Comments on: Y Not? March Block – Wish Upon A Quilt Block of Month http://blog.wishuponaquilt.com/block-of-the-month/y-not-march-block-wish-upon-a-quilt-block-of-month.html For the Quilting Enthusiast Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:59:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Robin Hessefort http://blog.wishuponaquilt.com/block-of-the-month/y-not-march-block-wish-upon-a-quilt-block-of-month.html#comment-16579 Robin Hessefort Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:24:14 +0000 http://blog.wishuponaquilt.com/?p=1881#comment-16579 Good Moring Wendy Three months have passed and Three Kaffee blocks later. This is what I have done different. I swithched to a 50/2 ply thread. Next I moved my needle one more position to the right. Since doing these two changes my blocks are as close to 12 1/2" as Ican get. I can hardly wait to finish all the blocks to see how this BOM turns out Good Moring Wendy

Three months have passed and Three Kaffee blocks later. This is what I have done different.

I swithched to a 50/2 ply thread. Next I moved my needle one more position to the right.

Since doing these two changes my blocks are as close to 12 1/2″ as Ican get. I can hardly wait to finish all the blocks to see how this BOM turns out

]]> By: wendy http://blog.wishuponaquilt.com/block-of-the-month/y-not-march-block-wish-upon-a-quilt-block-of-month.html#comment-15678 wendy Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:58:57 +0000 http://blog.wishuponaquilt.com/?p=1881#comment-15678 Robin, Are you doing the Kaffe or the batik? The Kaffe fabrics do have a tendency to have more "stretch" than the batik version and are easier to distort. I would ask you to consider if you are "pulling" on the triangles any while you are feeding them through your machine? Does the fabric tend to bunch as you start sewing the seam of the half square triangle units? If so try changing your needle. Half-square triangles tend to bunch and not feed well through the machine when there is a dull needle. A single needle whole plate also helps if there is a feeding problem. Uneven feeding through the machine by the feed dogs and presser foot can stretch and distort the triangle units. Second check that the seam is straight and even, scant quarter inch the full length of the seam. I start to get the "moon shapes" when I have a shallower seam, less than a scant 1/4 inch, at the start and stop of my seams. If you don't think it's the seam consistency or feeding through your machine then I would ask you to consider how you are pressing your units. Are you twisting the iron over the piece to encourage the seam to open? (I confess to being a big culprit in distorting my blocks this way! :) It is best to finger press the seam the direction you want to open the seam and then press with the iron in a straight up and down motion to prevent the distortion of the block. If the seam looks curved check to make sure it is pressed consistently open. Now check that each half-square triangle unit measures 3 1/2 inches square. On blocks that are measuring less than 12 1/2 inches check the seam consistency through out the block components. Make sure that they are all a scant 1/4 inch and that you haven't increased any of the seams to a 1/4 inch. (If you missed the video about scant quarter inch verses quarter inch you can view on March's blog post, here http://blog.wishuponaquilt.com/block-of-the-month/y-not-march-block-wish-upon-a-quilt-block-of-month.html) Also check to make sure that all seams are pressed open. If everything looks good and the blocks are still too small consider the thread you are using. If you are using a 50 weight, 3 ply thread like Metler then consider using a 50 weight, 2 ply thread like Masterpiece or Aurifil. The finer thread can make a 1/16 inch of a difference in how your seams press open and that can add up to the 1/4 inch you seam to be loosing. I hope this helps you with your block troubles and helps them go together smoother. Robin, Are you doing the Kaffe or the batik? The Kaffe fabrics do have a tendency to have more “stretch” than the batik version and are easier to distort. I would ask you to consider if you are “pulling” on the triangles any while you are feeding them through your machine? Does the fabric tend to bunch as you start sewing the seam of the half square triangle units? If so try changing your needle. Half-square triangles tend to bunch and not feed well through the machine when there is a dull needle. A single needle whole plate also helps if there is a feeding problem. Uneven feeding through the machine by the feed dogs and presser foot can stretch and distort the triangle units.
Second check that the seam is straight and even, scant quarter inch the full length of the seam. I start to get the “moon shapes” when I have a shallower seam, less than a scant 1/4 inch, at the start and stop of my seams.
If you don’t think it’s the seam consistency or feeding through your machine then I would ask you to consider how you are pressing your units. Are you twisting the iron over the piece to encourage the seam to open? (I confess to being a big culprit in distorting my blocks this way! :)
It is best to finger press the seam the direction you want to open the seam and then press with the iron in a straight up and down motion to prevent the distortion of the block. If the seam looks curved check to make sure it is pressed consistently open.
Now check that each half-square triangle unit measures 3 1/2 inches square.
On blocks that are measuring less than 12 1/2 inches check the seam consistency through out the block components. Make sure that they are all a scant 1/4 inch and that you haven’t increased any of the seams to a 1/4 inch. (If you missed the video about scant quarter inch verses quarter inch you can view on March’s blog post, here http://blog.wishuponaquilt.com/block-of-the-month/y-not-march-block-wish-upon-a-quilt-block-of-month.html)
Also check to make sure that all seams are pressed open. If everything looks good and the blocks are still too small consider the thread you are using. If you are using a 50 weight, 3 ply thread like Metler then consider using a 50 weight, 2 ply thread like Masterpiece or Aurifil. The finer thread can make a 1/16 inch of a difference in how your seams press open and that can add up to the 1/4 inch you seam to be loosing.
I hope this helps you with your block troubles and helps them go together smoother.

]]> By: Robin Hessefort http://blog.wishuponaquilt.com/block-of-the-month/y-not-march-block-wish-upon-a-quilt-block-of-month.html#comment-15667 Robin Hessefort Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:31:30 +0000 http://blog.wishuponaquilt.com/?p=1881#comment-15667 What am I doing wrong sewing these blocks together. Each block If Iam lucky measures 12 1/4. When I sew the half sguare triangles together they are streching into a a 1/4 moon shape. I have never had this problem. Please spray the fabric with spray starch be foe you cut them out. Is any one else having this problem? Robin Hessefort Waunakee Wi. What am I doing wrong sewing these blocks together. Each block If Iam lucky measures 12 1/4. When I sew the half sguare triangles together they are streching into a a 1/4 moon shape. I have never had this problem. Please spray the fabric with spray starch be foe you cut them out. Is any one else having this problem?

Robin Hessefort
Waunakee Wi.

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