sushi

I sewed a whole bunch of 2 1/2" strips together to make a jelly-roll quilt. Stupidly, I ignored advice to reverse direction on every other seam. As a result, the top came out badly bowed. To fix it, can I get away with ripping out every other seam and resewing them in the opposite direction? Or is the bowing so embedded in the overall shape that I have to rip out every seam and start over?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Nammie to 7

I don't change direction with every other seam--if you press carefully you should be able to work this out.

dakotamaid

Try wetting it down before trying to straighten it. Threads are more forgiving when wet (damp). Just my thought.

sushi

Thank you, Nammie to 7 and Dakota Maid, for your responses.

I've already ripped out every other seam. Does this change your thoughts in any way?

dunster

Is it possible that as you were sewing the feed dogs fed the fabric on the bottom a little faster than the fabric on the top, so you actually have more fabric on one side than the other? This probably is seen frequently when sewing longer pieces of fabric, and I think that's the usual reason people have for sewing every other row in the opposite direction. Now that you have ripped out every other seam, can you press the pieces so that they lay completely flat? If so, I think you will be okay, but you might try using the walking foot to do the remaining sewing. Also, pin the pieces together in several places so that one side doesn't feed more quickly than the other.

joy

I did exactly the same thing... and I knew to alternate them... mind wasn't working properly.... a quilter told me to take out every other seam... and start again but I don't know which side I was stitching on.... however, it doesn't matter now as it has been tossed out with a lot of my stuff... whether by accident or on purpose I don't know... and the person responsible died... so that is that... it was a community quilt... things certainly happen in your life, don't they? Some good, some bad.

Peckish

Well if you've already ripped them out, then I guess just flip them over and sew them back up again. Hopefully you were keeping track of which end you started at originally, so you don't repeat the problem.

toverly

Oh, we all get familiar with our seam ripper at one time or another. I am just glad you are able to reuse the pieces. Hope it works out. It sounds like a good pressing and spray starch may help.

sushi

Thank you all for your advice! Based on it, I'll dampen my 2-row strips, iron them 'til dry, starch them and iron again. Fortunately I labeled each set in numerical order, and I know exactly how to sew them back together from the other end. (Oh, the virtues of being an experienced creator of bargello quilt tops!) If that doesn't work … hmmmmm … I'll probably consult y'all again.