Help with 1/4 inch seam.
 

Help. I am working with a very enthusiastic new quilter. No matter how many ways I've tried to explain any ideas on encouraging her to make a good 1/4 inch seam.
First puts edges together pins , has a 1/4 foot, used beginners and Enders, drawn lines.
By time she has machines, corner chewed, edges not together, no 1/4 seam in some places holding together by threads. Sewn on the line ah.
She is so happy and she can see these mistakes .
Similiar problem. Cut 8, 6" by 2 stripes. The other 9 did it right. .

I am just trying to find some new ideas to help her .

don't put so much stress on it that you take the 'joy of creating' out of the sewing. some people really are not so - detail oriented - and techniques, workmanship will improve over time- if she is happy as a lark with her project/accomplishment its ok- most of us can look back to those first quilts and see how much we have improved over the years. I have a good friend who has been quilting *creates wonderful creative quilts* - every now & then she brings me one to quilt for her- she still has 1/2" seams in spots, & barely catching seams in spots, she just doesn't worry about the technical/precision part of quilting- and she is happy. when she mentioned that she kind of felt *in a rut* always making the same style/type of quilt so fast & being bored with them I 'kindly' mentioned maybe it was time to slow down, and concentrate on improving her techniques/ workmanship- maybe choosing something new that would be a challenge & help her to slow down...her last quilt was the best in years. :) sometimes it's just ok to let the creative juices flow & not stress over the *other stuff* if your 'girl' sticks with it & enjoys it she will improve- if encouraged 'gently'.

I agree with ck. As a new quilter I was thrilled to be able to actually use a machine, never mind actually being able to thread it, lol! Despite having a 1/4" guide with a fence, I still managed to veer off at the end of seams.
I would stick with patterns that would be a quite 'forgiving' until she calms down. After my technique improved I then became a too critical of myself!
Four years on and lots of classes later, I'm now settled and comfortable.
I know, like me, you've retired from education. Resist the urge to make her 'do her best' and think of her as in need of learning support ;)

My only suggestion would be to get a Buggy Barn pattern for her to create. They are forgiving in that basically all you have to be able to do is sew a straight seam. The sizes of the seams aren't as important. If you sew some seams which are more than a quarter inch, then your blocks will all just be smaller but still ok. The patterns are for wonky things like stars, hearts, and baskets. They're wonky, but still very pretty, and totally fun to make. The fabrics are stacked up and then the pattern is rotary cut through the entire stack of fabrics (so there are no seam allowances on the pieces---thus the wonky end result). Then the stacked pieces are shuffled to make each layer into a block ready to sew. After the block is sewn the sides are not straight (since there were no seam allowances in the first place), and the blocks are just trimmed all to the same size. So easy!

I agree with the other posters in that you don't want to squash her exuberance! I'm teaching a friend and was having the same issues. It's been a bit over a year working with her and we are much closer to a consistent seam. I would just have her examine her work for places that almost didn't catch. Try to pull the seam apart along it's entire length to make sure it won't come apart & just have her fix those areas. At this point you just don't want her masterpiece to come apart in the wash. I would steer her toward easy patterns with larger blocks. Have fun!

Is she sewing too fast on longer straight seams? That's when my seams can get a little wonky. She just may need to experience the annoyance of having to go back after washing and fixing all the problem areas. Experience is the best teacher.

I tried to get a 30 yr. old granddaughter to sew. It made her very nervous and hot.LOL. So I said just sit here and sew these 3x42 strips together many times to see what the machine does and how pretty the stitches are. And I left. Pretty soon here she came. Oh, I'm gonna make my girls new dresses. Just so excited. I gave her a sewing machine to use. That did it. I told her if you mess up, just start over. It's okay. Just keep going. Later here she came again. She had sewn right down the MIDDLE of the strip.LOL It takes a long while to impress on the seam allowance I think.

I am laughing because you must be talking about ME, the me who was an exuberant newbie many years ago. I had more fun picking the fabric and sewing seams together. "Quarter inch, shmorter inch, precision is for anal people!" That was how I thought.

It's a personality thing, truly at first, and then one learns that precision in each step--hard as it for some personalities to deal with because it feels like science instead of art, work instead of fun--actually makes the final project a joy instead of feeling like a waste of time when things don't come together as envisioned.

In fact, I am only on my 4th quilt ever, and the first with a teacher. We are doing a sampler wall hanging by Alex Andersen which I think has too many of a certain boring (to me) blocks--the rail fence. It also called for 4 flying geese blocks which I was having a devil of a time with after umpteen wastes of time and fabric.

