Today we are going to make Shaded Four Patch units for the pieced borders on Union Station.
The Shaded Four Patch Technique Sheet will be your friend during the construction of these units. From the 21 different sizes that you can make using the technique sheet we'll be focusing on the 4” finished size today. Once you try making these though, you’ll want to make them again and again, in all the different sizes. They’re that much fun! Best of all, there are also a couple of free project layouts available on the "Free Downloads" section of the Studio 180 Design site. Don't forget if you need some extra help Deb's video on constructing Shaded Four Patch units is available here.
For our Union Station project, the attached download provides cutting instructions for the 56 Shaded Four Patch units needed for the border.
As you work through the piecing process, you might find that in Step 1 when pressing your strip sets, you might find them bowing a little. Fortunately, there's a super easy way to fix that. On your ironing board cover, draw a straight line using a straight edge and a permanent marker (Sharpies are my marker of choice). When pressing, simply align the edge of your strip with the drawn line and press your strip set straight.
When sub-cutting the strip set in Step 1, remember to cut it the same width as your narrow strip – 2¾”.
Making the snip in Step 4 can be a bit scary because you worry about clipping through the stitching, but you don’t want to go too far. It’s ok if you snip through the stitching a thread or two since it will end up getting cut away during construction.
To draw the 45° line through the seam intersection in Step 5, you can use a regular ruler or the Tucker Trimmer®. Either will work.
Stitching on the line is a hiccup, but before you cut your two units apart on the diagonal, I recommend that you spray the pieced rectangle with sizing and set the seams. It will help to reduce the possibility of the bias edge stretching when you iron the triangle back. If that happens the Tucker Trimmer® will not line up properly.
Now that you have all of your Shaded Four Patch units made and trimmed it is time to sew them together into the border strips. Use the layout to make sure that you have the 14 units laid out properly for each border section. Each border is different so I recommend that you sew the units’ together one border strip at a time. This is a bit time consuming but it will help prevent you from twisting one of the units the wrong way.
The seams on this can get a bit cumbersome in some places, so you can press them open, or follow the path of least resistance. Whichever works best for you.
I hope that you enjoy making the borders for you Union Station quilt. We can’t wait to see how your final quilt comes out.
Don't forget to check in with each participant this week. They will have the download and tips for each block. Make sure you visit them to get all the instructions needed to make your version of Union Station.
