Help with tiny pieces

Charlotte, easy peasy! Sew 1/4" seams so that the material behaves properly under your presser foot. Then trim the seams to a very scant

1/8" You will amaze yourself at what you can make!

In making up the quilt, you won't want a thick batting with all those little seams. A layer of flannel is probably plenty, or you will end up with something as stiff as a potholder!

M> My problem is I don't know how to handle

Some things I sew big and then trim down. Like say a four patch. If I want a four patch with 1/8" squares it would be a nightmare to cut a

5/8" squares and try and sew them together. BUT...I can cut something like 1 1/2" squares, sew the four patch and then trim out the center to the finished size I want. Same with half square triangle blocks.

Other times that doesn't work....then I use "leaders and ender" or an "anchor piece" otherwise called a "spider" or probably other things. Use a small piece of fabric and sew it; leave it attached to the thread; then feed in the pieces you want to sew. This prevents little edges from getting sucked down into the depths of your sewing machine. If your machine has a single needle hole plate definitely use that.

Press your pieces as usual and then trim the seam allowance down to

1/8". It's darn hard to sew that size seam but it really helps with the bulk issue if you trim after pressing. Some seams I will press open, but press open first then trim because it's not fun to try and press open a 1/8" seam.

marcella

Don't stress about seam allowances, Charlotte. Piece as normal, with quarter inch seams, and then trim them. If you wish to be super cool, you can trim each side of the seam to a different width, to reduce bulk. That is only necessary where any seam bulk will affect a corner, or some such. I hardly ever have to trim below the quarter inch. One other thing to consider, which I am thinking of more and more (as I go smaller!) is hand piecing. One which I am about to re-draw at its correct size and with everything measured and techniques decided - working drawings and strategies - I am thinking I might do almost entirely by hand. It does have curves in it, which did affect my decision, but I'm thinking it is a sensible consideration for any miniatures in the future. I'll have to see how I get on. If you can, in context, work with pieces as large as possible. This means that foundation paper piecing is a good option, where it will work. It will seem as though you are wasting a lot - but remember how small everything is anyway. I am about half way through my Dear Jane, with its 4.5" blocks, and so far nothing has been dramatically small. I just finished a 3" sampler quilt, with the same conclusion. One quilt I have is full of 1" and

1.5" blocks - all possible/do-able. So, be encouraged and don't take fright. . In message , Charlotte Hippen writes

If you plan to trim the seam allowance back to like 1/8" -- I would set my stitch length smaller (tighter) so there would be less chance of raveling.

Kate in MI

BTDT :-) The blocks generally go together well. Start with the simpler ones to get your sense of scale down a notch. Trim big seams down. Make block units like HSTs bigger and trim down. (You get through lots of scraps that way.) One thing I found useful for this book was to make a square plastic template to fit a third of 4", plus seam allowances. Helps to keep all the

9-patch grid blocks accurate without fiddly measuring every time. Roberta in D

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yep me too - it can be done!

the fun part comes when you finish this and them go do a 12 inch block - the pieces will seen *ginormous*

Glad you added that bit about the batting. I wouldn't have figured that out on my own. Thanks for the help!

I have already planed to do some of this. I have some aprox. 3/4 in HST I made from flying geese leftovers and figure I could trim them down to the size I need when I make my blocks I'll have to remember I can do this with other pieces as well.

I am planning to paper piece many of the tiny ones, but I'll keep this in mind for the ones I don't.

If

Don't have one, but perhaps I should check into getting one when I get my machine cleaned. The can't be that expensive and it would be handy when sewing large triangles too.

Thanks. I'll try that.

Some seams I will press open,

I didn't think of pressing open to help with bulk. Good thing you metioned to press before cutting. You saved me the trouble of learning it the hard way.

Thanks for the help Marcella!

Thanks. That is acually what I was concerned about with some of those triangles in the flying geese units I've noticed.

Hadn't thought of hand piecing. That might not be a bad option espcially since I just love doing various forms of hand sewing (appliqe, embroidery etc.). It would be quite enjoyable. I'll have to think on this one.

