Quilting Weekly Blog

Christmas in July - Quilting Weekly Sale

2010-07-15T12:09:00.000-05:00

Christmas will be here before you know it! Sorry folks, but that is the truth and if you are like me, you are not thinking about cold weather, or holiday gifts right now.

But don't panic, as I have a solution for you!

Check out this great sale, "Christmas in July" from Quilting Weekly and you can get started today!

Purchase a great Block of the Month pattern, and then pick up your free coupon for a class of your choice. Many of our regular classes offer great gift giving ideas, along with easy to follow instructions. Several of our classes offer multiple projects in one great class so you can get a great start to gift making this season!

This sweet deal won't last long, so you better head over to Quilting Weekly today, and pick up your Block of the month patterns, and your free coupons. (By the way if you buy both patterns, you can get 2 coupons for a free class!) Keep one for your self and give the other to a friend! Gift giving just got even easier!

Quilting weekly discusses member features

2010-06-22T10:16:00.000-05:00

Did you have a chance to join us last night? We had a great chat this month. Our chat was a continuation of last months chat.

In May we started talking about some of the features under "My Account" which are available only to registered members of Quilting Weekly.

Features like:

Personal Blogs, and posting on your friends walls
Finding and connecting with friends
Resetting your passwords

And This month we reviewed the above topics and expanded on them even more:

Searching the forum for specific topics
Seeing the latest posts quickly & easily
Finding friends from the forum
And we also discussed the benefits of using your personal blogs/galleries

If you did not make Mondays chat, that's OK, you can join us on either Wednesday with the UK girls @ 8pm London UK time zone, or join in on Friday with our eastern members @ 8pm Eastern time. Visit t the World Time Clock to see what time it is in your neighborhood.

We have thousands of members on Quilting Weekly now, get to know them better by joining our chats or start exploring the site on your own. Make your experience even more rewarding by connecting with other members who share your passions for quilting. Remember if you get stuck, you can always send me an email.

Talk to you soon.
Chris

P.S. Have you had the chance to check out our June Challenge yet? Go to the General Discussion Forum and join in, it's not too late. Besides you could be our next winner!

Free - Quilt Block Challenge

2010-05-29T08:10:00.000-05:00

Looks like we are nearing the end of the month once again. How did we get here so fast? Not sure about that, but what I am sure of is this means we will be awarding 2 lucky winners of our monthly challenge at Quilting Weekly.

May's quilt block challenge was determined by the members. Each member was to post a personal goal of how many blocks they wanted to finish by the end of the month, then post the finished blocks. Pretty easy right?

Everyone who did this will be entered into a random draw for a free quilting class from Quilting Weekly, and they will be sent a packages of Printed Treasures fabric sheets! But it didn't stop there. For the first time we are going add a viewers choice award, so there will be a second winner this month too! This is where you can help us.

All you need to do, is go to the forum and look through the photos to pick your favorite blocks. Then send me the name of the user. I don't want these posted on the forum, so that I can surprise the winner. You can send you votes to me by email, which can be found on here under my profile. Or if you join our website you can send me a private message right from Quilting Weekly. (My user is "Chris")

Please help us pick our winner. Go vote now! The voting will close as of June 6th, 2010.

(photo above was posted by one of our members..........."Anita". Aren't these lovely blocks?)

Next Months Challenge:

If you want to get in our challenge for next month, you will need to join the website to post on the forum, which is free. I suggest you visit the "June Challenge" post to see the rules. They are pretty simple, it will still be a block challenge, but I added a new twist this month. There are even more ways to win!!

We already have several challengers who posted their goals. I love to see ambitious quilters! Won't you join in the fun? June Quilt block challenge is also free..........but you still need to join the website to be able to post. This can be done from this blog (with the form at the top, or directly from Quilting Weekly)

Good luck to all the challengers!!

Navigating Quilting Weekly

2010-05-26T08:27:00.001-05:00

Our chat this month was based on "navigating our classroom website". Quilting Weekly is a place to learn to quilt, but it is much more than that. It is a community where quilters can come to share and support one another.

Our wonderful technical person Simon Frost, has built the website with a number of fun features which will help you build those friendships and enjoy you time spent on our website. While we want you to check out our classes we also want you utilize some of these other wonder free features.

Since the site re-opening in the spring of 2009,I have been monitoring the use of these features. I have found that they aren't being used much. And then it hit me. Realizing that just because Simon, Michelle and I know these features are there, and we know how to use them doesn't mean you do.

I took the opportunity in May, 2010 during our regularly scheduled chats, to share some tips on using these features. Those who attended were thrilled to find out about the features and felt much more confident about using them after our chat. I also received numerous emails asking me to do another session in June. Partly because we ran out of time to cover all the features, and partly because a number of you couldn't make the May chat.

This lead me to another thought. Maybe I need to write these instructions down, or create some tutorials on how to use the site, and get the most out your membership here. Just what I needed, more work. LOL Seriously I think that this is a project worth doing, for you and for the future members of our site. I know that by giving you instructions up front, my email box may get less activity, which I can live with. Because currently I get numerous emails asking some of the same questions over and over again. (Now I like to get your emails, don't get me wrong), but I think that I could make better use of my time, if I wasn't answering the same questions, and besides I think you would be a happier customer from the start if you knew what to do on your own.

So for now, I want to just let you know what we covered and what we still need to cover in our next chat. And then I need to get to work on those tutorials for you.

Monday night we covered:

The chat room (logging in from the Quilting Weekly (http://www.quiltingweekly.com) website or from Chatroll website (http://www.chatroll.com) the differences and advantages of each method.
Changing passwords details on how to change the preset passwords we send you after registration
Uploading photos to the forum tips were shared on max size and how to add photos to posts.
Finding and connecting with friends using the search feature and then connecting to friends was explained.

What we didn't have time to cover:

Your blog pages what is a blog, and why do I need one?
Your wall commenting on your friends wall is a great way to keep in touch
Personal galleries show off your quilting projects, pets or anything else you like (G-rated of course)
Other places for information there are many other areas of the site that are helpful, like the teachers pages, tips, and graphics pages
Getting the most out of the forums there is a lot of great content in the forums, do you know how to find it?
Ordering products find out how to order classes, and how the specialty (mysteries & block of the month) classes work.

We are making changes to the site, (yes once again we need to update the site) which I wanted to share as well but ran out of time. These changes will hopefully make using the site a bit easier, and cosmetically it will look prettier (or at least I think so). So watch for news on this to be announced either here on the blog, or by email.

In the meantime, I suggest you join in on one of the other chats this week.

Wednesday 8pm London UK time
Friday 8pm EDT - Eastern time

Not in these areas? check The World Clock to see what time it is in your area.

Quilting Weekly Chat room

2010-05-24T19:57:00.000-05:00

Join us for our monthly chats. All chats are held on the 4th week of the month.

Join in as a guest or become a member of Chatroll.

Monday 8pm Central time
Wednesday 8pm London UK
Friday 8pm Eastern time

Live Blog

Free patterns for Sewing Machine Covers

2010-05-12T13:34:00.000-05:00

Does your sewing machine get a bit dusty when not in use? Or do you like to keep the room neat and tidy as the room might also be your dinning room or spare bedroom that has the occasional guest?

If so then you might want to make a personal sewing machine cover for you sewing machines.

Here are a few sites that you might find useful. They all have free patterns for making your own sewing machine covers.

If you found one of these particularly helpful, I would love for you to leave me a comment telling me what you found most helpful about it.

Thank you and happy sewing ladies & gentlemen!

Quilt as Desired, what does that mean?

2010-05-07T17:11:00.002-05:00

When you make a quilt from a pattern, you usually get detailed instructions on everything from cutting to how to assemble the blocks. You even get instructions on how to press your fabrics. But what about the quilting stitches? Do they tell you how to quilt the fabric, or even how to put it all together? Not usually. They assume we all know the next steps.

Well if you’re an experienced quilter, then you know what to do next. But for the beginner it is a little more complicated. Let me see if I can shed a little light on the subject.

As a self taught quilter, I was very proud of my first quilt. Well it was really only the quilt top. Little did I know that to make it a quilt there was still so much more to do. Putting the backing and batting in seems simple enough. Even basting the layers together went pretty well. But now I needed to quilt it. I really had no idea what to do next. Here are a few questions to consider before moving on.

The following information was taken from the book “Complete Guide to Quilting” from Better Homes and Gardens.

1) Am I making this to be an heirloom quilt, to be passed on from generation to generation? Then elaborate designs with intricate details would be something to consider. If not, try simple quilting designs that are easy to complete.

2) Is this quilt going to be laundered often? Then I would probably machine quilt it for more durability.

3) How much time do I have to complete it? Save the intricate hand quilting designs for quilts that you don’t have to rush to complete. If you have limited time and still want to hand quilt, then remember to keep the designs simple.

4) What do you prefer to do? Hand quilt or Machine quilt. You will be more inclined to complete the project if you’re doing something you enjoy.

5) Do I want my quilting stitches to be visible in the quilt top? Whether by machine or by hand, save intricate, close quilting for projects that will showcase the stitching, and more basic designs for those with busier fabrics and more pieces where it’s likely the quilting stitches won’t show.

6) Does this quilt have a traditional, folk art, contemporary mood? Sometimes the feel of a quilt will drive the quilting design. For example, a traditional quilt may call for a feathered wreath design, but a folk art quilt may look best with big stitches quilted in pearl cotton thread.

The next step is finding your inspiration. Don’t limit yourself to pre-cut stencils, and templates or books of quilting designs, although these are great places to start. There are so many other ways to get your design.

One way is to think about the theme of the quilt. For example, if you’re making a Christmas quilt, consider holiday related items, like ornaments, or strings of lights, trees, holly, garland, mittens, snowflakes, etc.

