For a 6 ½
inch block (6 inch final) I need:
- 1 7
x 7 inches background (green)
-
8 1 ½ x 3 inches background (green)
-
3
1 ½ x 6 ½ inches foreground (purple)
-
2 1 ½ x 3 inches foreground (purple)
-
1 1 ½ x 1 ½ inches flower center (yellow)
I assemble the foreground fabric to
four stripes with background on either end, and one with the flower center in
the middle:
Next I take one of the stripes
without the flower center (that one is the last stripe to sew) and lay it right
side to the right side of the background and pin it. The positioning is a
little tilted and off-center (I found the best way to center it is to put it
where you want it and then mark a line ½ inch to the center of
fabric, away from one of the edges)
Sew along the edge and then fold
over and press.
Now comes the trick. Fold the open
side over by ¼ inch (sew allowance) and press. Then dap a little bit of fabric
glue on the folded over bit and fold to the other side (I just push it down
with my fingers, don’t iron it)
Turn the whole fabric over and –
carefully! – cut through the background fabric, between it and the stripe. Fold
the now open bit over and sew along the crease when you ironed the sew
allowance over.
Now you have a stripe perfectly
aligned with the background.
You can cut back the extra background
fabric away from the second seam (but don’t need to – I just think it looks
nicer)
Repeat this with the other stripes.
As the background is not moved while you sew on the stripes, it stays nice and
square.
Once all stripes are sewn on, all
that remains is to square the block to size.
Feel free to play around with the
length and/or thickness of the stripes. The measurements I gave are something
that works for me and my project. Your mileage may vary. They are called Wonky
Flowers for a reason, and a bit of variation is always nice.
