Curiouser QAL: Getting ready to sew

Have you sorted through your fabric? (If you are still in need of fabrics, then Mélanie is offering 15% off purchases in her online shop for Curiouser quilters. Just use the code curiouser at the checkout, and your discount will be deducted.) Are you ready to start sewing? I am... or at least I thought I was...

There are only a few things that you need to do to ensure success in quilting, and I'm not sure how I managed to make so many quilts before I worried about the quilting equivalent of the knitter's tension. Yes, I'm talking about seam allowances.

If you are making a quilt for yourself, and aren't too worried about the finished size, then checking that you are getting the correct seam allowance probably isn't that important. Heck, I've made more than a couple of quilts and not worried about it up until now. However, ensuring that you are sewing a proper 1/4in seam will make your quilts neater, and what's more, they will turn out the right size as well! Using a 1/4in seam foot is a really handy tool - it makes sewing straight lines much easier as well. If you don't already have one, then just search online for one for your machine. They cost around £13.00 + P&P and are worth every penny.

The best thing is, that checking your seam allowance is MUCH easier than knitting a tension square. Whoop! Here is an easy method:

1) Cut a strip of spare fabric to 2.5in wide.

2) Cut the strip into pieces 1.5in wide. I made a whole stack while I was at it - now I can check my seams with minimal faffing.

3) Take two pieces from the stack and sew them together along the longest side.

4) Press the seam to one side.

5) Now sew another strip across the top of this piece (the seam will be perpendicular to the seam you have already sewn). And press the seam to one side as before.

6) Look carefully - if your seams are correct, the third strip should fit exactly across the top of the first two. You can see at the bottom of the picture that I have some overhang. This means that my seams are bigger than 1/4in, and I need to make them smaller. To do so, I need to move the needle position on my sewing machine to the right. This is the moment to check your sewing machine handbook. (If your seams are too small then you will need to move the needle to the left.)

7) Adjust the needle position as required. On my Janome, it's simply a matter of pressing + or - on the needle position settings.

8) Now take 3 more pieces of fabric and repeat the process to check the seam in the new position.

This time my seams are spot on! Although you may spot that I've not managed to sew my fabrics together with all right sides facing up. This bodes well, doesn't it?!

Repeat the process until you are happy with your seam allowance setting. Depending on your sewing machine, you may need to make a note of the needle setting and adjust it each time you turn the machine on. It's worth it though, as your blocks will all turn out the correct sizes!

Keep your spare pieces of fabric somewhere safe, as you will need to recheck your needle position when/if you change your needle.

Now pop over to Mélanie's blog (Lilysunshine) to pick up some tips on choosing fabrics. We will be back next Thursday (17th November) with the first block designs for you. Exciting!

Comments

[Alison]

Hello, this is such a great idea and I'm looking forward to joining in. I'm a total novice when it comes to quilting so I'm hoping the instructions will be super easy!! This is probably a silly question (I did say I'm a novice!) but does the process for checking seam allowances you describe use the seam allowance attachment or is it without?

Thanks!
Alison

[Lilysunshine]

Hi Alison,
Jen's away for the weekend so she asked me to reply to you in the mean time.

She told me to say: "It works just as well with a 1/4in seam foot, or by just lining up to a mark on the foot plate."

I would add that using a quilting foot with a 1/4in guide makes it easier to keep your seam consistent as you just butt the fabrics against the guide to sew.
But many people just use the line on the foot plate to sew. And after a while and loads, you'll just know when you're off on your seam allowances.

Hope that helps! Please do not hesitate if you have anymore questions. :)

[Alison]

Thank you so much that's really helpful. I'm off to practice!

X

[anna]

i just ordered a 1/4 inch foot... for a few hundred pounds. but it came with a free sewing machine. or was it the other way round?!
super excited about having this great project to help me learn to use it (after father christmas has delivered it of course) will be using my ancient, noisy, wobbles-the-table-while-it-sews one for now ;)

[Jen Arnall-Culliford]

Sounds wonderful Anna! What type of machine did you go for? I can't wait to see the blocks as people start to sew. Do stop by at the Flickr group and say hi there, won't you? :-) http://www.flickr.com/groups/1786598@N20/
Jen