· A round ornament could be stitched as a simple circle, for instance. A wavy line could represent garland in a narrow border.

· Look to the fabric for more inspiration. Is there a simple shape or motif in one of the fabrics, like a leaf, or flower that could work as a design?

· Even household items, such as picture frames, jewelry, and kitchen tiles, can produce quilting design ideas. The bubbles in an aquarium, for example, may suggest the perfect pattern for a goldfish quilt.

Remember this is only one quilt, and there will be many more to make. So have fun, and keep looking for your inspiration it is all around you. Now you are truly free to “Quilt as desired”.

BOM aka Block of the Month pattern

2010-04-28T10:51:00.000-05:00

This post may look familiar to you, if you are also a reader or follow my Online Quilting blog. I normally keep business related topics for my online classroom website to this blog and use the other blog for more personal information. But both blogs contain quilting topics, as that is my passion and my business. On occasion I will cross post, this is one of those times.

I encourage you to follow both blogs, or at least have a look at the other one, as there are many useful pages of helpful quilting information, sprinkled with some of my personal life and humor. I suggest you check out the "quilting websites" and quilting blogs" pages along with the "free patterns" page. These are my most popular pages and always change and get updated.

I posted this here for a couple of reasons, one is there are many who do not read the other blog. The purpose of this blog is to keep my readers up to date with what we are doing on Quilting Weekly, which makes this post also relevant here.

Of course if you were to just add your name to the form at the top of this page, you would be on my mailing list and get this kind of information and much more sent directly to your email!

Do you like to learn at your own pace?

Block of the month programs are popular without a doubt. I see them everywhere and so, I just had to add a few to my own website. Quilting Weekly, is my online quilting classroom website that you have heard me mention in many posts here. Today is one of the days where I needed to post about news from that site.

This news is too good not to share with you (well at least I think it is). I know you are a quilter, or you wouldn’t be reading my blog. And as a quilter you reason for reading my blog is to learn more about quilting. Whether you are a new to quilting or have been quilting for years, we all need to continually learn new things. And what better way to learn than to sign up for a BOM (aka block of the month)!

One of the benefits of taken online lessons is you get to work at your own pace and from home. You simply choose your pattern, download your instructions and work when you can for as long as you want. You own the pattern so you can use them over and over as many times as you like. The one advantage of buying from our site, is you also get personal one on one help if you need it. Your teachers and I are here to support you, but if you don’t need help, then we leave you alone. You are in total control from stat to finish! Try us, and see for yourself. With our money back guarantee you have nothing too loose.

Our classes never cancel………………

Add creativity to your day and see what happens

A BOM is a fabulous way to learn as each month you get a new block pattern to learn new techniques and try out a variety of patterns without ever leaving home! This satisfies both your needs to learn new things and explore something creative. In our fast past life, we tend to focus on survival mostly, and leave the creative stuff for that elusive “when I have time”, which never seems to happen.

I challenge you to learn to add time for creativity daily and I know that if you do, your days will be much more enjoyable. You will be happier, and will find more time than you ever thought you had. You will want to get done with those tasks like bill paying, cleaning, done faster because you know the reward is “I have time to quilt”.

When you sign up for a BOM pattern it is not a big commitment, in fact quite the opposite. It is only a small commitment of time each month. And the best part is you control when and how long you spend on the project. I will send you a new pattern every 30 days. That means you will have a full month to find time to work on it. But when you see these patterns I don’t think you will want to wait, instead you will want to get started right away.

Here’s a brief description of our new patterns

These pattern can only be found at Quilting Weekly

The Diagonal Block of the Month by Thea McCurry
This pattern focuses on all diagonal blocks. Thea has been teaching for over 20 years, and has been in charge of creating block of the month patterns for her guild so you know she has what it takes to give you quality lessons.
Adding diagonal blocks to any quilt, will not only add interest but it can add movement as well. You can use these alone, or mix them with other block patterns. Learn to make 12 different blocks, one a month and at the end of the year you will have enough to make a beautiful sampler to show off your new skills. Beginners and confident quilters will both enjoy the challenge of this pattern.

Diagonal Block of the Month is only $6.00 a month very reasonable for all the fun and knowledge you get.

Mystery Block of the Month by Kelly Smith
This pattern combines the surprise elements of a mystery quilt and the fun of a block of the month pattern all in one! But it gets even better than that. Kelly included a new pieced block, an appliqued version of that block, and a new project to showcase your skills in each months lessons!

That is 24 blocks, 12 projects and at the end of the 12 months, you can now create a full 24 block sampler or make several smaller ones. How you use these blocks is up to you but I guarantee you will not be short of ideas when you are through with her lessons. The best part is in the mystery of how your sampler will look in the end, as she will not reveal all the blocks. (Ladies & gentlemen, I haven’t even seen all 12 blocks yet and I am the owner of Quilting Weekly!)

Kelly has been writing for years and is an accomplished author so you know her lessons are well written and easy to follow. Her style is leave nothing to chance, and give them more than they expect and she does this for only $14.97 a month!

Mystery Block of the Month is only $14.97 a month. At this price you would be a fool to pass up on learning 24 new blocks, 12 new projects and the opportunity for learning all these new skills! (I have to warn you though, this price is for a limited time only as it will eventually go up to $27.00 a month) So don’t wait, sign up today.

Quilting Help is just a blog away!

2010-04-23T16:58:00.000-05:00

When you need help with quilting, it can be as quick as a click of the mouse. There are wonderful blogs today on quilting, and quilters love to share there tips and ideas with other quilters.

I ran across one of those wonderful quilting blogs today that not only had lot's for helpful articles on the basics of quilting, but it also has lot's of free patterns too! Now as a quilt teacher my goal is to teach you quilting.......but why reinvent the wheel right? I mean if there is good information available already, then there is no need to recreate it on my blog.

Instead I will just point you to a fabulous link today that I know you will come back to thank me for. (leaving me comments let's me know you like what I do so I do it again).

Take a look at "Oh, Fransson!" a fabulous blog, loaded with great quilting information, tips and patterns. And don't forget to visit her Shop while you are visiting, she has some lovely patterns for sale.

New BOM patterns coming soon!

2010-04-22T10:26:00.001-05:00

Just a quick note to tell you about 2 very exciting new patterns coming to Quilting Weekly in just a few days!

That's right, you asked for them, and now here they are:

We have a new Diagonal BOM (block of the month) pattern that was created by Thea McCurry. This pattern will add spice to any of your quilting projects. Learn a new diagonal block pattern each month and at the end of the 12 months you will have a very stunning diagonal sampler. Or you might just want to make several smaller quilts with each of the blocks. The choice is your, but you can only purchase this pattern if you are a member of Quilting Weekly........so sign up today and I will send you a personal note telling you when it's ready.The Diagonal BOM will sell for only $6.00 per month.

If you really like BOM patterns, and want an even bigger challenge, then the Mystery BOM pattern by Kelly Smith will be right up your alley. This pattern combines the surprise of a mystery quilt with all the fun of a traditional BOM pattern. But wait it gets even better........

Each month you will receive your surprise block pattern, which will include a pieced block, an applique version of that block, and a mini project to use those blocks in! That's right you will get 24 blocks, 12 mini projects and at the end of the 12 months you will get a full 24 block sampler quilt!!

What a bargain for only $27.00 a month. That just might too much excitement for that low price. Get in on this one before my sanity returns. I might just have to raise the price on this one. It is so full of quality content that it really could sell for $37 or more!

Sign up is easy, fill in the form at the top of this page to get on my mailing list. Once these are open for sign ups you will be notified by email. If you are already on my mailing list there is nothing to do now, but wait patiently for their release.

Talk to you in a few days!

Marking the quilt

2010-04-15T08:55:00.000-05:00

Great ideas for marking your quilt from Nancy of Nancys' Notions. I especially like the last idea! I have not tried that one yet but think it might be a good one to use. Although she says to pin first and then make the sandwich. I think it might be better to make the sandwich then pin on the stabilizer. What do you think?

Quilting Weekly newsletter

2010-04-12T09:22:00.000-05:00

Just thought I would talk a bit about our newsletters at Quilting Weekly. I know many of you are just readers of my blog, and not actually members of my quilting classroom website, which means you don't get my newsletters.

I have to ask you why not? Joining the site is free, and the benefits are more than worth it. Our newsletters are for members only, this is one of the benefits of joining. I share a lot of good information in them and feel that the least you can do is sign up first. I am not asking for a monetary commitment, just fill in a few boxes with name and email, and you are all set.

Every newsletter is full of my wit and personal stories, that alone should be worth it! But seriously, I share all the news about what is happening around our site, like new teachers, classes we are working on, site changes etc. Special offers (that are for members only), along with useful websites, tips and links. This is in every issue!

Last year I started archiving these on the site, so that you can go back and read them anytime you like as many times as you like. Now you don't have to save them and eat up valuable space on your own computers. I really think this is another benefit. I send you a quick note, letting you know the latest edition is up, and you can read it when it is convenient for you.

Just to give you an idea of what is in our newsletters, I am going to do something I have never done before, give you a link to this months newsletter so you can decide for yourself..........is this worth signing up for?

April -2010 Quilting Weekly newsletter

Of course signing up for our website is about much more than getting a newsletter, but those benefits are for another blog post. (One benefit I will share is that if you ever have a quilting question, you can always contact me for an answer whether or not you ever make a purchase from me.) Those who know me, know I will go out of my way to help anyone I can. You can find my email address on the website, or under my profile here. Go ahead give that a try, send me a question............see how fast I answer you!

In the meantime either fill out the form on the top of this page to join our site, or go directly to the website and register. You can always cancel if you find it is not for you. We respect your privacy and will never share you information.

