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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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If you're paper piecing and don't mind the extra bulk, you can make the seam
allowances larger than 1/4". I've seen this recommended for flimsy fabrics that unravel easily. It won't affect the finished size of the pieces. --Lia Meghan wrote: .. 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"? |
#3
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In article , Julia Altshuler
writes "M. Wetmore" wrote: As Mary Ellen Hopkins says "the only important thing about a seam allowance is that you are consistent". So, if you want to use a 3/8 inch seam allowance, go ahead. Just make sure that you do it everywhere, though. I believe this is true if you're working with squares and rectangles. I can't see that it would matter for paper piecing where you're sewing on the line and trimming the seam allowance afterwards. And for triangles, you'd have to redo the math. The old "add 7/8" to a square" when cutting half square triangles wouldn't work." That is true if you are rotary cutting. But if you are marking around templates then you can add any seam allowance you like. -- Mel Rimmer |
#4
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On Wed, 16 Jul 2003 21:23:15 -0500, "Elena"
wrote: About your seams, of course you can make the seam anything you want. 3/8th 1/2 inch whatever. You can even... whispers... press the seams open to eliminate some of that bulk in places. gasp! Hehe - I did that with my first quilt. I didn't know you weren't "supposed" to press the seams open - my quilty friend said it was very important to press your seams, so I did! So far it's none the worse for wear. Meghan |
#5
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On Thu, 17 Jul 2003 09:08:42 +0100, Kate Dicey
wrote: We don't really mind - it's nice to see so much of you after your break! Hehe - thanks. I had quilter's block for months, so I started working on my daughter's baby scrapbook, and that seemed to have gotten the creative juices flowing again so to speak! I spent half the day getting the first butterfly pieced together (too many kids for quick quilting around here) and then after it was all done and pressed, I noticed where I'd forgotten to trim a seam... and managed to cut into the block, like an idiot. *sigh* Meghan |
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