A fun Scrap Quilt - Take a look

Do you like scrap quilts? Would you like to learn how to take all those leftover bits of fabric and turn them into a fun and easy quilt?

I have a great project for you. I just released my latest class titled "Happy & Scrappy" and the best part is it is at a new "Budget Friendly" price of only $21.50! That is a savings of over $15.00 off of our regular priced classes. You get access to the materials and the private forum for a full 60 days! That's about .36 cents a day.....you can't even get a cup of coffee for that.

The best part is you take this class at a time that is best for you since this is an online class! You are free to skip ahead in class or take as much time as you need. "But what if I have questions?" you might ask. Simple we have a private forum for you post questions where the teacher will answer them daily. You will learn from the other students questions as well since anyone in class can post questions or comments on the class. If you have something you want ask privately, then your teacher is just an e-mail away. So you are never alone!

Want to know more? Quilting Weekly is not only a classroom, but it is a growing community of quilters. Who are not only hear to learn, but they are here to share what they know with others from around the world.

What else does you site offer?

1. As a member you can participate in our weekly discussions found in the general forum. This is free to members.


2. You can receive our monthly newsletter. The newsletters will keep you up to date with new classes, or changes we are making to the site. There will be helpful articles or links to websites to help save you time in finding additional help for all your quilting needs. This is free to members.


3. You can receive our "hot tip of the week" sent by e-mail. These tips will not only save you time, but they will expand you quilting knowledge as well. This is free to members.


4. You can join in conversations in our chat box. The quick chat box is a way for you to stay connected to the other members on the site. Many friendships have been formed in this chat box that go beyond quilting. You can always find support and encouragement here. This is free to members.

There are many other parts to the site for you to explore so why not take a look? By the way membership is also free!

A tip on Scissors

Here is another one of my hot quilting tips for you!

This week’s tip is a simple one, but one that new quilters (and some of the veterans as well) should remember to do.

Scissors are a tool we can not be without

Your scissors are one the most important tool and one you can not afford to be without. So why do we have dull scissors in our sewing rooms? I know you may have one or two pair that is in fairly good condition but do you ever get them sharpened? And what can cause them to get so dull in the first place?

Let me address the question of how they get dull in the first place. Just like a good knife if we use it improperly it can ruin the edge. The same thing applies to scissors. The one thing that will dull your scissors quickly is cutting paper or plastic! If you need to cut paper patterns or plastic templates then what? You might be asking. The answer is simple; you need to have a pair of scissors for each task in your sewing room. Then label them for their intended purpose. Label 1 for paper, 1 for plastic and 1 for fabric. (Make sure if there are any scissor stealer's in the house that they know not to use the fabric scissors on anything but fabric!)

If you are buying scissors for the paper or plastic cutting buy the cheaper ones and replace as needed. Save your money and buy a good pair for your fabric. Fiskars makes some nice ones with spring loaded and cushioned handles. Ginger makes some of the best (also pricier scissors) on the market. They are well worth the money.

I am sure there are other brands available and I am not endorsing one brand over the other, these are just my opinions based on personal experiences. If you plan to buy scissors ask questions at your local fabric/quilt shops and see what they recommend.

As for keeping them sharp…………….well nothing lasts for ever so take them to a knife sharpener and get them sharpened. Many of the fabric shops have regular days when someone will be in to do sharpening so ask at your favorite shop. When should you get them sharpened? Your sewing machine needs a regular cleaning at least once a year right? Why not get your scissors sharpened around the same time? You can’t sew while your machine is being cleaned, so you won’t miss your scissors either!

Just remember your sewing is only as good as the tools you use! Buy the best you can afford, and keep them in top working order. Your sewing experiences will be much more enjoyable if you do.

Spring is in the air

Spring is in the air! Well at least it is here in the Midwestern part of the United States. This winter has been a strange one. With all the snow we had and the ups and downs in the temperatures. But I am glad to be coming up on one of my favorite times of the year, spring! Beyond the warm temperatures and all the budding flowers it is quilt show time here in Chicagoland.

International Quilt Festival comes to Chicago every spring and I can not wait to go! The show runs from April 11th through the 13th.

I missed out last year and thought the same would be true this year too do to my daughters dance schedules. But luck was on my side! She will be attending a dance convention that same weekend as the show. We are staying in a hotel not more than 6 blocks from the show! “Yipee” I get to go and look at quilts all day, and visit all the vendors while she takes classes all weekend. Now all I have to do is figure out how much money to take with me.

