I have to make this border for a quilt I'm working on but don't know how to go about piecing it together. Can anyone give me a clue to how you would sew it together???

I would piece this and I have placed a red line where I would make the different pieces to create this.

draw up a pattern and paper piece the middle part,

:thumbup:

I was hoping to do it without cutting up the pieces. I have already figured out the pieces and cut them out. I'm just not sure how to go at it for sewing them together.

I would paper piece definitely, but I would have to study it and all before I could even begin to tell you how. And definitely make the black outside edges wider for any binding or seams or you will cut off the points on the diamind shapes.


Argh! Wish I had EQ 7 to help. Guess an eraser works pretty good.

Oh. . . I will leave that to the experts! I have no desire to do "Y" seams!!!!

I'm good as far as the outside is concerned because there is another outer border that goes on after this one.

I didn't either but it looks like I'm gonna have to learn sooner then later. LOL

I think it could be sewn with using a diagonal set mind-set - with using shallow y-seams to attach the long strips.

:thumbup:

Now that looks scarey to me. Wouldn't that be an alignment nightmare? Looking longer at it though Bear, I think you have the right idea. Looks almost impossible to get proper angles without paper piecing though. And I don't know how to paper piece. But I think for this project I would learn real quick. I think it would just be far easier...

How can you cut the pieces out already if you're not sure how they're going to go together? That might have been a mistake. You may need to cut oversize and trim when you discover the method you're going to use.

Thanks I think you have it!!!! I knew someone out there would know how to go at it.

Lots of {{{{{{{{Hugs}}}}} for sure on this one!

Watch a few tutorials on how to do y-seams. Those look like they would be fairly shallow - so I think they would be quite easy to do.

I would also mark the seam lines so that I would get the pieces lined up properly. Sometimes taking that extra few minutes to mark the pieces saves HOURS of aggravation later.

Thanks I will do that. I am taking my time with this whole quilt because it's sort of a special one for my oldest son. He's the only one of my kids that I haven't made a quilt for. So now it's his turn.

yikes..that shallow y seam is a bit scary..I would strip piece it and cut it on the diagonal...where are the math whizzes tonight???

Yup!

I agree and I would consider foundation piecing those diamond segments. Those long diamonds are all bias and they are going to be very stretchy.

Practice several techniques on scrap first...see which one lays best :)

There's a set of rulers called "Tri-Recs" and "Tri-Mate" that comes with "Easy Angle" that is made specifically for this design. Really easy to make with these tools. Check out Darlene Zimmerman and Joy Hoffman web site to explore further. The red lines help to see where the actual block is, and the strips are quite simple to attach. Good luck...and have fun!

I would also consider just piecing the center diamonds and then attaching the long strips.

It would be a lot easier to handle this way and no y-seams -

the OP said she wanted to avoid extra seams -

I played around with the Y seams last night and was thinking that the way you show it here might be my best way. It's not so bad because I won't be cutting up the diamonds which Is what I didn't want to do. So with all this said, I really think joining it at that point for the long straight sides will not be a problem.

Again thanks.

ditto ....... and am looking forward to seeing what the quilt is!

We should have held out, and not given any help til we saw the quilt! (Kidding! :))

here's the middle part of it
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-162343-1.htm

Bingo - exactly what I would do.

I would get someone else to do it ROFL...I am just a "baby quilter" :)

LOL so is that an offer I just heard??? LOL Why thank you so much, when will you be available? LOL

cut some more pieces out of scrap fabrics and practice sewing them together. then try the good ones you cut for the border.

I would start in the middle, Black ) then sew top and then bottom (dark orange) then add the the middle bottom and then top. Pretty much like when you sew diamond pattern.

Check out Ruth McDowells technique for piecing. It uses freezer paper but it is not paper pieced. You would simply trace the pieces onto freezer paper, iron them to the wrong side of the fabric, cut them out using a rotary cutter and ruler to precisely add a 1/4 inch seam allowance and then sew. Mark the pattern at intersections where you have y-seams with ticks and match them up. It should go together smoothly.

well it looks like this is on hold for a while because I had to do a re-do of the whole quilt. Seems that the Vikings team colors and the Green Bay team colors are both evident in this one and since this is suppose to be a total Viking quilt I have had to do some changes.

You can see the changes here on page 4
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-162343-4.htm#4526824

I will still do this border because I really like it but now I have some more time to play with it and work through all the ways to do it. I'm going to do a miniature (about 2 -3 feet long) border first and see how that works before tackling the long one.

Thanks to everyone for all the useful information at least now I feel that I have a good chance at getting it done.

