What is Strip Piecing?
Strip piecing is a technique that involves sewing long, skinny fabric pieces in parallel rows to create a “strip set”. This strip set is then crosscut into segments to create many identical blocks quickly and easily.
For example, suppose you created a strip set by sewing together three width of fabric (WOF) strips as shown below.
Then, you chop up that strip set to create three identical pieces (and a little waste on either end of the strip set), like this.
Strip piecing is a very common practice when making quilts. There are many reasons why people love strip piecing so much. These reasons include:
- Strip piecing is efficient and saves a lot of time. Quilts come together more quickly.
- Strip piecing is much less fussy because there are no small pieces of fabric to deal with.
- Strip piecing can help you increase your piecing precision and accuracy.
However, as with all methods, there are some potential issues that you might run into when strip piecing. The main difficulties that people run into when strip piecing are:
- Distorted, uneven, or bowed strip sets
- Seams coming apart after crosscutting a strip set into smaller blocks
That said, with just a little bit of practice and a few tricks from someone who as been-there-done-that (i.e. me!), you'll be strip piecing like a pro in no time.
How to Avoid Issues When Strip Piecing
When making strip sets you might notice one or more of the following things.
- Your strip set is not the same size from one end to the other. It is skinnier in some places and fatter in other places.
- Your strip set is the same size all the way across, but it is much skinnier or much fatter than it is supposed to be.
- There is a distinct curve or bow in the strip set from one end to the other.
- Your seams are coming apart after you cut up your strip set.
All of these issues can be avoided by following these simple "rules":
- Always treat your fabrics with starch or a starch alternative (I'm a big fan of Mary Ellen's Best Press) before cutting it into strips. This makes the fabric much more stable and less likely to warp or distort during the piecing process.
- Make sure you are cutting straight fabric strips that are exactly the required size. Measure them carefully along the full length of the strip to verify that they are straight and even.
- Reduce your stitch length to 1.5mm - 2mm. This will prevent the seams from coming apart after you crosscut.
- Don't use pins or clips. Many people are surprised to hear me say this, but if you pin or clip your strips together first you are more likely to try to pull or stretch them as you feed them through your machine. When dealing with long pieces of fabric that can be a disaster. Instead, just line them up, start sewing, and keep gently adjusting them as needed as you feed them through the machine.
- Check your 1/4-inch seam allowance carefully. For strip piecing you may find it helpful to use a SCANT 1/4-inch seam allowance. That is, sew the strips together using just one or two threads LESS than a 1/4-inch seam allowance. A scant 1/4-inch seam allowance is particularly helpful if you are using thicker fabrics or if there your strip set is made up or three more fabric strips.
- Be consistent with your seam allowance from one end to the other. Perhaps you have a special foot or attachment for your machine that helps you keep a consistent seam allowance, or maybe you can use washi tape or some other type of marking on your machine bed or foot to help with this? There are a lot of ways to get a consistent seam allowance so use your favorite method and stick with that method through the entire piecing process.
- If you are having trouble with arcing or bowing strips sets, try alternating your sewing directions. That is, if you sew together strips #1 and #2 together from left to right, when you add strip #3 you should sew starting on the opposite end of the strip set and sew from right to left. The reason this helps is because as you sew the feed-dogs will pull the bottom piece of fabric at a slightly different speed than it pulls the top piece of fabric, resulting in a bowed strip. You might find find that using a walking foot (or an alternative like the IDT feature of my Pfaff) can help with bowing issues as well.
- Use good pressing techniques. I can't stress this one enough. Even if you do all the other things correctly, things can still go terribly wrong at the pressing stage if you aren't careful. Take the time to press correctly and you'll save yourself a lot of heartache!
- After you add a strip, lay the strip set flat and straight on your ironing surface and use a hot dry iron to set the seam.
- Starting on one end, carefully press the seam allowances toward the darker fabric and gently finger press it open. Don't get too aggressive here ... be gentle and take your time.
- Use a hot dry iron to lock your work into place. Again, be gentle!
- If you want to press your seams open instead of to one side, I suggest following the steps above and THEN flipping it over, finger pressing the seams open, and then carefully using a hot dry iron to set things in place. Some people skip right to pressing them open, but if you are having issues with distortion or bowing this might be the reason why. When I press seams open I like to use a product called a Strip Stick to help me keep things straight and perfect.
I hope you find this information helpful! Strip piecing is fun, easy, and speedy once you figure out what works best for you.
