HST: how do you do?

Polly, I am the worst one in the world to ask as I hate HST -- but when I do make then I press the seam open. Weeks Ringle convinced me with one well-written article. Anyway, I press the white to the white, the black to the black. When you open the seam, the issue of bulk disappears. Mostly. And I've found I can match open seam to open seam as well as I can "nest" seams pressed the traditional way. But I am not really a person to ask. I avoid HST like the plague. But right now, I'm working on a graduation quilt. I was going to make an easy, informal kind of design. Something with wonky cutting and funny squares. But, I changed my mind. Don't ask me why. I'm now designing a Tree of Life quilt. Just one in the center of the quilt and then several borders with stars and moons and suns. OMG -- do you know how many HST are required? Still, that's what I'm going to do and I will iron the seams open.

Hugs and good seams, Sunny

Like Sunny, I press the seams open. In fact, I am pressing more and more open seams these days, especially when triangles are involved. As to how much to cut off: I suppose I cut more or less1/4" - when they're open the bulk is not an issue. If I were going to press them to the side, I *might* change the amounts (if I thought of it!), but I wouldn't go as low as 1/8", even for a wall hanging. I would always cut both the 'spare' triangles off, as the square on square method of construction is only to avoid sewing two bias hypotenuses together, really. . In message , Polly Esther writes

Mostly I press to the dark side. If the squares are 1.5" or smaller, press open. If sewing 2 squares together as you describe, I make a *very* scant

1/4" seam on both sides of the diagonal, so there's room to trim down once the squares are pressed. I like perfect squares, and need to trim the ears off anyway. Before pressing the square open, press the seam as sewn, and if doing the 2-in-one, press as sewn before cutting them apart. Roberta in D

"Polly Esther" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net...

I have also started pressing more and more seems open on blocks with many pieces.

L>Polly, I am the worst one in the world to ask as I hate HST -- but

Linda PATCHogue, NY

Hey Neighbor:

The one thing I learned while doing HST is to starch the fabric. I starch it stiffer than Sq or rectangles.

Then when I press the seams open they will stay flat and less likely to flip. I found that pressing the seams open causes less bulk when matching seams and I get sharper points. This makes for easier MQ and less thread or needle breakage when passing over a bulky seam.

Kate T. South Mississippi

I look at the way the half square triangles will fit in the entire quilt and press in the direction that best helps the seams nest. That usually means pressing one seam towards the black and one towards the white. If I've pressed one the wrong way, I dribble a few drops of water on it and press again.

I trim to 1/4".

--Lia

I press open, so the bulk isn't an issue. No need to trim, except the dog ears. :)

My method for half square triangles depends on how many I need. If I need many all the same colour combination, I start with about a fat quarter of each fabric, well starched, layered right sides together. I add an inch to the finished size and draw a grid on the lighter fabric (finished 1/2 sq triangles 2 inches, so draw a 3 inch grid). Then I draw diagonal lines through every second line of squares in one direction, then through the empty squares in the opposite direction. Then stitch on both sides of each line (this can be done continuously). Make sure that all lines have stitching, then press flat. Cut on every drawn line. Now I press the seams to the darker fabric, if the blocks are over 3 inches, or press seams open for blocks under 3 inches. The final step to this method is squaring up the blocks. If I am making scrappy half square triangle blocks, I still make sure that the starting squares are 1 inch larger than the finished size of the blocks. Draw a line through the centre, then stitch on both sides of the line. Cut on the line and press either to the dark side or open. If fabric is at a premium, then I stitch down the centre of the layered squares, then stitch again 1/2 inch away from the first stitching. Cut a

1/4 inch seam allowance, and you have one half square triangle for your project, and another for your "scrap bin" Can you tell that I am frugal when it comes to fabric? I try to press and square up as I go, so that my "scrap" block pieces are ready to use at a later date!

It depends. I like to press around intersections, loosening the seam allowance threads to allow the little bits to lay flat. This distributes the bulk around the intersection nicely. However it does mean sometimes pressing to the light fabric. If the dark shows, I may trim a bit of it away so it is covered by the light seam allowance. Sometimes it may be easier to press seams open, but I really prefer pressing to the side. Usually I will draw arrows on a diagram of the quilt/block to show which way to press what. sometimes I "wing it".

