Chooklady

Hello ,

I picked up a book in a discount shop in the UK called 'Quilting In No Time' by Emma Hardy. Great I thought, now I can just follow the steps and make something nice. Well, I have looked at it 'properly' and not just a flick through before I bought it and realised that she has made the patterns with a 1/2" seam allowance.

Whaaaa!! I thought that all quilting was made with 1/4" and I have just bought a sewing machine foot exactly for this purpose. What should I do If I want to make the projects from the book with 1/4" instead of the 1/2"?

Is this a stupid question....

gale

That is weird. I have a lot of quilt books and magazines and other than projects like bags or clothes, they've all had 1/4" seams.

Chooklady

Yes, it is weird isn't it? Any suggestions as to what I should do?

mom-6

If you haven't already cut your pieces, you could change the dimensions to make your seams 1/4". Otherwise just for those patterns use a 1/2" seam.

Chooklady

Hello Mom-6, I haven't cut any fabric yet as I don't know what project I would like to do first. If I do use them from the book, just use the 1/2", it's not a problem as you say.....problem solved me thinks. Just have to but another book!

Misty's Mom

Hello, and welcome from Spring, Texas. I agree with everyone else.

Tartan

Yes just use the 1/2 inch seam allowance for patterns from that book. Depending on what the pattern is, there might be a reason for the larger seam allowance (putting in a zipper?) A good source for scrap quilt patterns is www.quiltville.blogspot.com under the free pattern tab. Another source is the youtube videos done by the Missouri Star Quilt Co. on table runners, quilt tops, tree skirts etc.

mighty

I agree I would use 1/2 for the quilts in that book.

janRN

I have an old beginner quilting book from 1973 and the seam allowances are 5/8". Maybe you have an older book printed before a more standard 1/4" seam became popular.

dunster

I looked up the book on Amazon, and your complaint about the seam allowance is also stated there. And the book was printed in 2009! Certainly not written by a quilter. According to other complaints, even simple shapes are to be cut with templates. Yeeeccchhh!