Diamond Start Playtime Sew-Along -- Step 1 troubleshooting tips!

I hope you have had time!  I promised some troubleshooting tips and these are based on teaching the Set-in Piecing Simplified technique for almost two years. 

If you missed Step 1, click here to read it over.

#1 -- the center of a 3 diamond (tumbling block) unit has a pucker.

To diagnose the problem, look at the wrong side!  It's easy to fix and pressing isn't the fix.

The most common reason is that the stitching goes past the dot and that's one of the benefits of this technique, you can be up to a stitch short of the dot and still get excellent results because the end of the seam is so secure.

Another common cause of the pucker is when the end of one of the three seams is not lined up with the other two correctly.  After helping dozens of students trouble shoot this, it boils down to not matching the corners of the diamonds.  The first two diamonds are easy to match.  The problem usually pops up when adding the third diamond.  It's hard to see the inside corner.

You need to pull the upper diamond back so you can see the corner of the lower diamond.

Now when you lay the third diamond right side down, it must match the corner of the lower diamond to get good results. 

The photo below show poor alignment and the end result will be seams that don't meet and a pucker on the right side at the intersection of the three seams.   In this photo, the black diamond needs to be shifted up to the left until it aligns with the corner of the gray diamond.

#2 -- the center of the star is askew.  The most common cause of this is haphazard pressing which then makes it challenging to control the bulk where the six seams come together at the center.

EVERY subunit of the star must be pressed identically so when the three units are joined, the seams will always nest together flat.

 If you have encountered other problems, e-mail me at maryhueyquilts@hotmail.com

  

I'm ready to make another star!!  How about you?

Mary Huey

All material Copyrighted by Mary Huey Quilts!

Diamond Star Playtime Sew-Along -- Step 1

Are you ready to begin?  Have you ordered Set-In Piecing Simplified?  Have you tried out the piecing technique?  Have you gathered up a starting assortment of fabric?   If you answered "YES" to all of these, then let's get started with the first star block for our sampler. 

This first step is a long post.  I promise they won't all be so long.  You can also download a PDF of it by clicking here.

If you haven't practiced the sewing technique from Set-In Piecing Simplified, I suggest you start with some scraps and make a couple stars before working with your sampler fabrics.  The resulting blocks would be perfect to use on a tote bag or pillow top.  The practice will give you a chance to review the process and improve your results.  As I say on the DVD, it took some practice for me to get comfortable with it and that is certainly the experience my students have during workshops.

We'll begin with one basic two color 6-pointed star.  The rest of the stars in the sampler will be variations of this basic one.  Pick two prints with a good contrast.  If you are using multiple background fabrics, choose one that goes with your star prints.

For my cutting sample, I'm using Marti Michell's 60 Degree Diamond but the cutting will be the same for whichever template you choose for your blocks.  First we'll cut strips and then diamonds from the strips.  I'm going to cut 3 1/2" diamonds (remember -- this measurement refers to the finished length of any side of the diamond -- not the width of the strip).

The width of the strip needed is often an "UGLY" measurement that is hard to see on a ruler and generally impossible to cut consistency. 

Marti teaches us to use the tool or template to "measure" the width needed right on the fabric.  In the photo below I have already straighten the edge of my fabric and now have the line for the size diamond I'm cutting matched to that edge.  Oops, I have it on 3" and it should be on 3 1/2" -- good thing I noticed before I cut! 

 I then brought my long rotary ruler up against the opposite edge of the template and I'll move the template down the length of the fabric to be sure the ruler is aligned perfectly the entire way.

Once the ruler placement is just right, I pull the template away and cut along the right hand side of the ruler.  If I were left-handed, I would work from the opposite side of the fabric.  If you are also working with this tool, the instruction booklet that comes with it explains this method (with illustrations) on pages 6 and 8.  If you have Volume 6, Six is for Hexagons, the same instructions are on page 8.   Or go here for a PDF from Marti's website that explains the process. 

