Pressing & Piecing Patchwork for Perfect Points

Once you've cut your pieces you're ready to move on to constructing your patchwork blocks.  A 1/4" seam allowance is used in piecing. Before you start to stitch check that the 1/4" foot of your sewing machine matches the 1/4" on your ruler. To do so put your ruler (the same one as you used when measuring and cutting the pieces) under the sewing machine's foot and lower the needle until it's over the quarter-inch mark closest to the right edge of the ruler. The right edge of your ruler should line up with the right edge of the foot. If it doesn't you need to move your needle position until it does. 

Once you've aligned the 1/4" foot on your sewing machine you can test it out by sewing together three 1½" wide strips of fabric. Then press the seams and measure the centre strip. If it's exactly 1 inch you're ready to proceed. If it doesn't measure correctly you should take the time to check the foot again.

Pressing and pinning are important steps in the piecing process. Using the proper techniques will help you achieve matching points.

Tips for Pressing:

1.    Use a hot dry iron. A travel size iron is a great addition to your 'tool kit'. With the smaller sole plate of these mini-irons you have more control over exactly where you're pressing.

2.    After sewing your patch together you need to 'set the seam'. Before you press the seam allowance place the patch on the ironing surface, unopened with the topside up. Lay iron on top of the stitching line and press down. Turn over patch and press the bobbin thread in the same manner. 

3.    Generally patterns will tell you in which direction to press your seam allowance. To avoid dark seams showing through a lighter fabric the rule of thumb is to press light to dark. Place the patch with the fabric facing up that you'll press the seam allowance towards. Flip the patch open and place your iron edge on the lower strip. Delicately work it towards and over the seam allowance.

4.    When you're sewing long straight strips together (strip piecing) set your machine on a small stitch length such as 1.5 to 2 - as the longer the stitch the more twist you will get as you add strips. When you've finished sewing the strips together lay the pieced strips wrong side up on the ironing board. Place the iron on each seam line to press the stitching lines, then turn over and press the bobbin thread. Next lay the strips right side up and with the side of the iron gently press back to the dark side.  Repeat this process until you've all your seams set and pressed. Your strips should lay very flat with no twists.

5.    When adding on your sashings and borders press in the same manner as for strip piecing.

6.    A firm surface specially designed for ironing is needed. Having an iron mat beside your sewing machine saves a lot of time. The Clover Portable Pressing & Cutting Board is compact enough to keep handy and it folds for easy travel making it great for patchwork classes. With an iron and board close at hand, you wouldn't be as likely to skip the important step of pressing seams as you work.

7.    Don't confuse ironing with pressing. When you iron you apply downward pressure and move the iron about on your material. This heavy handedness can stretch your fabric especially on small articles like quilt patches. Pressing is a more delicate technique where you let the weight and heat of the iron do the work while you raise and lower the iron.

8.    Only use a good quality thread when piecing your quilts.  As setting the seams is a must you certainly don't want to use a thread that will melt under a hot iron. Rasant thread is ideal for piecing. It has a polyester core wrapped with layers of cotton, making it strong and durable with the look and feel of cotton.

Tips for Pinning and Piecing:

1.    Pinning is an important part of achieving accurate points and the best pins are fork pins. These very fine sharp pins are double pronged like a hair pin. They eliminate the problem of seams moving during pinning. Match the seams by butting them up against each other, and push the pin through, so one prong is on one side and the other prong on the opposite side of the seam. They are such a fine pin they lay nicely and are easy to remove as you sew, although some quilters even sew right over them.

2.    With Fork Pins when you pin your rows together they hold the seam at the back down while you sew over the seam which stops the feed dogs from pulling the fabric and flipping it back the wrong way.

3.    Fork pins are very flexible when you have a lot of points to match together like an eight point star or a pinwheel. Squeeze the pin close together as you insert it either side of the seam and it will hold all the point's together - like no other pin can do!

4.    If when you're piecing you find one piece is larger than the other, put the bigger piece on the bottom against the feed dogs, pin the top end where you'll start sewing, line the bottom end up and use a tapered tailor's awl to hold the ends together as you sew. The feed dogs will take up the excess and the awl will help in holding the ends together firmly.

Incorporate these tips when you're working on your next project and you should get the perfect points you desire.

Pauline Rogers has taught patchwork & quilting for close to 28 years. She travels extensively helping others learn and perfect the techniques of quilt making. Pauline's Schoolhouse programme is a popular way for quilt groups to share in her tool expertise. Visit Quilters World online at http://www.quiltersworld.com.au