I'm piecing together some blocks right now that are definitely a challenge for me. I know for your seams to match up correctly it all depends on you cutting accurately, sewing 1/4" accurately and pressing accurately. I certainly do my best to do all that as well as I can, but I still have seams that don't line up. How can you ever do everything perfectly, so your block comes out perfectly?! Is it just a matter of years and years of practice?

I'm not the type that can seam rip over and over until it's right. I just don't have that kind of patience. My straight seams are all matching up, it's these angled pieces that you can't match up while pinning that I'm having trouble with. I can't see that they've matched up, or not, until I sew and press open. I can kind of pin it in place and open it a little to see if it's close, but can't tell if it's exact until it's a done deal.

I know there's probably no magic tip that can help me. It's the same 'ole cut well, sew a correct 1/4" and redo it if it's not right. I just needed to complain. :P

You're doing some fairly complicated blocks, give yourself a break!! Being off that much on one seam in a whole block isn't bad at all!! Quilt it and wash it and you'll never see it.

Just quickly looking at the misaligned seam, I am wondering if the the seams are just a tad more than 1/4"....it looks like it may be, from what I can see pressed back, and that can throw the alignment off.

I stick a pin straight down through both seams to be sure they're even then I pin along the seam line with a long pin, run it in and out like basting so I can open it up and peek, if it looks good I carefully repin off the seamline and remove the first one so I can sew. Sometimes nothing works. I've never made a perfect quilt but I have places on all of them that are!

Angles are harder to pin, have you ever tried glue basting? I have found it helpful for alignments like these.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-29275-1.htm

My blogjust disappeared. I was saying, I took a class recently for a bargello and she gave us each a glue stick and we put a dab of glue on each seam and then matched the other side to it and pressed the two to go together with my finger. Then when I sewed them together the fabric worked itself in and the seams matched. I finished a king size bargello and all seams matched up. And the glue disappates quickly and does not gum up the needle for some reason. Hope this might work for you.

When I look at the blocks "from a distance" - as in the top picture - everything looks aligned to me.

It may be that one's eyes/brain just sort of "fill-in" to what it's supposed to be, but it does look good to me. (I'm really NOT a member of the **, but I DO notice)

Like Deb Watkins wrote, your seams may be a bit "off." It may be that your seams are a bit too deep and that's what causing that. Try deliberately making a seam too shallow and see if it does the opposite and that may help diagnose the problem.

Here's a tip I use when piecing angled pieces. Put a pin through the seam 1/4" in from the edge. Then poke the pin through the seam 1/4" from the edge of the other unit. Hold the pin straight up and down between two of your fingers (don't come back up through the fabric with your pin, just hold it in place) and take another pin and pin on each side of your first pin, then sew your seam, making sure to hit the "spot" thats marked with the first pin, removing the pins as you come to them. Kinda hard to explain! When you put your pin through the two seams, you'll see why it's so hard to sew them correctly because the seams don't line up.

It is frustrating to get the angles to line up, that is for sure. Try the glue basting, if that does not work, this might, it is time consuming and I learned this from a pro that enters quilt shows to win. Let me know if it works for you. Hand baste, eww, I know, right? Just one or 2 stitches at each intersection, leave the thread hanging and just go down the block. It takes a little longer than pinning but before you sew you KNOW it is lined up, and the stitches are easy to take out. I have not done this yet.

I also have a 1/4" foot and marked a 1/4 using blue paint ers tape and putting a second layer on the tape gives it a border to follow. And "press" don't iron. I tend to stretch my seams when I ironed incorectly. I am talking about what happens to me, not you. Just a thought. lol

So with the glue basting, just stick a little bit right where my seams match, stick them together and press it with a dry iron? What about if you don't line them up correctly and you have to redo the glue? Does the fabric come apart easily at all?

The problem is happening on that outside strip that I piece on last. Seems that some of the strips are too long for the block and I'm having to pin on the straight seams and ease inbetween. I was thinking maybe my 1/4" was too scant on those last strips. I'm sure I'll get it all figured out on the last block. :)

Kathy, I love where you said you've never made a perfect quilt, but each quilt you've made has perfects spots. How true!!

I'm in agreement with Deb, too. It 'looks' like your seams may be too deep, more than 1/4". Does your pattern call for 1/4" or a scant 1/4"? Have you measured your seam width to make sure it is what your pattern calls for? Some directions will call for a scant 1/4" when you have so many pieces in a block, but others do not. Consistency is what matters.

Also, what type of thread you use for piecing can make a big difference on the outcome, too. Many quilters have switched to using 50 weight 2 ply for piecing instead of the traditional 3 ply. It makes a HUGE difference!! My piecing has improved tremendously just by switching to a 2 ply, like Aurafil or any other 2 ply. They are just as strong as the 2 ply, but thinner so they take up less room in the seam.

I've pieced a lot of blocks similar to the ones you're doing, and it does look like, as Deb mentioned about the alignment, that your seam might be too deep, more than 1/4".

