lmcfood wrote:
I call it "slipping away from perfection"! Basting is a good idea too, especially if you have lots of points that need matching, but I seldom do this because it takes more time and leaves extra thread that I don't want in my quilt. After I've matched the corners and any other matching points, sometimes using 2 pins like you do for pinwheel blocks, then I pin the rest of the seam on the sewing line parellel to the edge of the fabric. I check to make sure the pin is also on the sewing line on the back of the block. Also I use a sewing machine with dual feed so don't have a problem with the paper shifting.

Carol Doak showed us how she does this. Put your two pieces together, right sides together, and eye ball it. Lengthen your stitch to 3.0. Start at the first corner, and sew 4 or 5 stitches, then remove to see if you are target on the bottom. If so, go down a couple inches or to an intersection and repeat. do this down the entire length. If it is all matched up with this "basting", go back with a shorter stitch length and sew the entire length. I have done this many times and have saved myself worlds of frustation! HTH!

Maggie in E. central Illinois

Or you could try matching up the two corners with pins through perpendicular, then using a 3rd (& 4th)pin, pin next to the perpendicular ones. I've found that if you put a pin in perpendicular to match up seam points, when you lay it flat to tuck the point in, it will displace the lining up.

Rosemary in dry but dank UK

Thanks, will try it. Course, it could just be me being anal!! Lol

I know what you are talking about. I found that using an extra fine pin helps and as you hold the pieces together tightly with a pin through the corners, start the pin to secure it away from the seam allowance and end at the seam allowance very close to the corner pin. I hope this makes sense. Someone else may have a better solution but this usually works for me.

Hi
Any tips when joining two foundation pieced blocks together? I push pins through the corners on each end and match them up, but when i put a pin in to secure it always shifts on the bottom so the seam is a fraction out! Does that make sense???

Lynn in wet UK