Laura Nownes

[Renata L.]

I guess better late than not at all... finished my nine patch blocks this evening but my design wall is occupied so here are the two samples. This should tell you what a novice I really am... I managed to cut my fabric and put the proverbial "V" into it, even though I thought my fabric was straight. My first cut to clean up the edge was very narrow because I had barely enough pink to do this but really liked the fabric. So, that was mistake #1, therefore I missed seeing the "V" until later. To "fix" the "V", I cut the strip in half and made believe I had two straight strips to sew.

Of course, mistake #2: I did not realize I had a "V" in the fabric until I sewed my first strip to the midway point, so I had to rip the stitches out.

Mistake #3 came when I forgot that I had completed five blocks with the dark on the outside and it was time to do the blocks with the white on the outside... rip some more... but now it's all done but I'm not sure that I am ready for pinwheels tomorrow... :shock: :roll:

[Renata L.]

Love your fabric Renata! Don't get discouraged. I know making mistakes it's a bummer but they're also stepping stones to make us better quilters I'm sure your pinwheels will turn out grate.

[wendy w.]

Renata they are beautiful. I think Sally Collins said she held up the strips each time she cut one to check they are straight.

It's about learning so I reckon that even though my blocks weren't accurate this time they will be by the end.I'm an optimist

Not so many blocks this week.

[Marianne G.]

Despite my good intentions I haven't managed to finish my 9-patch blocks on time; I was away at the week-end so lost some time but daughter's 30th was more important than 9-patch blocks
What I have managed is to take things slowly and trying to be a bit scientific in my approach. I have tried with and without starch, my "travel" machine and my 9 mm embroidery machine with different feet and different threads all with varying results (still got one more variant to try). A lot of frog-stitching has taken place but I have learnt so much along the way.
One very important thing I have learnt, which is probably old hat to all the very experienced quilter here, is that you have to stick to one ruler brand when cutting and sub-cutting. A small ruler went out with the rubbish yesterday because it did not give the same 2 ½" square as my other rulers. I have also found that changing thread from 50 weight to 60 weight influences the outcome. I am keeping a diary to refer back to when this sampler is completed. Today I hope to do the last "experiment" and then decide which combination I like the best (which will certainly not involve my embroidery machine which is wonderful for embroidery, appliqué and decorative stitches but NOT for piecing when I'm in charge ops:
I look forward to see how I fare with the next lot of blocks as I have always had huge problems with HSTs and Pin-wheel blocks send shivers down my spine

[Marianne G.]

BIG OOPS hit Submit before I had finished my post. Sorry!
I wanted to add how much I enjoy following along here in the forum and I am learning from your mistakes as well as my own. I have given up on cutting with a fold because like you, Renata, I get v's every time and have to cut the strips in half. I have watched so many video's on how to not get this but I just can't seem to make it work for me. I wonder whether it has to do with pre-washing; maybe I distort the fabric when I iron. I have noticed that despite cutting with scissors along the half width and pulling a thread to cut along so it really is straight of grain I still get slightly off-grain strips when cutting with the rotary cutter
Onwards and upwards
Marianne

[Renata L.]

Thank you, Limbania, for being so encouraging. You are right, this is part of the learning experience and makes us better at our craft. The irony is that I had no problem with Sedona Star and then came back to something as simple and basic as the nine-patch and made so many mistakes, even with good instruction!

Wendy, it's interesting that I actually went back and watched both Laura Nownes' and Sally Collins' videos before starting this set of blocks. Sally Collins indeed says to look for the "V" by opening up the folded fabric. She also cuts a generous first cut to clean up the edge before stripping. That was the one thing I could not do because I did not have enough fabric from this particular piece. My clean-up piece was about a 1/4" so when I opened it up to see if there was a "V", it was almost impossible to tell, so I happily went along cutting and wouldn't you know, EVERY PIECE had a "V" in it.

Marianne, my gut tells me that the problem with the "V" has nothing to do with prewashing. In fact, I did not prewash this particular set of fabrics and I starched and pressed them but I still have not figured out what I'm doing wrong. Since you are experimenting with different things, I will be very interested to know what your impressions are from the different techniques and materials you are using. Cheers!

[Norma H.]

