Piecing Outside the Box Part 2

The piecing that I do is so basic and so easy that I sometimes feel a bit silly even writing blog posts about how to make it easier.  And then there’s the issue of how many times in one week I can show this particular drawing! 🙂

Nine Patch Border

As I was drawing the border, I drew it as a rail block (three strips), a nine patch, a rail, a nine patch .. and so on.

Nine Patch Border

In order to get rid of some of the seams, I decided to piece it as three separate borders so that the middle row, with the white/red fabric won’t have all those extra seams.

Nine Patch Border

The finished border will look the same but it will require less matching up of seams.  If this had been sewn as nine patches and rails, in order to butt the seams against each other for a better match up, I would had to have pressed the seam allowances on the rail blocks towards the white strip and on the nine patches away from the white strip (which is how I would have done it anyway) but by sewing the three strips as separate borders, at least to me, it seems like an easier way to do it and less chances for a seam that’s off and not matched up with its neighbor.

When piecing, don’t be limited by what the pattern says, or by doing it the way you’ve always done it.  Sometimes there’s an easier way and it’s so obvious, I often overlook it.