Friday, October 12, 2012

Hand stitching...

Hi everyone,
I've sewn together some of my hexagons but was suspicious my stitching was too loose. I took them to my local quilting shop and the lady kindly told me to sew my stitches closer together and pull them tighter. Has anyone found a helpful video regarding slip stitch, or is it a skill I will improve with practise?!!
Happy sewing and weekend!

4 comments:

  1. Hi Chris, My fabric just arrived and I needed to find a resource too. This seems to be a good one:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVkV8JBNaIQ

    Jennifer


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  2. Chris and Jennifer -- In my opinion, paper piecing is the hardest of all quilting skills. But, it's worth the time and practice to get it right. I HATED my first project, kind of tolerated the second and I found with Genevieve's block that I was really enjoying myself for the first time. So, it definitely just gets easier and nicer looking with time. That said, I do have a couple of tips that were given to me when I started. First, use applique thread vs. regular thread (obviously try to find as close a match to the fabric as you can). Second, try wrapping tin foil around the fabric and the template, pressing lightly with a dry iron, then removing the tin foil. This will give your edges a nice crispness. Then, make sure you are using a very fine, sharp needle. Lastly, try to use the sharp needle and the crisp edge to lift just a few threads of fabric from each side as you take your stitch. Aim for 14-16 stitches per inch. Do not worry that you aren't catching enough fabric with the stitch -- occasionally I've made mistakes and had to pull a seam out and it's shocking how tough those little stitches all so close together can be! And then one other thought: a chain of hexagons will be easier to produce than trying to inset the hexagons on two or even three seams. Good luck! xo Meg

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  3. Hi Meg, Thanks so much for all of those tips!!!
    xoJennifer

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  4. Hi Meg, I've been meaning to write and say thank you! It's been great to hear about your experiences and tips....even if I did soldier ahead before reading your comment. :))

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