I feel like I am messing up my patchwork pillowcases - help needed
#11
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Welcome to the board. You will learn so much here. With 4 1/2” squares and scant 1/4” seam allowance (one thread less than 1/4” to allow for bulk when pressing) you will end up with a 4” finished square. Making 4 across and four down will give you finished 16” (16 1/2” unfinished). A lot depends on the thickness of your insert. You can make one and see how that works out. If it is too tight, try making your seam allowances 1/8”. You would have to decrease your stitch length and really line up the edges well so you are sure you grab all the fabric. You could also sew with the 1/4” seam allowance and add a border all around. Good luck.
Thank you for that suggestion. I don't actually have the inserts, I'm making the cases here and sending them to my friend in the US who has inserts, so that's where my anxiety is coming in. 1/8" seam allowances will be too small, I don't think I can manage that. It sounds like I either have to add a border or recut larger squares.
Last edited by Vandamme; 05-12-2018 at 06:21 AM.
#12
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#13
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Welcome to the board! You have some good suggestions here. Your enthusiasm is great, but as you have learned, it's a good idea to finish a test block for your project before you cut out multiples. Go ahead and finish one 16-patch and see how it fits. If it needs to be bigger, try to decide how much you need and add a border. Remember you will be bordering all four sides, so if you think you need two more inches, the borders would be one inch on each side. You also need seam allowance, so your strips would be cut 1.5" wide.
Do post some pictures - we love them! And come back if you have more questions, newbie or otherwise. There are lots of helpful people on this board.
Do post some pictures - we love them! And come back if you have more questions, newbie or otherwise. There are lots of helpful people on this board.
#14
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Location: Pacific NW
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I'm afraid that if you make your 16 patch blocks (4x4) they may turn out just shy of the 16" you need, and not really shy enough to warrant a border. You could make the center patch 3x3 (12-ish" square), add a 6" border, then square it up to 17" (allowing 1/2" seam allowance). With the hundreds of squares you have cut, you could make more cases.
Good luck with your project. I hope you can share the results and that your friend is pleased with them.
Good luck with your project. I hope you can share the results and that your friend is pleased with them.
#15
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 1,131
Thank you for that suggestion. I don't actually have the inserts, I'm making the cases here and sending them to my friend in the US who has inserts, so that's where my anxiety is coming in. 1/8" seam allowances will be too small, I don't think I can manage that. It sounds like I either have to add a border or recut larger squares.
I've not made pillow covers with patchwork, but often use upholstery fabric that has been washed and shrunk before cutting out. I usually make the cover an inch or two smaller than the form.
Postage costs so much that I soon found it better to make the covers and let the person on the other end buy the forms, or send the money to have them buy forms.
I wish you many happy hours of sewing.
#16
If you sew a scant 1/4" on all seams, starting with 4.5" squares, you will wind up with a square that is 16" finished, or 16.5" unfinished. This leaves 1/4" all around so when two panels are sewn together each finished side is 16".
If you want the unfinished patchwork to be 16", you can simply trim off 1/4" all around after you've sewn the 16 pieces together.
You can find instructions online for measuring your 1/4" seam. Here's one source - https://www.craftsy.com/quilting/art...ter-inch-seam/ It is not the size of the seam allowance that matters, but the size of the finished piece.
Since you're sending the patchwork to someone else, I would make sure it's at least 16" (since that's what your pattern calls for) and not worry if it's a bit larger. Let the person who is putting the patchwork on the forms do the final bit of trimming and sewing to fit the forms.
If you want the unfinished patchwork to be 16", you can simply trim off 1/4" all around after you've sewn the 16 pieces together.
You can find instructions online for measuring your 1/4" seam. Here's one source - https://www.craftsy.com/quilting/art...ter-inch-seam/ It is not the size of the seam allowance that matters, but the size of the finished piece.
Since you're sending the patchwork to someone else, I would make sure it's at least 16" (since that's what your pattern calls for) and not worry if it's a bit larger. Let the person who is putting the patchwork on the forms do the final bit of trimming and sewing to fit the forms.
#17
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Join Date: May 2018
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Posts: 38
I'm afraid that if you make your 16 patch blocks (4x4) they may turn out just shy of the 16" you need, and not really shy enough to warrant a border. You could make the center patch 3x3 (12-ish" square), add a 6" border, then square it up to 17" (allowing 1/2" seam allowance). With the hundreds of squares you have cut, you could make more cases.
for a 17'' panel, how big do the squares have to be to allow for the 1/4" seam allowance for the patchwork and the 1/2" seam allowance all around? I can convert in centimeters but it gives me strange measurements like 4.33 inches.
