Kaye's Tips and Techniques
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Seam allowances for hand and machine piecing
It doesn't matter if you hand or machine piece. The question is whether you use templates or strip piecing. If you use templates, the template is usually the finished size and you need to add seam allowances. Hand piecers usually mark the finished size, which is the seamline. They then eyeball the 1/4" since the finished size is already marked. If you strip piece, don't worry about the seam allowance. It will eventually come off all sides of the piece.
Cutting Half Squares:
Start with 2 bias strips, sewn together into a tube (sewn along both long edges). Use the Starmaker 8 to cut the tube. All outside edges will be on the straight of grain. Use this chart as a guideline for half squares:
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2" strips
2-3/4" strips
3-3/8" strips
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2-1/2" square
3-1/2" square
4-1/2" square
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2" finished size
3" finished size
4" finished size
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Envelope Finish:
An envelope, or pillow finish requires a backing fabric cut the same size as the quilt top. The two pieces are then sewn, right sides together, with or without batting. Sew around 3-1/2 sides of the quilt, if batting is sewn into the seam line, the batting should be next to the quilt top - this will eliminate the seam allowance showing through from the top of the quilt.
To do an applique finish, press under the seam allowances, pin in place; topstitch.
Strip Pieced Prairie Points
Step 1: Cut 4-1/2" wide strips.
Step 2: On the wrong side, mark a line 1/2" from one long edge. Cut the strips with vertical lines every 4 inches (only down to the 1/2" line).
Step 3: Fold and press each section of the strip diagonally; wrong sides together.
Then fold each section diagonally again
One of the fabrics will be folded in one direction; the other folded in the opposite direction.
Step 4: Weave and pin the two strips, wrong sides together.
Baste zigzag the raw edges. Trim the band to 1/4" allowance. Stitch the band to the edge of the quilt; the points should lay toward the center. Finish by sewing the backing, top and batting together in an envelope style finish.
The strip of Prairie Points is added right sides together to the quilt top. The quilt can then be finished with an envelope; or a binding strip can be added on top of the prairie points, layer the quilt, fold the binding strip to the wrong side of the quilt.
Piped Prairie Points
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Place a piping strip between two strips of fabric (use a solid and a print or strips), right sides together, the raw edge of the piping even with raw edges of the fabric. Use a piping foot or a zipper foot and sew through both layers of fabric and piping. Turn fabric right sides out.
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Pin raw edges of fabric strips together and baste together 1/2" from edge. Measure the width of strip from this basting line to the top of the piping. Double this measurement to cut the strip from piping just down to basting line.
Fold both sides, of these cut edges, into the center, down to the basting line.
Fold with the print or stripe on the outside; or fold with the print or stripe on the inside, or fold some of each and combine them into an interesting finish.
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Pin two prairie point strips together with points offset. Baste zigzag the raw edges to basting line. Place the prairie point strip, right sides together, with the quilt top. Keep raw edges of the quilt even with raw edges of prairie points.
Sew using an envelope style finish.
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This will give you a Perfect Mitered corner on both the front and back of your quilt
Step 1:
Stitch to a seam allowance width from the next edge.
With the needle in the quilt, pivot the quilt and sew to the corner.
Step 2:
Fold the binding strip up; at right angles to the corner.
Step 3:
Bring the binding down to follow the next angle or edge. Right angle is shown, but it works with any angle. (This forms a pleat).
Step 4:
Sew from the edge to the next corner. Miter each corner the same way.
Complete instructions for cutting and sewing bindings are in the Strip Quilting Project Books.
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A binding finishes off the edges and forms a frame around the quilted piece. Binding strips may be cut on the straight of grain or on the bias. If the edges of the quilt are straight, use a straight cut binding.
How wide should the binding be?
The binding can be very narrow (1/8") to extra wide. If your finished binding (the width showing on the quilt top) is 1/2" , then the seam allowance used to join the binding to the quilt or patchwork strip must be 1/2" because the binding must be padded with the edge of the quilt. Keep this in mind when planning the width of your last border - it will look narrower if you decide on a wider finished binding. For a double fold binding, cut the strips 6 times the desired finished width of the binding.
Finished Binding 1/4" then strip width is 1-1/2"
Finished Binding 1/2" then strip width is 3"
Finished Binding 3/4" then strip width is 4-1/2"
How much binding do you need?
Add 2 times the length of the quilt plus 2 times the width of the quilt plus 1 extra foot (just in case).
