Patchwork pressing seams on a quilt

Learn how to aviod speed bumps in quilts nesting seams, pins and other tricks. It gives you that little added help in a clean seam intersection. The fabric that the seam allowance will be pressed toward should be. I remember sewing my first quilt block that is not it, lol. Jan 06, 2017 but for the easiest and quickest patchwork quilt a beginner quilter could sew click here to see the quilt, nesting the seams is the best pressing option. I like to quilt my own quilts and often just do lots of simple quilting with the walking foot its nice to totally own the quilt.

May 19, 2014 some quilters prefer to press their seams open to make the quilt top lay flatter, but i usually prefer to press my seams to one side, which allows me to nest my seams and have nice intersections without using pins. And for heaven sakes, if you see a quilt where the points are cut off or the seams dont match, do not announce it to the quilt maker. Setting seams and other pressing tips the crafty quilter. For each tutorial, the guest designers and i provide the pressing instructions, however you are always welcome to press them differently if it works. After stitching your fabrics together you will press your seams. How to nest seams theres one thing that many of you have discovered when sewing along to the modern hst sampler, and thats the bulky seams that sewing with halfsquare triangles can bring. I so want this method to work, and everyone who tries it swears by it. Let me say first that i am talking about machine piecing. This will relax the fabric and encourage stretching.

Piece your rows together, pressing seams in alternating directions. Dana jones demonstrates step by step instructions on how to set your seams by pressing with a hot iron. Jan 29, 2019 pressing the seams away from each other at the intersections will help you get a flatter piece of patchwork. Pressstripsandseamsquilting a few words about ironing. How to make a simple patchwork quilt the polka dot chair. Most quilters press seams open when making the backing for a quilt. I f borders are being added, sew the top and bottom borders on first, pressing seams towards the border. If your previously straight seams are now curved, then youre applying too much pressure as you push the iron across the fabric. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Let the unit cool a bit, and then flip the top fabric. On the other hand, you can use steam to relax and square up a finished block or quilt top. This will create a lot of bulk, so i chose to press all the seams away from the center. Yet again i heard a quilt teacher tell others to press their seams to one side, rather than open, as the seam was stronger that way.

If you make a mistake during one of these stages, the entire project can go south in a hurry. To piece your backing, first cut your backing yardage in half. Pressing seam allowances open press open when lots of seams come together in one spot, creating too much bulk. Learn the basics of stitching in the ditch on your patchwork quilt in this beginner quilting tutorial with leah day. Watch below for lissas tips for pressing quilt blocks. Pressing the seams away from each other at the intersections will help you get a flatter piece of patchwork. How to press quilt seams excerpted from the quilters quick reference guide by candace eisner strick. As a novice quilter, i pressed them open for my first ever project and it was a disaster. Pressing quilt seams to the side is faster than pressing open and makes it easier to lock seams in place, sort of like a puzzle. Like many of you, i took many quilting classes that taught me to press my quilt seams to the side actually to the dark side. A quilt with mismatched seams will look like it was made by an amateur. Mar 20, 2015 its always the basics that get us in trouble.

This means simply pressing downwards on the seam with the iron from above and not moving the iron back and forth which can distort the block or seam. Jun 06, 20 so you can use your iron with steam or without steam, and the first thing you should do is set your seam by pressing it closed. Also, never use steam when pressing exposed bias edges. This gives those seam allowances a direction to lay in and makes your patchwork lay flat. This little tip works well whether you plan on stitching in the ditch or even for free motion quilting. The term nesting seams simply means aligning the seams of each row so that they not only line up nicely but seem to almost fit together perfectly like a puzzle piece. When it comes to pressing seams on a quilt block those four words are a key rule. Perfect points make a quilt and you can stitch them. Today this happy longarm quilter has a tip for all the beginners out there who struggle with too much bulk where seams meet. Mar 28, 20 how to press quilt seams excerpted from the quilters quick reference guide by candace eisner strick.

Pressing seam allowances as you work helps eliminate little bits of fabric that become lost within seam allowances, creating distortions and making your finished quilt blocks smaller than they should be. As i was sewing together this quilt the completed quilt is here by the way, i finally figured out the trick. If you make a mistake during one of these stages, the. Spin me round quilt pattern how to make a patchwork quilt. To line up quilt squares perfectly, there are a few things you can do, including pressing the fabric in the. I think this makes a stronger seam and i like being able to lock opposing seams when im constructing a block. How to line up quilt squares perfectly our pastimes. Set the iron down on top of the unopened unit to set the seam. I dont like doing this because 1 its timeconsuming, and 2 it weakens the quilt top at all the seams.

