Quilter's Alphabet - I for Inset seams

Hi friends!

Today in the A Quilter’s Alphabet series, Tammy are on the letter I. I will talk about inset seams, interfacing and in the ditch quilting! Let’s get started!

Inset Seams

Inset seams, or set-in seams or Y seams, are a type of seam used when you can sew a continuous straight line. This is when 3 pieces of fabric come together at angles other than 90 degrees.

A common quilting block that uses Y seams or inset seams is the LeMoyne Star.

Sewing inset seams isn’t tricky, just fussy.

Lay the first 2 pieces, right sides together. Sew the first seam from the ¼” mark to the ¼” mark leaving the ends of the seams open. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and the end of the seam to keep it from pulling apart.

Sew the second seam by matching the ¼” marks and sew from mark to mark. Repeat with the third seam.

Keep doing this to sew all the sections of the block and to sew the sections together.

Interfacing

Interfacing is a material used to back another fabric to give it more stability. The material for interfacing can be light or heavy depending on how much stability is needed. The material can be adhered to the back of the fabric with stitching or fused.

Fusible interfacing usually has fusible on one side; that side will feel rough. Every interfacing requires different amounts of heat and pressure to fuse it to your fabric so be sure to always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for that fusible you are using!

In the Ditch Quilting

In the ditch quilting is also called stitch in the ditch! It is when you stitch right next to the seams in the quilt. It is a great technique to highlight shapes or your blocks.

This type of quilting works best when the seams of the blocks are pressed to one side. If you stitch in the ditch next to seams that were pressed open, you could pull the seams apart.

I hoped you enjoyed learning a little about inset seams, interfacing and in the ditch quilting! Now, head on over to Tammy’s post to check out her information on ironing, inside corners and points and improvisational quilting!