Sunday, February 16, 2014

Moving Along with the "Re-Do"

I am finally making progress.  I have finished all the Star Blocks for Irish Mist and getting ready to start on the panels - the ones that I messed up in the previous version of the quilt...I hope to have them completed today... wishful thinking.  Making the quilt the 2nd time (although I wasted time and fabric) really makes a difference.  I have a better understanding of where each stack of squares, rectangles, etc. will go.   I know which way to press the seams - not relying on the pattern - and taking extra care in cutting, squaring, and sewing.  The secret is pin, pin, pin, and go slow




 This is the first time a Designer actually indicated that  a "scant" quarter inch seam allowance was used throughout the quilt.  This really assists the quilter in knowing whether or not to adjust their sewing machine.  AND all machines are different.  I have Husqvarna Designer and a Husqvarna Sapphire.  Each of them are different in setting the seam allowance.  I always thought that my 1/4" seam allowance on the Designer was exactly that.  Well, it a "generous" 1/4".  Last year when I was working on my Floating Stars quilt I realized that I needed to "adjust" that 1/4" seam.  I keep a note on my table that has the settings for a full 1/4" and a "scant" for both machines.  This way I do not "forget" and have to rip, rip, rip, of which I have done a lot of "ripping" to achieve a quilt that is square when completed.   This information is so critical for new quilters because it can be the deciding factor if the have problems when making first time quilts.  I firmly believe that this is why many newbies give up.  It is so frustrating to make a quilt and when completed it is not squared, points are cut off, seams do not match, etc. 

 

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