For those of us who are not exactly perfect (1/4" seam)
07-18-2011, 07:16 AM
#51
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: New York
Posts: 17,564
Originally Posted by DeneK
Agree with what everyone else said. Depends on what I am working on and how far off the seams are. And I try to sew patterns that allow me to measure and trim often.
Like you, I am getting better. But perfection takes too much time/energy, and reworking to attain perfection isn't any fun. So I just try to be as careful and accurate as I can without obsessing about it. After all I do this for enjoyment.
Like you, I am getting better. But perfection takes too much time/energy, and reworking to attain perfection isn't any fun. So I just try to be as careful and accurate as I can without obsessing about it. After all I do this for enjoyment.
07-18-2011, 07:49 AM
#52
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: California
Posts: 54
A few months ago I took a precision piecing class from a gal from my guild. She had us buy 'Sally Collins, Mastering Precision Piecing,' book. It is an excellent book on how to get all of your seams acurate. The class went from 9am to about 3pm and we all came out with a perfect 3" block. One of the things she told us is to slow down, don't sew so fast. Also, when your seam isn't a perfect 1/4" unsew it and do it again. I also bought Sally Collins CD and watched it, there are a lot of really good tips on it. I just pieced a little quilt top for my grandson, he's turning 2 on the 29th, and some of the blocks are 4-3 1/2" squares sewen together. All of my seams matched up perfectly. I found that very rewarding.
07-18-2011, 08:18 AM
#53
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Brewerton, NY
Posts: 2,489
I didn't realize just how far off I was making my own quilts, but when doing one at our quilt club, we were to make 6 1/2" squares, and mine ended up 6". Big difference in little squares. So I bought a 1/4" foot. I LOVE IT. and now I can see how far off I really was. For me it was a good investment.
07-18-2011, 08:22 AM
#54
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Marathon, Texas
Posts: 854
An ongoing issue for me too. What I do when intersections don't match up depends on what I'm making (on a small wallhanging where it was very obvious, I ripped and re-sewed) and, frankly, how noticeable it will be. Often I just leave it as is if it won't throw something else off.
I've been working on my second recent quilt from a simple pattern called Cheaper by the Dozen that is all rectangles. I've had a little trouble with matches so I've started matching up the intersections then sewing just an inch or so at each intersection then check to be sure whether I have a match...if not, then I can rip it out quickly. If it matches, I don't need to pin it and go ahead and sew the entire seam. Seems to work for me...at least this week! Anita
I've been working on my second recent quilt from a simple pattern called Cheaper by the Dozen that is all rectangles. I've had a little trouble with matches so I've started matching up the intersections then sewing just an inch or so at each intersection then check to be sure whether I have a match...if not, then I can rip it out quickly. If it matches, I don't need to pin it and go ahead and sew the entire seam. Seems to work for me...at least this week! Anita
07-18-2011, 08:29 AM
#55
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Upstate, SC
Posts: 887
Originally Posted by ontheriver
I'm not perfect that's for sure. I try and pin my seams to match and if there is a little extra fabric in between I work it in when sewing the seam, or I stretch just a teeny bit, then I hope for the best.
07-18-2011, 08:39 AM
#57
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: California
Posts: 14,723
Originally Posted by DeneK
Agree with what everyone else said. Depends on what I am working on and how far off the seams are. And I try to sew patterns that allow me to measure and trim often.
Like you, I am getting better. But perfection takes too much time/energy, and reworking to attain perfection isn't any fun. So I just try to be as careful and accurate as I can without obsessing about it. After all I do this for enjoyment.
Like you, I am getting better. But perfection takes too much time/energy, and reworking to attain perfection isn't any fun. So I just try to be as careful and accurate as I can without obsessing about it. After all I do this for enjoyment.
07-18-2011, 08:57 AM
#59
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 1,703
I can't make a perfect 1/4" seam or do it while putting the sewing machine's pedal to the metal. lol.
When I started I found that if I positioned my needle to the right rather than the middle the distance between the needle and the edge of the walking foot was 1/4". Only later did I find that I was kind of doing the opposite of a scant 1/4"---instead of being a few threads width shorter than a 1/4" it was a few threads width larger than a 1/4". So ever since I've been marking my 1/4" seams on my pieces and then sewing along the line I marked. Its a little bit better because sometimes when I was following the edge of the walking foot my piece would shift and veer off and I don't do that quite as often following the line. Its a lot of work just to get a decent seam.
When I started I found that if I positioned my needle to the right rather than the middle the distance between the needle and the edge of the walking foot was 1/4". Only later did I find that I was kind of doing the opposite of a scant 1/4"---instead of being a few threads width shorter than a 1/4" it was a few threads width larger than a 1/4". So ever since I've been marking my 1/4" seams on my pieces and then sewing along the line I marked. Its a little bit better because sometimes when I was following the edge of the walking foot my piece would shift and veer off and I don't do that quite as often following the line. Its a lot of work just to get a decent seam.
07-18-2011, 09:07 AM
#60
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: The Silver State Nevada
Posts: 670
No two fabrics stretch the same way...I try to be consistent, and if I'm not I unsew and try again. After the third try I toss it and begin again! I guess that's what "practice" is all about. I always try and please myself first...if I can live with it...then ok.
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