Tutorial: Seminole Patchwork

I've been working on a very bright Seminole patchwork pillow and thought I'd share the process of creating one of the bands. Seminole patchwork uses narrow strips of fabric sewn together to create a strip set. The strip set is then cut into strips, often on an angle. The new strips are usually sewn together by flipping alternate strips or by offsetting. Read on! It will make much more sense when you see the photos.

First I selected the five fabrics to be used in the pillow, all very vibrant! Then I chose one of the band patterns from Basic Seminole Patchwork by Cheryl Greider Bradkin. Great book for learning Seminole patchwork.

This particular band pattern uses four strips but I wanted to use one strip of each color so I added one an additional strip. In the original pattern three strips are 1 1/4" wide and one is 1" wide so adding another strip was easy. I also decided that I wanted a wider finished band so I added 1/4" to each strip. I ended up with four strips at 1 1/2" and one strip at 1 1/4".

First step is to straighten up the cut edge of the fabric. Using a quilters rule is invaluable for cutting straight edges.

Then, again using a quilters rule,  carefully cut one strip from each of the fabrics. Accurate cutting show up in the quality of the finished band.

With the adjustments I made to the strip widths I ended up with four strips at 1 1/2" wide and one, the yellow, at 1". Then I tried the strips in various arrangements until I was happy with the look. This one of the arrangements I tried but is not the arrangement I ended up with.

Sew pairs of strips together using 1/4" seam or as close to that as possible. More important than the seam width is the consistency of the seam width for the entire length of the strip.

Don't sew more than two strips together at one time. Each pair should be ironed flat then ironed open before adding another strip. This helps to minimize stretching when ironing, again helping with accuracy for the finished band.

I use an addition ironing step between ironing the seam flat and ironing it open. As shown above, I run the tip of the iron along the inside of the seam. It helps separate the fabric in preparation for ironing open. The top strip of fabric is raised a little and, at the seam, the top and bottom fabrics are separated. Using this quick step I don't have to struggle with fabric overlapping the seam.

Now the tip of the iron will completely open the seam. If your seams are not straight you might want to line up the edges of the non-sewn edge using a quilters ruler along the seam and trimming the cut edge with a rotary cutter. Every little bit of variance from cutting to stitching each seam and pressing will contribute to an unsatisfactory finished band.

Continue sewing strips together, ironing after each seam. Usually all of the seams are pressed in the same direction.

Even with careful cutting, accurate seams and careful pressing you can get a wavy edge. Here I didn't have the same tension on the orange fabric as the yellow and I ended up with a bit of a wave.

To help shrink that outside strip, press by setting the iron on the fabric with a lot of steam. Don't slide the iron. Just press, lift the iron and press the next section. It won't completely shrink the strip but it will help.

The next step is to cut the strip set into strips. Some patterns use straight cuts with offset seams. This pattern uses a diagonal mirror image cut so the strip set can be folded in half  before cutting. Line up the strips carefully after you fold the strip.

Then, cut on a 45 degree angle through both layers. This will give you a pair of strips that will be sewn together creating a mirror image. Again, accuracy in cutting is important. 

Now the new mini strip sets are sewn together, matching seams a closely as possible. This is the part where I often rip seams out. Small mismatches don't bother me but more than a tiny bit will interfere with the finished pattern. Here's the finished band sewn but not ironed from the front.

And here it is from the back. Looks rather like an accordion.

Press the band from the front and ignore the way the back seams fall.

It will make you crazy if you try to press these seams open or all in one direction. And it won't matter a bit to the finished piece.

OK-the hard part is finished! Now we're ready to cut the top and bottom of the finished band, cutting off the peaks and valleys. Seminole patchwork always uses solid strips sewn to the bands. Use the same fabrics as in the band, varying the width and color placement. In the photo below I've added the solid strips to this band and a second band. The second band is sewn in the same way but is cut into 90 degree strips which are offset from one another.

Notice that, unlike traditional quilting making no "quilting" or top stitching is done. The piecework, or patchwork, is the real focus.

Finally, the finished piece is sewn into a pillow cover.

The strip solid strips separate the geometric bands and accent the colors in the bands.

Seminole patchwork can be used not only for pillows but for interesting clothing, as done by the Seminoles, or as accents for clothing, sheets, towels or other items. While traditionally made with solid fabrics, textured prints, as I've chosen, can also be used. Give it a try!