How to Piece Better
 

Although I've been quilting a number of years, and do a pretty good job, I still struggle whe?n I'm piecing! I'm very careful when piecing (use a guide, and the right needle, thread, etc.) but I still haven't achieved the level that I would like to achieve in accuracy. Do you have some suggestions for me? I think I am holding and feeding the pieces correctly, but sometimes they are off or don't fit as they should. I know it should look better and the block should fit better. I have measured my 1/4, etc. but still need improvement. what are your thoughts? What have you done to get precise results? Thanks for helping.

Cutting: Are you cutting accurately? Do you use the same brand of rulers for your project. Sometimes lining up your fabric on one side or the other of the mark on the ruler can make a difference. Don't cut too many layers at once.
Sewing: that pesky 1/4" is a misnomer. You don't measure the seam, you measure the resultant patch! Here's a good way to check:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...ce-t89997.html
Also, your seam allowance is a moving target. If you change your thread weight or fabric type, you should recheck your seam and adjust if needed.
Make sure that you maintain your seam allowance at the start and end of each patch. It's easy to get off track at these 2 places.
Pressing: Make sure that you are not pressing a tiny crease in the seam, or stretching/distorting the block.
Square up your units as you make them, then square your blocks.
I'm sure others will have more suggestions.

Paperprincess covered most of what I would have said.

I am convinced that washing all the washable components before cutting them also helps with maintaining the expected size of the units.

This is going to sound silly perhaps - but "relax" and change your focus. Example....i never have had trouble with bias edged blocks because i don't believe in bias edges.....they do not exist in my universe....and so i don't have any trouble with them. If you focus on the "problem" of your pieces not fitting - you tend to be more tense and "get" what you focus on. I'm not trying to be a wise gal here.....it's just a thought....
Alternating the direction of your seams when pressing to the side helps because you can "nest" the seams.
Also....i have more than once used the trick of a dot of Elmer's wash out school glue at important or difficult seam intersections.....it really helps keep those points/corners where they belong.

I have trouble piecing also. I have found that slowing down helps me.

Sew sloooowly!

I agree that your cutting is more likely the culprit. I know I have those issues myself especially if I do cutting over various times. Such as - cut x number of pieces/fabrics on day 1; next pieces/fabs day 2; etc. Day 1 I may line up the fabric on this side of the line on the ruler; day 2 might but the other side of the line. Usually nothing a little stretching or squishing can't accommodate, but still... But I also agree with PenniF...relax. You should not make yourself crazy with perfection. Especially on 'normal' blocks. If you're doing a really fiddly/precise block, you may want to jump in to paper piecing. It can make those really pointy blocks work perfectly.

Starching would be my suggestion, here is how I starch. I starch every piece of fabric I'm going to work with, at least 2 hours ahead of the time, throw it in a plastic bag, and let it sit, then I'll take it out, either line dry or throw in the dryer for a few minutes, then iron, have never had a problem with the iron getting all gunky then, I do spray mist with water since I don't use the steam on my iron.

If your foot pressure is too light, then your pieces will shift and float all over the place (and that doesn't have to be much to give you uneven seams) ___--____--_-__-----_______--

I found that I get a better 1/4 inch seam when the quarter inch foot I am using doesn't have that little guard on it. It took me two years to figure that out. Maybe the same is true for you?

Dina

I am in the same boat with pocoellie ! Starch, and alot of it BEFORE I even start cutting a thing ! If my fabric does not stand up on its own, then it gets more starch !

Do you pin your pieces before sewing? Sometimes I can sew long strips without them, but if the pieces have seams, I definitely pin.

I got a video called Sally Collins teaches you precision piecing and follow all her tips. It improved my piecing a lot.

Do you pin your projects? I was having the same problem because my pins-those yellow ones- were to thick. My teacher suggested pins and they really difference.

I will jump on board here about starching fabric before cutting. I pre-wash all my yardage, mostly to remove all the chemicals. Then I dry the fabric to barely damp. I use Sta-flo and mix 1:1 ratio or even 2:1 (sta-flo being 2) and give the fabric a good spray, back to wet. Then put back into the dryer until barely damp and then iron without steam. I don't worry of the starch flakes because those will slough off while working on the quilt and will wash out when the quilt is finished.
This makes fabric cutting so much easier and faster. The cuts come out very clean and your rotary cutter will last twice as long.

