quilt'nmomma

I'm having a fit here! I have 3 fabrics one of which is from a LQS and was pricey. After sewing all 3 together I have a bad bow in the strips. It looks to me that my fabric from my LQS is stretching and causing this. Has anyone else had this problem?? I already have 16 blocks done. I'm just ticked because my strips aren't really perfect.

ckcowl

it helps when sewing strips together to alternate the ends you start sewing on, this keeps the strips from bowing...so you start the first strip set of two...stitch down the two strips, then turn and add the next strip to the end you just cut your thread from...it is really important when working with bargello's or any strip pieced quilts. i would be hesitant to blame the lqs fabric, unless you have steamed and ironed the fabric out of shape.

MTS

The "bow" could be the result of the cutting and/or sewing.

When a the fabric is cut off the bolt, even if the edges on both sides are all lined nicely, its does not mean that it's properly aligned. So if you, at home, don't re-align it and trim it up BEFORE cutting the strips, you're going to get a "v" notch in your strip.

--It's really not the LQS's fault - it's the way it's taken off the rolls and put on bolts for shipping here in the US. And it's much better than it used to be. I remember RJR - especially the Jinny Beyer fabrics - were notorious for this. You could lose over 10% to straightening. They have gotten better, but it does happen.--

Now, when you go to sew in into a strip set, if you don't alternate the direction each time you add a strip to the set, then you could end up with the "J" curve at the bottom. It's got something to do with torque or whatever.

Also, if you sewed a perfect 1/4" seam allowance with the "v" notch, always an even amount from the edge, you're going to end up with a wonky strip set.

And then when you go to cross cut it into the squares, they're not going to be perfect.

My suggestion would be to make sure the SQUARES themselves are perfectly square , and don't worry so much about that each line isn't straight within the block. And there could be some waste because you won't be able to get a good square if the set is really bowed.

With the Rail Fence design, the eye generally travels along the whole pattern and if the different fabrics within a square aren't perfectly equal, this, as we say, will hardly be noticeable from a galloping horse.

Chalk it up to "tuition" and the next time you make a quilt with strips, you'll know to watch out for certain things.

I only learned all that after doing a ton of Bloomin' 9 patch quilts. Scores of strips sets and cross cuts....you sort of figure out why something isn't working, and can correct it.

sewingsuz

Will someone please tell me what a V notch means. Thanks

quilt'nmomma

I always realign my fabric first thing. No v notchs in my strips either. I was also alternating them. I've just never came across this before. The reason why I was thinking it was the fabric was because as I was sewing it it is stretching and kind of gathering. I'm not saying it the LQS fault more so that the fabric is just stretcher than I'm used too. The only strip quilting I usually do is Log Cabins other than that I do blocks so this is new to me. I think I'm going to end up having to square up each block.

MTS

It's what results in the fabric strip when the fabric isn't correctly aligned.

Try it. Just take a yard or half yard of fabric. Smooth it out but leave it the way it came off the bolt, and was cut at your LQS. You can trim up the cut, though, but leave the fold where it is.

Now cut a 2" strip. Unfold it, and look at the area around the halfway mark. Is the strip perfectly straight on both sides, or does it notch in a bit, like a "v"?

You know some shops rip fabric instead of cutting? It's to avoid this problem. Of course, then you have to trim up because of the ripping, so you lose just as much fabric. I'm not a fan of the ripping, but others swear by it.

Someone out there must have taken pictures or done a video of this. Let me see what I can find.

Prism99

With a stretchy fabric, it helps to starch the fabric before cutting. It's quite possible the LQS fabric had less sizing and other stiffeners in it than the other fabrics; fabric finishes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, and even from line to line.

thequiltmama

I would have to agree, best of luck :-)

MTS

And on a log cabin, you're really only dealing with ONE strip at a time, and for a limited length, so sometimes this can be happening but you don't notice it at all -nor is it causing a problem in your block - because the pieces are relatively short.

It really only becomes evident when you're doing long - specially 40" WOW - strip sets.

It's not so bad trimming them up...but make sure to toss the ones that just won't fit.

Do we get to see the fabric selection?

gale

Here's what I do when I sew strips. Right as I take the sewn strip from under the presser foot I put a pin in the end that I finished sewing at. That way when I go to put the next strip on, I know to start at the end where the pin is. Sometimes I do a lot of chain piecing which means I may sew a few other things before I get back to that strip.