Renata, I love your fabrics.
To the discussion about cutting strips without the V I think you forget the most important thing. It's not about cutting a generous clean cut. It's about having parallel sides on the folded fabric. Try to lay them on you mat and align with a line on that to both sides. If they are parallel you can only get straight strips.
Some use their square ruler to fold the fabric around, I use mine to control that the fabric follows lines on both sides. If this doesn't make sense to you, tell me and I will try getting to take a picture of what I mean.

[Renata L.]

Picture please, Norma (whenever you have time)! I think I understand but am not sure... I know it's not about the generous cut, but because I had such a sliver of fabric cut at the beginning, I could not make out the "V" in the sliver so I kept cutting... Despite my best efforts to get a straight fold when I hold the fabric up selvage to selvage, I still don't seem to get it straight... I hope you can help me over this hump because I really don't want to keep cutting "V"s... :roll:

[Lois B.]

Renata, I love your fabrics.
To the discussion about cutting strips without the V I think you forget the most important thing. It's not about cutting a generous clean cut. It's about having parallel sides on the folded fabric. Try to lay them on you mat and align with a line on that to both sides. If they are parallel you can only get straight strips.
Some use their square ruler to fold the fabric around, I use mine to control that the fabric follows lines on both sides. If this doesn't make sense to you, tell me and I will try getting to take a picture of what I mean.

Norma, I have found that the old trick of pulling the tread to get the true grain only works if the fabric was placed absolutely on grain on the bolt. Sometimes it is stretched somewhat off-grain by the manufacturer and the only way to get it to hang straight (no v's) is by making sure the folds are parallel.

[Nancy R.]

Hi Renata and Marianne -

As Norma said, the V you get is not about how much of a cut you make to clean up the edge or whether you prewash or not, but is about lining up the grain. I always hold my fabric in the air, matching the selvedges between my fingers and letting the fold hang. As you shift the front selvedge left and right, you will see that the hanging fold will have diagonal waves coming out of it depending on how far left or right you move that front selvedge. When you get to a point where there is no wave in the fabric, that is when your grain is matched and you will get perfect cuts. I won't be able to get a picture of this since I live alone and would need another arm for taking the picture. But I have seen a video on this so will see if I can find that.

I always prewash my fabric and don't use starch. It might be more difficult to find this grain line if the fabric has sizing or starch in it since these products keep it from flowing as easily. You might want to try this with a prewashed, unstarched piece of fabric just to see if that's easier for you. Maybe if that works, it would give you a feel for what you're looking for in the fabric and then can go back to unwashed or starched fabric. Just a thought.

Nancy

[Renata L.]

Nancy, thanks for the comment. I actually had done everything you said when I prepared my fabric for cutting. I think you may be right that the starch may be getting in the way of seeing the diagonal waves in the fabric because when I let the fold hang and moved the selvages left and right, the bottom fold looked straight to me and I still got the "V". I'm going back and trying again with the pinwheels without starching the fabric this time. But, since I do like starch, I'm still going to have to figure out how to get it right with starch. Thanks!!!

[E.M. T.]

Concerning the dreaded "v :evil: "....I've always taught my beginners to fold by matching selvages, if possible, then pressing
smoothly. Using your ruler, line up EXACTLY on the fold and make the clean- up cut. Do not pick up the fabric !
but turn the mat . reposition and cut strip...always checking to see that the fold is on the line. AND cut the longest
strip possible...that is..don't make multiple folds unless you absolutely have to do so. We all get a " v" once in a while !
So then I feed my scrap bin ! :lol: :lol: :lol: Hope this is clearer than mud ! PS: I don't agonize over the SOG so much....
It's more about having the 90 degree angle at the fold ! being perpendicular with the cut. Starch is not going to effect that at all.
I check every couple of cuts, too.

[karen f.]

PS: I don't agonize over the SOG so much....
It's more about having the 90 degree angle at the fold ! being perpendicular with the cut. Starch is not going to effect that at all.
I check every couple of cuts, too.

I agree with you. I think being lined up exactly straight on the line with your fold is the thing,

[Renata L.]

Thank you, Marilyn and Karen. BTW, I just cut the fabric for my pinwheels: NO "V"! :P :P :P

[E.M. T.]

HOORAY !!