Just another word on pinning: I have seen people pin the image below but without a link to the tutorial which led to other people repinning and even blogging about it but wondering how they can construct the quilt. So, to be fair to everyone, if you pin, then please include a link, either to this site or the original. Please be fair, not just for me but also for your fellow quilters. Thank you!
Also, if you don't know the original source, you can always do a google image search :)
Sweet Divinity Diamond Quilt
Hi everyone,Let’s get started right away with a nice and easy diamond baby quilt!
This one measures 33x39 inches / 80x96cm and is perfect for that little cuddly baby you want to keep warm - but you can also just make it bigger by adding more diamonds to the sides if you prefer.
And don’t be afraid of those diamonds, I show you that you absolutely have nothing to fear, we just have to use a bit more pins then we usually do :)
Supplies:
*Some large scraps of your choice – I used 12” squares from all 21 prints of Sweet Divinity
*White fabric for the sashing – ¾ yard
*Fabric of your choice for backing – 1 yard (or 1 ¼ yard if you plan on using a directional print) and binding – ½ yard
*Template for the diamonds
*Pins
*Rotary cutter, cutting mat, and ruler
*Iron
*Your sewing machine
*A bit of time
Steps:
1. Prepare your fabrics and press nicely.
2. Create the template for your diamonds: First draw a cross on a sheet of paper. Measure 4 ¾ inches across and 7¾ inches upright and mark the axes of your cross there.
Now, you have to connect those marks to each other and add your seam allowances and you get this:
And if you want your template to be bigger you just add some inches to either side of the cross...
Also, if you don't like constructing your own template, just print out the image up there and either enlarge or shrink it to the size you want.
3. Lay the template on your fabric. If you have enough fabric chose nice areas of the prints like those big flowers of Sweet Divinity. My diamonds are cut on the bias because I wanted to represent the prints as accurately as possible. If you use fabric without directions in their prints then chose to cut your diamonds with the edges on the grain (you can also chain piece them that way!). It will be much easier to piece.
4. Cut out your fabric and make sure that all your seam allowances are correct. I used 35 entire diamonds and 12 half diamonds that were cut horizontally (for the north and south ends of the quilt) and 7 half diamonds that were cut vertically (for the east and west ends of the quilt) . If you have a lot of fabric you can just cut 44 entire diamonds and cut 6 of them in half horizontally and 4 of them in half vertically.
5. Cut your white fabric into sashing strips. Mine are 1” wide. If you use a seam allowance of ¼ “ then your sashing strip should be cut 1 ½ “ wide.
6. Lay out your diamonds and arrange them in an order that you like.
7. Take a picture with your camera so that you won’t forget your order or label little pieces of paper and stick one to each diamond.
8. Take one of your sashing strips and begin to chain piece your diamonds to it. Please make sure that your diamonds don’t shift or lose their shape by either feeding then into your sewing machine with the sashing strips on top or pinning the diamonds to the sashing strips.
9. Remember to leave enough space at the end of each strip because we will make a diagonal cut after each diamond. Repeat until you have either all left or all right, bottom or up sides of the diamonds pieced to sashing strips. If a half diamond doesn’t have that specific side because it is sitting at one of the ends of the quilt just leave it.
10. Take the strips and press the seams to one side. Repeat until all strips and their diamonds are pressed.
11. Now align your ruler to the edge of the diamonds and cut along the diamonds and the attached sashing. You should now have 35 diamonds, 5 horizontally cut in half diamonds, and 4 vertically cut in half diamonds with sashing attached to one side.
12. Lay them out in the order you wanted. You will now have rows that have sashing between them and rows that don’t.
13. Now attach the diamonds that have sashing between them to each other. This step is a little tricky because it involves matching diagonally cut seams but don’t worry, with a bit of precision this is really nothing scary.
14. Take two diamonds that lay next to each other. You can draw a little line with a disappearing marker on the sashing at the exact spot where your seams will meet at one edge. Alternatively, you can stick a pin there or cut a tiny mark with your scissors. Now match that spot to the seam allowance of the diamond next in line. Pin along the sashing using a lot of pins because the diamonds are cut on the bias and are more likely to shift.
15. Sew and press your seams to one side.
16. Take another sashing strip and pin it to one of the long sides of the rows you just created. If a sashing strip is not long enough, piece two together. It is important here that you pin a lot. If you cut your diamonds on the bias your rows will want to shift and pinning will prevent this. I usually try to avoid pins whenever possible but it is vital to use them here or you will have to undo your seams because your quilt top will be too wonky to be quilted.
17. Sew and press your seams to one side.
18. Now comes the most difficult step! We now have many rows and each of them has a sashing strip running down one side. They now need to be connected to each other. Take two of your rows (that lay next to each other) and a ruler.
Align the ruler with the seam of each diamond that runs crosswise to the sashing you have just sewn on. Mark or pin the spot where the ruler and the outer edge of that sashing meet. Let your pin stick out a bit over your fabric edge. You should have at least one mark for each diamond.
19. Now we match those marks on the sashing of one row to the seams of the diamonds on the next row, pin like crazy (important!) and sew them together.
20. Repeat with all rows and press your seams to one side. You should now have a wonderful quilt top that you can back, baste, and quilt.
21. If you are like me you would have to learn how to free motion quilt first, but I am sure that straight line quilting would also look fabulous on this one!
22. Enjoy!
And thanks for stopping by!
I made this tutorial, so please don't reproduce, sell or distribute it without my permission. Feel free to pin or share the link with others but please be fair. And please, do share pictures of your quilts made with this tutorial! I would love to see them!
Johanna
