Accurate Piecing without Pins

I’ve got a quick tip for you today that will help you increase the accuracy of your points, even when you are in a hurry.

I’m working on this storm at sea block, and there are a ton of points in each block. Often I will pin every intersection that will show in the finished quilt. This time, I’m not in my usual zen state – I want to finish quickly, so I’m skipping the pins whenever I can.

This is one of the points I’m skipping the pins on, with great success. Part of the reason this is coming together so nicely is that I used my AccuQuilt Go! to cut the pieces. That means I’m starting out with perfectly cut pieces, and as long as I keep an accurate 1/4″ seam allowance, it will all work beautifully.

To add the triangle, I line it up against the right side of the block, checking the notches on my corner and getting it all perfect.

When I take it to my machine, I flip it over, so I can see the seam. I press my seams open, so I can see exactly where the point is.

As I stitch along the seam, I make sure my needle goes exactly through the point. If I need to adjust my seam allowance a smidge, I do. A perfect seam allowance isn’t as important as making sure my points show.

Tah dah! I’ll press this seam open, and go on to the next step. This is part of the secret to how I make so much so quickly. I skip things like pinning when I know I can do it without compromising the quality of my work.

When I attach blocks together I will be pinning the intersections. Since my seams are pressed open, pinning is essential to get the blocks lined up perfectly.

I’m hoping to share this finished project soon – it looks so great so far!

What about you? Are you a serious pinner, or are you more relaxed with your techniques?