Lesson Learned, after the Fact - Piping and Miters

Here's the entire top, finished.

...and here are photos of 2 of the problem corners, where I needed patience getting a nice inner corner.  I learned my lesson.  Next time I will add the piping to the quilt TOP and criss-cross the corners, possibly pulling out a bit of the cording.  But I was stubborn and didn't know, and sewed the Piping to the border strip.  Since those stripes really HAD to be mitered. I caused myself complications with the piping.  

Despite the problems, they turned out not-too-badly!  The piping kinda turned into itself -- I'm not re-doing it. 

Now I know better.  Thanks to all you helpers out there, who remembered their garment sewing days.   



Uh oh - mess up on the inside corner

This is my Tree Skirt, and I'm planning on adding HSTs around the entire perimeter - they are already made. I figured that inside corner would sew up to a nice 45 degree angle to possibly hand stitch together. I carefully sewed to the stopping point - you know, stop at 1/4 short of the seam end.


A little messy, but "it will be OK." I sewed the HST's (not shown on the above top) to the triangular log cabin units on the side.

But look what happens!
They don't match up at all! What the heck????

OK, some of you are laughing because YOU know why, but I learn best by doing, even if doing is wrong! lol

I sure was surprised and even put out some calls for HELP!!!

After thinking for 2 hours I realize that the diagonal measurement (see the triangle) is longer than the leg of the triangle! I hope the photos describe better than what I'm trying to say. If you make this kind of inside corner, with HSTs, you cannot have a continuous line of HSTs because now, they measure a different width since they are on an angle.

My solution is to remove the HSTs from the triangular log cabin blocks, then border them with plain strips, at 1 3/8 raw. The HSTs are 2 inches raw. IMHO - (that mean don't bet money on me!) This is because a strip that is 1 3/8 inch on the diagonal, measures a bit shy of 2 inches from edge to edge - the size of my HST. (Remember how you figure a block size on the diagonal - measure block size x 1.414)

Next time, I'll draw it out. I jes' LOVE learning experiences? 8-))