Tips for Stitch-and Flip Success

I’m so inspired by all the amazing patterns that our designers create for our magazines. I am constantly adding projects to my to-do list and the latest is Jake from the Fall 2024 issue of Quiltmaker. How adorable is this baby turkey perched on pumpkins?! I cannot wait to make him. Read on to learn more about the stitch-and-flip technique used for making this pattern.

The primary technique used to create all this adorableness is stitch-and-flip corners. This technique has been around for many years and is referred to by a variety of names; flippy corners, snowballing, and the one we use here at Quilting Daily, stitch-and-flip corners. It’s one you definitely want to have in your quilting skill set. Take a look at all of these different units you can make using this handy technique.

1

Make Flying Geese

2

Make Square in a Square

3

Make a parallelogram

4

Make Snowball-type blocks from squares or rectangles

5

Make diagonal patches

6

Make mirror-image units

So just how do you stitch-and-flip? Here are our typical instructions: 

Align a patch on the corner of another patch, right sides together. Mark a diagonal line from corner to corner and sew on the marked line. Trim the seam allowance to ¼“, flip the patch open and press.

Sounds pretty straight forward, and it is, but here are some tips and tricks that will make your stitching a flipping success!

1

If your stitch-and-flip piece is coming out too small to adequately cover the corner, try moving the seamline a bit toward the corner to be cut off. This allows more space for the flip to occur. The patch below is marked on the diagonal, but the stitching line has been nudged toward the corner.

2

When it’s time for trimming, trim off only the top layer beyond the seam allowance as shown below. Leave the base layer in place and use it for your benchmark as the piecing continues.

3

Save time: instead of marking diagonally across every patch to be sewn, mark your sewing machine. With the needle in position, mark a line from the needle straight out toward yourself. You can mark with tape or a marker (be sure you’re on target before using anything permanent), or you can use a tool designed for this purpose such as the Qtools Sewing Edge. It sticks to the sewing machine bed (but with no sticky residue) and guides you to sew diagonally across any square or rectangle. 

A similar trick uses a narrow piece of paper or lightweight cardboard as a guide on top of your patches. Check out this tutorial to give it a try.

4

Use 60-wt. thread or 2-ply 50-wt. thread, as they take up less space in the seam than heavier threads. 

With a little practice, you can be stitch-and-flipping your way around the sewing machine in no time. Now I’m off to make Jake and put these tips into practice!

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