Zig Zag border, no specialty rulers.
 

This is one of many ways of making this unit. It can be done w/ strip piecing (but you have to deal w/ biased edges and fabric waste) or specialty rulers, or sewing squares to rectangles and having to cut off waste triangles. This is how I did it w/o any of those things.

This tutorial will be in at least 2 maybe 3 posts so bear w/ me.

We will be sewing on a biased edge so as always starch or sizing is your friend.

This is what is being made.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]585079[/ATTACH]
If you do your left side in a lighter and right in a darker shade it will give it a 3D look.

This can be made in any size you like to fit your border space / needs. The individual units for this one are 2 x 5

First you need to figure out what size you want to make. You will need a template for the parallelogram and a unit size for your side half square triangle pieces.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585080[/ATTACH]
Then draw a rectangle the size of your whole unit, note this is drawn the size of the raw unit w/ seam allowances on. So this is 2 x 5 but the finished size in the quilt will be 1.5 x 4.5

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585083[/ATTACH]
Each end has a 45 degree diagonal seam. Draw this in w/ your 45 degree line on top of the rectangle and the edge of your ruler going through first the lower left corner then the upper right corner as seen.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585084[/ATTACH]
Now your rectangle looks like this, the diagonal lines represent your stitching line.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585085[/ATTACH]
First we are going to figure out the size we need for the end triangles. Draw a 1/4 inch seam line to the right of the left line, that is the seam allowance.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585086[/ATTACH]
Now measure the left corner to the seam allowance for the size square you will cut in fabric. This we are rounding up to 2.5 inches, this will give some wiggle room if needed (but just a tiny wiggle room). So one square 2.5 inches cut diagonally will give both end pieces for one unit.

Now on to the parallelogram

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585087[/ATTACH]
Draw the seam allowance 1/4 inch from each stitch line to the outside of each one. The original outer lines of your rectangle plus these new seam allowance lines are your cutting lines.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585088[/ATTACH]
This is your template

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585089[/ATTACH]
Now use a little dab of glue stick to secure your template to your ruler, placing one short edge along the edge of your ruler.

I tried to be a detailed as I could this is very easy and can be done in less then 10 minutes. Now you have all the measurements you need to start cutting your fabric.

We will now cut fabric strips.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585090[/ATTACH]
Okay your zig zag fabric will be cut in the width of your original rectangle (for me it was 2 inches)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585091[/ATTACH]
Your background fabric will be cut in the width of the square you came up with (for me it was 2.5 inches)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585092[/ATTACH]
Strips will be sub cut into 2.5 inch squares (background)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585093[/ATTACH]
Now cut in half corner to corner. (see as promised no lines to draw)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585094[/ATTACH]
Now for the parallelograms. Stack your strips right sides together if you want right and left sides, otherwise you won't get the zig zags. Place your ruler on the strip set so that the long edges of the template are following the long edge of the strips and your 45 degree short edge (that is not the cutting side) is following the previously cut 45 degree edge (oops sorry forgot to picture that step but you are cutting your first 45 degree line) now you are all set to cut your 45' edges along your strip set just keep moving the template ruler as you cut.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585099[/ATTACH]
After everything is cut set them right and left sides like they will look this keeps everything straight and lessens the chances of ooops sewing and having a date w/ Ol" Jack. Choose one side (top or bottom) and chain sew both sides (left and right stacks)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585102[/ATTACH]
When you stack them to sew keep your two long edges flush w/ each other (the hst and the parallelogram) like shown

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585105[/ATTACH]
No matter which end leads it is still the two long ends flush.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585106[/ATTACH]
When they are done cut apart and put back in the correct stack (just for your own sanity)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585107[/ATTACH]
More chain stitching



OOOOOPPPPPS reached the limit, to be continued

This should be the last part

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585108[/ATTACH]
Press seams however you like, alternating (lefties outies, righties innies or similar will help in joining the zig zags)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585109[/ATTACH]
Trim two sides, keeping an eye on the 45 degree line and final size requirements, there should be just a tiny amount of trimming and the dog ears.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585110[/ATTACH]
Turn rectangle and trim again to final size.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585111[/ATTACH]
Enjoy your beautiful zig zag border (or whatever you want to use the units for)

Don't be intimidated by all the steps it really is easy, I just tried to be as detailed as possible.

Remember you are stitching bias edges so starch (or my favorite sizing) and don't pull them through the sewing machine, or pull when pressing.

Awesome tutorial. Thanks cannot wait to give it a shot.

Thank you Kassaundra, for taking the time to make this clear tute. I knew there was another way of doing it!

Wonderful tute...it is very timely for those of us working on Bonnie Hunter’s mystery quilt and your pieces are similar to the sections in Clue 3. Thank you for taking the time to post wonderful photos too.

Good job Kass! You break it down and give loads of details. Yes, it is doable!!

Great tute, thanks for posting such detailed instructions with the pics. I will try this out in the New Year.

lovely design .....

I do this by cutting the rectangle the size I need and snowballing the corners. Easy peasy.

Great tutorial with really clear photos.
Thank you!

You are saving fabric by cutting those little triangles and not snowballing, but why not cut your parallelograms from strips. Lay two strips together RST. That way you get rights and lefts. Cut the correct angle (45º)all the way down the strip. You would measure from one line to the next to get the correct width of the parallelograms.

That is how the instructions say, strips right sides together then cut.

Thanks Kass, the directions are very clear and they do turn out great - with no waste!

Glad it worked for you.

Thanks! I am bookmarking this for future reference.

Connie

I finally found it. All through the beginning, it looks like you are working with short strips, I think they are two by five. Then you cut the triangles off of that. But later when you are working with the actual fabric, it shows you cutting the strip. That's where you forgot the picture. LOL It took me a long time to find that. I'm going to try that zig-zag border with the quilt I am now working on.

Huge thank you for taking the time to share-looks great.

Thank you! I always like ways of doing piecing without special rulers.

Sew smart...thanks for putting it together.

Thank you! I will try it.

Thanks again for your wonderful tutorial with photos.

I am eager to try your QAYG method you posted on the Quilt Board, but I can't find it with the photos. It was a thread titled: QAYG w/ a wide pieced sash. I found the thread listing the steps but no photos or size for the strips used.
Thank you !

Thank you for an awesome tute. This will come in handy to know. Just found it now, but will keep the info for future ref.

The thread is still there but both sets of pictures are gone. After the first set disappeared I made and posted a second set. Then the second set disappeared, but only the tutorial pics not the pics of the finished quilts. I posted on the thread yesterday saying I wasn't going to waste my time posting a third set of tutorial pics (I am a "Gibbs" fan and don't believe in coincidences)

Thank you for this helpful tutorial.
What a clever idea to stick the template to the ruler - will definitely be doing that in the future!

But, when you sew that border on, don't you lose the points? I don't see that extra 1/4" seam allowance at the points?

No, those pieces are just placed side by side to show where you are going, when they are actually sewn together it creates the 1/4 inch allowance needed.