mtkoldra

Hi, need your experienced ladies advise. I am making quilt that I have seen maybe on this forum or maybe somewhere on the web. It is the Arkansas Snowflake made looking like Periwinkle. Have all my blocks done and ironed, the back is looking good and it lays flat.
I started putting them together and ......... as you can see on the attached pictures my seams are pressed to one side in a way that will not 'butt'. What do I do? do I twist them in the middle? It would be difficult to undo all of them. (why did I do this pattern? I like it and I wanted to try but do not have enough experience , obviously)

popover

I would start by checking the seam allowances to see how exact they are, as the brown bit on the bottom half looks like they may be off a tiny bit. Doesn't take much to put the whole block off.

feline fanatic

I will often piece units where the seams don't nest (ie pressed in the same direction like yours). You can try different techniques and decide which one works best for you. I would start off with these two. Others may respond with other options.

1. using lots of pins or washable school glue at the critical areas where they line up (like your star points), go ahead and sew them together as is. You will have a lot of bulk where all those seam allowances come together.

2. you can "twist" the seam so they nest at the intersection but I am afraid it may be visible from the top side of the quilt as your white fabric used in the background is already shadowing. sometimes this is less obvious once layered up with the batting.

Edited to add I see one more option. If the placement of light and dark elements in your block is not critical, I would just turn every other block 1/4 turn, then your seams will nest! So instead of a dark point meeting a light point, all dark points will line up.

Edited one more time. You can always add a narrow sash between each block in your background color thus avoiding any need to nest seams

bj

Could you turn the yellow/brown on a quarter turn so the brown is next to the dark blue? The brown seams press inward while the dark blue presses out.

Peckish

I'm confused by the others' answers and am wondering if I'm just not understanding the question.

You have concerns about where the points of the blocks meet when you join them, correct? I don't understand how turning the block a quarter turn would solve the problem, because the seams are the same on every block, are they not?

My thought, as I understand the problem, is you could either add sashing, or once you have sewn them together, whack the snot out of the seam allowance with a rubber mallet, which will help tame and flatten the bump.

Jane Quilter

I think sashing would look best in the long run. But this is a good place to press the seams open after you stitch a very high stitches per inch seam.

mtkoldra

I thank you ladies for your great comments. The 'points' will be another problem, I was asking about the straight seams that are ironed in wrong directions. The sashing will solve my problem but it will change the look of the quilt....... but I might just do it. I will lay these blocks on the floor once more and see how it will look with maybe just 1 inch sashing.

This has been a very challenging block for me. I really paid attention to my cutting and sewing and trimming each small block section but still the blocks did not come out perfect. I do not know how you ladies are doing it, making such a beautiful quilts and blocks, matching perfectly, just show you how much I need to learn.
Thank you.

PaperPrincess

Not all blocks and seams are going to nest. To match up your points, put a straight pin in thru the back of one block at the very point of the star tip. Then put the pin thru the same spot in the front of the block you are joining to it. when you slide both blocks to the bottom of the pin, they will be right sides together, with the points aligning. Pin the block securely, then remove the alignment pin. Sew, staying just to the outside edge of your point. If you feel that the seam is way too bulky where the points meet, iron the seam open. As far as the straight seams, I would turn alternate blocks 90 degrees.

feline fanatic

Try even narrower than 1". I would go with 1/2" sashing (using 1" strips that would finish at 1/2"). It will change the overall look of the quilt but not as drastically.

nativetexan

with small piecing like those i tend to like to press my seams open. Good luck.