accurate seams. or not.

i had a horrible time with my seam matching on my "taite" blocks. i couldn't ever predict accurately if i was matching them up or not. it was completely hit or miss. part of my problem might be that i don't pin, but pinning doesn't ever seem to give me better results, so i gave up on that to save time. also, jill and i went with the modern quilting trend of pressing all our seams open, which might have made it harder to match up those opposing seams. i can't wait to see how much we've scandalized louise when she discovers that we didn't press to one side like she told us to. well, elizabeth of oh, fransson  recommends it in her book practical patchwork, my current personal favorite book and quilting bible. and nettie of a quilt is nice was just trying it out. lots of quilters use this method now. i like it, too. it is twice the pressing, but can be more accurate. except maybe when getting opposing seams right.

i think maybe i should rename this blog "sloppy quilting" because i'm so not accurate and quilting is all about accuracy. i just keep telling myself i'm learning, wonky is nice, and "it will be okay." my quilts are getting done whether perfectly or not and that, for now, is good enough for me. this is a complete shift in paradigm from where i once was on the perfectionist continuum. one thing i did this week that has helped out in the accuracy department tremendously is to purchase a 1/4" guide foot. it's a dream! someday i'll take a picture of it when i have the macro lens on my camera so you can see the little guide bar that runs along the side of the foot. all i have to do is keep my fabric lined up along that bar and i have a perfect 1/4" seam. it's magical! my machine has a nifty see-through plate so i can keep an eye on the bobbin thread, but it makes gauging my seam allowance pretty tricky. i felt like i was skating all over the place as i tried to piece my quilt. this $13 little do-dad has solved my problem. i totally recommend it to any beginner or accuracy-challenged sewer like me.

ps - here's the foot: