Help Please with HST
 

Hi Everryone,
I am trying to make the Jewel Box quilt which has a lot of HST in it.. The problem I am having is the bulk when joining the HST together, there is a lot where four HST come together, I tried to press the seams opened but there still seems like lot of bulk and I am concerned that when I FMQ on my DSM, I will have problems when I go over these parts in the quilt.
Thanks

'Spin' the seams at the join if you can, dampen the join and press the back and then front with the point of the iron over a wooden rolling pin (so you are only pressing the join) and resort to a hammer if necessary.

Thinner thread will always help reduce bulk... if only I always remembered this advice!

Others will come along with more help regarding the quilting than I am able to give.

Hope this helps a little.

I press open almost all the time. With the standard Jewel Box the bulk isn't too bad. I'm thinking of the block that has two 4-patches along one diagonal, and HST for the other two quarters.

I find the worst offenders to be pinwheels and lone-star type diamonds. Sometimes you have to plan the quilting design to go around them rather than through them. We had a thread here recently talking about taking a hammer to that center seam -- that's a serious suggestion! Somehow once you get it quilted down it isn't so lumpy even if you are afraid it will be hard like a button.

https://www.cookingupquilts.com/how-...r-quilt-block/
https://purpledaisiesquilting.com/bl...seams-tutorial

I always grade my seams when four comes together. The grade is in the seam allowance. I spinning a lot of seams takes too much time for me.

I use Presencia 100% 60wt thread from Red Rock Threads online (can’t get it locally) for all my piecing. I like it as I can use a pretty small stitch length. I also frequently press open when it makes sense. Best thread I have tried yet. I buy the large cones and use a thread stand. When doing HST squares I cut the squares 1/4” to 1/2” larger. Mark 1/2 of squares on diagonal for stitching line with Sewline automatic pencils in lead color that works. Either one line & sew on either side or mark both stitching lines. Cut apart, using starch press seam open, then use Deb Tucker’s “Tucker Trimmer either 1, 2 or 3 depending on size needed and trim the squares down to the exact size you need. Turn out perfect HST’S every time.

when I have 4 HST coming together (so basically 8 edges) I press seams open. One of the few times I press open seams.

I also spin my seams but with that many coming together it's never as flat as I'd like them to be.
I love pinwheels but that spot is always bulky.

Some where I read an idea about actually starting to sew 1/4" in from the edge of a square. Some machine feet are marked so this can be accomplished without having to mark the seams by hand. This way, you don't have to "spin" the seams and the blocks lay flat. Clear as mud??

I'm in the process of making this quilt pattern also. Whenever I have lots of seams coming together I twill them and it solves the problem for me. If I still have a bit of a lump in the center, I pull out my hammer and hit it a couple times until it takes the hint to flatten out for me. Good luck with your quilt. I gave myself 3 weeks instead of 2 weeks to make a 60 x 72 lap quilt for a gal with pancreas cancer. We don't know how long she'll last so I'm trying to get it done as fast as I can including quilting it and binding.