Go Back  Quiltingboard Forums > Main
Anybody have tips for sewing itty bitty squares together >

Anybody have tips for sewing itty bitty squares together

Anybody have tips for sewing itty bitty squares together

Old 04-07-2015, 09:06 PM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 637
Default Anybody have tips for sewing itty bitty squares together

aside from the obvious strip method which won't work with my pattern?

(I'm getting nervous)

Thank you
DresiArnaz is offline  
Old 04-08-2015, 02:17 AM
  #2  
Power Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Northern Michigan
Posts: 12,861
Default

A new sharp needle, shorter than normal stitch length and using ( leaders & enders) will help your success. And starting out slowly. I would also place a pin at the end of 2 squares together to keep them from separating, becoming skewed on one end
ckcowl is offline  
Old 04-08-2015, 02:25 AM
  #3  
Z
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Guam
Posts: 160
Default

Fusible grid works great and is available in various sizes, down to 1" squares which make a 1/4 inch finished square. Pieces are fused to the the single sided fabric and then folded and sewed in vertical rows. Then horizontal folds are
made for the stitching in the other direction.
Z is offline  
Old 04-08-2015, 05:01 AM
  #4  
Super Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Florida
Posts: 5,896
Default

When joining mini blocks, I use Elmers to glue the blocks together so they don't "shift". Off seams really show up in mini quilts. I do use the plastic paint tips by Plaid to make a tiny stream of glue.
toverly is offline  
Old 04-08-2015, 05:10 AM
  #5  
Super Member
 
PenniF's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: North Texas formerly The Burgh
Posts: 3,392
Default

Originally Posted by Z View Post
Fusible grid works great and is available in various sizes, down to 1" squares which make a 1/4 inch finished square. Pieces are fused to the the single sided fabric and then folded and sewed in vertical rows. Then horizontal folds are
made for the stitching in the other direction.
Plain fusible lightweight interfacing can work well too. I have one of those folding cardboard with blue grid mark boards..... i lay my fusible interfacing on that, secure with straight pins to hold the interfacing in place and use the grid lines as guides. Being cardboard, i can then also press tack with my mini iron right on it.
PenniF is offline  
Old 04-08-2015, 05:17 AM
  #6  
Power Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 17,693
Default

What size itty-bitty to you?

When you have not shared any info as to what sort of a pattern you are doing, it's hard to know what tips might help.


No matter what you are doing, IMHO making sure that the single hole plate is in your machine can make a big difference to end quality.

Some use tweezers when doing small work.

Sometimes it helps to oversize and trim down to keep all square ... again, without knowing what you are doing, unknown whether this is even a possibility.
QuiltE is offline  
Old 04-08-2015, 05:20 AM
  #7  
Junior Member
 
Retiree's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 125
Default

I have an older miniature quilt book that has you sew fabrics together as a strip, then cut the squares out. These would be HST's of course.
Retiree is offline  
Old 04-08-2015, 05:25 AM
  #8  
Power Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 11,276
Default

I use a tear away embroidery stabilizer. Although they do tear away all around your embroidery, they have a grain and will tear much easier in one direction. I cut about an 18" piece (width doesn't matter, but I usually work with 4 to 12 inches) and make sure there's a good straight edge going in the direction of the grain. Lay your pieces so the raw edges match the edge of the stabilizer all along the length. Sew your 1/4" seam, like you are chain piecing down the entire length of the stabilizer, then carefully tear away. Because you sewed down the entire length, you can usually tear the 1/4" piece off. Lay the next group of pieces on the remaining large piece and repeat. I often do this if I have a bunch of small HST, as this prevents the leading edge from being pushed into the needle plate.
PaperPrincess is offline  
Old 04-08-2015, 05:38 AM
  #9  
Power Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern California
Posts: 19,131
Default

I watched a F&P episode where someone was demo small blocks like Dear Jane. One of her suggestion is to oversize the individual pieces, press and then trim down to the correct size. It was an older episode with Liz Porter. It works for me.
ManiacQuilter2 is offline  
Old 04-08-2015, 05:47 AM
  #10  
Super Member
 
ghostrider's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 4,688
Default

There's a wash-away grid that you can use or you can draw your own grid on a wash-away foundation/stabilizer and use it like the gridded ones. Because they wash away, no bulk is added to the finished product...important with "itty bitty" squares of any size.

Are you making a pixelated quilt?

Last edited by ghostrider; 04-08-2015 at 05:49 AM.
ghostrider is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Tussymussy
Links and Resources
25
05-16-2011 08:58 AM
gailmitchell
Pictures
33
02-03-2011 11:48 AM
mantilla
Main
6
08-12-2010 03:13 AM
DonnaRae
Main
25
09-16-2009 08:25 AM
PrettyKitty
Pictures
47
06-22-2009 03:09 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


FREE Quilting Newsletter