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In my last
diary I showed you how to make HSTs for a Split 9 Patch with no raw bias edges.
But you can build on this concept to make other units/blocks. One of these is the Shaded 4 patch, which with one tweak becomes a Bird in the Air block. I first learned of this technique from Sally Schneider. Follow me beyond the orange cheese doodle to see how to make these.
First, you will need two 2.5 inch squares and two 2.5 x 3.5 rectngles, like so:
Sew a square to each rectangle. Press to the dark.
Sew the two together. Before you press, clip the seam in the middle, just short of the seam line.
Press half of the seam up, and half of it down (the blue lines mark where we snipped the seam.)
Line the 45 degree line on your ruler along the bottom of the unit as shown and draw a line.
Rotate the unit and repeat. You’ll end up with two lines as shown.
Place right sides together with a 4.5 x 5.5 inch rectangle.
Sew just to the outside of each line
then with your ruler cut apart leaving a ¼ inch seam allowance (you actually can just cut in two with your scissors, you’ll just have a larger seam allowance that isn’t going to hurt anything.).
Press to the larger triangle. And you’ll have 2 shaded 4 patch blocks.
If you want to make several of these in one colorway, you can make the initial square-rectangle pairs using a strip set. I learned this production method from Beth Ferrier. Cut one strip 2.5 inches by however long. Cut another strip 3.5 inches by however long. Sew and press to the dark. The subcut the strip set into 2.5 inch wide “slices.”
To make a Bird in the Air block, replace the square with a HST. You have to watch the orientation of the HST.
In this case, I like to press the seam away from the HST. This reduces bulk.
And you’ll end up with this.
I somehow got things twisted when I was sewing this, and drew my lines too far in (they didn’t intersect the seam between the HST and the rectangle, hence I have a point that is really floating. You’ll do better.
Thanks for reading, and what have you been working on?