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Michael-
Wish I lived near the shop so that I could take a class on that quilt! HOW did you get your Avatar to move that way? |
It makes sense to me. Ironing so often leads to stretched blocks!
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I do minimal ironing and have a wooden roller and Japanese sashiko bone presser that I use instead. I think it stops too much stretching and distortion from enthusiastic ironing.
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Very interesting alright. I usually iron every seam and still have trouble getting my points to line up and my seams pressed the right direction the first time.
Thanks for the tip; I'll be trying this out to see how it goes! |
I always wash and iron my fabric when it hits the house, Then only iron it again right before I cut. I do not use starch most of the time. I finger press all seams until I'm done with the whole thing then I iron one good time before sandwiching it together. That's it for the ironing and I don't waist a long of time in between sewing blocks so my quilt tops go faster.
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Originally Posted by DebraK
Going to the ironing board is my only form of exercise ;-)
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I, too, was told to press each seam as I made it - I'm going to try this though. Great idea
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Kaye came to my lqs and did a class....she's 'preaching' no ironing, just finger press the seams- your blocks turn out perfect with pointed stars just perfect. Sounds good to me. We were all 'brought up' to press everything every step of the way....not anymore per Kaye.
Blessings, MaryAnna |
Originally Posted by jitkaau
I do minimal ironing and have a wooden roller and Japanese sashiko bone presser that I use instead. I think it stops too much stretching and distortion from enthusiastic ironing.
Kind Regards, MaryAnna |
thank you for the tip i will try it, but im a ironer
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I iron as I go too, but it would be nice not to have to. Have to try it.
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I to was told to press all seams. I am going to try to finger press and see if it works for me.
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Was this for hand piecing? or both machine and hand?
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Originally Posted by miholmes
Her philosophy was, if you measure it right, cut it right, and sew an exact 1/4 right. Then the block will turn out right.
:-D There's too many variables in that one sentence above.. Measure right? almost always Cut it right? almost always sew an EXACT 1/4" - uhhhhhh no I lose track of what I'm doing sometimes :oops: Again - I'm an IRONER! |
Originally Posted by SewExtreme
Originally Posted by Prism99
What kind of block did you try this on? I'm wondering if it would work on a pieced log cabin.
In September I took a class from Kaye England. She had over a dozen of her quilts on the walls in the large room and you would not know it wasn't pressed until finished. My Bernina owner/quilter doesn't iron any of her quilts until she is done. And, she does beautiful quilting. I tried it... I like it. But, it does go against your normal inclination to press every seam sewn! :shock: :shock: |
Originally Posted by miholmes
Did I get your attention?
I recently took a class with Kaye England and it was kind of a real eye opener. She made us all try creating a block her way just to see how it turned out. Here were her rules: Iron your fabric first Then you don't touch the iron again until the block is done. In the real world application it was until the quilt top was done. While piecing it together you would sew the dark toward the dar without pressing. Her philosophy was, if you measure it right, cut it right, and sew an exact 1/4 right. Then the block will turn out right. Well I will say this...I'm an ironer....I like to press it all so it like cardboard going through the machine. But when I did it her way I was astonished at how well the blocked turned out. Points were lined up GREAT and another thing....NO PINS! I wondered if anyone else quilts like this all the time? After such a successful first try, I think I will continue this way, it actually saves a lot of time running back and forth to the iron. So I would say if you think you might like to do it, TRY a block. I was kinda amazed, did I mention that I'm kinda in love with Kaye England now? :-D |
I've always finger pressed even if I was going to press with the iron as well...makes it work better no matter what!
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Originally Posted by DebraK
Going to the ironing board is my only form of exercise ;-)
I get all my exercise going back & forth to the refrigerator, like normal people. :lol: |
I did a small log cabin block and did not press, it was much smaller than it was supposed to be. But I did not finger press either. I am always afraid I will distort more with finger pressing than pressing with an iron. I can remember my mother opening a seam and running it over the edge of the sewing machine cabinet. It must have worked for her, but that also seems as if it would distort. What do you all think?
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Originally Posted by DebraK
Going to the ironing board is my only form of exercise ;-)
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Yes, and sticking out my tongue helps too.[/quote]
Yep, me too, and screwing up my face helps too! :lol: |
Originally Posted by Up4BigChal
I actually just finished a top frm Eleanor Burns "Twistd Star" and I did a few blocks and did not get up to iron once until after I finish all the blocks in that set. Of course with Eleanor's patterns she makes it so simple but your right They came out perfect!!
