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16 patch block

16 patch block

Old 06-14-2012, 06:37 PM
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Default 16 patch block

Hi! I am making 16 patch blocks and cant figure out if I should press the 4 row seams to one direction or use the twirly thing trick which opens up the seams a little more. Help!

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Old 06-14-2012, 07:13 PM
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what block is it? squares or pinwheel type design. depends on block design how you need to press it. if you have seams coming together a lot, you might need to lessen those.
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Old 06-14-2012, 09:04 PM
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Originally Posted by quiltykim View Post
Hi! I am making 16 patch blocks and cant figure out if I should press the 4 row seams to one direction or use the twirly thing trick which opens up the seams a little more. Help!
What I've been doing is treat each individual block as always-----iron to the dark. When I sew the 4 blocks together, I number my rows, then iron each uneven row to the left and even rows to the right. When I connect those rows, i don't end up with a lot of fabric in any seam.

And remember that flat side of the meat tenderizer hammer helps flatten bumpy junctions.
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Old 06-14-2012, 10:16 PM
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I would iron all the seams open.
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Old 06-15-2012, 05:08 AM
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Originally Posted by QuiltingCrazie View Post
I would iron all the seams open.
I always press all my seams open for this very reason (well, that's one of the reasons). You don't have to worry about which row goes which direction. Plus, the other reason is that the seams line up & match so nicely. And I think they lay flatter, too.
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Old 06-15-2012, 07:55 AM
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Great suggestions! I always struggle with which way to iron and this will be so helpful. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 06-16-2012, 02:56 AM
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Thanks everyone for your great suggestions! This 16 patch is 4 strips of 4 squares sewn together. For each strip of 4 colors they were either pressed up or down so when I sewed the 4 strips together they nest beautifully. Then I struggled with what to do. It was too late to press all seams open. I'll try that next quilt. You all are wonderful ! Thanks for the help!
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Old 06-16-2012, 03:57 AM
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i always heard it was difficult to press open 1/4 seams, unlike fashion sewing. It makes sense though - I maytry it on my next project.
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Old 06-16-2012, 06:38 AM
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Originally Posted by quiltykim View Post
Hi! I am making 16 patch blocks and cant figure out if I should press the 4 row seams to one direction or use the twirly thing trick which opens up the seams a little more. Help!
I believe this is what you are asking about. It can also be done with pinwheel blocks. Learning how to "swirl" the intersection on blocks has reduced a lot of bulk at the seam intersections in my quilts. I think I first saw Billie Lauder doing this on Simply Quilts with Alex Anderson. Nice technique.
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Old 06-16-2012, 07:37 AM
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I like to press seams open, because it helps the block lay flat. Flatter blocks are easier to quilt over too. Pressing them to one side might make the quilt top itself a little stronger, but with machine sewing the difference is minimal.
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