Have you ever noticed the less square a block is the more energy it takes to wrap you brain around the piecing?!! I have definitely noted that the less square things are, the more my brain is challenged to make them fit correctly.
That is why Diamond quilts can be a challenge. They are beautiful, but it takes a little more effort to get them to the right size and figure out where to put the next piece.
I have designed a few diamond quilts lately and they have given me a new appreciation for making things work. Specifically, I have noticed that the sashing can be puzzling.
There are three ways to deal with diamond sashing, depending upon your level of daring.
- The first is the easiest to execute, but the most daring – ditch the sash!!! Just avoid the aggravation and make a slightly smaller quilt. Ok – you all thought it, I just said it.
- The second is to simplify the sashing. Take longer than required strips, sew one to the top of each block and trim to size. Of course, the bottom block will need two strips – top and bottom. Sew the blocks with the attached sash strips together to make “rows”. Then, make really long strips like you would for a border to make your “sash row”. Use this between block rows as your sash and trim to size. This eliminates the “cornerstones” and trying to get the right sized sash pieces. It will change the look a little, but keep the right size.
- The last option is to make the quilt as designed with cornerstones. This requires some special attention to the orientation of the sash pieces. They are NOT all alike. So be careful when cutting!! There are two mirror image sets. The easiest way to make the cuts is to place your fabric right sides together. Then, use a template to cut the pieces. By placing them right sides together, you make the mirror images. If you forget. Don’t panic. Stop and figure out how many sash strips you need of each orientation. You can always flip the template over to make mirror images.
Ok – that was a lot of words and most of us are visual learners. So, I put together a little video to explain the third option!
Diamonds can be devilish to assemble but are so beautiful! Be daring and trust yourself. You have this!
Happy Quilting!
