Strip Sewing - Is It Really Faster?

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CUTTING

RULERS

PRESSING

0:00 - Intro
2:30 - My Experiment
8:05 - Results
17:06 - Findings
19:04 - Other Findings

[ruthl]

I'm a strip piecer. Working with little fiddly bits is frustrating to me. But what I've heard no one mention is precision. Yes, I'm careful about cutting and sewing strips with tricks and tools. Consequently, my strip units and subcuts are more precise so the finished product is more nearly precise. And though you may be right, I'll take precision over speed every day of the week. Then again, I'm using yardage. I'm right there with you on the nesting, though. Especially so with spun seams.

[angiewarren]

One summer a few years back, I decided to take all of my scraps and cut them down to 2.5 inches squares and just sew them together. It took me all summer! I ended up with a very large “I spy” king quilt. I didn’t add in any background fabric. It was just what I had in my scraps. I started with 9 patches, then put 4-9 patches together, and so on. It really turned out kind of spectacular! I did wonder when I was sewing the quilt top, if I’d of had strips to work with, would it have been faster? I only had small pieces of fabric to work with as these were my super scraps! Now I feel like I know the answer! It still would have taken me all summer!! 😂 It might have been faster with strips but I don’t think I would have gotten the variety that I ended up with. Your little experiment was very interesting! Thanks for sharing!

[shannoneaster]

Oh my goodness! This episode has given this quilting, retired science teacher so much joy! I love an experiment, especially one that promotes efficiency and makes the process run more smoothly. Bravo for being willing to commit to this exercise and for your commitment to limiting your variables. I’m thrilled with your results as well. I’ve always believed that strip piecing felt like the more efficient method and would therefore be faster. I’d seen other quilters piecing 2.5” squares and wondered why on earth they weren’t strip piecing their blocks. And it really does come down to what works best for the quilter with the materials at hand.
Thank you for such a fun video fusing my two favorite pastimes, quilt making and scientific inquiry. Bravo! 👏🏼👏🏼

[suzie]

As someone who doesn’t always sew straight, I appreciate this effort. It’s encouraging for me to not try to get a lot finished, but to take my time and enjoy the process.
Thank you for sharing.

[AvivaHadas]

I made myself listen to the whole video instead of having a conversation as you went.
1. I'm glad you got to preference/joy.
Aside, I had to watch again because...
2. I just pieced a quilt from a pattern (not common for me - the finishing/borders sold me.) and it had strip piecing and I toyed with just cutting the squares because I know I am more accurate with squares vs strips. BUT I did the strip sewing and confirmed that while the beginning and ending of my strip sets were spot on, the middles were not - the variance wasn't huge and I am able to fudge with the best of them, but I would have preferred to just have sew squares and to have had them be the right size.
3. I'm never worried about the time (there isn't a blizzard coming and my family has enough quilts already). I have all of the same variables - I'm not in a race, this is my hobby & I don't want it to have the stress of my job, I have a stash to use, etc.
4. I also don't care for the cutting after. I got pineapple block rulers - they are sew press trim sew press trim sew press trim & I have avoided using them to use "some" scraps (because I will never use "them up") because I don't want to trim after.
5. I am very happy to see a pile of rectangles waiting for me to sew them together one by one. I prefer cutting them individually then sewing them one by one and then snipping each of their chain piecing threads.
6. That officially makes me a process person not a product person. (I had wondered, this though experiment made it clear for me.)

[jeanetterochnowskis]

Cathy that was very surprising. I was curious about this very topic. I personally feel that each person needs to do their craft anyway they choose. There are no rules when it comes to our hobbies. That's the defining thing that gives us our escape. There are enough rules in everyday life. If it takes us longer...well maybe we need to slow down. As we often like to say...Stop and smell the roses, which to me can also mean just enjoy and forget the time factor. Anyway great video! ❤️👍

[lindad]

I'm brand new at this! I pieced my first block a few weeks ago, and falling in love with it. That baby quilt will, with the help of some quilting friends, have batting, backing, quilting and binding - probably on Friday. They'll coach me through it, but they'll also make me do it. 😱

So with my copious experience, what I'm really enjoying is finding what I like to work with - what blocks and patterns I'm already enjoying working with! Including my first attempt at a little bit of strip piecing on a surprisingly forgiving block.

