Y Seams
 

Need help with easy way to do Y seams thanks in advance for your help.
Alane

I mark little dots where the points should actually come together and pin them there. Then sew toward the center. Mine came out very well. I also use spray starch. Never used it until this year, now I can't live without it.

I do them exactly like dd does & that method works great for me.

It is a job to do when you are to in a rush go slow and make sure you don't go past the dot mentioned above. Carefully needle down foot up and slowly turn fabric. Foot down and slowly off.

I rank y-seams right up there with colonoscopies and snow storms. I hate them. In addition to marking the dot at the intersections and going slow, a friend here on QB suggested drawing the seam lines to follow and using a drop of glue to hold the edges of the seams together. With glue you don't have pins in the way but the seam line stays in place.

Y seams are more easily done by hand. but the above advice is terrific if you really want to machine it.

Y seams are the bane of my existence I think LOL.

Have only tried them once in my (little over) 7 years of
quilting, they looked so horrible that I ripped out the work
and said "forget that project".

Good luck and maybe someday I "might" venture back to
trying them, but not anytime in the near (or even semi near)
future.

This is a video that shows how I do it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj_zpK5W36Q

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLkHfcuNzCA

Goes rather quickly once you are used to it.

I enjoy y seams! I just go slow and as I come up to the dot I gauge whether my current stitch length will land me on the dot. If I think I am going to be off I lower my stitch length to ensure I land on the dot. Then pivot and keep sewing.

I didn't go into it thinking it was a scary thing, I was shown early on by my quilt instructor when learning a lonestar and as she didn't make a big deal out of it, I didn't stress and it came out perfectly.

So just relax, take your time and do it. Have fun!

I agree with QuiltnNan! It is much easier to make accurate Y seams if you are hand sewing!

The 1/4" dots are the only way I can do them and I go very slowly - of course I should add that I haven't done a lot of them

I once did a 9 inch block that had 56 pieces. Every seam was a y seam. Going slow, it took 10 hours to complete. Never again!!!!

ROFL, am I correct that you really really think Y seams are horrible ?? :-)))

It's about ending 1/4" from the end - I back stitch so that the seam stays put.

A quilting friend had this advice for me: "Life is too short for Y seams!"

YukonViv gave you excellent advice, I discovered they weren't as bad as I thought when I relaxed, went very slow and methodical and was very accurate. Marking the seams with a very visible dot where you will stop and pivet really helps, don't raise your needle for anything! and I used the end of my seam ripper to make sure the fabric on the underside was in the right position before I resumed sewing. And after my first one the following seemed somewhat easier, I think it was because I was less tense by getting through the first one. Good luck!

I think Kay Woods is the easiest and best way of doing this. Many say to stop at the dot and that's great for hand sewing but I like sewing to the end, as Kay suggests, when using the machine.

I would google it or go to utube and see if there is a tutorial... I usually mark dots on the corners, but I sew from the center out.

I just made a grandma's flower garden table runner (we have a contest at our local quilt guild with patriotic fabrics) and it was the first time I have made Y's You know once you got the hang of it, it was really kind of fun. The only hard part of it was putting the backing on, which I had to sew, clip and turn (I call it birthing) and then hand sew the opening shut. Just remember make sure that your edges are correct and don't go past your seam allowance and it will go just fine.

I do all my Y seams by hand so there's no need for pinning. One of my favorite relaxing in the evening things to do!

I like the video by woods...have I not tried it that way....I could not get the first one to open

I do the Y the old fashioned way of 1/4" from edge..needless to say I don't look for patterns that call for Y. Sometimes you can substitute a HST......

yes I find "y" seams a bit daunting - especially in small blocks !!

Anita's Attic has a method for doing the tumbling blocks with no Y-seam. The top triangle is cut in two (needs a seam allowance on each end) , and all the pieces are put together into rows and then the rows are sewn together. No Y-seams.

I love doing Y seams, but I can't tell you really how I do them. I guess I started off making picture frames first and sort of "got" the concept from that. I know there is more than one tutorial online if you search.

I don't have the patience for y-seams. Barb

[QUOTE=YukonViv;6484043]I enjoy y seams! I just go slow and as I come up to the dot I gauge whether my current stitch length will land me on the dot. If I think I am going to be off I lower my stitch length to ensure I land on the dot. Then pivot and keep sewing.

Me too. If I don't get it perfect, I usually just take a few stitches by hand to "fix" it. Works for me!

I agree hand stitching is so helpful. I just sew about 1 inch on either side of the dot to start the seam, pin the rest and head to the sewing machine. And I don't stitch over the handsewing. Has worked so well for me. The first one I did, I didn't do handstitching and I was forever catching something that wasn't supposed to be caught and ripping it out.

Have you tried Best Press? It is THE quintessential starch for quilting! You can buy it online or at quilt stores.

Oh, how I wish you were close to me! I am in Michigan, and Y-seams are easy-peasy!

My very first quilt was a grandmothers flower garden with one inch hexies, and a gazillion y seams. Just take the first one real slow so it comes out right, then repeat for all of the others. Remember to breathe, and mark the dot on every corner. You will do fine, but the you tube videos on y seams would be a great idea.

I agree with Yukon Viv. I didn't know Y-seams were supposed to be difficult, so I approached them as just another kind of seam to do. I have no problems with them, and no anxiety either! I think the poor Y-seam is getting a bum rap. IMHO.

Please check out this ruler, and video, I think you all need one of these! It is more than reasonable - I do not have any affiliation with this company, but very impressed with mine. I think it is under $5, if my memory serves me right.....???

http://www.craftybev.com/videopage.html

Ruler has dots (holes) for marking your "Y" seams, as well as 5 other useful items.