Secrets to Successful Sewing on the Bias
It's amazing how many different tips and shortcuts there are for various steps in making a quilt. It's as if there were a constant contest running for developing a new way to do the same old thing.
Or maybe it's just that quilters are always looking for a different way just to be different.
Whether you are a beginning quilter or an intermediate or advanced quilter, sewing bias edges can be challenging.
It's always a challenge for me. I can't even begin to count the number of seams I have ripped out because when I got to the end of the strip, either the bias strip was longer than the straight edge strip or the whole piece was longer than the rest of the quilt I was going to sew it on to. Akkk!
Then, every time I rip, it stretches even more.
Oh, what to do?
A few years ago, a friend of mine told be that if you sew a straight running stitch on the bias edges BEFORE you do any piecing, it would prevent the bias sides from stretching. I tried it, and it was pretty slick. But I'm pretty lazy and cheap, and all of that extra sewing and thread didn't seem worth it. After all, it wasn't EVERY seam that got messed up!
When I have just a few small pieces, I do a lot of pinning - so I don't need to do all of that extra stitching. I pin each end, and several places along the side, lining up the center and all parts between. Then when I sew, I watch pretty carefully and gently pull and line up the fabric between the pins. That method seems to help keep the bias from stretching too much, and making puckers.
Just the other day, I ran across another possibility. A quilter in Missouri said that she places the bias fabric on the bottom when she sews, next to the feed dogs. The feed dogs help pull the fabric in and keep it even. I haven't had a chance to try that one yet, but it sounds
pretty good.
Happy Quilting!
Penny is a quilter of more than 24 years who seeks to interest new quilters and provide them with the resources necessary to create beautiful quilts.
Inspiration and Education for Beginning Quilters
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posted by Penny Halgren | 5:41 PM
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