Creative articles about quilting

BERNINA Triangle QAL – Block 9

For Block 9 of the BERNINA Triangle Quilt Along, we are going to start with a new technique – the raw edge appliqué technique. This means that we will be leaving behind the paper piecing technique in Block 8 (did I just hear some of you let out a sigh of relief?).

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I know that you have a very different question on your mind, namely who won the fancy Triangle Quilt Along sewing box. I can’t solve this mystery today, since the deadline for entry is the end of the day today. Once the deadline has passed, I – or rather a neutral party from BERNINA – will pick the winner at random and let you know as soon as possible.

So let’s jump right into the new technique with

Triangle no. 9 from the Triangle Quilt Along

First, print out the attached paper pattern.

Download Block 9

Cut out a standard-size triangle, a small piece of contrasting material (approx. 2″ x 2″) and a piece of Vliesofix of the same size (Vliesofix is a double-sided adhesive interfacing ideal for fusing together different materials, such as for appliqués. You could also use Heat and Bond or Mistyfuse).

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Basic technique for raw edge appliqué

“Raw edge” literally means rough or unfinished edges.  This means that the piece being applied does not have seam allowances turned inwards to obtain a clean edge. The edges in the raw edge technique could theoretically fray somewhat and look a bit untidy. This can be counteracted by using Vliesofix and an overcasting stitch.

But why use raw edge appliqué?
First of all, it’s much quicker than the classic needle turn appliqué that is hand-stitched.
In our block with the small star and its sharp points, it also has the added advantage that the points of the star are not formed using knobbly seam allowances that have to be fitted in somewhere behind, but instead are nice and flat. That’s why this technique is ideal for our Block no. 9 of the Triangle Quilt Along.

Step 1

First, trace the appliqué pattern onto the iron-on film. Vliesofix has a rough surface (the side with the adhesive dots) and a smooth surface (the side with the backing paper). It is much easier to draw on the side with the backing paper than on the side with the rough surface. The pattern then has to be drawn as a mirror-image of itself on the smooth backing paper side. In the case of our symmetrical star, this is not an issue and can be ignored.

After the pattern has been transferred by tracing, cut it out roughly (not precisely on the drawn lines but a little bigger than the shape itself).

Step 2

Now, iron the rough side of the Vliesofix onto the wrong side of the material you selected for the appliqué. The shape is then cut out from the material precisely along the drawn line.

The backing paper can now be removed from the appliqué shape, and I have a simple trick that will help you out: draw across the backing paper with a pin to create a crack or tear in the film. This gives you a good place to start when removing the rest of the film.

Alternatively:

My intern, Ly, took a slightly different route; she first ironed the rough side of the Vliesofix piece onto the back of the material for the appliqué pattern.

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Then she cut out the star from the paper pattern, placed it onto the Vliesofix sheet, and drew around the outline.

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Then she cut out the star precisely

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and removed the backing paper.

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Step 3

Now we have to decide where to position the appliqué shape on the substrate. In our example, it’s the middle of the triangle, which you can simply eyeball.  For more complex quilt blocks and patterns, a light table can be used to trace onto the background material where the pattern is to be placed.
Place the pattern at this point and iron it on.


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After the pattern has been ironed on, sew it on using an overcasting stitch on the sewing machine.

You can choose a transparent thread or one with a coordinated color for this, whichever you prefer. If you use the transparent thread, the overcasting stitch cannot be seen and the shape of the applied pattern will be in the foreground, similar to how it would look using the classic needle turn appliqué technique. Using a colored thread highlights the embroidery stitches along the edge and has more of a folk art look.

Depending on which options your sewing machine offers, you can overcast the edges using a zigzag stitch (for example with a stitch width of 5 and a stitch length of 1.5) or a buttonhole stitch. My preferred stitch, which can be seen on the example block, is the buttonhole stitch.

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You can find it on BERNINA sewing machines here

BERNINA 440 –> 45
BERNINA 550 –> 1329
BERNINA 770 –> 1329

These are the basic steps for the raw edge appliqué technique that we will be using twice more during the Triangle Quilt Along.
We need 2 of these triangles.

I’m looking forward to seeing your star blocks in the community or on Instagram.


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Previous entries regarding the BERNINA Triangle Quilt-Along

Introduction and materials

Block 1

Block 2

Block 3

Block 4

Block 5

Block 6

Block 7

Block 8

Difficulty level: Beginner
Time to Complete: Evening
Used Material: 1/4 Inch pressure foot, 60° ruler, cutting mat, Inch ruler, patchwork fabric, quilt textile, roll cutter, sewing machine, sewing thread
Used Products:
BERNINA 770 QE
BERNINA 770 QE
Patchwork Foot #97
Patchwork Foot #97

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