A Partial Seam Tutorial

What is a Y-seam? A Y-seam is when there are 3 fabrics that come together and form a shape of a "Y."  Typically you'll see these with diamonds, hexagons, and other shapes that are not square!  In addition, there is a special Y seam that is created with the block below.  Notice the corner of the center square meets with two other fabrics at each corner.  You can create this block using a traditional Y-seam method or using a method called the Partial Seams.

Here's how you do it:

The block is made up of 4 rectangles that are 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" and a center 2 1/2" square.

Step 1:  With the center square and one of the side pieces, stitch from the center of the square to the end of the piece.  This allows the second rectangle to be added smoothly to the original block.  Press the seam outward or to the direction called out in the pattern.

Step 2:  Add the next rectangle to the block.  Press the seam outward or to the direction called out in the pattern.

Step 3:  Add the third rectangle to the block.  Press the seam outward or to the direction called out in the pattern.

Step 4:  Add the last rectangle to the block.  Press the seam outward or to the direction called out in the pattern. Notice how you have a partially open seam from when you started.

Step 5:  Stitch the final seam shut! Press the seam outward or to the direction called out in the pattern.

Ta Da! Easy Peasy!

This method can also be used to make borders that are the same size around a piece rather than top/bottom and side borders being different lengths.

You can use this method of partial seams or Y-seams in my pattern of Spinning Vectors.  All the blocks have this as its center block.  I'm so happy to be able to share a technique on how to make this block!

Update: July 28, 2020.

You can watch my Partial Seams Tutorial below or on my Twitch channel!

 

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This past week I've finished off my 14th quilt of the year, the Treehouse Quilt.  However, with the freezing temperatures this last weekend and the sun setting so quickly these days, I haven't been able to get a good photograph just yet.  I realized that I'm not a fan of quilting and I was doing almost anything to procrastinate. I'm glad however that it was a goal to push me to complete the quilt.  The reason why I dislike quilting is that I fight my quilts when quilting, and my free motion quilting skills aren't great.  I'm taking several free motion quilting classes during Quilt Con, so hopefully I will become more confident in my skills!

One of the lessons learned this week: nothing causes me more anxiety than having things on my to do list that I don't feel like doing.  I am going to try to have a more balanced to do list in the future because not only did I drag my feet to quilt the Treehouse Quilt, I was also ornament-ed out.  I only completed one of the four ornaments this past week on my goals list.   My goals list needs to be a balance of things I want to do and things I need to do. Quilting, after all is still a hobby and not my day job (yet).

When I refer to what I want to do, this past week my passion for getting stuff done led me to pick up the Steampunk quilt again and start cutting fabric to applique the centers.  Hopefully I will be able to make some great progress on this quilt this week.  I reached out on Instagram on how other quilters cut circles because I was so inefficient!   Using a rotary cutter with the circle template seemed like a good idea, but it was awful.  I resorted to tracing the circle with a Frixion pen and cutting each one out by hand.  Thankfully, there are only 41.

12/20-12/27 Weekly Goal:
Available time for quilting:
Thursday, Friday, Monday

Projects I want to work on:
PBQ102 - free pattern!
Steampunk Quilt

Goals for the Projects:
PBQ102:  Start sewing the second jelly roll and cut the blocks
Steampunk Quilt: Finish all the blocks with appliqued centers and start sewing the sashing on the quilt

Last but not least, I hope everyone has a happy holidays and a very Merry Christmas!