Go Back  Quiltingboard Forums >
  • Main
  • Desperate for help with my first quilt. >
  • Desperate for help with my first quilt.

  • Desperate for help with my first quilt.

    Thread Tools
     
    Old 09-21-2009, 04:00 PM
      #1  
    Member
    Thread Starter
     
    Join Date: Sep 2009
    Posts: 1
    Default

    I am attempting my very first patchwork quilt as a gift to a friend. I am following instructions in a book and so far everything has gone smoothly. That is until now. I have cut 11"x11" squares and am sewing the squares together with a 1/2" seam allowance. The rows are turning out nicely, until I laid them back down on the floor and realized that the intersections weren't lining up. Some line up, some are off by at the most 1/2". What do I do? When I sew the rows together the intersections need to line up just right or the quilt won't look right. Please help! :?
    sulli21282 is offline  
    Old 09-21-2009, 04:19 PM
      #2  
    Super Member
     
    Maride's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Sep 2008
    Location: New York, NY
    Posts: 2,735
    Default

    Welcome and congratulations with your first quilt.

    Keeping 1/2 inch seams is hard to control. I suggest you keep your seams to 1/4 inch and use a 1/4 inch foot. If you don't have one, select a foot and keep the fabric aligned with the edge of the foot for all the seams, but make sure the seams are at least 1/4 inch so the quilt can hold strong.

    Maria
    Maride is offline  
    Old 09-21-2009, 04:27 PM
      #3  
    Member
     
    TX_Cutie's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Sep 2009
    Location: Austin, Texas
    Posts: 91
    Default

    Congrats on beginning your first quilt!

    One idea is to match up the middle seams and cut off the extra fabric on each side so that all the block pairs are now equal sized.

    The other idea is to introduce yourself to your seam ripper. I have a long standing love-hate relationship with mine - he's like family. :D

    I agree with Maride that 1/4" seams are easier to handle. A 1/4" foot can be purchased at any hobby store, even Walmart, for about $5-$7. It's such a simple thing that makes a world of difference.

    Also, if you can post a picture of what your blocks look like, we'll probably be able to give you better feedback on how to fix it.
    TX_Cutie is offline  
    Old 09-21-2009, 04:32 PM
      #4  
    Power Poster
     
    amma's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Jul 2007
    Location: Out searching for some sunshine :-)
    Posts: 58,856
    Default

    You may want to lightly mark a 1/2" line on the back of your blocks to sew on, just be careful what you use so it comes out in the laundry and does not bleed or show through the front of the block.. Make sure you line up the "intersetions" and pin as needed.

    Most patterns use a 1/4" seam and the presser feet that are made for sewing these seams are very helpful to accurate seams. You will find that if every block is 1/16 of an inch off...after 8 that is a 1/2" if you are making small blocks for a large quilt, those discrepancies can really add up on each row.

    Your pressing can also lose or gain inches. If you iron the seams they can stretch the block, if you don't press them open enough you can lose fabric in the seam lines...
    amma is offline  
    Old 09-21-2009, 04:32 PM
      #5  
    Super Member
     
    mpspeedy's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Mar 2008
    Location: rural Maryland
    Posts: 1,564
    Default

    The traditional seam for quilting is 1/4 inch. I suggest you steam "press" all of your blocks very carefully and handle them with a very gentle touch. Fabric stretchs at the blink of an eye. It usually helps if you pin the blocks carefully at each intersection and in the middle. If one block seems bigger than the next put it on the bottom when you sew two together. Let the feed dogs on your machine ease it to fit the block on top. I have been quilting for more than 40 years and I still have trouble getting the seams to line up perfectly. Fabric is almost like a living thing. Be sure you "press" which is an up and down motion with the iron not a slide which can stretch your fabric.
    Good luck.
    mpspeedy is offline  
    Old 09-21-2009, 06:17 PM
      #6  
    Power Poster
     
    Join Date: Nov 2007
    Location: SW Iowa
    Posts: 32,855
    Default

    I have always used a 1/4 inch seam for quilting. When I am trying to get my seams in one row to match seams in the next I pin, pin, pin. Otherwise I have problems too.
    littlehud is offline  
    Old 09-21-2009, 06:49 PM
      #7  
    Member
     
    FabricFusion's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Sep 2009
    Location: Australia
    Posts: 7
    Default

    Great idea to lightly draw lines to follow! I love my air erasable fabric marker, and it would be perfect for this.
    FabricFusion is offline  
    Old 09-22-2009, 08:51 AM
      #8  
    Power Poster
     
    nativetexan's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Feb 2009
    Location: home again, after 27 yrs!
    Posts: 19,388
    Default

    if they are really off- make that work for you. I'd move the next row over almost half a block and cut the excess off the end of that row. do that with every other row. lots of quilts out there do this design. works well and looks great. hope this helps.
    nativetexan is offline  
    Old 09-22-2009, 09:17 AM
      #9  
    Super Member
     
    Join Date: Aug 2009
    Location: The middle of an IL cornfield
    Posts: 7,014
    Default

    Originally Posted by nativetexan
    if they are really off- make that work for you. I'd move the next row over almost half a block and cut the excess off the end of that row. do that with every other row. lots of quilts out there do this design. works well and looks great. hope this helps.
    Great plan! I'll try to remember that one because I'm sure to be off. I good at off. :roll:
    Lisa_wanna_b_quilter is offline  
    Related Topics
    Thread
    Thread Starter
    Forum
    Replies
    Last Post
    Idle Di
    Main
    24
    04-15-2018 11:57 PM
    aggie
    General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
    9
    07-08-2013 06:04 AM
    crkathleen
    Main
    12
    09-04-2009 08:22 AM

    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