Strip piecing is one of my favorite quilting techniques. It’s quick, and it makes things more accurate. I used this technique for my Salty Fibers quilt pattern. But even when something works well, I’m always looking for ways to make it even faster — without messing things up, of course.
Here are a few things that have made my strip piecing process way quicker:
1. Don’t cut one strip set at a time!
I used to sew my strip sets, press them, and then cut one at a time. It worked fine, but it wasn’t exactly the fastest way. Then I saw a YouTube video (or maybe it was a blog post?) that showed a really simple trick: cutting a few strip sets at once. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of that before!
2. Shift and stack your strip sets
The trick is to layer them, but not in a big stack! You don’t want them piled directly on top of each other—that just makes things slide around. Instead, shift each strip set about an inch so, so that no seams are on top of each other (because that's going to cause shifting for sure!). As you can see from the photo, I have tried up to six layers. But I don't really recommend going over four layers, or it starts getting wobbly.
3. Use your cutting mat for alignment
Once your strip sets are stacked and slightly offset, take a second to match the seams with the grid lines on your cutting mat. This helps keep things straight and stops you from cutting wonky pieces. Trim one clean edge, then start cutting all the layers at once.
4. Keep your ruler steady (and your rotary blade sharp!)
When cutting multiple layers, you’ve got to keep your ruler from shifting. Press down firmly, and make sure your rotary cutter blade is sharp so it glides through without dragging or skipping. If your blade starts catching, it’s probably time for a new one (I know, I know—we all wait too long to change them).
By making this small change, I can now cut a whole batch of strip-pieced units in one go. It’s faster, more consistent, and honestly, just more fun! 100% recommend.
If you want to practice strip piecing, check out my strip pieced quilt pattern Salty fibers! It’s the perfect project for getting comfortable with this technique while making something warm and scrappy.
