Originally Posted by
Iceblossom
I deliberately quilt off the edges. When you go over them with your binding, it seals the seams and I feel that makes them stronger than if I kept everything within the area.
I've been machine quilting and machine washing for a long time. For the most part a weak seam will come apart long before any quilting comes out.
When piecing I think most people I observe are using much too big stitch lengths, I see very few people adjust their stitch length and just sit down and sew at the default... I suspect most starting quilters are not adjusting their length. When I work, I use modern construction techniques and so I'm strip piecing and cutting those stitches. I was having issues putting the blocks together with the edges coming open. If you can easily pull away 3-4 stitches on the end of a seam, your stitch length is too big.
Iceblossom--couldnt agree more but what SL do you consider optimal for piecing? I sew on a Bernina too and I use a 1.85 SL for curved seams and a 2.0 for piecing....I walking foot quilt at 2.5.