It’s Day 9 of the Back to School Blog Hop with Sam Hunter of Hunter’s Design Studio! I know you’ve already learned a lot in the past 8 days, so let’s keep rolling!
Do you ever wonder why your stitch-and-flip corners don’t “fill out” the corner of the block like they should?
In this tutorial, I’ll show you two key tips to get those flipped corners bang on (we’re lookin’ at you, snowballs and flying geese!).
1 – Account for the width of your marking tool.
The mark you make with your marking tool takes up space on the fabric. When you’re marking, adjust the position of your ruler to allow for the width of your marking tool, such as the lead in your pencil.
Hold or lay yours against the edge of your ruler to test how much space to give it. 
Draw the line corner to corner. Your marked line should land on the tips of the corners.
Tools I love for this task:
- #7 lead pencil on most fabrics
- white chalk mechanical pencil on darker fabrics (such the Bohin pencil [not an affiliate])
2 – Account for the width of your thread line.
Your thread also takes up space. Not a lot, but enough to warrant a slight adjustment to account for it. You’ll read and hear a lot of people tell you to sew ON the line you drew. DON’T. You need to sew just to the outside of the line–the outside of the line is the side toward the corner you’ll flip toward. Your stitches should barely touch the line you drew.
Note: I’m showing my sewn lines in this tutorial against a line marked using a red fine line Sharpie. I would not typically use that in my actual project.
This allows room for the width of your thread to take up space in that fold.
Test flip the corner over and press before trimming the seam allowance! Once you’re happy with the result, and your corner “fills out” the unit, flip it back again and trim 1/4″ away from the sewn line.
BONUS Half Square Triangles!
Before you cut the seam allowance, draw a second line 1/2″ away to the outside of the first line, and sew along the inside of that one before trimming! Then, when you trim, you’ll cut down between the two lines and voila!
Enjoy the rest of the 2019 Back to School Blog Hop below! (Note from Sam Hunter: “… these industry peeps are all over the country and world, so be patient if you don’t see their post first thing in *your* morning!”)
Day 1 – September 1 – Sam Hunter: Sewing Long Seams Without Stretching – huntersdesignstudio.com
Day 2 – September 2 – Susan Arnold – Joining Binding the Easy Way – quiltfabrication.com
Day 3 – September 3 – Angie Wilson – Fussy cutting tips and techniques – www.gnomeangel.com
Day 4 – September 4 – Andi Stanfield – No-Mark HST: Let your machine be your guide – truebluequilts.com/blog/
Day 5 – September 5 – Bobbie Gentili – Say YES to Y-seams – geekybobbin.com
Day 6 – September 6 – Mel Beach – 5 Reasons to Say Woo Hoo! to School Glue – pieceloveandhappiness.blogspot.com
Day 7 – September 7 – Laura Piland – 7 Ways to Use a Laser on Your Sewing Machine – www.sliceofpiquilts.com
Day 8 – September 8 – Suzy Webster – How to solve loops in free motion quilting – www.websterquilt.com
Day 9 – September 9 – Tara Miller – Accurate Stitch-and-Flip Corners – quiltdistrict.com
Day 10 – September 10 – Latifah Saafir – Accurate Seams Using Masking Tape! – latifahsaafirstudios.com
Day 11 – September 11 – Sarah Ruiz – The Magic of Glue Basting – saroy.net
Day 12 – September 12 – Jen Shaffer – Ways to stop your ruler from slipping while cutting – patternsbyjen.blogspot.com
Day 13 – September 13 – Cheryl Sleboda – Basics of ruching (a vintage fabric manipulation technique) – muppin.com
Day 14 – September 14 – Raylee Bielenberg – Choosing quilting designs for your quilt – www.sunflowerstitcheries.com
Day 15 – September 15 – Jen Strauser – Accurate and Attractive Machine binding – dizzyquilter.com
Day 16 – September 16 – Jane Davidson – Matching points for all types of intersections – quiltjane.com
Day 17 – September 17 – Teresa Coates – Starch and starch alternatives – teresacoates.com
Day 18 – September 18 – Jen Frost – Benefits of spray basting – faithandfabricdesign.com
Day 19 – September 19 – Sandra Starley – Getting started with Hand Quilting – utahquiltappraiser.blogspot.com
Day 20 – September 20 – Karen Platt – Drunkard’s Path Made Easy – karenplatt.co.uk/blog/
Day 21 – September 21 – Kris Driessen – All Kinds of Square (in a Square) – scrapdash.com
Day 22 – September 22 – Sarah Goer – Planned Improv Piecing – sarahgoerquilts.com
Day 23 – September 23 – Kathy Bruckman – Organizing kits for on-the-go sewing – kathyskwiltsandmore.blogspot.com
Day 24 – September 24 – Cheryl Daines Brown – The Secret to Flat Quilt Tops: Borders – quilterchic.com
Day 25 – September 25 – Cherry Guidry – Pre-assembling fusible applique – cherryblossomsquilting.com
Day 26 – September 26 – Laura Chaney – Getting started with English Paper Piecing – prairiesewnstudios.com
Day 27 – September 27 – Ebony Love – Cutting Bias Strips from a Rectangle – lovebugstudios.com
Day 28 – September 28 – Tammy Silvers – Working with heavier weight threads in your machine – tamarinis.typepad.com
Day 29 – September 29 – Kathy Nutley – Create a perfect facing or frame with 90 degree angles – quiltingsbykathy.com
Day 30 – September 3 – Joanne Harris – Using Leaders and Enders – quiltsbyjoanne.blogspot.com
Only 2 -1/2 weeks before Atlanta Quilt Study Symposium! I’m so excited for three days of antique and vintage quilts!
Have a FABULOUS week!
Tara
I have never read that I should sew just to the side of the marked line. I am finishing up a quilt right now that has ~150 stitch and flip corners,band I wish I had read this article before!
Thank you Tara! I’ve had that problem of my corners leaning inward making my block all wonky because I sewed ON the line. I love your marking method and it makes sense . So henceforth I’ll be using you method.