Old dog, new trick

Another tip for me and my friends who are still learning.

Thanks.

What I have always wanted to know, are tips about turning cicles. I sew a straight (circular) seam, turn it through and it looks like the wavy-navy. I find it so frustrating. I would love to make mats and things, but they always turn out skewiff. I've tried understitching, and lots of other things, but still, in the final pressing (not ironing) they are just not round. Bleah!

How do you get a circle round?

Nel (Gadget Queen)

It helps a lot to notch the edge. Not just clip, but remove bits where the clips would overlap. Depending on what it's for and how much seam allowance you need to leave, sometimes you can trim close to the seam with pinking shears. But you'd probably want to topstitch anything with such a narrow seam allowance.

I sometimes use a l>What I have always wanted to know, are tips about turning cicles. I

Yep, that got my attention.

I loved Pati's tip too - but I was afraid I was the > I'm betting Louise will enjoy the subject line since she's into new

Another old dog with a new trick- and it only took me almost 25 years of quilting to figure this out. Finger pressing! Yes, I've finger pressed for a long, long time, but.....

I was making sets of three 1 inch finished strips cut on the width of fabric. I pressed after I sewed to set the stitches then firmly *finger pressed* the seam towards the darker fabric from the wrong side. Flipped it over and *ironed* right down the length of the strip sets- not pressed as we are told to do- and even used steam. I had no wobbles, the strips stayed straight and there were no naughty little pleats on the right side of the strip sets.

Don't laugh at how long it took me to learn this simple trick. It saved me a LOT of grumbling!

Happy Mother's Day to all!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

I'm betting Louise will enjoy the subject line since she's into new puppy lifestyle. Anyhow, I just now happened Pati's tip on birthing quilts. [ Pati wrote: OH, and a tip: when you are going to leave an opening to turn something. If you do a basting type stitch, by machine, on the seamline of the area to be left open first. That is stitch through single layers (or one layer and batting) . It really helps a lot. The stitching helps keep the opening from stretching, and it gives you a line to turn on. If you need to you can remove the basting, but often it just disappears into the seam.] Gee, Pati. I've birthed so many crib quilts and sometimes the opening has warped and wiggled. Machine basting first really surely will stabilize the area and prevent that. It's sort of like stay-stitching the neckline in garment construction. What a super good tip. A million thanks. Polly

As Roberta said, when sewing circles, NOTCH your seam allowance -- A LOT! When sewing the seam, either do a double row of stitching right next to each other or just stitch over the first line of sewing. I diagonally clip my seam allowance closely in one direction and make the clips go righ smack up to the stitching, leaving just a few fabric threads unclipped. The I turn the piece over and diagonally clip the seam allowance in the other direction taking out little triangular shaped bits of fabric. When you turn the item and are ready to press, do as Roberta mentioned and press first to set the stitches then turn right side out and use some sort of tool to help push the seam allowance out as far as possible. If you use something like a knitting needle, be VARY CAREFUL that you don't poke the end out through the fabric. I like to use an old ball point pen that doesn't have an ink cartridge in it any more. This is a fairly pointy ended object but isn't sharp enough to go through the fabric. Disposable chop stitcks work well too -- also pointy without being sharp and they are often longer. Let us know if you find out any more hints, OK? CiaoMeow >^''^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

Press it over a template. I'm assuming you're sewing something like a round coaster here... Sew the two pieces together, after machine basting an area in both circles for turning through -- this area is best on the straight of grain (well, straightest you're going to get, as opposed to on the bias )

Cut a template of thin cardboard or file folder with the proper edge curvature. Lay the template over the fabric, and press one layer of seam allowance over the template, all the way around. Clip as needed. Press the seam allowance flat towards the center of the circle.

Turn the project over and repeat the pressing on the other side.

Turn through the opening you left, and press again. Topstitch around the edge to complete the project and close the opening.

Thanks, that makes sense. I usually use the pinking shears method of snipping wedges ('cos I is too lazy to snip each one individually). But I never thought of doing one snip then going back to do the other. (Headslap!) Makes all the sense in the world when it's pointed out!

And I am always poking something sharp through the seams. I swear I'll do it properly, then, when it comes to it, I can't find a suitable pokative (I have dozens of special gizmos for doing this 'easily'; I swear they hold a party) so I end up using scissors or a knitting needle. And then... too late! Poo!

I look at commercial coasters, collars and things, and wonder how they do it. What's more they must do it quickly and right-first-time. I would be lousy in a sweat shop.

Nel (Gadget Queen)

Nel, Nel. Whatever are we going to do with you? Go get the step stool, reach up to the top shelf in the kitchen and get down one of those 'gift' coffee mugs that you don't know why in the world you're keeping. Set it somewhere in your sewing room. Put all of those neat things that you SHOULD be using for turning in the mug. I am blessed (?) with 8 mugs and they keep my good tools neatly sorted. One for markers, one for turners, one for brushes - even have a mug of puppy biscuits and another with Tootsie Pops. You can't throw the mugs away; might as well put them to some good use. Polly

"Sartorresartus" <

OK, OK, I'll try. I have just been a naughty girl and ordered a few more gadgets, too. Can't wait till they arrive, hopefully tomorrow. There's a binding tool, a pressing thingy, a leather thimble (which I hope will replace the finger cots) ,a spare Aunt Becky and some glue. Oh and some insul-fleece to make a teapot cover for DD. I shall be good and turn that out properly. Deal?

I'm a little more organized than I used to be, but I always seem to be in the wrong place somehow. I have most of my gadgets tamed, but just once in a while they play hide-and-seek, especially if I am in a hurry to get something finished. I take them out, put them down, and they run away and hide. I find them weeks later in the cutlery drawer, or in the bathroom cabinet. They do it on purpose, you know!

Nel (Gadget Queen)

As has been said here..... for a smooth, round, faced circle, pinking shears work great (at least for a quarter inch seam allowance.) I find that when notches are too close to the seam line they tend to form "corners" instead of a smooth seam. (YMMV ) Another tool that really helps--- "That Purple Thang". Yep that is the name of it. and it is a wonderful gadget at not too high a price. Buy more than one. One end is a quarter inch "square" that is flat and can help with things like getting the bobbin out of the machine and all sorts of other things. There is a slot, supposedly so you can put it on a ribbon and wear it, or hang it. But it could also be used as a bodkin to pull whatever through a casing. The other end is sort of pointy, but not too much so. And........ Curved. It is sort of flattish and is a dream to use for smoothing out the inside of any curved seam. Because you are not pushing at the seam with the pointy part not much danger of poking through. and the curve just helps "press" that seam beautifully.

ANd thanks to all for the comments. This is one of the tips I give over and over again in my classes. Never see it written down anywhere, but is logical. And yes I have called it "stay stitching" but then some garment sewist will stitch inside the seam line, not on the line. You really want to stitch on the seam line to get that smooth edge for finishing, especially on curves.

Have fun, Pati, in Phx