need help with sewing blocks together
 

Hi, need your experienced ladies advise. I am making quilt that I have seen maybe on this forum or maybe somewhere on the web. It is the Arkansas Snowflake made looking like Periwinkle. Have all my blocks done and ironed, the back is looking good and it lays flat.
I started putting them together and ......... as you can see on the attached pictures my seams are pressed to one side in a way that will not 'butt'. What do I do? do I twist them in the middle? It would be difficult to undo all of them. (why did I do this pattern? I like it and I wanted to try but do not have enough experience , obviously)

I would start by checking the seam allowances to see how exact they are, as the brown bit on the bottom half looks like they may be off a tiny bit. Doesn't take much to put the whole block off.

I will often piece units where the seams don't nest (ie pressed in the same direction like yours). You can try different techniques and decide which one works best for you. I would start off with these two. Others may respond with other options.

1. using lots of pins or washable school glue at the critical areas where they line up (like your star points), go ahead and sew them together as is. You will have a lot of bulk where all those seam allowances come together.

2. you can "twist" the seam so they nest at the intersection but I am afraid it may be visible from the top side of the quilt as your white fabric used in the background is already shadowing. sometimes this is less obvious once layered up with the batting.

Edited to add I see one more option. If the placement of light and dark elements in your block is not critical, I would just turn every other block 1/4 turn, then your seams will nest! So instead of a dark point meeting a light point, all dark points will line up.

Edited one more time. You can always add a narrow sash between each block in your background color thus avoiding any need to nest seams

Could you turn the yellow/brown on a quarter turn so the brown is next to the dark blue? The brown seams press inward while the dark blue presses out.

I'm confused by the others' answers and am wondering if I'm just not understanding the question.

You have concerns about where the points of the blocks meet when you join them, correct? I don't understand how turning the block a quarter turn would solve the problem, because the seams are the same on every block, are they not?

My thought, as I understand the problem, is you could either add sashing, or once you have sewn them together, whack the snot out of the seam allowance with a rubber mallet, which will help tame and flatten the bump.

I think sashing would look best in the long run. But this is a good place to press the seams open after you stitch a very high stitches per inch seam.

I thank you ladies for your great comments. The 'points' will be another problem, I was asking about the straight seams that are ironed in wrong directions. The sashing will solve my problem but it will change the look of the quilt....... but I might just do it. I will lay these blocks on the floor once more and see how it will look with maybe just 1 inch sashing.

This has been a very challenging block for me. I really paid attention to my cutting and sewing and trimming each small block section but still the blocks did not come out perfect. I do not know how you ladies are doing it, making such a beautiful quilts and blocks, matching perfectly, just show you how much I need to learn.
Thank you.

Not all blocks and seams are going to nest. To match up your points, put a straight pin in thru the back of one block at the very point of the star tip. Then put the pin thru the same spot in the front of the block you are joining to it. when you slide both blocks to the bottom of the pin, they will be right sides together, with the points aligning. Pin the block securely, then remove the alignment pin. Sew, staying just to the outside edge of your point. If you feel that the seam is way too bulky where the points meet, iron the seam open. As far as the straight seams, I would turn alternate blocks 90 degrees.

Try even narrower than 1". I would go with 1/2" sashing (using 1" strips that would finish at 1/2"). It will change the overall look of the quilt but not as drastically.

with small piecing like those i tend to like to press my seams open. Good luck.

thank you all for your good suggestions, I have pieced one row and pressed the seams open, it might work......

Sashing was my first idea too. If you use the same light fabric as in the background, it will look like your blocks are floating. That would look lovely.

The other option (as already mentioned) is to rotate one block by 90 degrees clockwise. That now aligns the adjoining point sections so one is pressed inward and one is pressed outward. Therefore they lock. On the next row you'd have to alternate.

The final option is to accept that they don't nest and sew them together as is. Yes, you'll have a bulky seam but that can be pressed/beaten into submission.

I like that 'beaten into submission', I will try to press them open thanks again for your great advise ..

