Diamond Chips

In no time at all, we will be scrambling for ideas on what to make and give for presents this holiday season. Here's a quick tutorial for a potholder which makes an inexpensive and useful gift. If you attended the Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend workshop last week, you will have leftover short strips which will work well in this project. The potholder is designed to use up your 2" strips. The finished size is 9" across and 10-1/2" high (point to point). You will require 3 different shades of one colour, in this case green: a light, a medium and a dark, as well as one red. We have kept the same red constant throughout; the dimensional effect is carried by the main colour. Please read through the instructions before beginning project. Materials Required: 2 strips 2" x 10" each of light green, medium green and dark green 4 strips 2" x 10" red 1 strip 3-1/2" x 19" red 12" square backing fabric 12" square cotton batting (I used 2 squares in mine to make it thicker) sewing and quilting thread to match Supplies Needed: Rotary cutter and mat; acrylic ruler with 60 degree line

For the Light Diamond:

2 strips 10" x 2" light green

2 strips 10" x 2" red

For The Medium Diamond:

2 strips 10" x 2" medium green

1 strip 10" x 2" red

For the Dark Diamond: 2 strips 10" x 2" dark green

1 strip 10" x 2" red

To Make the Dark Diamond: Sew the red strip between the 2 dark green strips lengthwise using a 1/4" seam allowance. Press seams to one side. This strip set should measure 5" wide after pressing. Using your ruler and rotary cutter, place the 60 degree angle line of the ruler on the bottom of the strip and trim off the left side of the strip on this angle. Move the ruler over 5" and make another cut on a 60 degree angle. To Make the Medium Diamond: Sew the red strip between the 2 medium green strips lengthwise using a 1/4" seam allowance. Press seams to one side. TURN THIS STRIP SET UPSIDE DOWN and trim the left side as above for the dark diamond on a 60 degree angle. Move the ruler over 5" and make another cut on a 60 degree angle. You will now have two diamonds like this:(notice the medium green is upside down in the photo)Flip the medium green diamond to the right side and position the diamonds as shown below. You will see the reason you cut the medium strip upside down is so that the red stripe would be properly oriented when joining the diamonds.

To Make the Light Diamond: Sew the red strip between the 2 light green strips lengthwise using a 1/4" seam allowance. Press seams to one side. Place the 60 degree angle line of the ruler on the bottom of the strip and trim off the left side of the strip on on this angle. Move the ruler over 2" and make another cut on a 60 degree angle. Repeat to cut 2 strip segments like this:

Sew a red strip to the right side of one segment. Trim off top and bottom on a 60 degree angle, and then add the second segment to the red. When joining, don't forget to offset the pieces to allow them to align properly; there will be a tiny point of fabric extending at each end.

Lay out your three pieced diamonds as shown.

Choose your favourite method to sew the Y seam - either the 1/4" open, or pivot method.  I like to sew the seam between the medium and dark diamonds from the outside in, to within 1/4" of the end, and lock my stitches. Press this seam open. 

Sew the seam to set in the top diamond the same way, leaving 1/4' open at the centre; press this seam allowance down over the the open seam allowance. This will make your Y seam lie flat.

Layer top, batting and backing, pin baste and quilt as desired. If you are intending to use this as a potholder, do not use polyester batting. Two layers of cotton batting makes a good thick pad. My sample was quilted in the ditch along the red ribbon. When quilting is complete, trim edges and bind.** You will need approximately 55" of binding. If you have more leftover 2" strips, piece them end to end for length. I used a straight grain double French fold, cut 2" wide and pressed in half. Binding was attached by machine to the front of the quilt, then folded to the back and hand stitched in place.

** An even faster, simpler method is simply "birth" the potholder.  To do this, lay the patchwork right sides together with the backing and batting and sew around the outside edges, leaving an opening to turn.  Turn right sides out, and stitch the seam closed by hand.
  To Make the Bow: Cut a strip of red fabric 3-1/2" x 19". Fold in half and sew across one end and part way down one side. Break stitching, leave a 6" length for turning, and continue sewing the remaining length of the strip and across the other end. Turn strip right side out, press, and slip stitch opening closed with hand stitches.

Tie into a bow and tack on the top of your gift.