Which white is right..side that is
 

I use lots of white in my blocks and since I sew at night after work I have trouble determining which side is the RIGHT side espeicially when using tone on tone patterened fabric. So to save time and to avoid "redesigning" the block, I use my fabric pencil and make a small X on the WRONG side of the fabric. Not a pencil pencil but a fabric pencil. I mark the fabric immediately after cutting so I'm all set to go. Markings are on the wrong side...no more guessing, holding fabric to the light, or laying fab on my lap to see which side is up.

Makes sense to me -

That hint would probably also work when using batiks - to make sure that one is using the 'same' side throughout the project.

Great tip, thanks! :)

Great idea Julie, I will definitely adopt this practice! I often work at night and have had the same problem as well, and with winter in New England just around the corner there will be many days with poor lighting. Such a simple idea, yet I am sure many of us are scratching our heads saying…..”Why didn‘t I think of that“! Thanks for sharing.:thumbup:

I wish I was actually smart enough to do this! Just spent time unsewing some that were wrong.

Thanks for this great tip!

Great idea, especially when you have to depend on sewing in the evening under artificial light.

That's a good idea because I know I use white on white fabric and also usually sew at night. When the quilt was together I noticed that it was sewn on the wrong side.

Turn one piece over and compare to the other, it should then be easier to see right from wrong. If the fabric is solid I was taught many years ago in Home Ec. the right side is the smooth side. This is what I do, I don't like working on solids anymore.

that is a good idea. I just used white on white for the first time & had to get out the seam ripper because of "backward" fabric

If you mark the back side before you cut it, it's a lot quicker - you only have to decide once! I use chalk pencil and mark every few inches, depending on what size pieces I'll be cutting.

Great ideas!! Thanks!! I have had issues as well -- with both white and black.

Here is a great foolproof tip for white on white. Take your piece, place it on top of your thigh (yes thats right). Flip it over a couple of times and you easily be able to tell which is right side. The print side of WOW will show up brighter than the wrong side.

Glad I'm not in the "boat" alone. LOL

If one of my pieces decides to hide it's face, I usually find it while I am quilting it together. I just let it hide, and say it is part of the quilt's character. lol

Great idea!

I do the x mark also , even though when I ask this very question on here years back they told me if I couldn't tell the difference then it didn't matter use any side I wanted to, so at that time I did just that. :)

Like this idea. Thoght about marking all the "small" pieces and was getting weak!

I just had this problem yesterday. Tone on Tone white, I would get through a few pieces and then realize I didnt make sure they were right side facing:mad:. I did go through the stack and make sure they were all right sides up so I didnt do that again.:)

I'm using Kona white while doing the Craftsy BOM and dang if I can tell which is the right side. Sometimes I can, sometimes I can't. It's hard. The wrong side seems to be whiter and a looser weave, to me. Am I right? It doesn't seem like the weave could be looser on one side, but it looks that way. Maybe I'm explaining it wrong. Maybe I should say that you can see the bare thread laying there...not all woven like it should be. Anyway, my blocks have both side on it. And I work only during the day. And I have good lighting. What's my excuse? I think I get tired of checking. Now I will mark an X on the wrong side BEFORE I cut. Ohhhh, 16 days until a new BOM! Can't wait!!!! I'm all caught up.

Sometimes it's even hard to tell which is the right side, which is the wrong side to start with. I was told to look at the selvage, and the pin marks should be UP on the right side. Sometimes that's even hard to tell. I recently worked with a metalic lace, boy, that was hard! I flipped back & forth, trying to match by the shinyness, and after I sewed the seams, it didn't look right; so I ripped, and ripped and ripped. sigh! I am hoping that they are all right, now. lol

I could have used this tip many times. Thanks

Great idea - thanks!

good idea. I have troubles sometimes it hard to determine which is right.

great idea!

In my first quilting class, our instructor told us to put the piece on your leg and flip it over. It works! For some reason (probably the different perspective and lighting) it's easier to pick the right side. I've used that trick several times. It works sitting or standing. Maybe it'll work for you!

Thanks for the tip. Never thought about a wrong side or a right side to a tonal white.

This is an excellent hint and I could have used it last week. I was sewing at night and the next morn I had to rip out some squares of white that I put in wrong. Thanks loads and I will use this soon.

Love that tip thanks. joyce j

I also use this when I'm using black fabric , and a chalk pencil works great too!

IMO your tip would be perfect to use on ANY FABRIC where the right vs wrong might cause you to waste time - not only in trying to determine which side to use, but also in the possibility of having to "frog sew". Worse yet, I know some people who would toss the block rather than rip. More waste!

A good idea. I have struggled with these quilt pieces and never thought to mark them. There are so many helpful hints on this site.

Now does muslin have a right and wrong side? Because I honestly cannot tell by touch or looking at it.