Originally Posted by diogirl
I am working on a trip around the world quilt and the middle vertical seam is the only one that needs to line up... I am really nervous about trying to get the seams lined up perfectly... what do you do if you come across a seam that doesn't line up? do you stretch the fabric like mad to get it to line up or pinch the fabric causing a kink to get it to line up? What's the best way? :?:
It does depend on how much the seam is off. If it is off more than a few threads, I would pick out one of the seams and resew it until it matches what I need.
That said, the thing to do is find out why your seams are off. This is probably one problem everyone experiences from time to time. The first thing is to check your quarter inch seam. Is it a quarter inch or are you off a bit? In a quilt that uses all the same sized units, being off a bit isn't a big deal, but ONLY if all the seams are off by the same amount. If some of your seams are a perfect quarter inch and others are off, it will throw the seams off when putting them together into the quilt top.
Another problem that is common with a lot of people is that when they are sewing and the piece is coming toward the end, they will reach down for the next piece instead of looking at the piece that is taking the last few stitches in the machine. It's a very common practice and would seem to help save a lot of time, but what happens is that the pieces can curve away at the end, so that the corner does not have a perfect quarter inch seam. It is better to guide the entire piece in and once the needle has taken the last bite of fabric and moved past the piece, stop your machine and then pick up the next pieces you want to sew together. This is most vital when working with half square triangles, because it is important to get the seams just right at the end or the points either float or are cut off when the block goes together. Just about everyone can remember a star block where the points simply would not come together right. Usually the problem is as simple as making sure the quarter inch seam remains true at both corners when sewing the initial units together.
Geez, I hope that makes sense. Another reason for the quarter inch being off is not that your foot on your machine is off. It could actually be a result of the thread. I know, sounds crazy huh! I was amazed when I was shown how much thread can make a difference with the size of a seam. If you are using a thicker thread, you will want to move your needle over a click or two, or make adjustments with the fabric that make allowances for this. If your thread is thin, it may give you a larger seam allowance. This is one reason why it is recommended not to change thread types on the same quilt project; something I used to do a lot during my first decade of quilting. Basically, these tips are something I learned from my teachers/mentors because I was making them.
Without seeing your quilt, it's hard to know what to suggest. I hope the above helps in some way and I can't wait to see the finished quilt. :D
Edit: Well, when I started this post there was only 1 other post. I need to type faster. :lol: