Here is a continuous stitching extravaganza for you!
Monkey has picked two more diamonds for the quilters in the Austen-tatious Quilted Diamonds Group on Facebook.
Monkey felt very “sensible, good humored, lively” when he picked the same number from each book.
Both of these are hexagons within diamonds and are “a standing lesson of how to”. . . stitch continuously. (If you prefer hexagons over diamonds, there is more on Pieced Hexagons on the Inklingo website.)
If you have already made these two, feel free to choose others.
There are detailed instructions for preparing diamonds for hand piecing in Quilted Diamonds (first book, aka QD1) on pages 14 to 18 and in Quilted Diamonds 2 (aka QD2) on pages 113 to 116 and in the QD2 DVD lesson.
IT IS ALL RELATED TO INKLINGO
The techniques for preparation, freezer paper templates, sewing and pressing in my Quilted Diamonds books also apply to Inklingo.
We look for opportunities for “continuous stitching” all the time. You may have seen me demonstrate it in one of the LIVE Inklingo videos for Lucy Boston Patchwork of the Crosses (POTC), hexagons and many other designs.
Quilted Diamonds was the inspiration for Inklingo.
The designs for Quilted Diamonds are not “inklingo-able,” so we use freezer paper templates and draw the lines manually. When designs are inklingo-able, we print the lines.
Either way, continuous stitching is fabulous!
No matter what the design, Monkey and I like to work with all of the shapes laid out in order, wrong side up.
As usual with hand piecing (and unlike machine piecing), you can sew the shapes together in any order. However, many of us like to plan a route for as much continuous stitching as possible.
Continuous Stitching—At the end of each seam, before you cut the thread, look to see if you can continue stitching the next seam just by turning a corner.
Like many star designs, QD1 # 49 is perfect for continuous stitching.
You can add four triangles to the center square without breaking the thread (above).
Next, add all 8 star points, again without breaking your thread! If you always pick up the next piece with all of the pieces laid out in order, Wrong Side Up, you will not become confused.
Monkey sees a way to turn a corner at the end of every seam and go all the way around the star with one thread (red arrows above), turning 16 short seams into one long one! Start anywhere and work your way back to the beginning.
This simplified variation of QD1 # 49 (above, right) has a larger center for fussy cutting.
You can add two star points to each side of the square, pinning at the match.
Pass the needle through the crosshairs to get to the beginning of the next seam. (Demonstrated in the QD2 video lesson.)
You can add 8 more pieces (16 seams) without breaking your thread.
Monkey is really into this!
I have made QD2 # 49 several times.
It is named “Sensible, good humored, lively”—a quotation from Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. It refers to the Bennet’s new neighbor, Mr. Bingley)
QD2 # 49 is made for continuous stitching too. Attach a piece to each side of the center hexagon without breaking your thread (above).
Monkey loves continuous stitching!
Then, you can add each of the 6 diamonds with 6 threads—each thread does 2 little seams. Some of the seams are very short and the stitching goes fast when you keep stitching from one seam to the next.
QD2 # 49 presses perfectly, with the seams “twirled” around the intersections. Pressing is covered in detail in the two-hour lesson on the QD2 DVD (included with the book).
That is a very nice way to press. The diamond looks better from the front and is easier to quilt.
The one on the right (above) is simplified by eliminating two vertical seams to give a larger space for fussy cutting.
One of the wonderful things about using freezer paper templates is that you can divide the diamond up any way you like. Add or remove lines whenever it suits your plans.
Please invite your friends to sew diamonds with us in the Facebook group.
Monkey is a hand piecing snob (Why Hand Piece?) but you can machine piece, if you prefer.
Inklingo is all about making quilting more accessible.
If you only know Quilted Diamonds so far and are interested in learning more about the method of printing on fabric that it inspired, please start with the FREE Diamond Triangle Square shape collection. It also includes the first chapter of The Inklingo Handbook!
LINKS YOU MIGHT LIKE
- Introduction to the new FB group
- Austen-tatious Quilted Diamonds on Facebook
- Main Quilted Diamonds Page
- My Dear Jane Quilt – In Time of Friendship
- My Quilted Diamonds Quilt – Love & Friendship
- 300 Pieced Hexagons
I will post mini-tutorials like this for QD periodically. I would love to see photos of your diamonds on Facebook!
Thank you for visiting.
Linda & Monkey in Canada