It’s no mystery that I love striped fabric! I mean, the design possibilities are endless. Just this week, I found yet another use for my beloved stripes, and I’m excited to share!
I made some striped “woven” diamond blocks as fill-in blocks for a quilt, and they turned out so well that I am already working on them in a few more sizes.
Here is what you will need to make a mirror image set of these blocks. I cut two strips from my striped fabric, one 6½” wide and the other 4⅝” wide. I kept the strips folded to cut through two layers. I sub-cut the 6½” wide strip into two 4 ⅝” rectangles and the 4⅝” strip into two 6 ½” rectangles. You’ll end up with four rectangles total that are 6½” x 4⅝”, but two of them have their stripes going the long way while the other two have their stripes going the short way.
Lay the first pair of rectangles wrong sides together (stripes going top to bottom). Using the triangle lines on the Large Creative Grids 60 Degree Diamond Ruler, align the bottom edge of the rectangle with the 6 ½” dashed line and the left edge of the rectangle with the left-dashed center line. Cut along the right edge to get two pairs of mirror image wedge triangles.
Repeat the same cut with the second pair of rectangles (notice the stripes going side to side on these).
Arrange the wedge triangles from both sets of rectangles into two diamond blocks, as shown, stripes side to side alternating with stripes up and down.
Sew the top two wedge triangles together, then repeat with the bottom two wedge triangles, as shown.
Press the seams in opposite directions, so the center seam will nest when you sew the two halves together. Press that seam open.
I trimmed up my diamond blocks by aligning the 6½” diamond lines on the ruler with the edges of the block and trimming the sliver amount off each side. Depending on your seam allowance while piecing, you may not have to trim up at all.
They came out so cool, I immediately grabbed another stripe and started a 4½” version! These rectangles would be cut 4½” x 3⅜”, and you would do all the same steps, but this time align your ruler along the 4½” dashed line to cut the angled cut across the block.
Aren’t these fun?! I have the perfect way to use these blocks, and next week I’ll be able to show you what I’m doing with them! But I thought I’d share this part right away, cause hey, you might have your own burst of inspiration 🙂
Happy Sunday, everyone,
Krista