I am having some trouble keeping my blocks lined up. I pin in various directions etc. and sometimes my blocks shift a bit so that the seams don't line up. Any surefire tricks out there?

Take smaller bites of fabric with the pins and pin in more places. Keep the pins lined up with the intersecting seam lines...perpendicular, angled, etc...

I prefer to glue baste instead of pinning...when the bottle runs out, you can refill it with Elmer's brand school glue.

http://blog.fabshophop.com/blog/?p=1649

I pin my seams baste a few stiches, open up the rows, make sure all is lined up, then close the row back up, repin, and sew. Hope this makes since. :wink:

Thank you all. I keep hoping to figure it out. I'm getting too close to my seam ripper. My latest quilt has 156 blocks and I'm almost finished. I feel like the old dog that can't learn new tricks.

All goes smoothly for several blocks, then I have one that "moves." It looks like the feeddogs are pulling the bottom layer just a bit. Basting or gluing the beginning stich-line would stop the fabrc from moving. Thanks again.

When seams match up exactly, I use Clover Fork Pins. You can see what they look like here:
http://www.amazon.com/Clover-Fork-Pi...6449121&sr=8-1

Thank you everyone, for the
great sites of glue & pins!! :D
I keep learning something new
each day!! HAPPY DANCE!! :D
:D :D :D

here is al ink on "easing seams in".. scroll down a bit to find it..

http://www.patternsfromhistory.com/b...t/beginner.htm

I try to place my pins in the seam line,sometimes even at a slight angle.

When Fons and Porter pin seams they put the pin point right in the top seam, lift and poke the pin in the bottom seam it works well every time. Hope this helps.

This topic came up awhile back and someone said that they pin on both sides where blocks meet and then place a pin just a hair before those 2 pins. I tried it and it works for me every time. No more shifting and moving as you sew down the row.