Play Day - Part 2

In the first part of this tutorial, I showed how to use 2 ½ inch strips from a thick and thin stripe fabric to make an interesting block that looks like it took more than 4 simple strips of fabric to make. After looking at the blocks sitting on my craft table, I decided that they would look their best if they were set on point, one after the other in a runner.

Then, there were the tricky tasks of both choosing a fabric to compliment the blocks and calculating the size to cut the setting triangles. To calculate the sizes for the setting triangles, I enlisted the help of Electric Quilt 7. I could set the size of the pieced blocks and use the computer to calculate the size of the setting triangles. Electric Quilt calculated that I needed to cut one 9 ¼ inch square and cut it on both diagonals for the ends of the runner. I needed to cut two 8 ⅞ inch squares and cut each one on one diagonal to make the setting triangles for the sides of the runner. This was great, but, I wanted to use the lighter strips from the same jelly roll for the background of the runner. Time to put my thinking cap back on….

Some work with a pencil and my quilting ruler, allowed me to calculate that the short sides of each of the corner triangles would be 6 ½ inches. The height of the setting triangles would be 6 ¼ inches.

I stitched three of the lighter strips from the jelly roll, side by side. The height of this strip was 6 ½ inches! My lucky day! Now to work out if the 42 inch length of the pieced section was enough fabric to cut four corner triangles and four side triangles for my runner.

Starting from one end, I marked out the fabric with a temporary marker to check that I could cut all of the pieces. This was how I marked it out (I worked from right to left across my fabric):

          1. Rule a line that is at 90 degrees to the piecing and close to the selvedges.

      2.    Measure 6 ½ inches from the line marked in Step 1 and make a small mark at both raw edges.

     3.    Join the line marked in Step 1 with a diagonal line to one of the marks from Step 2. This is the first corner triangle.

     4.    Measure 6 ½ inches from the marks made in Step 2 and make a small mark at each selvedge.

      5.    Join the left-most end of the line marked in Step 3 with one of the marks made in Step 4. This is the first side triangle.

    6.    Repeat Steps 4 and 5 to make another 3 (total of 4) side triangles.

     7.    Join the two marks at the end of the fourth side triangle with a line that is at 90 degrees to the piecing. This is the second corner triangle.

     8.    Measure 6 ½ inches from the line marked in Step 7 and mark a line that is at 90 degrees to the piecing.

      9.    Join the lower right and upper left edges with a diagonal line. This is the third and fourth corner triangles. 

Yay! It is possible to cut all 8 pieces from the pieced strip.

The photo below shows which edges (with the double strike marks) of the corner and the side triangles that will be stitched to the pieced blocks. 

Carefully cut out all 8 pieces on the marked lines.

Each setting triangle now needs to be stitched to one of the pieced blocks. The whole runner is simple to put together, just remember that all of the seams are set on the diagonal and that there are no set-in seams (yay!). Lay out the three pieced blocks and fill in the sides with the side triangles and square of the ends with the corner triangles. See the photo below.

Block 1 will have a corner triangle joined to one edge and a side triangle joined to the opposite edge.

Block 2 will have a side triangle joined to two opposite edges.

Block 3 will have a side triangle joined to one edge and a corner triangle joined to the opposite edge.

Set Block 1 and Block 3

Fold the long edge of the corner triangle and mark the centre with a pin.

Fold one edge of Block 1 and mark the centre with a pin.

Place the corner triangle with the right side facing the Block, matching the centre pins and having the raw edges even.

Stitch with a ¼ inch seam.

Press the seam towards the triangle.

Place the side triangle with the right side facing the Block, matching the corner of the short side of the triangle with the corner of the Block and having the raw edges even. This triangle is on the opposite side of the Block to the corner triangle.

Stitch with a ¼ inch seam.

Press the seam towards the triangle.

Block 2

Place one of the side triangles with the right side facing the Block, matching the corner of the short side of the triangle with the corner of the Block and having the raw edges even.

Stitch with a ¼ inch seam.

Press the seam towards the triangle.

Place a second side triangle with the right side facing the Block, matching the corner of the short side of the triangle with the corner of the Block and having the raw edges even. This triangle is on the opposite side of the Block to the first side triangle.

Stitch with a ¼ inch seam.

Press the seam towards the triangle.

Place Block 1 with the right side facing Block 2.

Match the seams of the side triangles and the raw edges.

Pin the two blocks together along the edge.

Stitch with a ¼ inch seam.

Press the seam towards the triangles, clipping the seam allowance to allow it to sit flat.

Place Block 2 with the right side facing Block 3.

Match the seams of the side triangles and the raw edges.

Pin the two blocks together along the edge.

Stitch with a ¼ inch seam.

Press the seam towards the triangles, clipping the seam allowance to allow it to sit flat.

The runner needs to have the last two corner triangles stitched in place.

Fold the long edge of each corner triangle and mark the centre point with a pin.

Fold the remaining edge of Block 1 and mark the centre point with a pin.

Place the corner triangle with the right side facing Block 1, matching the centre pins and having the raw edges even.

Stitch with a ¼ inch seam.

Press the seam towards the corner triangle.

Fold the remaining edge of Block 3 and mark the centre point with a pin.

Place the last corner triangle with the right side facing Block 3, matching the centre pins and having the raw edges even.

Stitch with a ¼ inch seam.

Press the seam towards the corner triangle.

Now, you may notice that the side triangles end a bit past the edges of the corner triangles. This is fine. The side triangles were cut a little larger than needed and we can now trim them to size. In the photo below, I have drawn a line with a marker to show where the side triangles will be trimmed to size.

Place the Jelly Roll Runner on your cutting mat.

Place a long Quilter’s Ruler along the side of the Jelly Roll Runner, checking that the edge of the Quilter’s Ruler is ¼ inch from the point of each of the Pieced Squares.

Trim the excess fabric from the side triangles.

The top of the Jelly Roll Runner is now completed. It can be quilted and finished as is or borders can be added to make it larger and frame the pieced section. Join me again soon as I add borders to frame the runner and explore how to quilt it.