Backstitching

When I piece by hand I do one backstitch at the beginning and end of a seam just so I don't accidentally pull a thread a wee bit too much and pull it all out. And it helps in putting together multiple pieces where seams cross. When I piece by machine I don't bother with backstitches at all. Either way, I've never had a problem with anything coming loose.

Yes, I do, Marie - always! Nobody ever told me not to; so, moving from dressmaking, I just did it automatically. . In message , Marie Dodge writes

No, I don't. I was told sometime or other ( probably the class I took)...that it wasn;t necessary to backstitch in quilt piecing, because of the overlapping seams. I wasn't a seamstress before I started quilting, so it wasn't something I knew anything about to begin with. I've never noticed a problem with seams coming loose, though, now that you mention it.

Sherry

To hand piece, I do a teeny little running stitch, take 2-3 stitches on the needle and pull through, and start every new needle-full with a little backstitch. On the machine, I never backstitch. The seam doesn't press quite as flat with the extra thread at the ends. Never had a problem with coming loose. Every seam is crossed with another pretty quickly! Roberta in D

"Marie Dodge" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:foomc5$eb8$ snipped-for-privacy@aioe.org...

Sometimes I backstitch. Sometimes I shorten the stitch length. An answer you'll see here many times, "it depends". Polly

I backstitch on the outer edges, any seam that is not going to be crossed, because I have found them coming apart on me while the quilt is being handled for basting, quilting, and squaring. The inner seams I do not backstitch.

Karen, Queen of Squishies

Unless you are very accurate, backstitching can add bulk to the scant 1/4 inch seam allowance. Make sure you are using a short enough stitch length for piecing - usually 12 to 15 stitches per inch. If you are unsure of your stitch length, sew a seam, then mark 1 inch with pins, and count your stitches. When I teach new students, I hand them a magnifying glass!

That's actually a very good point about the extra thread not pressing quite flat. It has never been a problem for me, before, as I always put the reverse stitch just one stitch length beyond the point of intersection. However, I've just been testing some patterns (very small!) which required sections of foundation piecing to be joined. I did notice that the seams were a bit of a problem with the extra stitch. Maybe I should be a bit more selective about where I use the reverse, and try not to make it as automatic. . In message , Roberta Zollner writes

Every inch. But I've never had threads coming loose when I don't.

-- Anita --

Aha. I actually stitched a few inches on two layers of cotton fabric and find that the SM does eleven stitches per inch. When my brain is in gear, I remember to turn it to shorter stitches. 'Sort of' accurate is fine for my quilts but I am concerned with making my stitching strong enough for Batman capes and tug-of-war. Polly

I found that if I am using my computerized machine, that has a backstitching program, it does a 5 stitch backstitch which is way too much and sometimes extends beyond the 1/4' seam line. That is not a problem when using it on clothing construction, and is probably preferable in that process. Therefore, I only backstitch manually so that I can control the number of stitches. I do backstitch though, so that I don't get any seams coming apart during assembly.

John

I backstitch at the outside edges like someone else (Karen???) said. I also backstitch when I am doing partial seam construction of a block so it doesn't come undone while I'm sewing the other seams. I tend to use a pretty tiny stitch length when I'm piecing- 1.6 on my wonderful Janome 6600. I PFP at 1.0 stitch length.

Leslie, Missy & The Furbabies in windy, icy MO.

nope, not for quilting/piecing. Always for garments.

amy in CNY

Hand piecing I do backstitch. Machine piecing I seldom backstitch. Also don't backstitch much when garment sewing. If a seam is being crossed by another seam there is no reason to backstitch. Also, not backstitching at ends/beginnings of seams means I can "open" the seam allowance to allow for flatter pressing, much as you press hand piecing where you don't sew the seam allowances down. When doing a "set in" seam then I backstitch just a bit to hold the seam.

Pati, > Do you backstitch when piece quilting? Do you ever find threads coming

I hardly ever backstitch -- sometimes at the edges of a quilt, if I don't think it will hold long enough to get the binding on; rarely, if ever, any other time.

The friend I learned to quilt with had a problem when not backstitching on her first machine quilt, but she may not have made her seams the full 1/4". It seems some people do it and some don't.

Yes, I also once made some of my own clothes and it carried over. I always felt it the safest way to go. I remember my friend Rose's quilt when she tried to fix the areas that came loose. It showed. :^( Yet other people claim no problems. Could it be some people cut the thread to close to the patch/fabric?

No, I don't. I was told sometime or other ( probably the class I took)...that it wasn;t necessary to backstitch in quilt piecing, because of the overlapping seams. I wasn't a seamstress before I started quilting, so it wasn't something I knew anything about to begin with. I've never noticed a problem with seams coming loose, though, now that you mention it.

My friend Rose didn't have a problem either until she washed that first machine pieced quilt a few times. I wish she were still here so I could ask her more about it. After I saw that I started to backstitch everything.

Do you machine wash your quilts? What could have made my friend's threads come loose? It only happened on a few blocks but did ruin the quilt since her repairs showed.