(^54)
which means it will be offset at the base.
Sew and press the seam. Place a fourth
triangle right sides together with the
sewn unit, this time aligning it at the
bottom, so it is off-set at the top. Sew in
place, press the seam and continue
adding triangles in this way, alternating
the offset seams.
Diamonds are forever
Diamonds can be pieced to create all
sorts of wonderful shapes, from stars to
chevrons. They are best cut from a long
strip of fabric using a quilter’s ruler. Here
we’re cutting 45-degree diamonds, but
60-degree diamonds can be cut in a
similar way. Cut a fabric strip to measure
½in (1.3cm) wider than the finished size
the diamonds will be. The size of a
diamond is the distance between two of
the sides (not point to point). Position the
ruler so the 45-degree line is running
across the bottom of the strip, with the
ruler still on the fabric at the top of the
strip, and cut.
Slide the ruler to the right, keeping the
45-degree line along the bottom of the
fabric strip so that the width of the
second cut will be the same as the height
of the strip (see blue arrows). For
example, if your strip height is 3in, then
the width of the diamond should be the
same. Make a second cut to create your
first diamond. Repeat along the strip.
Piecing diamonds
When piecing diamonds together,
offset the seams (as with the equilateral
triangles) to ensure straight edges. Place
two diamonds right sides together but
don’t match them at the top and bottom
points. Instead, position the points so
they’re jutting out by ¼in. Pin and sew
together with a ¼in seam. Press the seam
open or to one side, then sew the next
diamond in place in the same way.
Continue sewing the diamonds together
using this method, until you have
completed a row.
Place two rows of diamonds right sides
together and you’ll see the seams on one
row are pointing in the opposite direction to
the other row. Line up the top long edges of
the rows next to each other, but off-set
them horizontally so ¼in sticks out at the
ends. Pin the units together and sew the
seam, then press to finish.
Sewing curveD SHAPES
Once you’ve built up your confidence
working with straight line shapes, you can
create lovely eye-catching quilts using
curved shapes like circles and scallops.
The secret is to take your time, use lots
of pins and press your work as you go to
keep everything nice and flat as you work.
You might find it easier to mark your
stitching line on your fabric before you
stitch to help keep an even seam.
For greater control of stitched lines,
try hand stitching curved shapes. If you’re
using a sewing machine, go slowly, use a
shorter stitch length than you would with
straight lines and take care to keep the
seam allowance consistent as you go. To
make sure your seams lie flat, make small
snips about^1 / 8 in apart into the seam
allowance once you’ve stitched it.
MORE SHAPES TO TRY!
Half-square Triangles, page 83
Quarter Square Triangles, page 93
Working with hexagons, page 98
Shape templates, page 104
(^0506)
(^54)
07
Edge of ruler
nearer the
top edge of
the fabric
45-degree line
of ruler runs
along bottom
of strip
The width of
the second
piece should
be the same as
the height of
the strip (see
blue arrows)
Rows are
offset
Rows are
offset
Slide the ruler to the right, keeping
the 45-degree line along the bottom
08
HOW TO CUT AND PIECE DIAMONDS
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(Antfer)
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