Quilt in a Day Forums

My sewing machine has been silent for 20 years. I'm now working on a crib-sized (just for practice) Lover's Knot quilt but I am confused when the directions say to lock seams. What does that mean exactly?

That means to back stitch a few stitches and than forward. That will lock the seam so it won't unsew.

Aha! Thanks for the tip.

Are you sure they aren't talking about where you press the two seams in opposite directions so that they will "lock" together when you put the two pieces together?

I, too, am new to this term... I searched for help with this last night and this discussion did not appear. Went through google groups to find it. so... which is it? tack at the beginning and end or where you stitch over the strips' connections in the middle of the 6 1/2 square?

thanks for any help..

kate

When using El's Quilt books - the term "to lock seams together" is exactly what Karon said - you press the seams in opposite directions and then they will nestle right up together and you have perfect meetings of the intersections of each piece.

It really works! You will get great results by locking the seams together - the corners are perfect!

Look at the media theatre and it has videos on how to "swirl" the seams so they lay nice and flat too.

Jana

Jana and Karon are correct. When sewing garments you lock the seam by reversing and tacking the seam. When quilting the term "locking your seam" means to have your seams pressed in opposite directions and nestle them together. If you feel a big bump where the seams butt up to each other, they are not "locked" together. If the seams are butted up next to each other and the intersection is smooth they are"locked". Good luck.

MaryD