Celtic Solstice chevron unit question
 

I am working on the chevron units for Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice quilt and I have made a test unit using the strip piecing method instead of the way Bonnie showed in her instructions. When I handle the finished chevron unit it seems to be really stretchy (I did starch all my fabric before cutting). I was hoping that someone here also used the strip piecing method to make the chevron units and can tell me if they held their shape when you started sewing the units/rows together. Or did the weight of the added units during assembly start to stretch them out of shape? Thanks for any input you can provide.

Are they cut on the bias? Why aren't you using Bonnie Hunter's method? Just curious.

Nammie to 7 - Yes they are cut on the bias. I did the test unit to see how it would work. I think overall the strip piecing is faster and I can get my points to line up easier - that's why I am considering it. I have no problem with triangles etc cut on the bias in general when piecing, it's just that my test unit seems stretchier that I expected.

doing it the 'strip piece' method is stretchy because of all the bias edges- and there is a good chance it will be quite wonky- unless you sew very slowly- carefully- be sure to *press* not iron- Bonnie's method is easier because you do not have all those wonky ~ bias edges to deal with. sometimes what may *seem* faster actually turns out slowing down the process.

I used Bonnie's method and those chevrons nearly made me bonkers. I should've tried something else, too.

I did the Bonnie's and strip piece method
..happy with neither results...don't know what it was but with this quilt I could not get precision piecing ....

Thanks so much to all of you for your input. I'm still not sure which method I am going to use, so I'm just going to work on the split triangles while I think about it some more. :)

I think someone on the Quiltville yahoo site used that bias method..I will wander over there and see what I can find. I finally finished all my blocks..but the chevrons were the last unit I finished up!...that and the orange triangle unit for the border...I am still not finished with those, but I might decide to do a diff border anyway.

i think there's a reason there are so many chevron prints :)

fabric physics!

aileen

As to the "pressing" - I was in one of Bonnie's workshops recently and she is adamant about using NO STEAM when piecing, because of the problem of stretching. Try one more block using no steam in the iron and see if that helps.