(Apologies if this is a multiple post. I know I sent it via the regular route, but I don't think it ever actually got to rctq... Google has no record of it. If you've seen this before and just don't care about striped sashing, just hit the delete button! : -) )
My current WIP has striped sashing, with the stripes running the short way of the rectangles. This has turned out to be fun and extremely useful. I accidentally did things right!
Tips--
If you cut your sashings so that they all begin at the same point in the stripe repeat and end at the same point in the stripe repeat (start and end don't have to be the same), you can make absolutely sure that your blocks cover the same distance against each piece of sashing--all your blocks will be the same width and the same height. Useful if your blocks are a teensy bit out of square! And all your sashings match! Way cool! For this, it is useful to cut the first set of sashings (all of the up and down ones, or all of the across ones) somewhat longer than what you will need, so you can slide them back and forth a bit, just in case you didn't cut the sashing pieces as accurately as you thought you did!
--You can also use the stripes that fall at the midpoints of the sashing pieces to make sure your blocks are similarly aligned across each row and down each column. See where the first block's piecing seams fall against the stripes in the first sashing piece--then make sure the same alignment happens on all the blocks. Presto! Internal block seams are all lined up across and down the quilt.
This all makes for lots of pinning, but I think the results are going to be well worth the fussiness. The sashings are all on, the center's together, and that's left is two borders!
Monique in TX