GREEN are my patches

How to make scrappy, Seminole Piecing for adding interest to cloth?

This exercise to show how Cuffs altered a Jacket and how to create complex cloth for the next jacket project. The problem being studied is what patchwork pattern to create for the sleeves of the "Jacket Project." Remember that? Meantime I found remainders of the Seminole piecing done for a summer jacket two years ago. Here's how it was made.

Photo 1: Cut 1.25" strips (or strings) of multiple fabrics of any color(s) scheme you like. String-stitch into five or six bands (or strata). Make at least five bands with varying fabrics. The more varied the fabrics, the better the outcome.

Photo 2: After pressing seams flat, align the band and cut cross-wise into 1/25" inch pieces. You will need approximately 8-10 cross-cuts of each band.

Photo 3: With multiple bands, and multiple cross-cuts of each band, keep them organized in stacks and begin to arrange 'series' of various combinations.




Photo 4: Instead of aligning them to sew STRAIGHT, align them to create a diagonal slant. This accomplished by a drop-allowance for each successive piece. I usually work in groups of 5 or 6 to create a mini-series and sew at least 6 multiples into each series. Still with me?

Photo 5: Stitch the arranged series of cuts using 1/4" seam allowance and placing the right sides together with 3/4" drop for each additional piece. Keep the drop-size consistent along the top of the border, let the bottom fall as it wants. Do not trim. At this point I try for about 22"-24" total length of the chain. And I did that twice, once slanted left and the other slanted right.

Photo 6: Now that you have succeeded in stitching a long-train of the angled cuts, where does the border aspect fit? Do NOT cut off the points along top or bottom. Stitch a band of fabric (any width you choose), and stitch in place at the WIDEST part of the piecing. For the jacket cuff the banding became the edging for attaching to the sleeve.

You may do a mirror-reverse of this process (angle to the left instead of right), especially if cuffs, or if opposite sides of a jacket-front are to be used.

WHY DO ALL THIS WORK?
The slanted, 3/4" finished patches are perfect adornment for creating interest to a plain garment. Or for making a complex layout for a simple shape such as borders and/or cuffs as shown below. The process is called Seminole Patching and I find it useful as a strip-pattern for any vertical or horizonal definition to patchwork.








The 1/25" strip size results in 3/4" patches when finished, but there's no rule that says they cannot be bigger, or even square. One could try to alternate square patches with 2" cuts and find a completely different patch-pattern.

I also have used much of the same fabric to create a barrel-shaped tote bag, complete with zippers, hidden pockets and button trim. But that's another story.

Yes, I'm still in green but I swear this is the LAST time!
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