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-   -   Been quilting long enough to know how....but don't. (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/been-quilting-long-enough-know-how-but-dont-t187208.html)

Teddybear Lady 04-26-2012 10:01 AM


Originally Posted by virtualbernie (Post 5171698)
And when all else fails, I clip near the unruly seam and within a hair's breath of the seam, leave the unruly seam where it is and press the rest of the seam to where it should be!

This is what I do.

cwessel47 04-26-2012 10:33 AM

If it happens in a place that makes a difference - and it does sometimes! - don't rip out the entire seam. Just the few stitches that turned the seam allowance the wrong way. It only takes a second or two. I want those seams out of my way when I hand quilt so I do it. I also finally purchased some Clover fork pins. They are quite expensive and I don't use them a lot, but they keep things going in the right direction like nothing else!

jcrow 04-26-2012 10:47 AM

Every single quilt I've made, it has happened. Not as much as it use to. Guess I'm getting lucky. I have never ripped out a seam because of it. They have never caused a problem before. I only notice them when I flip my block over. After it's quilted, I can't tell the difference. I'm never going to be a perfectionist when it comes to quilting. I love to quilt and I make mistakes and if they are big mistakes, I fix them, otherwise, I just keep going and enjoy the process. I only give my quilts away and not one person has ever said anything but nice things about my quilts. And I've made over 30 quilts and given most away and most have twisted seams.

PaperPrincess 04-26-2012 11:17 AM

I think what happens to me is that there's a slight bump where the throat plate meets the bed of my machine. If the loose edge of the seam on the bottom goes first, it can catch on this bump and flip. When I have a long seam with lots of intersecting seams, i sew a bit slower. When the seam intersection has just passed this bump, I take my stiletto and drag it under the fabric to make sure that the seam is going in the right direction. If it's facing the right direction when the seam is totally on the throat plate, the feed dogs will do the rest.

burchquilts 04-26-2012 02:22 PM

I'm a complete weird-o fanatic about this. When I learned to quilt, my teacher insisted our backs looked as good as the front (her thinking being that if the back was all in order, the front would reflect that). I was also taught to press my seams open & I do. Plus I press every seam as soon as I sew it (no finger pressing for me). I rarely have my seams flip. I mean, it may seem like a lot of extra work to do it like I do but I think it pays off. Just my opinion...

NanaCsews2 04-26-2012 06:19 PM


Originally Posted by burchquilts (Post 5172324)
I'm a complete weird-o fanatic about this. When I learned to quilt, my teacher insisted our backs looked as good as the front (her thinking being that if the back was all in order, the front would reflect that). I was also taught to press my seams open & I do. Plus I press every seam as soon as I sew it (no finger pressing for me). I rarely have my seams flip. I mean, it may seem like a lot of extra work to do it like I do but I think it pays off. Just my opinion...

I could have written this post! Must be in the 'county water' (I live just south of burchquilts) to be a little 'anal' about our quilting. I could probably count on one hand the # of times my seams have twisted. I never realized this was so common. I use a stiletto when needed. I press with an iron to set every single seam and then open to the correct side (some blocks make a huge difference which way it is pressed. Not always toward the dark.) and press again. This is one of the first lessons I learned years ago when I started making blocks. Always use a small dry iron to press the stitches, then press open. I also press all my foundation seams. Nice, crisp seams. Makes a difference I think on how the blocks end up looking when all done. I starch only the fabrics that have been washed first. When I have 2 seams meeting for points, I pin at a 45 degree angle from the right side to the left, then pin straight across that pin starting on the left going to the right. I will re-iron a seam if 2 seams were in the same direction, so they end up facing opposite directions. Butt them up tight and pin. If my points were 1 stitch off from being exact, I will rip out as much needed to get it back on track. I think I see too much since I started wearing glasses to sew.

Grace creates 04-26-2012 07:00 PM

I pin and use a cuticle stick to hold things in place. I do not like bumps that occur, because I was told it creates a weak spot in the quilt. I'm not the quilt police but it does get on my nerves when I do that. Most of the time i rip out those few stitches, because I think if I rip it out I'm less prone to doing it again

0tis 04-26-2012 07:08 PM

Yep I do the same - sometimes I will snip those "wrong-way" seams. I try to get them right but sometimes it just doesn't happen.

QuiltingCrazie 04-26-2012 08:36 PM

I used to have that problem once in a while it rears its ugly head now. I started adjusting my sewing....for example if most of the seams were pointing towards the feedogs I simply flipped it and sew in up side down after I pin. I also look as the seams approach the foot and double check they are laying flat. I can't stand ripping and resewing but will do it every time because that is one of the things that bothers me in my projects so I try to avoid that. Now if when going over that seam if my stitch length would stay consistent I would love that!! Sometimes it goes long....sigh...

nantucketsue 04-27-2012 03:56 AM

Happens to me all the time. If it is going to cause a problem I just snip it.


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