Working with White Fabric
 

I just finished up my first quilt using white fabric. I am very frustrated. I was focused so much on making sure I ironed everything correctly so the seems would join smoothly, when noticed that all my white seems show. I generally made a mess and am trying to iron everything so it lies flat, regardless of color. Some seems are twisted where I changed direction. So how should I have done this? I've attached a picture of what I ended up with. I am awaiting some white batting, but even with that, I can still see the seems. Maybe this is just the nature of sewing with white???!!

I anxiously await responses for this dilemma. For this very reason I try not to use white in a quilt. Of course, I usually press to the dark but sometimes a seam dictates which way to press.

Part of it certainly is just the nature of working with white fabric. I usually press my seams open so there is not quite as much show through. You will get some regardless. I think by the time you lay this over you batting it will be less noticeable.

I use lots of white - actually white on white prints - in my quilts and rarely have this problem .... and usually it disappears once the batting is behind it. Maybe it was the weight of the white fabric you chose? Hoping that the batting will ease the problem and your frustration.

same here. I don't buy white batting.

This happens to me as well. White batting does seem to help. I agree, try to gently unsew the twisted seam, correct the problem and resew. Good luck and hope the batting takes care of the problem.

I consider the seams showing as part of the design. Oma66 has said it well. White batting helps.

The batting and quilting will lessen the seams shadow so much you won't notice them. I wouldn't give it another thought.

I use white a lot. When you put your top on the white batting your seam allowances will be much less noticeable. For this reason I use Warm and White cotton batting instead of Warm and Natural. Some white fabrics are heavier than others and yours may have been on the thinner side. But don't worry about seeing some seam allowances they are part of the quilt! Also after it is quilted and washed and crinkled a little you likely won't notice the seam allowances at all.

Great solution!

Jutzme, I wouldn't worry about the white. It will be less noticeable when you get the batting behind it. Oma 66 had some good ideas. I think your quilt is beautiful and you did a great job. Don't be too hard on yourself.

This is awesome info. I use white a lot. Usually white on white. I love the quilting suggestions. Thank you.

Also, agree. Batting, backing and quilting and washing will add a whole new dimension to your quilt. Just keep going. :) I bet the end result turns out great. :)

God advice here -- it will work out fine and won't be as noticeable once it is quilted. You do have a beautiful top!

This is a great and correct way to fix that twisted seam. If I'm in a hurry, I've been know to clip the seam allowance a bit till I can get the offending twisted seam to flip to the side it needs to be on. (said very sheepishly, but, honestly) Sure hope that doesn't come back to haunt me.

I agree that once the batting is in and it's quilted it won't be so noticeable. My problem with using white was the little stray colored threads that just kept showing up underneath in spite of me being super careful.

Thanks for the hints! I am going to town tomorrow to get the white batting! What I a good white cotton to use? I was using moda's bleached white.

I have never tried this, but I have heard that lining the quilt with white interfacing really helps. Might be an interesting experiment to try.

Usually the rule is to press towards the darker fabric but I think that is pattern is one of the exceptions. I would put some batting underneath it and see if that helps. It is just part of the piecing process.

Beautiful blocks and piecing! Is the quilt laying on a 'dark' surface when you took the picture? Does it appear less noticeable if you lay the quilt on a 'white' surface (like the white batting) ... I'll bet it'll be appear better to your eye...you'll still notice it, of course, but it'll be better.

I've never worked with Moda White but I've made a few quilts using Kona White and Kona Snow and didn't see the issue you're showing here.

Please let us know how it turns out.

Nan - Indiana

With shadow stitching when you quilt this, you've just created a new "mock trapunto" method! I think your piecing is wonderful. Your points are really points (my weak area!) and your colors look awesome. As for twisting in the pressing, if it's just that one long seam, you could try clipping (carefully!) the spot where it joins the other seam, or pick out that one small section and "flip" the wayward seam the right way! I'm not sure that anyone else would ever notice, if you left it just the way it is! Remember, WE are our own hardest quilting judges! Everyone else if likely to ooh and aahhh over the whole thing.

I use a lot of white in my quilts and do not notice this as a problem. Once the batting is behind it, and it is quilted, you do not notice it. I do not necessarily use white batting; usually it is off-white. Still no problem.

