How to Make a Y-Seam Quilt Square
A Y-seam quilt square consists of a triangle- or square-shaped piece of fabric that is sewn to the edges of two diamond-shaped fabric pieces. The pieces are sewn together in three seams that meet at the center of the quilt square in the shape of the letter "Y." Although it seems a bit daunting at first for beginning quilters, sewing a Y-seam quilt square isn't as complicated as you may think. Make your own Y-seam quilt squares and sew them together to make a star-point quilt.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Fabric
- Fabric shears
- 45-degree angle ruler
- Fabric rotary cutter
- Water-soluble fabric pen
- Straight pins
- Straight-edge ruler
- Sewing machine
Instructions
-
-
1
Cut a square out of the fabric that measures 4 1/2 inches on each side. Cut two rectangles that measure 6 7/8 by 2 1/2 inches.
-
2
Place the rectangles on your workspace, one on top of the other, and align their sides. Place a 45-degree angle ruler at one end of the stacked rectangles. Use the rotary cutter, running it along the edge of the angle ruler, to cut an angled or beveled edge on one end of the rectangles. Do the same with the other end of the rectangles to make elongated diamond shapes.
-
-
3
Place the square- and diamond-shaped fabric pieces on your workspace, with the wrong side facing up. Position the fabric square with one of the corners facing you. Align the angled edge of the first fabric diamond with the left edge of the square and the angled edge of the second fabric diamond with the right edge of the square, so that their edges form a "Y" shape.
-
4
Draw 1/4-inch seam lines along all of the edges of each of the fabric pieces, on the wrong side of the fabric, using the fabric pen and a straight-edge ruler. Place the two fabric diamonds together, with the right sides facing each other and the wrong side facing out, and align their edges. Pin the pieces together at the long edges, where the seam lines cross each other near the corners of the fabric.
-
5
Sew the diamonds together using your sewing machine, stitching on the seam line to give the fabric pieces a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Sew from one pin to the other to start the bottom leg of the "Y" shape.
-
6
Place the corner of the square against the sewn-together diamonds and align the edges. Pick up the left corner of the square and the top-left corner of the diamond and hold them together. Insert a pin through the seam lines where they intersect on both the diamond and the square to align the seam lines. Pin the bottom corner of the square to the two diamonds where it meets the top of their sewn edge, at the point where the seam lines intersect.
-
7
Sew on the drawn seam line, between the pins, to stitch the diamonds to the square. Pin the right corner of the square to the top corner of the other diamond and sew on the drawn seam line. Tie off your thread, trim it and remove the pins to finish making your Y-seam quilt square.
-
1
