Use this nifty trick to achieve neater joins as you sew
NESTING SEAMS
When it comes to pressing the seams
of your patchwork, there are all sorts
of tricks you can try to achieve that
perfectly smooth finish. Some quilters
like to press their seams open, others like
to press to the side. Whatever pressing
method you choose, you’ll find that you
get the best results when your seams
are pressed and stitched so that they fit
together smoothly.
One option is to go for nesting seams.
Quilt project instructions often tell you to
sew your seams in opposite directions, so
they’ll ‘nest’ together neatly once joined
up. This will help you to achieve perfectly
pieced rows of patchwork every time.Sewing is a whole lot easier (on you as
well as your machine!) if you avoid having
many bulky seams on top of each other,
especially when it comes the quilting
stage. It’s easy when you know how...
Simply follow our tried-and-tested,
step-by-step guide below to get
professional looking results.STEP ONE
Piece squares into rows. Press the seams
for the rows in opposite directions (to
the left in the top row, to the right in
the bottom row).STEP TWO
Line up the rows. Roll the seams
between your fingers until they lock
in place. Secure with pins, especially
at the seam junction.STEP three
Now sew the two rows together, securing
the seams in place (ensuring the seam
allowances remain flat while stitching).
Press the new seam (the one that you’ve
created between the rows) open to finish.STEP FOUR
Keep on adding more rows of patchwork in
this way. With your new seam nesting
skills, the front of your patchwork should
look neat and flat and the back will have
neatly stitched down seams – like this!WRONG SIDEWRONG SIDE ALLOWANC¼IN SEAMEPINS UNIT
TOGETHER