chickenscratch Posted November 9, 2014 Report Share Posted November 9, 2014 Is there a way to do a diamond border using a ruler and tiny marks, rather than using a diamond stencil to mark the entire border? I have a huge quilt to do and it needs a diamond inner border. I have a stencil, but I'd rather not spend hours with a purple marker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busy Quilting Posted November 9, 2014 Report Share Posted November 9, 2014 Measure border, Divide the border evenly with chalk marks from top to bottom, remembering if outside border to leave room for binding, Then stitch zigzag fashion through to one end up the ditch and back again. I think a visual would be easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted November 9, 2014 Report Share Posted November 9, 2014 I use Lyn's method too. Measure the border. Decide on how many diamonds you want and divide the border measurement by the number of diamonds. For example, border is 63 inches long and you think 11 diamonds would look good. 63" divided by 11 is 5.73". Remember that the first mark will be where the end of the diamond goes, not the peak, so find the center between your first two marks on the same seam, and that's where the line will touch the seams. Then measure your distance from that new mark all along to place the marks for the peaks of the diamonds. As you stitch, you'll start in the center and stitch out to the seam, then to the opposite seam all along the border. You'll be at a seam and the final stitching line will take you back to the center where you want to end the diamond. Then you can stitch back to form the diamonds. Don't be like me--draft or mark where you want your diamonds to start---meaning do you want the diamond points to touch in the center of the border when you turn the corner? If so- you must measure the border from the "kissing point" and not the seam. It's easy math and a bit of thinking for the marking, but you only need tick marks on the seams. And a stencil will never fit evenly--at least not in my studio! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenscratch Posted November 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2014 Thanks. I piano keyed the outer border and SID down the edge of the inner border, then started on the CC's in the tumbling blocks. I will go back and do the diamond border. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted November 9, 2014 Report Share Posted November 9, 2014 If you piano-keyed the outer border, you may be able to use the spacing as your marks for the diamonds. Count the piano keys and see if they can be divided by something to give a whole number. If you have 80 piano keys, your diamonds can be 8 piano keys long. If you have 112, the diamonds can be 7 piano keys long. If you have 153, the diamonds can be 9 piano keys long. It would depend on how close your keys are and how wide the border is as to whether the spacing for the diamonds would look balanced. Just a thought... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg Posted November 10, 2014 Report Share Posted November 10, 2014 I'm sorry...but.. Damn, Linda, you're so smart. I never woulda thought of that til after I was done. Why aren't you teaching at shows? You have SO much to offer. Please excuse the D word... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted November 10, 2014 Report Share Posted November 10, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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