I cut several strips of background fabric so those diamonds will be ready for future steps.  To cut the diamonds from the strips, open the strips out and layer up two to four of them with the right sides up.  Use the tool to make the first diagonal cut as in the photo below. 

Now slide the tool to the right until the line for your size (3 1/2" for me) or the edge of the template (if you are working with Set G or H) aligns with the first cut.   

Cut away a diamond and gently pull the strips to the right.  Don't move these diamonds yet.  

Nip off the tips sliding the tool into place at each end and before you un-stack the fabric.  (No fussing about the trimming -- it's very helpful in the long run!) 

This is one of my prints for the star -- can you see a problem?  The top set of diamonds is not symmetrical! 

And here is what happened.  I went all the way to the edge of the tool instead of stopping at the 3 1/2" line. 

This cutting error is (thankfully) easy to correct -- just need to take a bit off.

To avoid this, I find that keeping the tool right side up on my fabric so I can read the words eliminates that issue.  (After all, this is the way it was designed to be used.)

And if you are a leftie, keep the tool "upside-down" as in the photo below -- the words are the only thing that is upside-down, everything else will be where it should be.  

Last thing to do before we go to the sewing machine is make dots.     I use a standard pencil most of the time, but on those dark ones, I use a bright orange colored pencil as ultimately the markings won't show.  (Once again, no fussing -- the dots are important!!)

We could make dots at all four corners of each diamond, but we really only need the two opposite each other -- upper right corner and lower left corner in this photo.

Time to sew!!  I lay out the block as it will look finished -- never skip this step -- it's too easy to get a piece in the wrong place.

If you pull away every other background diamond, you'll notice there are three identical units and they are tumbling blocks.  We could also divide the star in half and make two half stars but after all the 6-pointed stars I've made, I get better centers making three tumbling blocks units.  And so do my students!

So here are the three tumbling block units ready to stitch. 

This part of the piecing is covered in the first part of the DVD.   I take a "production line" approach to my piecing.  I start by flipping the top diamond right side down onto the left side diamond and stitching that seam (chain-piecing as in the DVD) for all three units.  I can start at the raw edge of the point that will be on the outside of the unit, but I have to stop at the DOT!!

I lay each unit back in position and add the right-side diamond to the starting pair. 

 

Now there is just one more seam to finish the tumbling blocks -- pay attention to my tips in the DVD on the best matching point at this stage to assure accurate centers and remember, it's better to stop a stitch short of the dot when chain-piecing through the set-ins!

Press all the tumbling block units EXACTLY the same with the seams swirling in one direction (you'll get a little hexagon in the center on the back).  Pressing all of them identically pays off as you join them together in the next step.

Now it's time to lay out the units in the star again.

Bring the remaining three background diamonds back into the layout. 

First set together the tumbling block units -- review the second part of the DVD at this point to help you through this step -- you will be stitching from DOT to DOT.  If the seams on all three units swirl exactly the same way, when two units are right sides together, the seams will mesh together perfectly.  If they don't, stop now and press again!!  That seam will act like a dot at those corners helping you stop in the right place.

Two together!  Then set in the third one and close up the star!

Now you are ready to set in the remaining background diamonds.  You can start at the raw edges of the outer points, but you must stop at the dot on the inside corner. 

To press the final block, follow the swirl direction started by the tumbling block units.  Notice the center of this star swirls counter clockwise and the swirls along the background swirl clockwise.  If you press all the stars identically throughout the Sew-Along, the blocks set together more easily at the end. 

Now it's time to check the center.  Pretty good I'd say.  If yours isn't perfect, not to worry.  Just try another one.   I'll post some troubleshooting tips on Monday (3/10) to help you diagnose problems as well as introduce you to the Flickr group where you can post photos of your stars. 

Now make another two color star -- use the same background or change it to a slightly different print.  The second one should go together faster and easier as you begin to feel more comfortable with the set-in piecing technique.  Two stars are enough for now.

