Thread: Strip piecing?

Ever time I strip piece the stitching pulls up the fabric and the whole thing gets a bow in it. We cut the strips with lengthwise grain as suggested by Judy Martin. I have Bernina Artista 640, a Bernina White Pearl, a Viking Mega Quilter, a vintage Singer Feathweight, and it's big sister a vintage Singer 301. I try to feed the fabric loosely and guide gently and have a fairly short stitch length. Same problem with every machine so it has to be something I'm doing wrong. WHAT IS YOUR SECRET??? I'm taking a class Saturday on a strip pieced pattern. And expanding the pattern to make a huge King Size quilt for my own bed. (I'm tired of having king size blankets not be wide enough. We have 2 twin adjustable sleep number beds shoved together to compose a king so we need extra width.)

Originally Posted by Crqltr

Sew your first two strips then on the next strip start at the other end of your pieces on every strip..it was the first thing I was taught in a strip piecing class I took.

Thats' what Iwas taught to... flip every other time.

Originally Posted by Crqltr

Sew your first two strips then on the next strip start at the other end of your pieces on every strip..it was the first thing I was taught in a strip piecing class I took.

Yes I agree. Also STARCH STARCH STARCH. You might want to use liquid starch - medium, the bottle will tell you the ratio of water to starch. Damp dry, iron cut material and then sitch one strip together starting one way and then stich the next strip to the original two by starting at the opposite ends of the strip ie. where you finished stitching. Keep doing that and your strips should be straight. I did a Ricky Timms convergence quilt and it required very exacting matches and that is what I did and it worked beautifully.

Originally Posted by Crqltr

Sew your first two strips then on the next strip start at the other end of your pieces on every strip..it was the first thing I was taught in a strip piecing class I took.

this was the hint I got when I started strip pieceing. and I LOVE strip piecing..........................no trouble with bowing....

I tried cutting my strips parallel to the selvage.

I agree on the alternate sewing. It is not anything you are doing wrong. This is a very common problem (the bowing of strips) in strip peicing. By switching directions of sewing every other strip you even out the bow somewhat. Many bargello patterns include this step in the directions.

Edited to add this link http://craftnectar.com/2011/06/30/ev...sewing-strips/

See, it is NOT just you!