The other day on another thread someone mentioned that when the WOF isn't the same length as the quilt top, they piece on the diagonial instead of just putting two pieces together and making a straight seam.

Is there an advantage to this method?????

Depending on the fabric used your seam may be less obvious if on the diagonal.

When looking at the finished quilt the diagonal seam is almost invisible. It seems your eye will be drawn to the staight cut.

Personally I don't like diagonal seams in the borders. If you have a 6 inch wide border every one of those seams wastes 6 inches of fabric. I think it's also easier to match a pattern with a straight seam. I don't think the diagonal seams are any less visible either since they're so much longer than a straight seam.

I don't think you lose 6 inches..It's like an optical illusion. what you lose on one side you gain on the other. the only time you lose inches is when you have to match a pattern in the fabric. try it with paper..you'll see what I mean. Anne

You cut a triangle off of each piece. Put those two triangles together and you'll have a 6 inch square if your border is six inches.

One time several of us were putting together our guild opportunity quilt. I measured the quilt and figured how much yardage we needed for the borders. One of our other members ran over to the quilt shop and got the fabric. She cut and started the borders. She had to go back to the quilt store twice for more fabric! I double and tripled checked my figures and knew I was right. Then I found out she was using diagonal seams to join the borders!! Yes, you lose a square the same width as your fabric every time you do a diagonal seam.

Personal preference, but I don't like diagonal seams. They don't seem to be as sturdy.

I wasn't considering the pieces (corners). I thought you meant the length.

[quote=mom-6]Depending on the fabric used your seam may be less obvious if on the diagonal.
what she said :-D
good luck
katz

It is only wasted if you throw it away or never use it. I have always ended up using those scraps in other projects or elsewhere in the same project. A triangle that big has loads of uses.

:thumbup: :thumbup: One of my quilt "sisters" has such a knack for doing this...she has made several lovely quilts from her leftovers. She is somehow able to "eyeball" the scraps, come up with the pattern, and away she goes!...I only wish I were as talented...
Kif

Okay, you turn 6 inches of fabric into scraps for every diagonal seam you do on a 6 inch border. Just because you can use it in a scrap project later isn't very helpful if you only have so much of a fabric or have to keep going back and buying more.

There just isn't a really good reason to turn that much fabric into scrap if you don't have to.

Piecing on the diagonal is the traditional, tried and true method of joining strips together. I do agree that it is less visible. You can use a blunt seam if you prefer however. Now on a 6" wide strip - I may choose to do blunt because it is so wide. But my personal preference is a seam on the diagonal.

For binding. Not neccessarily for borders.

I just made a quilt for my daughter. I pieced the borders diagonally on 3 sides, but I ran out of fabric on the fourth border. I had to piece it with a blunt, straight seam. After it was quilted, you really could not tell the difference. Also, since I didn't miter the corners of the border, it all seems to become a moot point, or really not any point at all.

it distributes the seam with less bulk- the bias is stronger- just like doing the binding- and there is less chance of the seam coming un-sewn....and it is simply a traditional way of doing it.
you can do it any way you want-
there is something to be said for (traditional- tried and true) though :)

There isn't any more bulk in the borders than there is in the blocks.

Have we missed the boat completely? Are you speaking of piecing the backing or borders?

That's exactly what I was wondering. If you piece the back on the diagonal it is supposed to take less fabric, and if you long arm it, the seam is distributed across the quilt.
It is the Flynn method. You will need to scroll down a bit
http://www.flynnquilt.com/workshop/FreeLessons/

I remember one time, way back when, that our Guild President, Carol Doak (yes THE Carol Doak) said she never pieced her borders. If she didn't buy the yardage to allow for the fulll length of the border, instead of piecing, she would place something such as a pieced block or something else where the join would be. It made her borders so unique & interesting. I have done it several times, but I'm not against piecing my borders, either. However, using the lengthwise grain of the fabric for your borders helps eliminate wavy borders as there is so much less stretch to the lengthwise grain. Just a thought.

It would have to be a pretty wide border for me to chose not to do it on the diagonal, it really is less bulky and stronger.

Are you referring to your "backing"? If so, you can make your yardage go much farther or if you don't have enough length of fabric, if you cut it in this manner and make it work. I have not tried this but can see how it could be very useful. There is a tutorial somewhere out there. I believe the man's name is John Flynn and he sells a portable FMQ system that you may use your reg sewing machine for FMQing.
www.flynnquilt.com. I know I printed it out way back when. If I find it, I will send it to you PM. Yolanda Wood River

Are you talking about the back or the border?

I think it is just a personal preference. I have seen some very experienced quilters piece a straight seam on their borders. I like the looks of a diagonal seam better. Personal preference.

I preferr the diagonal piecing on a boarder too. But, to each his own. I'm glad we aren't all alike. That's what keeps life interesting.

for bindings it makes the seam less bulky

Straight cut does use less fabric, and I would diffentaly iron seam open to reduce bulk. Which may or may not be an issue on the border when quilting. Some times the pattern of the fabric will tell us which one to do....Sometimes with these issues, it is what ever YOU are comfortable with...as quilting is more an Art than a true science......

pretty sure the original question was about pieced backing and just want to say i have used the John Flynn method, described on his website and IT REALLY WORKS the results are wonderful and smoother to free motion quilt and also to hand quilt which is what i will be doing as soon as i shut down this distracting computer. :roll:

Now I'm confused I thought we were talking abour boarders. I would never piece the back on the diagonal.

Okay, I am not the only new quilter here and pardon me for not knowing but what is "WOF?" I am still getting use to the new English OMG!

width of fabric

I like diagonal seams in bindings.

WOF= Width of Fabric....
now how about IMHO ?????(in my humble opinion)

Yep - this is what I was taught, too.

Width of fabric... :P

I'm new to this site. Not a clue what a WOF is and can't seem to figure it out based on responses. Could someone clarify?

new.....what is a WOF

SORRY...SEE THAT IT MEANS WIDTH OF FABRIC :D

The woman who taught me to quilt advised that if the borders have to be pieced to make sure the seams were on opposite ends of the quilt (not straight across the quilt from each other)as this would make them less obvious.

I have been quilting for 40 years and have always made straight seems on my borders or sashings when they need to be really long. A diagonal seam would mean you are cutting on the bias, which means you are going to have stretch. I can't see where this would be good or beneficial for borders.