To press or not to press, that is the question.

To press or not to press, that is the question.

Up until recently I had always thought it was best to press your sewing as you went along. But I think I have been on the wrong track.

I think if you are machine piecing it is a good idea to press as it makes it easier to match up points and seams.

I do a lot of hand piecing and I have only just realised it is best to leave the pressing until the block is finished (a small iron is very handy for this job). If you do this it allows you to spin your seams which reduces the bulk at points. If you are not sure what I mean by this I have included a photo. It also means you can press a seam open if that will give you a better look on the front of the block.

Which brings me to the old rule” always press to the dark side”. A great rule but not always practical. For example if spinning your seams, as mentioned above, you may well be pressing half of the seams to the dark side and half to the light. So there is a decision to be made , stick to a rule or have less bulk and a flatter, crisper block. Sometimes you get a better result, on a straight seam, if you press the seam open.

It really all comes down to minimising bulk and what gives you the best result on the front of the block.

Have a play, see where you sit re press as you go or wait till the block is finished. Whichever you decide remember when it comes to patchwork you are pressing not ironing, ironing can stretch your fabric and thereby change the size of your block, even by only a little but it could be enough to make life difficult when piecing finished blocks together.

We are only a few days to Christmas 2021 and still life and the World is topsy turvy with Covid and it’s latest variant. I hope you have a safe festive time and may 2022 be a year of sewing and creativity.

Margaret

Rules, rules everywhere there's rules.

When I learnt to make patchwork quilts back in the 80’s I was told there where rules that I should never break. OOOPs I have broken them all and continue to break them on an almost daily basis. Here are the top 5.

Rule 1: Never use white fabric in a quilt. I have no idea how this rule came about, maybe it dates back to times when washing was difficult and white showed the dirt to much, who knows. I stuck to this rule for quite some time until I realised that white actually added a bit of zing to a quilt so now I use it in almost every quilt I make.

Rule 2: Always press seams to the dark side. Yes a good rule and I try and stick to it where possible BUT sometimes my points look better if I press the other way or I press the seam open.

Rule 3: Always wash your fabric before using it. Nee, non, nai, no it does not happen in this house. When I buy new fabric I am always in a hurry to get home to start playing with it. I have bought fabrics that have had a little too much sizing and therefore are a little stiff when hand piecing and I bitch and moan about it but still I don’t pre wash. The rule is also about fabric shrinking, I have never found it to be an issue.

Rule 4: Blue and green should not be seen without something in between. Tell that rule to the horizon where green forests meet the blue sky. No more to be said on that topic, Nature has it sorted.

Rule 5: (The most ridiculous rule of all.) Only ever have one quilt on the go at a time ie do not start a new quilt until you have finished the one you are currently working on. How to stifle creativity, spontaneity, passion, enthusiasm and put patchwork shops out of business. I will happily confess to having more UFO’s than I dare to count. Will they all get finished, probably not , my kids can deal with that issue when I am gone. Did I enjoy starting them, yes. Was I enthusiastic about them at the start, yes. Did I learn something along the way, yes. Did starting a new quilt spark my creativity, yes. So what does all that tell you? That starting something and not finishing it straight away, or ever, is not a totally bad thing, there are positives in there.

So the over-riding message today is : yes there will always be rules no matter what aspect of life you look at and some should never, never, ever be broken BUT some are just crying out to be broken.

Happy sewing