:thumbup: I saw it as seminole piecing, similar to what you suggest. I like this method.

Yup! This is the way that I did a similar border with double diamonds and it worked well. "Y" seams aren't bad once you do them a few times.

This is a tutorial that I did that includes instructions for "Y" seams.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-158267-1.htm

Your quilt is gorgeous, both new and old colors and the border is just right for it.

Thanks I will check that out. Yours look fantastic!!!

i would do the same thing

My suggestion too.

Send it to someone else. hehehe

If this is an art quilt for hanging, I'd consider laying the pcs on a foundation piece and then fuse them to the foundation. Then I'd use a black narrow zig zag and stitch the pcs with them butting up to each other. That way I wouldn't have to worry about seams and altering the design. I love what you've created. Also, you could check out art quilt tutes.

Since you have already cut your pieces out...here is what I would do..
First...to make it easier...let's number the pieces by color:
1= bronze diamonds (4 pieces)
2= black diamond (1 piece)
3= Gold arrows (2 pieces)
4= black half diamonds (2 pieces)
5= black half arrows (4 pieces)

We will do them in strips.

First you want to stabilize the pieces. You can starch them...but make really sure to use a heavy starch (spray starch)...spray...press (don't iron back and forth...press down, lift up. When the starch is dry...repeat.

Now, draw your 1/4" seam lines on the back side of each piece...use a chalk pencil, crayon, whatever...just make sure it's exactly 1/4"...let the lines you draw cross over one another at the tips...this is very important...where those lines intersect is where you stop stitching...only stitch up to that intersection and stop...you can back stitch one or two stitches to make sure the stitches won't come out later.

Seperate into three sections...
Section 1... a black half diamond from the left in your picture + a bronze diamond + a gold arrow.

Section 2 ... a black half arrow from the bottom left in your picture + a bronze diamond, the black diamond + a bronze diamond, and last a black half arrow (top right in your picture).

Section 3... gold arrow + bronze diamond + black half diamond.

The other half arrows will be added last.

Take the pieces to section 1 and line up the intersections exactly... the drawn lines are your stitching lines...except remember to stop at the intersections.
Start by sewing a black half diamond to the bronze diamond...now sew the gold arrow to the other side of the bronze diamond. That's section 1...set it aside for now.

Take the pieces to section 2 and sew the black half arrow to one side of the bronze diamond. Sew the black diamond to the other side of the bronze diamond. Sew a bronze diamond to the other side of the black diamond. Last...sew a black half arrow to the other side of the bronze diamond.
Set Section 2 aside.

Take the pieces for section 3 and sew the gold arrow to a bronze diamond, now sew a black half diamond to the other side of the bronze diamond. Set aside section 3.

Press all seams as you go ...I usually press to the dark...it's a matter of preferrence...for diamonds, some like to press the seams open...I don't.

Carefully match the seams of section 1 to section 2...Pin if you have to & stitch...don't stop at the inside intersections, except to make sure they match...this will be a single line of stitching to join the to pieces. I leave the outer 1/4" seam unstitched for joining the last pieces...it's just easier for me.

Press.

Now join section 3 to the bottom side of section 1-2 combo. Again, match the seams.

Press.

Now you can add the last black half arrows. This will be almost a y seam. I have learned (Thanks to Alex Anderson) that if I don't stitch inside that 1/4" seam allowance...just right up to it...Y seams are a breeze.
Stitch the short side of the half arrow to the diamond...stich just up to the intersection.
Press
Now stitch the last long seam & press. This should give you a nice border piece.

The things to remember, that you must have are:
1. perfectly cut pieces
2. perfectly marked 1/4" seam lines that intersect at every point/turn.
3. Starch ( I have also used a lightweight fusible interfacing to add body to the pieces cut on bias...but starch is less costly.
4. Don't stitch past the intersection marks.
5. Don't worry if it looks like the diamonds don't match up...if your stitching ends at the intersection on both sides of the unit...you are good...points of diamonds may stick out...you can trim them when you are done.

Hints for next time...before you cut. Learn to do diamonds via strip piecing...so much easier...lol

Mark the seam lines before you cut out the pieces...yes, time consuming...but once you have done several, you can just find the intersection and put a dot there.

Starch your fabrics a lot.

I find that when cutting diamonds...if I cut them on the bias...my edges are then on the straight of grain...stitching is much easier, and I am less likely to stretch the edges..so no wonky seams.

I hope this is clear enough for you.

duh...your black diamonds and half diamonds are navy blue...lol...you get the idea though.