Vandamme

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maureen NJ

Welcome to the board. You will learn so much here. With 4 1/2” squares and scant 1/4” seam allowance (one thread less than 1/4” to allow for bulk when pressing) you will end up with a 4” finished square. Making 4 across and four down will give you finished 16” (16 1/2” unfinished). A lot depends on the thickness of your insert. You can make one and see how that works out. If it is too tight, try making your seam allowances 1/8”. You would have to decrease your stitch length and really line up the edges well so you are sure you grab all the fabric. You could also sew with the 1/4” seam allowance and add a border all around. Good luck.

Thank you for that suggestion. I don't actually have the inserts, I'm making the cases here and sending them to my friend in the US who has inserts, so that's where my anxiety is coming in. 1/8" seam allowances will be too small, I don't think I can manage that. It sounds like I either have to add a border or recut larger squares.

Vandamme

I have seen sashing before, now I know the term! :-) Thanks. I will try one with sashing in between. I might really like the look and decide to do it that way from now on.

Vandamme

Thank you for those suggestions. It's so helpful, actually to break it down for me. I will keep those measurements in mind. After reading everyone, I do think I need the finished cases to be 16 inches so I need 17 inches to start with, so either a border or sashing to add the missing inch or two. I will work on that this week.

DJ

I'm afraid that if you make your 16 patch blocks (4x4) they may turn out just shy of the 16" you need, and not really shy enough to warrant a border. You could make the center patch 3x3 (12-ish" square), add a 6" border, then square it up to 17" (allowing 1/2" seam allowance). With the hundreds of squares you have cut, you could make more cases.

Good luck with your project. I hope you can share the results and that your friend is pleased with them.

elnan

I think you are worrying needlessly. Keep in mind that you want a snug fit. I would go ahead and add a sashing or borderall the way around, but not between each square. If it turns out too loose, you can pull the cover off and stitch a seam all the way around to take up the slack.
I've not made pillow covers with patchwork, but often use upholstery fabric that has been washed and shrunk before cutting out. I usually make the cover an inch or two smaller than the form.
Postage costs so much that I soon found it better to make the covers and let the person on the other end buy the forms, or send the money to have them buy forms.

I wish you many happy hours of sewing.

dunster

If you sew a scant 1/4" on all seams, starting with 4.5" squares, you will wind up with a square that is 16" finished, or 16.5" unfinished. This leaves 1/4" all around so when two panels are sewn together each finished side is 16".

If you want the unfinished patchwork to be 16", you can simply trim off 1/4" all around after you've sewn the 16 pieces together.

You can find instructions online for measuring your 1/4" seam. Here's one source - https://www.craftsy.com/quilting/art...ter-inch-seam/ It is not the size of the seam allowance that matters, but the size of the finished piece.

Since you're sending the patchwork to someone else, I would make sure it's at least 16" (since that's what your pattern calls for) and not worry if it's a bit larger. Let the person who is putting the patchwork on the forms do the final bit of trimming and sewing to fit the forms.

Vandamme

Thank you for the suggestion of a 3x3 center and a 6-inch border, that might work interestingly and allow me to use some squares.

for a 17'' panel, how big do the squares have to be to allow for the 1/4" seam allowance for the patchwork and the 1/2" seam allowance all around? I can convert in centimeters but it gives me strange measurements like 4.33 inches.

Also, with 1/2" seam on all 4 sides and 1/4" seam in between the squares, do some squares end up looking smaller?

I'd like to recut a batch of correctly sized squares to try and assemble a panel...Sorry for all the newbie questions

It's a two-person project, I'm in charge of the squares because I have the rotary cutter and mat and my co-worker is sewing because he has the sewing machine, but has no experience with patchwork, he mainly does clothes. So we're both learning. And I have to download some videos for us to watch together. It's like a mini-sewing school. We'd like the project to take off so we can offer something that is already very beautiful but the wrong size, we have some minor adjustments to make I think mostly on measurements and then on technique. Once we've assembled one with everything done right, pressing the seams the right way, all the right seam allowances, the patches the right size for the 17" panel, we will feel more comfortable.

We just found a product we liked and set about replicating it, and did a really great job but we didn't know there were so many technical parts we were missing. I feel bad having joined and being so clueless. This is probably not the type of members you're looking for, although we love what we're doing and we're enthusiastic about it. We believe in it and have the desire to do it the right way, just jumping in we didn't know what we didn't know. And now we do and it's a bit sobering.

Vandamme

That's beautiful! That's exactly what we're trying to do but with 4-inch 4,5" squares really. I guess don't get a fat pillowform. and you had two 16-inch panels? or were they smaller once you sewed them together? I'd be interested to know since it's basically the exact same thing we're trying to do! THanks for sharing that beautiful picture. I think I'm a couple of weeks away from being able to share our work.

as you can see there are so many issues below. The edges aren't serged...the squares weren't sewn straight, some squares that were too small were included anyway. I'd like to establish the proper patchwork techniques here and teach them to tailors so taht they can offer that in their arsenal in terms of products they can make and sell. So it would be a skill for them to end up earning money from. That was the original idea behind making the pillowcases, was bringing a new technique into town.

nativetexan

my squares sewn together made a 16 1/2 inch front which includes the 1/2 inch for seams. 1/4 on all sides of course. you could get some Fray Check in a bottle and put some on the raw edges inside to keep them from shredding. threads can get into the zipper which is irritating. the Fray Check drys a bit hard, so keep it in places one won't see or touch of course.
hmmm, the lower left squares that are not sewn straight-can you remove stitches on those and resew? otherwise check with a ruler to see how much seam allowance you have on those. it may work as is if it is enough to stay sewn well.
if you cannot get the Fray Check, can you remove the zipper and somehow finish the raw/cut edges of that fabric? only if necessary. I hate to have you do that. but you may have to. let's see if anyone else has better ideas....

Vandamme

I can't get Fray Check here...unfortunately I can't get anything but thread and fabric. I am going to remove the zipper on the pillowcase and we're going to serge the edges and do it right. I have to bring one patchwork to completion the right way. I know my seamstress will be so happy to master the technique and it will be a real bonus for her future earnings to able to advertise that she can do this by the book. It's just an initial learning curve.

All I need now is what to start with in terms of squares with seam allowance in order to finish and have a patchwork panel that measures 17"the maths in imperial system are really beating me down, I've only ever used metric. And I can't use metric now because my rotary cutter ruler and mat are in inches.

I wonder if there is an online calculator for patchwork and quilting? You enter your desired finished width, number of patches desired side seam allowance and desired patch seam allowance and it calculates the patch sizes, bam! I found so many other calculators online, converting baking recipes to French, or blood pressure to european measures or currency...