Pati, > I learn a little something every time I piece a quilt. This time I realized

Why I was wondering (and nobody's mentioned) is the color difference caused by which way they are pressed. The light color I was using was a rather pale pink. If I pressed the pink back on top of itself, it became much brighter colored. If I pressed it so it was a single layer of fabric, it was lighter. Naturally, if I pressed it back on top of the deep rosy pink, it turned quite a bit darker. So. Therefore. Instead of one pale pink, the result is three different ones. It is not a big deal on a crib quilt that can expect rather undignified treatment. OTOH, I expect such would probably knock me out of the running for Best of Show at Houston. Ah, well. Polly

"Pati C." It depends. I like to press around intersections, loosening the

I often find that I can see through my fabric enough that the seams form another color when I just have a top. When I add batting and back, the color differences go away. For that reason, I use the press to the dark rule only as a starting point. After that, I go with whichever direction gives me the least bulks.

If you do keep 3 different pinks in the finished quilt, cool! It sounds pretty.

--Lia

Good point, Lia. If there will be widespread use of a 'questionable' fabric, I'd suggest making a couple of the units and then quilting those onto some bits of batting and backing. IOW, make a mini quilt sandwich to audition the batting and backing choices and check for shadowing of seams. HTH.

I tend to strong contrasts and keep an eye on overall patterning, so I am with you on the color issue. Sometimes pressing dark to light can add dimensionality to the design, Sometimes I avoid it like bane because it makes things look odd. Sometimes I end up with seams pressed in what looks like a rather higglty pigglty fashion on the back. With clips and snips scattered about to make intersections lie flat, and spots that are pressed open. So long as it works out on the front, I am OK with it. (G)

NightMist

well, i usually cut squares 1/2 inch bigger than the finished product (after adding the appropriate amount for this procedure) i put two squares together, right sides together, and draw a line corner to corner on the wrong side of the lighter color. sew 1/4 inch on either side of that line and then cut down the same C2C line to get the two HST. if this is an allover patterned block, i press open, if not, i press toward the dark. (i do tend to go towards the dark side....they have cookies there... =P )

OH... then i trim to the correct size i need.

amy in CNY

Lia, I do the same thing. By the time the batting and backing are added, there's rarely any color difference, because the light (which causes the color variations) can't get to the back at that point.

I was thinking the same thing. The different pinks will add depth and variety to the quilt! :)

pressing is definitely an art, I've been using more and more open seams, remembering to shorten the stitch length (actually I usually just keep it short unless I'm sewing something longer). I've been experimenting with seams that flip direction if one thing works better in on place and one another, but I need to test the long term durability of that a bit more! Pressing also depends on what the important design elements are, for example if I had sawtooth (sometimes called variable) star, I'd make sure the points either had both seams out or in, or if the both went one way to have all the points, or at least the 4 points that are rotationally symmetric the same. I have had some blocks the look badly pieced, but when you look further, the piecing is ok and the pressing is the weak spot, even if it's done perfectly a point which has both seams in looks quite different from one that has both seams out. Then there is my new discovery that some slight piecing errors can be assisted by creative pressing!

As for trimming seams, I only trim below 1/4 on minatures and I'm no expert at that yet, I've never yet felt the need to grade a seam pressed towards the lighter fabric in regular work.

Cheers Anne

Goodness Polly, so many quesitons.....you've got me glad I avoid HST at all costs! :)

-Irene

Actually there's exactly as many layers on butted seams as on seams pressed open. You'll get four layers on each side of the seam no matter if you press to one side or open as long as the seams are butted and not all going the same way.

Ms P

I know it was applique but didn't Ted Storm-vanWeelden line her pale applique in Spring of Desire that won at Paducah, so that she didn't get any shadow lines showing. Somewhere recently I have seen a description of her methods. I've looked on her site but can't find it there. Didn't she soak the finished wuilt for 24 hours before blocking it.

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~ (uk)

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