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Seam Allowances

 

Use ¼” seam allowances.
Unless there are other instructions, seam allowances are ¼” wide. Before you start cutting fabric, it’s a good idea to see whether the pattern you are using includes the seam allowances.

Often patterns do not specify a seam allowance, especially block patterns in books of block patterns. For example, when a pattern designates a 2” patch, it usually is a finished size. That means you need to add ½” to cover the ¼” seam allowance on both sides of the patch, and cut your fabric 2½.”

Fold your seam allowances together.
Unlike other types of sewing, seam allowances for quilting should remain together and folded to one side. This takes the pressure off of the thread that holds the pieces together, and distributes it to the fabric, giving you quilt a longer life.

Fold your seam allowances to the darker side of the patch or block.
Generally you will fold your seam allowances to the darker fabric. Although this isn’t always possible, folding the seam allowances under the darker fabric helps hide them and shows the design of the quilt better.

Fold the seam allowances in opposite directions when you sew seams.
Keeping in mind that you want to fold the seam allowance under the darker fabric, it’s also preferable to fold the seam allowances in opposite directions when you sew patches or blocks together.

Folding the seam allowances in opposite directions will allow the seams to match up better, stay in place as you sew, and give you square corners and pointed triangles. One caution is that you want to check any seams that have already been sewn to be sure that they seam allowance continues to fact the same direction when you sew the other end.

The reverse side of an Iowa Barn Quilt Block. Notice that the seam allowance where the blue sky and yellow silo come together, the seam allowance is pressed toward the yellow - even though it is the lighter fabric. This is because I wanted the silo to stand out, which will happen when the patch has the seam allowanced folded behind it.

The seam allowances in this DragonFly block have been folded away from the center of the triangles in the corner patches to allow the points to have less bulk in the tips and lie flatter. The seam allowances in the 4 corner patches could have been pressed to either side. As you press your blocks, you may notice that some seam allowances go naturally to one side. This would be the time to let them face the direction they want to.

 

As is everything with quilting, these are just guidelines. As you sew your blocks and quilts, some of these techniques won't work, and you will need to adjust your sewing or pressing to fit your quilt and the look you want.

When you press a seam allowance behind a patch, it will stand out from the patches next to it.

When joining patches to previously sewn patches, check to see how the seam allowances have been folded in the previous seams, and fold them the same direction in the new seam. This will make your quilt easier to quilt and lay flatter.

You may also consider how you will quilt your quilt before you decide which direction to face your seam allowances. Quilting on top of seam allowances looks different than quilting "in the ditch." If you plan to quilt in a grid, you may want to attempt to keep the seam allowances facing the same direction along your potential stitching lines. Your hand quilting will be easier when there are fewer layers of fabric to quilt through.

Happy Quilting!

Penny is a quilter of more than 25 years who seeks to interest new quilters and provide them with the resources necessary to create beautiful quilts.

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©2006, Penny Halgren