Go Back  Quiltingboard Forums >
  • Main
  • Anybody have tips for sewing itty bitty squares together >
  • Anybody have tips for sewing itty bitty squares together

  • Anybody have tips for sewing itty bitty squares together

    Thread Tools
     
    Old 04-07-2015, 09:06 PM
      #1  
    Senior Member
    Thread Starter
     
    Join Date: Feb 2015
    Posts: 637
    Default Anybody have tips for sewing itty bitty squares together

    aside from the obvious strip method which won't work with my pattern?

    (I'm getting nervous)

    Thank you
    DresiArnaz is offline  
    Old 04-08-2015, 02:17 AM
      #2  
    Power Poster
     
    Join Date: Feb 2009
    Location: Northern Michigan
    Posts: 12,861
    Default

    A new sharp needle, shorter than normal stitch length and using ( leaders & enders) will help your success. And starting out slowly. I would also place a pin at the end of 2 squares together to keep them from separating, becoming skewed on one end
    ckcowl is offline  
    Old 04-08-2015, 02:25 AM
      #3  
    Z
    Junior Member
     
    Join Date: Jul 2011
    Location: Guam
    Posts: 160
    Default

    Fusible grid works great and is available in various sizes, down to 1" squares which make a 1/4 inch finished square. Pieces are fused to the the single sided fabric and then folded and sewed in vertical rows. Then horizontal folds are
    made for the stitching in the other direction.
    Z is offline  
    Old 04-08-2015, 05:01 AM
      #4  
    Super Member
     
    Join Date: Aug 2013
    Location: Florida
    Posts: 5,963
    Default

    When joining mini blocks, I use Elmers to glue the blocks together so they don't "shift". Off seams really show up in mini quilts. I do use the plastic paint tips by Plaid to make a tiny stream of glue.
    toverly is offline  
    Old 04-08-2015, 05:10 AM
      #5  
    Super Member
     
    PenniF's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Jun 2012
    Location: North Texas formerly The Burgh
    Posts: 3,392
    Default

    Originally Posted by Z
    Fusible grid works great and is available in various sizes, down to 1" squares which make a 1/4 inch finished square. Pieces are fused to the the single sided fabric and then folded and sewed in vertical rows. Then horizontal folds are
    made for the stitching in the other direction.
    Plain fusible lightweight interfacing can work well too. I have one of those folding cardboard with blue grid mark boards..... i lay my fusible interfacing on that, secure with straight pins to hold the interfacing in place and use the grid lines as guides. Being cardboard, i can then also press tack with my mini iron right on it.
    PenniF is offline  
    Old 04-08-2015, 05:17 AM
      #6  
    Power Poster
     
    Join Date: Apr 2011
    Location: Ontario, Canada
    Posts: 17,827
    Default

    What size itty-bitty to you?

    When you have not shared any info as to what sort of a pattern you are doing, it's hard to know what tips might help.


    No matter what you are doing, IMHO making sure that the single hole plate is in your machine can make a big difference to end quality.

    Some use tweezers when doing small work.

    Sometimes it helps to oversize and trim down to keep all square ... again, without knowing what you are doing, unknown whether this is even a possibility.
    QuiltE is online now  
    Old 04-08-2015, 05:20 AM
      #7  
    Junior Member
     
    Retiree's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Dec 2012
    Location: Kentucky
    Posts: 125
    Default

    I have an older miniature quilt book that has you sew fabrics together as a strip, then cut the squares out. These would be HST's of course.
    Retiree is offline  
    Old 04-08-2015, 05:25 AM
      #8  
    Power Poster
     
    Join Date: Dec 2010
    Location: Michigan
    Posts: 11,276
    Default

    I use a tear away embroidery stabilizer. Although they do tear away all around your embroidery, they have a grain and will tear much easier in one direction. I cut about an 18" piece (width doesn't matter, but I usually work with 4 to 12 inches) and make sure there's a good straight edge going in the direction of the grain. Lay your pieces so the raw edges match the edge of the stabilizer all along the length. Sew your 1/4" seam, like you are chain piecing down the entire length of the stabilizer, then carefully tear away. Because you sewed down the entire length, you can usually tear the 1/4" piece off. Lay the next group of pieces on the remaining large piece and repeat. I often do this if I have a bunch of small HST, as this prevents the leading edge from being pushed into the needle plate.
    PaperPrincess is offline  
    Old 04-08-2015, 05:38 AM
      #9  
    Power Poster
     
    Join Date: Jun 2011
    Location: Southern California
    Posts: 19,127
    Default

    I watched a F&P episode where someone was demo small blocks like Dear Jane. One of her suggestion is to oversize the individual pieces, press and then trim down to the correct size. It was an older episode with Liz Porter. It works for me.
    ManiacQuilter2 is offline  
    Old 04-08-2015, 05:47 AM
      #10  
    Super Member
     
    ghostrider's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Jan 2009
    Posts: 4,688
    Default

    There's a wash-away grid that you can use or you can draw your own grid on a wash-away foundation/stabilizer and use it like the gridded ones. Because they wash away, no bulk is added to the finished product...important with "itty bitty" squares of any size.

    Are you making a pixelated quilt?

    Last edited by ghostrider; 04-08-2015 at 05:49 AM.
    ghostrider is offline  
    Related Topics
    Thread
    Thread Starter
    Forum
    Replies
    Last Post
    Tussymussy
    Links and Resources
    25
    05-16-2011 08:58 AM
    gailmitchell
    Pictures
    33
    02-03-2011 11:48 AM
    mantilla
    Main
    6
    08-12-2010 03:13 AM
    DonnaRae
    Main
    25
    09-16-2009 08:25 AM
    PrettyKitty
    Pictures
    47
    06-22-2009 03:09 PM

    Posting Rules
    You may not post new threads
    You may not post replies
    You may not post attachments
    You may not edit your posts

    BB code is On
    Smilies are On
    [IMG] code is On
    HTML code is On
    Trackbacks are Off
    Pingbacks are Off
    Refbacks are Off



    FREE Quilting Newsletter