The second step will be ready on March 21 -- we'll explore fussy cutting the diamonds and managing striped fabrics.

If you have questions as you work through this, e-mail me at maryhueyquilts@hotmail.com

Mary Huey

All material Copyrighted by Mary Huey Quilts! 

If you can't find Marti's templates locally, you can order all of them from her website!

http://frommarti.com

Diamond Star Playtime Sew-Along -- Choosing fabric!

Sometimes I put too many oars out of the boat at the same time and you know how that works -- one can only handle one or two of them at a time, so the fabric yardage post for the Diamond Star Playtime Sew-Along had to wait until this morning.  Thanks for your patience!!

I'll be working with Marti Michell's 60 degree diamond templates during the Sew-Along.  There are several choices and if you missed the two posts about that, they are here and here.

Pulling fabric is my favorite part of making a quilt.  Hardly surprising after 26 years of running a quilt shop, is it?  I can make piles of fabric that go together all day long (no doubt that explains my seemingly endless collection of UFO's).  It's important to understand that when I took up buying fabric for my shop in the late 1970's there were no "collections" of coordinated fabrics.  If you are more comfortable using a collection that has been coordinated by a designer, the instructions that follow may seem unnecessary.  But if you want to break out of the mold and do your own thing, read on!

This Sew-Along will be a guided process to help you make your own version of a sampler featuring 6-pointed stars rather than copying a specific layout planned by me.  Obviously you will need a pile of fabric to begin and these are general yardage guidelines.  Don't worry about exact quantities -- it is likely that you will want to add fabrics as you get more involved in making the stars.  "Running out" of fabric is a spur to creativity, so don't worry about that either!

I began both of my samplers with a focus fabric which I used  to guide my color choices and print style.  Diamond Star Playtime was the first one and the border was the focus fabric.   I sorted through my stash (which is formidable) and pulled pieces that matched the colors in the border print without making judgments about their "suitability" -- just color at this point.  In this quilt, I used "contrast of color" more than "contrast of value".

Once I pulled as much as I had, I laid them out in a row overlapping so that about an

 inch of each is showing -- that way nothing dominates the scene.  Then I open out my "focus" fabric and refold it so that I can lay it across the row of possible fabrics as shown below.  Now I leave the room -- go fold a load of laundry, perhaps? 

When I come back a little while later -- I pull out any fabrics that jump out at me because that means they aren't blending together with the rest of the group.  In this case, I've pulled out the ones that are above the original row.  I may not put them away at this point, but will hold them in reserve just in case.  By the way, this is my pull for a new project . . . . . .

You can use a similar approach when you are shopping -- pull a bolt of something you just love and then walk it around the store and pull anything that matches the colors of the focus.  Line your pulls up and drape the focus across them.  Leave it for a few minutes and then come back and begin to eliminate the ones that jump out at you.  I find it is easier to eliminate possibilities than it is to get four or five that you love and then try to find more to go with them.  This approach also exposes your eye to unexpected possibilities which you miss when you are trying to "match" pieces one at a time.

The focus fabric for Pieceful Constellations was a large print that was chosen for it's potential for fussy cutting motifs to use in the stars.  While it guided my color and print selections, it only appears in the quilt as small pieces.  One of the good aspects of this particular print was the amount of background space between motifs. 

When choosing a fabric that you expect to fussy cut, be sure you have or buy enough to get 6 repeats of the print motifs.  Look at how repeats of a motif are available from side-to-side in the print as well as looking at the running repeat in the yardage.  This print had a 12" running repeat and each of those sections of the print averaged 5 identical motifs.  To be able to cut 6 motifs, I needed a minimum of two running repeats -- of course, I got more to give me flexibility -- four repeats (1 1/2 yards) gave me twenty of most motifs. 

If you think your focus print may become the borders of the quilt, it's easiest to have yardage that corresponds to the anticipated length of the quilt.  But if you don't, I've figured out several ways to work around that and I'll talk about those as we near the end of the Sew-Along.

