Patchwork pressing seams in quilting

Quilting, especially hand quilting, is easier when seam allowances are not doubled up. To piece your backing, first cut your backing yardage in half. Pressing seams starting with the darker fabric on top, open up the dark fabric piece and press along the seam line. I truly believe that there is an artist in everyone. But as a longarm quilter, eliminating bulky intersections that can break needles or distort quilting lines tops the list. As i was sewing together this quilt the completed quilt is here by the way, i finally figured out the trick. The example below shows the directions seams are pressed, block by block, row by row in a nine patch quilt. The fabric that the seam allowance will be pressed toward should be. And quilting is one of the best ways to share your inner artist.

I so want this method to work, and everyone who tries it. My current handpiecing project, many years in work and pieced by many hands, is pictured here. Anonymous in my limited experience with making quilt tops, i find for the small block quilt it is better to iron seams open. Theres one thing that many of you have discovered when sewing along to the modern hst sampler, and thats the bulky seams that sewing with halfsquare triangles can bring.

How to press quilt blocks and quilts for best accuracy. Pressing, on the other hand, lets you turn seam allowances to one side without distorting your patchwork or applique shapes. Tired of having those monster bumps in your quilt blocks or seams. Now you have 2 identical qst blocks, with each of the 4 fabrics in each unit. Making a simple patchwork quilt is a great way for beginners to get the hang of stitching blocks of fabric together then stitching those blocks into rows.

Sometimes it might be best to press a quilts seam allowances open instead of pressing the seams to one side. Most quilters press seams open when making the backing for a quilt. Piece your rows together, pressing seams in alternating directions. A little tutorial on making practically perfect points in. Ive heard this tip before, and every single time i try it, it refuses to work. Some quilters prefer to press all seams open for a smoother, flatter finished quilt top and to prevent fabrics from showing through in the seam allowances. Patchwork and quilting are often combined in the same project, but these two have different techniques. Match the patchwork seams in your work perfectly every time with this quilting tip so simple youll wonder why you didnt think of it yourself. The fabric that the seam allowance will be pressed toward should be facing up. Plus, seams pressed toward the darker fabric will typically face away from other seam allowances when theyre sewn together, which reduces your quilts bulk. Nesting seams means pressing the seam allowances in opposite directions. Yet again i heard a quilt teacher tell others to press their seams to one side, rather than open, as the seam was stronger that way. This is done through a combination of pressing, pinning, and stitching. The other side chants, always press to reduce bulk.

I also recommend you use it at each step throughout your blocks construction. Spin me round quilt pattern how to make a patchwork quilt. On occasion you may have to press a seam open, or pull out a few stitches and split the direction of a seam, as in the picture at the left. At the end of the day, the most important thing is to find what works best for you and yields the best results for your work. In row 2 of the block, the seams are both pressed in toward the center block. While there are actually many feet you can use when sewing patchwork and quilting, were sharing the feet mostused when creating patchwork and quilting stitches. How to press quilt seams excerpted from the quilters quick reference guide by candace eisner strick. Most patterns instruct you to press seams toward the darker side of the fabric so those colors dont shadow through the lighter ones in the quilt.

When you think about it, if your seam has been pressed open and you look at the seam from the right side, you can actually see the stitches of thread that are holding your seams. It gives you that little added help in a clean seam intersection. A quilt with mismatched seams will look like it was made by an amateur. However, that which is one of the most pleasurable moments in piecing and quilting can also do the most damage. See if you can spot the qsts in my friend susans gorgeous blue moon quilt. I always feel like i need to pause after saying this in a deep, firm voice and wait for the star wars movie theme song to back me up. Dana jones demonstrates step by step instructions on how to set your seams by pressing with a hot iron.

I keep coming back to pressing all my seams open so i can actually see the seams. Quilt tops are flatter when seams are pressed open. As much as i love detailed and more involved quilt patterns there is something so charming to me about a simple patchwork quilt. This is not a problem with a simple block like a 4patch quilt block.

Also a little disconcerting that it took me so long see, i had learned about nesting the seams and pinning and such before, but the day before yesterday the stars aligned, the heavens opened up and, i understood. Pressing entails gently lowering and lifting the iron. Pressing seams to one side is a residue of hand piecing. Pressing quilt seams national quilters circle youtube. No matter how many times we seem to press those seams, they never seem to be right.

Ironing is a more aggressive backandforth motion of the iron along the fabric that can pull and distort shapes. Let the unit cool a bit, and then flip the top fabric. In this video i share with you my tips for pressing your patchwork. When pressing seams open, press first from the wrong side of the fabric. Place the patchwork on your ironing board, unopened, just as it was sewn. If you prefer to open all the seams, press from the wrong side and gently press the seams open along the seam line. Learn how to aviod speed bumps in quilts nesting seams, pins and other tricks. In row 1 of your block, the seams are pressed in opposite directions, away from the center block. If you lay the work down correctly on the ironing board, then the seam is laying flat ready to press toward the seam allowance. Pressing quilt seams to the side or open the spruce crafts. Dana jones demonstrates stepbystep instructions on how to set your seams by pressing with a hot iron. Pressing is an important part of the seaming process, and keeping track of the direction in which you press the seams between the pieces becomes part of how well the seams line up as you build the quilt top. This method of pressing quilt blocks works just as well for paper piecing as traditionally pieced units. Some quilters prefer to press their seams open to make the quilt top lay flatter, but i usually prefer to press my seams to one side, which allows me to nest my seams and have nice intersections without using pins.