In my heart I wanted the quilt to have a pinwheel because the darn thing is a story quilt about my childhood in Kansas where windmills dot the landscape. And I love, love,love pinwheels. So instead of 1 of the RF and 1 of the FG blocks I made 2 PW blocks. Teacher was looking at my work and said "These pinwheels are good even though they're the wrong block."

I defended myself. "They're not wrong, they're my choice." And I explained my choice. It just bothered me that she would call it a "wrong" block instead of asking me why I chose a harder block/block not in the pattern" when she had kept saying, "It is YOUR quilt YOU get to decide what goes in it."

And, BTW, I am an art teacher so I understand that need for personal freedom and the students who don't really care about the techniques as much as the fun of creating. Give her time. Her mistakes will force her to get that 1/4" seam
right. She may "zone out" when zipping along with her machine, like I do. My teacher found spots where the seams were about to come apart and she said, "I would fix them now while you can. Ten years from now it would be a lot harder." When I heard that, it compelled me to redo. (Plus she kindly offered to rip out seams for me!)

Find any patterns that are available put there that doesn't require accuracy. If she enjoys it and sticks to simple quilts, she will be fine. Have you tried the post a note or blue painters tape stack next to guide her in a little bit more accuracy in sewing the 1/4" seam??

As someone who first turned a sewing machine on less than 2 years ago. I can relate. I would go with the advice to find forgiving patterns (like D9P) and let her go. The joy of creating, out weighs the perfection required for experienced quilters quilts. Working on consistent seams whether 1/4" or 1/2" inch will come with time. As I learned doing "shared blocks" for my Bee. Not all 1/4" are the same and mine is a fat 1/4". I have to sew what I think is 1/8" to get the same size blocks as most of my friends.

I, too, have a problem with the seam tailing off the 1/4" seam at the end of each seam. I have really had to focus on watching the fabric and guiding it all the way through to the end of the seam. I never had this problem when I was sewing on a machine that was installed in a cabinet where the sewing surface was level. The way most machines sit up higher, with very little level surface encourages this tailing off feature.

I have learned, Slow down at the end and Watch, Watch, Watch until finished. Chain sewing has helped me. Having to stay focused on the next block being accurate, keeps me watching the first block going through the machine. I love sewing fast, but have found that this does cause the fabric to stretch when the feed dogs pull the fabric through and can produce a wavy seam line. To me, wavy is one or two threads too far or too close to the quarter seam. To compensate for this, I set my machine on a medium speed that I can't override with my "gas" pedal. That has been a big help.

Because I know I am not the most accurate sewer, I press every block very well and square up every single element in a block. It does get a bit frustrating when there are 12 or 16 HST's in a block, but at least I have a chance of making things fit together at the end. I do a lot of "scant" 1/4" seams to have the extra fabric to square up. Friends have recommended I try a 50 weight sewing thread that will take up less space in the seams. I'm going to Houston to the IQF and will be looking for the 50 weight cotton thread. I already know where the Superior thread booth is.

Big Block patterns have a lot of room for error. Keep this new sewer happy & she will make quilts she will enjoy, whether they are perfect or not. My grandbabies don't care. They just love them.

To keep from veering off the seam at the end place your left hand index finger against the outside left edge of the foot when coming to the end. The fabric will not veer. It's second nature for me to do this after I learned it from a very expensive precision quilting workshop. I think once the student realizes her blocks won't match up because of the seams not being accurate she will know then how important it is. It's up to her unless you sew it for her.

I was a natural rush-ahead-to see-how-it-looks kind of sewer when I started quilting, and I am not naturally precise and fussy and neat - just the opposite.

MTS on this board suggested Sally Collins and I read her book on machine piecing. It totally turned me around about how to construct a quilt. All the steps I was rushing through or skipping became focal points in the process, and I totally relaxed and slowed down and enjoyed it. Result was improved construction and quality, and I'm still learning almost 3 years later. Thanks to both of them!

Any thread lower then 50wt is too thick for piecing. Superior has excellent piecing thread. I use very thin thread in my bobbins like Sew Fine from Superior no matter what the top thread size is. Buy a spool of Superior's silk thread while you are there in a neutral color. You will love it. Also don't forget to get the topstitch needles to fit your thread.

I'm reminded of a cousin wanting to learn to sew. I helped her make a little dress for her daughter and encouraged her to 'make things right'. Her answer was, 'how will anyone know I made it myself if it is perfect?' So now, when I help someone I try to figure out how 'perfect' they want their item to be and go from there. I sure don't want to discourage anyone from enjoying the craft as much as I do.