In this quilt, I had a designated background fabric -- the ivory solid -- a half yard would have worked but I got a couple yards because in my mind, all the stars would use it and there were no tumbling blocks in the original "plan" (and it will never go to waste).   In this quilt, I used "contrast of value" rather than "contrast of color".  There was no designated background in Diamond Playtime.

I always work with dozens of prints in a piece so 1/4 yards of a print generally are sufficient.  If I really like it,  I'll get a 1/2 yard or if it's a stripe. In this close-up, notice the variety of textures and values I included.  There was more fabric left in my pile when I finished the quilt than I used to make the quilt!   Some pieces were only used once because I didn't like it as well in a finished star.  The brown and aqua plaid was a 1/2 yard cut and I liked the way it worked so much that I went back and bought another yard (so I wouldn't run out?).  In the end, I used it for the binding, too.

So to boil all this chatter down into simple guidelines, I suggest that you start with 1 1/2 yards of a focus print for a moderate size wall hanging (3 yards for a full-size bed quilt) and 1/4 to 1/2 yards of a dozen prints ("love it" or making a large quilt - 1/2 yard each; "just okay" or small size quilt - 1/4 yard each) and 1 to 2 yards background fabric.  Be sure to include an interesting print for fussy cutting or a stripe, and maybe a polka dot? 

 Once we begin to piece the stars, you'll gravitate to prints and combinations that please you the most -- new fabrics may appear and some may not get used at all.  Generally, it takes about 3 yards to make a quilt that is 45" by 60"; 7 yards for 72" by 90" (twin); and 11 yards total for 90" by 108".  Just relax and enjoy the process. 

If you need reassurance during the fabric selection process, send me a photo of your pull with questions you might have and I'll give you some feedback.  Send it to maryhueyquilts@hotmail.com

We'll begin with simple two fabric stars and a basic tumbling block.

Let the fun begin!!

Mary Huey

All material Copyrighted by Mary Huey Quilts!

Diamond Star Playtime Sew-Along -- choosing templates -- Part II

This is a review of Marti Michell's multi-size tools that can be used for cutting and marking pieces during the Diamond Star Playtime Sew-Along. 

Marti introduced the 60 Degree Diamond multi-sized template as part of her One-derful One-Patch template line.  It includes sizes from 2" through 4 1/2" in 1/2" increments plus a bonus size of 2 1/4".  With the tool you can cut 60 degree diamonds and matching equilateral triangles.  It comes with a 24 page booklet of detailed cutting instructions and basic piecing guidelines.

The advantage of working with this tool over one of the template sets is that you can create very LARGE scale stars.  A six-pointed star made with 3 1/2" diamonds will measure 13" flat side to flat side and 14" point to point.  The 4" diamond will make a star that is 14 3/4" flat side to flat side and 16" point to point.  The largest size diamond is 4 1/2" and the stars made with it will be 15 1/2" flat side to flat side and 18" point to point.

The disadvantage of using this tool for a sampler of blocks such as we'll be doing during the Sew-Along is that you won't have the diversity of shapes in pre-made templates.  Being able to cut matching equilateral triangles (half a 60 degree diamond) will give you some flexibility but you won't have the built-in variations of the long skinny half diamonds or the cone-head.

Marti’s Favorite Hexagon Ruler is a useful companion tool that features six sizes of hexagons in ½” increments beginning with 2” up through 4½” -- the same size range as the 60 Degree Diamond template.  Those measurements represent the length of each side finished. 

Basic instructions are included with each tool that include a step by step illustrated explanation of how to cut with the tool and the finished measurements of each size hexagon (point to point and flat side to flat side).   The cute little pink gizmo that keeps it attached can be easily undone and redone to keep this card with the tool, so if you buy one, don’t cut the pink gizmo!!

It is also a useful companion tool with Sets G and H -- I used the hexagon tool with Set G because it enabled me to cut the large filler hexagons accurately that I used in several places in Pieceful Constellations.  (Edit: Marti has since introduced a Multi-size Half Hexagon Ruler as a companion to this tool.)