Referrals are Quilting Weekly's compliments

2010-04-05T09:46:00.002-05:00

In any business online or otherwise, referrals are just like getting compliments. Quilting Weekly is no exception. When you share our sites with your quilting buddies, we feel very honored. That is like getting one of the best compliments we could ever get. The fact that you feel we are worthy of telling your friends about says a lot about what we are doing.

So if you think that our blog, or our website is worthy of sharing let me know, and I will reward you and your friends with a special gift!. I know that sounds like I am paying you for a compliment but in reality I am just showing you my gratitude and appreciation for your efforts.

All you need to do is post about us on your blogs and include the links, then come back here and leave me a comment so I can contact you. I will then send you your very own special discount coupon good for 50% off your first purchase of any of our online classes. If you have friends who join the site because of your post, tell them they too need to visit here and leave me a comment; include where they heard about us, and I will send them a coupon as well.

I really do value you.........and want to show my appreciation for what you are doing to help get the word out about my sites.

Post about Quilting Weekly (our online classroom) or Quilting Weekly Blog (here) here is the url for these sites to make this easier. Simply copy and paste these addresses in your blog posts http://www.quiltingweekly.com (classroom) http://www.quiltingweekly.blogspot.com (for this blog) You could also just copy and paste the code for the banner ad located at the top right side of this page. This will put a permanent graphic on your site, which you can leave up That would really be a compliment and worth a free class coupon.
Include links back to one or both sites
Leave me a comment with your contact info (website if it contains your email info) or (click on my profile here to obtain my email address and send me an email) If you choose to use email to contact me, please include "referral" in the comments.

Thank you for your compliments and referrals..........and for helping me with my vision of teaching the world to quilt!

Chris

Create your own fabric color palette from a photo

2010-04-03T10:59:00.000-05:00

What if I told you I could create my own fabric color palette right from my photographs? How cool would that be if it were not only possible, but simple to do? As you can see, it is not only simple it is possible. Read on my art quilting friends as I have found the perfect site to help you.

If you are an art quilter, you probably have explored the idea of making picture quilts. One of the biggest challenges I find with making a picture quilt is choosing the right shades of fabric. If this is a challenge for you too, then I have found the perfect solution! And better than that, it is a free solution! (note: you do need to register for the site to take advantage of this and other options found on their site. It is free to join, so not to worry)

This wonderful computer generated solution was found on a website called Big Huge Labs they have created a Color Palette Generator which pulls out all the colors in your photograph and then creates images of fabric swatches which can be taken with you for fabric shopping.

How's that for a simple solution?

By the way, Big Huge Labs has other cool things to do with digital photos on their site, so be sure to have a look around while you are there.

Color Theory Simplified

2010-04-03T10:34:00.004-05:00

I recently found this great post which helps quilters understand color. This has been something I personally don't struggle with, but find that many of my members do. I know I have written my own version of this several times in several of my online classes, and even may have done a post or two on my blogs about it as well.

When I find a good resource, I just feel it is important to share. Even if I have discussed this topic before. This is one of those times. Color can make or break a quilt design, and is an area that you just have to understand in order to be successful in your quilts. (Or in any art form)

So with out any further adieu, Check out this post Color Theory for Quilters - Color Theory Simplified which was written by Judy Bellingham for Bella Online. It is very well written and yes it has great pictures too!

For more useful quilting knowledge written by Judy, check out her other articles here.

Mystery Quilt & Block of the Month in one class!

2010-04-01T11:46:00.003-05:00

Do you love Block of the Month projects? How about Mystery Quilts? If you answered yes to one or both of these questions, then I have a fantastic project lined up for you!

Kelly Smith (aka The Redheaded quilter from the Quilting Examiner) has brought these two loves together in one fantastic bundle of mini classes. I am at a loss for how to describe this one, as it is in a category all its own. It is a Mystery Quilt, It is a BOM, each month will contain a pieced block, an appliqué block and it includes 12 mini projects all in one class!

At Quilting Weekly our lessons (aka classes) are usually written around 1 project, although we do have a few classes that contain multiple projects. Each class has detailed instructions; we include lots of photos and even videos in some cases. Our goal is to leave nothing to chance and to insure your success in quilting. Kelly Smith has not only met our goal, she has exceeded it!

Kelly has designed a block of the month pattern that will include a pieced block, an appliqué version of that block, and then put in a mini project to use those blocks in. She is going to do this for all 12 blocks. So by the end of the year, you will have 12 separate projects and a full sampler quilt too! And if that weren’t enough she is going to add a twist this project. She is going to do this a Mystery Quilt Sampler, which means you won’t see all 12 blocks until the end of the project. That will be like getting a surprise block and pattern each and every month for a full year. 12 months of surprises! I can hardly contain my excitement for what she has created.

Kelly is a published author of Open Your Heart with Quilting. With her experience in writing and her knowledge and experience with quilting, you know her lessons are well written and easy to follow. She has left nothing to chance. To say I was impressed with the lessons would be an understatement. In fact I will personally guarantee you will love this Mystery Block of the Month or I will refund your money, no questions asked! That’s how impressed I am! (Well ok you got me, that’s our guarantee on all of our classes)So seriously, give this one a try, you won’t be disappointed.

Class is expected to open mid April, 2010. If you are not on our mailing list yet, you need to be to get advanced notice of when you can sign up for this class. Simply fill out the form at the top of this page to join my mailing list.

Update on the baby quilt

2010-03-30T09:41:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to update you on my baby quilt progress and show you a few more photos of how this "Sticky Template" quilting idea went.

The follow photos show the sticky template as I used it on the quilt. The first photo is just the cat, the second photo shows it after I stitched it, and the others are my meandoring around the shapes.

I am not sure I like how the meandor looks near the paw prints and they seem to get lost. I wish now that I had only done the cats. Or used a grid in the background of the paw prints. I might have been better offer by stitching an outline for each block area (where I folded the fabric) and then I could have done meandor for the cats, and grids for the paws.

More photos to come next week as I finish this small baby quilt off. The quilting is going pretty fast now, so I expect to be done in a day or so. Then I can get back to the Fibanocci project.

Sewing Sunday Progress 3/28/10

2010-03-30T06:00:00.003-05:00

Sunday Progress for 3/28/10 was working on a Baby Quilt for charity.

My guild puts together kits for members to finish off for donation. This month I took a baby quilt to practice some free motion quilting on.

When I got it home I found 2 pieces of fabric and a polyester batting. The top was a yellow and white check and the backing was plain white cotton. Pretty boring I thought. So what to do with this?

I decided that I wanted to try something new. I recently purchased something called "quilting templates" from June Tailor. These are small shapes that are made of fabric with a sticky back to them. Not sure if they work well or not, but that was my challenge today, to see how well they work.

The concept is simple, you place the sticker onto the quilt, and the stitch around it. This allows you to make simple shapes without marking! Sounded good and they say they can be used 50 times each. This I had to see for myself.

The kit I tried out was animals. I chose the paw print and the cat shapes to work with. First I divided the quilt top into equal sections (like blocks)by folding and pressing lines. First in half one way then in half the other way. I kept doing this until I got 16 equal sections. I then drew with chalk over these fold lines so I could see them better. Once I had my sections done I traced the paw prints on every other block. I traced these as there were 5 pieces that would have made me nuts to stick and then re-stick each block. The shape was simple enough to trace and stitch.

But then it was time for the cat! I stuck it on one block and stitched around it. Not to bad for the first attempt. But then it was time to peel and reuse it on the next block. Came off pretty good, and also stuck again. I can tell the adhesive is not as strong now that I have done 3, I do not see this lasting to 50 times!

So an idea came to me while do thing process. A cheaper and maybe better method. (Sorry June Tailor)But why can't I just trace the shape onto freezer paper, press it to the block? I could stack several pieces of freezer paper, staple them and trace on the top one. Then cut them all out at once. I could make several of the same shape that way. Or I could do one, and reuse it if I don't mind getting up to press it each time.

So now my quilt top will have paw prints and cats on the 16 sections I created. Once I get all the shapes quilted, I will then do a meandor or stipple around the shapes to fill in the background. This way the quilt will have some design elements even if it is just a solid piece of fabric.

I know you want to see photos, but I haven't taken any yet. Sorry, you will just have to use your imagination, and hope that my descriptions are good enough for now.

Sewing Sundays, are about sewing not photographing. Maybe I can start with Sewing Sunday, and then move to photo editing Mondays and posting Tuesdays.........but that sounds like work, this is supposed to be for
fun!

Added photos out of guilt for those who need the visuals of what I was doing.

As you can see in the first photo, I have a few cats and all the paw prints done now. The trouble with this kind of idea is there were a lot of stop and starts with the stitching, especially with the paw prints. I found that frustrating as there were more thread bobbles or knots than I would have liked.

The second photo shows a close up (or as close as I care to share) of the designs. you can see the folds and light chalk marks that defined my areas for quilting. Once I get all the cats done, I will just meandor around these shapes and not actually quilt a grid. That way if the cats or paws aren't centered (and they aren't) it won't be as noticeable.

I welcome your comments or thoughts on this quilt as always. If I remember to take a photo with the sticker on for the cats I will post that on my next up date, which should be next Sunday. (hopefully)

Sewing Sunday Progress 3/21/10

2010-03-28T21:16:00.004-05:00

I guess I am late with this post. As it is time to write the post for Sunday, 3/28/10.

Sewing Sunday Progress for the week of 3/21/10 those keeping up with me was all about finishing off the Fibanocci Quilt blocks.

I started with 4 sets of 4 fat quarters. From each of these sets I made 9 blocks which contained 12 pieces in each block (See first photo for actual block). I then sewed each of the 4 sets of 9 blocks into 4 nine patch larger blocks.Which as you can see were all a little different due to the colors of fabrics, or placement of the fabrics used.

