Border stars tip

[Sharon E.]

I was working on my border stars earlier and I started using coloured pins to keep the pieces of the border stars organised while I sewing.

I've added a picture to my profile - I don't think I can explain clearly without a picture to illustrate.
I have all my pieces laid out on a mini design board (this was a tip I read somewhere, not sure if it was in this forum or not - it's a piece of cardboard covered with batting - just the right size to lay out 1 block)

Step 1 in assembly of the border stars in to sew the pieces together in pairs. The trouble is, is that once you do this, you need to work out where they are supposed to go, and make sure you get them the right way up.

My tip is to use coloured pins to keep the pairs organised.

Using 2 pins of each colour (don't use the same colour twice or you'll get confused later) put a pin in the left and right pieces where each pair would join. Note in the picture I have enough different coloured pairs of pins for 3 rows of the block.

Now pick up each pair and sew the seam.

When all the pairs are sewn. Matching each pair of coloured pins, sew the pairs together. You can sew all the seams to make up all the rows you have marked, without mixing up the order of any of the pieces. The pins are markers only and once you have the two pieces together, remove the marker pins.

Hope this makes sense, and that it helps someone else out.

Does anyone else have any tips to share?

Karen

[Diana U.]

Karen,
That is a great idea, especially for one-off blocks. I have used the Fons & Porter "arrow" pins to keep track of up/down/left/right on pieces but your method uses smaller pins and is more specific. Thank you very much. Off to the store for colored pins. Mine are all the same color.

Diana

[Donna N.]

I also use a block-sized cardboard/batting board for my border stars. I like your tip since it would make chain piecing possible rather than sew a pair, press, put it back on the board, sew another pair, etc. THANKS!

[Lynn K.]

great idea Kazzy!

[Lynn K.]

Karen love that idea.

[Gloria H.]

I finally got to sewing my April blocks today. I was so paranoid about all those little pieces that I set the arranged pieces next to me on a piece of felt and proceeded to sew #6 to #5 then #4 to the two of them on down the row. Then when I completed the next row the same way, I sewed the two of them together. It took me a while but I only had to unsew once and they came out so nice and 6 1/2 inches. I'm going to finish May before I try and post a pic. Gloria

[Gloria H.]

I set up my ironing board at 90 degrees to my sewing table and at the same height(ish), and because I use a typists chair I can just spin between sewing and pressing, and I have all the pieces laid out on the board next to me, along with small cutting board, cutter, ruler, iron and pattern guide. Everything to hand for each specific square as I make them without having to stand up and walk across to my work table.

yours in the cause

Rosemary

[Gloria H.]

Just curious

Did anyone try my tip and like it? And actually adopt it as a technique.

I use my coloured pins to keep me organised all the time - but I don't know if my explanations made any sense. :?

Please let me know if I need to describe in more detail.

It's always nice to get positive feedback - and feel good about yourself for having a really good idea - but if I wasn't clear enough, and it just made no sense, then I can have another go at explaining it better.

Karen

[Gloria H.]

I thought it was a great tip. It does help to keep things organized especially when you have helper kitties who like to jump on the table and whoosh goes the pieces to the floor. :roll: Sandi in FL

[Gloria H.]

Hi Kazzy,
I used your technique when I (just recently) made the alternate block, instead of the Feathered Star block. FYI: there are 137 pieces in the Alternate Block, counting the 4 final borders.

I can honestly say that without using your technique, this block would not have gone together so easily. I didn't flip any of the pieces, which is pretty amazing, due to amount of pieces in the block. I didn't need to unsew anything! And when it came time for trimming, I was just trimming slivers of fabric in just a few cases.

I can understand why I didn't flip any blocks (I can be a bit dyslexic at times) but other than using sizing like I own stock in the company and using the Flying Geese x 4 ruler for my geese and 1/2 square triangles, I can't explain the accuracy of the piecing.

Oh yeah, I do sew slow slowly, in trying to keep the 1/4 inch seam allowance. I quilt because I enjoy the entire process, and it's not a race. That stress is saved for my job.