Next, cut the batting and backing fabric to the size of your quilt top. Again, this is what works for me. When I was learning to quilt, one of my main frustrations was getting my seams to line up and not cutting the points off. With multiple small pieces often combined into a single block, keeping points and seams aligned can be tricky, but there are a few tricks that help with the task. I call this good enough. Should this be your first time using this technique, dont worry if things look a bit weird. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. I press it after starch. Using a rotary cutter and an accurate hexagon template cut all fabrics. I used clips to keep the rows straight while stitching the longer horizontal rows. It's frustrating when it happens. Im talking about where the rows are going to be sewn together now. You now have beautifully matched up points in your quilt! > 1/8 of an inch or less difference here. Sometimes you have two HST blocks that come together at the same intersection in one row, for example. This act will ensure no loose threads in between in your quilt, which others can see and spoil the look. Both ways though, Im pinning fairly close to the intersection. Add 1 1/4 inches to the dimension calculated in Step 1 and round up to the nearest 1/8 of an inch. This is how I pin to both sides of a pressed open seam. Don't give up, practice, practice, practice on scrap material, and watch videos to pick up technique tips. Yes, that and then fingerpress the seam open improved my accuracy! Ive put a red 1, 2, and 3 in the picture to signify each intersection. Make sure the pace is a steady flow. Unfortunately, as a kid, I didnt appreciate them, but now I really missed her items. It "seams" logical doesn't it? For a 9" block (shown here), it's 3" x 3", and for a 12" finished it's 4" x 4". A little tutorial on making practically perfect points in quilt blocks, Tutorial: Pretty points pieced block | Quilting | CraftGossip.com, Layer Cake Sampler QAL Week 5 {Blocks 9 & 10} | Material Girl Quilts, My favorite way to stitch EPP together | Anjeanette Klinder, A New York Beauty for Riley Blake Classic Caskata Project Tour. Now lets admire your block. For a 1/4 inch seam, fabric rests against the edge of the 1/4 inch sewing machine foot. 1999-2023 Crafts Americana Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Yes, I really do this. If you make a mistake with the pencil, it can be easily erased. Don't forget to breathe. I put my blocks together into a quilt top the same way Ive described for putting a single block together. Carefully push the pin through to the second piece where the triangles meet. You can choose to pin between the blocks too. The pattern says to press the seams to the dark side. I can always send a photo on the one that Ive been struggling with. What is most important is the fold along the grid line not the sewing that ensures accuracy. See questions and answers THE TRICK IS: Line up the seams and then pin directly through the seams or as closely as possible to them. Thanks for sharing . Disengaging the cutting knife is the best idea when using pre-cut quilting squares, but if you do use the knife, make sure to remove the least amount of raw edges as . #2 - Sew a Wavy Seam. Lets admire our points. Loving the Layer Cake Sampler as I am getting lots of practice is sewing these points! Lining up those seams is indeed challenging when youre just starting out and can be a little discouraging. Ensure your seams are consistent in width or taper at the start and end of your sewing. Also, remember to watch your fabric feeding into the sewing machine. I dont want to burn my fingers and have found the wood piece that accompanied my Dresden plate template works well for pressing seams open. You want the two blocks pinned so your one pin is perfectly lining up those two points, right sides together. It gives you that little added help in a clean seam intersection. Also, because it is wood it doesnt melt and it doesnt conduct the heat of the iron onto my fingers. Press seam toward D. 4. Maybe you already know how to do this. Or you might have a seam pressed to the side which hides the point. Step 11b With right sides together stitch Row 2 to Row 3, first match center seam and then nest outer seams. If you didnt get as perfect of points as you were hoping for, the large stitch length makes it SUPER easy to quickly rip out and try again. 