Need advice on mismatched seams
03-04-2014, 07:40 AM
#1
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Pikesville, MD
Posts: 720
Need advice on mismatched seams
I made this pattern called Exploding Stars out of thousands of scraps using a technique where I arranged the squares on a grid of very thin fusible interfacing and then sewed all the vertical seams, cut through the interfacing, ironed the seams open, and then did the same with all the horizontal seams. I will never use this technique again, because it was too difficult to cut the seams and iron them open on such a large scale. I might do it in smaller blocks, and then put the blocks together by more conventional techniques. In any case, the result has some problems, as you can see from the close-up--the diagonal lines did not fit together well, I don't know exactly why, because all the stars are fine. In any case, I don't think it would be possible to open those seams and fix it. Do you have any suggestions for how I can deal with those diagonal lines? I thought maybe I could use a satin stitch in the quilting to cover up the problem. What do you think? I'd appreciate any other ideas as well.
Thanks!
Carol
Thanks!
Carol
03-04-2014, 07:48 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: cental Illinois
Posts: 523
Sorry I don't know how to help you but wanted you to know I love your quilt! The colors are right up my alley and love the stars. I hope someone on the board can help you. Of course if you really don't like it I would be glad to take it off your hands. LOL
03-04-2014, 07:55 AM
#3
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,198
IMHO, unless you planned to SITD down those diagonal seams, I'd say leave them alone. You can't even see them in the first picture; they are only noticable when you get up close and personal. If you were planning on quilting on the diagonal, my suggestion would be to do a lightly curved line from point to point.
I've done a few things with a fusible grid, but never cut open the seams, just pressed them to one side. Granted, they were table runners, but they weren't bulky.
Your Exploding Star is beautiful.
I've done a few things with a fusible grid, but never cut open the seams, just pressed them to one side. Granted, they were table runners, but they weren't bulky.
Your Exploding Star is beautiful.
03-04-2014, 08:00 AM
#4
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Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Green Valley AZ
Posts: 2,574
IMHO, unless you planned to SITD down those diagonal seams, I'd say leave them alone. You can't even see them in the first picture; they are only noticable when you get up close and personal. If you were planning on quilting on the diagonal, my suggestion would be to do a lightly curved line from point to point.
I've done a few things with a fusible grid, but never cut open the seams, just pressed them to one side. Granted, they were table runners, but they weren't bulky.
Your Exploding Star is beautiful.
I've done a few things with a fusible grid, but never cut open the seams, just pressed them to one side. Granted, they were table runners, but they weren't bulky.
Your Exploding Star is beautiful.
03-04-2014, 08:14 AM
#6
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Lake Elsinore, CA
Posts: 15,163
I agree that this is a beautiful quilt, and once it is quilted and washed (and allowed to crinkle a bit) it's unlikely that the seam intersections will be noticed by anyone but you.
Even though the "problems" show up in the diagonal lines, they are actually caused by not matching up every point when sewing the horizontal seams. It looks like you probably pinned at the center and at each point of the big star, but not at all the corners in between, and those are where the fabric/interfacing shifted just a little. I can't think of any way to truly fix the top without taking it apart and re-sewing the horizontal seams, but I would not do that at this point, unless the top had a specific purpose (commission piece, for example) that required more accuracy.
This quilt is spectacular on the large scale. It is going to get attention whenever and wherever it is displayed. As I said before, I don't think anyone but you will be bothered by the small imperfections, after it is quilted and washed.
Even though the "problems" show up in the diagonal lines, they are actually caused by not matching up every point when sewing the horizontal seams. It looks like you probably pinned at the center and at each point of the big star, but not at all the corners in between, and those are where the fabric/interfacing shifted just a little. I can't think of any way to truly fix the top without taking it apart and re-sewing the horizontal seams, but I would not do that at this point, unless the top had a specific purpose (commission piece, for example) that required more accuracy.
This quilt is spectacular on the large scale. It is going to get attention whenever and wherever it is displayed. As I said before, I don't think anyone but you will be bothered by the small imperfections, after it is quilted and washed.
03-04-2014, 08:20 AM
#7
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: MN
Posts: 24,474
I agree that this is a beautiful quilt, and once it is quilted and washed (and allowed to crinkle a bit) it's unlikely that the seam intersections will be noticed by anyone but you.
Even though the "problems" show up in the diagonal lines, they are actually caused by not matching up every point when sewing the horizontal seams. It looks like you probably pinned at the center and at each point of the big star, but not at all the corners in between, and those are where the fabric/interfacing shifted just a little. I can't think of any way to truly fix the top without taking it apart and re-sewing the horizontal seams, but I would not do that at this point, unless the top had a specific purpose (commission piece, for example) that required more accuracy.
This quilt is spectacular on the large scale. It is going to get attention whenever and wherever it is displayed. As I said before, I don't think anyone but you will be bothered by the small imperfections, after it is quilted and washed.
Even though the "problems" show up in the diagonal lines, they are actually caused by not matching up every point when sewing the horizontal seams. It looks like you probably pinned at the center and at each point of the big star, but not at all the corners in between, and those are where the fabric/interfacing shifted just a little. I can't think of any way to truly fix the top without taking it apart and re-sewing the horizontal seams, but I would not do that at this point, unless the top had a specific purpose (commission piece, for example) that required more accuracy.
This quilt is spectacular on the large scale. It is going to get attention whenever and wherever it is displayed. As I said before, I don't think anyone but you will be bothered by the small imperfections, after it is quilted and washed.
From a distance, definitely a WOW quilt!
03-04-2014, 08:25 AM
#8
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern California
Posts: 19,127
I agree that this is a beautiful quilt, and once it is quilted and washed (and allowed to crinkle a bit) it's unlikely that the seam intersections will be noticed by anyone but you.
Even though the "problems" show up in the diagonal lines, they are actually caused by not matching up every point when sewing the horizontal seams. It looks like you probably pinned at the center and at each point of the big star, but not at all the corners in between, and those are where the fabric/interfacing shifted just a little. I can't think of any way to truly fix the top without taking it apart and re-sewing the horizontal seams, but I would not do that at this point, unless the top had a specific purpose (commission piece, for example) that required more accuracy.
This quilt is spectacular on the large scale. It is going to get attention whenever and wherever it is displayed. As I said before, I don't think anyone but you will be bothered by the small imperfections, after it is quilted and washed.
Even though the "problems" show up in the diagonal lines, they are actually caused by not matching up every point when sewing the horizontal seams. It looks like you probably pinned at the center and at each point of the big star, but not at all the corners in between, and those are where the fabric/interfacing shifted just a little. I can't think of any way to truly fix the top without taking it apart and re-sewing the horizontal seams, but I would not do that at this point, unless the top had a specific purpose (commission piece, for example) that required more accuracy.
This quilt is spectacular on the large scale. It is going to get attention whenever and wherever it is displayed. As I said before, I don't think anyone but you will be bothered by the small imperfections, after it is quilted and washed.
Dunster is right. Just be happy that the quilt is spectacular from a distance.
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