Blog Hops and Quilt Alongs

Notion Commotion Blog Hop Day 4

120 comments

NotionCommotionDay 4 of the hop! And guess who is posting? That’s right, it is our day on the Notion Commotion Blog Hop. So let’s get to it!

We are excited to show you our nifty notion, our cool tool, our groovy gadget…

 

 

 

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Today we are addressing that pesky ¼” seam allowance. The elusive one- you know, sometimes you are right on the money,

 

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other times, well, not so much!

 

 

 

 

DSCN1419For those who have seen my Craftsy class, you know that I like to use a small seam guide on my sewing machine bed to help me maintain that ¼” seam allowance.  Now I know there are lots of ways to do it; some people will tell you to use a small stack of post it notes to bump your fabric up against. For me, that never worked. I “bump” too hard and the notes move!

 

 

DSCN1423Other people love their ¼” foot on their machine. I have two but I don’t use them. I really like having a seam guide. That way my fabric is heading to the needle all lined up and I don’t have to adjust as it hits the foot.

( The other reason I don’t use my ¼” foot is because I forget I have it one and then I try to do a fancy stitch and poke holes in the foot and break needles! But don’t tell anyone that part; it is a little embarrassing!)

 

 

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While we were at Quilt Market, Elizabeth spotted this great seam guide. It is called the Ideal Seam Guide from Sew Very Smooth. It is a pretty nifty little gadget!

 

 

 

 

 

First they have a seam gauge to line up with your needle- you stick the needle in the hole and gently lower your pressor foot onto the gauge.

The gauge has a bunch of markings; including both ¼”  seam and a scant ¼” seam marking.

 

 

 

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Then you peel back the cover from the sticky stuff on the back of the guide and press in place.

Remove the gauge from your needle and done! Ready to sew perfect ¼” seams!

 

 

 

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What is nice about this guide is how sturdy it is.

To be honest, it took me a while to get used to it; it is thick, so your fabric can bump against it and not easily slide over it. If you firmly press the guide in place, the sticky stuff is pretty sticky, so it stays secure.

Once I got used to the size, it was terrific!

 

 

 

 

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See me sewing my little 4 patch units for Jelly Roll Jumble!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Their website has lots of how to videos- how to use it; how to clean it, etc… so it is worth a visit!

They have a 5″ long guide (which is what I have) and a 10″ long guide. And other groovy stuff!

 

 

DSCN0988One way to use both guides is when you are piecing long strips of fabric like I was doing for my quilt, Jelly Roll Jumble. You use one guide to mark the  ¼”  seam and the other on the other side of the strip to form a channel.

 

 

 

 

I did that, but since I only had one Ideal Seam Guide, I used my other seam guide on one side. Then you can easily guide long strips thru the machine without a lot of adjusting. Nice!

 

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You can even move the guide over for larger strip sets.

 

So, wouldn’t you like to try this seam guide? Of course!

The folks at Sew Very Smooth are going to give away one set of the Ideal Seam Gauge and the Ideal Seam Guide to one lucky winner!

 

 

 

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Lily testing the new Jelly Roll Jumble quilt! She approved!

 

 

 

And we are going to give away two patterns; one of our new updated patterns, Jelly Roll Jumble, and one of gRadiant– our newest pattern!

 

 

 

 

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gRadiant!

 

So a total of three winners! Woo hoo!

So how do you enter the drawing? Leave a comment below an you will be entered in the drawing for a chance to win one of the three prizes listed.

That’s it- one comment and you are entered into the drawing for the Ideal Seam Gauge and Guide or one of two of our patterns.

 

 

You can earn extra chances by signing up for our newsletter (did you know you get a free pattern when you sign up?), by liking our Facebook page, by following us on Pinterest or by sharing about the hop on Facebook or on Twitter! Please, help spread the word about the fun things happening on the blog hop!

 

Just leave us a comment for each “extra thing” that you do and you will get extra chances in the drawing. We will draw our three winners on Friday, July 18th after the end of the blog hop.

 

Thanks for visiting with us!

happy blog hopping,

Kate

If you missed the first few blog posts on the Notion Commotion Blog Hop, click here for links to earlier posts by other designers! Go show them some bloggy love and enter to win their giveaways! What’s not to love?

 

Click here to get a link for 50% off my Craftsy class.

Tune in June 30th to hear me on Pat Sloan’s Radio show, sponsored by American Patchwork and Quilting! How cool is that!!!

