joining

join the sides of the squares together

join the top and bottoms of the squares together

Using the yarn ends, mattress stitch together the sides of the squares:

• if using Homelea Happy or a 10ply / worsted weight yarn – join the sides with a darning needle
• if using Homelea Bliss or a super chunky yarn – use your fingers to join the sides

Important: check that the squares all have the yarn ends on the right side. This means that they all have the same side facing up.

when starting or finishing on the outside of the finished item:

• loop the yarn through the corners of both squares so there isn’t a gap at the corners and the edge of the is continuous without any indents

how to do mattress stitch:

• starting from the centre of the join and going away from the join, put the needle/yarn end under a loop on one side of the join
• then starting from the centre of the join again and going away from the join on the other side, put the needle/yarn end under a loop on the other side of the join
• if joining along the end of the rows: put the needle under 2 or 3 loops for each row
• if joining along the foundation chain or last row: put the needle under the loop / leg of the V that’s facing up

helpful hints:

• match the yarn colour to one of the squares being joined
• don’t sew in the yarn ends until all the squares are joined
• if the yarn end isn’t long enough to do the full length of the join, cut a length of yarn the same colour and continue the join with the new piece of yarn
• it’s easier to make sure the join is flat and even if the squares are flat on a table
• alternate the needle between different hands when going from one side to the other
• mattress stitch will feel odd to start with, but it’s repetitive movements soon become soothing