DEBATE... SEWING your patches together

[QuilterLynn]

DEBATE... NON POLITICAL

I went to guild meeting tonight and opened a can of worms... ( apparently this has been a long standing feud between two other members ) I asked :


When you piece a quilt together...

Do you string all the patches / blocks together in a line then sew the lines / rows together.

OR

Do you sew the patches together making units of first two then four and sewing the units together so that there are no long lines sewn together rather smaller units. Some say this is less likely to be wonky and therefore maintain square easier.

What is the best way to sew large numbers of blocks together. I am asking because I have a quilt to put together that I have to be absolutely perfect on... ... FOR next years quilt show.




Any ways this sparked the feud again between the two quilters but I never got a definitive answers cause the discussion got skewed into other issues.

I am only going to ask questions here cause at least no fights will break out... You would never know these two quilters were sisters they way they argue.

[QuilterLynn]

Ladyrags, I have tried both methods and I believe that like everything else in quilting, it is whichever works best for you. Keeping in mind that your seam pressing is what makes all the difference, as long as your seams are consistent.

Jean, enjoying a balmy Indian Summer in Windsor, ON

[Judymc]

I usually sew the blocks together in rows horizontally and then join the rows. An accurate 1/4" seam throughout the quilt top is a must!!! Judy in Torrance

[Judymc]

Both ways have advantages. I tend to sew in sections and then have one long seam to put them all together. Mostly because I get bored sewing a bunch of long seams. CHeryl

[longarm1]

[quote="cjbeg"]Both ways have advantages. I tend to sew in sections and then have one long seam to put them all together. Mostly because I get bored sewing a bunch of long seams. CHeryl[/quote

I'm with you, sometimes, they just get cumbersome,also. But I like to book press the the squares, so if they have strings they just get in the way. :roll: debbie

[longarm1]

I sew my blocks into rows and then sew the rows together last. If you have an accurate 1/4 inch seam this method shouldn't present any problems. However, like all things quilting, there are no rights and wrongs, just what works for you and the quilt you're putting together.

[longarm1]

I like to sew the blocks together so I don't have long seams, it just seems to be so much easier that way and that's the way our local teacher does it too.

JoAnne

[Quiltcamp]

I think it all depends on my mood :twisted: :? and the size of the project. I've done a couple king size quilts that I sewed the blocks to blocks and ended up putting the quilt together in quarters. It seemed to work better concidering the size. Then others I've done row by row. I don't believe there is a "right or wrong way" to do anything in quilting. And I've never been visited by the quilt police yet :wink: :wink: .......

[BethMI]

When I sewed horizontal rows together first, I found that as I put the rows back up on my design wall, I have a tendency to knock the lower blocks off the wall. What a headache, getting them back up in the right order! 8-((

So now I sew my columns (vertical rows) together first. As each row is done, it can be put back on the design wall with just one pin. I never knock down any blocks now, and they sew together just as easily at the end.

NOTE: Mary Ellen Hopkins is a big critic of this system. She doesn't believe in sewing long rows together. She prefers to sew 2 blocks together, then 2 sets of 2 blocks together, then 2 sets of 4 blocks together, etc. But when I try this, I get all mixed up about which way the seams should be pressed.

I find that sewing the columns and then the rows works best for me.

BethMI

[GloriaH]

I'm with Beth. I've tried doing sections and invariably have to deal with wrong way pressing already stitched down. I like the vertical sewing together due to the ease in securing it to the design wall. And like everyone else, I think it's what works best for you. Gloria

[Lorchen]

Well, I can vouch for Ali's method working (gazing at a gorgeous quilt she pieced and that's living with me). . Everything meets exactly where it should meet!

Lorchen

[QuilterLynn]

I've done both an neither is my 'favorite.' Guess whatever the mood is at the time. Course some patterns remove all choice in that.

[QuilterLynn]

I always sew each row, then sew the rows together... but thats really because thats how I learned. I'm not actually getting the other method... how do you put a quilt together without long seams?

12345
67890
abcde
fghij

So I would sew 1&2, 3&4, 1+2&3+4, then 5 to make the first row. I'd do the same with the other 3 rows. I'd then sew the first and second row together and the third and fourth. Then sew the 2 double rows together.

The way I'm imaging the other way is:

1&2, 6&7, then sew those groups together. Do the same with 3&4 and 8&9. Sew 5&0 together, then add them all together. Do the same for the other two rows... you still have the middle long seam, right? It definitely reduces the long seams which is cool, but doesn't eliminate them...

Unless I totally don't get it :lol:

[QuilterLynn]

Kimber, you've got it and that's a good description. It does do away with sewing several long seams together. I like to do it that way when making a large quilt. Recently I made a queen size rag quilt and sewing the blocks together into larger squares (like you explained) worked so much easier. That way I didn't have to deal with very long seams or deal with the weight of the whole thing until I sewed that long seam in the middle. I'm glad to have that thing done. It's been sent to Iraq to keep one of our soldiers (my nephew) warm this winter.
JoAnne

[QuilterLynn]

I don't do either since I started doing it this way:
using Kimber's and letters from above-
I chain sew 1 &2, 6&7, a&b, f&g. then I go back up to the top and chain sew 3 to 2, 8 to 7, c to b, and h to g. and so on til they are all sewn together. At this point all the blocks are attached, but only the vertical seams are sewn. So then I go back and sew the horizontal seams (so there are some long seams!)
I find this faster and less chance for me to mess up the block order.
Hope this makes sense!