[Masha Richart]

I’m working on my second Family Reunion dress, and despite what feels like great care being taken on my part, I can’t seem to get them all even. It seems like there are so many places to mess up? I used a tracing wheel to transfer the markings, then I really tried to stitch an even 1/4″ (I don’t have a 1/4″ foot, I bet that would help), but they still ended up uneven. What do you do?

[EllenMCM]

Can you use tape to mark a 1/4 inch seam allowance on your frog plate?

[Masha Richart]

Yeah, I could do that. I think my main problem is transferring the markings and making them perfectly parallel to the grain to start out with. I can get them parallel to each other, but sometimes they slide. I think I’ve ripped out more tucks than I’ve sewn on this dress. How do you guys transfer the markings? The problem with my tracing wheel method is that on the fabric I’m using it’s tough to see the little indents.

[wendy]

I like to mark my pintucks by measuring out from the center line of the dress with a ruler rather than transferring from the pattern. I measure and mark at the top of the dress and then at the bottom of the pintuck where the stitch ends. I only mark the middle line of each pintuck since I know that I can just sew the proper seam allowance and therefore don’t really need to have that stitch line transferred onto the fabric. Then, as I’m pressing them, I use my little ruler again to make sure that they’re equidistant from one to the next. I find this faster and more accurate than using a tracing wheel and shifty paper. Just a couple of marks per tuck and some careful pressing. 🙂

[Nicole]

My method is very similar to Wendy’s.

I mark the top and where I am to stop with pencil and then pin, sew, press and repeat. I check the width with my ruler before doing the next one.

Mine are certainly not perfect but I am pretty pleased with them.

~Nicole~

[Lightning McStitch]

I transfer the marking from the pattern using a sharp, fabric pencil, marking only the edge point and the stopping point. I then use a ruler to connect them with a straight line and then draw the 1/4″ lines either side, again using the ruler.

Fold along the centre line, pin such that the other lines are definitely underneath one another, then sew along one of the marked lines.

Also, I try to remember to decrease the stitch length.

….And then I try to remember to reset it before I sew the rest of the garment with micro-mini-stitches

[Masha Richart]

I knew there was some simple method I was just not seeing. Thanks, ladies, this is exactly what I needed!

[Jennifer1568]

I have found that I have to make them one at a time. I mark them all first but then press, pin, press, sew, and press them one at a time.

[runciblespoon]

I’ve found that with the family reunion dress it’s easiest to do the two outer pin-tucks first (in each group of three), and then to use the two sewn pin-tucks to centre the middle one.

[Maggie]

My method is similar to Lightening’s. I also double check that the pintucks are parallel with my ruler.

[Florabell]

I am stumped on how to mark my pintucks so that I may iron my folds. Every marking tool I have says not to iron over it. Any suggestions on marking tools that can be ironed over? Thanks!

[Nicole]

I use a tailors chalk pencil and I always iron over it, no problems.

~Nicole~

[with love Heidi]

I use a chalk wheel, I cut a small snip in the top of the fold of the pin tuck then use my quilting ruler to draw the lines parallel to the centre front or back. I then mark along where I need to stop sewing. Press all the pin tucks, pin and sew.

[meleliza]

It depends on your fabric too, but I like a chalk wheel or a sew line pencil.