I am a newbie--only been quilting a year--and I wanted to make a strip quilt. I cut the strips with the grain and of course when I pieced the blocks, the strips were on the diagonal. Due to my lack of foresight, that didn't become obvious until I was well underway. It is well basted and I'm hand quilting in a meander, so I'm not worried about stretching. However, when I took a block to the store to buy backing material, a lady who quilts looked at it and seemed horrified that I had done it that way. So embarrasing! If I should ever do this again, how should I cut the strips? Help please!

GoBama

Tell her to take a leap. There are no rules in quilting. Do you like it? That is what matters. I am sure it is beautiful and would love to see a pic of it.

I agree with Gramma Nan! If you like than that is what counts!!!

Welcome to the board from Southern California!!!

If you like it and it wasn't too much trouble, than it OK

So what was the lady's problem? If you like it and it came out ok what's it to her? Just because she's afraid of bias, doesn't mean you have to be! Any time you have triangles, something is going to be on the bias, there's no way around it!

I have to concur with the rest. If you like it then that is all that matters. We are not all perfect and our quilts are not perfect either. Enjoy your quilting.

Thanks all. It's just that since I don't know what I'm doing I wanted to learn the 'right' way. This was an 'instant' gratification thing since I had just finished a ragged star quilt which was a real challenge to make all points fit just so.

Sounds to me like the lady has a bias towards bias??! :D If it happens again, just tell her you did it that way on purpose. Bias edges are nothing to be afraid of, as others have already said. You just need to be aware of them so you can treat them with 'respect'.

I don't know how to do pictures yet and one of this thing would probably blow your mind. It blew mine until I had the lucky thought of putting a black/white fence thing between blocks. For some reason that seemed to bring it under control.

I've done the strip piecing blocks on a paper foundation then sewed the blocks together, taking the paper off when finished. Worked really well. Besides, she should have been a little nicer since you were buying material there. Don't these people get it?