 

120 comments

  3. I have very hard time getting an accurate seam. Maybe this tool would help.

  8. Those are wonderful prizes to give away and I would love any of them! Thank you.

  19. What a great product…The 1/4″ seam allowance is my biggest challenge in quilting and your review of this product gives me hope to gain control. I am going to buy it right now!! Thanks.

  20. Purchased some of these guides in Paducah last year. I use them for my kids quilt camps! Works great for them and a lost less “unstitching” of seams

  24. I have sew much trouble keeping a perfect seam width. Could this be the answer for me? I hope sew!

  25. It would be great to always have the correct seam width. Absolutely love the gradient quilt!

  26. I always have trouble sewing straight seams so this sounds perfect. Thanks for the opportunity to win it and the great patterns

  29. I really like seeing all the new gadgets. The hop has been great because not every local quilt shop can carry the latest items.

  35. Wonderful idea, even with my 1/4 inch foot my seams ended up being a bit too wide (when I was first learning to quilt) and I had to take everything out. So frustrating.

  36. Would love to try this seam guide & gauge! I can use all the help I can get!!

  40. I use a 1/4 ” foot but I still have trouble getting the seam right. The ruler would be a perfect way to make sure all my seams are exactly the size they need to be.

  41. There is always room to have another way of insuring a 1/4″ allowance. That is one of the ongoing problems we quilters have been battling for a very long time.

  44. I always seem to struggle with my 1/4 inch seams– looks like this tool would be a great solution!

  45. Well…that looks like a nifty little gadget! I’m pretty picky about my seams so maybe I should give it a try. Thanks!

  50. Great idea for thoes of us who need a little extra guidance. Pictures and description were very helpful. Good Job!

  54. I purchased your Craftsy class, can’t wait to watch it. Love Craftsy because I can watch awesome classes in The Netherlands

  59. This looks great. I would love to give it a try. Your Jelly roll jumble and gRadient patterns are beautiful. Thanks for the giveaway.

  62. What a great little notion. Getting good 1/4 inch seams is about equivalent to finding the perfect pillow or perfect bra!!!! Thanks so much for the chances to win! 🙂

  68. Looks interesting, but seems too long for my machine…
    (already subscribe to your newsletter.)

  70. Looks great, but what if my machine has a drop-in bobbin? I need to look into this….(esp. if I win! 🙂
    I already am subscribed to your newsletter, by the way!

  71. Always looking for ways to improve my 1/4 inch seams. This looks like a nice combo.

  75. What a Nifty Notion! Need all the help I can get! thank you! Love your Craftsy Class Kate!

  90. I would love to win this tool. I have trouble with the 1/4″ seam as well, this just might be the answer for me. Thanks for a great give-away.
    I already get your awesome emails.

  97. I have so many problems getting my seam allowance set. I have tried many ways, but maybe this will be the one that works. Thank you.

  99. I am always having trouble with getting a good seam. I think this guide is great, because it can be used for so much more than just quilting, with all the suggest seam sizes. Thank you for a chance to win. I found the hop through your web site and I have really enjoyed all the post so far.

  100. I have the biggest problem with the quarter inch seam. Will definitely check into getting one!

  101. This looks like a great tool. I do use my 1/4 inch foot but if I want a wider seam this would be helpful. Thanks for the giveaway!

  104. It’s the answer to my prayers!! My quilt tops “seam” to grow or shrink as I piece. I’ve looked for a gadget to correct this since I can’t seam to sew in a straight line!!! Thank you for finding this neat little tool. Love your patterns—designs and the colors you used–bright and cheerful!

  105. What perfect timing–learning about this gadget! I’ve been agonizing over my 1/4″ (more or less!!!!) seam allowances. It “seams” my quilts grow or shrink when I piece, much to my dismay. I think this little gadget could be the answer for me!! Your patterns are beautiful, and like Linda Ward, I love the colors you used in making those gorgeous quilts.

  107. What a cool gadget. And the quilt patterns are great too. I LOVE your colors! Thank you for participating in the Notion Commotion. What a great way for us fairly new quilters to find out about all the helpful tools that are available and see all the wonderful websites. I just have to be careful to spend more time looking than quilting!!!

  113. This looks amazing. Finally perfect seams. Thanks for the opportunity to win one.

  114. THIS could be the answer to my problem! Great product and thank you for the awesome chance to win one. Seems like it would make everything easier-pressing, piecing, etc.

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