That is where I got stuck. I didn't know if I should just join the 4 larger nine patch blocks and the add a border and be done. OR should I separate them with sashing first.

The blocks are similar, but yet different using reds, pinks, greens and touch of blue. It has a very organized scrappy look to it. Which for me is hard. I can't just sew randomly and make scrap quilts usually. I spend too much time with the layouts.

I need graphic appeal to my quilts, and can not stand just sewing together scraps in random order. Do you have this same problem? How do you over come that?

Anyway, I need to take a few photos to show you were I am now and maybe you can help me decide what to do next.

Hopefully I will post the photos tomorrow as I am a bit tired tonight. (Went out Friday and Saturday to listen to a couple of local bands and didn't get home until 1:30 am Friday, and 2:30 am Saturday)

Updated with photos, 3/29/10 (As you can obviously see!)

The funny part is all 3 of my kids were home before me, so I had to park on the street as there isn't room on the driveway! We have 5 cars to fit there, so the last one in gets the street, and this weekend it was me both times. They all thought that was pretty funny and strange. (Mind you my kids are 25, 21, and 18)So you know they are out late on the weekends too now. So for me to be out later than them, was strange.

Now I need your help to figure out what to do next. Sew them together as is and add a border? or separate the four sections with sashing? And if I use sashing how large should it be? If my blocks are 8 inch, the the only Fibanocci numbers I can use are 1, 2, 3, or 5 or so that is how I think I understand this numbering sequencing thing.

Here is a picture of the fabric I bought for either borders or sashing. Since the only fabric that was consistent through out each block, was the pink floral one, I decided to find something with that background pink color. not sure this picture shows a true idea of the actual color, but you get the idea. (And no I don't have any more of the pink floral print or I would have used that) Remember I took fat quarters from my stash, which were purchased years ago.

I would love your opinions and comments now on how it looks so far, and what you think I should do next.

Quilting Weekly Sale

2010-03-27T11:13:00.007-05:00

March Madness Sale at Quilting Weekly

You could save up to 30% off!

Watch this short video to find out how.

Sale ends March 31, 2010!

Go to http://www.quiltingweekly.com before it's too late!

Chat with Debbie Babin tonight only!

2010-03-22T08:37:00.000-05:00

Just a quick reminder from Quilting Weekly

Our regular chat is scheduled for tonight Monday March 22, 2010 8pm Central Time ......... and we have a surprise guest who will be with us during the chat. This is the first time we are doing this, so I hope it goes well!

Debbie Babin is a fiber artist and teacher with a wealth of knowledge to share on the subject of fiber arts. If you have ever been the least bit curious about how this new art form ties into quilting today, you don't want to miss out on our chat.

Have a question about fiber arts? post them here in the comments if you can not make the chat. I will do my best to get Debbie to answer them for you.

I am so excited to hear what she has to say about fiber arts which has been something of interest to me for quite some time now. Most of my work has been traditional quilting, and I have only made a few pieces that might fall into the fiber arts category..........but they are pretty elementary compared to her work. Just check out her website and her classes and you will see what I mean.

To join the chat, (yes you can join as a guest and not a member) visit Quilting Weekly's Website, then in the menu bar look for the goodies tab, at the bottom of that tab you will see "chat room" click that and a window opens for our chat. Simply click guest, and type in your first name and you are all set to join us. Keep in mind if the room gets too full you will have to hold your comments till the end to allow Debbie to share as much as she needs to. Which is why I suggest you send me your comments in advance by email. (check my profile on this blog for address). or post them here in the comments section.

See you tonight (3/22/10 8pm central time at http://www.quiltingweekly.com)

Quilting Lessons with no deadlines!

2010-03-21T10:24:00.000-05:00

Do you find it difficult to fit in quilting lessons around a schedule? Especially when that is the schedule of the shop or website instead of yours.

I know quilt shop owners try to fit classes around your schedule and are not trying to make things difficult. Online classrooms have been popping up all over now, and they too want to make it easy for you. One common thing I see is that many of these sites still try to make you register by a certain date. I know they do this to make this look and feel like a real classroom. But what they are actually doing is trying to force you to buy now, setting an urgency on this class. They want you to feel you might miss out if you don't act now. They make you feel that there are limits to how many students can take the class. But really it is about getting sales.

Don't get me wrong here I am not trying to point fingers or change how others do their classes. I am merely pointing out that it doesn't have to be that way. In fact my website is a site that takes the limits off and gives the control back to you, the way it should be.

Quilting Weekly offers classes in an easy to download formula that includes things like pdf files for written material or patterns, and in some classes where needed we offer videos to help explain and demonstrate techniques. All our classes are available for sales all the time, and you work on them when it fits your schedule, period. You decided when it is right, and when you have the time to commit. We do try to encourage you to purchase through the use of sales but the choice is yours. Work with deadlines or work within your own schedule.

Does this affect my sales? at times I think it does. I may not sell large numbers at a time, but I will continue to sell the class over and over indefinitely which gives me consistent sales rather than a burst here and there. I believe that my dedication to customer service has built my reputation and trust with my customers and they continue to come back time and time again. We offer assistance to the customer for technical issues as well as help with the actual quilting lessons. So you are never left to figure things out on your own. We hold your hand when you need us to, and we let you work in peace when you need your space too.

If you have not had the pleasure of purchasing an online quilting class that is done truly on your time, with help when and where you need it, I suggest you give Quilting Weekly a try.

Quilting Weekly lowered their prices

2010-03-20T10:11:00.001-05:00

We lowered our prices on several of our popular classes to help make quilting more affordable to you. We understand the need to cut budgets in today's economy.

We don't want you to have to loose your love for quilting, so here is a special offer just for our loyal members. (members of the site and readers of this blog)

Go to Quilting Weekly purchase one of the classes listed for $14.97 send me an email telling me which class you purchased, and I will send you a coupon for 50% off your next purchase! How is that for a bargain deal?

Quiting Weekly needs your help!

2010-03-19T10:50:00.002-05:00

Have you been a member of Quilting Weekly, but have decided to just follow the blog, and not commit to our email list yet? If so then this post is for you.

We have thousands of members on the site and many of them have chosen to be removed from the email list since they can log in to the site to see and purchase classes or read the newsletters, and they get updates here on the blog. With so many sites asking for your time, your email boxes can become overloaded with newsletters and updates from your favorite sites. I get that, I too have to deal with the madness.

If you have removed yourself you may have miss our survey last week. I wanted to give you a chance to make your voice heard. I take customer feed back very seriously. You are the most important part of my business, without customers there is no business. So to keep you coming back, I need to tailor the site, and our products to fit your needs. But guessing is not only a waste of time, it is a slow road to success.

That is where surveys can be of help. Please take a few minutes to fill out my short 10 question survey and give me your feed back so I can structure my future classes and how our site works to better fit your individual needs.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3G6LG2Y

If you do so, and then come back and leave a comment here I will send you a special coupon offer! But you will need to act fast. I will only be leaving this survey up for a few more days.

Thanks,
Chris
p.s. the survey is anonymous so you can be totally honest with your responses!

Quilting Weekly News

2010-03-19T09:45:00.000-05:00

Quilting Weekly is on the move. We have made some big changes with the site, and I just wanted to take a few minutes today to update you.

New classes include:

Double Wedding Ring (An old favorite by quilters of all generations)
The Mystery of the Five and Dime (A quilt project that reveals itself piece by piece with a surprise ending)
Fabric Landscape Quilt (Turn photos of landscapes into fabric landscapes that is as easy as painting by numbers!) Great for beginners who want to explore art quilting.

New lower prices on several of our popular classes (Were $27.00 now only $14.97!)

Quilted Jar wall hanging (the familiar Bug Jar quilt)
Necktie Quilt (a very popular class that recycles old neckties, includes videos)
Mother Goose Baby quilt (See how to personalize it with signatures)

As you can see we are continually adding classes and trying to make them as affordable as we can. We understand that in today's economy, the first thing to get cut is your hobby budget. Don't let that happen. Our hobbies make us happy, and when we are happy everything else seems to just a bit better. Sewing/Quilting can help relieve stress and lower blood pressure! So even in the worst of times, you need to continue to do what you love.

Sew Healthy my friends!
Chris Dahl
p.s. Watch for more class price reductions this week. And if you are not on our mailing list yet, you should be so fill out the short form at the top of this page so you don't miss any other important details.

Sewing Sunday Progress 3/14/10

2010-03-19T09:32:00.000-05:00

Sewing Sunday progress was more about finding the right space to work. I have had several attempts at making a great sewing space and have had to settle for less than perfect.

This is one area that I know many quilters struggle with. So I thought I would share insights into my attempts.

First off, I have a decent size home, but with small rooms, 3 floors but no real space to call my own as I also have 3 kids still living at home. We have 3 bedrooms, and and a partially finished basement. My son's room is in the basement. When we bought the house this room was an office (which would have made a great sewing room) But we could not afford a home with 4 bedrooms so sewing room had to wait.

Now my husband and I share an area of the basement that is not finished. There is an area for storage, the furnace and the water heater. His office area was a workout room for the previous owners. There is a partial wall separating him from me (I share the space with the storage shelves) Not pretty but usable space non the less. This is where I started and where I eventually returned after a few years. LOL

Let me explain: My oldest daughter moved out at 18, which made me very excited, not because she moved out, but because now I had a spare bedroom! I moved up in the world and into a room that had a window instead of a cement foundation wall! This worked well for about a year. And then.............I got her back as a Christmas present last year. LOL Things weren't going well with the room mates and her finances. She dug herself into serious financial troubles and needed my help. So what was a mother to do?

Back to the basement again. Now I had to find a way to make this work again. And so I did. What does a person need to sew or quilt?

