Fixing Basting Problems with Irregular Pentagons and Prismatic Waves

Quick answer

If your irregular pentagons pucker or your Prismatic Waves rows misalign, stop and check your basting angle, seam allowance, and template placement before stitching further.

Diagnose your basting problem

• Symptom: Fabric pulls away from paper edge or forms small puckers at corners.
• Likely cause: You are basting too close to the paper edge, using stitches longer than 1/4 inch, or not pinning corners before basting along each side.
• Corrective action: Remove all basting on the affected piece. Pin the fabric taut at each corner, then stitch with a 1/8 to 3/16 inch seam allowance, keeping the needle close to the paper but not through it. After basting all sides, press the fabric away from the paper with your fingers—it should lie flat with no ripples. If you still see puckers after repinning, your fabric may be stretched. Cut a fresh piece and try again with a tighter pin at the corners.
• Stop or choose another option: If after two attempts you still get distortion, switch to glue basting instead of thread basting. Use a water-soluble glue stick applied thinly along each edge. Allow the glue to set before assembling rows. This method reduces fabric tension and is especially helpful for Prismatic Waves where seam alignment is critical.

Products that help with basting these shapes

• Prismatic Waves by Carl Hentsch of 3 Dog Design Co.: Prismatic Waves Pattern by Carl Hentsch of 3 Dog Design Co. uses templates to cut pieces for quilt assembly into vertical rows. Because the rows are vertical, basting errors on one irregular pentagon compound as you join pieces, so precise basting is critical from the start.

  

• 3" Irregular Pentagons Variation 01: 3" Irregular Pentagons Variation 01: Paper Pieces and Acrylic Templates Sold Separately. These template pieces have unequal sides, meaning each side length differs—one wrong basting angle can distort the shape entirely.