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Tutorial No.1 Lining Up Awkwardly Angled Seams in a Patchwork Quilt Block

What I intend to concentrate on in this tutorial is the process of attaching the three rows so that the joining strips are correctly aligned throughout the block – much more satisfying than crooked, offset blocks; unless of course, that is your intentional look! However, Picasso knew perfectly well how to produce an ‘academic’ drawing before he began to experiment with images.

This Magic Tile block, which is partly assembled, is ready for those final tricky seams. Please read all the text and study the images carefully.

The individual pieces have been joined using one inch wide joining strips. A long joining strip has been attached to each long side of the central section. These are fairly straight forward things to do.

What I intend to concentrate on in this tutorial is the process of attaching the three rows so that the joining strips are correctly aligned throughout the block – much more satisfying than crooked, offset blocks; unless of course, that is your intentional look! However, Picasso knew perfectly well how to produce an ‘academic’ drawing before he began to experiment with images.

On the reverse of the central section, using a ruler, line up each stitched line where a short joining strip is attached to a small section of the block. Where the ruler crosses the long joining strip, mark the line with a pencil onto the reverse of the joining strip. (Much easier in pictures than words!)

Along the unattached edge of the long joining strips, with a pencil, draw a short line one quarter inch which crosses the lines you have already drawn, thus forming small crosses on the long joining strips. (Definitely much easier in pictures than words!)

Mark the position one quarter inch in from the edge on the reverse of each seam on the top and bottom sections of the whole block. (you can miss this out if you’re good at assessing one quarter inch)

A pin taken through the small cross on the joining strip then through the appropriate small cross on the top/bottom section will give you the correct line-up position for the seam.

Complete this procedure for each pair of crosses.

Finished Block

Dorothy

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Did that help?… email and tell me.