Table
Lighting
Iron / Pressing surface
Cutting area

That is it right? The real key here is setting up the proper height of the table and chairs to avoid back or neck problems.

One way to solve this is to get a table that is adjustable. I found one for under $40.00 this table is not large in size but the legs allow me to create the perfect height for sewing and cutting! There are 3 settings on this table, the lowest they call "kids table" which it really looks like, is the perfect height for sewing! Most sewing machines sit several inches above the table and unless you are lucking enough to afford a cabinet that allows your machine to be lowered and flush, you need to lower the table.

Of course you need to have a chair that lowers as well to meet your table height. If you use a table such as kitchen or dinning room, or even most standard banquet tables they are too high. Even if you raise your chair to the maximum height. (I know, as I did that for years and was not comfortable). Ideally you need to have the table and chair sitting so your arms at a comfortable 90 degree angle and feet are flat on the ground.

I had my chair raised to the max, then added a chair pad to raise me up enough to get that 90 degrees, but then my feet would dangle! So then I added a box on the floor (or a phone book) to raise my feet. What a hassle. But this did work until I discovered the adjustable table.

The other great thing about the adjustable table is when it is set at the maximum height, it becomes counter height perfect for cutting! No more bending and lower back troubles for me now!

Over head and task lighting and I am set.

So as far as my sewing progress is it was minimal, I only worked on a few of the "Fibonacci blocks" which I will show you next week. I am on the last 2 blocks, and will need your help in deciding how to layout the blocks!

Sewing Sunday Progress 3/7/10

2010-03-08T20:06:00.002-06:00

Sewing Sunday wasn't as successful as I would have liked this week. I did commit and do a little sewing work, which I would like to share with you today.

The first project I worked on was finishing off one of my UFO projects. I received a piece of lovely rust dyed fabric as a gift. It wasn't a very large piece and I had no idea what I was going to do with it. So it sat in the drawer for several months.

I then took an online class, for thread painting. Something that has interested me for some time, but was never able to find a live class to take on this subject. I joined an online learning group from yahoo, and that is where I found this class on thread painting.

My first lesson was to make a rose bud, with a stem and leaves. Which I thought came out pretty well for my first attempt. But again, now that I had this rose bud what was I going to do with it? And so a few more months passed with this thread painted rose bud and my piece of rust dyed fabric.

Then one day it hit me, and I started to work on my art pieced which I titled "Fallen Rose". I cut out the rose and appliqued it to the rust dyed fabric and then proceeded to quilt the background.

I started by quilting the top half, (Sky area) with a meandor and then I outlined the spiral (Sun)

Next the area where the rose was put, I thought looked like dirt or the ground. And by laying the rose on the ground it was where I got the title of "Fallen Rose" from.

I wanted to be sure I liked the design before I stitched it. So I took out a piece of tracing paper and with a marker drew a line around the rose so I knew what was left for stitching. Next with a pencil a tried out several designs. If I didn't like one, I just traced the rose and tried again.

I liked the one you see here and it was what I used. for the final design. I removed the paper and after tracing it several times on my dry erase board I was ready to go to the machine. Using a dry erase board is a great way to practice machine quilting designs. Do them several times until you feel comfortable with them. This exercise helps train the brain, or imprints it into the brain. You can do this on paper, but then you waist a lot of paper.

I also used a heavier thread for the ground work. I liked the look of this gray thread. I would tell you what it was, except the label is gone! LOL

Once I finished that I added the beading. Now I need figure out what to do with the borders. I am thinking of appliqued vines or leaves, but not sure yet. I might just quilt the vines, I guess it will stay on the wall for another few days, weeks or maybe even months before I figure out what to do next. And that is ok. I like to work on more than one project, and by putting it away until I get the next idea allows me to just let the quilt speak to me. Tell me what to do next.

Here is the piece as is it is today. Waiting for my next moment of inspiration. If you have any suggestions for finishing this piece, I would love to hear your ideas.

Thank you for visiting and I hope you enjoyed reading about my Sewing Sunday. Stop back next week to see what happens next Sunday!

Sewing Sunday Progress 2/28/10

2010-03-04T10:09:00.000-06:00

I noticed I didn't post my sewing Sunday progress yet. And here it is Thursday already. Almost time for another sewing session!

My last sewing project was for our charity group from my guild. They put together kits and members then take them home to quilt, and bind these little quilts. Some are for shelters for children, and some were to go to an animal shelter. Not sure which one I was working on. LOL the pattern looked like a child's quilt, but the material was more like canvas than soft cotton. So I think it might be for the animal shelter. I will have to ask at the next meeting.

I am still working with my BSR as you can see by this photo. This foot is supposed to keep my stitches even as I quilt. I find that sometimes I still get wonky stitches, but for the most part they are pretty even no matter what my sewing speed is. That is good as I can floor the pedal and not worry about it.

What I had trouble with this time is moving the fabric. Since it was a canvas material both top and bottom it made this piece very stiff. It didn't glide nice at all. I had the extension table on the machine giving me more support which helped but still was difficult.

Anyway I did some more of my machine quilting practice on this piece. It was just a meandoring (which is a large variation of stippling) My husband calls this "the puzzle piece" design. Which is more fitting I think.

When I work with a quilt, I like to start in the middle and work towards the edges. This help with disbursing the bulk, and prevents some of the puckers. Because this was just one piece of fabric (no blocks or piecing lines) I divided it up into sections. Which is why you see the chalk lines in the photo. By dividing it up like this I can take small sections at a time and focus on them without worrying about the entire quilt. With an all over design like the one I did, I just worked the stops and starts to the meet at each section and as you can see they overlap the lines slightly too. This kept it from looking too planned makes it hard to see the beginning or ending of a stitching line.

Over all I was pleased with the results of the quilting. The design was simple so I got into a nice rhythm and had it done in a couple of days. I did use up almost 2 bobbins of thread in the project. This is also something to be aware of when doing your quilting. My machine allows me to wind bobbins without un-threading the machine so it isn't a big deal if I run out. But if your machine requires you to un-thread, then you need to make sure you prepare several bobbins in advance.

Next Sunday I will be working on my Fibanocci quilt. I have 24 blocks pieced and need to cut and piece the last 12. So not sure if I will get to quilting this piece but I will show you some of the piecing progress if your are interested in coming back next week.

March UFO Challenge

2010-03-03T15:30:00.001-06:00

Get in on the fun...head over to the forum and see this months prizes!

We had so much fun in February, there were 8 ladies who met the challenge and one of them will win a FREE quilting class and get 4 fat quarters (lovely batiks from my stash that is) Who will it be???? The winner will be announced tomorrow in the forum.

But in the meantime get a jump start on March. I posted the new prize which will be a FREE class and a fun rag quilt kit in a southwestern style fabric.

The rules are simple:

Post the UFO (unfinished project)
Finish the project by 3/31/10
Post the finished project by 3/31/10
One random winner will be drawn from all those who meet the challenge requirements!

Go to the forum and check out the March UFO challenge

Mystery Quilt Project

2010-03-01T22:19:00.001-06:00

We have a truly unique quilt project in store for all the "Nancy Drew" or "Sherlock Holmes" fans on Quilting Weekly.

Note: I am posting this before the actual email notice was sent. Don't tell Michelle on me, but you can be the first to register if you hurry! Once that email goes out, it might be hard to get in as our server may get overloaded. If that happens don't panic, just try again later.

All you need is payment, you don't even have to register for the site right now. But you should if you want to find out about the other cool new programs releasing later in the month. Like the brand new BOM program, (that's block of the month for those who are new to quilting) and our Mystery BOM which promises even more surprises. (oops let out 2 more secrets) I just have a hard time keeping my mouth shut.

Just check out Caron Carlon's description:

"The Mystery of the Five and Dime - Love a good mystery? Especially when the "who dunnit" is YOU! In this confident beginner lesson, we will learn to pick fabrics with contrast so you can shop with confidence. I can not tell you all the wonderful things you will learn while making this cozy quilt in either lap or queen size, but I promise the end result will delight! And I promise a twist or too in the plot."

Because this is a mystery, you will be sent clues every 2 weeks to help you solve this mystery quilt, but you won't get to see the finished quilt (even if you click this link, until the very end of the project! No matter how much your bride me with fabric.

So if you like the element of surprise, then get your spy glasses ready, and go register for the "Mystery of the Five and Dime".

You might need a little help finding our Mystery Sales page, so I will give you your first clue: Head on over to Quilting Weekly's home page and look next to the right of the scrolling pictures! or just click this link.

Cleaning up the blog, bare with me.

2010-03-01T09:48:00.000-06:00

I am in the process of cleaning up the blog, so it may look different for a few days. Please bare with me and don't panic if it changes daily or even hourly!

I want to make it look cleaner, and adjust the layouts to give it a fresh new look. It will contain the same quality content you are used to, just a little makeover on the appearance is all.

Thanks for visiting!

Chris Dahl

Machine Quilting Progress

2010-02-21T09:44:00.003-06:00

I recently purchased a Bernina with a stitch regulator. This foot is both a blessing and a frustration.I bought the machine because of this foot and the embroidery capabilities, which my current Babylock did not have.(Yes I know Babylock has embroidery machines).

What I discovered is the BSR will take time to get used to and will require hours of practice. Just like with any machine quilting. Prior to this, my free motion quilting was poor at best on a table top or domestic style machine, and I used a frame for most of my quilting. This frame allowed me to put my Babylock on it and use it in the same manor as you would a long arm. I was comfortable here and had started to expand my designs and skills.(But there were limits here too. As the Babylock's throat was small, and large quilts became a challenge. I had to quilt to the middle, and then remove the quilt and flip it. Now I needed to also be able to quilt upside down depending on the design. Another challenge unless I was doing a stipple or meandering which gets pretty boring. Many of the designs had to be worked horizontally (like border patterns)and my quilting area was around 6 inches or less as the quilt was rolled up inside the throat.