I am going to try this tip with the index finger.

I think I need to read the Sally Collins book. I love info about how to do things right. It doesn't always mean it will work for me, but it never hurts, if you are looking for ways to improve.

When helping my granddaughter to learn the 1/4 inch seam, I purchased a small pad of post-it notes. I placed a half inch or so (in height) on the machine on the mark 1/4 inch from the needle. It gave her something solid to butt up against. She still isn't perfect (neither am I), but a whole lot closer.

Linda in Missouri

I have to agree, maybe this would help her get the concept. If they are not right they just will not fit together.

Maybe she can do a crazy quilt as each block is different and forgiving, you just cut the final square to your size

Will try the finger top with her. She is a sewer so that is why I am after tips tp help her. She has a foot with the bar on. Will keep going she doesn't mind me telling her and she is beginning to ask me why it's not right.

Okay, my 9 year old granddaughter came to visit for 3 weeks this summer and she wanted to quilt. Well, i put the masking tape (stacked up 5 times) on the sewing machine bed 1/4" from the needle and told her that all the quilt seams had to have 1/4" seam to be just right. She practiced with several scraps of fabric, making sure she had the seam side just barely touching the masking tape. Within an hour she had it down perfect and she started sewing the blocks together for her quilt. It took us two weeks to finish her quilt and her matching book bag but she learned a lot and we did the work in short spans, like 1/2 hour at a time and here is her quilt. By the way, she did all of her work on my 1953 Featherweight which she found totally fascinating and snapped a picture of it with her cell phone and sent it to her mom. Old technology meets new technology!

I agree with this process completely and try to do it each time I'm sewing. Read TRY! Sometimes I forget. Apologizing for not having read all the posts...but if possibly you work with this student on a small, complete project (i.e. table runner), having her try to get all the blocks to line up will emphasize the importance of accurate cutting and sewing. Seeing how things DON'T line up might be the big AH HA that will get the point across. Did for me.

Teach her how to blame the machine :p

This was very difficult as the person she bought the machine from was sitting opposite her on Saturday, somewhere it is in I'm sure her physical movements and actions in relation to the machine, thank you all your ideas are being mentally stored.

Quilting is my creative hobby/outlet. So when frustrated, I give myself permission to burn it. As far back as I can remember, I set my own standards. But when I taught my daughter, I had to listen very closely to what she was really saying, not just the words. I love the book, "Bending the Will, Without Breaking the Spirit." Some things are just not that important. I have to choose the eternally important things, on which to take a stand.

So, how important is a 1/4" seam at this point in time? Only you can answer that.

You've gotten some good ideas for teaching it. When I teach a newbee, they start on a piece of prelined paper and just try to stay on the lines, no thread. Then I help them do a little math; 1/8 inch x 80 seams = 10 inches. Usually show them a quilt with 80 seams, like a log cabin. Beyond that, if it'll stay together and not pull apart, it's probably OK.

How about trying some 9-patch blocks (make sure the squares are all cut the same size and with 90 degree corners!)
and have her aim for straight, consistent seams?

It won't really matter how wide the seams are if they are consistent - and with practice, she may be able to sew a narrow seam consistently.

If she is after a quilt top that lays flat and won't fall apart, some consistency does help.

Maybe you could have her pretend that she is driving a car and she doesn't want to veer off the shoulder and into the ditch.

Or just have her practice 'steering' with an unthreaded needle on paper.

Practice, Practice, Practice. We all started not knowing.

I agree!! I recently finished a Buggy Barn wonky star quilt - and it was MOST FORGIVING with regard to seam allowances - since all blocks are designed to be cut down...........This would be a real FUN one to do........14 different light fat quarters and 14 dark fat quarters.......freezer paper and a REALLY GOOD rotary blade and mat!! Good Luck!!

I draw a 1/4" line on each piece before I sew it. For years I tried to do it w/out that level of detail by marking a line on my machine with a nice edge, but the seams were still not consistent. That worked okay with some quilts, but when I did my first feathered star block it was imperative to be accurate. And it went together beautifully so now I use this method all the time. Though it is very time consuming, I've found it's not near as much as ripping out pieces to correct the wonky seams.

And I'm much happier how everything goes together so easily when it's time to assemble the blocks. I've decided this is a hand/eye coordination problem. I can see what I want to do - I just can't execute it easily without help.

Bearisgrey ssquares are what we are doing. Her pattern is easy but ....

