Lining up seams
#31
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Heart of Colorado's majestic mountains!
Posts: 6,026
All phases of the construction process are important when sewing the units of the block and it is important to know the kinds of places you have a tendency to deviate from true size seams-like at the end of a seam. Most blocks call for pressing to one side and nesting. You still need pins to get perfect seams. You spoke of stitching rows together. It is especially important to be sure that every junction matches before you sew. If they don't fit 'comfortably' it is best to go back and fix the problem. If you force it to fit it will show on the front and you can't always quilt it away. Starch and washable glue are great tools but they can't substitute for accurate sewing. I do think open seams are more of a challenge and hand basting small areas works well. It takes more time but saves lots of frustration and unsewing.
#32
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,061
Get a walking foot for your machine. It will change your life if you have trouble with shifting fabrics.
#33
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: north Alabama
Posts: 1,861
If one side seems to have a little excess fabric (as in too small a seam), then feed that side thru the machine next to the feed dogs. It will ease in the excess.....same as for bias edges, and it will keep you from stretching the shorter edge to match the longer one. Clear as mud?
#34
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 512
I think my first quilt teacher said something like press seams in opposite directions. Nest the seams. Place 1st pin lining up the center of the nest. Place 2nd and 3rd pin on either side. Remove 1st pin. I also use a walking foot.
#35
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Illinois
Posts: 9,018
I don't press my seams open, I press to one side. I am careful that one row is pressed to the right, the next to the left. This way the seams nest, minimizing slipping. Also, if it's possible, feed the row so that the loose edge of the seam on the top gets fed into the presser foot first. The feed dogs will pull the seam on the bottom butting it closer to the one on the top. It's not always possible to do this, but I try!
#36
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Manitoba
Posts: 281
In Addition to all the great hints here, I chain my blocks. Sew Row 1 block 1 to row 1 block 2. Then chain row 2 block 1 to row 2 block 2 ,,,all the way to the end. Then I chain all the block 3's to the 2 blocks, then all the block 4's, etc. you end up with a chained top it is now easy to see which way to press the rows. Plus you can check that all is in order! I will try to find some pictures.
#37
Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Conroe, TX
Posts: 80
No one has mentioned using fork pins. I have always pressed to one side and nested the seams, but had problems with the slipping and not matching. I came across fork pins at a LQS and have been very pleased with the results. Fork pins are very fine and are like having two pins in one. Nest the seams and place one side of the pin on one side of the seam and the other side of the pin on the other side of the seam. You only have to pin once and no more slippage. These are one of my "can't do without" notions.
#39
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 1,231
I use the glue stick, also, and have never, ever had such perfectly aligned seams. I run a line of glue stick, line them up..then I flip back one piece at where the 1/4" would be(approximately)..if it's good, I pinch them together to set it. If not, the glue is damp and easy to slide the seams around. I never bother to pin anymore.
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