4. When multiple seams are converging at one spot to make the point in your block, the turn of the seam when you open it up might be bulkier than you expected. I cant say for sure if quilters grid was used here but if it were me making a postage stamp quilt top like the one shown above (from RedPepper Quilts), quilters grid interfacing would be the only way I would be able to get every square to line up so straight and perfect. (See Above) When all the rows are sewn together, press the quilt well so seam . Im not pressing down enough to hold the fabric from moving. I recommend using a special presser foot with a -inch guide if you have one for your machine. From an early age Ive had a love of craft and one early memory is spending my school holidays learning how to sew on my Mums sewing machine. This means that the seams of each row are aligned, and the pieces fit together almost like the pieces of a puzzle. I use the thinnest pins I can find. I will give it a try, fingers crossed. Now I know I can complete it without difficulty. For best results, use a 1/4 inch sewing machine foot with a guide. It took me a while to figure that one out. IMG 2. Like your grandmother I had an aunt who made quilts hundreds of quilts and as a kid I didnt appreciate them either. For instance, when writing my Cosmic Cactus quilt pattern I decided that pressing seams open would reduce bulk where a number of seams met in some places. What a waste, when undoing a few stitches or a row of stitches just may save the whole thing. Connecting Threads and ConnectingThreads.com are registered trademarks of Crafts Americana Group, Inc. The nice thing is that you really dont even need to take out the basting stitch once you are done. Reply Dont push your iron back and forth or you will get a mess under it. Im rushing upstairs right away to prove it. Cut the square in half, twice diagonally. We only pushed a pin straight through and there is nothing really keeping it there. They are just things that I trial and error have taught me. Not so fast. If I cant, I will mark the point with something like a disappearing FriXion pen at the very tip so that I know where they are as I am sewing. The nature of this product is to reinforce or strengthen fabric and as a result will cause the fabric to stiffen up. I always like to start each row by lifting the presser foot, placing the fabric down and then lowering the foot onto the fabric. You just want a visible line and a good crease at this point. A method I have used comes from quilting, too. For example, sometimes there are less points on one row, sometimes there are the same number. That's a lot of seams coming together and I'm concerned about the bulk. It significantly reduces the amount of excessive bulk and makes it so much easier to iron flat when finished. Then I cut. Now take your left ends of the rows. Now put two pins in the piece as you would normally pin, one on either side of this straight pin. Yay! To get perfectly matching seams, the best technique is to press the seams of your two blocks in opposite directions. 2 Replies to "Matching Diagonal Seams" Remember in a previous post where I described the necessity of cutting accurately so seams would nest and line up perfectly? If desired, insert another pin slightly to the left of the alignment pin. What is a nesting seam? Typically, it consists of a series of many, if not hundreds, of tiny 1 or 1.5 (postage stamp size) squares of fabric sewn together in neat rows. If you cut all your pieces out perfectly shouldnt you get perfect points and seams automatically? Another example of a misaligned seam. It is a place holder right now, just keeping your points together not keeping the rows securely together. If a quilts drape or, ability to bend and fold easily (say, for snuggling) is most important then piecing small squares using this grid may not be the best option. Matching 8 seams with triangle tips can seem impossible. If they are already sewn, just lay out your blocks, check if your seams actually nest and if that's not the case, just re-press one of them in the other direction. I didnt have someone show these to me. It not only transforms scraps of fabric into nice and neat pattern but it can do so with greater seam accuracy, less time and fewer headaches than sewing row by row using the traditional piecing methods. Learn how colors interact with each other and how to ensure the colors make your quilt rather than break your quilt. I like to starch/steam or use sizing (whatever your preference is here) BEFORE I cut my fabric out. Mark a diagonal line from corner to corner on the back of the Dark/Blue squares. Youd think with cutting the same exact size square that everything would end up nice and even. Press your glued spots with a hot iron (no steam). Sew together the layers, using a stitch design of your choice. I always use needle down. Step 2: Insert a pin from the wrong side (WS) of the top layer. 1/4 foot. Seams can be bulky where many fabrics come together making it difficult for quilting and may wear faster at that point (there are easy methods for flattening these points) Shadowing caused by seams pressed one way add depth and dimension that is part of the feel of a traditional quilt Seams pressed open: Yes, the thinner pins do give and bend more, but they seem to work better for me. While this step is not 100% necessary as you get more comfortable, when you are first learning how to match up points, its literally the best trick in the book. Now cut from top to bottom, directly through the center. Take it slow. The seams slide side-to-side, and matching points in quilting becomes nearly impossible. Looking at this I am able to envision a multitude of possibilities! 