Fold the bias or straight binding in half lengthwise with the wrong sides together, using a long straight pin, an iron, and an ironing board:
Stick the long pin into the ironing board cover, up over the folded strip, and back into the ironing board. Place an iron to the right of the pin. Pull the strip under the pin and under the iron. It will come out folded and pressed perfectly.
Cut the beginning of the binding strip on the diagonal (bias).
Leave a 6" tail at the beginning of the binding and start sewing on one side of the quilt - never at the corner. Sew with both raw edges of the binding even with the edge of the quilt.
Kaye's Ironing Pad
Make your own pad by layering these fabrics cut to whatever size you desire (I make mine 24 x 24")
- Cotton or sheeting
- A layer of fleece or Thermore
- A metallic coated fleece, such as an old ironing board cover
- A layer of fleece or Thermore
- Cotton sheeting
Zigzag (wide, long stitch) or serge all four edges
Pinless Point Matching
| Interlocking Seams
An interlocking seam is easy to match.
The top seam allowance is toward the needle (away from you). The bottom seam allowance is toward you.
Your sewing machine will help you match interlocking seams.
As you sew, finger pin (hold the matching seamlines together). The machine pushes the top seam into the center of the bottom seam and locks it into place.
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| Non Interlocking Seams
The top seam is toward you and the bottom seam is toward the machine.
As you sew, finger pin.
To finger pin: Hold the two seamlines together with your fingers until the needle is close to the seam.
Remove your fingers before sewing over the seam.
Do NOT sew over your fingers, it is painful!
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How To Measure For Corner Triangles for an "On-Point" Quilt
Measure on side of your quilt and add 1 inch.
Put 2 squares of your corner fabric wrong sides together where the diagonal measurement is equal to the side of your quilt plus 1 inch.
Cut along the diagonal line.
Kaye's Hanging Sleeve
Cut fabric 8" wide and 2" shorter than the width of the quilt. Turn the short ends under 1/2" and topstitch. Press the strip in half (4" wide). Sew the raw edges of the sleeve to the top edge of the quilt. Hand stitch the folded edge 4" down from the top of the quilt. Add binding.
Evenly Spaced Half Circle Borders
Supplies needed: Paper or tear-away stabilizer and Kaye's View & Do Circle Shape.
Side Borders
- 1. Length of paper: Measure the length (height) at the center of the quilt. Cut the papers this length.
- Width of paper: Cut two papers the width desired for your half-circle border.
- 2. Fold each paper end-to-end in half. Continue folding the paper until it is the size wanted for one half-circle. Fold the paper one more fold.
- 3. Draw a quarter circle keeping 1/4" down from the top edge of the paper and 1/4 -1/2" from the bottom edge of the paper. Line up the folds with the lines on the View & Do Circle Shape to draw a perfect quarter circle.
- 4.To mark the paper, sew without thread along the quarter circle. (If your machine will not sew without thread, use thread and a long basting stitch. Remove the basting thread.)
- 5. Open up the paper to its full length.
- 6. Place two fabrics (the same size as the paper) right sides together. Pin the paper to both fabrics.
- 7. Sew through the paper and fabrics, along the perforations made by the needle. Remove the paper.
- 8. Trim the curved seam allowances 1/4" from the stitching line.
- 9. Turn right side out. Press.
- 10. Stitch the raw edges of the borders together. Sew the borders to the quilt, starting and stopping 1/4" from each edge.
Bottom Borders
- 1. Length of paper: Measure the width at the center of the quilt. Cut the papers this length.
- Width of paper: Cut two papers the width desired for your half-circle border.
- 2. Fold the papers as above. The size of each half-circle might be smaller or larger than the side borders depending on the length of the papers.
- 3. Follow the above directions.
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More on Binding - How to start your bindings
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1. Cut enough binding strips to go around the quilt, plus 12"
2. Sew two or more binding strips together on the diagonal or bias. Trim the excess seam allowance.
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| 3. Press the seam allowances open. |
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4. At the beginning of the strip, fold the end diagonally and press a crease. |
| 5. Fold the binding in half, wrong sides together, and press.
6. Leave a 6" tail a the beginning of the binding. Start sewing on one side of the quilt with the raw edges of the binding strip even with the edge of the quilt top.
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7. After mitering the last corner, stop stitching. Lay the beginning creased fold and the ending of the binding strip together. Fold a crease in the ending.
8. Bring the folded crease lines together, right sides together, pin and sew.
9. Finish sewing the binding strip to the quilt.
10. Bring the binding strip around to the back of the quilt and hand stitch it in place. The corners will miter perfectly on the front and back of the quilt.
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Look for more of Kaye's Tips and Techniques in all of her books, as well as her weekly newsletter
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