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Block of the Week – Block 7

Welcome back to my Block of the Week posts. It’s time for block 7. If you are just joining in on the fun, these block patterns are free to download. If you want to download the patterns from previous weeks, here is the link to last week’s post. From there you can get to the previous weeks.

I call this week’s block Secret Star. It’s based on a block called Laurel Wreath (I will cover a little of the block history later in this post). We’re back to using a background fabric and two color prints. This one has fewer pieces than last week’s block and is easier to piece. Since many of the blocks we’ve done in this BOW sew along have bias seams, I thought I would cover some facts and tips on fabric bias and working with those seams for this week’s tips. Let’s get started!

Block of the Week – Block 7

The bulk of this block is created with flying geese and half-square triangle squares. I once again made one block with a light background and one with a dark background. Here is the block:

Find the pattern instructions to make this block here: 2026 BOW Block 7.

Now here is my block with a dark background fabric:

Tip of the Week

We’ve been dealing with bias seams in a lot of these blocks, so I thought it would be a good idea to review facts about fabrics and tips on working with bias seams as opposed to straight seams.

Fabric Grain & Bias

To understand the difference between a bias (diagonal) seam and a straight seam and why they behave differently, you need to know about fabric grain and bias. This may be a review for experienced sewers and quilters, but it never hurts to see it again.

The lengthwise grain of the fabric runs parallel to the selvage and is the most stable grain of the fabric.

The line I’m pointing to in the left photo (above) is showing the lengthwise grain. In the second photo, notice how there’s not much stretch to the fabric when I pull on opposite sides of the piece of fabric. It’s a good idea to cut in this direction for long pieces needed for the project like border strips, if possible.

The crosswise grain is a little less stable than the lengthwise grain. It’s perpendicular to the selvage (the line my finger is pointing to below). As you can see in the next photo, there is a little more stretch to the fabric in this direction, but not by much.

Finally, the bias of the fabric is at the 45 degree angle from the selvage. This is where the fabric is the least stable.

It’s important to remember this because any seams that are diagonal are in the bias direction of the fabric. Any seam sewn on the bias must be handled with care when pressing it or ripping it out so the fabric is not stretched out of shape. Once fabric is stretched on the bias, it can and likely will remain distorted.

Tips for Stitching and Handling Bias Seams

Tip #1: Pinning is extra important with these seams. Pinning keeps the pieces being joined with the bias seam from shifting. If the pieces shift in stitching, your units will not measure accurately and you’ll have to re-do these pieces.

Tip #2: Because bias seams are stitched in the direction where the fabric grain is the most pliable, do not pull the unit through your machine as you are stitching. This is a good rule for any seam, but especially bias seams because the fabric can be stretched severely out of shape by doing this and then your unit will not measure correctly. 

Tip #3: When pressing pieced units, whether with straight seams and bias seams, you should take care not to stress the seam. For units with bias seams, it’s extra important not to run the iron back and forth on the seam because this can stretch that area out of shape more than with a straight seam.

Tip #4: If you have to “un-sew” a bias seam, do it very carefully because that can also stretch this area of the fabric out of shape and fray it beyond use. This is a fabric saving tip because you won’t have to cut into more fabric to replace misshapen pieces.

A Little Block History

My block is a variation on a block from 1931 called Laurel Wreath. Here’s a drawing of that block with my block to the right of it:

As you can see, I just flipped the geese units and turned the center square into a square in a square unit using stitch and flip corners. 

This block was re-published by Nancy Page in 1938 under the name North Carolina. Nancy Page was a columnist from around 1928 through 1945. This was actually a pseudonym she used to publish the quilt patterns she wrote about. Her real name was Florence LaGanke Harris, which also appeared along with her pen name when the column was published. She was a dietician and a food writer. Eventually she ended up at the Cleveland Plain Dealer as a home economics editor. She herself was not a quilter, although she collected antique quilts. She was tapped to write the column because of a quilting revival going at the time.

