This technique is used after you have cut and sewn your strips for a star quilt and are ready to assemble the strips into large diamonds that contain all of those little points that you want to line up perfectly. How well your points touch exactly tells your viewers of the care you took in making the quilt.
I am sharing this technique with you because I came up with this idea and I have not seen it elsewhere, and I believe there are quilt patterns besides the star where this technique can be useful.
The Video Shows You How
Easy to Get Started
The materials you need besides your sewing machine and fabric are simple:
- Pen or pencil
- Paper
- Tape
- Tissue paper
- Sewing glue pen, pink glue recommended
- Straight edge with angles and measurements
See page with recommended quilting products
Make the Pattern
The paper pattern with the lines only has to be made one time, you will use it over and over for the entire project. It might take you five minutes to make.
You draw a line on the paper that is the length of your fabric edge, if one piece of paper is not long enough then tape additional sheets together. With the edge of your ruler, draw a straight line and label it Fabric Edge.
Parallel to that and 1/4” from that, draw a second line and label it Sewing Line. It is useful to use a dashed line or a different color ink to identify the sewing line.
Next we draw the lines for the direction of your little triangles. In the pictures and video, mine are 1-1/2” apart and at a 45 degree angle. If yours are at a different angle or a different distance apart then use yours. The first set of these lines are drawn in the direction of your diamond edges with right side up. Draw the lines so that they can be seen when you lay your fabric strip along the Fabric Edge drawn on the paper.
The second set of lines are drawn next. These correspond to the stitching lines you see when your fabric strip is right side down. These have the same spacing as the first set of lines but in the perpendicular direction. The two sets of lines meet at the Sewing Line drawn on the paper, this is the point we are making perfect.
Easily Assemble Your Fabric
We are ready to line up our strips using the our drawing and glue them together. The glue holds the fabric strips together temporarily while you sew.
First tape a 1” piece of tissue over the seam allowance drawn on the paper. The tissue I use is left over gift wrap, you can iron it flat if it is wrinkled. This strip of tissue keeps the glue from fouling your sewing machine and will glide along under the pressure foot. On this tissue, run the glue pen along the sewing allowance, between the Fabric Edge and the Sewing Line.
Next, take a fabric strip right side up, aligning it to the Fabric Edge and the diagonal lines on the paper. If you must stretch or compress the strip bias to match the diagonal lines that is ok, this will insure the perfect points. After glued to the tissue paper, run another strip of glue on the fabric along the seam allowance. This glue holds temporarily and cannot be felt in the finished quilt.
Finally, place the next fabric strip right side down aligning it to the Fabric Edge with the visible sewing lines aligned to the diagonal lines on the paper.
Sew Perfect Points into Place
Now you are ready to sew. Take the two fabric strips and tissue that you have assembled and sew your seam. Be sure to tear off any tape adhered to the tissue. Place the fabric edge against the guide of your presser foot with the tissue on the bottom, then sew your seam. I set the needle at a scant 1/4” seam allowance.
Finishing Diamonds to Perfection
Iron the sewn strips to expose the matching points. They should match perfectly. Continue to use these steps as you assemble all of the fabric strips into the finished diamond shape.
What’s Next?
Watch the full Star Quilt Tutorial for tips, tricks and techniques to help you perfect your finished quilt.
Be inspired by other quilting patterns like the Bargello! It is a fun way to make a 3-D illusion quilt using Jelly Rolls.
Select curated quilting tools at our page.
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