Attaching rows and the direction of seams
#1
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Attaching rows and the direction of seams
When you sew your rows together, to you open out adjoining seams or do you lay one to the right and the other to the left?
They seem to fit better when you lay the seams in opposing directions, but when I first learned to sew we were to iron the seams out, but that could be just garments. Which do you find is better for the quilt?
They seem to fit better when you lay the seams in opposing directions, but when I first learned to sew we were to iron the seams out, but that could be just garments. Which do you find is better for the quilt?
#2
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Location: Tulsa, Ok
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I press one to the right and one to the left so they "nest" together--sure makes lining up block seams easier and evens out the thickness of the fabric layers. I don't press open unless it is absolutely necessary for narrow areas.
#4
I press my seams to one side in opposing directions so they nest at the intersection. About the only time I press my seams open is to reduce bulk in some patterns.
When I am sewing strips of fabric or a number of rows together I also sew one seam in one direction and the next seam in the opposite direction. This really helps reduce the rows and fabric from stretching and the strip getting wonky. To help me keep track of the direction I put a pin in the end that I just finished. That tells me where I need to start sewing the next time. By doing this I can put my project down and do something else and still know where I am supposed to be. Hope this make sense.
When I am sewing strips of fabric or a number of rows together I also sew one seam in one direction and the next seam in the opposite direction. This really helps reduce the rows and fabric from stretching and the strip getting wonky. To help me keep track of the direction I put a pin in the end that I just finished. That tells me where I need to start sewing the next time. By doing this I can put my project down and do something else and still know where I am supposed to be. Hope this make sense.
#5
Agree with the others about pressing in the opposite direction to nest the seams when doing rows...i do however usually press seams open on those blocks (like many star blocks) that have multiple seams converging as it helps eliminate bulk and "bumps".
#6
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
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I have made several modern quilts by Ringle & Kerr, and they will often tell you to press the seams open. It's a lot more work, but I have found that if I don't do it, I often end up with seams where both sides are pressed in the same direction. Not good. When the seams are pressed open, there's never a problem. I pin carefully, and I find that my intersections look about the same if I nest them or not. I think it's all a matter of personal preference.
#7
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Morris Plains, NJ
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05-03-2011 08:49 AM