Turn the panel over and press from the front to help flatten out the seams a little more. However, there are times when we just want to make an easy quilt for a quick win. This occurs because seams are pressed to opposite directions when sewing sections together. When it comes to pressing quilt tops, awardwinning quilter linda pumphrey has strong opinions.

As a quilt piecer, i want it alli dont want my dark colors showing through my light fabrics. Pin your rows together, matching up the block seams. I read in a quilt book that pressing seams open weakens the seam and when i called our local quilt shop to inquire they also recommended pressing the seam to one side not opening. Press seams to one side, pressing each row in alternate directions. I want my patchwork to be accurate and i want it to be flat. Learn how to ensure the blocks in your quilts are the same size and your quilts finish strong and flat. Youll see pressing notes in most quilt instructions. For example, press the seams in row 1 and all oddnumbered rows to the right, and press seams in row 2 and all evennumbered rows to the left. Take a moment to weigh in, do you use steam when pressing your patchwork. If you cut and sew accurately but dont take time to press correctly, your patchwork can end up just as offkilter as it would if you had gone awry in the cutting or stitching.

How to make a simple patchwork quilt the polka dot chair. Set the iron down on top of the unopened unit to set the seam. When to use steam and starch in patchwork quilt books. Dont stitch into the seam line or press your seams until you finish your block. How to make an easy patchwork quilt the seasoned homemaker. All of the bernina patchwork feet have been specially engineered to help you sew the most precise 14. When it comes to pressing seams on a quilt block those four words are a key rule. One of the most pleasurable parts of piecing together a quilt is when you take your block to the iron to press it. Never underestimate the value of good pressing in your quiltmaking. Cabin in the cotton, shadow trail, and fan quadrille from mountain mist. Pressstripsandseamsquilting a few words about ironing.

I dont like doing this because 1 its timeconsuming, and 2 it weakens the quilt top at all the seams. This sentence is kind of a joke among many of us in our quilting group. If it is not possible, press seams open so the light seams are on the lighter fabric and the darker seams end up on the darker fabric. Quilt square patterns patchwork quilt patterns barn quilt patterns patchwork cushion pattern blocks quilting patterns quilt block patterns 12 inch patchwork tutorial christmas quilt patterns. The example below shows the directions seams are pressed, block by block, row by row in a nine patch quilt block. To line up quilt squares perfectly, there are a few things you can do, including pressing the fabric in the. Quilting involves a lot of pressing, from the fabric to the seams to the patchwork of pieces. Pressing seams to the side establishes a stronger quilt because its both the fabric and thread that are holding those seams together rather than just the thread. You dont really ever want to press your seam open, because its just not as strong a seam, so closed is the way to do it, and you just sort of slide it over the edge a little bit. But for the easiest and quickest patchwork quilt a beginner quilter could sew click here to see the quilt, nesting the seams is the best pressing option. For each tutorial, the guest designers and i provide the pressing instructions, however you are always welcome to press them differently if it works. Top tips for pressing fabric like a pro all people quilt.

A quilt with perfectly matched squares and seams will make the difference between handmade crafted by an expert and homemade put together hastily by a novice. As you sew, check to make sure that the seams you pressed in the last step are laying in opposite directions so they nest perfectly. If you make a mistake during one of these stages, the entire project can go south in a hurry. Pressing seam allowances open press open when lots of seams come together in one spot, creating too much bulk. Patchwork quilts are captivating to look at, and exciting to create. Nesting seams flat quilt tops and accurate piecing. Pressing quilt seams to the side is faster than pressing open and makes it easier to lock seams in place, sort of like a puzzle. I like to press my seams open because it reduces seam bulk, but you can also press to the side if. Learn the methodology for pressing quilt seams in this instructional video from national stitching circle. The reason is it makes it easier to quilt, whether i am doing the quilting or sending it to my favorite long arm quilter. Pressing seams helps keep your quilt top flat for easier quilting. If you didnt use starch before you started cutting your blocks, i would not use it now. Usually i am pressing my seams in alternating directions for each row for less bulky seams, and pressing open largebulky seams. Utilize these pressing techniques and see how beneficial pressing can be for your own quilts.

You must plan ahead so that at each intersection the seams are pressed in opposite directions. Press the newly sewn seams all in the same direction. Turn your iron to the cotton setting if pressing cotton patches. We do backstitch occasionally in long seams and at seam intersections, as you suggest. When i got this question via email, i thought it needed a public response, and lets quilt wednesday is a perfect time to do that. Quilt block piecing trick for matching seams michele made me. Most quilting patterns tell you which way to press seam allowances. Like many of you, i took many quilting classes that taught me to press my quilt seams to the side actually to the dark side.

Use your finger or ironing tool to open up the seam ahead of the iron. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. I gently press the seam the direction i want it to go. Flatten your seams set the seam by pressing it with the iron right after you sew it. While youll use a bunch of different methods throughout the quilting process, this one helps control bulk when a lot of them intersect.

On the other hand, quilting is sewing together three layers that make up a quilt the top, the central wadding, and the backing. Pressing quilt seams quilts, quilting tutorials, sewing. Pressing quilt seams sewing projects for beginners. I press my rows first with the right side facing up on the pressing board. You want your patchwork to lie as flat as possible. You may find that you just cant avoid pressing some seams away from the darker fabric so that you can snuggle your seams when necessary. Tips for pressing seam allowances in quilt blocks youtube. How to line up quilt squares perfectly our pastimes.

First of all, a quilt pattern designer may instruct you to press your seams in a specific direction when creating a block to eliminate bulky seams. Cut along the line to separate and press the seams open. Patchwork is the skill of sewing together different fabrics to form a pattern. To stitch a y seam, stitch the first seam and backstitch at the end as normal, but dont cut the thread.