making 4 patch blocks
 

I am going nuts. I have quilted for many years. Trying to make 4 patch blocks today and I thinK i have seams nested and when I open them... grrrrr not matching. What am I doing wrong. Please suggestions needed

are your seams press open or closed? That could make a difference when you go to nest them against each other. I alway have my seam pressed in the same direction closed together instead of opened. I think the seam could slide much easier on an open seam.

pressed opposite directions

I pin even when seams nest well. now my points are getting cut off of churn dash blks i'm doing but then, that is my fault. precision isn't my strong point lately.

It has something to do with the way that you put them through your machine. It matters if the seam is going "up" or "down" on the back side.

Watch carefully, it happens quick here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymq9Td-z5ew

One more for you which is easier than me explaining the process.

https://www.quiltingroomwithmel.com/...ock-seams.html

Yikes! I mis-read your post. It was about "nesting" and not "twirling".

For important seams, I pin before and after the seam intersection. It holds the fabric in place as it goes through the feed dogs.

What foot are you using on the machine? I learned that some machine feet are just a little wider and help hold the fabric too.

You can also use a dot of school glue and press an iron over the seam. It will hold the intersections in place for stitching. Yes, it takes time but helps in times when you need those perfect seams or points.

Thx ladies.... I'm giving it a rest tonight. Maybe tomorrow bwill go better.

If you put the patch through with the top seam allowance up, it should help keep the nested seams together. I also hold on to the two seam allowances until they get to the needle. It helps, but. . .

Make sure the seam allowance is the same size. This makes the nesting easier. Yes, also pin before and after the intersection, then look to see that the intersection is where it needs to be before you sew.

Thx so much. As I was sewing I kinda remember Fons and Porter saying just that. Today is another day. Hope it is better. Thx again ladies.

Bonnie Hunter talks about this. Go to Quiltville.com and under her Tips and Techniques scroll down to "Spin Those Four Patch Seams"

I have just made 21 4 patches and I was thrilled because they all are nested and all my intersections are wonderful. I just ironed to the dark side and then as I fed them through the machine made sure that one seam pointed in each direction. I have done them over a weeks time as Leaders/Enders. Now I have to go back and check if they are all going in the same direction.

Once I learned to use a glue stick, I never looked back ! Perfect matches every time. You just run a line of glue, nest them together, flip the top piece back estimating your 1/4"..if it's lined up, pinch it, if not, the glue lets you easily slide the pieces to get them right. When you're doing many of them, they dry before you get to your machine, if just a few, hit them with a dry iron before sewing. The glue looks unsightly on your blocks sometimes, but it always washes right out.

She said the seams were going in opposite directions; so pressed open. I think the only way to get pressed open seams to line up perfectly would be to pin every time. It's so much easier to line up seams pressed to one side while nesting them. If the top seam is pressed away from you, as Tartan said, they snug right up as they go into the needle. A wooden skewer or awl of some sort helps to tuck that seam allowance under the presser foot.