String quilt ? for string beginner
 

Have lots of strings in my stash so time to sew them into something useful. ? is...what is the narrowest width of string to use. One inch seems way to narrow to use, Am I right?

A 1" strip will finish as 1/2" which wouldn't be too narrow to use in my opinion.

TYSM for your expert opinion! Off to the races I go as soon as I cut some pages from old telephone book.

I use 1 inch strips sometimes. It depends on whether I am using a foundation (thin old sheet, ultra light fusible interfacing or something else) The foundation helps to keep the strips from stretching and bowing, but also allows me to use a 1/8 inch seam on the strip I am attaching. I lay the thinner strip a tad to the left so that when I sew, it will have the 1/8 inch seam allowance but the strip underneath will have 1/4 inch. I also make a point of shortening my stitch length. The narrower seam allowance will be enclosed which will protect it from raveling.

In the past I've usually ended up cutting my strings especially for a project (because I have yet to deal with my scraps). In the case where I am cutting them, I start with 1 1/4". I can't remember what width I've gone up to for my thickest width.

You don't want narrow strips because your quilt will be very heavy with all the seams. Also I use a fat 1/4 inch seam to sew the strips together. The seam width can be any size or vary, doesn't make any difference but better to be wider so all the edges are secure.

I use strings between 1 and 2.5 inches mostly unless it is going to be a big quilt then I go up to 3 inches. I have put as narrow as 3/4 an inch sting in but you do not want to put too any of those because having more seams than top fabric would make for a very heavy quilt as well as take a really long time and lots of thread to piece. I do love the look however of that little 1/4 inch color pop between two more subtle fabrics.

Oh, yes! I like that too, Sewingpup. I often use the narrow strips in the same way. A pop of color or design can really jazz up and quilt.

depends on the finished size of your blocks too. If you are doing say, a 4" finished block, you need the 1"-ish strings or your won't get any fabric on your block ;) If you are doing a 10" block wider strings are more appropriate.
Also might depend if the strings are sashings, or will be borders, or are to be just part of a bigger standard stitched block.

You also need to think about if you are going to split the blocks and resew them, then you'd start with bigger blocks.
Bonnie Hunter has some nice free string blocks on her Free Patterns tab on her blog.

I've done all of the above, all turned out very striking! I do sew on paper because the widths aren't consistent so the finished size needs to be bigger and trimmed down because it's easy to go crooked just sewing them together in the standard way.
In this improv I used all the techniques :) I made this while I was caring for my mother who had dementia. There is never time to think so I set my machine up by her chair and just sewed strings.

String and crumb piecing can be so therapeutic! I agree in general with the comments about narrow strips - the smaller the block/project, the smaller you can go but they tend to be better as occasional inclusions rather than the rule.

Finished my firt string block today. New question...WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO MAKE ONE? LOL I think I'm going to have a ball making thkese blocks. TY to everyone who responded.

String blocks are therapeutic, fun, and addicting! I’ve lost count of how many I’ve made. I use a product called Pattern Ease or Easy Pattern for foundation. It can be left in and is light weight. Have fun making those blocks!

I leave the paper in if it is a wall quilt too, adds body and I'll never wash them anyway.

Here is a picture of one I made long ago. I put it on the sofa as my great grand isn't always the neatest on furniture. It is very heavy, very soft, and well used. I have patched it up several times.

Sharing my string quilt

Love the pictures of you all's string quilts! Anybody else got pix to share?

How many do you want? And I do have more!!

Here's my string quilt from the String Me Along pattern.
Attachment 645025

Strings are so addicting and soothing!
Here's mine!

Forgot Crooked Mile!

I'd love to see all you care to post. Those are beautiful!

There are also a lot of examples in our gallery:

strings 1

strings 2

Could you use a cotton batiste fabric for a foundation? I've been saving strings for quite some time. I have a bunch of batiste (or "lawn") that has seemed too thin to use as a backing. I have a couple of old telephone books, too. However, the thought of ripping all that paper off sounds daunting.

Here's a picture of a string quilt I want to make. It's on her home page
bkay
great string quilt

Whatever fabric you use will add weight. I've made several with used dryer sheets and they worked well. (Some folks say to be leery of dryer sheets if you are worried about allergies to the perfumes, but I launder them first and they haven't caused a problem for me.)

It's not at all difficult to remove paper, if you sew your pieces with a very short stitch.

The quilt in my avatar is made of tiny strings, 1/2" or so. Lots of selvages. I am working on one now with 1" and up strings. My days of teeny-tiny are in the past. I always do foundation piecing on cheap fabric.