Trimming QSTs

Trimming your QSTs can be a surprisingly tricky task. I’m here to help!

If you missed it, here’s a link to my latest blog post on how to sew QSTs and spin their seams.

The first thing you need to know is this: QSTs can be finicky. You really need to nail that scant quarter-inch seam. Normally, I use a piecing foot to get a perfect seam allowance. But the edge guide on my foot doesn’t work when I’m using two-at-a-time methods, so I use a quarter-inch ruler instead. Those quarter-inch rulers! So tiny! So cute! So helpful!

Also, starch the fork outta that fabric.

Okay, so once your QSTs are made, here’s what you do:

This is what we’re starting with. If you followed the steps in my post about how to spin seams, you’ve got these cute little dog ears sticking out like these.

Now, this is the tricky bit: you have to line up your ruler just so. See those little red dots? They’re a square quarter-inch away from the edges of your unfinished block size. In other words, I’m trimming this QST to 3.5”x3.5”. I want to line up the seams with points a quarter-inch away from the 3.5” edges on my ruler. And if you haven’t sewn a perfect scant quarter-inch seam (hey, it happens!), your seams might not line up perfectly with those dots.

Then you just trim along the ruler edges…

…and rotate your QST 180 degrees to trim the other side. Don’t forget to line up your seams on the dots again, and the trimmed edge with the 3.5” lines.

Trimmed!

All done.

Hopefully that was helpful! Personally, I love QSTs. Once you learn to nail that seam allowance, Ohio Stars are suddenly super fun. Check out my Starshadow pattern if you’d like an Ohio Star quilt pattern!

xoxo.