Need helpo with Tipped Bricks Border
 

Am trying to make this border but am not sure what offset I should use? Any help will be appreciated.

http://www.quilterscache.com/T/TippedBricksBorder.html

It says to do this:

Then sew them together staggered, with the background fabric extending 1/4" beyond the tips of the bricks, and using a rotary cutter and ruler, slice off any extra beyond that 1/4" seam allowance.

Thanks for asking this, love the looks of it.

Looks like it's a 45 degree tilt. You could also do a 30 degree tilt; both are on most 6" x 24" rulers and some 6" x 12" rulers.

When you have cut the borders, you will have bias edges on them.
Here's a little trick to help stabilize those biases. The graphic is not drawn exactly for your situation, but the idea still applies.

Jan in VA

Can you tell me how you draw out the diagram and add the note,etc....

Could you make strips with white on the outside and red on the inside then cut them across? You could make several with a variety of different centers.

It looks to me like each brick is positioned halfway up(or down) from the one before it. If your brick is 4", position the edge of the next one at 2", dead center of the first one.

Cari

This borer is similar to Seminole patchwork. If you google that you will see more examples and tips. When you have a string of strips like this they tend to curl and it is difficult to get a straight cut for any distance. To help with this I use painters tape and tape the end of the strip to the cutting mat. This way I can tug on the strip a bit to get it more straight. I also only line up my ruler for a few inches and trim that part then line up the next few inches and trim. Another thing that help immensely is to starch your fabric before you cut your initial strips. Starch really helps stabilize things

I use the Microsoft Paint program on my laptop.
Thanks for asking.:)

Jan in VA

You could make the end of each unit using a triangle that had the straight grain on the long side. I've done it the way this picture suggests and having the biase edge after trimming isn't easy to handle.

I agree with Cari-in-Oly. The end of each brick is placed half-way along the previous brick, and seems to be what you asked.

I think I would make them with the triangle this way. The triangle needs to be bigger than you think. Make a sample brick-set the way they say, then take off the white piece and study the shape of it. It sticks out a ways, as there is a short corner that would be snipped off.

Yes, this is very similar to seminole piecing. I know that Eleanor Burns has done some so you might find a video on her site QIAD. You have to be a very precise piecer in order for the borders not to have any waves in it.

An example for you...if you use a white 2.5" x 2.5" square, then a red 2.5" x 4.5" rectangle, then another white 2.5" x 2.5" square sewed together in a strip, it would be the first set in your border. Make another, sew them together matching the seam between the first white and the red, to sew to the white first square of the second set, the seams will end up offset. Clear as mud?

Brilliant! Your helps are always ones I did not think of! Thank you again Jan!

Then sew them together staggered, with the background fabric extending 1/4" beyond the tips of the bricks, and using a rotary cutter and ruler, slice off any extra beyond that 1/4" seam allowance. EXAMPLE: a 4 1/2" x 2 1/2" rectangle with 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" ends will give you an approx 4 1/4" wide border
EXAMPLE: a 6 1/2" x 3 1/2" rectangle with 3 1/2" x 4 1/2" ends will give you an approx 6 1/4" border

The end pieces are not square with this pattern. I think I would make one exactly like their measurements before I went off on my own with other measurements.

Thank you for the further clarity, you are right the end pieces should be your measurements not mine.

I've been reading this post - love the look of these borders. Just thinking about Jan's twill tape idea, in addition to beaucoups starch, I would also consider using a 1 inch piece of lightweight fusible interfacing to stabilize the edge to avoid the bias ripple effect. My quilts are known (to me) as big ripplers, so you've got me thinking about what to do about it!!