TanyaLynn

I put together a hotpad using 1 inch postage stamps, ironed onto a quilter's stablizer grid. Then realized I don't know what to do next. Does the quilting hold the fabric in place? Do you stitch down each intersecting line of fabric? I don't want to fold and stitch 1/4 inch seams as this would leave 1/2 blocks of material. What do you quilters do when, God forbid, you make a quilt out of postage stamps? I have 100 stamps for one large hot pad - it would be 10,176 for a quilt! I can hardly believe there actually are postage stamp quilts really made.

Tink's Mom

Now you stitch each row...fold on the line and stitch a scant 1/4" row. When done in one direction, do the other.

babyfireo4

The quilt my MIL has was made with 1 1/2 inch squares so after being sewn it became the 1" needed. (It was quilted in the ditch) I was taught to make the pieces into a 9 patch and put those together as a 4 patch and then make those into a 4 patch. That should make it a bit easier.

MTS

After you stitch all the horizontal rows, clip at each intersection and alternate the seams (just like you would do if you were doing a regular simple 9-patch).

Now sew all the vertical rows, just taking care to keep the seam allowances in the correct position.

After the first step, I normally "split" that horizontal seam and press it open carefully. Much less bulk to deal with.

Did you cut the squares 1.5" for a finished "postage stamp" of 1"? Or did you cut them 1" hoping to finish with..what?

If you've miscalculated, you can save it all by sewing with a 1/8" seam, but sew carefully, reduce your stitch length a bit, and make sure your horizontal and vertical seam allowances are all consistent.

And, yes, that's why viewing postage stamp quilts always results in "was she crazy?" comments. Because of the thousands and thousands of squares.

amma

This gridded interfacing is to make sewing these little tiny pieces easier.
Fold and sew like the others have described :D:D:D

ckcowl

i know you said you don't want to fold and stitch now, but that is the next step when using the fusable grid...sorry-- you fold each row on the line, stitch your scant 1/4" seam, press to one side and keep going in one direction, then turn it and do the same in the other direction....my postage stamps i cut 1 1/2" square so when it is stitched i end up with 1" blocks.

TanyaLynn

I cut them 1" because the grids were marked into 1" squares and I carefully filled the grid.

MTS

And so the finished product will be 1/2" squares. At least that's the way that particular project is supposed to be used.

So your pot holder might turn out a wee bit smaller than you originally thought it would be. ;-)

Maybe use it as mug rug, or whatever they call those things?

TanyaLynn

Ok. Thanks for the advice. I think I will use it as a sample of the built-in embroidery stitches my machine does and do one stitch down each row and keep it for reference. Didn't we use to call those mug rugs coasters?

Lacelady

I have an ongoing P stamp quilt - because I couldn't get one inch graph paper, I am doing mine in 2cm squares (finished), in the English paper piecing method. I sew blocks of 16 squares together before adding them to the quilt.