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Ask the Experts: Christine BrownQuestion: When a judge evaluates my quilt by writing "Your piecing needs improvement," what specifically does that mean? Whether your quilt was pieced by hand or machine, the criteria for judging is very similar. The sewing details of the blocks should be appropriate to the pattern. For example, where points in a design meet another seam, they should have a definite point rather than be cut off or floating too far from the intersection. Pieced curves should be round and smooth with no flat spots, creases, or points. Block corners, miters, and borders should meet exactly; judges do not like to see lumps or holes at intersections. The size of repeating blocks should be identical, and the visual lines created by joining blocks, sashing, and borders should be straight. Pressing your work correctly as you sew the blocks can improve the quality of the finished piece. Seams should be pressed consistently, usually toward the darker of two adjoining fabrics. Even though most of us learned that seams in quilting are traditionally pressed to one side, this is not a hard and fast rule. Pressing the last few seams of a block open rather than to one side can help a block lie flat and avoid lumps. This is especially true in patterns like the LeMoyne star, where many seams converge in the center. Before I chain sew and press dozens of identical pieced blocks, I always make a sample so that I can determine the sewing and pressing sequence in advance. Some of the most frequent technical problems I encounter in judging pieced quilts involve the quiltmaker's choice of thread and stitch length. Any color thread is acceptable as long as it is not visible on the front after stitching. When sewing darks to lights, choose a color that will blend with both such as taupe, medium gray, or dark beige. It is well worth your trouble to change the color of the thread in your machine so it will coordinate with the different fabrics as you progress through stitching different parts of the quilt top. Stitch length should be small enough to hold the pieces together securely but not too small that ripping it out would require a magnifying glass. Finally, judges note the overall visual effect created by your choice of fabrics in a pieced block. Grain line may be evaluated to the extent that it is consistent, adds impact to the design, and does not affect the actual construction (i.e. avoid use of bias cut on the outer edges of a pieced block). If you choose a stripe or strongly patterned fabric for your borders, be sure that you carefully apply it to your quilt to avoid unplanned visual, diagonal distortion. And of course, remove any marking lines. I hope this answers your question! About the Expert: Christine N. Brown, a Master Quilt Judge certified by the National Quilting Association, lives in Castle Rock, Colorado. In addition to judging, making, and writing about quilts, she spends much of her time as a volunteer for Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, Colorado. To contact Christine, e-mail her at castlerocker@att.net. Links to previous Ask the Experts:
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