No problem--you've already got your lines "marked" for quilting! Good deal. (Congratulations on the accurate 1/4" seams.)

Use a very white batting and that will help to hide those seams. It is just the nature f working with white fabric, so don't stress about it. Go ahead and finish it and I think you will be satisfied with it.

I normally iron my white over the dark to hide the seems when it comes to white on white I always iron them towards each other as mentioned earlier if the seam is going the wrong way unpick a few stitches and and turn the seam then resew.

I'm betting everything will turn out great after it allcomes together.

I do a test seam with whites and most pale fabrics to see if the seam allowance is going to shadow (show through on the front) before I start cutting the pieces. Yellow and pale pink solids frequently do the same as white. When the test seam shadows, I fuse a layer of inexpensive white muslin to the back of the fabric before cutting. Works like a charm. Until I started doing this I totally avoided using white in anything, so it's opened up a whole new world for me.

I have not been using any whites lately. I hate the seams showing like they did in your quilt. I hold any white fabric I am thinking about buying up and if I can see through it, I won't buy it. It has to be thick for me to even want it in my sewing room. It really limits me to darker colors, but I like them, so there you have it.

Edited to Add: Just read the notes about the interfacing on all the white pieces. I'm not sure if I want to try to use an interfacing with all the white. It seems like a lot of extra work to me. I am a lazy quilter. lol

I have been using a lot of whites lately. I really do not notice it and sure others will not once its all put together. I do iron my seams open. In fact I now iron most of my seams open, less lumpy when FMQ'ing. I have never used white batting, I have a huge roll of warm and natural so just do not need more batting, but that does sounds like a good idea.

While I am working on a quilt I am so "zoomed in" on the details (especially the mistakes, but once it is done...those things become less important and most other people aren't seeing them at all.

I have found that white on white print fabric also helps keep the seams from showing so much.

i agree ...i don't use a lot of white. but i do use it as a "bright" accent for some designs. i try, when piecing, to assemble in such a way that the seam will be folded to dark side. i don't usually open seams, but will if it works better that way. i also do twisted or snipped seam allowances to keep seam turned to darker. i read the discussion recently where it was stated that snipped seams as opposed to twisted made for weakness that will tear out in time. not tru if done carefully. my son's quilt is as strong now as when i made it, tho starting to fade w my dil's need to wash it weekly :((.
also agree that the seams allowances wil show less when the batt is in place. as long as you are using white batt ..warm & natural or oter natural off white batt will emphasize the seam allowances.

White batting will help hide those seams, they'' be barely noticable. Jo Morton will clip seams right up the edge of the stitch line at the intersection and press them in the direction she wants them to go. I've used this method many times and it works. Just dont get too close to the stitch line about an 1/8 or 1/16th away from stitching.

I made a baby quilt recently, using white for the first time and also the same fabric line, lol! The seams will disappear after you add the batting and backing, but I do recommend that you take extra care to clip any stray threads before you sandwich your quilt. Much to my dismay, I found several dark threads showing through after quilting, and it was way too late to do anything about it. Good luck!

I just made a quilt using lots of white. You never see the seams when you use white batting. If you only buy natural batting, this is the one time you need to buy white. You won't be sorry.

Z Any Mouse, your quilt is beautiful!

When I look at your quilt, I see a well made block and the white edges seem to compliment the block. It has been my experience that you never can hide all the white seams. Sometimes construction demands that you press the seam to the light. I try not to take this personally and go on with my project. Don't give up using white...white frequently give some zip to an otherwise plain pattern. I think your quilt is wonderful.

Use white batting and it will never be noticed. I love white quilts and I never notice the seams after quilting.

I agree that the batting will help. You can also plan your quilting to follow some of the seams and make it look like they are part of the design. The biggest thing to remember is that you will always see the seams and think they are a problem. Others will look at the quilt and just see how beautiful it is!

I use white a lot, usually Kona White or Kona Snow. I always use Warm and White batting with white fabric. I press the seams open most often. After quilting, I never notice any seams showing through. I think your quilt is beautiful, and those seam allowances will disappear with white batting and quilting.

I use a lot of white in my quilts. I also buy the white version of Warm and Natural. I think it is called Warm and White? Anyway, that solves the problem for me.

Dina