Tips for pressing seam allowances in quilt blocks youtube. Just why do we quilters follow the rule of pressing seams towards the darker fabric. This illustrated guide will show you how to press quilt block seams. I keep coming back to pressing all my seams open so i can actually see the seams.

This sentence is kind of a joke among many of us in our quilting group. I almost always press my seams after setting them from the right side. Quilting involves a lot of pressing, from the fabric to the seams to the patchwork of pieces. The iron is hot, and you have lots of pieces to flatten before stitching the units together to make your block. Pin your rows together, matching up the block seams. When free motion quilting, you are in charge of moving the quilt under your presser foot, rather than allowing the machine feed dogs to move the quilt. Sometimes its which side the seam is pressed towards. Free motion quilting allows you the freedom to quilt various shapes and designs on your projects by stitching in all directions. Pressing picking a hot iron up off your fabric or quilt top and then putting it down in another place to remove the wrinkles.

The patchwork from the charm packs did not line up and every 45 squares were off. Sometimes the difference between goodlooking perfect points or an iffy match is whether the seams were pressed open to to one side. Pressing to use an iron to press seams and blocks by simply pressing the iron down onto the fabric without moving the iron back and forth, as that can stretch and distort the fabric. Learn how to ensure the blocks in your quilts are the same size and your quilts finish strong and flat. Align the two squares and use pins to hold them in. Your quiltmaking skills will improve immediately when you learn how to press quilt blocks. That quilter just finished making a huge labor of love. Another thing to remember when pressing is to lift the iron rather than use a side to side motion. Pressing, on the other hand, lets you turn seam allowances to one side without distorting your patchwork or applique shapes. Apr 28, 2016 the term nesting seams simply means aligning the seams of each row so that they not only line up nicely but seem to almost fit together perfectly like a puzzle piece. Pressing quilt seams quilts, quilting tutorials, sewing.

Top tips for pressing fabric like a pro top tips for pressing fabric like a pro. Pressing entails gently lowering and lifting the iron. Mar 04, 2014 im not pressing down enough to hold the fabric from moving. Mar 16, 2015 pressing quilt seams to the side is faster than pressing open and makes it easier to lock seams in place, sort of like a puzzle. You might be surprised to learn that lissa uses what she calls the oldschool method of pressing to one side and she presses seams open too. Nesting seams flat quilt tops and accurate piecing getas. A quilt with perfectly matched squares and seams will make the difference between handmade crafted by an expert and homemade put together hastily by a novice. By linda pumphrey im sure youve heard all the quiltpressing rules, such as always press toward the dark side or always press the seams open. Sep 18, 2018 in the block below, i pressed the seams toward the dark fabric on each halfsquare triangle, making them march counterclockwise on the back of my block. Also a little disconcerting that it took me so long see, i had learned about nesting the seams and pinning and such before, but the day before yesterday the stars aligned, the heavens opened up and, i understood. Im not pressing down enough to hold the fabric from moving. Press open or to the side, you decide, julie gives you suggestions that work best for your block or strip set. For each tutorial, the guest designers and i provide the pressing instructions, however you are always welcome to press them differently if it works better for you.

Thankfully the quilt was a gift for my mum who was delighted with it regardless. A little tutorial on making practically perfect points in. In this video i share with you my tips for pressing your patchwork. There is so much that i love about this simple quilt. Never underestimate the value of good pressing in your quiltmaking. Then sew the side borders, pressing seams towards the border. You just spent time measuring, cutting, sorting, arranging, stitching and now you need to set, and flatten the seams, and take out any unwanted creases. Quilt block piecing trick for matching seams michele made me. Press method of using an iron to press seams and blocks. If you are joining two seams that have been pressed open, you can still feel if the seams are matching up. Pressing quilt seams national quilters circle youtube.

If you cut and sew accurately but dont take time to press correctly, your patchwork can end up just as offkilter as it would if you had gone awry in the cutting or stitching. In the block below, i pressed the seams toward the dark fabric on each halfsquare triangle, making them march counterclockwise on the back of my block. It is exciting to see your work pressed flat and how good your block looks. Quilters all have a preferred method for pressing seams. The next stage will be basting the quilt top to the wadding and backing.

Tired of having those monster bumps in your quilt blocks or seams. Mar 20, 2014 a shirt with sizing will have a newness look. However, that which is one of the most pleasurable moments in piecing and quilting can also do the most damage. Some quilters prefer to press all seams open for a smoother, flatter finished quilt top and to prevent fabrics from showing through in the seam allowances. You may be thinking that you have pressed thousands of seams over the course of your quilting career so you dont need a tutorial on how to press seams in a quilt. Kathy patterson of mccalls quilting shares tips for saving time by chain piecing quilt units, and pressing seam allowances to lie in opposite. So you can use your iron with steam or without steam, and the first thing you should do is set your seam by pressing it closed. A seam pieced by hand with a running stitch is not strong, and so it is pressed to one side, not to strengthen the seam, but to cover the holes which would invariably open along the seam and let out the batting.

