Pressing makes a big difference in how your blocks come out. I thought I would show you exactly how I handle a couple of common situations when piecing angle quilts. If your seams don’t always line up the way you’d hoped, this blog should help :)
There are two basic ways the seams align in angle quilts. They will either criss-cross like an X or come together to form a V shape.
Let’s start with the ones that form an X shape. As you see here, I sew one triangle to each of the hexagons and press those seams open.
These seams will not nest, so pressing them open gives the flattest intersection when I go to sew these blocks together. If I pressed the seams to one side, I would have several layers of fabric stacked up together at the criss-cross intersection. Often when the sewing machine presser foot hits that stack of seams, it will push one seam away from the other messing up what might have been a perfectly matched intersection.
The thing to look for when lining these pieces up is that the seams crisscross each other ¼” in from the raw edge. If those seams are pressed open and flat, they will be less likely to move on you as you sew them. And look at that matching intersection!
Here are some patterns of mine that have X shaped seam structures.
The next common seam structure creates a V shape. This one will actually nest if you get the seams pressed in opposite directions. Here, I have one triangle with the seams pressed towards the tip and one with the seams pressed away from the tip.
These seams will not stack up on each other at the intersection. They will instead lay into each other creating a locking or “nesting” advantage.
Once sewn, I press the final seam open to disperse the bulk out to both sides.
Here are some patterns of mine that have V-shaped seam structures. I try to include helpful pressing directions in each of my patterns where it will make a difference. If no direction is given, you can just do whatever your personal preference is in that area.
I hope there was something useful here for you!
Happy Easter, everyone!
Krista
Visit my Youtube channel for free tutorials and tips. If you like my patterns, you can buy them on Etsy, and here on the website.