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#1
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"Extra" seam allowance?
Hi, as an on-again-off-again lurker this is the first place I thought to ask
when I had a question. My son's toddler quilt was my second quilt and though it had no triangles, only squares and rectangles, it had *lots* of seams and pieces. Now that he's about to turn three he's really grown attached to the quilt and has started to drag it around the house with him. That just tickles me pink. But, a couple of the seams that came out a little short in seam allowance when I was piecing the top have opened. I tacked them with fusible web for now and I'm more careful about washing and drying it - washing on cold/gentle and hanging to dry now instead of tumble drying. I expect it will eventually be worn out but I'm trying to prolong it! So here's the question that long-winded story is leading up to. My daughter is now 10 months old and I'm starting on her toddler quilt (her newborn quilt can be seen he http://www.quilterscache.com/images1...tarflowerA.jpg). I'm using the Butterfly paper piecing pattern from Quilter's Cache. Now that I've done three practice butterflies I'm ready to start the whole quilt. What I'm wondering though, is since I'm paper piecing and the seams are marked on the paper, I can trim the fabric so the allowance is more than 1/4" if I want to since the paper acts as my guide and the block size won't really change. Is there any reason, other than a little more bulk, to NOT make the allowances a little bigger, say, 3/8"? I was thinking it might make it a little more durable since I expect the quilt to take a lot of abuse, and I can be a little more relaxed about washing it. Opinions please? Thanks! Meghan |
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#2
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I always do 3/8ths seam allowances, just can't live with that skimpy little
quarter inch! Becky "Meghan" wrote in message ... Hi, as an on-again-off-again lurker this is the first place I thought to ask when I had a question. My son's toddler quilt was my second quilt and though it had no triangles, only squares and rectangles, it had *lots* of seams and pieces. Now that he's about to turn three he's really grown attached to the quilt and has started to drag it around the house with him. That just tickles me pink. But, a couple of the seams that came out a little short in seam allowance when I was piecing the top have opened. I tacked them with fusible web for now and I'm more careful about washing and drying it - washing on cold/gentle and hanging to dry now instead of tumble drying. I expect it will eventually be worn out but I'm trying to prolong it! So here's the question that long-winded story is leading up to. My daughter is now 10 months old and I'm starting on her toddler quilt (her newborn quilt can be seen he http://www.quilterscache.com/images1...tarflowerA.jpg). I'm using the Butterfly paper piecing pattern from Quilter's Cache. Now that I've done three practice butterflies I'm ready to start the whole quilt. What I'm wondering though, is since I'm paper piecing and the seams are marked on the paper, I can trim the fabric so the allowance is more than 1/4" if I want to since the paper acts as my guide and the block size won't really change. Is there any reason, other than a little more bulk, to NOT make the allowances a little bigger, say, 3/8"? I was thinking it might make it a little more durable since I expect the quilt to take a lot of abuse, and I can be a little more relaxed about washing it. Opinions please? Thanks! Meghan |
#3
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If you still wanted to do a 1/4" seam allowance, you could shorten your
stitch length which would add more durability. Megan "Meghan" wrote in message ... Hi, as an on-again-off-again lurker this is the first place I thought to ask when I had a question. My son's toddler quilt was my second quilt and though it had no triangles, only squares and rectangles, it had *lots* of seams and pieces. Now that he's about to turn three he's really grown attached to the quilt and has started to drag it around the house with him. That just tickles me pink. But, a couple of the seams that came out a little short in seam allowance when I was piecing the top have opened. I tacked them with fusible web for now and I'm more careful about washing and drying it - washing on cold/gentle and hanging to dry now instead of tumble drying. I expect it will eventually be worn out but I'm trying to prolong it! So here's the question that long-winded story is leading up to. My daughter is now 10 months old and I'm starting on her toddler quilt (her newborn quilt can be seen he http://www.quilterscache.com/images1...tarflowerA.jpg). I'm using the Butterfly paper piecing pattern from Quilter's Cache. Now that I've done three practice butterflies I'm ready to start the whole quilt. What I'm wondering though, is since I'm paper piecing and the seams are marked on the paper, I can trim the fabric so the allowance is more than 1/4" if I want to since the paper acts as my guide and the block size won't really change. Is there any reason, other than a little more bulk, to NOT make the allowances a little bigger, say, 3/8"? I was thinking it might make it a little more durable since I expect the quilt to take a lot of abuse, and I can be a little more relaxed about washing it. Opinions please? Thanks! Meghan |
