Originally Posted by miholmes
Did I get your attention?
I recently took a class with Kaye England and it was kind of a real eye opener. She made us all try creating a block her way just to see how it turned out. Here were her rules:
Iron your fabric first
Then you don't touch the iron again until the block is done. In the real world application it was until the quilt top was done.
While piecing it together you would sew the dark toward the dar without pressing. Her philosophy was, if you measure it right, cut it right, and sew an exact 1/4 right. Then the block will turn out right.
Well I will say this...I'm an ironer....I like to press it all so it like cardboard going through the machine. But when I did it her way I was astonished at how well the blocked turned out. Points were lined up GREAT and another thing....NO PINS!
I wondered if anyone else quilts like this all the time? After such a successful first try, I think I will continue this way, it actually saves a lot of time running back and forth to the iron.
So I would say if you think you might like to do it, TRY a block. I was kinda amazed, did I mention that I'm kinda in love with Kaye England now? :-D
I do have to admit that I don't iron every seam. I starch and press before cutting though. Just don't take the time when sewing a block, and my grandma didn't either...so if it worked for her, I figured it would work OK for me...unless I'm having a problem, then I'll iron.
But I do iron a completed block so that the tops go together better...and that keeps me only having to press a few seams once the top is complete. Otherwise, I hate having to press the entire King size top...it's just too much at once.
So far, so good :)
Debbie in Austin