Serianas

Hi all, Im kinda very new here but I thought I would come to you lovely people for advice

I have been working of a quilt topper for about a fortnight now in my rare hours to myself, and I have made a massive mistake!

I have been using the marking for a 1/8th inch french seam instead of the 1/4 inch quilting seam! feel such a fool, because this was meant to be somewhat of a magnum opus and I thought I had quilting down...

So my question is, do i unpick and resew or carry on with the 1/8th seam? pah, Im not fit to be let outside

ruby2shoes

Of course you are "fit to be let outside"......you can join me and the rest of the "woops group"; it is rather a large group so bring comfy shoes, a packed lunch and a smile!

Can't advise you on how to tackle your problem as I am a newbie myself but good luck with however you approach it.

Tartan

If it was for a wall hanging which isn't going to be washed, 1/8 would be fine. 1/8 seams for a quilt top may separate when the quilt is washed. How far along are you?

Quiltngolfer

We all make mistakes. Lay it aside and think about it for a while. Then decide what you can live with. You will make the right choice for yourself.

Serianas

Nope not a wall hanging, just a quilt for our bed (a very nerdy quilt!) which will probably just be put over the duvet in winter...

I think im going to unpick because I want it to be perfect and the squares will already be cut, which is the most tedious bit (for me). Shouldnt take me too long to whiz it back together I suppose now I have the hang of my new machines auto tack feature, which I dont know how I lived without it before lol

feline fanatic

Perhaps you can test this on one block for the quilt. I would simply stitch another seam that is a scant 1/4". Your 1/8" seam will be caught in the seam allowance and since piecework is usually pressed to one side instead of open you shouldn't have any issues. It will save you the unpicking part. I would test it on one block though to make sure it works. In theory it should but theory doesn't always manifest into reality.

Serianas

Whats the difference between a scant and a normal 1/4 inch seam? Ive never come across this before but it sounds exciting...

Barb in Louisiana

When I do something similar and the pieces aren't held together by much seam, I rip out only the intersections where they meet. Sew each seam the proper width, then re-sew the intersection. This will be one quilt that will NEVER come apart. Note: Some people would rather just take the whole seam out, because you will be working with all that material each time, and you do have to be careful to pull the extra material out of the way of your new stitching seam. I would much rather have the added strength of 2 seams, and I don't have to worry about accidentally moving my design around...and yes, that has happened. lol Bring out the ripper again!

PaperPrincess

The issue is that in quilting, seam allowance is a misnomer. You don't measure the seam, you measure the resultant patch. Here's how to check:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...ce-t89997.html
The thread and fabric thickness can vary from project to project, so if you are starting a project with a complicated block, it's a good idea to check your seam when you start. Many quarter inch feet are not accurate. YOu may need to move your needle position (if possible) or put a piece of tape on your machine bed to help you guide your fabric.
I would try to do as Feline Fanatic suggested and just sew a deeper seam. You may need to do some unsewing to get down to patches that can be resewn.

Serianas

Fabulous thanks eveyone! Cant wait to go home and fix it now... only two quilting-less hours to go may have time to fit some in before seeing to the horse. Then some after... then all weekend...