Hi friends! Kirsten here from Happy Little Quilt Shop — and today I’m so excited to share a little behind-the-scenes look at my prep for the Elizabeth Hartman Show and Tell Quilt. Whether I end up making the full quilt or just the wall-sized version (depending on how much time I can squeeze in!), one thing’s for sure: precision is key when working with patterns that have lots of little pieces.
Why Seam Accuracy Matters
If you’ve ever pieced together one of Elizabeth Hartman’s intricate quilt designs, you already know how vital an accurate quarter-inch seam is. Even a tiny deviation can throw your blocks off and cause frustration down the line. Luckily, my Brother Quilt Club Series BQ3100 has a secret weapon: a built-in laser guide that helps me keep every seam exactly where it should be.
Testing the Quarter-Inch Seam
The pattern instructions recommend testing your seam allowance before you dive in, so that’s where I started. I cut two 2-inch squares, lined them up under my O foot with the quarter-inch guide, and turned on the laser. A quick tip: the laser icon on the main utility stitch screen looks like a little garden pick with a red line — that’s the one you want!
Once my fabric was snug against the guide, I stitched the squares together. (Remember — keep your eyes on the fabric, not the needle! The needle’s only job is to go up and down.) After sewing, I used the automatic thread cutter — one of my favorite time-saving features — and checked my seam with the handy little ruler on the machine. Spot on at 3½ inches — perfect!
I did notice, as the pattern suggests, that pressing direction makes a difference. Pressing seams to one side can shift your measurement ever so slightly, so for this quilt, pressing seams open gives the most precise result.
Diagonal Seams and Stitch-and-Flip Corners
Next, I moved on to what I like to call stitch-and-flip corners — or as Elizabeth calls them, diagonal seams. Normally you’d draw a line from corner to corner, but with the BQ3100’s laser, you can skip that step. Simply line up the laser with your diagonal and sew straight along it. Just be sure your machine is threaded (ask me how I know — ha!) and focus on keeping the laser line right on your fabric corner.
Once you’ve sewn the seam, trim a ¼ inch from the line before pressing the corner open. And don’t drag your iron — press straight down and lift! That keeps your small fabric pieces from stretching out of shape. A tailor’s clapper helps too if you’ve got one handy.
Perfecting Half-Square Triangles
For half-square triangles, Elizabeth’s method makes two at a time. Since you’re sewing a ¼ inch off the drawn line, this is one time when the laser won’t line up perfectly with your stitching path. Instead, line up your guide foot on the marked diagonal line — the laser will show you exactly where your stitch will fall. Sew one side, flip, and sew the other, then cut down the center between the seams.
When pressing, go gently and press toward the dark fabric to minimize show-through on your finished quilt. You’ll end up with two perfectly matched half-square triangles ready for trimming.
Wrapping Up
And that’s it! With a little testing, a laser guide, and careful pressing, you can achieve perfectly precise seams every time. The Brother BQ3100 really takes the guesswork out of it — and for detailed patterns like the Elizabeth Hartman Show and Tell Quilt, that precision makes all the difference.
If you have any questions about the process, drop them in the comments below — I’d love to chat more about your experiences and tips. Until next time, happy sewing, and I can’t wait to quilt along with you soon!
Want to watch the video? Check it out here: https://youtu.be/l06_Sb58mk0?si=U5H8DnZ5lNAWwJJ1