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Bryan House Quilts

Feathered Star Quilt Along {Week 5 – Border Units}

quilt along· quilt pattern

11 Jul

Hey guys! Welcome to Week 5 of our Feathered Star Quilt Along. For my USA crew, I hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July! This week we’ll sew the Border Units. For those of you making the alternate layout, you get to skip this step! In this post I’ll share my tips and tricks for making those Border Units.

Before we get too far, I’d like to take a moment to thank last week’s sponsor Cotton Cuts. The winner of the Cotton Cuts Modern Maker Box  is *drumroll please* … Angie @terryabk! Congrats Angie

This week’s prize sponsor is Doohikey Designs. Read below for more details!

How to follow along:

You have a few options to follow along:

  • Sign up for the weekly Quilt Along emails by clicking the RSVP button below.
  • Follow along on Instagram using the hashtag #BHQfeatheredstarQAL.
  • Every week, on Wednesday, I’ll be posting a quilt along blog post on my website.

RSVP HERE

Schedule of Events

First, let’s check out the schedule again…

Week 1 – June 6: Introduction and Planning

Week 2 – June 13: Cutting 

Week 3 – June 20: Piece and Cut Strip Sets

Week 4 – June 27: Piece Blocks

(Mid QAL Break – Happy 4th of July!)

Week 5 – July 11: Piece Border Units (you are here!)

Week 6 – July 18: Assemble Quilt Tops

Week 7 – July 25: Quilting

Week 8 – August 1: Quilt Parade Link Up Party (Linky will close August 27th)

Closing Post – September 6

Piece Border Units

So, last week we made the blocks. You either made 13 blocks for the regular pattern or 9 blocks for the alternative layout. This week we’re piecing the border units. Remember to skip this step if you’re making the alternative layout. I’m going to walk you through my process and show you some real life pictures of my process.

Cutting

You’ll need to cut the corners off of one short side of each rectangle as instructed in the pattern. Here are some pictures of my process. I’m using a chalk pencil to mark the 3 1/4” from each corner.

Sewing

And here’s a few step by step pictures of the sewing part. Notice the purple background dog ears extending out past the back rectangle? I like to use those dog ears to help me line up the triangles. Each triangle should also align with the bottom of the rectangle.

Make sure the press all the seams for the border units to the right. This will help with seam nesting in next week’s step – quilt top assembly. You’ll make 20 of these guys and then…

Then you’ll sew 16 together into pairs to make 8 of these border units shown above.

This week’s sponsor

This week, Doohikey Designs is offering binding baby/flower spindle combo giveaway to one lucky participant. These pretty and functional, sweet little doohickeys are a fun addition to anyone’s sewing studio. I gifted a set to my mother for a Christmas present. It was a really fun gift to give. I’m so pleased to welcome Doohikey Designs as one of our sponsors. Yah!

How to participate

We’re going to be doing most of our interaction on Instagram. To enter, post a pic of your cutting process this week on Instagram with the #bhqFeatheredStarQAL. I’ll choose a winner at random next Tuesday!

Fine print: To be eligible you’ll need a public Instagram account so we can see your entry.

You guys are doing great! But, if you have a question or need help, the quickest way to get an answer from me is to post in my Facebook group “Quilting with Bryan House Quilts“.

Next Week

After this week, we’ve got all of our pieces made! Woo hoo! Next week, we’ll start assembling our quilt tops. Until then!

 

Previous Post: « Happy Fourth of July {One Day Freebie}
Next Post: Feathered Star Quilt Along {Week 6 – Quilt Top Assembly} »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Angie T says

    July 12, 2018 at 12:33 pm

    Yeah! Thank you!! Can’t wait!

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About

Hey there! I’m Rebecca, an author and teacher and freezer paper piecing evangelist. I’m also the founder of the Make Modern Triangles Quilt Club.

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Just so you know, my site includes affiliate links from which I (it’s me! Rebecca!) receive payment or compensation. Something to consider as you peruse my website. Thanks!

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When I first started machine binding, I did it the traditional way. I’d attach the binding to the front, wrap it around to the back, and then stitch in the ditch from the front.