This is what lead me to buy my Bernina. I could have upgraded the frame and bought a machine with a larger throat, yes I know this. But for the same money, I now have much more freedom. I have embroidery, and I can quilt any pattern any size as well as do all the other basic sewing or quilting. The bigger frame and machine would only be used for machine quilting period. One other draw back was space. I found my old frame sitting in the corner collecting dust, as I just didn't want to go through the hassle of setting it up. It took up too much room and then my Babylock was out of commission for other sewing until the quilt was done. Another drawback to using your domestic machine on a frame. Unless you already have more than one machine to use.

Ok, why am I telling you all this? It is because I have now committed myself to learn how to machine quilt the right way. I also wanted a way to record my machine quilting progress. As I learn to master my machine quilting. I can do some basic quilting designs and patterns, but I want to learn more and not be intimidated or limited in my design anymore.

This is how "Sewing Sundays" started in my house. I wanted to dedicate time to improve my skills. The only way this will happen is if I work at it regularly. Now that doesn't mean I can only sew on Sundays, but I will at least commit to sewing every Sunday, no matter what! I will try to fit in more time, and want to eventually get to sew daily. But with my website, 2 blogs, and other life commitments daily is much to big a goal to consider right now.

I would also like to share my progress with you in hopes of inspiring you to work at improving your own skills. As artists the only way to improve our skills is to work at it. Wishing or wanting to improve is not enough, we must take action. We must also allow ourselves to make mistakes in order to learn. Trust me when I say you will make mistakes, but you must continue to move past them. Just keep going! If the finished quilt is just too frustrating to look at, then give it away! Make these practice pieces for charity and there will be no more guilt.

The photos in this article were from one of my recent Sewing Sundays. This quilt has both straight quilting (with a walking foot) and free motion quilting. I made this quilt for a classroom project but never quilted it. It landed in my UFO pile shortly after I published the class. And then sat there because it seemed too small to bother setting up my frame for, and I was not comfortable enough with my domestic machine quilting. This is a common occurrence for my smaller quilt tops. But not anymore! Look out UFO's, I am going to bring you all back to life!

If you want to know how I made this quilt you can purchase the instructions for it at Quilting Weekly. The class is titled "Go Green with Selvage Quilts". There are actually 4 projects in this class using selvages.

Here is a valuable tip: The free motion quilting I did is a bit hard to see in most places on of the quilt, which was done that on purpose. I did choose a spot with the lightest of the colors so that you could see my design. but if you look at the quilt you can barely see the quilting without going up close. I used this thread which blended into the fabric because it made it harder to my mistakes! When I get more comfortable and improve my machine quilting, I will work with thicker threads and threads that stand out more.

When selecting your threads, do not just lay the spool on the fabric. Pull off a foot or more and lay that over the fabric instead. This will give you a better picture of what the thread will look like when stitched. On the spool the color is much more concentrated and may give an inaccurate impression.

I would love to hear some feed back on my quilt. Take a moment and leave me a comment. And then check back regularly for more Sewing Sunday projects and machine quilting progress.

Machine Quilting tips with Leah Day

2010-02-19T09:20:00.001-06:00

Ladies and gentlemen, I know that if you have been quilting and on the internet for any length of time you have heard about Leah Day and her fabulous video series. I can not get enough of her. She explains things in such and easy to understand way. As a teacher myself I enjoy watching these to help improve my skills in both my own quilting and creating of my videos that I use on my website. I wonder if she will ever do a series on how to create your own videos?

Not likely, so in the meantime watch these 3 short videos, as they are fabulous! Pay close attention to her set up of the tables. Proper set up is critical and sometimes overlooked by many quilters. Supporting your large quilts will help eliminate the drag when you're quilting.

UFO challenge prizes

2010-02-17T09:23:00.002-06:00

Do you want to clean up some of those UFO's that have been collecting in your sewing room? Just say yes, you know you want to relieve some of the guilt and besides finishing feels so good!

At Quilting Weekly we have the answer. Quilting Weekly has started a UFO challenge to help motivate you to finish at least one project a month, should you decide to take on the challenge. The best part is "It's free" and you could win some fabulous prizes!

The rules are simple:

Register for Quilting Weekly (which is free) You can do this by either filling out the form here on my blog, or go http://www.quiltingweekly.com and on the upper right corner you will see "register"
Once registered go to our Forum, and post a photo of your intended project.
Finish the intended project by the end of the month.

All members who post and complete a project by the end of the month will be awarded a "Coupon for a Free Quilting Class" plus other donated quilting goodies! We will hold a monthly contest. Each month there will one winner drawn from all those who enter. Enter each month and you could win multiple times!!

February's Prize will be these batik fat quarters from my personal stash! These are quilt shop quality fabrics, no discount fabrics here! Plus the Free class coupon! These fabrics will be great to play with in your free class. Aren't they pretty??

Finishing quilts, allows you the opportunity to start new projects, and we all know how much fun that is. UFO's happen for many reasons.

Don't feel bad if you have a pile of UFO's, this is very common and can happen for many reasons.

You loose interest because..........

You don't like the fabric choices
You wanted to master a new technique, but found it to difficult
You made too many mistakes in cutting or sewing
You don't like the pattern
You found a new pattern
You found new fabric
You are a quilter with ADD (aren't we all?)

These are just a few reasons for leaving a project on the side, if you have others please share them in the comments I would love to hear them.

Suggestions for how to move past the "I just don't like it"..................

If you hate the fabric, try adding other fabrics to the project. Make a scrappier look and use up some of your scrap piles too!
If you hate the pattern, try adding other blocks to the design. Mix in solid blocks between the pieced blocks.
If you find the technique too hard, add other blocks, or techniques and make it a sampler.
When you finish it, give it away! Shelters never complain and neither do those at the shelters.

We need to make a few ugly quilts, or imperfect quilts so that we can get to the masterpieces. The only way to learn new techniques is to try them. We cannot make perfect quilts from the start, we need to make many UFO's and sometimes even ugly quilts as it is part of the learning process. Ask any artist........in any craft.......how many mistakes or tests they did before they got the masterpiece made?

No more guilt over wasted time or materials.....fix them, finish them and then move onto the next one......who knows the next one could be the masterpiece you were dreaming of!

Chris
p.s. Don't forget to register first, you can not post in the forums unless you are a member! The form is on the top of the page, or go to http://www.quiltingweekly.com to register

p.p.s. If you post about this challenge on your blogs with a link back to both my blog and Quilting Weekly, I will send you a free class coupon just for sharing the linky love! Just tell me about it in the comments with a link to your blog, and be sure you leave a way for me to contact you!

Kelly Smith Joins the Quilting Weekly Staff

2010-02-09T13:33:00.002-06:00

Do you know the "Red headed Quilter"? Or how about "The National Quilting Examiner"? Kelly Smith is the name behind these curtains and much more! She is one busy lady, but not too busy to teach the lucky few who are smart enough to register for her new class!

Kelly Smith has agreed to teach a fun class for Quilting Weekly, which will incorporate piecing and applique in one class! I cannot tell you much about her project just yet, but I will tell you it is expected to release in March. (So sign up for our newsletter using the convenient form at the top of this blog so you don't miss out on when her class releases).

Kelly Smith is the author of Open Your Heart with Quilting: Mastering Life Through Love of the Patches (Dreamtime Publishing 2008). The book helps readers uncover new aspects of an already enjoyable pastime, and helps novice quilters understand that quilting is an attainable hobby. “Quilting helps you connect with your family and your community and carry on traditions of the past,” Kelly says. “Quilting can help you heal from illness or grief, explore your creativity, and deepen your spiritual connection to the universe.”

She is the National Quilting Examiner for Examiner.com (http://www.examiner.com/x-858-Quilting-Examiner), where she writes about classes, retreats, tools, techniques, and inspiration. She also reviews new books and interviews quilters. In November 2008, Kelly had an article, Let's Play, published in Quilter’s Home magazine.

Here are a few of the places you can find Kelly talking about quilting:

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/redheadedquilter
Website: http://www.redheadedquilter.com
Column: http://www.examiner.com/x-858-Quilting-Examiner
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RedHeadedQuilter
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/quiltinredhead

Mystery Quilt Progress

2010-02-09T09:15:00.000-06:00

Looks like we are getting closer to our goal. The Mystery of the Five and Dime is almost ready for sign ups. Registrations will be starting soon.

Yesterday I got the first "clue" uploaded and the second one will be up today. The registration/sales page is done, and just needs a few more technical bits to get it ready for you.

I am so excited about this project and hope it goes well. Caron Carlson is a personal friend of mine, and this is her first project she is doing for the website. We have never done a mystery quilt project so I have nothing to compare with. This process is band new, and if it goes well I know we will repeat this type of class again.

Mystery quilt projects are fun because of the element of surprise in the end. You are sent clues every couple of weeks and you have to just follow these instructions without knowing how they all fit together. The finished quilt is not revealed until the very end! The Mystery of the Five and Dime has 5 different sets of clues and the the "Big Reveal". How cool is this idea??

If you are new to my blog, or not on the Quilting Weekly email list yet, I suggest you sign up using the form at the top so you don't miss out on the release of this fun project.

Stay tuned as we anticipate registration to open by the end of the week.

Quilting Survey - What do you want to learn?

2010-02-08T12:54:00.000-06:00

I thought it might be fun (and good for me to know) to know about what you like to do with your quilting. This can be useful in helping me create classes around what you want to learn. It will also be fun to see what the most popular answers are or what common areas people struggle in when it comes to quilting. So won't you take a moment and answer a few short questions for me?