Be patient, checking these few steps will go a long way to improve your piecing, as will practice. As another poster said, you are doing a fairly complicated block, so please, don't be so hard on yourself. You will be much happier with the end result if you rip and redo once you've found out what's causing the misalignment. Best of luck and please, keep us posted on your progress.

Karla

I also ease the fabric (pull on the top or bottom) to get the seams to line up if there's a slight mismatch.

If I absolutely, positively have to have everything be "perfect" I paper piece. I get much better results with points that way.

I call them tailor tacks and that is what I have to resort to. I have been afraid that glue will gum up my machine. Any thoughts?

Karla, you just gave me an epiphany! I haven't been paying much attention to thread weights when I piece. It never occurred to me that it could significantly affect the piece size.

Isn't this board just a wealth of information?

Just a thought...my sewing machine has a tendency to "push" places with seams. Am in the process of pressing all my seams open to try and counteract this problem. It happens when the seam is pressed towards the machine as it approaches. It doesn't happen when the seam is pressed in the direction towards me. (Does this make sense?)

Ohhh my gosh - I just love it!!!

50 weight 2 ply? I never knew about this, thanks for the tip.

Oh I want to try this. Actually I do this sort of basting with my Lizzie when I think anything will shift--I baste or tack with the machine every few inches across. I pull it out before I roll the quilt.

hijacking, debbie, your kittie is dancing to Wham as I read, its very funny...

Good grief, Rachel :) You're making some beautiful blocks there...and you're worried about your seams being a smidge off??? (I know, I know ~~ YOU know and that's what bothers you.............I'm the same way :))

I haven't read all the answers, so I am sorry if I am repeating, but I was having the same problem when I first started quilting. I discover what my problem was. I was making sure that the seams were pressed in opposite directions, but when I butt them against each other, I was only doing it on the edge, instead of all the way down. Your seam is 1/4 inch, so you need to make sure the seams are butted all the way down. It helps to pin on both sides of the corners.

Taylor tacks. That's perfect. I've been letting a tumbling blocks pattern age forever because I couldn't get them to line up right, i think this will work. thanks Pam!!!

Don't stress over it. This is supposed to be fun and relaxing, not stressful.

SUPER!! That's one of the things I love about this board; we're all here to help each other. :thumbup: Hope you find it as helpful as many others have. Keep us posted. :D

and now, a serious reply....everyone has made excellent suggestions...All of which I need to take into consideration considering what the blocks that I slaved over all day today look like.... :hunf:

I am still new to all this, but one thing I did learn early on, is to not pin at the direct seam line. I line them up and check and recheck, then pin on either side of the seam, but still in that quarter inch.

What sort of glue do you use for basting, just the school type or something special?

I use Elmers washable school glue and touch it with an iron to dry it. If it doesn't match up on the first try, it separates easily with a gentle tug to reposition and reglue.

I line up the points with a straight pin stuck in the points as mentioned in other replies, then glue and iron. If the glue is dry, I haven't noticed any gunking of the needle.

This is what I do. It really saved my bacon while working on a Buggy Barn sailboat quilt for my son. Lots of 1/4 square triangles in the sashing of each block that had to meet the points of the triangles around the next block! If I hadn't stuck a pin through where the point should match, it would have been a mess. But don't be so hard on your self. You have done a fabulous job! I love that quilt. Very pleasing color choices, too. And once it is quilted and washed, the distance will close and you really won't notice it.

if I have an intersection that I want to match up I'll pin until I get it just perfect then go to the machine and "pre-sew" just that place with a few stitches, then sew the pieces together just like normal. When I get to that intersection, it's already sewn so I know it's not going to shift or move and any adjustments can be made before or after that spot. I just sew right on over those few stitches as if they weren't there.

that is a good tip, why didn't we think of that, thanks for sharing

I just love this board, everyone is so helpful and giving us cool tips and comments

I salute all of you!

Job well done!

This is exactly what I use, and I have never had it gunk up on my needle. Drying it first with the iron sets the glue. A tiny drop is all you need to hold it in place :wink: It IS easy to pull apart if you need to reposition it.
Try it on some scraps, I think you will be pleased with the results :D:D:D

I had to check and see what ply my piecing thread is (Masterpiece) and it is 2 ply so I'm doing that right so far. I'm going to try the glue basting and see if that doesn't help get me a little closer. My pattern just calls for a 1/4" seam, so I haven't been trying to make it a scant one. Honestly, I don't really know how to make a scant 1/4 be the exact same "scant" everytime. It's much easier for me to follow my 1/4" mark on my foot and table.

I appreciate all the suggestions and even if I don't use them for this quilt, I know I'll need them down the road for some other project! Thanks everyone!

Can you move your needle to the right one or two clicks to get a scant 1/4"?

and also try adjusting your stitch length a bit longer too.

I just move my needle to get the scant and still used my foot with the 1/4 inch, it seems to work so far

Oh my goodness, why didn't I think of that?! Yes, I can move my needle all sorts of ways. It's amazing how the most simple things just never come to mind! Thank you!

This can make a big difference.

Just sew a few strips together and see for yourself!