The good thing about fabric is that it stretches - you can nudge it a bit to make it fit. The bad thing about fabric is that it stretches - it makes it difficult to be consistent. We have to remember that we are working with a malleable medium which can shift and distort when cutting, sewing, and assembling. I have never been very successful cutting multiple layers of fabric so I don't do it. For others this is not a problem. Some can sew right along without pinning. I have to pin for things to come out right. The way you pin and the types of pins can make a difference. I have the agree the thinner the pins the more accurate my matching is. Some people can sew fast and chain piece. I find that I have to go slower and be careful about chain piecing because I lose track of which piece goes to what. Some people can finger press and move on. I find that I have better luck pressing with an iron before I move on. Some people pull their fabric through when sewing. I find I have better luck by letting the machine pull the fabric through as it stitches and only using my hands to gently guide the fabric through. The point is what works for some doesn't work for others. I think practice makes a difference and finding your own rhythm will come. Use the tips of others but don't become so OCD over it that you lose the enjoyment.

Pin every seam.

I nark with numerous layers of painter's tape to make sure I constantly sew an accurate 1/4 seams. I also like to trim my blocks down after press and starching. You just have to find the right combination of what will work best for you.

This video will show why your piecing is the reason your blocks won't turn out right: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBoLPslLxTs

I was going to say cutting as well. slowing down really works well to. Lots of good suggestions here

Lots of good hints here -- now you just have to figure out which ones work best for you! Good luck. Quilting is a continual learning process.

how to piece better...
 

I can relate to a lot of these posts. Just this past May I went for my annual eye check. Knew there was something about my eyes that wasn't quite right. After the exam, I asked the eye doc, and he said; "you can use more magnification." He explained that was a stronger lens to see better up close. So, after getting the stronger lens I have found that my seams are not only straighter and the 1/4" consistently, but I also enjoy piecing more. Took me a long time to figure that out!! Mariah

Sometimes the problem is somewhere else than the seam width.

Are you cutting the pieces "scant" - "close enough" - or "generous"?

Do the cutting and sewing test to see what You need to do to get the finished size to be about what you expected it to be.

(When I say "approximate" - it's pretty close to what is expected. I worked with engineers who worked with thousandths of an inch tolerances. For some things now - that tolerance is a miss by a mile!)

One can't get "exactly" because of the nature of the materials and tools we are using.

P.S. The "test"

Cut three strips 2 x 5 inches
Sew them together with your version of a 1/4 inch seam
Press the unit like you usually press units
Measure the center strip - it "should" be 1-1/2 inches wide

If it is wider or narrower, make the appropriate adjustments - which can be in either the cutting width or seam width. The unit size "should" end up being 5 x 5 inches.

P.P.S. The whole idea of a "scant" 1/4 inch really annoys me. Say 7/32 or 15/64 if that's what is really wanted. "A couple of threads" is just as vague to me - depending on the fabric I'm using, that can vary quite a bit, too.

I know what you're saying....I feel the same way, which is why I haven't posted any pictures yet....I will in the future, but so many people have put beautiful quilts on here that I'm afraid mine aren't that great...

Leah Day has just put out a new book that promises to help even the 'old hands' get better at this. You can get it as an e-book off her site or buy one at Amazon. I'm sorry I don't remember the name of it, but just go to her site and you'll find it. Just google Leah Day.

I second this, a friend pointed out how thin the "quilting pins with the glass heads" and how they don't take as much of a bite out of the fabric. It sure helps.

Make the block slightly larger, stitch piece, and trim down to size. I watched Fons & Porter last Saturday where a comment was made that we all have this slight bit of extra material to waste. It really is a small amount.

What brand are these thinner pins? I'm thinking I need to replace my flower head pins and I want to get the next pins right to do a better job in my piecing. I'm sure it does make a difference.

Welcome to the custom world of quilting!

Each of us sews differently. Problems could occur for many reasons ...
- Do you starch or Best Press? I'd advise it as then the material won't inadvertently be stretched and thus the edges not match up. Do you iron or press, as this can also make a difference as you build you blocks and quilt.

- Where do you cut the material in relation to the lines on the ruler. I have learned the way I need to get the material aligned to cut for my pattern to work properly. The way in which the rotary cutter is held against the ruler can be another factorl
Try this: get a few quilting friends together and, using their own tools, have them cut then sew 2 equal sized square together for HST's, then iron them and check them against each other. I'd bet that there would be slight differences in the final HST sizes.

- Do you sew a 1/4" or scant 1/4" seam consistently. This is why many of us sew practice blocks. Some patterns need the regular 1/4" seam and others the scant 1/4" seam. Yes, you can do test strips to see that you have a 1/4" seam. However, not all pattern makers use this reference.

Are you confused yet?
Personally, I use a flanged 1/4" foot for sewing seams together.

- Do you use pins ... and how? Again, this can be very individual. I rarely pin my seams. For me, if I have to pin it is using my smallest pins [not those easy to use flower head pins which are way easier to use, darn it] and pin on either side of where 2 seams match. Again, personally, I have my pins coming from the right to the left and stop with the pinpoint just before the seam line. I do better this way and I never sew over the pins, which is good because I can be distracted quite easily.

