quiltsfor

I am wondering about how you are pressing the seams. I don't have this problem, unless I handle the piece excessively. I press my seams to the side. If you press the seams open perhaps this is why you have a lot of issues with the seam thread coming apart on the cut end of the pieces.

Pressing a seam open is actually puts stress on the sewn pieces on the cut ends, when you don't have a back stitch to stay it. Pretty much as if you would gently try to pull apart a seam you are in the process of ripping out to re-sew.

I strip piece a lot, sewing multiple strips together (sometimes 2 up to 5 strips in a strip set) and then cutting multiple large triangle pieces from the strip set, or other shapes and I don't have this issue. My machine is set at 2.5 for the thread length. I always press my seams to the side.

Iceblossom

I didn't mention in this thread but I almost always press open. With the small stitch length I use I basically get zero pull apart.

I'd say that if you get more than one stitch pull apart when testing your seam, your length is too long or your tension is not correct. My goal is to have maybe 3 stitches form a V when pulling/testing but none to come out. Does it have to be this tight? No... and if it is too tight you get other issues like rippling so you have to find your happy place.

My goal is for my seam is to be basically reweaving the fabrics. The needle should be sharp and cleverly slip between the threads of the fabrics. If you hear a "pooka pooka" while sewing sound your needle is dull and you are (most likely) breaking the fabric weave instead of slipping between.

I am also a pinner, every leading seam edge is pinned and typically every 2" so that any given piece has at least 2 if not 3 pins. I did not want to be a pinner! For my first 20 years or so of quilting I tried to use a minimum number, but I've found I get better results when pinning. It also gave me something to do at quilting groups where I didn't have a machine and I found I got better results. I know, not every one wants to pin and it is rather boring and involves some time. However, it saves time when my stack of prepared pieces fall over or the cat lands on them... I do pin below my seam allowance, not up to the edge of the fabric. I also use a "quilter's foot" that is 1/4" foot both sides and back and forward marks, it can help in many ways and is just above where my pins are.

I used to sew with a friend, she was using a Brother but I think again it defaulted to 2.5, she would increase it one count so that the stitches were easier to take out if she needed to. Even though she pressed to the side her blocks and top were always a mess off open seams at the ends and caused her a lot of time and grief. It makes sense that if you are using 8-10 stitches per inch, that cutting one of those stitches mid way would make an almost 1/4" open spot.

Macybaby

I strip piece often. like other said, use a smaller stitch. The other problem is being careful that you aren't letting pieces drag as you are sewing them together, as that can pull the seams a bit apart. I'm talking about the part that is before the needle and maybe hanging off the front of the machine. if it catches a bit as the machine is feeding, the seam may open up more than you'd like.

But it's really no different than if you are trimming a block down to size after sewing, as all the seams where you trimmed now have the threads cut just like happens with strip piecing. I normally sew with a narrower stitch, probably equates to a 1.8 - 2 on most machines. I go a bit smaller than that for paper piecing.

I have also found that the thinner the thread, the more it will open up. Sometimes I'm using up older 40wt thread and that holds very well, but when I'm using 50wt, it opens up a lot easier. Mosty I've learned to be very careful in handling peices.

I also stay stitch all around a floppy if it's got a lot of pieces on the edge, as when I'm pulling straight on the LA, edges opening up can be a real problem.

sewingpup

On my Bernina's the normal straight stitch for utility stitching is 2.5, but if I chose the straight stitch in the "quilting menu", it is 2.0. Sometimes if I am stitching small pieces I will crank the stitch length down to 1.8 or even smaller. I also like to chain stitch when I can and then I cut the middle of the "chain" so I leave a short bit of extra stitches from the chain on the edge of the fabric. Once I start stitching rows together I will backstitch a bit when I start and end the rows as the weight of the growing quilt will pull on the seams. And I usually will edge stitch about 1/8 of inch around the whole quilt before loading onto the longarm to help keep the seams together. Sometimes if I make large blocks with a lot of pieces, I will edge stitch this way around those blocks too. Oh, and I want to add, that some brands of machines seem to lock the seams in better than others, this maybe because of the tension set too, I don't really know.

mkc

Similarly, the length of the default utility straight stitch on my Janome and my Elna is 2.5. The piecing stitch length (93 on the Janome and I think the same on the Elna) is 1.8.

sewbizgirl

I agree... smaller sts should handle that problem.

Onebyone

You can do a backstitch at the start and end of each seam. I use a 1.5 stitch length. If I make a mistake usually make another unit or piece before I spend time picking out a seam. I save the wrong sewed one and if I need extra then I will use the seam ripper.

mkc

Unfortunately, that's not going to help since OP mentions

OP is cutting pieces AFTER stitching, so backstitching or lockstitching at the start/end of sewing two strips won't help for the edges where the strips get cut into sub-units.

sewingpup

then the best solution is to use a smaller stitch and handle pieces gently

carolaug

use a smaller stitch - Thank you for the person who mentioned using a glue stick on the ends...Awesome idea!!!