The problem? I couldn’t actually SEE where my stitches were landing on the back. And sometimes the back ended up having a few surprises waiting for me. 😅

Then one day I thought, what if I just do this the other way around?

By attaching the binding to the back FIRST, I can wrap it around to the front and actually see where I’m stitching as I finish it. No more guessing what’s happening underneath!

It’s such a simple switch, but it makes getting a tidy, consistent finish SO much easier.

And when you’ve spent all that time piecing and quilting something beautiful, who doesn’t want the binding to look just as good?!

Give it a try on your next quilt and report back! With our finished quilt tops for the Dutch Summer, members will be binding them soon! Share in the comments how you do your binding! 🩷

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The techniques are similar, both methods focus on precision and ease of assembly, but with Freezer Paper Piecing, you get to reuse your templates without turning them into confetti! 🎉 MAJOR WIN!

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The joy really is in the journey with my Block of the Month programs, where every single month you make one block, sew your whole batch, and, month by month, start to see the design come together with each new block.

And that’s why ANYONE can make this quilt! Yes, even a first-timer! 

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If no one ever showed you this trick, get ready, b If no one ever showed you this trick, get ready, because it might change the way you do it forever! 

 Sew your binding to the BACK of your quilt first. Not the front!

When I first started machine binding, I did it the traditional way. I’d attach the binding to the front, wrap it around to the back, and then stitch in the ditch from the front.

The problem? I couldn’t actually SEE where my stitches were landing on the back. And sometimes the back ended up having a few surprises waiting for me. 😅

Then one day I thought, what if I just do this the other way around?

By attaching the binding to the back FIRST, I can wrap it around to the front and actually see where I’m stitching as I finish it. No more guessing what’s happening underneath!

It’s such a simple switch, but it makes getting a tidy, consistent finish SO much easier.

And when you’ve spent all that time piecing and quilting something beautiful, who doesn’t want the binding to look just as good?!

Give it a try on your next quilt and report back! With our finished quilt tops for the Dutch Summer, members will be binding them soon! Share in the comments how you do your binding! 🩷

#quiltteacher #quiltingtutorial #quiltingtips #modernquilting
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Let’s talk about Freezer Paper Piecing versus traditional Paper Foundation Piecing. 👇

The techniques are similar, both methods focus on precision and ease of assembly, but with Freezer Paper Piecing, you get to reuse your templates without turning them into confetti! 🎉 MAJOR WIN!

All you have to do is trace a few copies onto freezer paper or use printable sheets for your printer. It’s versatile, efficient, and saves you tons and tons of time.

🌟 The key benefits of freezer paper piecing: 🌟

👏 Reuse & Recycle: No more wasteful piles of ripped paper templates.
👏 Easy Removal: Templates peel off effortlessly, leaving your masterpiece intact.
👏 Versatility: From intricate designs to straightforward patterns, freezer paper can be used for any foundation.

WAY MORE TIME TO QUILT! 🙌

In all of my programs, we use the Freezer Paper Piecing method, and anyone can learn this, even first-time quilters! I’ve got a NEW block-of-the-month quilt design coming soon, so follow along if you’re looking for a faster and easier way to paper-piece! ✨

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
Want to make a witchy little Modern Triangle with Want to make a witchy little Modern Triangle with me? 🧙‍♀️🧵

I’m teaching a FREE class, and we’re getting a little spooky with this one! 🤓

I’ll show you my favorite way to make Modern Triangles using my no-waste, no picking method, and then we’re turning our triangle into a WITCH HAT. ✨

And yes, beginners are absolutely welcome!

I’ll walk you through it step by step, show you how these simple little triangles can be arranged into much more complex-looking designs, and we’ll spend some time actually PLAYING with what we make.

PLUS, if you show up live, you’ll get my exclusive Spooky Witch Hat Modern Triangle pattern FREE so you can keep sewing after class. 🎁

Come hang out, learn something new, make a witch hat, and have some fun with me!

Comment WITCHY, and I’ll send you the link to save your free spot! 🧙‍♀️

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
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I’ll go first: I can find quilt inspiration in approximately ANYTHING. I own fabric that is apparently too special to actually use, and “one more seam” has never once meant one more seam.

Your turn. 🤓 Finish the sentence in the comments 👇 

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
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