Pinked Edges.....Grrrr

[Tracie T]

I thought I'd go to you all for help. I know the reason for pinked edges on precuts but they sure do drive me nuts when trying to sew them against a straight edge! I googled the issue only to find that some measure from the tip, some measure from the valley and some even cut them off!

I'm trying to make zipper quilt and stupid me didn't think I needed to measure my charm pack to be sure it's 5" but apparently the pinked edges on this particular pack made them a bit bigger. I cut my own 2 1/2" blocks for the ends that are now a bit too small since they have a straight edge.

I have more fabric to use but it irks me and I was wondering what you all do when dealing with sewing one pinked edge to one straight edge. Thanks for your advice.

[minipinlady]

Re: Pinked Edges.....Grrrr

While I do not have a solution, I can say I agree with you on how annoying those edges are.

[SuzanneOrleansOntario]

Re: Pinked Edges.....Grrrr

I feel your frustration.

[JCY]

Re: Pinked Edges.....Grrrr

Yes, those pinked edges can be a nuisance. I measure to see where I need to sew -- at the tips of the points or at the bottom of the groove, so my 1/4" seam comes out accurately. Also, keep your vac. handy to clean up the fuzz left behind. The black JRs were the worst.

[ktdid]

Re: Pinked Edges.....Grrrr

I always measure every precut, been there done that learning the hard way.

[KPH]

Re: Pinked Edges.....Grrrr

Donna Jordan, in a recent tutorial, placed the straight edged piece on top, centering it on the pinked edge. She used the straight edge for her 1/4" seam allowance.

I find it frustrating if you have pinked edges from two different manufacturers where one is pinked and the other is valley.

I guess the best advice, measure before you start working with your precuts. We've all had those, darned precut moments!

[Suzette]

Re: Pinked Edges.....Grrrr

I measure my precuts and see where the actual measurement (of say 5" for charm squares) lies - at the outer edge of the peaks or the inner part. This varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and package to package. Heck, it even varies within the precut itself a lot of times. But, that determines whether I will use the peaks or valleys to match up to straight edges.

Frustrating, yes. But still there are advantages to precuts so I have learned to just go with it. If they are all pretty consistent I'm good to go. If they vary then I either just say close enough is good enough (which works perfectly fine for some patterns, less so for others) or I begin trimming them all to size.

[Bernina2]

Re: Pinked Edges.....Grrrr

Always buy yardage and cut your own
quilt pieces. Problem solved.

[Suzette]

Re: Pinked Edges.....Grrrr

Always buy yardage and cut your own
quilt pieces. Problem solved.

But, if you like all the variety of fabrics in a precut package, it would take a bit of money to buy all the different fabrics necessary to do it this way. To each his own and what works for one won't work for another. But I like the variety and convenience of precuts enough to put up with some pinked edges and occasional inconsistencies in how they are cut. For those who feel differently, then I agree that yardage is the way to go.

[geegeequilts]

Re: Pinked Edges.....Grrrr

Yeah, but why are the edges pinked in the first place? Maybe I missed something. Love precuts but never have understood why they're not cut straight. Just wondering.

Gina

[midnightline]

Re: Pinked Edges.....Grrrr

Edges are pinked to reduce unraveling. Certain fabrics are more prone than others, but cotton does still unravel. I have some 1.5" strips that were not pinked, and they unravel something awful.

FYI: digital prints are printed on a finer weave fabric and thus do not unravel nearly as much as traditional prints. I would expect batiks to be more stable for the same reason.

[JCY]

Re: Pinked Edges.....Grrrr

If you want JRs that don't have pinked edges, buy from Jordan Fabrics. Matt cuts a lot of what they sell.

[KPH]

Re: Pinked Edges.....Grrrr

If you want JRs that don't have pinked edges, buy from Jordan Fabrics. Matt cuts a lot of what they sell.

Matt cuts all sizes of precuts, all with straight edges!

Sometimes I wonder about the fabrics he pulls together though.

[Tracie T]

Re: Pinked Edges.....Grrrr

Thanks all for your input. I learned now to always measure my precuts!

[JCY]

Re: Pinked Edges.....Grrrr

I agree about some of the fabric combos on Jordan Fabrics. I'm not crazy about some of the fabrics they combine for their log cabin quilts. Sometimes they seem too "busy". I sure wish I could visit their quilt store. Just having a virtual tour from their videos makes me realize how much fabric they stock. On a rare occasion I have ordered fabric from them. That Abundance quilt with the Kaffe Fassett fabrics is on my bucket list. For internet shopping, M* is always my first choice if I can find what I'm looking for.