Her columns consisted of block patterns, color choice, quilting design and finishing for a quilt. She basically created a fictional “quilt club” where she shared the progress in making the blocks. Some block patterns that were published were actually sent in by readers of her column. The quilt column ended up being syndicated to over 400 newspapers.

That’s it for this week. Enjoy making the block!

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Piecing Tips for Bias Seams

This week, I will cover working with bias seams when using the stitch & flip technique (sometimes called “folded corners”). Bias seams need to be approached with a little more care than straight seams.. The facts below will tell you why and my tips should help you when making a unit like this. Next week I’ll cover half-square triangle (HST) squares, which also involve bias seams. So let’s get started.

Fabric Grain & Bias

To understand the difference between a bias (diagonal) seam and a straight seam and why they behave differently, you need to know about fabric grain and bias. This may be a review for experienced sewers and quilters, but it never hurts to see it again.

The lengthwise grain of the fabric runs parallel to the selvage and is the most stable grain of the fabric.

The line I’m pointing to in the left photo (above) is showing the lengthwise grain. In the second photo, notice how there’s not much stretch to the fabric when I pull on opposite sides of the piece of fabric. It’s a good idea to cut in this direction for long pieces needed for the project like border strips, if possible.

The crosswise grain is a little less stable than the lengthwise grain. It’s perpendicular to the selvage (the line my finger is pointing to below). As you can see in the next photo, there is a little more stretch to the fabric in this direction, but not by much.

Finally, the bias of the fabric is at the 45 degree angle from the selvage. This is where the fabric is the least stable.

It’s important to remember this because any seams that are diagonal are in the bias direction of the fabric. Any seam sewn on the bias must be handled with care when pressing it or ripping it out so the fabric is not stretched out of shape. Once fabric is stretched on the bias, it can and likely will remain distorted.

Bias Seam Type – Flying Geese

Other than HSTs, which I will cover next week, lets look at another unit that has bias seams – flying geese. This is one type of unit that is constructed using the stitch & flip technique. I think most of you are familiar with how to make the traditional flying geese unit, but I will review quickly below.

Using 2 squares 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ and a 2 1/2 x 4 1/2″ rectangle, the photos below show the steps:

The above photos show the first steps: Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the two squares. When you lay one of the squares face down on the rectangle, pin to keep the square from shifting. Once you sew along the line, the next steps (photos below) are very important:

On the left I am folding over the square, after stitching the seam, to make sure its edge matches up with the edge of the rectangle. The center photo shows that when I measure the unit, it still measures 2 1/2 x 4 1/2″ (the measurement of the rectangle) . I can then trim off the excess fabric in the seam allowance (last photo). That is a key in stitch & flip units, always fold over and measure the unit after stitching before trimming off any excess fabric. 

Repeat the above steps on the other side of the rectangle, and you will have a flying geese unit. 

Bias Seam Type – Other Stitch & Flips

There are other ways to use the stitch & flip method besides making flying geese. Stitch & flip is also used to make corners on squares that will add a unique look to the design of a block. The block shown below is from my Star Wheels quilt. It has flying geese in it, but also other stitch & flip parts:

I also used stitch & flip in the blocks for my quilt Sunset Sky:

Like I said earlier, you can do stitch and flip on any block unit that has a 90 degree angle like a square or a rectangle. Besides the flying geese units that make up the center stars of the Sunset Sky block, the four corner squares have a lot of stitch & flip units. The Star Wheels blocks also have flying geese and an additional stitch & flip unit. I’m going to demo below using the black pointed units in Star Wheels block from above. The steps are similar to making single flying geese units.

Start with a 2 1/2″ black square and a tan 1 1/2″ square. Draw a line on the wrong side of the tan square as a guide for stitching, lay the smaller square face down on the face up larger one and line up its edges with the edges of the larger square as shown. I like to pin it in place for stitching so the small square does not shift. Then stitch on the line.

