Midnight Medallion Quilt Along, Week 5 – Tips for Strip Piecing + Understanding Scant ¼in Seams
Welcome to Week 5 of the Midnight Medallion QAL! This week we’re sewing the border blocks that create the final frame around your medallion. These blocks add structure, balance, and a finishing ring to your celestial quilt design.
In this post, we’ll go over the strip piecing construction with scant ¼in seam allowances and trimming tips.
Today’s post covers:
• What a scant ¼" seam allowance is
• Why it matters
• Tips for achieving accurate seam allowances
• How to prevent your strip sets from curving or warping
• Trimming tips for clean, accurate units
If you’re following along, grab your Midnight Medallion quilt pattern and flip to pages 9 to 11. Haven’t snagged your free copy yet? Don’t worry—you can download it here.
This is the fifth blog post of the Midnight Medallion QAL series, with a new post dropping every Monday (starting March 3, 2026). Each week’s post will feature tips for completing that week’s tasks or fun bonus projects that build on the skills being explored. Even if you’re not following the Midnight Medallion pattern, these insights can be applied to future quilt projects. Sign up for the weekly QAL newsletter* here to stay up-to-date on tasks, tips, and bonus content. The newsletter will only run for the six weeks of the QAL, so you won’t miss a thing.
For a comprehensive overview of what the QAL entails—including the schedule, tools, supplies, and more—check out previous Midnight Medallion QAL blog post here. Remember, you’re welcome to join at any time and work at your own pace. If you’d prefer, you can save the posts and follow along at a later date.
All weekly tips, tricks, and resources will be centralized here for easy reference, so don’t forget to bookmark it!
*By signing up for the Midnight Medallion QAL updates, you also agree to sign up to be on The Weekend Quilter email newsletter list. We will not sell your email or spam you.
SUPPLIES AND TOOLS
• Sewing machine
• Quilting ruler
• Rotary cutter
• Sewing pins
• Iron
WHAT IS A SCANT ¼in SEAM?
A scant ¼in seam allowance is slightly less than a true ¼in seam allowance – usually by 1-2 needly positions.
This compensates for:
• Thread thickness
• Fold of fabric when pressed
• Fabric bulk
Using a scant ¼in seam allowance ensures that once pressed, the finished unit measures exactly what the pattern calls for.
WHY IT MATTERS IN STRIP PIECING
In strip piecing sets, small inaccuracies can compound. If each seam is even 1/32" too wide, a strip set with multiple seams can easily end up ⅛" to ¼" too short.
A scant seam keeps everything accurate.
TIPS FOR STRAIGHT, UNWARPED STRIP PIECING
1. Sew with consistent speed and pressure.
Jerky sewing or tugging can stretch fabric.
2. Press, don’t iron
Lift and press the iron — don’t push and drag.
3. Alternate pressing direction between seams
This helps fabric relax evenly.
4. Trim the selvages after sewing strips together
Selvages stretch differently from the rest of the fabric.
TRIMMING STRIP PIECED UNITS
1. Square up one short end of the strip set.
2. Use the grid lines of your ruler to measure the width needed.
3. Cut straight down, keeping the ruler perpendicular to the seam lines. Rotate the strip set 180 degrees.
4. Move the ruler along the strip set and cut units as outlined in the pattern.
This helps prevent angled cuts.
Strip piecing can dramatically speed up Week 5, but accuracy matters. With a clean scant seam allowance and mindful pressing, your units will stay straight, crisp, and ready for assembly.
Remember, you can join this QAL at any time and sew at your own pace. All weekly posts — including this one — are linked on the QAL hub page, so bookmark it for easy access to every tutorial as you move through the project.
Make sure you’re signed up for QAL updates, and get ready — next week, we assemble everything! And sharing is caring. Share your border block progress using #MidnightMedallionQAL. We love cheering you on!