how do u do it?
#15
Your quilt is very pretty, maybe you just need to practice cutting and sewing squares with scrap pieces. Don't give up! I am mostly self-taught and the first book I bought was Singer's 'The Quilter's Bible". It had everything I needed to know in there to get started and was easy to follow. Maybe you could get a beginner quilt book to use as a guide. Just a thought. Carol
#17
Accurate cutting is step #1 & cutting on the straight of grain for square blocks. Then you have to be able to sew a straight line & make all your seams the same 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", whatever--as long as it's the same on every block. Pressing seams so they alternate helps lock your patches, blocks, & rows together and that locking helps keep everything square.
Starch &/or good quality fabric will help keep things square also but if you cut off grain to begin with, the edges will become unstable and distort. If you use good quality fabric & cut it straight, you still have to be able to sew a straight seam.
Don't feel bad. I threw more blocks in the trash than I kept when I first started. I even tried to fussy cut diamonds for a Tumbling Blocks quilt and it looked like I had sewn B cup bra's together. I even knew about bias from sewing for clothing to drape & give like I want but for some reason I didn't think bias applied to quilt blocks.
Starch &/or good quality fabric will help keep things square also but if you cut off grain to begin with, the edges will become unstable and distort. If you use good quality fabric & cut it straight, you still have to be able to sew a straight seam.
Don't feel bad. I threw more blocks in the trash than I kept when I first started. I even tried to fussy cut diamonds for a Tumbling Blocks quilt and it looked like I had sewn B cup bra's together. I even knew about bias from sewing for clothing to drape & give like I want but for some reason I didn't think bias applied to quilt blocks.
#18
I picked up something here that i read that was one of those "Ah~ha moments"
I have a habit of not pinning my borders to the main quilt - afterall, I'm just sewing a straight line!!
But, when i put this last piece on, I'll be making sure that my 2 side pieces are the same length and i'll be pinning the 2 pieces together. Hopefully, the one side won't "grow" when i sew it...
I have a habit of not pinning my borders to the main quilt - afterall, I'm just sewing a straight line!!
But, when i put this last piece on, I'll be making sure that my 2 side pieces are the same length and i'll be pinning the 2 pieces together. Hopefully, the one side won't "grow" when i sew it...
#20
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: nevada
Posts: 35
I know what u mean I don't pin mine eather and I think that is my problem. But with this one I did and still it grew on one side and shrank on the other I don't know any more but I think I will keep trying and any help is a great thing.