Thread: I need help with a design....help me please....

Can you describe the problem you're having with the blocks? Is it a matter of cutting the right size, or sewing, or ???

If you approach it as sewing strips rather than blocks, what is the problem there?

Originally Posted by justflyingin

My problem seemed to be making the colored strips 6" wide (as blocks), but it appears that if she makes 18" blocks, then the colors are 6" wide. But, it seems like it would be a lot easier just sewing strips of fabric, turning them on point and trimming. But how would you do that so it doesn't get all wonky?

I would just sew them as strips, then cut at the 45 degree angle. I wouldn't bother making blocks.

Originally Posted by JenniePenny

I would just sew them as strips, then cut at the 45 degree angle. I wouldn't bother making blocks.

This can be done, but I would draw my cutting line on the 45 degree angle, stay stitch just inside the line, then cut so no stretching of the outside edges...just my thought... Oops! Should have read all posts first, someone beat me to this advice.. Lol!

To eliminate wonkiness, I would try using a walking foot. Also be sure the machine tension is good. I would try sewing the whole thing in strips, but since I've never tried something quite like that I might run into issues like you did. It's harder to work with bigger pieces of fabric and longer seams when you're used to making blocks!

If you want to make blocks with the resulting colored strips being 6" wide, the block's diagonal will be 24". The pythagorean theorem says the block's finished side is then 16.97".

To make blocks, I would still start with a strip set, so I'm not sure of the purpose of cutting it into pieces and putting it back together, but that is what quilters do!