The making of a siginature quilt

Just got the news recently that one of my daughters dance teachers is going to be a mommy for the first time! Whoo hoo =D

So of course this means an opportunity to make a quilt. Ahhh a baby quilt. I have not had the opportunity to make one in a while so I am really looking forward to this.

I plan on making a signature quilt. I would like to have all the students and other staff members sign it. If there is room maybe even some of the moms might what to sign as well.

This is going to be a surprise. And keeping it a surprise may be a challenge. But I am up for it, and I hope the staff is too. Since they are going to be the ones to get the signatures without letting the teacher see it.

I found the backing fabric, and have the signature fabric now all I need is my pattern. I found a couple in a magazine I liked, but not sure if I will use them yet. I like to do my own designs, so I might just use these for inspiration.

The backing fabric is a soft flannel in white with pastel foot and hand prints on it. Soooooo cute! I found it at JoAnn Fabrics.

Before I start to sew this, I will need to prepare the signature fabric. To make things simple (and since I don't really know how many signatures there will be)I will just cut strips of fabric to be used in the borders. I was going to make individual blocks, but then this quilt might be gigantic! So wide borders will give more space and it will be easier for the dance studio to work with.

I will cut the over sized borders and put freezer paper on the back. That way it will be stiffer and easier to write on. I tested a few fabric markers and found that they bleed through to the back so the paper will keep things from bleeding on the counter when they are signing it. Once they are done, I can peel off the paper and heat set everything. Then sew them on the quilt.

I hope this all works. Since I will be cutting the borders, before I start the top. Kind of backwards from how I usually work. I guess if the top is larger than the borders, then I can add corner blocks or some other form of piecing to fill in the lengths if needed.

Well I am off to cut the borders, and add the freezer paper. Wish me luck!

Choosing Thread for Quilting

Choosing a thread color for your quilting stitches is as important as the fabrics you use.

If you are new to machine quilting, try a thread color that blends or matches your fabrics well. When you match the thread color to the fabric your stitches won’t show as much. For a simple all over design try meandering. Meandering is just a larger version of stippling. Think of it like large puzzle pieces.

If you really want to show off the quilting stitches than use a thread in a color that is contrasting to the fabric color. This may be especially important when using decorative threads as a strong design element.

If you are not sure what colors will look best, do a sample quilt using the same fabrics and batting as in your quilt. Sample pieces are a good way to make sure not only the thread is right but also your tension and stitches are right. This is especially important when trying out a new quilting design.

Quilting Made the News!

I love when quilting gets the recognition it deserves.

Quilting is really becoming a big industry as this clip from CBS Morning show discusses. On the video bar, click "Quilts for Sale"
There is an interview with Ricky Tims. He is a talented male quilter and musician. His website is also worth taking a look at.

What type of quilter are you?

There are many styles of quilter. There are the traditional quilters and then there are those who stretch the limits and go off into uncharted territories with unique works of art.

Do you prefer traditional patchwork and time honored appliqué like the quilters of the past?

Or do you prefer to blaze your own trail? Creating your own patterns and designs to make unique works of art?

I would have to say I am a bit of both. Although I do prefer to do my own patterns and designs. And art quilts always attract and inspire me. I love to explore new techniques and break as many rules as possible.

What about you? Leave your comments here and let's see which type of quilters are reading this blog.

Quilt frame challenges!

I just finished a fun scrap quilt, and now have put it up on my quilt frame. I have a hinterberg frame. Check out the website, if you have not heard of these. These frames are what I call a mid arm style quilting. You use your domestic sewing machine on the frame and drive the machine across the quilt. So quilting is like a long arm in the way it moves across the quilt, but (to be a long arm, you need a special machine that has a much larger throat opening on it giving you more quilting space.) Here is another popular frame that works the same way. Graceframe,or little Gracie II


I liked the hinterberg frame for the simple fact that I can choose the size of the frame. You see with this frame you buy simple electrical conduit for the poles. You can use them as is, (about 10 feet in length) or cut them smaller if you do not have the space for such large setup. You can even have more than one size if you want to buy extra poles. I cut mine down to 7 feet to fit in my room. (I am now considering getting the extra set of poles in the 10 foot length. I now moved my frame to the basement and have the room. I also made a quilt, that is larger than the my current poles. So it has sat in the UFO pile for almost a year now.

