My seam allowance shows through finished quilt! Help!

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06-21-2011, 09:55 PM

#11

EasyPeezy

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Join Date: Mar 2010

Location: Canada

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Lots of starch keeps fabric from ravelling.

06-22-2011, 06:30 AM

#12

Barb44

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Join Date: Apr 2011

Location: South Dakota

Posts: 662

All good ideas. So clean up the stray threads, repress the seams with starch (either open or to the red), and handle carefully until quilted. You can apply starch just to the red seam allowance with a q-tip. After it is quilted the red threads won't be able to migrate.

06-22-2011, 07:29 AM

#13

thimblebug6000

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Join Date: Jun 2007

Location: British Columbia

Posts: 8,146

Perhaps you could quilt it in a variegated red thread in an overall pattern and that would disguise those wandering threads.

06-22-2011, 07:51 AM

#14

Shelley

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Join Date: Aug 2008

Location: Wilbur, WA

Posts: 757

Consistent 1/4" seams will help minimize this in the future. Press to the dark fabrics when possible. When you can't press to the dark, watch for this when ironing and trim the offending dark seams just a smidge so that the white fabric covers it.

06-22-2011, 08:56 AM

#15

nwm50

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Join Date: Mar 2010

Location: Florida

Posts: 5,510

I think she is referring to the loose red threads showing up under the white blocks..?
Ive shaken mine to loosen up before i put the back on or search over it and pick at it but still have had couple threads still showing... :oops: Neverthless,~~u have a beautiful star..

06-22-2011, 09:01 AM

#16

jljack

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Join Date: Apr 2007

Location: North Carolina - But otherwise, NOTW

Posts: 7,940

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrendaY

Darn it!!! I never expected this!

It's even worse than that... it's the red threads escaping from the red fabric in blocks... Oh shucks!

This was my first attempt at star blocks and done on a little quilt.. at least I didn't make a big quilt with these. And I thought I had figured it out pretty good and my next one would be a whole lot better...
Well, maybe it will..... for sure I'll be more careful about fabric that ravels...

Shucks!

When you have such contrast, try pinking the edges of the pieces (you can get a wavy blade for your rotary cutter) which will help prevent the fraying. Also be sure you ALWAYS press the seams toward the darkest fabrics.

07-04-2011, 08:53 AM

#17

BrendaY

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Join Date: Mar 2009

Posts: 1,774

All good advice! Actually the red threads happened when I very carefully washed this quilt, and they REALLY showed up when it was wet.. They're less noticeable now, but I'll never forget the lessons I learned from this little quilt!

I'm going to try another like it, but be more careful about the red or contrasting color. And maybe I'll get my star points to line up better, too!