Jingle

I never sew that many strips together. I always read to sew each strip in opposite directions. I leave a tail on each end so I know to start on the other end. Pressing across the seams makes it less likely to cause bowing also.

kellen46

Try this old trick from garment manufacture sewing....pinch the strips together about a foot from the needle and raise the strip about a half inch above the bed of the machine. Keep the strips raised up as you sew forward. Sew up to your fingers, readjust and sew again. No pins needed, this cures the drag that makes your strips bow or become uneven. You can do this with long strips even when sewing them to the quilt top.

carol45

Here's what I do whenever I have long strips to sew together, including borders: I put a very thin stream of Elmer's washable school glue along the raw edge of one fabric and I gently place the second raw edge in place. I press with no steam to dry the glue, and then I sew the seam very easily with no worry about pins or lining things up. The glue will wash out after, and I never get stretching or bowing. Try it...you will love it!

JanieH

OH-great idea! I have had this problem and this solution would really help!

tessagin

Bookmarked this thread. Really helpful.

ube quilting

Good advice. Drag because of weight of the fabric is one thing most of us forget about. It is good sewing prctice to keep the weight up and not drooping.

I always cringe when I see teachers on the net saying there is no need to pin fabric, when they are working with a 5" block. They never or seldom explain that the bigger a quilt gets the harder it is to handle and it needs some control, by using pins.

The newest trick going is using school glue to close seams before sewing and it really works. Sharon Shamber demos this method.
peace

Sandygirl

I just sewed 28 strips 1 1/2" each. I used Best Press on the fabric before I cut the strips. That helped a lot. I used steam to "press" the strips. Mine came out great. I don't use a walking foot unless there are layers . Why would one sew two layers of fabric with a walking foot? Too much wiggle room under the walking foot, imho and experience.

I chain pieced my strips with ease. I believe that Best Press helped keep the strips even as they fed through the foot. I have another 63 strips to sew together.

i am not a "fan" of the idea of using Elmers Glue in any sewing.

Sandy

Barb_MO

This is what I do, and I also try to lay it out on a flat surface and pin several places down the length.

dcamarote

I just finished a quilt where my second border was all 2 1/2 inch strips. I am probably crazy but I not only rely on the ruler, I also "eyeball" the strip. If something looks really wonky, I will cut a little off to straighten out the strip. I agree with the suggestion of marking every 12 inches and trying to go from there. I believe, at least for me, it is almost impossible to get a perfectly straight line while doing this. If there is a way someone please let me know. Thanks.

pocoellie

Whenever sewing long strips, it's recommended that you do them in alternating directions.