Category Archives: Patchwork Projects

Time to update what’s happening with the ‘Salamander’ Patchwork of the Crosses runner. Now that the three hand pieced blocks are finished, it’s time to turn the edges ready for hand appliqué to the background. All seams are ironed into a rotating ‘whirligig’ pattern, beginning from the centre of the block. This helps avoid a ‘hill’ of fabric at the ‘Y’ join, so the block lays flat.

Salamander seams

The tools I use for this turned edge technique include a timber board covered with an old tea towel; ‘Mary Ellen’s Best Press’; the ‘Appliquick’ tools, and a Clover mini-iron.

Tools for the turned edge technique.

The edges of the block are sprayed a few at a time, and using fingers and the Appliquick, the edges are folded back on the seam allowance line, and ironed to a crisp crease.

Spray, turn, iron.

Turned edges.

Using a domestic iron, a final press dries all the spray and firms the turned edge ready for stitching down.

Final iron with domestic iron.

However, there are occaisional ‘rabbit ears’ two or three threads in thickness that will stick out past the edge of the seam allowance on some corners, depending on how it was folded.

Mini ‘rabbit ears’ sticking out.

When appliquéing the block to the background, that little ‘ear’ is tucked back in at a 45 degree angle using the sewing needle, as the block is stitched down.

Tucked ears ready to appliqué.

Drop by later for another ‘Salamander’ post about the next step – appliqué.