No I am not making myself a little prison uniform, even though some of you may think that is where I belong due to my bad habit of sewing over pins.
I have been making strip sets galore. These strip sets are the reason I set this quilting project aside a year ago. I had to make twenty strip sets of 1 1/4 inch black and white strips. I made three of them, put the fabric back in the project box and said "Buh-bye". And this was after completing twenty appliqued quilt blocks for the project! I was pretty proud of the applique work (I am a beginner) and was quite gung ho to get them made into a top. But, man did these strip sets wear me out.
So this week, I dragged them out with the idea of a Friday Finish in mind. I finished all the strip sets, then set to cutting them into little 1 1/4 inch segments.
Hundreds of them.
The idea is that the little checkerboard strips are going to form a lattice around the twenty appliqued blocks.
So, here's the thing. I like to pin. I need to pin. Once in a while I run over a pin and it's bad. We all know that, we talked to death about it last week. With new resolve to do better, today I was carefully pulling out my pins just before the needle came down, and hadn't run over a single one. Nothing bent, nothing broken, everything smooth and hunky dory. But look what happens! The fabric shifts at the last micro second and you don't get the effect of the fabric nestling nicely together. I just hate that.
I did quite a bit of unsewing to make my corners nice and perfectly lined up. Then, here is what I did with the remaining lattice strips. (Don't hate me).
I put on my goggles (well, my reading glasses), took out my extra fine U shaped pins, and slowly, carefully, at the speed of a snail, sewed over them. This is what my new seams look like:
Now that's what I'm talking about. No harm came to me or the Bernina. I know I am at risk here, but I just won't tell anyone. Shhhhh. Ozzie is on Pin Patrol and has been watching me verrrrrrrry carefully. Shhhhh, so don't tell him either.
Hi Nicole
I sew over pins all the time-I get a better product then when I don't. I prefer not to spend time picking out my mistakes and I get lots more when I don't pin ... It is all what you are comfortable with- It looks like there are lots of us out here that feel the same way as you do...
Ozzie is too cute- I can see why you love him so much...
Regards,
Anna
Posted by: quiltmom ( Anna) | June 23, 2008 at 07:35 PM
The problem with the seams not meeting and not sewing over pins is the whole reason I bought my Pfaff. It has a differential feed on it and I use it mainly for piecing. I will have to try the u-shaped pins to see how they work. Those stripes would drive me crazy if I tried to do all of those at one time, lol.
Posted by: Perry | June 23, 2008 at 10:26 PM
Watch her like a hawk, Ozzie! Make her go slow and wear her glasses and she can be just like the rest of us!
Posted by: Jacquie | June 23, 2008 at 10:38 PM
Nicole,
I've been quilting for almost 17 years. I ALWAYS sew over my pins! Pin it where you want it to stay! Use thin pins (Love those FORK PINS) and go slow over them. If they get bent, throw them away. Just my two cents!
Posted by: April B | June 23, 2008 at 11:40 PM
If needs must...............
Posted by: Ailsa | June 24, 2008 at 10:15 AM
I sew over pins all the time! I use super fine swiss pins and they may bend but never had any break
Posted by: K8 | June 24, 2008 at 04:59 PM
I have found that the U-shaped pins tend to twist the fabric a little when the first "arm" of the pin is near or under the needle. Therefore, I prefer to use two separate pins at each seam.I use fine lace pins and sew over them slowly.
Posted by: Lauren | June 24, 2008 at 06:27 PM
What's the big deal? I learned to sew in the '50s and was taught by my mother a professional seamstress. She sewed over pins and so do I. Neither of us has ever been injured and I'm still using her Pfaff machine that was purchased in the 1940s.
Posted by: niki | June 28, 2008 at 03:55 PM
I also sew over pins (once in awhile) very s-l-o-w-l-y. There's just times when you gotta do it, right? Yes ma'am!
Posted by: Nan | July 01, 2008 at 07:52 AM
Hi, First off I love your blog *smile* Second, about the pins. I took a quilting class from one of the 7 or 8 licensed quilting judges in California who also sews on a Bernina and she instructed us to sew right over those pins. She uses the extra fine quilting pins and slows down as she comes to the pins. So there, you have permission to sew over those pins from an expert! LOL
Posted by: Stacey | July 01, 2008 at 11:54 AM