Laura Nownes

[Renata L.]

Thank you, Annis, for the choices clearly laid out and as always, Rosemary, thank you so much for being willing to take the time to spell things out for me, when it gets too confusing. You seem to be able to put your feet in my shoes and bail me out... A LOT! The irony is that in her video Laura said this was going to be a real easy block... I'm sure it is, I just didn't get it. Oh, well... :lol:

[Renata L.]

Oh Margo!!! Help!!! Are you out there?... :?

Renata, if I were making this block I would want the seams joining the four quarter-square blocks to "twirl" so that each seam is pressed towards the dark and there is no lump in the very center. Like everything else in quilt making, there are a lot of methods for pressing and different reasons for each one. You just need to try several and learn which one works best for you.

You can see how I did my HST blocks (from the SOTTT exchange) using that technique here: http://daily-blog/103-good-advice/14...into-pinwheels

Margo to the rescue!!! Yes, I actually searched the TQS website and found your HST blocks video before posting and asking for help. I watched it, thought I understood it, but just got stuck at the point where you take the four sets of quarter square triangles and put them together because of the direction of the pressing. Had not problem with the HST portion of this drill. Just could not wrap my head around the QSTs for some reason... maybe I need that Limoncello, but it's no fun without company! Ya wanna come over?

[Nancy R.]

I haven't read the instructions or watched the video yet, but I already know what I'm going to do. :wink:

Since I've got some white fabric with a bunch of dark/black fabrics, I'll be using a light-colored batting when I quilt so I don't darken the whites. But this means that I'm not going to press any of my seams open so I don't risk the batting showing throught the seams with all of the darks. So I will be twirling the seams in the middle of each of the quarter-square triangles and will also be twirling the seams of the 4-patches (where you put the quarter-square triangles together into a block).

If I didn't have drastic color differences between my batting and most of my fabrics, I would look at pressing some of the seams open, although I haven't thought about which ones.

Nancy

[Renata L.]

Okay, Nancy, so the piece I was missing was twirling the quarter square triangles before assembling four sets of quarter square triangles and twirling again (if I don't want to press seams open). Right? Good thing I have a sense of humor when I don't understand something... :lol:

[Nancy R.]

I think you have it, but I still haven't read the instructions or watched the video so I really don't know what I'm talking about!! :roll: (But that's not necessarily unusual....)

Nancy

[Margo C.]

Renata, please try this:
To understand the concept of twirling the seams at the intersection, cut four squares of fabric to practice with by making a very simple four patch block.
Make two of the squares with dark colors and two of them with light fabric.
The size doesn't really matter for this example, just cut four squares that are the same size....maybe 3"?
Sew two sets of two squares, each pair made with one dark and one light square.
Press the two seams toward the dark fabrics.
Nest and pin the seams securely for the third seam like Laura showed in the video of the quarter-square block.
Stitch the seam and heat press it.
Open the block and from the back carefully remove the stitches from the first two stitched seams that are now inside the seam allowance created by the third seam.
This will allow the seam allowances to ALL be pressed in a clock-wise or counter clock-wise direction, depending on the orientation of your blocks. That is your swirl! Press it well. The front of the block should be a perfect intersection and there will be very little bulk.

Basically, this is falling back on hand piecing principles where we only sew the part of the seam that is apparent from the front of the quilt, and there are no stitches in any of the seam allowances at the intersections so that each seam can be pressed in any direction. When we chain piece our patches we loose that ability.

Hope this makes it easier for you to understand.

[Renata L.]

Thank you, Margo! I just finished the four pieces for the classroom by opening the seams. I have HSTs left over to try the other method to create the Yankee Puzzle block, but before I do that, I will follow your instructions below and get the basics correct first. What you just did is above and beyond and I can't thank you enough for this help.

[Margo C.]

It's just a matter of learning what works for you in order to get the results you are satisfied with!
Good luck!

[Anita G.]

You might be wondering why this discussion group hasn't heard from Laura herself. She's been away from her computer and now finds she's unable to log in. She's trying her darndest to join the forum.
-Anita

[E.M. T.]

Thanks for letting us know !!!

[Renata L.]

You might be wondering why this discussion group hasn't heard from Laura herself. She's been away from her computer and now finds she's unable to log in. She's trying her darndest to join the forum.
-Anita

Thank you, Anita! If you are still in touch with her, tell her no worry! We'll be here tomorrow too! In the meantime, it's been a great conversation on this thread.

[Marianne G.]

QST blocks - I watched the video and read the instructions and then started to do some research on the internet. I actually spent far too much time at the computer and none at the sewing machine yesterday trying to figure out how to go about this block. Went to bed last night not knowing what to do and thoroughly confused. Waking up this morning and looking in here I am amazed at how you ladies have managed to sort out my confusion and now I am ready to tackly this and try out all the different suggestions. THANK YOU!
Marianne

[Rita C.]

So here's my tuppence worth: the first unit you put together looks like this, with the seam pressed towards the darker fabric:

(Sorry about the shadows but I have to have lights on here this morning as it is so dark, windy and rainy. :roll: (For a change.)

When you join these two blocks together my reading of the instructions suggests that you press the centre seam open, like the one in the left of this photo. I chose to iron the seams to one side as on the right of the photo and as Laura did in the demo because that means that when you are putting the four blocks together the corner seams nest together much more smoothly.


The next step was to sew these units into fours (it would have been good if the instructions could have told us to trim them to 3 1/2". I had to go back to the demo to confirm it.) I also found squaring up these QSTs with the X perfectly centered was not that easy. Then the decision was whether to press open or press to one side. I couldn't decide so I did one of each to see if it made any difference. It didn't seem to make any difference to the finished block.

Seams open on the left block and seams swirled in the right block.

[Rita C.]

And these are the finished blocks so far. Two more blocks to do. I had to enhance the photos so that you could see the contrast better - this is not the right colour, but you get the picture.


Happy quilting.

[Nancy R.]

Very nice, Rita! I hope to start on mine tonight.

Nancy