I'm a computer programmer, systems analyst and web manager... similar science brain, but with a definite twist. I really enjoy the puzzle solving aspect, batch processing, and not so much the skills I want in a pharmacist - the fiddly bits of what I would call excruciating detail.

Right now, I'm enjoying a very brand new hobby, and to enhance that enjoyment, Ill work on finding how to streamline processes, including strip piecing and other batch processing But, please don't ever change.

[christinahall]

Love your experiment! I, too, am a quilt hobbyist and I love the journey! I may not work on just one quilt at a time but that is what works for me! You, too, enjoy the process and journey. Quilting brings me great joy!!!! #2023Word - JOY

[sarahwisnewski]

Being creative is not a hobby it is a way of life. I quilt and I crave the joy and satisfaction it brings me. When I quilt I get lost in the process and put all other thoughts, cares and woes aside and come out on the other side ready to deal with life with a fresh mind. If I want to do a project quickly I choose a simple one. I have found the same as you that these two methods are equal. I enjoy your videos and caught you at the beginning.

[tiffanyclark]

Omg! How have I never heard the end of that quote?!?! Thank you so much!!!
I have been binge watching your videos & I am so theilled to try quilting with men's shirts. Your videos are beyond amazing & so much great information & advice, I just really enjoy all of them!!!

[michaelcaselli]

Great video! I’m sure your well researched info raised some eyebrows! After 40-some years of marriage, I’ve learned that “Everything takes longer than you think it will.” I think it applies to quilting, too, and maybe, just maybe, it gives me an out for every ‘extra’(?) creative minute I take in my quilt space! 😉

[nicolebeauchamp]

Thanks again for another enjoyable video. Personally I love strip sew but that's just my style and what I enjoy as you mentioned. After many years of strip sewing I'll give you a tip if I may in case you decide to strip sew again one day. Dial your stitch length down to 1.5 or 2. This gives a little more strength to the stitches where you sub-cut the strips so the stitches don't come undone.
And yes, I totally agree, our hobby is meant to bring us joy so whatever works for the individual is what's right.

[Making-Beth-Gain]

I love your Sew-experiment! I shy away from strip sewing if I’m working with thrifted fabric too. You pointed out good things from both approaches for sure ❤

[maryhollenbach]

I like the way you think, I make scrap quilts, and precut as an organizational tool, so I’m frequently sewing piece by piece. This makes me realize that it’s ok to take a little longer, and enjoy the process.

[dippsydoodlecreates]

What a fun experiment! I've often wondered wich is faster. Knowing that the difference is negligible, I feel better about sewing patch by patch. I thought that was the slower process, but I enjoy it so much more.

[wandachadwick]

Learned to hand-piece in the 90s with cardboard templates and a school ruler. I enjoy this method because it is soothing for me. Right now, I work at a high stress job and do EPP (great for lowering stress levels while waiting for apps to load on my ancient desktop computer at work). I complete more projects if they are portable, and I always wonder why people try EPP at all if they want "faster."

[valeriebigley]

Your experiment made me smile. Thank you for analyzing all that info for us. Now I don't have to wonder. Lol. I use both methods. I enjoy the strip method more but, if I'm using scraps I use the other one.

[kellyboyneoconnor]

I'm SO glad you completed that saying about curiousity and satisfaction! So many forget about that.

[patoconnell]

Like all your videos this was so well done!! I have gone down the rabbit hole of acquiring shirts to incorporate into some baby quilts I want to make after watching so many of your videos. Like you, in my head thought I would have deconstructed them in no time. Days later I knew that was not going to happen quickly. Granted I had acquired 22 of them on my first few good will searches 🤪🤪I now find myself in church looking at everyone’s shirts thinking “wonder where they will donate that?”🤣🤣 thank you for sharing so much here.

[deejenkins]

The main reason I watch your videos is that I love seeing your joy when you are creating. Honestly this experiment would be skewed in favor of the method the person doing it was accustomed to using. Where you are used to the methods you use when using shirts and can do it now as second nature, I would be hopelessly stressed out trying to work out out how many individual cuts I would need and how to get them. I on the other hand have always worked with yardage and can cut and piece together strip sets with very little thought or effort. We should all quilt in the manner that we are comfortable, and that brings us the joy of the process that we have in common. The only “right way” for any person to quilt, is the way that they do it. Keep doing your creating in the way that brings you joy and satisfaction.