Person using an iron to pressing a seam open on a blueandwhite. Utilize these pressing techniques and see how beneficial pressing can be for your own quilts. Bulky seams are no fun when it comes time to do some quilting. As much as i love detailed and more involved quilt patterns there is something so charming to me about a simple patchwork quilt. Hourglass quilt a beginner patchwork quilt pattern using quartersquare triangles to make blocks that mimic an hourglass. Theres a when and a why to her approach, and her explanation just might get you to rethink your pressing steps. When my mom, sister, and i quilt together, the pressing of the quilt top can create controversy.

Pressing seams to one side is a residue of hand piecing. Also, you dont want your bottom seam to flip in the opposite direction of the way you have. Pressing quilt seams to the side or open the spruce crafts. This method of pressing quilt blocks works just as well for paper piecing as traditionally pieced units. Today, im sharing the back of a couple of quilt blocks that use. The oxford patchwork will be a perfect guest room quilt. This is done through a combination of pressing, pinning, and stitching. Pressing quilt seams is a crucial step of any quiltmaking process not only will it make it easier to join blocks, it will also make a quilt lie flatter. When you get to the last two seams, youll notice that if you twirl those intersections, that youll be pressing two of those seams towards the points of the center churn dash. Perfect points in your patchwork look great, but are often difficult to achieve. Quilting 101 archives patchwork posse patchwork quilt group.

Heaven knows i cant learn something complicated all at once, but its easy to pick up a little thing here and a little there and suddenly i have skills. Flat seams are crucial to patchwork quilting techniques that involve measuring and aligning blocks. You must plan ahead so that at each intersection the seams are pressed in opposite directions. Pressing seams starting with the darker fabric on top, open up the dark fabric piece and press along the seam line. If your previously straight seams are now curved, then youre applying too much pressure as you push the iron across the. Learn the methodology for pressing quilt seams in this instructional video from national stitching circle. If you cut and sew accurately but dont take time to press correctly, your patchwork can end up just as offkilter as it would if you had gone awry in the cutting or stitchin. How to stitch in the ditch, a beginner quilting tutorial.

I like to press my seams to one side or the other rather than pressing them open. But i am using the seams being locked and guiding it together with my fingers. To help make a crisp center, start with accurate subunits. The example below shows the directions seams are pressed, block by block, row by row in a nine patch quilt. If you prefer to open all the seams, press from the wrong side and gently press the seams open along the seam line. Place the patchwork on your ironing board, unopened, just as it was sewn. One thing i love about quilting is that no matter how long you have been sewing, theres always a new technique or different approach to learn. I so want this method to work, and everyone who tries it. How to press quilt blocks and quilts for best accuracy. Pressing quilt seams quilts, quilting tutorials, sewing circles. Ive heard this tip before, and every single time i try it, it refuses to work. But for the easiest and quickest patchwork quilt a beginner quilter could sew click here to see the quilt, nesting the seams is the best pressing option.

One of the most pleasurable parts of piecing together a quilt is when you take your block to the iron to press it. An easy answer that i could just walk away from would be so that the darker fabric doesnt show through the lighter fabric in the seam allowance and become visible on the front of a quilt. When to use steam and starch in patchwork quilt books. No matter how many times we seem to press those seams, they never seem to be right. Jul 20, 2011 sometimes i find the seams just go the way they want to but my general rule is to have as little bulk as possible and if need be i sometimes press the seams open too. I also recommend you use it at each step throughout your blocks construction. I have since been pressing seams to one side with great success. The more flat your patchwork is, the easier it is to quilt later on. This occurs because seams are pressed to opposite directions when sewing sections together. Ironing is a more aggressive backandforth motion of the iron along the fabric that can pull and distort shapes. How to stitch in the ditch, a beginner quilting tutorial with leah day. Repeat these steps with your other patchwork pieces. Place the pressing paper under the patchwork to protect your ironing board from the glue and use a pressing cloth to protect the interfacing from the hot iron.

Quilt tops are flatter when seams are pressed open. I use any handy fat quarter of fabric for a pressing cloth. Making a simple patchwork quilt is a great way for beginners to get the hang of stitching blocks of fabric together then stitching those blocks into rows. Nesting seams and other tricks to avoid speed bumps in your quilt. I always feel like i need to pause after saying this in a deep, firm voice and wait for the star wars movie theme song to back me up. When pressing seams open, press first from the wrong side of the fabric. The pressing direction in the previous step helps the two squares join together.