Also, with 1/2" seam on all 4 sides and 1/4" seam in between the squares, do some squares end up looking smaller?
I'd like to recut a batch of correctly sized squares to try and assemble a panel...Sorry for all the newbie questions
It's a two-person project, I'm in charge of the squares because I have the rotary cutter and mat and my co-worker is sewing because he has the sewing machine, but has no experience with patchwork, he mainly does clothes. So we're both learning. And I have to download some videos for us to watch together. It's like a mini-sewing school. We'd like the project to take off so we can offer something that is already very beautiful but the wrong size, we have some minor adjustments to make I think mostly on measurements and then on technique. Once we've assembled one with everything done right, pressing the seams the right way, all the right seam allowances, the patches the right size for the 17" panel, we will feel more comfortable.
We just found a product we liked and set about replicating it, and did a really great job but we didn't know there were so many technical parts we were missing. I feel bad having joined and being so clueless. This is probably not the type of members you're looking for, although we love what we're doing and we're enthusiastic about it. We believe in it and have the desire to do it the right way, just jumping in we didn't know what we didn't know. And now we do and it's a bit sobering.
#18
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Join Date: May 2018
Location: Congo
Posts: 38
as you can see there are so many issues below. The edges aren't serged...the squares weren't sewn straight, some squares that were too small were included anyway. I'd like to establish the proper patchwork techniques here and teach them to tailors so taht they can offer that in their arsenal in terms of products they can make and sell. So it would be a skill for them to end up earning money from. That was the original idea behind making the pillowcases, was bringing a new technique into town.
Last edited by Vandamme; 05-12-2018 at 12:34 PM.
#19
my squares sewn together made a 16 1/2 inch front which includes the 1/2 inch for seams. 1/4 on all sides of course. you could get some Fray Check in a bottle and put some on the raw edges inside to keep them from shredding. threads can get into the zipper which is irritating. the Fray Check drys a bit hard, so keep it in places one won't see or touch of course.
hmmm, the lower left squares that are not sewn straight-can you remove stitches on those and resew? otherwise check with a ruler to see how much seam allowance you have on those. it may work as is if it is enough to stay sewn well.
if you cannot get the Fray Check, can you remove the zipper and somehow finish the raw/cut edges of that fabric? only if necessary. I hate to have you do that. but you may have to. let's see if anyone else has better ideas....
hmmm, the lower left squares that are not sewn straight-can you remove stitches on those and resew? otherwise check with a ruler to see how much seam allowance you have on those. it may work as is if it is enough to stay sewn well.
if you cannot get the Fray Check, can you remove the zipper and somehow finish the raw/cut edges of that fabric? only if necessary. I hate to have you do that. but you may have to. let's see if anyone else has better ideas....
#20
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Congo
Posts: 38
my squares sewn together made a 16 1/2 inch front which includes the 1/2 inch for seams. 1/4 on all sides of course. you could get some Fray Check in a bottle and put some on the raw edges inside to keep them from shredding. threads can get into the zipper which is irritating. the Fray Check drys a bit hard, so keep it in places one won't see or touch of course.
hmmm, the lower left squares that are not sewn straight-can you remove stitches on those and resew? otherwise check with a ruler to see how much seam allowance you have on those. it may work as is if it is enough to stay sewn well.
if you cannot get the Fray Check, can you remove the zipper and somehow finish the raw/cut edges of that fabric? only if necessary. I hate to have you do that. but you may have to. let's see if anyone else has better ideas....
hmmm, the lower left squares that are not sewn straight-can you remove stitches on those and resew? otherwise check with a ruler to see how much seam allowance you have on those. it may work as is if it is enough to stay sewn well.
if you cannot get the Fray Check, can you remove the zipper and somehow finish the raw/cut edges of that fabric? only if necessary. I hate to have you do that. but you may have to. let's see if anyone else has better ideas....
All I need now is what to start with in terms of squares with seam allowance in order to finish and have a patchwork panel that measures 17"the maths in imperial system are really beating me down, I've only ever used metric. And I can't use metric now because my rotary cutter ruler and mat are in inches.
I wonder if there is an online calculator for patchwork and quilting? You enter your desired finished width, number of patches desired side seam allowance and desired patch seam allowance and it calculates the patch sizes, bam! I found so many other calculators online, converting baking recipes to French, or blood pressure to european measures or currency...
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