Back to my scrap quilt

I have not used my frame in over a year! And it took me a few tries to remember how it goes back together. Now onto loading my quilt!

Ok, loading the quilt, was more of a challenge then I wanted. It is not difficult, it just takes time, and I am just a bit impatient. After several hours, I finally had it ready to quilt. Yipee!

Then I realized I put the quilt on the rollers, before I put my machine on! Yikes. If you look at this photo from their website, you will see what I mean. As you can see in the photo, the back pole is supposed to go through the machine. So I had to loosen everything up and carefully put the pole (with my quilt still on it through the machine). Probably not the best way, but certainly the quickest way. I was not about to start over! after all it took me about 3 hours to set up the first time because I was so out of practice with setup. Normally it should take about an hour with a large quilt, at the longest!

Anyway, now came the part I hate, getting the foot pedal setup for the right speed. And of course like every other step, I had forgotten how to do this, and it took another 2 hours. This part really is better with 2 people, and well no one was home, so it was all me! All two hours with me! And I still only got about half speed. This is the most frustrating thing. I am going to the International Quilt Show in Chicago in a few weeks, and you can bet I will be visiting their booth to find out what the secret is to getting the foot pedal right.

You see I have a speed control on my machine, so I like to be able to control my quilting speed from there. Which means I need to get the rocker arm to press down on the foot pedal fully (giving me max speed) then I can set the machine to whatever speed is comfortable. But for some reason I can only get it to press half way down. Which is a bit slow, and my quilting stitches are too big if I go to fast with the movements!

If you have one of these frames, and know the secret to getting full speed, PLEASE post it here for me! (and anyone else who reads this)

Maybe after I get some practice with my quilting again on this frame I can take a few photos to share, or maybe a video to post. (well only if it is worthwhile......as I am still a beginner with quilting on the frame)

I know this was a bit of a personal rant, and not much of a lesson, (other than I need to have more patience! :-) But I hope you still enjoyed this, and will come back again to see what other quilting tid-bits I have to share with you. After all quilting is a journey, and with any journey there can be a few bumps in the road. We just need to learn how to avoid them the next time we travel down that road.

What caused my thread to break?

Thread breakage during sewing can be a real problem. Knowing what caused it can help you to prevent it from ever happening again.

Here is a checklist for trouble shooting thread breakage:

Damaged or incorrect needle: Change the needle, as it may have dulled from overuse or could have a burr or nick. If the needle is new, check that it is the correct size and the eye is large enough for the thread type being used.

Defective or old thread: Lower-quality threads may have thick and thin spots that lead to breakage Thread that is too old becomes dry and brittle as it ages, causing it to break easily. (So inheriting grandmas thread box may not be such a treasure after all)

Improperly threaded machine:Check to see that your spool is properly positioned on the sewing machine. the thread may be getting caught on the spool cap and as it comes off the top o the spool. The solution may be as simple as turning over the spool on the spool pin.

Or, if the presser foot wasn't raised when you threaded th machine, the thread may not be caught between the tension discs inside the machine. the quickest fix is to remove the spool and re-thread your machine with the presser foot raised.

Operator error:Pushing or pulling on the fabric or allowing drag to be created by hanging a heavy quilt over your work surface can increase stress on the thread and cause breakage.

Tension too tight:Refer to your machine's manual for the proper tension setting.

Wrong thread: You may have the wrong thread type for the fabric you've chosen. Change the thread and sew on a scrap of fabric to see how a differnt thread performs.

These helpful tips were taken from the Complete Guide to Quilting by Better Homes garden.

Another helpful quilting tip

Sewing your quilt together involves many steps. Cutting, pressing, and sewing. Have any errors in these steps can cause you frustration when assembling the final product. One sure way to prevent problems is to double check your work along the way. Here are some places to keep checking as you work.

Cutting

1. When you fold your fabric for long strips, feel the fold line to be sure there are no spaces or gaps. If there are, you will have a wavy strip. Unfold the fabric and press it. Then refold the fabric and check again. Make your first cut to get a clean edge. Now cut your first strip. Unfold it and see if it is straight. It is important to check every few strips to see if you have any waves. Sometimes you need to re-fold the fabric and re-do the clean cut again. As the fabric can slip,or your fold can shift causing a crooked strip.
2. If you have lots of strips to cut the same size, put a piece of tape on the ruler to mark you line for cutting. Trust me this helps!

