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hi everyone new to quilting still learning i am making a quilt; but when i go to put my blocks together they end up being smaller or some larger than others i pressed i starched but i need help what am i doing wrong? please help
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Accurate cutting is a must, as well as accurate seams. Press not iron as this can stretch your block even a little which will make a huge difference.
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If possible you can square up the blocks. Find the smallest one and square all others to that size. Of course this will not work if you are cutting off points.
As said above, accurate cutting, seaming, and pressing are the only real solution. Watch that 1/4 inch seam, that is usually the culprit. |
Before you sew them together square them - find the smallest one and cut the others to match that size. It could be cutting, it could be the fabric is stretching, or it could be the seam allowance isn't consistent. Cut them square and constant, then sew them together.
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Trust me, with practice you do get the hang of it! You should see some of my early work! It was awful, but at the time, I liked it! Don't get discouraged!
I had a "friend" tell me, I had only been quilting for a few months, that "I would never get it". Well, guess what? That was a challenge! We both put quilts in our local quilt show, and I placed, she didn't even get anything! HAHAHAHA Don't tell me I can't! And, yes, she was MAD! |
Originally Posted by joan_quilts
Trust me, with practice you do get the hang of it! You should see some of my early work! It was awful, but at the time, I liked it! Don't get discouraged!
I had a "friend" tell me, I had only been quilting for a few months, that "I would never get it". Well, guess what? That was a challenge! We both put quilts in our local quilt show, and I placed, she didn't even get anything! HAHAHAHA Don't tell me I can't! And, yes, she was MAD! |
Practice sewing "scant" 1/4" seams until you can get a consistent measurement. Find a spot on your sewing machine or mark with tape where you can end up with a "scant" 1/4" seam. ("Scant" means a thread ot two just short of a measured 1/4".)
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If your blocks are just a little off (1/4" or less) you can often block them up to size. I use a cork bulletin board. For a 12 1/2" unfinished I took a permanent sharpy marker and drew a perfect 12 1/2" square on my cork board (used my square ruler). I then pin the block to the board matching up to the drawn lines. First I pin opposing corners (diagonal opposing corners) then work my way around the block pinning and stretching the block to fit. I use however many pins are necessary to get the block strectched out to size. Sometimes this can take up to 10 pins per side. Once pinned I take a spray mister bottle with just plain water and spray the block until it is wet. Leave it to air dry. I usually leave it overnight. This blocking procedure will often get your pieced blocks up to the correct size and square them up at the same time. When you remove all the pins the block will stay the size it was stretched to. If your blocks are smaller than 12 1/2" unfinished you may not be able to get as much as a 1/4" out of them. You will know once you start pinning them to the board if they won't make it at all.
I prefer this method to cutting down when points are involved. If the block is all squares and rectangles with no points, like a 9 patch or 4 patch, cutting down to smallest size may be more desireable. |
Originally Posted by feline fanatic
If your blocks are just a little off (1/4" or less) you can often block them up to size. I use a cork bulletin board. For a 12 1/2" unfinished I took a permanent sharpy marker and drew a perfect 12 1/2" square on my cork board (used my square ruler). I then pin the block to the board matching up to the drawn lines. First I pin opposing corners (diagonal opposing corners) then work my way around the block pinning and stretching the block to fit. I use however many pins are necessary to get the block strectched out to size. Sometimes this can take up to 10 pins per side. Once pinned I take a spray mister bottle with just plain water and spray the block until it is wet. Leave it to air dry. I usually leave it overnight. This blocking procedure will often get your pieced blocks up to the correct size and square them up at the same time. When you remove all the pins the block will stay the size it was stretched to. If your blocks are smaller than 12 1/2" unfinished you may not be able to get as much as a 1/4" out of them. You will know once you start pinning them to the board if they won't make it at all.
I prefer this method to cutting down when points are involved. If the block is all squares and rectangles with no points, like a 9 patch or 4 patch, cutting down to smallest size may be more desireable. thank you. |
I have done this method, but used spray starch. I'm going to try plain water next time.
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