yankiequilter Posted June 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2010 I'm piecing a lovely log cabin pattern by Jackie Robinson of Animas Quilts and silly me, thought it would be a walk in the park. I'm having trouble getting some of the seams to match up properly. I know in a perfect world where the pieces are cut exactly the proper size and the seam is exactly 1/4", that all I should have to do is put two parts of the block together and everything would line up perfectly, or maybe give it a tiny nudge. My world just isn't perfect. No matter how careful I've been cutting or piecing, I'm having difficulty with the pointy sections as shown in the lower right of the block pictured. I'm basting the seam to check placement and often have to re-do once, or twice, or three times, or......well, you get the picture. I've pressed the seams according to instructions, and both seams are pressed in the same direction. Any hints for making this process less painful? My plan is to make the king size but I may get tired of it before I get that far. I've got 20 blocks completed and there are a total of 144. Silly, me. Maybe I should go for a walk in the park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankiequilter Posted June 20, 2010 Report Share Posted June 20, 2010 I'm piecing a lovely log cabin pattern by Jackie Robinson of Animas Quilts and silly me, thought it would be a walk in the park. I'm having trouble getting some of the seams to match up properly. I know in a perfect world where the pieces are cut exactly the proper size and the seam is exactly 1/4", that all I should have to do is put two parts of the block together and everything would line up perfectly, or maybe give it a tiny nudge. My world just isn't perfect. No matter how careful I've been cutting or piecing, I'm having difficulty with the pointy sections as shown in the lower right of the block pictured. I'm basting the seam to check placement and often have to re-do once, or twice, or three times, or......well, you get the picture. I've pressed the seams according to instructions, and both seams are pressed in the same direction. Any hints for making this process less painful? My plan is to make the king size but I may get tired of it before I get that far. I've got 20 blocks completed and there are a total of 144. Silly, me. Maybe I should go for a walk in the park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbm Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Carmen, that's a beautiful block - and I can see that it might drive a piecer just slightly batty! If I'm looking at it correctly, the only place the seams really have to match is where the dark purple "pointy pieces" meet the pale lavender "pointy pieces," right? If that is the case, could you not make the dark green and dark purple pieces extra long, then "nudge" the piecing until it lines up and whack off the edges that extend? Not sure whether I'm making any sense or not..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbm Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Carmen, that's a beautiful block - and I can see that it might drive a piecer just slightly batty! If I'm looking at it correctly, the only place the seams really have to match is where the dark purple "pointy pieces" meet the pale lavender "pointy pieces," right? If that is the case, could you not make the dark green and dark purple pieces extra long, then "nudge" the piecing until it lines up and whack off the edges that extend? Not sure whether I'm making any sense or not..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Carmen--I don't see the problem you are talking about! The flower in the corner is fine. The eye will be fooled because of the contrast in the fabrics and "see" the palest fabric first--the points of the tulip are fine and even if the points doesn't line up with the seam of the previous log, the eye will not notice since there is a continuation of color (green) surrounding the pale. As for the bottom edge, that is the quarter-inch space you will cover when you sew the blocks together. That flower corner is going to make a fabulous star when the blocks are joined, and the pathway of lavender squares will march across the quilt and be beautiful! I love this block and will wait patiently until you finish the top and quilt it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Carmen--I don't see the problem you are talking about! The flower in the corner is fine. The eye will be fooled because of the contrast in the fabrics and "see" the palest fabric first--the points of the tulip are fine and even if the points doesn't line up with the seam of the previous log, the eye will not notice since there is a continuation of color (green) surrounding the pale. As for the bottom edge, that is the quarter-inch space you will cover when you sew the blocks together. That flower corner is going to make a fabulous star when the blocks are joined, and the pathway of lavender squares will march across the quilt and be beautiful! I love this block and will wait patiently until you finish the top and quilt it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 I spray starch all my fabrics before I start to cut...this will help with points and with how your block lays...its stays square and your points don't get lost...but as you said you have to cut your pieces perfect, and if you miss then you have missed points. I just finished a baby quilt and decided that the few points I missed were just going to be a design element and leave it as it was....:P:P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 I spray starch all my fabrics before I start to cut...this will help with points and with how your block lays...its stays square and your points don't get lost...but as you said you have to cut your pieces perfect, and if you miss then you have missed points. I just finished a baby quilt and decided that the few points I missed were just going to be a design element and leave it as it was....:P:P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankiequilter Posted June 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Yes, Barb, dark purple and lavendar, plus one set of med. green/lavendar. When seams are pressed in opposite directions it is easy to nudge them together and feel when they meet. In this case one seam is horizontal and the other is at a 45 degree angle, both seams pressed in the same direction and there is nothing to nudge or feel meeting. You make perfect sense about making the pieces longer and then whacking them off, but I don't think that would help and I'd really like to figure out an easier way to get those seams to match. I thought maybe someone here had some practical experience working with a similar piecing situation, but maybe everyone has more sense than I do! Did I say 144 blocks? Nine different blocks and at least half of them have these pointy things, and some have them in two corners. :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankiequilter Posted June 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Yes, Barb, dark purple and lavendar, plus one set of med. green/lavendar. When seams are pressed in opposite directions it is easy to nudge them together and feel when they meet. In this case one seam is horizontal and the other is at a 45 degree angle, both seams pressed in the same direction and there is nothing to nudge or feel meeting. You make perfect sense about making the pieces longer and then whacking them off, but I don't think that would help and I'd really like to figure out an easier way to get those seams to match. I thought maybe someone here had some practical experience working with a similar piecing situation, but maybe everyone has more sense than I do! Did I say 144 blocks? Nine different blocks