Twisted Seam Allowances, Fix, or Leave?
#1
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mendocino Coast, CA
Posts: 5,007
Twisted Seam Allowances, Fix, or Leave?
Unless you're a quilter that does all open seams, you've probably come across more than one twisted seam allowance, where at one end of the seam the allowance faces one direction and the other end of the seam it faces the other direction. Usually, I take a few stitches out of one seam and flop that allowance over to the correct side, then restitch the seam. But sometimes it's just too complicated to do that. I may worry about a point that might get damaged, or the seams are just so short and tedious to fix, or maybe it just won't matter much after it's quilted, etc. What do you do?
#3
Power Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Southern USA
Posts: 16,393
Many quilt classes I have taken with quilt famous instructors have said flip the turned seam a few inches away from the turn and press. No one is the wiser and you won't weaken the seam by snipping as many like to clip. I would never spend time unsewing and re sewing a flipped seam unless it made a big difference. So far I've never found the big difference.
#7
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Tn
Posts: 9,012
I leave mine unless it shows thru the front. But, actually when you put batting behind it you don’t usually see any of the seams. Also they sink into the batting so bulk is not an issue in most cases. I have seen the backs of quilt tops that teachers show at classes and they also have twisted seams. It happens to all of us
#9
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: The Deep South near Cajun Country, USA
Posts: 5,433
I don't worry about it unless it creates too much bulk or shows. I quilt on a longarm, and you cannot tell the seams that were flipped and those that weren't. Now, if I was making a show quilt, I might change my mind. Never would I clip into a seam to adjust it.
Edited to add: I should have NEVER said never. There is always that possibility .
Edited to add: I should have NEVER said never. There is always that possibility .