Once the seam is sewn, I fold over the square like I did in the flying geese steps above and measure the unit to make sure it still measures 2 1/2 x 2 1/2″ and the edge of the small square lines up with the edge of the larger square. Then I can cut off the excess fabric in the seam allowance (last photo below).

Repeat these steps on the other side of the square to finish that unit:

Here are some other blocks that I’ve made using the stitch & flip technique:

You can create a lot of interesting designs using this method. Just be careful if you have to un-sew any of these bias seams. Like I mentioned earlier, the fabric stretches easier on the bias and you could end up distorting your block pieces. Also once you cut away the excess fabric in the seam allowance, you can’t un-sew the unit and start over. That’s the reason why I have you measure the size of your finished unit prior to cutting any excess seam allowance away. 

See my mini video tutorial where I demonstrate stitch & flip steps below:

All done for this week. Next week, I’ll talk about half-square triangle (HST) squares. That’s a pieced unit that all quilters should master since it is found is many different quilt blocks.

Leave a comment or ask a question below and I’ll enter you into a drawing for my pattern, Sun Catcher. The blocks in this pattern will give you lots of practice with stitch & flip.

The drawing will be on Monday, January 26th. Good luck! ***We have a winner! Congrats, Judy Kimber!***

Happy Quilting,
Deanne

Working with Angles

There will be a time when you are no longer just sewing straight seams in your blocks, whether you are adding half-square triangle squares or stitch and flip corners. Angles add interest to a quilt block and quilt so it’s a good idea to learn how to stitch them accurately. I am going to concentrate on units where you use 45 degree angles because they are more common. Once you master these, you can translate what you’ve learned to other types of angles. Hopefully these tips help you whether you are a beginner or an experienced quilter.

Getting Started

It’s important to sew these seams accurately so your unit measures correctly so here are some tips that will help you when sewing these seams.

Tip#1: Don’t rely on “eyeballing” the seam you are sewing. Either draw a pencil line to follow or use guides on your machine. I will show some examples of using a pencil line in my specific examples below.

If you would rather use a guide on your machine, here’s how you set it up:

In the photo on the left, I first place a tape measure (I recommend a tape that is 1/2″ wide) under my needle and put the needle down at the “0” line. Place a piece of painter’s tape right at that point on your throat plate and sewing machine table. Then move the tape measure around (still under the needle), as in the center photo, if you are using a 1/2″ wide tape as recommended, the edge will be exactly aligned with the 1/4″ line on your throat plate and with the edge of your 1/4″ foot (last photo). Be sure it is exactly 1/4″ then draw a line on the painter’s tape. This acts to extend the 1/4″ mark from your throat plate. No more eyeballing a seam! You’ll see this in action later in this post.

Tip #2: Do not cut away any excess in the seam allowance until you press open the seam you have stitched and measure the unit to make sure it’s the size it’s supposed to be. These 45 degree seams are on the bias so you do not want to have to rip them out, which can distort your fabric. You also do not want to cut away fabric and then find out your unit doesn’t measure correctly. Then you really have to start over!

Tip #3: Because these seams are bias seams, do not pull the unit through your machine as you are stitching. This is a good rule for any seam, but especially bias seams because the fabric can be stretched severely out of shape by doing this and then your unit will not measure correctly.

Types of Units from Bias Seams

These are the types of seams and units I use the most in my creations, so these are the ones I am covering here. I think these tips will help you with other angle seams as well.

First up is the stitch and flip corners to add a design element. 

As you can see above, stitch & flip usually entails placing a smaller square on a larger square or block, stitching a bias seam and then pressing it open. The above example shows this using a drawn line on the wrong side of the smaller square, placing it face down on the larger square lining up the edges and pinning in place. Then stitch along the line.

The photos in the center and on the end show how I press back the corner with my fingers and measure the unit to make sure it still measures the size of the black square. Then the excess can be cut from the seam allowance.

You can also use the tape guide I described above:

The photo above shows the point of the smaller square lined up with the left edge of the painter’s tape. Keep that lined up as you stitch the seam. Then follow the steps below, the same those above with the drawn line, to measure the unit.