- Yes, for Hst's and the like, make them bigger then trim if that is the best way for you. There are also paper piecing methods using things such as Thangles or Triangles on a Roll. There are many special ruler, if you want to invest in them. Remember also that with some methods and rulers for things like HST's you would be making multiple HST's all the same colors not individual colors.

- Then come the teachers of quilting. Not all are alike and some may not be able to understand this fact. Very few things have to be done in a specific manner. That's why some of us love chain piecing and others like to do a block at a time. Listen, learn, then find what works best for you.

I say this last because I am a math person. I need to know the relations ships between the different pieces and shapes. For me I need to know measurements not just marking my ruler with tape like the teacher might want the students to do. I can look at a pattern and usually figure out how to resize it without much difficulty or using EQ. You may not have these needs, and that is fine. Find what works best for you. Take notes if needed or mark notes to yourself on your patterns. Become your own teaching assistant.

And .... Have fun!

When you are starting to sew two pieces of fabric (blocks, strips, etc...), are you using a starter swatch? I know this sounds small, but it does help. Also pin, pin, pin - I know this can be a pain, but I don't think you can use too many pins. When I was starting to quilt I just stuck my pins in any only way (some going one way others going another), I found that is also can change things up a little. Pull a hair one way and push a hair the other. So I make sure when sewing two rows together that the pins all face the same way.

Very good directions and tips.

I use Clover's piecing pins. http://www.amazon.com/Clover-Patchwo.../dp/B0016825RG
and that, along with "setting the seam" when I press has made a huge difference in my piecing.

I bought a Bernina 1/4" piecing foot--#57, I think. It is a God-send. Now I have very consistent 1/4" seams.

I think "scant" is a mythological beast, made up by "artist" who can't write a pattern!

I do most of my piecing by hand because my machine has a mind of its own. My seams are never straight! Good luck!

This may sound silly to some of you, but I did not pin as I pieced for years, until someone said it improved their accuracy when they started to do so. I figured "ok, I will try it". Amazing the difference it made. I did spend some time learning how others used their pins to see how best to do it. It always strikes me how much I don't know about modern methods because I was taught to sew by a woman (grandma) who learned to sew during the depression. The best thing I learned from watching videos is that if you put any excess fabric between the pins, on the bottom when you sew it, the feed dogs will help ease in any fullness as you sew. At first I thought that having to cut thread, then flip the fabric was silly, then I tried it. Most of my seams match pretty close now, with no tucks. I might even try working with half squares again now that I can make them more even, maybe.

I like to use starch when cutting AND sewing bias or other less-than-straight edges, such as half square triangles. Also when the two cut edges you want to seam together are slightly different lengths, I pin the two pieces together at each end making sure they are even..put the slightly longer side next to the feed dogs and it comes out even. Sometimes I just tug a little bit on the shorter piece if it is only a little bit off. I find that pressing seams will make them come out looking good, as well.

I have found that spray starch shrinks my fabric and not evenly. I guess I will need to try the liquid starch Before I cut and see if that helps. I know starching sure makes a cleaner cut. I'm just going to have to kick my cutting up a notch.

Practice and more practice makes perfect...You will get there...

I have experienced the same and it has and is my goal to sew an accurate 1/4 in seam. I took on a log cabin and had a lot of trouble. I discovered with the help of my teacher that I had a number of corrections to make:
cutting.. .......measure your cuts and you will see if they are "off"- adjust
pinning.. ......use thin thin pins and pin
seam guide.. with blue painters tape - I drifted toward the right with the end of the seam- or adjust your foot
to create a 1/4 in seam along the edge of the presser foot if your machine allows
measure ......measure your seams after sewing.. catch the wonky seam before you proceed
patience.......a little sewing goes a long way with correcting..
Taking my time and measuring and measuring as I sew the seam has made a HUGE difference and so far has made
a nice looking block.

Hope this help and best wishes

I haven't tried the starch method..

I have read each of your responses very carefully so I can catch what I am doing incorrectly to cause my piecing to be a bit wonky and not fit as I would like it to. I think I need to be much more careful with that 1/4 inch seam, although I thought I was, use the same foot and ruler throughout. I find the Bernina 1/4 inch foot doesn't give me the best 1/4 seam--any body else find that true? I will try the blue painter's tape--have a long seam guide, but find that there's just a little bow in my machine insert and the fabric goes under it just a bit--not accurate.

So I will continue to try to get that perfect seam--it should not be hard, but I find that it is. Thank you All so much for your kind comments and help!