Hello Friends, I hope you had a great start to your week! We had snow over the weekend, and of course snow days followed!
Last Tuesday we left off our 2-cent Tuesday with me making HST units larger, pressing the seams open and then trim to size. It is VERY important that your HST units remain perfectly square during the process of pressing and trimming.
[But please allow me to remind all of us that we are all of different, and what bothers us as a quilter might not be a big deal for another quilter.]
Because I want to keep my HST units (or any block units for that matter) as perfectly square as possible, I actually almost never use steam in my block construction process, because I have found in my experience that steam distorts the square-ness of my block units.
Dry iron aside, I have also found the following to affect the accuracy in my piecing as well:
#1. When I cut up fabrics into pieces, I make sure the pieces are cut accurately. I have found that sometimes inaccuracies happen when rulers of different brands are used in cutting pieces that go into the same block. So I try to use rulers of only one brand to keep the consistency. This is where personal preferences come into play where he ever so slightly minute inconsistencies might not bother another quilter. Eliminating inconsistencies to ensure accuracy was a big part of what I did as an engineer in my former life. So I think that has definitely carried into the quilting world for me.
#2. Of course cut pieces are only part of the equation in making a quilt block happen. I always check my unit measurements after the pieces sewn together, pressed etc to make sure I get the correct unfinished sizes. If the unfinished sizes don’t come out right, then, I will tweak adjustments like needle position etc to achieve the correct unfinished size.
The following pictures show how the points come out in one of my recent finishes, without any special treatments from me other than: correctly cut block pieces, correct seam allowances and a dry iron.
And I don’t ever really have to square up my blocks after my blocks are constructed. However, it would be remiss of me to not show you the a point that didn’t come out quite to my satisfaction. I inspected the entire quilt of 83″ square, and found about 3 spots where the points didn’t come out just right for me. And that’s when I deliberated if I could live with those not so perfect points. In the end, I decided I could….
That’s all I can offer for my 2 cents today! It’s your turn to share yours. Happy Quilting, My Friends!
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Ivory Spring 
Great post! I agree, we are all different; different things bother each of us. But….. as you said, each of us needs to decide which faux pas we can live with or not. I also think that the ultimate purpose of the quilt may also help to determine acceptance or not. Maybe its time for the seam ripper, or……. maybe not!! Super food for thought……. 😁
totally agree.
Sometimes seams that do not match make me crazy, I have to fix them, even if I have discovered the error late. Other times, I do not care. Now… that can be a bad habit. when I make quilts for the babies, I tend to be a little less picky. But sometimes those sloppy habits hang around when I am making something special. That is usually when I find unacceptable seams.
Lately I have been on a “scrappy” trail, so the seams are not that noticeable. Still
I believe neat and tidy seams are good for the brain, right?
Happy Wednesday Wendy. Enjoy the siberian winds.
My sewing room looks like the winds came right through!😂🥳🥰💖
I drive my quilting friends (and sometimes myself) crazy with my obsessiveness about cutting and piecing and still I wind up with unmatched points, etc. I’ve found that the fabric itself can sometimes be the problem as thicker fabrics will not press as flat as thins ones. I never use steam and find starching can cause a block to shrink (often in only one direction). I’m getting better at ignoring imperfections in some cases as Janet mentions, depending on the ultimate use of the quilt. Babies after all will not notice missing points.
Enjoy your snow days!
Yes, accurate seam allowance and spot on cutting are crucial for acceptable results. I love the picture of your quilt in the snowy backdrop.
The quilt looks amazing! Seams pressed open give me the best results. I’m not a fan of starch. I’ve had too many problems with staining. I typically use water and a spray bottle.
my stitch grouo always laughs at my seam obsession. They tell me: “if you can’t see it from a galloping horse you are fine!” 😂😊