This stitch & flip method is used to make some common units like flying geese and common blocks like the snowball.

Next up is the type of unit most familiar to quilters: the half-square triangle square often known as an HST square. First you can make these using the drawn line method:

As you can see in the second photo from the left, I stitched a bias seam a scant 1/4″ from the drawn line.

If you want to skip drawing the line, that’s where the line we drew on the painter’s tape above comes in. Simply sew your seam on the one side with the point of the unit lined up with the drawn line (which will be 1/4″ from the center), then flip the piece and line the point up again with the line on the tape to sew the other seam. 

The last photo above shows the unit ready to be cut in half between the seams for 2 half-square triangles! If you want a scant 1/4″ just shift the point of the unit you are stitching slightly to the left of the line. Your seam lines will be closer together. Then you can trim your half-square triangle squares down to size after you press them.

So that’s it for this week. I hope you learned something or had your skills refreshed with this post!

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

2021 Block of the Week – Block 8

It’s time for block 8 of the series! This BOW is going fast and in two short weeks, you will see the finished wall hanging I have made. I will provide the instructions to complete the wall hanging if you so desire. If you are just joining the party, all the block of the week blocks are still available here: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6 and Week 7. After the block reveal, I will talk about fabric tips, including fabric bias, and bias seams. This block has a lot of those! Comment on the post and be entered into this week’s drawing and the grand prize drawing at the end. Enjoy!

Block 8 – Double Pinwheel

To get the instructions for this block, click here: 2021 BOW – Block 8.

Like I said above, there are a few bias seams in this block so that is why I would like to review that with this blog post. But first, I will cover what “bias” of fabric actually is. No matter your skill level as a quilter, it never hurts to review this. If you are a new quilter, this should help you understand how and why your fabric is behaving in certain ways. So let’s get started!

Fabric Facts

The common belief is that fabric has a usable width of 44″. But you can not always depend on that being the case because of the selvage of the fabric.

Selvage is the tightly woven, finished edges of fabric on the lengthwise grain. This prevents the woven fabric from fraying or unraveling. Because you cut off the selvages before you cut from your piece of fabric, the actual usable fabric width is between those selvages. You can also lose width from pre-washing the fabric if that’s something you do. For those reasons most patterns, mine included, assume 40″ of usable width.

Here’s a few tips to save you cutting headaches:

Tip #1: Don’t assume the pattern writer of the pattern you want to make assumes 40″ width of fabric unless it’s stated on the pattern. If I do not know the width assumed, I will purchase about 1/8 yard extra than noted on the pattern. This also allows for width lost when squaring the fabric up, pre-washing it or for cutting errors … we all make them!

Tip #2: Cut largest to smallest pieces from a piece of fabric. My patterns list all the cutting instructions up front and I list them from the largest piece to the smallest for each fabric, but some patterns may not. Make sure you know how many pieces are to be cut from a piece of fabric and plan how you will cut them efficiently, if the pattern does not instruct you, before you start cutting.

Tip #3: It’s a good idea to understand the grain of the fabric and bias so you know how a fabric will behave in a unit or block you are creating. It’s also important to know this because some patterns will tell you to cut certain pieces on the lengthwise or crosswise grain. Here’s a brief run down:

The lengthwise grain (warp) of the fabric is parallel to the selvage. This is where the fabric is most stable.

The crosswise grain (weft) is perpendicular to the selvages. It is a little less stable than the lengthwise grain.

Bias of the fabric is at a 45 degree angle from the selvages of a piece of fabric.

On the bias,  the fabric is the least stable and has the most stretch to it. That’s why binding cut on the bias is used for quilt tops with scalloped edges or for a circular quilt. Also any seam sewn on the bias (like in half-square triangle squares) must be handled with care when pressing or when ripping out that seam so the fabric is not stretched out of shape. Once fabric is stretched on the bias, it usually stays distorted.

See how stretchy it is on the bias?

