Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

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Sewing with Stripes

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Do you avoid sewing with stripes?  If so, I want to encourage you to give it a try.  Many of us avoid using stripes because the direction of the stripe ends up not going in the same direction within a block.  For me there is nothing more annoying than having stripes going every which way, to my slightly OCD persona at any rate.  Some folks love the wonky look having directional fabrics going off in all directions.  It just isn't for me.

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I love using stripes and directional fabrics in my blocks, but only if they all go in the same direction.  The green block above will not work for me.

The way to get your stripes straight is super simple.  It is all in the cutting.  This is what I am doing for my square in a square blocks.

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Cut your squares.  You will need to cut these squares on the diagonal to end up with four triangles to make the block.

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Cut the diagonal lines in opposite directions,  When you construct your blocks this is what you will end up with:

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If you cut your squares in the same direction, which we are used to doing with non directional fabric, this is what you get:

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I know which one I prefer!

51 responses to “Sewing with Stripes”

  7. I’m right there with you on this one! Tanks for the excellent visual!
    Hugs 🙂

  8. I’m right there with you on this one! Tanks for the excellent visual!
    Hugs 🙂

  9. I’m right there with you on this one! Tanks for the excellent visual!
    Hugs 🙂

  10. Sounds mathematic somehow and I never would have “gotten it” on my own. Thanks Nicole.

  11. Sounds mathematic somehow and I never would have “gotten it” on my own. Thanks Nicole.

  12. Sounds mathematic somehow and I never would have “gotten it” on my own. Thanks Nicole.

  13. Great tip! I don’t really happen to mind different directions, mostly, when the stripe is narrow. But with a wider stripe it looks bad!

  14. Great tip! I don’t really happen to mind different directions, mostly, when the stripe is narrow. But with a wider stripe it looks bad!

  15. Great tip! I don’t really happen to mind different directions, mostly, when the stripe is narrow. But with a wider stripe it looks bad!

  16. Great tip. Of course, now I need to remember it at the right time, but maybe I can find an excuse to try it out soon. Thanks for the images to make it clear.

  17. Great tip. Of course, now I need to remember it at the right time, but maybe I can find an excuse to try it out soon. Thanks for the images to make it clear.

  18. Great tip. Of course, now I need to remember it at the right time, but maybe I can find an excuse to try it out soon. Thanks for the images to make it clear.

  19. Thanks for that tip! Your photos make it easy to visualize. I tend to avoid strips in blocks too.

  20. Thanks for that tip! Your photos make it easy to visualize. I tend to avoid strips in blocks too.

  21. Thanks for that tip! Your photos make it easy to visualize. I tend to avoid strips in blocks too.

  22. On behalf of quilters everywhere with ‘slightly OCD personas’, thank you for the perfect visual solution to directional stripes! Genius blog post…but your regular readers already know that!! Thanks!

  23. On behalf of quilters everywhere with ‘slightly OCD personas’, thank you for the perfect visual solution to directional stripes! Genius blog post…but your regular readers already know that!! Thanks!

  24. On behalf of quilters everywhere with ‘slightly OCD personas’, thank you for the perfect visual solution to directional stripes! Genius blog post…but your regular readers already know that!! Thanks!

  28. I’m the same I always have to make sure a print goes in the same direction.When I cute my squre I stack them one with the stripes going up and down the other from left to right and then cut once. It’s the same result as yours but you can cut two squares at once.

  29. I’m the same I always have to make sure a print goes in the same direction.When I cute my squre I stack them one with the stripes going up and down the other from left to right and then cut once. It’s the same result as yours but you can cut two squares at once.

  30. I’m the same I always have to make sure a print goes in the same direction.When I cute my squre I stack them one with the stripes going up and down the other from left to right and then cut once. It’s the same result as yours but you can cut two squares at once.

  31. Well good grief! I was going to say to cut 2 block sets, but your tip is exactly what should be done! How simple. Great tip. What a nice way to start the day. Thanks for sharing.

  32. Well good grief! I was going to say to cut 2 block sets, but your tip is exactly what should be done! How simple. Great tip. What a nice way to start the day. Thanks for sharing.

  33. Well good grief! I was going to say to cut 2 block sets, but your tip is exactly what should be done! How simple. Great tip. What a nice way to start the day. Thanks for sharing.

  34. I have ‘pinned’ this for future reference – great tip! I’ve ordered my ruler for this quilt block and can’t wait to try it out. I always get the best tips from you. Hope you and your family are safe from the wild fires.

  35. I have ‘pinned’ this for future reference – great tip! I’ve ordered my ruler for this quilt block and can’t wait to try it out. I always get the best tips from you. Hope you and your family are safe from the wild fires.

  36. I have ‘pinned’ this for future reference – great tip! I’ve ordered my ruler for this quilt block and can’t wait to try it out. I always get the best tips from you. Hope you and your family are safe from the wild fires.

  43. Great tip especially that you included images! My squares will become so much more interesting now because I’m one of those people that did not like stripes going helter skelter in my blocks so I rather avoided using that type fabric. Thank you so much!

  44. Great tip especially that you included images! My squares will become so much more interesting now because I’m one of those people that did not like stripes going helter skelter in my blocks so I rather avoided using that type fabric. Thank you so much!

  45. Great tip especially that you included images! My squares will become so much more interesting now because I’m one of those people that did not like stripes going helter skelter in my blocks so I rather avoided using that type fabric. Thank you so much!

  46. I don’t mind the wonky look but I never took the time to figure out how to avoid it. Thanks for the great and simple tip!

  47. I don’t mind the wonky look but I never took the time to figure out how to avoid it. Thanks for the great and simple tip!

  48. I don’t mind the wonky look but I never took the time to figure out how to avoid it. Thanks for the great and simple tip!

  49. That is very cool! I did not know that. I like including stripes and I don’t mind a wonky look…in some quilts. In others it just doesn’t work at all.

  50. That is very cool! I did not know that. I like including stripes and I don’t mind a wonky look…in some quilts. In others it just doesn’t work at all.

  51. That is very cool! I did not know that. I like including stripes and I don’t mind a wonky look…in some quilts. In others it just doesn’t work at all.