iQ Project #1. Part 5. Placing the Border and Sashing Patterns.

Simple Custom Quilting.   iQ Project #1. 2017

5. Placing the Border and Sashing Patterns.

In this installment, the quilt map and plan is completed. This is the last time we will be working in demo mode.

I am not writing every single step because by now I think you should be able to know when to touch finished or continue. However, if you get lost, watch the video again, and if necessary, write down all the steps I take.

There is one place in the video where I could have done things differently so watch the video, then read these instructions to decide what you will do.

This is the link for watching the video on Youtube.

Starting at the main menu, retrieve your saved quilt map with the block patterns in place. (Hint: edit/sew existing)

Add pattern > block pattern > select the top border block.

Path pattern will be used to place the border pattern. Path pattern is a fast way to put a border pattern in place because it automatically combines all the repeats and they can be customized as a group to fit the border pleasingly.

First we need to place the pattern that will be the path that the pattern we want to sew will follow.

Select line in the geometric catalog.

Move the start end so that it snaps to the center reference point of the border block.

Stretch > anchor the S > touch the end point and move it until it snaps to the center reference point of the left hand end of the border block.

Finished > add pattern > path pattern > touch the line (the path)

Select Simply Feathered e2e from the project pattern catalog.

Note that iQ always puts in 20 repeats as the first choice. That’s too many for this project.

Reduce the number of repeats to 4.

Flip Y.

Notice how the pattern is placed too high up in the border. That’s because the start and end point of a pattern is always placed on the path. There are a few ways to move the pattern into the correct position but in the video I use modify path. This moves the path, but I cannot see the path pattern so it’s a bit of guess work as to how far I need to move the path. I tap, tap, tap the down arrow until I think it looks about right.

Alternatively, I could have selected Offset on the path pattern screen and moved the feather pattern down into position.

(Note: try both methods to see which one you prefer. If you see the pattern distorting at the start end when using offset, turn warp off. With warp on, iQ is trying to make the start and end point stay on the path.)

Pay attention to the end of the feather at the border cornerstone – it should not cross that diagonal line.

Finished > add/edit pattern > delete pattern, and touch the line to delete it.

Modify pattern, and touch the feather border pattern.

Use the grid, set to a quarter inch, to fine tune the position of the feather pattern. Zoom in and pan to see how it appears at the cornerstone end of the border.

Move the pattern until its position is pleasing to you. Make sure the start point is at the center of the border block and the end feather doesn’t cross the diagonal line in the cornerstone.

When you are happy with the pattern’s placement, touch finished.

Copy pattern. Select the feather border pattern.

Flip X. Move the copy so that the two start points snap together.

(Note: we will be stitching the border patterns from the center out to minimize fabric draw up.)

Copy pattern > touch both border patterns.

Rotate 90º and move them into position in the side border. Zoom in and pan around to check the position.

When you are happy, touch finished > copy pattern > select all 4 border patterns.

Rotate and move them into position.

Zoom in to check the corners and use the grid to check their distance from the inner edge of the border.

After placing all four border patterns, touch finished.

Add pattern > block pattern > select block and touch the top left sashing block.

Choose lob cont.

Use move and stretch to position it at the left hand end of the sashing block.

Finished > repeat pattern > touch lob cont.

X repeats > tap the plus sign until the top sashing is filled. Zoom in to check the intersection between the repeats. There should not be a gap or an overlap. (Note: if you see either, touch X distance while you are zoomed in, and alter it until the repeats match perfectly. iQ alters every repeat so you only need to stay zoomed in to one intersection. There’s no need to check the others.)

Y repeats > tap the plus sign until you have 4 rows.

Y distance > 12” > finished.

Add pattern > block pattern > select block > then get lob pattern again.

Move it and rotate it into position.

But wait – what could I have done differently at this point?

Think about the other choices I had on the add/edit pattern screen.

Yes, I could have selected copy pattern and simply copied one lob from the top sashing and rotated and moved it into place, then used repeat pattern as I did in the video.

I also could have copied the whole row, rotated it and repeated that row.

Or I could have copied all the lob patterns and rotated them all then moved them into position.

You can see that there are several different ways to get the end result you want. No one method is right or wrong, it’s simply what works best for you and, sometimes, which method is fastest, or which one you think of at the time. It was only after finishing the video that I realized I could have used any of these other methods.

If you want to try out each method, follow what I do on the video, then delete all the lob patterns and try another method.

The final step is to place the double heart pattern in each corner of the border.

Copy the double heart and move it into position, altering its scale to fit the space. The diagonal line and the grid will help position the pattern to your liking.

When you like it, copy, rotate and place the copy in the second corner. Use the grid and snap grid to position it.

Finally copy both the hearts, flip Y and move them into position.

Save the quilt with a new name. This allows you to keep a copy of the quilt with only the block patterns so you can audition other border and sashing designs.

We will start stitching in the next installment so if you want to sew along with me, you need to have the quilt top ready. It might be a good idea to mount the quilt sandwich and completely baste the three layers together so that you can take the project off your machine between installments. Ofcourse, you could also wait until the end to do the stitching.