Wow - that is beautiful! |
Originally Posted by k9dancer
Originally Posted by DebraK
Going to the ironing board is my only form of exercise ;-)
I get all my exercise going back & forth to the refrigerator, like normal people. :lol: |
Originally Posted by DebraK
Going to the ironing board is my only form of exercise ;-)
Thanks! Your one-liner made me laugh. Diane |
I always pin, sew, finger press, press with the iron. No wonder my blocks don't come out right. I'll have to try this method today while making a couple of blocks. Thanks for sharing.
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I will confess to having gotten a little lazy a few years back and slackened up a little on the ironing. My favorite tool was a tongue blade. Made a great little pressing tool. Then they came out with all kinds of things you could buy to do the same thing. I still finger press subunits but do give a good final press (steam iron) to each block before sewing rows together.
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Will definitely try this. Sounds like a time saver. Is this because of the stretching of the fabric? Always willing to try something new. Thanks for sharing.
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I have been ironing and other than burning my fingers from time to time wouldn't miss it. I will definitely try for the next BOM for my guild and see how it works. :)
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I only press blocks if doing HST. I startch very heavily and find finger pressing works well. I also find an unpressed seam allows for easier aligment when butting seams. I rarely use pins in block construction, but sometimes use them when sewing rows together and definitely when attatching borders.
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I'm going to have to try this more and see how things turn out. It takes me so long to put a top together and I have too many projects that I want to complete.
I got a 'finger pressing tool' as a gift not long ago and thought that I would never use it - will have to pull it out and give it a try! :) Thanks for all of the tips!! |
I went to a Kay England class, and I had the most fun ever. I would love to go again. But I do use an iron after each seam.
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Took a workshop with Kaye about 3 yrs ago and haven't ironed until the block is done since then. I find I have less distortion when I don't iron - esp with bias seams. Plus, I HATE to iron, so I loved Kaye's method. If I have a lot of intersecting seams in a block, I will sometimes use The Fabric Folding Pen. You run it along a seam and it wets (water and some light starchy stuff (or Best Press when starchy stuff gone)) the seam - then fold the seam - lays almost as flat as if ironed but easier to reverse the fold if needed.
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you folks are talking about ironing, not pressing. pressing is important. how ever you achieve it is okay. It is important if you are looking for a nice finish. I hear so many people complain. Do what works for you!
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Sally Collins says press after each seam is sewed. You really need it for the tiny blocks she does and we did in class.
However, guess the bottom line is do what is best for you to achieve the finished work. You notice the Kaye said - accurate measuring, cutting and seaming.......she didn't give any leeway here. |
Although I don't press with an iron until I finish the square, I do finger press the seams in the directon I need them to go as I piece. I was interested to see that some of you press the seams to set them, guess I will have to try that and see if it makes a difference.
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Originally Posted by miholmes
Did I get your attention?
I recently took a class with Kaye England and it was kind of a real eye opener. She made us all try creating a block her way just to see how it turned out. Here were her rules: Iron your fabric first Then you don't touch the iron again until the block is done. In the real world application it was until the quilt top was done. While piecing it together you would sew the dark toward the dar without pressing. Her philosophy was, if you measure it right, cut it right, and sew an exact 1/4 right. Then the block will turn out right. Well I will say this...I'm an ironer....I like to press it all so it like cardboard going through the machine. But when I did it her way I was astonished at how well the blocked turned out. Points were lined up GREAT and another thing....NO PINS! I wondered if anyone else quilts like this all the time? After such a successful first try, I think I will continue this way, it actually saves a lot of time running back and forth to the iron. So I would say if you think you might like to do it, TRY a block. I was kinda amazed, did I mention that I'm kinda in love with Kaye England now? :-D But I do iron a completed block so that the tops go together better...and that keeps me only having to press a few seams once the top is complete. Otherwise, I hate having to press the entire King size top...it's just too much at once. So far, so good :) Debbie in Austin |
Michael,
Your post is simply antithetical to my process. I'm like you: Pin the seam, sew the seam, "set the seam" by pressing (not ironing!), and, finally, press the seam towards the dark. Repeat this a million times until your quilt top is done. And, oh, by the way, I don't use steam, but I will use Best Press, which is absolutely remarkable. If I am following the logic, Kaye is saying if you cut correctly, and sew a 1/4" seam, everything will turn out correctly. Perhaps hew logic is all that "handling" of the fabric contributes to distortion. Am I correct? Actually, it makes sense. I am about to embark on another project. I will try not pressing. This will be OH, SO DIFFICULT not to press, but I will try it. Film at 11! Janet :) |
I press as I go but I may try this method.....at least once.
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Michael,
Typo . . . it should say Perhaps HER logic . . . |
I tried it on one of my blocks. It was hard not topress each seam as I did before, but IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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