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    French Braid Quilts with a Twist: New Variations for Vibrant Strip-Pieced Projects
    French Braid Quilts with a Twist: New Variations for Vibrant Strip-Pieced Projects
    French Braid Quilts with a Twist: New Variations for Vibrant Strip-Pieced Projects
    Ebook213 pages1 hour

    French Braid Quilts with a Twist: New Variations for Vibrant Strip-Pieced Projects

    By Jane Hardy Miller

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    About this ebook

    French Braid lovers won't want to miss the latest evolution of Jane Hardy Miller's wildly popular design series. Quilters have been asking for more, and Jane delivers with a collection of 8 vivid new quilts that give the French Braid some bold and surprising twists. You'll want to try them all—from scrappy French Braids, to braids with variable widths and lengths, and much more. Easy strip piecing and clear instructions guarantee success for quilters of all levels. Collect all four of the best-selling French Braid quilt books.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherC&T Publishing, Inc.
    Release dateJul 1, 2014
    ISBN9781607058830
    French Braid Quilts with a Twist: New Variations for Vibrant Strip-Pieced Projects

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      Book preview

      French Braid Quilts with a Twist - Jane Hardy Miller

      Introduction

      During the approximately eleven years that I’ve been making French Braid quilts, the same two questions have arisen repeatedly. This book was written in part to address them.

      The first issue is the twelve-fabric braid run, the fabrics that appear as chevrons in the braids. Because they are the most noticeable aspect of the braids, they set the tone for the finished quilt. I have always been a proponent of a twelve-fabric closely shaded braid run. But as I saw more French Braids over the years, I realized that even those with less-than-perfect braid runs still looked good. I tried using fewer fabrics in the braid run and repeating them more often. Eventually the success of those projects made me wonder whether a less organized type of French Braid could still be attractive (yes), and whether it would be any easier to select fabric for one (also yes). Since I’ve always loved scrap quilts, it was only a short time until I tried a French Braid version .

      Second, if you are among the many quilters who have asked whether the size of the segments could be changed, this book is for you. The segment sizes vary, not only from quilt to quilt but within some of the quilts. In fact, if you’re brave enough to try it, there’s even one in which the segments aren’t even rectangles.

      So, I’m still careful in selecting a braid run, perhaps more so than most quilters. But in this book, I’ve tried to make choosing the fabrics easier. The braid runs have been simplified by using fewer fabrics, as well as by placing less emphasis on perfection in the braid run, and the quilts use many sizes of segments. I hope this evolving style will encourage quilters who have previously been intimidated by French Braids to try one.

      Equipment

      You probably already own most of the equipment needed to make any quilt in this book: a sewing machine with a reliable straight stitch and a ¼˝ foot, and basic sewing supplies such as pins and scissors. The structural integrity of your quilt depends on the thread; save the 10-spools-for-$1 for another project and get out the good stuff. The same is true of your fabric: you’ll put a lot of time into making a quilt, so don’t devalue your effort by using an inferior product.

      All the projects in this book include strip piecing, so you will also need a rotary cutter, mat, and, depending on the project, at least one long, wide ruler—6˝ × 24˝ or even 8½˝ × 24˝. I also often use a shorter ruler (4˝ × 14˝) for cutting segments, and the nonbraid projects may require an additional large square ruler and a second long, wide ruler. Please remember that a rotary cutter is a dangerous implement; the best way to avoid injury is to pay attention while using it.

      You will need a sharp pencil for marking the sides of the braids or columns. A mechanical pencil works best, as the marked line is always the same width. Failing that, have a pencil sharpener available while you mark. It is theoretically possible to mark in ink, since you’re marking the cutting line rather than the sewing line. But in case of error, ink is harder to remove than pencil, and ink can shadow through or bleed onto other fabrics.

      Fabric Selection

      Fabric selection for the French Braid projects varies with the number of fabrics in the braid run, and more specific fabric suggestions are given with some of the projects. However, there are a few constants. Try to make the braid run flow—it doesn’t have to be perfect, but it’s nice if there isn’t a large jump. And no matter how great the fabrics look at the store or on your cutting mat, the braid will look very different when it’s sewn; because of this, try to purchase the ending triangle, separator, and border fabrics after the braids are completed.

      There are a few scrappy French Braids in this book (It’s Easy Being Green, Fruit of the Vine, and Black and Gray and Red All Over), and fabric selection for those is more forgiving—almost anything goes. However, there are a few pitfalls to avoid. Do not use diagonally patterned prints in the braid run, because the print will run vertically on one side of the braid and horizontally on the other. Large, high-contrast prints can sometimes appear as blotches in the braid run; unfortunately, there’s no way to tell in advance whether this will add interest or merely be distracting. Be careful of stripes that run parallel to the selvages, because they often create a visual stopping point in the braids. Stripes that run perpendicular to the selvages seem to have less of this effect but can still be unpredictable.

      For starting or ending triangles, avoid regular geometric prints such as stripes and plaids, or any motif that appears in straight lines or rows; the ends of the braids are not always perfectly square, and straight lines will often be askew. Directional motifs or one-way designs will work for the starting triangles or center squares as long as you understand that you may need to allow extra fabric for fussy cutting. However, use of a directional print for ending triangles may require cutting each triangle individually.

      French Braid Construction

      This book features two types of French Braids: basic braids and center-out braids. Each will be discussed separately. Although your segments may be proportioned differently than those in the illustrations in those sections, the technique is always the same.

      I don’t usually pin as I add the segments, but if you can’t match the top ends and seams without pinning, do so. I also strongly suggest that you lay out one entire braid run with the center square or starting triangle before beginning to sew. This will give you a chance to change or rearrange the braid fabrics before the braid is sewn together.

      PIECING BASIC BRAIDS

      1. Follow the instructions for your project to cut the required number and size of segments and the starting triangles.

      2. Lay a starting triangle on the table in front of you, with the 90° corner pointing away from you.

      3. Select an unaccented segment of braid fabric #1, which is usually shorter than the triangle side.

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