Since we will be doing a lot of bias seams as well as straight seams for this block, here is the simplest explanation i have of these two types of seams.

A straight seam is right there in the description: straight. Putting two units together and sewing straight on the lengthwise or crosswise grain. An example of this is two squares stitched together:

A bias seam is when you join two pieces of fabric matching the bias cut sides, like with half-square triangles:

This is why you need to be extra careful in stitching seams on the bias. If you have to pick out the seam in the above example, you could risk stretching the fabric on that bias and it will be distorted. This will lead to your unit not measuring correctly when you are done.

So, that’s it for this week. If you are a beginner, I hope you learned something. If you are an experienced quilter, I hope you weren’t too bored! Leave a comment below or ask any questions you may have and you will be entered into a drawing for my pattern, Open Windows:

You’ll get a lot of practice with bias seams making this quilt! The drawing for this pattern will be on Monday, June 7th. **We have a winner! Congrats, Karen J.!**

Until next week,

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Piecing Techniques – Bias Seams

Hi! This week, I decided to talk about bias seams, specifically when making  half-square triangle (HST) squares and flying geese. Learning to make these units will open up a whole range of quilt blocks if you are a beginner. Whether you are new to quilting or a seasoned sewer, it’s always a great time for tips on making these units.

Straight seams and Bias Seams

If you are new to quilting, you have probably worked mostly with straight seams and not seams on the bias. To start, I’ll explain what the bias of fabric is. Bias of the fabric is at a 45 degree angle from the selvages of a piece of fabric.

On the bias fabric is the least stable and there is more stretch. That’s why it’s important to stitch your HST or flying geese units correctly the first time so you do not have to do any “unsewing”. If you have to pick out a seam on the bias, there is more of a chance that you will distort and stretch the fabric, ruining the piece. Not to say you can not ever pick out one of these seams, you just need to be super, super careful because it’s on the bias.

Here is the simplest explanation of the two types of seams. A straight seam is right there in the description: straight. Putting two units together and sewing straight on the lengthwise or crosswise grain. For example, two squares stitched together:

A bias seam is when you join two pieces of fabric matching the bias cut sides:

Making Half-Square Triangle (HST) Squares

So now that you know the difference between straight seams and bias seams, lets make some HSTs!

The most common method makes two HSTs at a time and uses two squares cut 7/8″ larger than the finished measurement (the measurement without seam allowance) of your HST. For example, for a 2″ HST, you would cut each of the squares 2 7/8″.

Next, draw a line diagonally on the wrong side of one of the squares, place the squares right sides together and then sew a scant 1/4″ on each side of the drawn line.

Then, you cut the unit apart on the drawn line and press the two parts open for two HSTs!

Making Flying Geese

Flying geese are another unit that has you sewing a bias seam. The most common method is using a rectangle and two squares. For example, for a 2 1/2 x 4 1/2″ flying geese unit, you start with a 2 1/2 x 4 1/2″ rectangle and two 2 1/2 x 2 1/2″ squares.

To start,  draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the squares. Lay a square face down on the rectangle, stitch on the line and then trim the excess seam allowance. Press open.

Repeat the step on the other side of the rectangle for a finished flying geese unit.

Blocks to Make

Now that you know how to make these units, here’s some simple blocks to make for a quilt project.

Using flying geese in blocks:

Using HSTs in blocks:

Here’s some blocks where I have combined flying geese and HST units:

And those are just a few of the examples. There are many, many more combinations that will make stunning blocks.

So, that’s it for this week. If you are a beginner, I hope you learned something. If you are an experienced quilter, I hope you weren’t too bored. LOL! Next week, I plan on covering ways to make multiples of the HSTs and flying geese units so you can make a lot at once. Leave a comment and be entered into a drawing for my quilt pattern Posey Patch. 

You’ll get a lot of HST practice making this quilt! The drawing will be on Monday, October 5th. **We have a winner! Congrats, Linda Dunton!**

Happy Quilting!
Deanne