Do you prefer traditional pieced quilt patterns?
Or do you prefer more mixed media like free form art quilts?
Do you like to hand quilt or machine quilt?
What area of quilting do you find to be the most difficult?
What is the most common size quilt you make?
Is your preference to make flat quilts (bed, lap wall or table quilts) or do you prefer to make quilted clothing or totes/purses?
Do you have a favorite pattern you love to make? or Want to learn to make?

Go ahead take a minute and answer my lucky 7 questions, by leaving me a comment. I would like to understand my readers better, so that I can serve you better. Both here on this blog and in my classroom at Quilting Weekly.

Double Wedding Ring Quilt Pattern

2010-01-29T16:27:00.004-06:00

Double Wedding Ring Quilt Pattern
by Kathy Hansen of Quilting Weekly

Our first addition of 2010 teacher Kathy Hansen, has just put the finishing touches on her first class for Quilting Weekly. We are so excited to be able to finally announce her class!

Double Wedding Ring Quilts are so romantic and are quilts of great comfort and joy. Many of us can relate personally to these quilts as they are quilts we grew up with which were made by our mothers or grandmothers. Who knows you might have even received one on your wedding day!

Either way, these are time honored traditional quilts that become family heirlooms. Isn't it about time you learn how to make one of you own to pass onto your children?

Many of the more adventurous quilters might choose to make this pattern using pieced rings, (which is traditionally how it is made) but as you can see in this photo, Kathy works with solid rings making this the perfect Double Wedding Ring Quilt Pattern to start with.

This pattern will release the first week of February, so if you are not a member at Quilting Weekly you will not be able to purchase this class or get notice of when registrations will start. I suggest you fill in the form at the top of the page so that you don't miss out on this or any of our other new classes/patterns/and workshops.

Update: The Double Wedding Ring Quilt Pattern released today, February 3, 2010. Registration has started! Be sure to pick up your copy.

New Teachers Pages Have Been Added as well.
I just wanted to let you know we have added 3 new teachers pages to the site, so that you can get to know more about them before their classes or workshops open up.

Take a Look see Who's New!

Don't forget to read about our other lovely teachers while you are there. And you might want to check out the forum and join our February UFO Challenge. You could win a free class, maybe even the Double Wedding Ring Quilt Pattern if you are really lucky!

New BOM program and more!

2010-01-21T08:51:00.006-06:00

Did you know that your January Quilting Weekly newsletter is up? If you are a member you already know and have probably read the news. But for those of you who still haven't signed up for our email list I suggest you get on board, all it takes is for you to fill in that little form at the top of this page. Otherwise if you go to the website you will not be able to read the newsletters this is for members only. By the way the site is free and so is the newsletter so give it a shot see what all the excitement is about. You can always unsubscribe. And besides once you register, you will receive 2 free lessons worth over $50.00!

So what is all the excitement this month?

New Classes
New BOM program
New Mystery Quilt program
New Teachers

All our teachers new and old are working hard to bring you new classes this month, the following ones are just about ready to release. There is a Double Wedding Ring Quilt, a Landscape Picture Quilt, The Five & Dime Mystery Quilt, two BOM patterns and some of these are intended to release by early February. Get all the details in the newsletter along with some very useful web links to check out.

Did you know that you we have a professional long arm quilter who is now part of our teaching staff! Caron Carlson is an award winning quilter and pattern designer. (Just click on the photo and look at all those ribbons behind her!) I also know how talented she is from personal experience. I have seen her quilts up close at our monthly guild meetings during show & tell. Caron knows quilting! And the best part is now you too can get that award winning finish to your quilts with her help.

Sending out a quilt to be quilted by someone else (especially through the mail ) can be a terrifying experience in it's self. Now ad in, sending it to a person you've never met, or can not personally see her work in to the mix, this is even more frightening. Imagine you spend all those hours cutting and piecing your masterpiece and then send it off to be quilted, not knowing what condition it will come back in. Will she quilt it the way you want it? Is she any good? What is a fair price? Will I get it back? These are just a few of the questions one might ask before sending out a quilt. You have to have a lot of faith in that person, and now you can! What better way to find a professional quilter to finish your quilt than to get a personal referral? I know you can trust Caron, but if you are still concerned visit her website, Valley Quilt Studio see her work first hand and then contact her with your questions. She is more than willing to put your mind at ease. And her prices are very reasonable.

Oh, did I tell you she is designer and instructor for the "Mystery of the Five and Dime" quilt? The first clue is expected to be sent by March 1st. I am hoping to have the sign ups for this fun mystery project up on Quilting Weekly within the next week or two.

In the meantime read what Caron says about this mystery quilt project:

The Mystery of the Five and Dime - Love a good mystery? Especially when the "who dunnit" is YOU! In this confident beginner lesson, we will learn to pick fabrics with contrast so you can shop with confidence. I can not tell you all the wonderful things you will learn while making this cozy quilt in either lap or queen size, but I promise the end result will delight! I promise a twist or too in the plot.

If you've never had the chance to make a Mystery Quilt, here is your perfect opportunity!

AS I said earlier in this post, you can not register just yet, but as soon as you can I will let you know. In the meantime I suggest you fill in the form at the top of this blog and get on our mailing list so you don't miss out on this fun and exciting project. Remember registering for Quilting Weekly is free, and you get 2 free projects worth over $50.00!!

Quilting Weekly gets a review

2010-01-16T09:47:00.003-06:00

Looks like someone is peeking under our pages to see what we are all about. The pages of Quilting Weekly that is. I love reviews! It gives me the opportunity to see what the general public really thinks about our site and classes, and it gives ideas on where I need to make changes.

In any business change is necessary to move forward and progress as a company. You, our customers are the best source for ideas. We are here because of you, and to serve your needs. So now is your chance to share your ideas, thoughts and comments.

SewCalGal wants to hear from you. She is doing research on our site and on machine quilting in particular. She posted an article on her blog and needs input from members of Quilting Weekly or anyone who has taken classes with us (especially if you have taken Machine Quilting 101) to share some insights on your experiences.

Just visit SewCalGal and post your comments on her blog. You will be doing us both a huge favor! And who knows you could make a difference in how we handle future classes on the site. There is no better time then now to make yourself heard.

ARUIfill Thread giveaway.

2010-01-15T16:41:00.000-06:00

Any one can enter and anyone can win. The only people who can not win are those who don't take the time to enter. And entering is as easy as sending a email with the secret word in the subject.

Found the info on the Quilt Show site. Check it out click the link and type in the word "50wt" in the subject and cross your fingers. Check out those colors!!! Who they would be nice to play with on my new Bernina 630. Sorry ladies and gentlemen, this prize is mine!

We made it to 2010!

2010-01-05T10:14:00.001-06:00

Well we made it through to another year at Quilting Weekly! And if you are reading this you made it too!

Quilting Weekly started it's as a dream. A dream I had of opening my own business. I was plagued by thoughts of how I could turn my passion into a business. I loved to quilt, and even more I found out I loved to teach quilting.

Opening a store was my first thought, but then I needed to deal with inventory, and a whole lot of other expenses that I wasn't prepared to deal with. I was not in a position to take such a financial risk. Especially when all I wanted to do was teach. Selling fabric, and all the goodies that are needed to make quilts would have been fun to have around me, but I really had no idea how to manage that end of the business. But to open a classroom by it's self was unheard of. Quilt shops have always offered classes to their customers, but who ever heard of a classroom only? Besides where would my students get supplies if they need them? But live classes still had their problems. What was the best day or time to offer a class that would guarantee attendance? What project would guarantee interest in the class? No matter what class/technique I taught there was the same amount of effort in preparation and never a guarantee that the class would run. Planning months in advance, sewing samples, writing up lesson plans to find out there was only 1 student signed up? Sound familiar?

And that was when it hit me, why not open an online classroom! After all there was no rent to pay, and no inventory to worry about, only lessons to teach and students to find. The perfect day and time would be determined by the student as classes could be done 24/7 and I could create lessons and continue to sell them over and over again. My first class was released in June of 2007. Quilted Jar Bookcase Quilt

Which is still selling today. I have learned a lot since this first class opened. And over the past couple of years our site has changed too. We have redesigned the site, added teachers, created new classes and will continue to grow and change as needed to meet the needs of our customers.

I have some wonderful teachers who will be created fantastic new projects for you in the coming months. There are a couple of new teachers, and some of the past teachers who are created projects. New class ideas like landscape quilts, double wedding ring quilts and even some more advance art quilting techniques just for starters. So stay tuned to see how 2010 unfolds.

Before I go, I want to ask you 2 questions and hope that you will take a moment to answer me in the comments.

What type of class or technique would you like to see Quilting Weekly offer this year?
What teachers would you like us bring in this year? (if you teach and want to find out more about the benefits of teaching for us please contact me through email (which can be found under my profile)

Thank you for your input, and I look forward to another great year teaching you to quilt!

Quilting Weekly has big news to share in 2010

2009-12-31T14:40:00.002-06:00

If you are just a reader of this blog, and haven't taken the next step to registering for Quilting Weekly I suggest you think about joining now. There will be big changes coming in the New Year, and you don't want to be left on the outside.

Members are the first to hear about new teachers, new classes and other announcements. Be sure you are on the inside. In addition to receiving all the latest news, you get access to our weekly specials and will be getting a very special bonus when we kick off our newest promotion.

I can not tell you just yet what is about to happen, or what that bonus will be, but I can assure that it will be worth your while. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain. And besides if you ever find this isn't what you expected or you find our information to be or no use to you.........you can always remove yourself from our list with one easy click of your mouse.

So go ahead take a chance and see why so many members are saying "I am so glad I found your site!"

Quilting Weekly has some BIG NEWS!

2009-12-30T06:00:00.002-06:00

Times change and so we must change to keep up with the times. Each year we try to improve on what we did the year before, and the results of what we are doing tell us that we are on the right track.

