Soupcon Progress!!

This past Friday, Karen posted the final step of her Soupcon QAL.  Obsessed by my preparations for Friday's bird program, I had completely forgotten to check for it.  Her version called for pieced borders in Step 5 but I hung back to see what Step 6 involved as I had a notion I wanted to use a particular print for the outer border.  Step 6 was another pieced border and so during my weekend of puttering in the studio, I put it up on the wall and auditioned every possible idea for how to proceed with my version.  In the end I did not pick the "particular print" and went for the simplest approach  replacing the final two pieced borders with my gorgeous print!  This is my almost finished top.

I say almost because there are these tiny little hexie flowers in production that I may applique to the outer border.  They are 5/8" hexies and I printed the templates onto freezer paper so they could be ironed to the fabric before I basted the seams under.  One is done and two more ready.  Then I'll make the final decision.

Adding another swath of this gorgeous print gave me another chance to use one of my favorite tools from Marti Michell -- the Mitering Ruler.  I use the large one -- 8" wide and 24" long with a 45 degree angle that allows you to organize perfect miters with ease.  There is also a small one at 4" by 18".  Let me show you how to use it!

 

First the four borders need to be stitched to the quilt top.  If you are using my Set-In Piecing Simplified technique, it works very well mitering, too.  You will find that the ends of the seams will not come unstitched while you are manipulating the borders to set-up the mitered seam! 

Don't press the border seams yet!

Marti's instructions that come with the ruler will help you with the steps. 

 Here I'm folding the quilt in half diagonally and aligning the two adjacent borders on top of each other.  This is easiest if the border seams have not been pressed!

This is how it will look on your cutting mat.  The borders are wrong sides out with the seams matched as perfectly as possible on the upper edge and the raw edges on the lower edge. 

Lay the ruler on the border matching the hole (where the pencil is pointing) at the end of the stitching line.

Be sure that the lower edge of the border lines up with one of the straight lines on the ruler! 

The photo below is wrong -- if I don't correct this, the corner of the miter will not lay flat once it is stitched. 

Once everything is aligned as perfectly as I can get it, I draw a line along the diagonal edge of the ruler.  I can also cut it but I usually do the line . . . . just in case!!

I put in a couple pins far enough to the left of the line that I won't have to remove them as I stitch -- once at the machine, I align the right edge of my presser foot with the line and stitch from the end of the first two seams to the raw edge.  Then the extra fabric can be trimmed off. 

Remember the line is the cutting line, not the stitching line! 

Now you can press the border seams and the miter seams!

The mitered corner lays flat because it's square as you see below. 

So next time you are shopping, look for Marti's My Favorite Miter Ruler.  The large one is expensive to ship but I do stock them and if you e-mail me (maryhueyquilts@hotmail.com) I can organize shipping one to you.  The small one is listed for sale on my website.

 

Have a good day and do some piecing!

 

Mary Huey

www.maryhueyquilts.com