Okay, if you’ve watched the latest video where Angelique teaches me how to make the Old Windmill block, you’re probably raising an eyebrow right about now. I’ll come right out and say it: I haven’t mastered the perfect piecing point. Some of the points on my quilt blocks line up, but definitely not all of them.

That said, after examining the points that line up and the ones that don’t (and of course, asking Angelique plenty of questions), I’ve figured out a few measures you should take to get more precise points. 

 

Don’t Rush Your Pressing!

I thought that pressing was a corner I could cut. I’m sure all of you more experienced quilters are cringing right now.

Turns out, pressing your quilt blocks as you go is non-negotiable. The margin of error when you’re piecing is small. If your seams aren’t pulled tight and pressed into crisp creases, then it will throw off the size of the resulting shape. Eventually, that will lead to your points getting lost in your seam allowance. 

 

No More Mangled Corners

If you have to sew a line that starts at one corner of your fabric, there’s a chance that little corner will get sucked into your machine as you try to push it through.

Angelique showed me a super easy trick to avoid this. Take a scrap of paper, lay your fabric on top of the paper, and sew through the paper first. The needle pushing through the paper will create a perforated line in the paper, so you can easily free your fabric again.

 

Clip Your Bunny Ears as You Go

This one is especially helpful if you’re popping your seam, but in general, clipping those overhanging seam bunny ears is essential for getting nice, clean seams.

Just like with pressing, I thought this was something I could do more efficiently if I saved all the clipping for the end. In reality, it made piecing my blocks messier and more difficult. Take the extra minute and clip your bunny ears.

 

One More Block to Go!

Next up, Angelique will be showing me how to make the Sawtooth Star blocks that will make up the rest of my quilt top. Make sure you’re subscribed to our YouTube channel or our email newsletter to keep up with the series!