Many months ago I prepared all of my fabric for a double wedding ring quilt - I have been putting it off because I knew it was going to challenge me and now I am pulling out my hair and crying. Now my sister wanted earthy colors and that is what I have given her but I just cannot seem to get this going right. The pattern is from McCall's Quilting (one of their free ones) and the arcs are paperpieced (this was the easy part).
I have attached a pic - why do I have the puckers? when it lays flat the center puckers up. It says not to remove the paper until the quilt is all sewn together. Ready to cry and pull my hair out and I have only sewn two seams!!!

I am doing the DWR by fylnn. How he has us set the football is after the 2 end pieces are added to the one side then add the 2nd ring.

I have made several, and most of the puckers pressed out. I don't know if that is the problem or not
I never leave the paper in when joining pieces like that together, cause you can't stretch, or ease in to make them fit. to me paper just gets in the way. Maybe you should try one without the paper and see if it works better for you.

I am working on the same pattern, and two things have helped me. First, forget the paper; after the arcs were pieced I had better luck marking my seam lines with pencil and removing the paper. Second, I switched to hand piecing the curves.

Just stick with it, we will get there together!

I don''t know but it is going to be pretty.

I wouldn't let a few little puckers get in the way of whats turning out to be a beautiful piece. Remember when its quilted and washed you won't even notice. And as you do more you will get a better feel of what the fabric is trying to tell you. =)

The colors are lovely. I've never made one, so I can't offer any advice there, but it sounds like you are getting some good help here. Good luck!

Also, pin pin pin! Curves can be tough, but using more pins than you think you need can help.

maybe your stitch length is a bit too small? 2.4 would do well enough.
so far it looks lovely. keep going hon.

I'm so sorry for your frustration and I'm too inexperienced to be a help, but I love your colors!! Hope you get the help you need.

I am doing one and get those puckers too. I folded the football in half and pinned it to the center of the arc, then went to each end and pinned it so the football had a little ear sticking out. Then I took the part between the middle and end and bowed it up until it "fit", pinched it and then pinned it with the pins angling slightly. It worked much better.

I would take a pic since I have on I am working on right now but my camera's battery is dead!

that is a good idea. I will remove the paper from one and try that. thank you.

Yes, I did mark the center of the arc and the football and pinned and pinned but I will keep trying and see what I end up with. I have too much money invested in this fabric to just set it aside, so I have to do something with it.

This is my favorite pattern, but too scared to try. One day, I will though.

Did you sew with the melon on the top?
Did you cut the melons on the bias?
Keep the paper on the arcs but not on the melons.

I started out sewing with the melon on the bottom because I was following the 1/4 seam on the paper. and I don't remember if I cut them on the bias or not - the directions did not say one way or the other. I did not use paper on the melons.

I removed the paper from one and it worked much better. It is still a challenge tho!!!

It'll be very pretty. Thats one of my future projects.

I have quilted by hand some DWR's and the melons were always full, but hand quilting tames them down. Don't know about machine quilting.

I have made several king sized double wedding ring quilts, they pucker also, but quilt out beautifully. By hand of course.

When I made mine, I sewed from the center out and then went to the center again to sew the other way out to the ends. It worked for me. Sometimes like the other ladies say pressing has helped, just hang in there, from the colors its gonna be really pretty!!!!

Here is a video that may help. Ebony uses the AccuQuilt system, but, she has a video on how to sew this. I started to make one about 5 years ago, and will be using her way of sewing it together. Hth.

http://quiltpossible.com/12/29/120/

Steam iron! I've done several, not PP's. I find that a good iron is my best friend with the double wedding ring.

How do you cut the melons on the bias? I am doing the glorified nine patch and the melons have to be worked in. can be messy sometimes. MY question is how would I lay my fabric,.

I don't have any suggestions but I love the colors. Keep at it and I'm sure someone here will have the right info to help you.

Love your colors!

I was scared of the idea of a DWR but got gutsy and made a beautiful one for GD's wedding present (Never got a thank you! Aren't I being a B---- today!!) But did not do the PP, found it was quite easy to do. I now have one cut in Amish colors (Black footballs).

I hand pieced 6 dwr tops one year. For me hand piecing is the only way. That was 10 years ago. Not pieced another one since. LOL

I agree with this. I think the puckers will press out after you remove the paper. I know it says leave in the paper when joining blocks but with these arcs I would remove so I could ease when needed. I think it will be a gorgeous quilt. Keep going!!!

when I have trouble with my curves, I stitch from the middle of the melon out........

DITTO..that and if you are going to remove the paper, first do a stay stitch on your sewing line...this will help keep the fabrics where they should be..IF you stretch your fabrics to fit the football...then you will have MORE puckers later...stretching is NEVER a good thing in quilt making!

if you want to make one this is the best way i have seen!
it is on video someplace.
CHERYL PHILLIPS

http://www.softexpressions.com/softw...ndexRulers.php

Your fabric is beautiful. If you really can't get the puckers out with the online advice, go to your LQS and see if they will help you in person. You are right it is too much money to waste and your sis would be too disappointed.

Is it possible when it is quilted you can quilt those puckers out. Just a thought.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-4260-1.htm

this is a tutorial that patrice once did. it's the best one i ever saw.
you don't have to do anything else but pay attention to the part where she attaches the melon to the arches. i find the pictures very helpful because it's in 'real time'.

i hope it helps you.

I recently made a wedding ring quilt using a special pressure foot from "Just Curves". It is available online, just type in Just Curves. It truly makes it the easiest way to sew curves, there is no pinning or puckers. It really does work and is worth the $23

I have never made a quilt with curves but I love the colors; Good Luck!

I don't know a thing about paper pieceing. But, I've done my fair share of Double Wedding Rings. It just takes practice. Keep going. You'll get the hang of it.

I'm with you - stop now - get advice - correct the pucker problem before moving on. You'll be disappointed if they don't simply iron out and usually they won't. I would try what folks are instructing you to do, then redo that first one to remove more puckers. Pin, pin, pin. Can't wait to see it. What ever you do, don't stop completely. It's gonna be great!

I'm working on a DWR using John Flynn's templates and book. It is time consuming but it's working up nicely albeit slowly. The most critical part of piecing any quilt is getting the correct scant 1/4" seam ( really doesn't apply to PP). I had a bit of trouble with my first arc..it was doable but was just a tiny tiny bit off..I called the company and asked how to address this problem..the lady sent me John Flynn's business card that has HIS 1/4" seam mark on the back. Let me tell you it made a world of difference. Oddly enough the seam allowance in the printed templates in the book are NOT the same as the card which is what I originally set my machine to do..probably happened with the printing of the book..not sure but I'm really happy now that I can make the blocks pretty darn close to perfect. I mark everysingle intersection..takes time but I will do it for every single arc and melon. I spent a fortune on the fabric and I am not going to compromise my work.