I really am not dumb but...........

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08-30-2012, 07:18 PM

#71

bearisgray

Power Poster

Join Date: May 2008

Location: MN

Posts: 24,391

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neesie

Until recently, all of my piecing was done with C&C thread and 1/4" seams. Different weights of fabrics. No problems (other than human carelessness) with blocks matching (and being the right size) or points being where they should be. Consistency & proper cutting and pressing, is what really matters.

I still use C&C thread - and my blocks usually end up being quite close to the expected size.

I have some very old hand-pieced blocks - those seam allowances are less than 1/4 inch.

Perhaps one reason for narrow seam allowances on those - I think fabric was an expensive commodity for many people - and people used the absolute minimum seam width that would not pull apart. Perhaps approximately 1/4 inch was around that width.

09-01-2012, 05:16 PM

#72

Alondra

Super Member

Join Date: Mar 2010

Location: Texas

Posts: 2,281

Quote:

Originally Posted by sewmary

Bah! Any pattern that mentions a scant 1/4 is banished from my life. Since that measurement can't be defined it is worthless.

I also don't fret if I can't exactly meet the given dimensions of a pattern. For the most part (I said MOST not all) it just doesn't matter.

I can't imagine my grandmother sitting at her treadle worrying if she is sewing a scant 1/4" - or a precise 1/4" either and she produced some amazing quilts!

This is a hobby to be enjoyed, not to get tangled up in stuff that gives people stress.

Love your attitude! I also cannot imagine my grandmother fretting about such trivialities, but she made some truly lovely quilts in her lifetime, and she wasn't all stressed out about scant quarter inches. Life is too short!

09-03-2012, 01:53 PM

#73

nuevaquilter

Member

Join Date: Feb 2012

Location: S. Jamesport, NY

Posts: 74

Yes! Yes! Yes! Wish I'd figured this out when I started. I don't really care if a quilt top is a little smaller than the pattern predicts -- that's what borders are for, in my opinion. Consistency is way more important.

09-10-2012, 06:10 AM

#74

gmcsewer

Senior Member

Join Date: Oct 2009

Posts: 682

I usually draft my patterns on 1/4 inch graph paper. When you do this and have half square or quarter square triangles, the finished product hardly ever fits the beginning design. Sooo. I set my needle to a little less that 1/4 inch and that gives some room for trimming if necessary. If you have a design with 4 squares across and only lose 1/32 of an inch, that amounts ot 1/8 inch which isn't noticable, but if you lose 1/16 on each, that is 1/4 inch which will mean that things won't fit.