PIECING - HAND .....Place 2 fabric pieces right sides together. With point of pin, match corner or other match points to align seamlines; pin. Use about an 18"-long single strand of quality sewing thread and sewing needle of your choice. To secure thread, begin at a match point and, without a knot, take a stitch and a backstitch on the seamline. Make smooth running stitches, closely and evenly spaced, stitching on the drawn line on both patches of fabric. Backstitch at the end of the seamline. Do not stitch into the seam allowances. Press seams after the block is completed. To join seamed pieces and strengthen the intersection, stitch through the seam allowances, and backstitch directly before and immediately after them. PIECING - MACHINE .....Use a 1/4"-wide presser foot for a seaming guide, or place a strip of opaque tape on the machine throatplate 1/4" from the needle position. Place 2 fabric pieces right sides together, raw edges aligned, and pin perpendicular to the future seamline to secure. Begin and end stitching at the raw edges without backstitching; do not sew over pins. Make sure the thread tension and stitches are smooth and even on both sides of the seam. When joining seamed pieces, butt or match seams, pin to secure, and stitch. Press each seam before continuing to the next. ..... To chain-piece, repeatedly feed pairs of fabric pieces under the presser foot while taking a few stitches without any fabric under the needle between pairs. Cut the chained pieces apart before or after pressing. PRESSING Proper pressing is a prerequisite for accurate piecing. Press with a light touch, using iron tip and an "up and down" movement. Save continuous motion "ironing" for wrinkled fabric. Use either steam or dry heat, whichever works best, and assembly-type pressing to save time. Choose a pressing plan before beginning a project and stay consistent, if possible. Seams are "set" by first being pressed flat and then pressed either to one side, usually toward the darker fabric, or open. Sometimes, both are used in the same project, depending on the design. To prevent distortion, press long, sewn strips widthwise and avoid raw bias edges. Other pressing hints are: use distilled water, avoid a too-hot iron which will cause fabric shininess, and pre-treat wrinkled or limp fabric with a liberal amount of spray fabric starch.