I would use 3 pins. One goes through the points and then pin to secure either side of it. Your blocks look great.

I just did a storm at sea, and I pressed the first seam one direction, and the second the other (so one toward the outside, the other toward the inside) so that way they did nest when I sewed the ends together.

thank you, I am doing just that, using 3 pins and then I sew about inch length, just to see if I have points right, if yes, then I go and sew the whole length of the block, so far it is working well.

I learned the hard way with a Storm at Sea that it helps to press open those seams that come to the point--bigger hassle, but it solved the "nesting" (or lack of) problem. So for the future! I like several of the suggestions given already. I will say that I had another quilt, a UFO that I started before I had a clue what I was really doing, and had the same issue with the points coming together and lots of seams on one side. I knew when I got it on the LA that I needed to avoid a quilting pattern that would A) go through that mob of seams and B) quilt around them too close so that I ended up with little knobs where they came togather. I also used my plastic 3lb mallet and wet the quilt and put a board under it and one on top of the knob and flattened it. It really did help.

Sometimes they just don't nest. I would not add sashing, I usually don't like sashings. Just sew the blocks together matching the seam lines the best you can. You will have some thicker areas where the seams are joined, but once it is quilted you won't notice them!.

As stated it is not always possible to have all seams nest nicely.......just sew over that bulk slowly...my "darling" bl gives me a tough time doing that every time, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I think even Eleanor Burns has had to do it!

You have my sympathy as I have just encountered the same problem joining this type of block with an Ohio Star. It has been an absolute disaster. I have tried clipping and fanning out the seams, but it makes for a very untidy appearance and there are still bumps. I looked on You Tube, I think it was a Fons and Porter tutorial, which suggests pressing the seams open. It also defines the X much better than pressing to one side. I am going to try this with diamond blocks, and a prayer! By the way, I still think you have a done a magnificent job on your blocks, I wish mine looked half as good.

I press most seams open. It saves a lot of bother.

thank you, again. we had to go out and shovel snow, long driveway and after that was too tired to sew, maybe today will make some more progress. I will post the finished top when is done.

This pattern is a 9-patch. Have to plan ahead when making them if you want them to nest. Sashing would solve your problem with this group of blocks--and certainly wouldn't detract from them. Probably turn out to be a nice addition.

Or even a half turn might work. Good luck. It will be lovely when done.

The problem is in the pressing of the seams. They both go the same way and will not nest. If one block is turned 1/4 of a turn, they will nest.

But I don't see any way to help with the seams at the points. I guess a rubber mallet will do, as others have suggested.

I was having the same problem with little "gathers" on the seams. I tried lengthening my stitch, and what a difference that made -- no more gathers.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]568047[/ATTACH]Clover pins will help you with matching your seams. I place a glass headed pin (they are thinner than regular pins) down the seam line, then insert one of these clover double pins down each side of the seam, removing the glass headed pin, and then sew the pieces together. The pins don't come with a bead on them, I put a bead on the pin, poured a tiny bit of "Fray Stop" into a dish and dipped in the pin with the bead on the bend, and put them into a pincushion to dry, and now when I drop them accidently on the floor I can find them easier. You can also sew over these thin pins - I do it carefully - this information per my last class instructor.

If I have seams that don't nest, I clip the seam allowance an inch or two from the edge and iron that part the other way so it will nest. My philosophy is the only perfect quilt is the one in my head. So I make it work. I've done many quilts this way and never had a problem or a complaint. Good luck, your blocks look GREAT!

I would turn the brown block as PJ suggested. That will fix your problem.

Could you possible be stretching the material when sewing and that may cause the seam to look like it has a little gathering?

Some blocks take more practice than others. Kudos for choosing this block, and when the top is finished, most folks will be unaware of any misses. Keep going and show us the final result.

Those blocks look awesome!!! I think you have done a great job. Would love to see it finished.

They look good to me. You have lots of good suggestions. Find what works for you.

I like Peckish's response. So many times I whack the snot out of things and it works well for soo many reasons!