Your student sounds like an enthusiastic spitfire. Frustrating, but we all learn what is important at different speeds.

I haven't read all the posts, but I suspect that things won't go together well. Perhaps she'll have to add wonky borders and hers will then be unique, and a new technique will be learned by everyone in the class.

I like to enjoy the process, and it sounds as though she is certainly doing that. She may well be the next famous "art" quilter.

They are tough folks to teach, but we are all unique.

amh

I agree with those that say let her work with the easiest of patterns. It will come in time. I'm sewing after 45 years and still find the time to go off track every now and then. The "scant" 1/4 seam still drives me bonkers. How about letting her make a simple tunic top that is just straight seams and see the joy she'll have when finished. If she veers off on a seam then it will pull apart and I would guess she'd see how important it is to keep the seams straight. There are some folks that just weren't meant to sew/quilt even if they want to do it badly. I would love to do decorative cake decorating, but after a number of tries I have decided it wasn't meant to be so I don't do it. The blue painter's tape idea is a great one. Good luck to both of you.

Sometimes one just has to close one's eyes and let them do their thing - even if one wants to scream!

I have an attachment which gives a 1/4" seam automatically. Don't remember where I got it, but it is really a life-save for me! Probably one of the on-line people who sell parts would have one. If I were an artist, I would draw a picture, but not an artist, at all!!! Mariah.

Lots of good ideas. I don't have enough patience to teach someone how to sew or do anything else. A natural born teacher I am not.
I'm sure she will get it sooner or later.

Sometimes the difference between a good quarter inch seam...
 

[QUOTE=ckcowl;6370749]don't put so much stress on it that you take the 'joy of creating' out of the sewing. some people really are not so - detail oriented - and techniques, workmanship will improve over time- if she is happy as a lark with her project/accomplishment its ok- most of us can look back to those first quilts and see how much we have improved over the years. I have a good friend who has been quilting *creates wonderful creative quilts* - every now & then she brings me one to quilt for her- she still has 1/2" seams in spots, & barely catching seams in spots, she just doesn't worry about the technical/precision part of quilting- and she is happy. when she mentioned that she kind of felt *in a rut* always making the same style/type of quilt so fast & being bored with them I 'kindly' mentioned maybe it was time to slow down, and concentrate on improving her techniques/ workmanship- maybe choosing something new that would be a challenge & help her to slow down...her last quilt was the best in years. :) sometimes it's just ok to let the creative juices flow & not stress over the *other stuff* if your 'girl' sticks with it & enjoys it she will improve- if encouraged 'gently'.[/QUOTE

When I first started making quilts I had a terrible time making things fit when I used the "build strata and subcut into sections' method. Sometimes none of my corners were perfect, and since I was making 'hugs' not heirlooms, I was OK with it, not thrilled, but OK.
I happened to have one of my smaller quilt tops with me one day ay my LQS, and mentioned my problem to one of the ladies that was there. She flipped my quilt over, took one look, and said "I think I know what the problem is...".
She pointed to my seams and said " You sew these 'strata' very quickly because it is a 'quick piece method', don't you?" I looked at her astonished and said yes. She then explained how she conquered the same problem. "Just because it is called quick piece, means nothing, slow your machine down, and with tape or some such marking the perfect scant quarter inch, sew at a slower pace, until it becomes a comfortable, easy job to make a nice straight seam. As over simplified as it sounds, it worked! Now I can even speed up and I will still get a nice even quarter inch seam. (I have a bright orange piece of duct tape marking the scant quarter inch on my machine bed that just lives there. I do replace it as needed.)
BTW- Never assume you can let your mind wander, while the machine is in motion! (Another fault I found when I first slowed down. Lol.)

Haven't read all the posts but have her try using a patch of material to begin sewing & ending ala Bonnie Hunter style. She may not be up to making beginner/ender blocks now but having something to sew off onto helps keep me from letting my material slide off to the left.

Hi Dottymo, perhaps suggest to your new quilting friend that she takes things a little slower, relax and enjoy.I still sometimes go out on my seams -- but as they say, if you can ride a horse past and see the mistake, then worry about it. You are good to encourage her, it seems she knows she is doing it wrong from what you say, time will help I am sure bless her-- and you. Lettyxx

A couple of things that might help some:
-teach her to watch the edge of the fabric and the edge of the presser foot (or 1/4 inch seam guide, and NOT where the needle is going
-teach her to let the machine do the work, and not yank and pull and push at the fabric. The machine will guide the fabric through, and a very light touch with her hands just to keep it straight
hope that helps a bit!