from the left to the right.

Keep stacking the entire row you are sewing.

(This works for sewing rows and rows of squares in a regular quilt too, not just this double wedding ring.)

Here's the stack and here's my thigh.

I take the first piece off to the left...

Then take the second piece and place it right sides together on top of the purple. Match the sides and notches.

Sew with a 1/4 inch seam. 

Chain piece the rest of the pairs. Chain piecing is to keep sewing without removing the fabric or cutting the threads. Just keep adding more fabric pairs as you go...a long chain of sewing.

Here the next piece taken to the left...

Then fold over the next one, right sides together.

Keep chain sewing...

then the next piece off to the left ...

and the last piece folded over, right sides together.

Chain, chain, chain...(can you hear the song in your head)...chain of fools. lol

Chain goes to the thigh.

Cut the threads between each section. This is were my thigh helps me keep track of things close by and not buried on my messing sewing table.

When sewing this block, it's good to have an iron near by. This is just an old board I made years ago...batting and some fabric glued on the back. It can go anywhere, like my dining room on a TV tray. I have to sew in there this winter, because my sewing room is freezing with no heat in there and single digit temps outside. It's even too cold for a space heater to keep up in my sewing room.

Iron each pair with seams open instead of to one side as with typical quilting. It reduces the bulk.

Now back to thigh sewing...stack second on top of first, right sides together, matching notches.

See the seam ironed opened?

Iron and sew the last set on top of the first.

Right sides together.

Iron and this section is complete.

I sewed all 8 sections. Now there are only those 8 squares left to sew on.

Four of those curved sections have to have the square sewn on each end. I could have done that when I was chain piecing them, but was on a roll when I was sewing the other sections and didn't do it.

Just add a square to each end of the curved piece.

Now to assemble all the bigger pieces...

Take one 6-piece unit and sew it to one of the white center pieces.

The center notch will match the center seam of the 6-piece unit.

Fold over the white unit, right sides together.

Pin the ends and the center. You can pin the whole side if you like.

Sew 1/4 seam, easing the fabric in as you go. It's like sewing the curve of a slice of watermelon.

but when you iron it out, it lays flat. I ironed the seam toward the white. It naturally folds that way, so I went with it.

Next, we will be sewing the white section to the unit with the squares on the end.

Match the center of the white to the center of the curved piece.

You will also be matching the notched ends of the squares to the notches of the other end pieces.

Fold fabric right sides together and pin all the way across, matching edges.

Start sewing with 1/4 inch seam on the square piece. At the area where I'm pointing, drop your needle inside that existing seam and pivot a little to continue sewing onto the white fabric.  That's hard to explain with the written word, but you'll see when you have it in hand.

Here are some arrows for you.

Iron seams towards the white middle section.

Repeat this with the other 3 sections.

Oh...by the way. This WILL happen as a newbie and your seam ripper will be your best friend.

Just pick out that sewn in crease..

Open it up to ease the fabric in again and re-sew it.

Now to sew the 4 football shapes to the center white piece.

The centers will match up ...

Place white fabric right side together with one of the football shapes. Pin center seam.

This part is crucial...

Take the end of each white center piece and mark a little dot at the 1/4 inch mark in the center of the tip.

Here it is circled.

Now pin that dot over the seam between the last 2 pieces of the football block.

Here's that spot marked below

Here it is pinned in place. Dot is lined up with the seam.

Do the same on the other end. Pin the rest of the curve and sew all the way across.

Here's what it looks like all in place.

Open up and iron seam towards the center piece. When you add the next football, the notches on the square will match.

Add the other 3 football shaped pieces and you are done!!

It's my first one, so there is a little ripple in it and it doesn't lay perfectly flat, but that's why free motion quilting was invented...to flatten out all my mistakes!!

This was my first time with this block, so if anyone wants to add any more tips and tricks to this tutorial, that would be so helpful for all my readers!! Just leave a comment below!! Thanks in advance!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Sewing!
~Karen~