Quilt for Alu
06-23-2010, 07:01 PM
#38
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: High Entropy Zone
Posts: 1,247
I am not an expert but after making a few of these signature blocks I've figured out a few important things: 1.) it is hard to write on the fabric 2.) its hard to know where the 1/4 inch seam allowance really is when writing.
I decided to fix the writing issues. I dry ironed the white fabric onto freezer paper and then cut out the 3 1/2 inch square. On the paper side, I marked the 1/4 inch seam allowance with a bright red or pink sharpie.
I wrote whatever I wanted onto the white fabric (staying in the seam lines because I learned after the first one I made).
I shortened my stitch length to 1.5 and sewed the rest of the block as directed. The 1.5 stitch length made the paper really easy to remove.
This sounds really more elaborate than necessary but I found it far easier to write on the stabilized fabric and it actually saved me time. If I were to make a block and not write on it, I wouldn't have done the stabilizing thing.
I decided to fix the writing issues. I dry ironed the white fabric onto freezer paper and then cut out the 3 1/2 inch square. On the paper side, I marked the 1/4 inch seam allowance with a bright red or pink sharpie.
I wrote whatever I wanted onto the white fabric (staying in the seam lines because I learned after the first one I made).
I shortened my stitch length to 1.5 and sewed the rest of the block as directed. The 1.5 stitch length made the paper really easy to remove.
This sounds really more elaborate than necessary but I found it far easier to write on the stabilized fabric and it actually saved me time. If I were to make a block and not write on it, I wouldn't have done the stabilizing thing.
06-23-2010, 07:34 PM
#39
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 1,157
When I made mine, I just layed them on some fine sandpaper, and it made the writing pretty easy. It keeps them from shifting around.
From the siggy swap, the other thing I learned was that I had to move my needle over about 2 "hairs" from the pencil mark on my squares, and then when I pressed them back, they came out pretty good. Still had to square them up a little, but they were big enough that way.
From the siggy swap, the other thing I learned was that I had to move my needle over about 2 "hairs" from the pencil mark on my squares, and then when I pressed them back, they came out pretty good. Still had to square them up a little, but they were big enough that way.
06-23-2010, 07:41 PM
#40
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 1,157
Originally Posted by Gwyn
Peggy: Your squares arrived today. Sorry, I can't find your website name. Thank you, they are perfect.