Sewing

1. When sewing strips it is important to keep your eyes focused on one spot. (I usually look at the point where my fabric meets the foot). If you look away or move your eyes around you tend to move the fabric too causing wobbles or wavy seams. So keep focused on one spot and you will sew straighter lines.
2. Square up your blocks. After joining two fabrics, press, and then double check the measurement. Sometimes you need to trim, or re-sew if it is too small (although minor adjustments can be made with pressing). I find that my quarter inch seams are varied. Some are exact, some are scant, and some tend to be generous. This can lead to uneven blocks as you add more pieces to them. If you sew a seam, press and check the size. If you get in the habit of this your blocks will always fit. And you will eliminate frustrations when you join your rows.
3. Make sure you match your intersections when joining block segments or rows to help keep things lined up. One sure way to do this is place a pin in the seam, making sure it goes directly into the seam on both fabrics. Let this pin hang straight between your fingers, and place a pin on the left and then right side of the first pin as close to the pin as you can. Then remove the first center pin.

Pressing

1. Press to the darker fabric in most cases.
2. Lift and set the iron down, do not slide the iron as this can cause stretching
3. Do not press bias edges until they are sewn to another patch. Especially with steam! They will stretch. If you need to press them for any reason, try finger pressing.

I hope this helps you increase your accuracy with your projects and eliminate some of the frustration in assembling your quilt tops.

Understanding machine needles

Let’s talk about needles. Last week in our forum discussion we learned how often you should change your needles on you sewing machine. If you missed out on the discussion, head over to Quilting Weekly and see what you we talked about. By the way, each week I will be posting a new topic in the general forum to help expand your minds.

But what size needle should I use?

Choose the correct size needle for your project by first matching the thread thickness to the fabric; then to the needle. Size 75/11 is suitable for nearly every part of the quilt making process; piecing machine appliqué and quilting. If aslightly heavier thread is used for quilting, such as 40 weight or metallic, a size 90/14 needle may be used. For a thicker thread, try using a 100/16.

The numbers on the packages what do they mean?

When you look at a package of machine needles you will see two numbers separated by a slash. The number on the left side of the slash is the European size (range of 60 to 120); on the right hand side is the American size (range of 8 to 21).

Did you know?

With machine needles the larger the number the larger the needle
With hand needles the larger the number the smaller the needle

Pick the best needle for the job!

For piecing & binding with cotton fabric and cotton thread
size 75/11 or 80/12

For piecing with flannel
size 90/14

For quilting with monofilament thread
size 60/8, 70/10, 75/11, or 80/12

For machine applique
size 60/8, 70/10, 75/11, or 80/12

For sewing batiks, silk, or fabrics with high count cotton thread
size 70/10

For embellishing with decorative threads
size 80/12 or 90/14

For adding binding and borders
size 75/11 or 80/12

Hope this information helps you make better decisions on what needle to buy or use for your quilting projects!

Quilting tip of the week

I am a little behind on posting my quilting tips, and do apologize to you all. I will try to get you caught up on the tips I have been sending to my members at Quilting Weekly.



This Weeks hot tip is:

I hear people talking about the "Bias" what does that mean?

Here is a definition of bias:

Any diagonal line between the crosswise or lengthwise grain line in woven fabric. The bias grain has more stretch and is less stable than the crosswise or lengthwise grain. True bias: intersects the lengthwise grain and the crosswise grain at a 45 degree angle.

Here are some other "bias" facts for you.

Bias bars: Purchased metal or heat-resistant plastic bars in varying widths that are used to make bias stems.

Bias bindings: Binding strips cut on the true bias (see above) grain, resulting in a binding that can be easily positioned around curved edges. When striped fabrics are cut on the bias, the result is a "barber pole" effect.

Bias seams: When bias edges of fabric are sewn together, a bias seam results. This seam can be easily stretched and distorted and must be handled with care.

Bias stems: Fabric strips cut on the bias grain so that they are flexible enough to bend without wrinkles or puckers when making floral stems or vines for appliqués.

Bias strips: Long, thin pieces of fabric cut on the bias grain.

That is about all I have to say about bias. Since I am behind this week, you will see a few more tips this week so that I can get caught up. I am sure you won't mind more tips...........right?