11 Repeat step 10 on side A and press along the curved seam with the seam allowance out of the way.
12 With the seam allowance towards A, press edge of curve firmly. Repeat on other edge.
13 With right side facing up, press. Make sure not to stretch fabric as you press.
Complete. Make as many quilt blocks as necessary and use the method from page 11 to join the blocks.
Depending on how the 1 are combined, an infinite number of patterns can be created. The pattern shown is called Drunkard’s Path. Refer to pages 46 and 46 for details.
Basic Piecework Techniques
LESSON 5
Making a Diamond (Lemon Star) Quilt Block
This lesson shows how to join diamond-shaped pieces into a star pattern. The same instructions apply to parallelogram pieces. Please refer to the Triangle Quilt Block lesson on page 12 to sew the sharp points of the diamond pieces together. For steps 10–12, the technique of moving the basting pin as you sew along the side markings is called “intarsia.”
★ Refer to page 82 for drafting pattern pieces and marking.
★ Refer to page 10 for pin basting, backstitching and piecework sewing basics.
1 Trace the pattern piece on the wrong side of the fabric and cut 4 pieces each of the following: diamond A, diamond B, square and triangle. Add ⅜ in (1 cm) seam allowance; seam allowances will be trimmed later).
2 Place diamond pieces A and B right sides together and sew one side, following the marking. Start and end with backstitching (2 stitches). Where the points meet, take care not to sew beyond the marking into the seam allowance. Trim seam allowance to ¼ in (0.6 cm) from the stitch line. Make 4 sets. Press seam allowance toward the same color for each set (shown: seam allowance pressed toward B).
3 Join two of the piecework from step 2. Repeat. Now you have the upper and lower halves of the star. For the section where all the sharp points gather, refer to step 8–12 of constructing the Triangle Quilt Block on page 12.
4 Once the halves have been joined, check the center for any holes or shifting of fabric and fix accordingly.
5 Thread a needle and insert the needle with the eye end pointed up from the underside of the center hole (to prevent accidentally catching any fabric). Leave a rather long thread tail on the wrong side.
6 Carefully scoop the pointed tips of each piece with the needle, one at a time. Insert the needle as close to the tip for all the pieces.
7 Once the needle has been inserted into all 8 pieces, insert the eye end of the needle through the center hole again and pull through the wrong side.
8 Pull the needle and the tail of the thread (from step 5) together to tighten and close up the center hole. Double knot the threads and trim.
9 Front side. The center looks clean and sharp. Press the seam allowance to one side, and fan out the center in a windmill formation.
10 Join a square and a triangle piece to the star from step 9. With right sides together, place square piece on star. Align the top marking of the square to one of the diamond markings of the star. Pin in place.
11 Start stitching from the outer corner towards the center (refer to step 2). Stop sewing about one stitch from the end of the marking, then pull needle up through the corner marking towards the center.
12 Align the markings for the next side to be sewn. Pin at the left corner marking. Sew side. Start and end with backstitching (2 stitches) and cut thread.
13 Join the triangle piece in the same manner as steps 10–12. Move the pin as you sew each side. Repeat previous steps to join all the square and triangle pieces.
Complete. Trim seam allowance ¼ in (0.6 cm) from stitch line. Press seam allowance to one side, and fan out center section in a windmill formation.
More Matching Bags and Accessories
8 Slim Tote Bag
Tall and slim with subtle boxed corners, this bag is handy for carrying magazines, documents and files. Here we placed the triangle sashing design from page 56 in a vertical orientation.
• Instructions ∙∙∙ page 100
9 Matching Card & Coin Case
The shape of this case is the same as the ones shown on pages 9 and 17. With a zipper on the backside, this utilitarian card carrier is made extra sturdy with interfacing attached to the inner pocket.
• Instructions ∙∙∙ page 98