#4
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Also, you can use a shorter stitch length + backtack which may be a bit
sturdier. When choosing fabric, pick the ones that are tightly woven rather than loose as in "homespun". As to son's beloved quilt, why don't you put some appliqués on the "turning loose" areas. Let him help you choose the bugs or bears or whatever his little heart wants. That way it will still be his cherished quilt and even better. Polly |
#5
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Diana Curtis wrote:
One of the first quilts I ever made had 1/2 " seam allowances.. I hadnt read the rules yet... I dont see why you cant do what you plan. Diana I'd prefer to use slightly larger seam allowances, especially for scrappy quilt tops that have a bit of a mix of fabric types (cotton and poly-cotton). I also started making clothes for myself before I got into quilting (which is where my stash comes from!). -- Melinda http://cust.idl.com.au/athol |
#6
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You can make seams any width you want -it's your quilt! The reason for 1/4"
is partly bulk -all the little seams add up to quite a bit of fabric, which makes a full-size quilt quite a bit heavier than a single piece of cloth would be. The extra weight might not matter so much in a small quilt. And if you're hand quilting, you don't want to sew through more layers than necessary. So the "scant quarter inch" has sort of evolved as the smallest possible likely-to-be-stable seam. And as you pointed out, it was the smaller seams that started to give way. The best solution/prevention is more quilting! Roberta in D "Meghan" wrote in message ... Hi, as an on-again-off-again lurker this is the first place I thought to ask when I had a question. My son's toddler quilt was my second quilt and though it had no triangles, only squares and rectangles, it had *lots* of seams and pieces. Now that he's about to turn three he's really grown attached to the quilt and has started to drag it around the house with him. That just tickles me pink. But, a couple of the seams that came out a little short in seam allowance when I was piecing the top have opened. I tacked them with fusible web for now and I'm more careful about washing and drying it - washing on cold/gentle and hanging to dry now instead of tumble drying. I expect it will eventually be worn out but I'm trying to prolong it! So here's the question that long-winded story is leading up to. My daughter is now 10 months old and I'm starting on her toddler quilt (her newborn quilt can be seen he http://www.quilterscache.com/images1...tarflowerA.jpg). I'm using the Butterfly paper piecing pattern from Quilter's Cache. Now that I've done three practice butterflies I'm ready to start the whole quilt. What I'm wondering though, is since I'm paper piecing and the seams are marked on the paper, I can trim the fabric so the allowance is more than 1/4" if I want to since the paper acts as my guide and the block size won't really change. Is there any reason, other than a little more bulk, to NOT make the allowances a little bigger, say, 3/8"? I was thinking it might make it a little more durable since I expect the quilt to take a lot of abuse, and I can be a little more relaxed about washing it. Opinions please? Thanks! Meghan |
#7
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On Wed, 16 Jul 2003 21:52:08 -0500, "Polly Esther"
wrote: Also, you can use a shorter stitch length + backtack which may be a bit sturdier. When choosing fabric, pick the ones that are tightly woven rather than loose as in "homespun". Thanks, I did change the stitch length after this suggestion! As to son's beloved quilt, why don't you put some appliqués on the "turning loose" areas. Let him help you choose the bugs or bears or whatever his little heart wants. That way it will still be his cherished quilt and even better. Polly I've been thinking of this, I'm just not sure what to applique. The seams have come undone between the blocks and sashing so they're in odd places, and the design of the quilt doesn't really lend itself to applique, but I'll figure something out. I even thought of trying to match the fabrics in a patch so you can't tell from a distance. Meghan |
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