Originally Posted by
Joan in AK
Thank you for the tips and reassurance that I am not alone. Maniac Quilter I have never been sure what part of the line I place the ruler, so getting a little bit more fabric will be helpful. Gramajo I don't use steam as I think steam distorts even more, but just spraying the seams I bet will work. Tartan good to know others also have the problem. I love the phrase I heard not to long ago,"Done is better than perfect."
Does using starch help?
Hi Joan, I find that starching helps. I prefer to starch my fabric before I cut and piece. I also like to let the starch dry and then when I piece my block, the fabric is nice and crisp. To press I then use a little steam, this reactivates the starch and allows me to press the block nice and flat without distorting it. It's important to press straight down. If I need to nudge a seam over, then I just use the tip of my iron to do so and moving the tip in the direction of the grain of the fabric.
If you get a chance, sign up for the Craftsy.com 2013 block of the month taught by Laura Nownes,--it's one of their free classes. You don't have to make the quilt, if you're not into that, but Laura does a great job demonstrating pressing techniques and it is worth it to follow through the lessons, just to learn her technique for pressing half square triangles.
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