Below are the six sizes (2" through 4 1/2" in 1/2" increments) of hexagons, 60 degree diamonds, and equilateral triangles that can be cut with these two tools.  The hexagons are laying on a 9 1/2" square ruler. 

This Sew-Along is based on my workshop to introduce quilters to these templates but I know some are reluctant to try templates.  I understand that position because I was hesitant in the beginning myself.  But I’m like a reformed smoker these days – I love the results that I get using them.  And I want everyone to try them, too.

If you just can’t make that step, there is one more tool – the Deluxe Corner Trimmer.  It’s a queer looking tool but you never cut all the way around it.  It is used to trim off corners of a variety of geometric shapes in addition to providing a series of holes for marking corners and stitching lines that are a perfect ¼”.  A 12 page booklet is included which reviews all the uses for the tool. 

Trimming corners before stitching eliminates bulk (which we often go back and trim out); saves you from the frustration of having fabric points sucked down into the zigzag needle hole of your machine’s throat plate; and simplifies the matching process.  For this Sew Along, trimming off the sharp points of the 60 degree diamonds means they will align accurately and quickly with the flatter (120 degree) corners of those same shapes. 

Transferring stop and start dots is the key to set-in piecing and this tool allows to you do that with any size diamond or hexagon.  So if you prefer to cut diamonds with a rotary ruler, you can still incorporate the advantages of the trimming and the ease of marking the necessary dots by using this tool.

In conclusion, I enjoy the flexibility and accuracy of working with Set G or Set H since there is a variety of related shapes with no calculations needed to cut the right sizes.   Eliminating those frustrations or challenges (depending on your viewpoint) gives you the energy to focus on playing with the fabric and the shapes.   Those are the aspects of this group of shapes that attracts me to them and helps me maintain momentum and interest in the project.  My cutting is more consistent with templates and that is the first step to accurate piecing. 

So what do you think?  Are you going to give this a try?   Leave me a comment below and let me know where you stand!

During the course of the Sew-Along, we make basic 6-pointed stars and then explore variations through fabric placement and breaking the basic diamond down into related shapes.  You'll be encouraged to make at least one of each design idea but I hope you'll want to make more of each one.  We'll explore setting options and filler blocks.  You decide how small or large your version will be and I'll share quilting ideas to help you finish this piece. 

The possibilities that will open up to you by joining in this Sew-Along will be exciting and you will no longer be intimidated by set-in piecing!  Think about that this week, decide which templates you'll use and search your stash for a starter fabric -- something exciting and wonderful.  Next week I'll share fabric guidelines so you'll have a week to organize a pile before the Sew-Along begins.

Mary Huey

All material Copyrighted by Mary Huey Quilts!

While I don't have an on-line shop that sells the templates, I do stock all of them for my workshops.  So if you are having trouble finding them, please don't hesitate to e-mail me at maryhueyquilts@hotmail.com and I'm happy to sell them to you directly.

Diamond Star Playtime Sew-Along -- choosing templates -- Part I

I have worked as a certified educator for Marti Michell's rotary cutting product line since 2006 and my favorite templates require set-in (or y-seam) piecing.  Many quilters avoid those like the plague but after a clever student shared her technique of chain piecing through them I began to include it in my workshops.  Students everywhere have been so impressed with this idea that I produced a DVD workshop, Set-in Piecing Simplified, to make it available to more quilters.  

In this post and the following one, I will introduce you to Marti's templates so you can decide which ones to use for a Diamond Star Play Sampler of your own!

I'm going to show you three sets of templates today -- each covers two size ranges, so there are several choices for the sizes of the stars.  In the following post, I'll review several multi-sized tools that will also work.

One of the features I appreciate about these templates is the method Marti has chosen to size them.  She identifies them by the FINISHED measurement of an outside edge of the shape.  In most cases, that number is the measurement of all the outside edges of each shape.  This makes it easier to see how a set of shapes relate to one another. 

