Construction MethodsTemplates-- Choose the template material and the pattern. Transfer the pattern shapes to the template material with a sharp No. 2 lead pencil, write the pattern name, piece letter or number, grain line and number to cut for one block or whole quilt on each piece. Some patterns require a reversed piece. These patterns are labeled with an R after the piece letter; for example, F and FR. To reverse a template, first cut it with the labeled side up and then witht he labeled side down. Compare these to the right and left fronts of a blouse. When making a garment, you accomplish reversed pieces when cutting the pattern on two layers of fabric placed with right sides together. This can be done when cutting templates as well. If cutting one layer of fabric at a time, first trace template onto the backside of the fabric with the marked side down; turn the template over with the marked side up to make reverse pieces. Applique patterns usually do ot include a seam allowance. Most designs are given in one drawing rather than individual pieces. This saves space while giving you the complete design to trace on the background block to help with placement of the pieces later. Make templates for each shape using the drawing for exact size. Remember to label each piece as for piecing templates. For hand applique, add a seam allowance when cutting pieces from fabric. You may trace the template with label side up on the right side of the fabric if you are careful to mark lightly. The traced line is then the guide for turning the edges under when stitching. If you prefer to mark the wrong side of the fabric, turn the template over if you want the pattern to face the same way it does on the page. For machine applique, a seam allowance is not necessary. Trace template onto the right side of the fabric with label facing up. cut around shape on the traced line. Piecing-- When yu have marked the appropriate number of pieces, cut out pieces, leaving 1/4" beyond marked line around each piece. To piece, refer to assembly drawings to piece units and blocks, if provided. To join two units, place the patches with right sides together. Stick a pin at the beginning of the seam through both fabric patches, matching the beginning pints; for hand piecing, the seam begins on the traced line, not at the edge of the fabric. Thread a sharp needle; knot one strand of the thread at the end. Remove the pin and insert the needle in the hole; make a short stitch and then a backstitch right over the first stitch. Continue making short stitches with several stitches on the needle at one time. As you stitch, check the back piece often to assure accurate stitching on the seam line. Take a stitch at the end of the seam; back stitch and knot at the same time. Seams on hand-pieced fabric patches may be finger-pressed toward the darker fabric. To sew units together, pin fabric patches together, matching seams. Sew as above except where seams meet; at these intersections, backstitch, go through seam to next piece and backstitch again to secure seam joint. Not all pieced blocks can be stitched with straight seams or in rows. Some patterns require set-in pieces. To begin a set-in seam as on a star pattern, pin one side of the square to the proper side of the star point with the right sides together, matching corners. Start stitching at the seam line on the outside point; stitch on the marked seam line to the end of the seam line at the center. Bring around the adjacent side and pin to the next star point, matching seams. Continue the stitching line from the adjacent seam through corners and to the outside edge of the square. Machine-Piecing-- Set machine on 2.5 or 12-15 stitches per inch. Join pieces as for hand-piecing for set-in seams; but for other straight seams, begin and end sewing at the end of the fabric patch sewn. No backstitching is necessary when machine-stitching. Join units as for hand-piecing referring to the piecing diagrams where needed. Chain piecing (figure 11--sewing several like units before sewing other units) saves time by eliminating beginning and ending stitches. When joining machine-pieced units, match seams against eachother with seam allowances pressed in opposite directions to reduce bulk and make perfect matching of seams possible. Cutting-- When rotary-cutting strips, straighten raw edges of fabric by folding fabric in fourths across the width as shown in Figure 13. Press down flat; place fuler on fabric square with edge of fabric and make one cut from the folded edge to the outside edge. If strips are not straightened, a wavy strip will result. Always cut away from your body, holding the ruler firmly with the non-cutting hand. Keep fingers away from the edge of the ruler as it is easy for the rotary cutter to slip and jump over the edge of the ruler if cutting is not properly done. For many blocks, ie, Nine-Patch blocks, three strips are stitched together -- usually two from the same fabric and one from another fabric. The strips are stitched, pressed and cut into segments. A second strip set is stitched using the same colors but reversing the order. The sets are cut into segments. The cut segments are arranged and stitched to complete one Nine-Patch block. Although the block shown is very simple, the same methods may be used for more complicated patterns. The direction to press seams on strip sets is important for accurate piecing later. the normal rule for pressing is to press seams toward the darker fabric to keep the colors from showing through on lighter colors later. For joining segments from strip sets, this rule doesn't always apply. It is best if seams on adjacent rows are pressed in opposite directions. When aligning segments to stitch rows together, if pressed properly, seam joints will have a seam going in both directions. If a square is required for the pattern, it can be sub-cut from a strip. If you need right triangles with the straignt grain on the short sides, you can use the same method, but you need to figure out how wide to cut the strip. Measure the finished size of one short side of the triangle. Add 7/8" to this size for seam allowance. Cut fabric strips this width; cut the strips intothe same increment to create squares. cut the squares on the diagonal to produce triangles. for example, if you need a triangle with a 2" finished height, cut the strips 2 7/8" by the width of the fabric. Cut the strips into 2 7/8" squares. Cut each square on the diagonal to produce the correct-size triangle with the grain on the short sides. Triangles sewn together to make squares are called half-square triangles or triangle/squares. When joined, the triangle/square unit has the straight of grain on all outside edges of the block. Another method of making triangle/squares: Layer two squares with right sides together; draw a diagonal line through the center. Stitch 1/4" on both sides of the line. cut apart on the drawn line to reveal two stitched triangle/squares. If you need triangles with the straight of grain on the diagonal, such as for fill-in triangles on the outside edges of a diagonal-set quilt, the procedure is a bit different. To make these triangles, a square is cut on both diagonals; thus, the straight of grain is on the longest or diagonal side. To figure out the size to cut the square, add 1 1/4" to the needed finished size of the longest side of the triangle. For example, if you need a triangle with a 12" finished diagonal, cut a 13 1/4" square. If templates are given, use their measurements to cut fabric strips to correspond with that measurement. The template may be used on the strip to cut pieces quickly. Strip cutting works best for squares, triangles, rectangles and diamonds. Odd shaped templates are difficult to cut in multiple layers using a rotary cutter. |
