Rip it and redo?
 

I know the answer already but need the push....

I am making the Shadowbox pattern and one of my long rectangular pieces wasn't cut quite perfect. I thought I could 'fudge' on my 1/4 inch when sewing the sashing on but now that I look at it it's a little too close for comfort. Should I stop what I'm doing and start ripping the block and sashing out and totally re-do the block with another piece (of which I don't have and will have to go buy) or can I leave it as is? The darker rectangular block is batik and sashing is light cotton and nothing is pre-washed. Crap, I know the answer but I just need to hear it from you....

It looks like there is a "seam" ...maybe do an overcast stitch to reinforce it? I have been guilty of this delimma myself.

Sandy

yes you know the answer.... push push

@$&*(&%$#@_)(^& there I said the dirty words for you.

My seam ripper has become my best friend. No reflection on what you are asking, just my observation of me. :D

Hmmm ... I would say rip it UNLESS you can meet all three criteria .....

1) You are not going to handle it much anymore (ie immediately sandwich it!)
2) You are going to do a very dense quilting perpendicular to the seam
and 3) It's going to be a wall hanging (or other lightly handled quilt)

otherwise ... Lady start your ripper!

Can you just undo that section and re-stitch? I hate to rip out too!

I see you've already loaded it on the frame....wonder if you rip out the seam, and hand sew it back, (densely) without having to take it off.

For me, it would depend on how much quilting I was going to do in that area. The more quilting there is, the less stress is put on the seam. I have gotten some quilt tops from my sister with seams like that. I just always make sure to do lots of quilting over those seams (by choosing a freehand pattern such as loops or meander, which turn out great for me).

Another thing I have done when the seams are actually pulling apart is iron a lightweight fusible interfacing to the wrong side to secure the area. This does not show up at all in the finished quilt, and in my opinion requires being quilted over to fully secure the reinforcement, but has worked really well.

You know what you have to do!!!!! LOL

I myself have fudged but that looks awful close. I would hate for you to get it all done and then within a month or two have it come apart.

I would rip it. I have gotten very fast at ripping, lots of practice.

Rip and redo, sorry!!!!

you can rip it out and sew a piece on the sashing it won't be seen by anyone but you then put your sashing back on

I always make do with whatever I end up with. I've had a couple of quilts that I've had that happen to. I restitch the seam using a very short stitch length, it's a number 1 on my machine. Then I sew a second seam using a very short stitch length right next to the first one just a milimeter away from the first seam on the raw edge side. If the fabric is thin and tends to ravel, I also make sure that the quilting stitches that seam down well too so that it takes the stress. I've dabbed on a little Fray Check, but I have to be careful to just let touch the seam allowance. Otherwise, it'l make a spot on your quilt, so I don't do that anymore.

DITTO what she says!

Usually I don't do this unless there is at least 1/8 of an inch. I have fusible featherweight interfacing and when I am a bit short, I fuse it on and then stitch over. Looks like a close call. Can you come in just a tad more in your stitching??? Just a thought. I HATE having to take stitches out because it really isn't ripping, it is surgery !!! :)

I would not take out the seam. Instead, I would do a tight zigzag stitch with the left side lining up with your existing stitch and the right side covering the narrow seam allowance.

I think you already know what you "should" do BUT if you choose not to rip than I definitely would reinforce your 1st stitching with a smaller, stronger stitch. Good luck with that.

I couldn't cope with the worry of having it come undone.....and I would have to fix it....so here's a little push from the Land of Aus.

I'd sew again with tiny stitches, and then use Fraycheck.

Get out that seam ripper!

Psych yourself up to rip and just forge ahead. I am such a perfectionist with my blocks I tend to rip more than I need to so I'm probably not he best one to comment. You won't be sorry because you will always know you took the shortcut. In my opinion it is always worth the hassle in the end.

Do not rip! There is plenty of fabric there, but it needs some "treatment".

First sew a second line of small stitches about half way between the sewing line and the end of the fabric.

Then iron on some fusible to cover the edge of the fabric. This may be the more reliable fix.

Or use fray check on the edge of the fabric.

I have just been amazed at all the unique remedies for fixing this. Before reading this, I would have taken out my ripper and just got going. Now, I have options when I run into this small seam problem. I always keep some kind of lightweight iron on, sew friendly, interfacing on hand and now have a new use for it. Thanks once again to these super quilters who share info so freely and make quilting more fun for us all!

Because I would want to know it wouldn't fray out, I would probably iron on the lightweight stabilizer, then stitch the seam again with a much smaller stitch to make sure everything stays in place.

The key will be to buy a lightweight interfacing/stabilizer than only has one side that irons on. And, secondly, only get it on the seam that needs repairing, so you will need one of those pressing cloths that doesn't allow glue to stick to it, or maybe a piece of wax paper to keep the interfacing from getting where it doesn't need to be.

Good luck with your repair.

I have learned to look at using the seam ripper as "just another step in making me happy". I visualize my seam ripping time as 'just part of the process'. Works for me. Your seam ripper exists to make you love your finished project.

Have you considered adding permastitch or some such along that section? Like fabric glue, or fray stop. Another option might be to iron on a strip of fusible.

Parchment paper works great for this.

I like the ideas here that do NOT involve ripping it out... and have used these ideas with success. Hope it turns out well!!

Yeah.....unfortunately, you have to rip it out and re-cut. Can't tell you how many times I've gone back to the store because of things like this.....and not just in quilting. When I made the suit I wore to my son's wedding I got the skirt too tight and had to go buy more fabric and cut a new skirt. It happens.....darn it!

Sometimes I rip these, and sometimes, I just make another line of tiny stitches right next to the existing line, then keep repeating those new lines of stitching over and over in that scant-seamed section until I've solid-seamed it all the way to the edge. In this case, it's a batik, which won't fray much anyway, so I'd probably just reinforce it to death. :p

I hate the frog-stitch! Having tried to fudge a block myself, you will regret it later if you don't rip it out now.

If it were my quilt that would be just too close for comfort. Much easier to redo now.

I know a woman who calls ripping out reverse sewing. I like that phrase. Short of ripping it out, maybe reinforcing the seam by sewing over the original stitching a couple of times. Otherwise, reverse sewing is the next step.