Tips and tricks for Y seams?
 

I've started a pattern with an "intermediate" designation. I'm assuming it is intermediate because it has Y seams.

I've watched a number of videos and tutorials, but am wondering about any favourite tips and tricks you all may have for Y seams?
I've done one so far which is....um...OK. :eek: But any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Watson

Sorry, I try to avoid them. I know there is a method of not doing them that way but maybe some other member will remember where that information is. Good Luck.

LOL! This would have been my answer too! I've never had them come out well, however, it's one of those sad things. If I did lots more of them, I'd get practice and probably would improve. I used to do a lot of tailored garment construction with underarm gussets without a problem, but you didn't really see them. I usually adjust the pattern and add an additional seam. I know this is not helpful. I would get a bunch of scrap fabric and practice.

I avoid pattern with Y seams too, never got the hang of them coming out well consistently. Sorry no help here either! Will watch for any tips from others!!

Y seams are nothing to be afraid of or to avoid. As with any, technique it does take a bit of practice but once mastered they are an invaluable tool in your quilting repertoire, especially for doing mitered borders and classic patterns like Lone Star, Lemoine Star, Attic windows and Tumbling blocks. Also to do many of the fabulous patterns by Judy Niemeyer of Quiltworx

Edyta Sitar has great step by step instructions for doing a Y seam (AKA set in seam) in her book Scrappy Firework quilts. http://www.amazon.com/Scrappy-Firewo...ds=edyta+sitar

She also has a You Tube video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DBztmnqK-M

If you don't want to spring for the book one trick I used until I got adept at them was to mark the start stop dot on my units so I didn't stitch into my seam allowance. This helped me a lot. The other trick was I made a queen size Tumbling Blocks quilt with Y seams. After doing that many I got quite good at them. And now they don't intimidate me at all.

they are actually not terrible to do. just time consuming. I've done they by machine. But now i'm lazy and if i can make a quilt with half hexagons instead of whole ones, i'm for it!

Check out Deb Tucker's methods. She has rulers and methods for a lot of designs that eliminate Y seams.

I tried this the other day. this is a great video. no going back and clipping threads and mushing. Sew simple is what we want and Edyta shows us how.

Marking a dot for stopping and starting is important. So is accurate pinning. I also saw a hint that instead of back stitching right over the seam you back stitch off at an angle in the seam allowance. That allows you to easily take out the seam if needed.

Edyta Sitar's method makes them very doable and easy. A little bit time consuming but the more you do, the faster and easier they become. Good luck
Brenda

They're not hard, you will get better w/ practice. The key is making sure you stop and start accurately at 1/4" from the edge. I also mark it because w/ the angles of the piece, it can be deceiving sometimes. I also take a tiny back stitch to secure the end.

Kaye wood has/had a great tune on y seams.....makes the most sense (to me)

One of the next blocks in the Farmer's Wife 30's Sampler BOM on this board has eight (!) Y-seams in a 6" block. So after much whining my me and a couple of other participants, one of our own -- Honchey -- posted a great tutorial here: http://www.quiltingboard.com/blocks-...h-t276966.html The tute begins at Post #7. It inspired me to start over on my block and it's not perfect, but it's so much better than my first attempt.

I hand piece Y-Seam blocks. I can never get them right on the machine, no matter how carefully I mark stopping spots & how careful I am.

I'm w/ you Mdegenhart, I hand stitch w/ epp Y seams.

I taught myself a couple of tricks:
1. I mark a dot at the starting point by nesting the point of a very sharp pencil against the seam at the fold.
2. (Alternatively, with the piece opened flat, you can mark the seam line in all directions, making a crossing of lines at the intersections.)
3. I stitch from the fold (or you could call this the 'join or joint') to the edge rather than the other way.
4. Hand rotate the needle down into the dot or cross mark. Notice how it FEELS when the needle enters the fabric.....if you are off the mark and the needle goes thru 4 layers of fabrics, it will feel different than it will when going thru the 2 layers of fabric that you want it to. Once you have experienced that sensation, and know that the needle is just brushing the fold - not entering it, it will become easier to make these Y-seams more quickly.

Jan in VA

not into Y seams either... in fact, I did a modified tumbling block quilt so I could escape them. ;)

I watched the You Tube video and appreciated the simple, straightforward directions. And, as always, I appreciated Jan's explanation of how she approaches Y-seams. pins and precision are the common factor. It is step by step but the important concept is knowing where the exact edges of your pieces are and keeping them aligned and not 'forcing' them to conform. I hope that those of you who fear and hate them will give each of these methods a try. Please don't limit yourself by an unwillingness to give new ideas a chance.

I just read a tutorial on Y seams on ChrissieD.com...she gives a very good tute on just how to handle the Y seam with illustrations for each step....it was on her blog today..

I too have had great success with Kaye Wood's technique. Here's a link to her video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10YysHZSK44

To me, this is the best way to make Y seams. But I learned to make the cubes with no Y seams. You make half cubes that match. When all your half cubes are made, line them up and sew together in rows. I did that on my "Blue Ribbon Quilt". The picture is in the collection of cube quilts. It is called Hollow Cubes.

Around 2000 I made a pp string quilt. It required Y seams and when I started to put the quilt blocks together I was unhappy with the results. So I put it away. In 2002 I was on the computer and saw a video or read someones tutorial on Y seams. Her first comment was to not backstitch at the "v" Always start at the outside edge of the seam and sew toward the v. At the v turn the fabric and take a couple of stitches. DO NOT BACKSTITCH! Also, pin at the exact 1/4 inch spot you want to stop your stitching. I tried her method and was able to finish the block and the quilt. Sorry about the picture. Cannot seem to get a larger picture to upload.

This quilt was quilted on a Artistic SD with golden thread paper and a pantograph from Urban Elementz.



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Jinny Beyer's hand sewing method seems to be the most accurate for me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08AlOM5COBU

Yes, that's it....thanks for showing link.....I have done .....so far half of.....a diamond star quilt doing it that way...no "Sweat".......

Everyone should try it just once!

I put a dot at the 1/4" intersection of the "Y". When I get to the dot, I stop machine--needle down--pivot and continue on.

Make sure when you are ironing, you do not do the Army 'scrub' with the iron. Up and down pressing. You don't want to stretch and pull pieces into submission.