MJ
Kinman

Alexandrite Piece Plan

Click the button to the right to download a PDF file of the Piece Plan.

There Are Several Ways To Piece The Five Sections Of The Alexandrite Birthstone. This is just one of them. Enjoy the process of the Alexandrite Piece Plan

Section 1

  • Sew together 1-1 and 1-2 (Creating Unit 1:2)
  • Sew together 1-3, 1-4, and 1-5 (Creating Unit 3:5)
  • Sew together 1-6 and 1-7 (Creating Unit 6:7)
  • Sew together Unit 1:2, Unit 3:5, and Unit 6:7 to complete Section 1

Section 2

  • Sew together 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, and 2-5 to complete Section 2

Section 3

Let’s start by piecing the smallest units together first…

  • Sew together 3-1 and 3-2 (Creating Unit 1:2)
  • Sew together 3-3 and 3-4 (Creating Unit 3:4)
  • Sew together 3-5 and 3-6 (Creating Unit 5:6)
  • Sew together 3-7, 3-8, and 3-9 (Creating Unit 7:9)
  • Sew together 3-10 and 3-11 (Creating Unit 10:11)
  • Sew together 3-12 and 3-13 (Creating Unit 12:13)
  • Sew together 3-14 and 3-15 (Creating Unit 14:15)

Now you can sew the following units together…

  • Sew together Unit 3:4 to Unit 5:6 (Creating Unit 3:6)
  • Sew together Unit 1:2 to Unit 3:6 (Creating Unit 1:6)
  • Sew together Unit 10:11 to Unit 12:13 (Creating Unit 10:13)
  • Sew together Unit 10:13 to Unit 14:15 (Creating Unit 10:15)

Now let’s work on those angled seams…

  • Align the center facets of Unit 7:9 and Unit 1:6 with right sides together. (The pieces on each side won’t match up; your fabric sandwich will look like it has wings.) Pin together the center facets (3-2 and 3-8), leaving the “wings” free. 
  • Stitch together the center facets, starting and stopping exactly 1/4” from the edge of the center facet (at the intersecting seam line). Remove pins.
  • Pull the edges of 3-1 and 3-7 together and align the hash marks. Pin. Starting 1/4” from the center facet, sew to the edge of the unit. Remove pins.
  • Now pull the edges of Unit 3:5 with 3-9, and align the hash mark. Pin. Starting 1/4” from the center facet, sew to the edge. (Creating Unit 1:9)
  • Now do the same on the other side: position Unit 1:9 with Unit 10:15. Align the center facets, pin, and sew.
  • Gently align 3-7 with Unit 10:13, pin, and sew.
  • Gently align 3-9 with 3-15, pin, and sew.
  • Iron seams toward the center of the mini-block you’ve just created.

Section 4

  • Sew together 4-1, 4-2, and 4-3 (Creating Unit 1:3)
  • Sew together 4-4 and 4-5 (Creating Unit 4:5)
  • Sew together 4-6 and 4-7 (Creating Unit 6:7)
  • Sew together Unit 1:3 and Unit 4:5 (Creating Unit 1:5)
  • Sew together Unit 1:5 and Unit 6:7 (Creating Unit 1:7)
  • Sew Unit 1:7 and 4-8 to complete Section 4

Section 5

  • Sew together 5-1 and 5-2 (Creating Unit 1:2)
  • Sew together 5-3 and 5-4 (Creating Unit 3:4)
  • Set aside 5-5; we’ll come back to it in a moment
  • Sew together 5-6 and 5-7 (Creating Unit 6:7)
  • Sew together 5-8 and 5-9 (Creating Unit 8:9)

Now let’s sew the units together…

  • Sew together Unit 1:2, Unit 3:4, and 5-5 (Creating Unit 1:5)
  • Sew together Unit 6:7 and Unit 8:9 (Creating Unit 6:9)
  • Sew together Unit 1:5 and Unit 6:9 to complete Section 5

Now we’ll sew the entire Alexandrite gem together…

  • Sew together Sections 2, 3, and 4
  • Sew Section 1 to Section 2-4
  • Sew Section 5 to Section 1-4

Birthstone Series Resources

Click on the name of the gemstone below for a listing of its Piece Plan. The Piece plan is a step-by-step guide to help you piece each facet together in a strategic way to ensure that your block fits together perfectly.