basic CQ flip and fold tutorial

mark your foundation with a 1/4" seam

 Ok, someone form the nubi side asked if I could do a tut on how I do basic cq flip and fold.

add fabrics around your focal point

this is in response to wanting to know how I did my witchy-poo hats.
I know the piece I'm showing you all "how to" is not a witchy-poo hat but I do them all pretty much the same way, so here it goes!

pin down and sew

start with your muslin base (calico for you oversea's)
you need at least 2" to overhang outside your fabric square
(or whatever shape your sewing) for the hoop, if you use one,
then mark the outside line, this is the line where your fabric stops.
then make a line to mark a 1/4"-1/2" seam allowance.
(which ever is more comfortable for you)

trim your edges

this is the seam you DO NOT under any circumstances put any beading, buttons, metal embellishments, etc.
you can embellish and bead up to this line but no farther.

if you go beyond this line with the hard embellishments, you can't turn the seams or sew through them on sewing machine, without doing damage to yourself, the machine or the cq piece your working on and sometimes all 3!

flip and iron

I have already made this mistake, a few times, no need for you to suffer!

I like to mark these lines with a sharpie as the odds that your going to see them through the fabric are very small, unless your working with a lot of shears, in which case you should have a layer of misty fuse or another comparable stabilizer beneath that for endurance.

do it again!

now that you have marked your foundation its time to sew down the fabrics.
you will want to start somewhere in the middle (not like I did, at an end)
to better work your way around the piece.

start with an off cut focal fabric, fabric picture not a silkie.they are to delicate. I like odd shaped pentagon, the 5 sides give you more diversity in patches.

don't forget to trim your edges

I start with one of the longer edges, so you don't end up with teensy weensy bits. place your next fabric, wrong side up.

pin at at least 2 points and sew down. when using slippery fabric like silk or velvet pin more!

flip the fabric over and iron your seams.
I like to use a little spray starch on
the back for stabilization with slippery or thin fabrics.

ironing each patch is key

you also want to trim any bits that overhang or slop over.
rinse and repeat until your whole block is filled up!

I have used a dark thread so hopefully you can see it in the pics
here is the back of my piece, so  you can see how the seams look this way

finished block all trimmed up with it's corners pinned

(almost no one shows you the back of their work)

when your done filling in the block you want to do 3 things

sew the zig-zag and 1/4" seam allowance from the back

1) make sure all your corners are held down with pins
2) sew around your outside edge with a zig-zag stitch, trim the excess fabric
    (this is why you need to use a sharpie to mark your edges)
3) then sew a 1/4" to 1/2" seam allowance with the longest straight stitch your machine will do.

finished seam work and edging

completed block

     

now the fun stuff begins! time to figure out which way is up and what you want to put on your block!

I hope this is helpful.

for you newbies out there welcome to our the wonderful crazy world!)