better off thread…

This tutorial is step two in the photo tutorial for making my Spiral Geese Mini Quilt Pattern.  If you aren’t making the pattern, but you are interested in learning my method for reverse appliqué, read on!

Step one: Paper-piecing Curved Geese is here.

Start by sewing your paper-pieced geese together in numerical order.  You will create one large spiral.

Take your second set of patterns that you had set aside and cut them out along the black line (you will be cutting off the seam allowance).

Tape your paper templates together into one spiral.

Lay your paper spiral face-down onto your background fabric. Pin.

Using a water-soluable fabric marker, trace the edge of your paper template and mark the seams where your templates have been taped together.

Mark a second line (cutting line) about 1/4″ INSIDE your original line.  This can get tricky.  Don’t draw your cutting line on the wrong side.

Don’t worry if your seam allowance isn’t exactly 1/4″. It just needs to be about that.

 Cut along the inside line (your cutting line) the entire way around the spiral.

Now you have a spiral!

Lay your background on top of your paper-pieced spiral and match the tick marks you made on the background to the seams where you sewed your templates together.

Here is a close-up. Those blue tick marks are lined up with the template seams and the outer point of the triangle.

 Fold your seam allowance under, matching the fold of your fabric to the points on the triangles.

You’ll need to clip the corners at the inner-most triangle, so you can fold the fabric under.

All pinned!  At this point, you could hand-stitch the edge with a slip-stitch, but I prefer to do a quick basting stitch, so that I am not constantly sticking myself with pins, and getting my thread caught on them.

Here it is basted. You now have two choices: you can hand-stitch the edge down using a slip-stitch, or you can machine stitch right next to the edge.

I machine stitched this one.  My original rainbow mini was slip-stitched by hand.  Whichever you choose will probably blend in with your quilting in the end.

Here is a close-up of the machine stitched edge.

You can press out the wrinkles in the triangles by placing the batting under it and pressing each triangle lightly with a dry iron.  

You did it!

Don’t forget to check out my Craftsy pattern if you are interested in making this mini!

This tutorial is step one in the photo tutorial for making my Spiral Geese Mini Quilt Pattern.  You can also use this tutorial for piecing the geese in my New York Beauty Circle of Flying Geese Pattern.

•••

Before you begin:

• Cut all your fabrics out according to the pattern.  The smaller squares are for templates A & H and the larger squares are for templates B-G.
• Shorten your stitch length to about a 1.5.
• Print out your paper templates at 100%.
• Please read through the entire tutorial before beginning (or at least read the tips at the bottom!).

I will be referring to the geese fabric as the “red fabric” (yours will probably be a color or a print) and I will be referring to the background fabric as the “white fabric”.

1. Cut all your paper templates out along the gray seam allowance line.

2. On the BACK (unprinted) side of template A, place a red square (right-side-up) over triangle #1.  The fabric square should completely cover the entire triangle and there will be at least 1/4″ extra on all sides.

(I superimposed the template lines, so you can see the placement.)

3. Next, place a white square (wrong-side-up), so that edge is about 1/4″ over your first stitching line. (It doesn’t matter if you choose to sew the left or the right side first.) Pin through all layers.

4. Turn your template over and sew along your first stitching line.  Make sure you extend your seam about 1/4″ on either end and back-stitch.

5. Trim the seam allowance down to 1/4″.  You can use either scissors or a rotary cutter, but make sure you fold your paper template out of the way!

6. Flip your white square so the right side is out and gently press with a dry iron.

7. Next, place another white square (wrong-side-up) so that the edge is 1/4″ over the 2nd stitching line.   Pin.

8. Flip your template and sew along 2nd stitching line.

9. Trim seam allowance to 1/4″, flip and press.  Look, it’s a flying geese(or is that a goose?).

10. Now, place a red square (wrong side up), so that the edge is about 1/4″ over your next stitching line. Pin.

11. Sew it, trim the seam allowance, press it and continue repeating your steps until you have sewn all the geese.  Repeat for all templates.

Trim the excess fabric off along the seam allowances.

You have completed step one!

Tips:

• If you have never paper-pieced before, I suggest you begin with template D, E or F. They are the largest and least curved.
• Paper-piecing will feel very backwards at first.  I promise that it will get faster, as you get used to it.
• Always make sure your fabric square will entirely cover the area you want it to, once it is flipped over. If you are worried, sew with a basting stitch first, check the fabrics and then sew it again on the small stitch.

On your curviest templates, you will want to make sure you end your stitches in the seam allowance. If you sew too far, you’ll sew right back into the geese.

You can see how I trimmed the seam allowance, so that it doesn’t extend too far.

I hope this is all clear!  Email or comment, if you have any questions.

Next up is Part 2: Reverse Appliqué (which will be the final step in completing the  Spiral Geese Quilt Top).