Stitch-and-flip units are a great way to get angles in your sewing projects without needing to cut triangles. But with all the stitching, trimming seam allowances, and pressing, these units can take a lot of time to make. Here's a fun trick to trimming them more quickly, so you can move on to the next step of your pattern!
For those who don't know, stitch-and-flip (also sometimes abbreviated to SNF) is a technique where you place a fabric piece right sides together on another, sew on a diagonal marked line, trim the seam allowance to 1/4", and then press the just-added piece open. Flying Geese and Square-in-a-Square are common types of stitch-and-flip units.
Trimming Trick
1. After sewing on the marked lines of all your stitch-and-flip units, line them up on your cutting mat. Align all the sewn lines with one line of your cutting mat, oversetting them slightly to avoid bulk.
2. Align the 1/4" line of your acrylic ruler with the sewn lines of the units. Make sure not to shift any of your pieces in the process.
3. Use your rotary cutter to cut along your ruler, trimming a 1/4" seam allowance on all your stitch-and-flip pieces.
4. If needed (such as these Square-in-a-Square units in the pictures), you can flip the units around and trim along the other side in the same way.
5. Once trimmed, take the pieces over to your ironing board to press. Repeat the process as many times as needed!
If you want to practice your stitch-and-flip units, try our Block Swap: Fall patterns, which use this technique in the blocks and the setting!
Thanks for joining us for "happy hour",
Lindsay and Elizabeth
Comments