and at least half of them have these pointy things, and some have them in two corners. :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankiequilter Posted June 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 OK!!! So Linda and Bonnie have given me permission to make blocks without matching seams on the pointy things! :D:D That's my story and I'm sticking with it! :cool: Piecing will go a lot faster now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankiequilter Posted June 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 OK!!! So Linda and Bonnie have given me permission to make blocks without matching seams on the pointy things! :D:D That's my story and I'm sticking with it! :cool: Piecing will go a lot faster now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibbyG Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 This block is in Jackie's Eureka pattern. When it's together it's a stunning quilt. Everytime I sewed the block with the star pattern in the lower right hand corner, I started sewing from the top of that side. It seemed to help with the matching. Pretty soon I was able to judge where to place the strip. Sometimes I would sew with a basting stitch just that little section. When I saw it was right, then I sewed the whole strip together. It was a little annoying, but well worth having the perfect seams. Don't give up! You'll figure it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibbyG Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 This block is in Jackie's Eureka pattern. When it's together it's a stunning quilt. Everytime I sewed the block with the star pattern in the lower right hand corner, I started sewing from the top of that side. It seemed to help with the matching. Pretty soon I was able to judge where to place the strip. Sometimes I would sew with a basting stitch just that little section. When I saw it was right, then I sewed the whole strip together. It was a little annoying, but well worth having the perfect seams. Don't give up! You'll figure it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankiequilter Posted June 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Libby, yes, it is the Eureka pattern. I fell in love with the pattern and got it and the fabric last year. Decided two weeks ago to get it started. And I'm doing exactly as you did by starting the stitching at the top, as well as basting the intersection. I was hoping for an easier solution. I'd love to see your quilt, can you post a picture of it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankiequilter Posted June 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Libby, yes, it is the Eureka pattern. I fell in love with the pattern and got it and the fabric last year. Decided two weeks ago to get it started. And I'm doing exactly as you did by starting the stitching at the top, as well as basting the intersection. I was hoping for an easier solution. I'd love to see your quilt, can you post a picture of it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra Darlington Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 I'm no help, but wanted to say that is a lovely block and beautiful fabrics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra Darlington Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 I'm no help, but wanted to say that is a lovely block and beautiful fabrics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Carmen, I'm wondering if you pre-washed your fabric. It looks to me like that white fabric might be shrinking some. The only reason I say this is because I recently did a block with a white that I had not pre-washed and only the white shrunk and gave me a very similar look. It was shrinking from the iron. I washed the fabric and then re-cut out the block and my problem disappeared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Carmen, I'm wondering if you pre-washed your fabric. It looks to me like that white fabric might be shrinking some. The only reason I say this is because I recently did a block with a white that I had not pre-washed and only the white shrunk and gave me a very similar look. It was shrinking from the iron. I washed the fabric and then re-cut out the block and my problem disappeared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zora Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Press the seams open for those problem seams, and you will be able to line them up just fine. No, the quilt police will not come and get you, and once it is quilted, it will be stable and will not fall apart at the first washing (like the "seams to one side" purists like to tell us) . You will be able to get good results with your SID if you quilt directly in the pressed open seam if SID is something you are planning for that area. This isn't something I just dreamed up....some nationally know piecers have recommended doing this in some areas of your quilt. (Flying geese come to mind for another place to use this technique.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zora Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Press the seams open for those problem seams, and you will be able to line them up just fine. No, the quilt police will not come and get you, and once it is quilted, it will be stable and will not fall apart at the first washing (like the "seams to one side" purists like to tell us) . You will be able to get good results with your SID if you quilt directly in the pressed open seam if SID is something you are planning for that area. This isn't something I just dreamed up....some nationally know piecers have recommended doing this in some areas of your quilt. (Flying geese come to mind for another place to use this technique.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankiequilter Posted June 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Ah ha! Lynn, I woke at 5:30 this morning with that very thought! I 'm going to press those problem seams open and will be able to line them up easily. Thanks! Heidi, I didn't pre-wash the fabrics and have been using stem when pressing. I know we're told not to use steam, but I like it. I heard Eleanor Burns say once that she uses steam, over the objection of her son who happened to be on the show that day. I know when I press bias seams they behave much better with a dry iron than with steam, but it is a sacrifice for me to do it that way. And as Bonnie suggests, I'm going to starch the bejeebers out of the fabric before I cut any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankiequilter Posted June 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Ah ha! Lynn, I woke at 5:30 this morning with that very thought! I 'm going to press those problem seams open and will be able to line them up easily. Thanks! Heidi, I didn't pre-wash the fabrics and have been using stem when pressing. I know we're told not to use steam, but I like it. I heard Eleanor Burns say once that she uses steam, over the objection of her son who happened to be on the show that day. I know when I press bias seams they behave much better with a dry iron than with steam, but it is a sacrifice for me to do it that way. And as Bonnie suggests, I'm going to starch the bejeebers out of the fabric before I cut any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Carmen, I steam too and I won't ever go back. Do a test to see if it is shrinking. Take a 5" sq steam really good let it relax and see what it measures. That will at least rule that problem out. I was really shocked at how much mine had shrunk. My block was almost 1/2" smaller than it was supposed to be. After washing and making the same block with the same machine settings my block was perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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