carriem

Thanks ladies for all the compliments! I have really enjoyed looking at all of your blocks and look forward to seeing this weeks. My friend Crystal and I are getting a PPing lesson Saturday afternoon from a good friend of mine. Once I know how to do that the "right" way I should be able to keep up with the 2 blocks a week and start catching up on the weeks I've missed.


For those who are fussy-cutting horses and such, great job with that! I might have to do that with some of the flowers on other blocks....

Carrie

oksewglad

termi, the purple makes a great contrast in Best of All and the FC's in Best Friend are so cute!

dublb

Termi - Your horse in your Best of All looks like he will jump out of his square & run through that field of purple stars & clover! And those ponies in your Best Friend look like best friends! Such nice blocks!

dublb

I can't believe how much I'm learning on this here trail drive!! I bet you'll be caught up real fast!

Termi

Hello everyone!! Thanks so much for all your nice comments. I'm really learning a lot. I have a question though as I had trouble with Best Friend. How do you all deal with the areas where seams come together or cross each other causing a big bump. Do you press your seams open?? Is there a trick to getting them to lie flat?? Thanks for any info.!

wendiq

Termi....What fun blocks. Love the gorgeous horse and those whimsical ponies are just plain fun!

QuiltE

Termi .. I really like your blocks and the contrast from one to the other. Those Best Pony Friends are just too darned bute. Best of All is stunning!

Bulky Seams?? ... press once, press twice, and press again another time or six! After every seam, I press ... open or sideways depending on what I think the best choice is for where the bulk is. As I press each time, I re-press the previous seams.

Once the block is done, press again. Remove the paper, and yup, you figured it out, press some more! Then I'll spray on some sizing or starch and press again til I'm content. I never do the outside edge trimming until I have all the press ing done and I know all is in place. Then I do that trimming and squaring up of the block.

I think that the paper and the very short stitch length has been helping to get those seams flat and crisp .... or am I only dreaming of that?

dublb

I'm trying to press my seams in the opposite direction from each other where ever possible. I've even gone back & repressed if I could. Sometimes other seams get in the way & I can't. If I can't I just line 'em up with the glue & heat set the glue to make 'em line up. I then live with the 'bump.' Clear as mud?

janRN

I press the majority of my seams open--learned that while making FWS blocks (6 1/2" size). Especially true when lots of points come together. I press as often as QE suggests, too. I also spritz my seams from a water bottle (don't use water in my iron). I had trouble when paperpiecing so I took the paper off the seam allowances before I pressed them.

QuiltingNinaSue

Yes to all above in pressing seams where everything comes together in a point "wad". One, stop the seam a quarter inch before the end of the seam. Then all the points will twrill together and not bind. Two, elect to press the seam each way so that it is flat; this will weaken the seam so make a desicion yourself about this. Three, Mary Ellen's Best Press is sold in most LQS and worth the expense when you go to press. Some Quilt supplers actually carry a "quilt hammer" to hammer that dang seam down, Pow! Pow! Pow! Have fun doing whatever way you chose your block.