When sewing a quilt, your pattern instructions may direct you to mark a diagonal line on the wrong side of a fabric piece as a guide for sewing a diagonal seam. This is often found in patterns that use stitch and flip units, Flying Geese units, and half-square triangles.
There are a variety of ways to mark and sew diagonal seams, and I wanted to share some of my favorites. I encourage you to try them out to find the technique that works best for you! Plus, watch the video below to see these methods in action!
Pencil
The traditional method (and the one I was taught when I first started quilting) is to mark a diagonal line using a pencil. This method is an easy one to start with, because it's using a tool you most likely have on hand and already know how to use. Although, depending on the thickness of the pencil line, it can cause some inaccuracies in sewing. (I'd suggest using a mechanical pencil or a sharpened pencil for a thin line for your stitching to follow.) Sometimes pencils can also catch or drag along the fabric, which can cause distortion. And, of course, a pencil leaves a permanent mark on the wrong side of your fabric, which may be problematic with lighter fabrics.
Pros: Readily available and easy to use.
Cons: Leaves permanent marks, may distort fabric, and can result in sewing inaccuracies if the pencil isn't sharp.
Hera Marker
A Hera marker is a small plastic tool from Clover. One end of the tool has a rounded thin edge that creates creases in your fabric when pressed down. It's used similar to a rotary cutter. You hold the tool in your hand and run it along your fabric to create marks. (I also use this tool to mark lines on my quilts for machine quilting.) A bonus of a hera marker is that the creased lines completely disappear with a quick press of your iron or after you wash your quilt. Depending on how dark or patterned your fabric is, though, the hera marker's creases can be hard to see.
Pros: Easy to use and makes removable lines.
Cons: Marks can be hard to see on some fabrics.
Buy at Fat Quarter Shop or Amazon.
Finger Pressing
Skip marking with tools altogether and use your own hands to mark diagonal lines. Fold your square in half with opposite corners touching and then use your fingers to press the center fold. You'll give your fabric a nice creased line to stitch on top of. I find myself using this method more and more -- because I can do it while sitting at my machine without any other tools. This works nicely for smaller squares you need to mark because they fit easily in your hand, but larger pieces can become harder to manage.
Pros: No tools required and you can do it while sitting at your sewing machine.
Cons: Harder to do on larger pieces of fabric and marks can be hard to see on some fabrics.
Want to Skip Marking And Go Straight to Sewing?
If you don't want to waste time marking your pieces, here are two bonus methods for achieving your diagonal seams!
Use Seam Tape
If you need to sew corner to corner or a 1/4" away from the center diagonal line, seam tape is a lifesaver! You position this temporary tape to your machine with the center red line aligned with your needle. When sewing, you can place your corners to follow the center line or the black lines to get a straight seam without marking. You can see this method in action in the video above. While I use this method often, your need to stick the tape to your machine exactly in the correct position to make sure your sewing will be accurate. And tape will need to be replaced periodically -- especially if you need to replace the bobbin.
Buy at Fat Quarter Shop or Amazon.
Pros: No marking required
Cons: Requires accurate placement on your sewing machine for accurate results and if your pieces are larger than the bed of your machine, you can't see the tape lines.
Rotary Cutting
If I'm making half-square triangles, this is the way I do it! I've always struggled to sew exactly 1/4" from the center marked line with the 2-at-a-time method. And I've found it tedious to have to sew on one side, cut my thread, and then sew down the other. With this method, you cut on the diagonal line first to make two triangles. Then you can layer your two triangles right sides together and sew along the cut edge using a 1/4" seam to make your half-square triangle. You can see this method for half-square triangles AND stitch-and-flip units in the video above.
Pros: No marking required.
Cons: You're working with bias cut edges, so you need to handle fabrics carefully to avoid distortion while sewing.
I hope you give these methods a try next time you're sewing diagonal seams!
Thanks for joining me for "happy hour,"
Lindsay
This blog contains affiliate links to Amazon and Fat Quarter Shop. I only recommend products I truly use and love. If you use my affiliate links, I may receive a small commission.
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