Set G was the first hexagon based set and it includes 9 templates.  (This is the set that Kerry Dear of Candied Hexagon fame used.)  Four of the templates work together to make hexagon based designs that are 2" finished on the outer edges of the shape.  The other five templates work together for 1" finished edges.  The shapes include a hexagon, a half hexagon, a 60 degree diamond and an equilateral triangle.  The 1" group also includes what I call the "cone-head". 

Here are the 3 basic motifs in each size range for Set G.  This is the set I used for Pieceful Constellations -- I worked with the 2" templates and the finished star blocks measure 6 3/4" from flat side to flat side and 7 3/4" from point to point.  (The hot pink star in the lower right corner is this size.)   Using the 1" template would give a star (the red one) about half of that size.  As we explore the design options, you'll be able to use the 1" templates to add detail to the 2" units.  For example, four 1" diamonds make a 2" diamond.

Set H is the second hexagon based set and at first glance it doesn't look like there are as many templates.  There aren't as many pieces, but there are the same number of shapes as several of the shapes share a template.  The size ranges for this set are 3" finished and 1 1/2" finished.  Template 52, the larger 60 degree diamond template has extra lines which allow you to cut 5 more shapes -- a hexagon and half hexagon, a conehead, an equilateral triangle, and a long skinny half-diamond.

 

Here are the same units stitched out using Set H.  The 3" templates were used for the lower three and the 1 1/2" ones for the upper row.  I used the 3" templates from this set for my Diamond Star Playtime Sampler.   Stars made with the 2" template measure 10" from flat side to flat side and 11 3/4" from point to point.   Using the 1 1/2" template would give a star about half of that size.  And again you can use templates from the smaller range in the set to create sub-units that will fit into the larger sub-units.  And we'll explore this as we move through the sew-along.

Both Sets G and H include clear instructions for cutting and piecing with the templates in addition to a starter set of design ideas.  In addition, Marti has written Six is For Hexagons, a book full of ideas and patterns to help us get the most out of our templates. 

There is one more set which can be used and many of my students already own this one.  It's the

 2 1/2" Stripper Set.  These templates were designed to fit onto pre-cut 2 1/2" strips (i.e. - jelly rolls).  Two of the three templates are 60 degree shapes and can be used to cut a diamond , a hexagon, two sizes of equilateral triangles, and a cone-head.

You can construct the same three basic units with this set and a finished side is a bit less than 2 1/4".  The six-pointed star will finish at 7 3/4" flat side to flat side and 9 1/4" point to point.

I've given you a lot to think about -- but just let it roll around in your head for now.  No need to make a decision today.  You might want to start looking through your stash for an interesting focus print that you would enjoy using as the starting point for the fabric pull.

  I suggest you revisit these two posts -- http://maryhueyquilts.blogspot.com/2014/02/lets-have-sew-along.html#.Uv5LoKYo4dU and http://maryhueyquilts.blogspot.com/2014/01/set-in-piecing-simplified.html#.Uv5MeqYo4dU  -- to look again at my finished quilts and read again about the Set-In Piecing Simplified teaching guide that is available in my Etsy Shop.  (Just click on my face up there at the top of the right side column to get to the Etsy Shop.)  The sew-along will be more enjoyable for you if you invest in it.  As always, if you have questions, please don't hesitate to contact me via the comments below or via e-mail to maryhueyquilts@hotmail.com

Now while pulling all my samples together for this post yesterday, I stumbled onto a great idea for an overwhelming stack of tumbling blocks that keeps growing as I demo the set-in piecing technique in workshops and at shows!  But I wouldn't allow myself to be distracted by it until I finished writing today's post! 

I'm done here and I'm off to my work wall!!

Mary Huey

All material Copyrighted by Mary Huey Quilts!

If you can't find the templates locally, I suggest you go to www.frommarti.com to order them directly.