2 methods of marking the point to start and stop Y-seams. However, dont let the appearance discourage you iron it all out and the result ismagical! Tip: Sometimes you may get a seam that doesnt nest well and you may need to match the seams using a pin. I like pretty, heart fluttering, practically perfect points. Binding Basics - Part 3: Preparing the Quilt, Binding Basics - Part 4: Attaching the Binding by Machine, Binding Basics - Part 5: Hand-Stitching the Binding to the Back, Binding Basics - Part 2: Making the Binding, Nine Patch Lesson 1: Basic Piecing with Charms, Nine Patch Lesson 2: Speed Strip Quilting for a Baby quilt, How to Sew an Accurate Quarter Inch Seam Allowance, How to Pick the Right Quilting Design for Your Quilt, Machine Quilting with Golden Threads paper, Perfect Points Sampler Free Quilt Pattern Download. Why do you think it took me so long to figure it out? This quilters grid seems like a marvelous idea! An Invention Almost Better Than Sliced Bread, How Small Business Saturday Makes You a Better Person, https://gailgarber.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Blue-Rhapsody-by-Carolyn-Rider-Portsmouth-OH.jpg, Quilt As You Go Technique Top Five Things to Know, Top Five Things You Need To Know About the Janome 9450. This prevents any shifting when sewing the two pieces together. When your seams are pressed in opposite directions and you place your blocks on top of each other, the seams will nest. Videos Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! In quilting, the 1/4 seam allowance is pretty much EVERYTHING. Ask yourself, is it really worth unpicking? Remember not to push the fabric because you dont want to distort it. Layer the batting between the top and backing, and pin the three layers together. Choose some fun fabric and. Check seam from the right side to double check you are happy with the seam alignment. Of these three intersections the set up for this block has both rows with the first intersection with one HST coming together on the left side of both HST. Just raise and lower your foot before starting to sew. Learn to concentrate on your pressing, sewing, and cutting before matching seams and you'll be on your way to a perfect center where 8 tips meet. I believe that your seam ripper should be your best friend. The points are defined as the intersection of seams, which can be simple corners of squares and rectangles, but more often our eyes travel to the areas of a quilt top that contain triangle shapes. Lay right sides together and then. Ashley introduces you to a pin matching technique that can assist you as you join units and blocks. Also, you dont want your bottom seam to flip in the opposite direction of the way you have pressed. It's critical to get that right so the blocks measure accurately and all the seams line up as they are supposed to. I call these pretty points. Remember that the CST's are slightly too big, so if there is any excess, piece the row so the excess is on the outside. Sew about two threads over to the right of the pen marking. Im always open to learning or trying something new. Fold ON the grid line. Matching Points June 25, 2021 Matching Points Nothing causes quilters more angst than getting perfect points on their blocks. Wonderful post Anjeanette! I love this quilters grid! This kind of reminds me of how I learned to cross stitch. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Unlock exclusive member content from our industry experts. Ready for your next project to try this out on? Foundation Paper Piecing with Wash-away Paper, 24/7 Access to Premium Quilting Videos, Projects, and Tips, Step-by-Step Instructional Demos, Patterns, and Tutorials, 50% Off Video Downloads Purchased in the National Quilters Circle Shop, 2 Full-Length Video Downloads to Watch Offline, 8 Full-Length Video Downloads to Watch Offline, 3 Full-Length Quilting Classes to Keep for Life, Discounts on Purchase-to-Own Content in the National Quilters Circle Shop. This can feel time consuming, but it's way faster than unsewing! It makes me all excited when I do this and then look at the nice points and matched seams. The quote Better finished than perfect certainly describes my quilts! A quick glance at the panel before ironing it flat will make you think youve done something wrong! With these thin pins that can bend them. IMG 5. Stitch C-D and A-B units together along length (Figure 3a). It is clear your grid method is a great way to ensure thatyou get itright everytime and you have expained it all so well. Once I have gone down the length, then I use the whole iron to press it straight down. It keeps it from warping? I love my thin pins. Put a straight pin through the points to match them up. I think shoving something big like that into my fabric can distort the fabric and therefore make my sewing off. Usually I am pressing my seams in alternating directions for each row for less bulky seams, and pressing open large/bulky seams. Sew the two rows together on the sewing line or with a 1/4 seam. Im continually inspired by the creativity shown by readers like you! This will help you get uniform seams, and matching seams. We fold 1/4 " the edge of the top row IMG 3, which is the seam allowance we are using, and press with our fingers to make a crease. I have used this several times on princess seams and it has worked perfectly for me. Please check your inbox for your free quilt pattern! I have made many a quilt, and all are far from perfect.