Quilting on the Diagonal

How to cut setting and corner triangles for a quilt on the diagonal.

Quilt tops that are set on the diagonal or “on point” can be more challenging then your typical straight set blocks. However, once you know how to measure and cut your setting and corner triangles you might find yourself making more quilt tops this way.

Quilts on the diagonal offer a different visual feel for a quilt top and depending on you quilt blocks look better on point. When setting your blocks on a diagonal you actually use less blocks as well. A quilt that uses 20 blocks set straight would only use 18 blocks on the diagonal.

Cutting the corner and setting triangles to fit your quilt is just two simple equations.

The side setting triangles are colored pink in the example quilt above. You want to cut them so the bias is on the inside and the straight grain is on the outer edge. To begin, you need an oversized square. You will cut it in half diagonally twice.

It is important for the bias to be on the inside. This will help limit the amount of stretching and pulling during the quilting process.

The formula for side setting triangles is this: Size of the finished quilt block multiplied by 1.414, then add 1 1/4 inches.

The corner setting triangles are blue in the example above. These are also cut with the bias on the inside and the straight grain on the outside edges. You will also use an oversized square but will only cut it on the diagonal once.

The formula for the corner setting triangles is this: Size of the finished quilt block divided by 1.414, then add 7/8 inches (.875).

For your convenience, the chart below gives sizes for popular finished quilt block sizes:

Start to bloom by choosing JOY– Julia