Is It Obsession?
 

I sit and sew my fabric pieces together, and all I can think about is the seam allowance that will never be seen again once the quilt is done. I paid for all of it, but some will be hidden.

It's kind of like the hard working people behind the scenes in a movie. Am I the only one who thinks this way?

I worked backstage in the theater and it never bother me that the stars of the show were the ones who had the fans. I did my job and left with a paycheck for my hard work. I could leave the theater without any one bothering me but if I was having lunch with one of the stars, you could not eat your meal in peace without someone coming up wanting an autograph.

I have never thought much about the tiny bit of fabric that is behind the quilt that has the responsibility of keeping the quilt top together.

Perhaps you need to take a short break from quilting. I enjoy looking at the wrong
side as much as the right side and I'm happy when all the seams are well pressed.
I try to ignore the twisted seams as much as I can but sometimes it happens. If it's
really bad I will redo it otherwise I just move on. Nobody but me will know it's there.

Better hidden in the seam allowance than sitting on the shelf forever.

You couldn't have a quilt without the bit that's hidden. So though it's not being seen (and probably not appreciated), it's nevertheless serving an essential purpose.

Maybe it is like underwear. It isn't seen, but holds everything together.

Lots of things in life are unseen... probably the majority! Did you see the understructure of the bridge you drove over today? Can you see the beams holding up your ceiling? Can you see the pipes bringing water to your home? Can you see the microbes that are enriching your garden soil? Would you want to live without any of them?

Some fabric waste is inevitable. You've got to square off the edge to cut your yardage, or sometimes fussy-cut a motif, or end up with scraps too tiny to use and too many to applique in one's lifetime. I think as long as the fabric is used in some way after purchase, then that is respecting the money spent on it.

My main focus is usually getting all of the points to match up. I am just obsessive about something different.

Yes, that's a very strange obsession alright. I agree you might need a little break from quilting.

I aim at getting all the seams flat and points matching. But I don't stress over it if I have done my best. We need that small seam, in garments its bigger, to hold everything in place.Like Genden said we need our underwear to hold everything in, likewise we need that tiny seam.

I've never thought about this except to make sure that I can get my seams to match when putting the quilt together. It doesn't bother me that the inside isn't seen. I think most people (even non quilters) look at a finished quilt and can see if it is not well constructed as some errors will show up on the right side of the quilt. My seams may not be a perfect 1/4" or my seam pressing may be off a little, but as long as the outside looks nice and I know the quilt will not fall apart with lots of washing, I'm happy. Besides, even judges don't look at the inside. Ha.

The same could be said of the batting and a lot of the thread used to put it all together.

Maybe just change how you 'see' what is not seen. Kind of like 'life' - some of the most important things are hidden or invisible.

Maybe you should do a little raw edge applique for a change. No seams to fret over there.

...this is not the hill you want to die on........

That's why I make scant 1/4 inch seams (or less).

That little seam of unseen fabric allows you to see the larger over all beauty of the fabric.

LOL Geri B... I'm going to have to remember that one!

This whole question, and all of the earnest replies, just cracks me up. Is somebody pulling our leg?

I'm pretty much a fabric waster and don't even save small scraps. So, no, I've never thought about the fabric in the seam allowances! My mother told me I would marry a rich man because of the waste when I peeled potatoes. I guess it's carried over to my quilting too!

I think the point is well said by several others. Even though it is "behind the scenes" it's job is essential as we couldn't make a quilt without its being there. Perhaps try saying a little thank you to the fabric that does so much for us and gets no glory.
My seams get no glory but they get a lot of my attention, smiles. Even with my quarter inch seam foot, I still tend to wander a bit, especially when my muscles get tense and my shoulders are up around my ears. I have to keep checking that I haven't let the bottom fabric slip away and that my seams are consistent. There are times when I am happy to have my seams not showing!!!
No, my seams don't get to be seen once the quilt is done, but they don't feel ignored until then. LOL

I have never thought about it as being wasted. Without it we would have no seams & with no seams.... no quilt. It is doing an important job so it is not wasted fabric.

I've never worried or obsessed about anything like that. It's like one of the celebrities at an awards show gave a lot of credit to the big guys and said everyone who worked on this project contributed in their own very meaningful way and without them it would have not become so important to all. So remember every little bit counts and always has.

I was a little haphazard in the beginning of my quilting journey, thinking that the seams don't really matter. Over time I learned that the BETTER I prepare and treat EVERY step of the process, the better the outcome (and the less rewor). So I understand what you are saying to a point, but the focus is (and should be) the finished quilt. You can honor the supporting staff (seams) by sewing and pressing them correctly.

Just maybe.....:)

well, did you? Wish my mom had told me that....Oh well first time love, second time money....but there won't be a second time for me! I just cooked, cleaned, gave birth for one............Forget it again!

Sorry I started all this. I was not really all that serious when I made this post. It crosses my mind from time to time, but I am not considering a smaller than 1/4 inch seam or anything like that. I guess I should have put an "LOL" at the end of my post.

Ummm... "Life is not a movie" comes to mind. :thumbup:
On the other hand, I've taken pictures of some of my seams for my niece's quilt book so she understands what all goes into making a quilt. It all started the day I proudly showed her all my applique pieces carefully laid out on my design wall. She jumped up & down with delight and then asked with all the innocence of her 3 years on this earth "Auntie, can you finish it so I can take it home with me tonight?"

I am thankful my seam lines are hidden as sometimes my seam are not straight, sometimes you can see little holes where they have been sewn in and taken out several times and of course there are those that have lines sewn on top of lines when I have needed to correct a cooked line but just wasn't up to picking the crooked one out.

Glad for the confession.....you had a lot of us worried about your stability...but now we know you're just as sane as the rest of us! Keep those bobbins rockin!

Thinking about unseen fabric seams would be right up there with fretting over a snowflake melting. Not a thought I'd give any value to. Odd thoughts cross my mind too.

without those tiny hidden back seams there would be nothing there to admire on the front. The same in life, it is because of the ones that lost that we have winners, it is because of the back stage people that we have a play and actors.

I never thought about this.

Love all the comments! My two additions FWIW: 1. Do a rag quilt and the seams are outside for all to see. 2. Some things are meant to be hidden: I'm glad our city sewer pipes are not above ground for all to "enjoy", for example... :)