nightengale

Hi, to all experienced quilters out there!

Can you tell me if there is anyway, besides pinning, which quasi works for me....to get your seams to line up perfect for little 2" blocks....I was on a piecing binge today so I can get my Arkansas Trail quilt done for my grandson's birthday and some of my squares lined up perfect...and others were just slightly off...This is my first bed quilt....anyway, picture me sitting there with each square aligning them perfectly as I could.....there are alot of little squares....I sewed for about 8 hours today off and on....

Jim's Gem

When I am just "piecing" I rarely use pins. I do pin, however, when I am joining fabrics with seams. If the seams go in opposite directions, the pieces sort of just "lock" in together. I lock them and then pin.

KS quilter

Sometimes if you press one seam one direction and the other
seam the opposite direction, you can butt them right up
together.
And other times about the only thing that works is pinning
as you are doing. I am a 'seasoned' quilter (and piecer) and lot of times mine don't match up. Problem is the longer I work at it, seems the sloppier I get. Just have to
take a break and start again. Wish I knew am easier solution.

sarahrachel

I hardly pin. But then most of my pieces are blocks that "lock" together. Pins are for borders in my opinion (at least, that's when I use them) and for the very beginning of binding. But if you want nice seams, try a magnetic seam guide. I have one that I put right against my 1/4 inch foot and it works great. All my seams are the same and the blocks line up perfectly

nightengale

Thanks for your reply....I have been butting them up by "feeling where the seam is" ....I tried peeking to see if they are lined up....very time consuming :) Then I just stopped pinning at one point and felt with my fingers, peeked and sewed....this seemed to work great...funny...I bought this box of those special pins...you know they are like a little fork....I wound up jabbing my fingers once or twice....and then I was watching tv and it got real loud...I went to put it lower and almost broke my neck over the cords from the machine....well....I did finish all the two inch pieces and I am still alive and laughing....

nightengale

Thanks for your reply....I have been butting them up by "feeling where the seam is" ....I tried peeking to see if they are lined up....very time consuming :) Then I just stopped pinning at one point and felt with my fingers, peeked and sewed....this seemed to work great...funny...I bought this box of those special pins...you know they are like a little fork....I wound up jabbing my fingers once or twice....and then I was watching tv and it got real loud...I went to put it lower and almost broke my neck over the cords from the machine....well....I did finish all the two inch pieces and I am still alive and laughing....

ghostrider

I always pin when sewing two pieces of fabric together, especially when joining seams...even if they are 'locked'. I hate it when seams don't line up and pinning is more than worth the time it takes in order for me to get the results I want. It all depends on what's important to you. :)

dreamboat

I put my 2" on that 2" grid that you iron on. I use a lot of that for my watercolor quilts and others.

nightengale

Is that the fusible grid? I have been thinking of buying some to try....

nightengale

I know, I was told to pin....but you know with all those squares I was moving so slow....and they were not lining up perfect with pinning....