How do I cut a pieced checkerboard into diagonals?

[spenyc 0]

Or maybe it's just "lost" to me? Hopefully! Because I would really like to have directions to do this.

 

Background: I just went through over a decade of quiltings mags before contributing them to the local quilt guild (Empire Quilters), and that's when I discovered a technique noted, but not explained, in the June 2001 issue of McCall's Quilting. A group called the Scrap-Patch Network posted a picture of a fairly simple quilt they called "Simply Squares" consisting mostly of maybe 6" x 6" square blocks set on point, e.g., in diagonal rows. 

 

Ordinarily that would mean added setting triangles at the edges, but in fact the quilt had been created by sewing straight rows and columns and then cutting it apart "in two different directions" and sewing the pieces back together to create the effect of a diagonal setting.

 

I've spent quite a bit of time with graph paper trying to figure it out but have come to the conclusion I may never get it by trial and error! I did search for the "Scrap-Patch Network" with no luck.

 

Does anybody know how to do this? If so, I'd be very grateful any info you can share!

 

Thanks so much,

Suzie in NYC

 

 

[dancing bear 87]

There is (was?) a pattern called Chock Full O'Charms (Straight to the Point Series) published by Make It Easy, A Quiltwoman.com Company.  This quilt takes 5" charms sewn together and then the top is cut on a diagonal and resewn together.  

 

http://www.quiltwoman.com/Chock-Full-O-Charms-Quilt-Pattern.aspx

 

Hope this is what you are looking for.

 

 

Sylvia

[spenyc 0]

Holy cow, Sylvia, that was fast! And it is exactly what I was looking for.

 

Thank you very much. It will be a while before I even start this quilt, but when I do I will post the resulting top.

 

Cheers,

Suzie

[mestuart 7]

Lol,  its also in a book called Scrap Quilts using Fast Patch, by Anita Hallock  (contemporary quilting)1991

[bonbon 50]

Looking at the demo it appears after cutting then moving those pieces around, the bias will be on the outside edge. You will need to be extra careful with border application. Probably why they call for straight edge borders. Just a heads up.

[ffq-lar 3,614]

Such a great technique! And so nice that Sylvia posted to the pattern in a flash!

 

I'll add to Bonnie's warning about bias edges and point out that the resulting outside edges after cutting and sewing back together have no extra quarter-inch seam allowance. So all the outside points will be cut off by a quarter inch after borders or binding is applied. Not the end of the world for sure. I think that's why the sample they used had alternate plain gray blocks which are cut through to perform the magic. Then a same-fabric spacer border is added and it looks great that way. People are so brilliant!

[spenyc 0]

Mestuart, Bonnie and Linda,

 

Thanks for your responses, all of which I appreciate and hope to use.

 

This is a great community! I plan to make it my new first stop for quilting info.

 

I haven't sewn or quilted for several years now (mostly due to extreme lack of space NYC studio apartment), but I have a wonderful fabric collection, and I figure I can at least do some very simple tops to use them up before they go hopelessly out of style.

 

(And no matter how gorgeous prints and colors are, most of them will age to the eye. You can see that if you look at the brown and orange quilts of the '70s!)

 

Ciao for now, and thanks again,

 

Suzie

[Sharon Deming 144]

In case someone is still following this thread - I have a pattern on Craftsy called "Little Charmer" that uses this technique, assuming it is what is described. I could only make the technique work for a baby / table topper size (which uses 1 charm pack), and a lap size using 2 charm packs. When I tried to make it larger, the shape was either too narrow and too long, or just too huge to be useful.