Sewn down seam allowence.
 

As hard as I try I sometimes stitch my seam allowence down going the wrong way. Should I pick those out and re stitch them as I go or do you just iron them flat? I'm still learning and it seems I pick out more stitches than I sew in sometimes. I can't wait until I get this process to go a little smoother.

IMHO - I leave them unless it is something that will be seen through a lighter colored material. I say that because I too would be doing a lot of 'reverse' quilting. When everything is put together you won't know they are the wrong way. But, that's just my opinion.

I took a class by AQS Show Director Bonnie Browning. She suggested just making a snip in the fabric near the intersection (be careful to cut inward, close to the line of stitching, but not through it), flip the seam the correct way & then press it down. No one is perfect & if it's good enough for QuiltWeek, it's good enough for me. :thumbup:

I looked at the back of some quilts of a known quilter and she had some stitched in the wrong direction. I don't remember which quilter it was but she left them. I figured they would never show unless someone was inspecting for a show

I try to fix them as I go, but have left some if I think it will not be noticed on the right side. I do a lot of pressing as I go, so most do end up turned toward the correct side.

This happens to all of us because the feed dogs just catch the edge and pull a seam allowance under. I think it creates a problem-especially when using s DSM. I check every seam as I sew or press. If one is turned wrong I fix it. It involves only clipping a couple of stitches to free it and then restitch it.

I was fixing all these stitches, then I bought a long arm (very used) and started doing my own quilting. I can't even find where the stitches went the wrong way after quilting or while I am doing the quilting. The exception is, if the fabric is too dark and you can see it on the front. Then I fix it. Or, if the seam is just too darn bulky.

I have been known to turn the seam in the middle so that it points in the right direction. Having said that, I don't ever do any stitch in the ditch quilting, or right next to a seam line. Those turns could show up if you do your quilting like that. My quilting is all free hand or pantograph designs. Mostly pantos. They hide a multitude of piecing sins.

I just press the right way (letting the seam allowance fold) and go on. Don't have time to pick and resew seams, esp when it won't matter in the end.

This happens to me all of the time! I press a "flip" into the seam a little ways from the intersection. It is easier to make it flat there. The batting takes in a lot of imperfection in our finished quilts. I prefer not to make any snips as I think this can alter the quilt integrity - but, this is only me and my opinion.

I try to be careful using pins so that they will stay in the correct position. I prefer to have my seams nest. Otherwise, I just press them how they are sewn (unless under a lighter fabric)

I iron them flat with the turn being away from the intersection. I have never thought about it being something to worry about because who cares. I think by snipping the seam it will weaken it.

My machine tends to catch a seam too and I read on Bonnie Hunters site to put a piece of tape over where it is catching and presto problem solved!

I just leave it, no one is perfect, certainly not me. LOL Quilting is supposed to be fun!!!

I think you need to make a distinction re: what purpose is the quilt? If it's a "dragger"... Don't fuss over it so much....if it's a " show" quilt....sorry,you need to unsew a little. In the meantime,I consider being able to not be a perfectionist is a goal; perfectionism raises my blood pressure!

[QUOTE=quilterpurpledog;7466019]This happens to all of us because the feed dogs just catch the edge and pull a seam allowance under. I think it creates a problem-especially when using s DSM. QUOTE]

I recently read a hint on how to avoid flipped seams (it may have been in Bonnie Hunter's Allietare mystery) that in piecing with your seams nested, you feed your top seam facing the back of your machine while the bottom seam will lie toward you... that way you can guide the top seam under your presser foot correctly and you won't have to worry about what's going on underneath. When you have the bottom seam facing toward the back, the feed dogs catch and flip ...

many of you probably already know this but I thought it was an ah ha moment for me. :o

I have been known to turn the seam in the middle so that it points in the right direction. Having said that, I don't ever do any stitch in the ditch quilting, or right next to a seam line. Those turns could show up if you do your quilting like that. My quilting is all free hand or pantograph designs. Mostly pantos. They hide a multitude of piecing sins.[/QUOTE]

Sometimes, it is not possible to keep the seams down flat for a variety of reasons such the number of seams and so on. A quilt store owner showed me how to turn the seam in the middle and press it down. How liberating! I quilt my own tops on my mid arm, and those seams do not cause any problems. All my quilting is FMQ and there is no SITD.

I used to do the ripping and restitching...or, I'd let one "twisted" one slide and feel guilty about it. Well, that was until I saw Jenny Doan's videos (I love that gal!). She, and a lot of you, are right. If it doesn't cause a problem on the right side, I let it slide. Barb in La, you said it well. And quilttiger, thanks for the pressing tip.

Another thing to consider is, are you taking this to a LAer? If so, they are not too fond of twisted seams that can cause big problems for them.

This is the way I do it. When I press long rows of blocks, I make sure the seams are pressed one way on the even numbered rows and the other way on the odd numbered rows. When I take the first two to be sewn, I choose a set that will go under the needle the correct way. But the correct way is to the right of the needle. Sew each pair to the right of the needle. Then when you sew the pairs of two each, they will be sewn to the left of the needle the normal way. No matter how large the quilt is, if you sew all the pairs to the right of the needle, the rest will be to the left as usual.
I hope you can make sense of this.

This is something I have wondered/worried about and I love this solution. Thanks so much for posting it!

I do that also.

I do try to keep seams where they should be but not always successful. I do my own quilting mostly meander. I think the batting helps to hide any flipped seams.

while I pin and try to keep those seams flat, sometimes it doesn't work and then I just press it hard (away from the join). As a long armer, it's usually not a problem (as long as the seam is well pressed) unless SID---THEN it's a problem--it bumps the hopping foot to the wrong side.

I leave them unless they make a big bump that I do t want to quilt over.