I didn't like the look of the hand pieced rows mixed with the machine pieced, so I took out all of my hand stitching from the first two rows (not in the blocks of course). It wasn't a lot of work, but still, it does takes time. My trusty machine is back at home now and absolutely purring for me! Time to get sewing!
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| Hand Pieced Bow-ties |
I started out with sewing these hand pieced bow-ties together into individual rows. There should be 15 rows total, but I only sewed 14 together as I am still shy 5 blocks. Hmm... Wondering if I should just skip them? You can see that I also found the time to join two rows together. I'm very happy with the way it's looking. No regrets about ditching the hand piecing at this particular point, but wowsers! still not exactly a speedy project!
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| In progress |
This all represents a really astonishing (to me) amount of work, as each seam where the bow-ties come together has to be carefully pre-sewn to make sure the joint matches up correctly. Whew! I can already see that there will be no powering through this quilt for a quick finish and really, I am NOT being picky Patty about my seams. I just want them to be 'close'.*wink
Also, let me just say that seam rippers are not all made equal! The smallest one in the picture is from Bernina (it came with my machine) and is a total waste of effort. The red seam ripper works marginally better and the middle one works like a dream--very sharp and with a good point. Can you believe that there are no brands or markings on two of these seam rippers? I about had a melt-down day before yesterday when I couldn't find my good seam ripper--thus the re-visit to the other seam rippers. I had forgotten that when I took my sewing machine into the repair shop, my good seam ripper fell out of the front of the sewing machine where I keep it. I scooped it up and stuck in in a pocket in my purse where I promptly forgot all about it. After this scare, I'm thinking I need to invest in another good seam ripper for emergencies. You would not believe how much faster it goes to use a properly made seam ripper. Well, maybe you do if you sew anything like me! lol
I agree with you about seam ripper quality and I commented on this to Mr. P on Tuesday!
ReplyDeleteA proper seam ripper is sooo important! It's bad enough when we have to un-sew - it should be a struggle too! I use a retractable German made one by Hoechstmass.
ReplyDeletesometimes I think I hate sewing the long seams together more than anything else!
ReplyDeleteYes, I can see they're a lot of work, but it's going to be great. :D You weren't in a hurry, right? ;)
ReplyDeleteClover makes a good seam ripper, although it does get dull after a time. They're fairly cheap so not a big deal to replace. The other one I like is a flat stainless steel thingie with sort of a hook end, where the sharp part is. The point is dull, so you can't poke yourself. I'll have to try to post a picture somewhere...
ReplyDeleteYour bowties are looking very smashing!
I agree on both points: don't mix hand- and machinepatching and there is a difference in the quality of seamrippers. My fav is the Clover one with the larger white and black handle. I also use it as an extra feed when machinepiecing. Most quiltshops here carry it and having 1 shop within a 10 mins drive and another one within a 15 mins drive I should never be without!
ReplyDeleteWasn't sure what the presewing was until I saw the photo enlarged. I can see that that would be a good idea. How did you know to do that? Good info about the seam rippers. Probably about time for me to get a new one. Mine gets a lot of use, too! Can't wait to see this quilt quilted - I just love that aqua or whatever color that solid fabric is.
ReplyDeleteLookin' good! I have a few seam rippers that float between my work table and sewing table and they are all different. I will say that the next one I buy should have blunt tip for the picker. If it's too sharp I always stick it in the fabric as I rip. A blunt end just glides. Take care, Byrd
ReplyDeletecuantos trabajos bonitos me perdí esta temporada
ReplyDeleteespero ponerme pronto al día
saludos
Your rows are looking soooo good , that aqua teal colour just sings!! I got sick of losing my seam ripper so I bought 6 , and I still can't find them when I need them :)
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I'm only all too familiar with reverse sewing :-)
ReplyDeleteSometimes I use little scissors.
Your project is looking great, love setting the bow ties into circles.