That's kind of what I was thinking. Easier to handle and the paper would help me keep things stable.

It will seem as though you are wasting a lot - but remember how

Since I'm going to use scraps anyways, this won't be a problem. I'll be looking at it as it would have been tossed out anyways.

You have more courgae and patience than I, to work with blocks that are 1 and 1.5 inches. I think I'll stick to the 4.5 in. ones. They will be enough of a challange for me.

Thanks for the help Pat.

Thanks Kate. I was thinking about this anyways because of the small size. I want more than a couple of stitches holding things together.

Thanks Roberta. I have made a couple already. A shoofly and a freindship star. I was already thinking I'd keep with the simpler ones and slowly work my way to the more complex/smaller pieces blocks as I build my confidence. I have a template I used for the first two, but I'm not really happy with it. I made it out of the lid of an ice cream tub. I think I'll look for some other material to make one, but it will work for now. What did you make yours from?

Got pictures of your quilt?

Which means piecing those 'huge' blocks should be no problem right? ; ) Thanks for the encouragement Jessamy.

LOL Patti that is what I was about to say. Handpiecing is much easier with tiny pieces. Especially if you use "the Linda Franz method". (It may have been used before Linda did, but she teaches it and has excellent instructions, including a DVD in her second book, Quilted Diamonds 2, NAYY but love the book and method.) Print or draw/trace your block on freezer paper. Make a copy on regular paper too. Number each piece (make sure numbers are same on both copies.) Also mark "match points" as needed. You can also mark what fabric or color or value on each piece. Cut apart the freezer paper block. Separate into the various fabrics. Press onto the wrong side of your fabric, leaving 1/2" between pieces. (A 1/2" strip of stiff paper makes an excellent tool to be sure you have the 1/2", you can leave it in place while pressing.) Cut out your pieces, using your rotary cutter or scissors as applicable, leaving your quarter inch seam allowance. Using a pencil draw lightly around the pieces, right next to the freezer paper. Mark matchpoints in the seam allowance. Then hand piece. With the tiny pieces you can often sew many of your seams continuously, so that you are not constantly having to cut and knot your thread.

I wish I had known of this method when I did my Dear Jane quilt. And Patti, I can tell you haven't done Papa's Star yet. I think that has the smallest pieces in the DJ quilt..... A variable/sawtooth star in the middle of a 5 pointed star. The points of the inner star are about a quarter of an inch......... But easy to do with hand piecing. And accurate too.

Hope this helps, Charlotte.

Happy Sew> Don't stress about seam allowances, Charlotte.

Thanks Pati. I handn't thought of hand piecing until she suggested it. I was considering it. Now with your post, I may just forget about machine piecing some of them and hand piece them. The method you described sounds like a fairly easy way to do it. I think I'll at least give it a try and see what I think of it. Thanks!!

yep - they are not as small as they seem :-) after all if I can PP a 4 inch capybara you can do your blocks :-)

You're welcome. BTW, the freezer paper templates can be used more than once. And they stick to the fabric better if: 1. the fabric is washed (without fabric softener) and 2. you use a very firm (as opposed to cushioned) pressing surface. I keep a piece of thin particle board covered with foil for this. (was a shelf in a portable wardrobe)

Pati, > Thanks Pati. I handn't thought of hand piecing until she suggested it. I

I had a plastic document cover, fairly stiff and thick. Something I could just barely cut through with scissors. Used one of the old cutter blades on it to get a nice even edge, lined up the ruler over the plastic over a traced square on paper to add the quarter inch. Roberta in D

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Whenever you use traced paper templates on very tiny pieces, it's important to make sure your seam is the *inside* of the traced line. Those extra 2 threads will add up otherwise and make your pieces hard to fit smoothly. Roberta in D

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Smile! You're quite right, Pati - I haven't done Papa's Star. In fact I might not do it at all! My Dear Jane won't be a traditional one, in that I'm only doing 100 square blocks (using the patterns of the curved blocks for quilting patterns, I hope). So, I can leave out one that looks too treacherous - or maybe I'll try it just to see if I can! We'll see. Thanks for these tips. . In message , Pati Cook writes

snipped great technique