Our focus here has been and always will be to provide you with what you need to succeed with your quilting projects. We have done this through our classes, forums, live discussions, tips, patterns and videos. And we will continue to do just that. This is a teaching site and that will never change we want to teach you all we can about quilting and with the help of some very talented teachers we will do just that!

I know we have hinted about a new and improved Quilting Weekly, or discussed a big reveal coming in 2010 which is just a few days away. I wanted to let you know you have nothing to fear........it will be fantastic and I can't wait to tell you about it. (But I have been sworn to secrecy!) So you will just have to wait a few more days to find out.

In the mean time don't miss out on our fabulous end of the year sale...............50% off all classes through January 3, 2010!

Hope you ring in the New Year safely and may it be a successful year for you and your family!

Chris, Michelle, and Simon

Last chance to get 50% all classes

2009-12-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

Only 2 days till Santa comes...........did you get all the classes you wanted??

If not you can still take advantage of our Super End of the Year Sale...........50% off all Classes!

Head over to Quilting Weekly NOW!!! Don't wait another minute this deal is just too good to pass up!!

Happy Holidays to you and your family. May it be safe and full of wonderful memories.

Chris
p.s. 2010 at Quilting Weekly promises to be even better than 2009 so stick around for our big reveal.

Quilting Weekly has all classes 50%off!

2009-12-21T06:00:00.001-06:00

That's right all classes are now 50% off!

Starting December 21, 2009 through January 3, 2010.

This means you can buy all your favorite classes for yourself and your friends without breaking your wallet. There is quite a line up of classes to choose from so head over and check them all out.

Here are just a few of my favorites!

Foundation Paper Piecing - by Pat Adams - Learn all the secrets to foundation paper piecing. Create perfect blocks every time. No worries about points being chopped off, or 1/4 seams to perfect. (And if you hurry you may still be able to get one of the free BOM patterns we are giving away this month. There were a limited number of copies and last count there were only 15 left!)

Emma's Tree - by Miriam Gogarty -This is a fast and easy pattern that will make you smile knowing that your purchase can help so many families struggling with Cancer. That's right all profits from this class are being donated to Cancer Research. Read more about Emma's story and how this pattern came about on our teachers page.

Machine Quilting 101 - by Chris Dahl - This class continues to be one of our most popular classes since it was first released more than 2 years ago! Take the fear out of machine quilting by learning all the basics in one class.

Photo Magic - by Chris Dahl - Ever wonder how to create photo memories in fabric? Give this class a try and wonder no more. Within in your lessons you will learn what products are best to use and when to use them. When finished with class you will have created 4 one-of-a-kind personalized gifts!

Quilting Weekly specials

2009-12-16T16:41:00.002-06:00

I hope your Christmas preparations are going along smoother than mine! So much to do and no time to do it!

I have just taken a minute to let you know how proud we are of you all! Quilting Weekly is going to be able to donate to cancer research because many of you have bought Emma's Tree pattern..

http://www.quiltingweekly.com/quilting-lessons/emmas-tree.html

If you haven't had a chance to check out the pattern AND perhaps pick it up - go and check it out.. It's a beautiful quilt that will add a special meaning to your Christmas AND we will donate ALL the profits to cancer research in Emma's name.

http://www.quiltingweekly.com/quilting-lessons/emmas-tree.html

****

We also have JUST 15 Block of the Month projects to give away with the new paper piece class.

All you need do is order the Paper Piecing class and you get 12 Block patterns (a whole years worth) and the pattern to put them into a beautiful quilt called "In the Neighborhood".

http://www.quiltingweekly.com/quilting-lessons/foundation-paper-piecing.html

Thank you again for you support! We really appreciate it.. :-)

Talk soon

Michelle

Friday Give Away!

2009-11-27T18:51:00.002-06:00

This give away is closed.

Thank you to all who participated and congratulations to Sue Cahill who was the lucky winner of this lovely fabric & free class prize!

Guess who is the sponsor of this weeks Friday Give Away on the Quilting Gallery?

The answer should be pretty easy since I am posting about it here on the Quilting Weekly blog. Yep you guessed it!

Quilting Weekly is this weeks sponsor and we have donated a Free Quilting lesson (Winners Choice) & a lovely hand dyed piece of Indigo fabric.........You have to head over to the Quilting Gallery to find out how to win, but you had better hurry as this is a limited time offer and there are rules to follow if you want a chance to win.

Free Block of the month pattern

2009-11-27T14:41:00.000-06:00

Quilting Weekly has some breaking news to tell you about! And just in time for the holidays!

How would you like to receive a Free Block of the month pattern? But unlike the typical BOM pattern (where you get one block a month) we want to give you all 12 blocks straight away! That's right you don't have to wait an entire year for the quilt to unfold, you can have all the blocks and assemble it at your own pace, which could be a block a day!

This lovely pattern titled "In the Neighborhood" is yours free when you purchase the class "Foundation Paper Piecing". But there is a catch, this free pattern will only be given to the first 25 people who order the class! So don't wait go get your free pattern, so you can test out all your newly learned paper piecing skills (which you will be taught in the class)

Mother Goose Baby Quilt on sale

2009-11-19T11:32:00.000-06:00

Don't miss this weeks special:

Our fabulous "Mother Goose" Baby quilt pattern. The fabric panels used in this pattern are a wonderful compliment to the unique 'Sailboat" blocks that Chris Dahl created. The real topper is the borders in this quilt. They are signature panels. You will learn how easy and fun these are to incorporate into your quilts. There are many lessons taught in this class making it a must have for any new quilter.

Just imagine the surprise on a new mothers face when you give her a quilt signed by her family and friends! A treasure heirloom quilt that she can pass down from generation to generation. This special won't last long, so don't miss out on your chance to get this class for 1/2 price!

Mother Goose ~~$27.00~~ Now $13.50
This offer is for a limited time only. Price subject to change without notice. (That's why it's called a weekly special)

3 Quilting Classes on Sale at the Same Time

2009-11-09T09:39:00.000-06:00

This has never happened since we started the "Weekly Specials" ! Has Michelle lost her mind? I didn't even know she was doing this until I got my email today. LOL

If you are a current member at Quilting Weekly you probably have seen this email like I did, but for those who are not, I wanted to be sure you didn't miss out on this deal!

Here is the message Michelle sent to me:

Hi Chris,

To celebrate the "new tutor" at Quilting Weekly we have decided to give you the opportunity to get 50% our other three fabulous guest tutor's classes :-)

That's right instead of only one special this week we have "THREE" - its a bit like an early Christmas :-)

For the next 7 days you can get 50% off :-

Tennye's Trapunto'd Chocolate Box - http://www.quiltingweekly.com/quilting-lessons/box-of-chocolates.html

Sluggo's Seven Come Eleven - http://www.quiltingweekly.com/quilting-lessons/seven-come-eleven.html

Melissa's Quilt Applique - http://www.quiltingweekly.com/quilting-lessons/quilt-applique.html

Take your pick or pick them all :-)

And don't forget to check out the new tutor, Pat's "paper piecing" class:- http://www.quiltingweekly.com/quilting-lessons/foundation-paper-piecing.html

Take care,

Happy quilting

Chris and Michelle (Notice she signed with both our names, but I am telling you I had no idea on this one!)

Quilting Weekly:

http://www.quiltingweekly.com/

Anyway, I would suggest taking a look at these classes and picking up your favorites before this deal goes away. And it will go away, as this is a "Weekly Special" which means next week there will be something else on special.

Quilting Weekly Gift Certificates are Back

2009-11-09T09:32:00.000-06:00

Just in time for the Holidays Quilting Weekly Gift Certificates are back! And this time they are back to stay. So you can purchase a gift certificate for yourself or your quilting friends anytime you need a quick gift. They are as easy to purchase as our classes and will never expire!

You can find them at Quilting Weekly's home page (See photo) so check them out and purchase yours today. You get to decide on the value of the gift certificate, they decide on how to spend them.

Foundation Paper Piecing Class

2009-11-06T16:51:00.001-06:00

Quilting Weekly has a new teacher and a new class just released this week!

Foundation Paper Piecing is our first technique only class. And Pat Adams is just the lady to teach it. If you are not familiar with her work I suggest you take a look a this fabulous class and get to know her and her work.

Pat, has a love for creating patterns, both for foundation paper piecing, and for machine quilting. She loves to create machine quilting motifs and I hope she will consider a class to showcase some of her lovely machine quilting in the near future. But in the meantime, don't miss out on the opportunity to learn this wonderful technique. Once you learn how to simple foundation paper piecing is, you will be well on your way to creating complicated blocks without all the stress of exact cutting, piecing, or matching points. This is mistake proof quilting!

Please make her feel welcome when you see her around the chat room, but more importantly read her teachers page and sign up for this brand new class Foundation Paper Piecing........you won't be disappointed!

Looking for Quilt teachers

2009-10-25T11:34:00.001-05:00

Would you like to get paid for doing something you love? And do it all from the comfort of your own home?

Sound impossible? It's not, and if you are looking to add some extra cash to offset the expenses of your quilting hobby why not consider teaching a quilting class for us. I can assure you that if you know how to work a digital camera and use a word processing program you can create a class!

Lifetime Free Membership

In addition to getting paid for doing something you love and are passionate about, our teachers also get a lifetime free membership to the site. That's right you can take any or all of our classes for free as long as you have an active class on the site.

Free Advertising for your Quilting Business

Have a quilting business or service now? Did you know that teaching a class with us can be a great way to get free advertising for you other quilting related business, websites, products & services. We will even give you your own "teachers page" where you are free to post links and ads for your businesses at no cost to you.

Take the Next Step

Our members are hungry for knowledge, and membership is growing. We need your help to satisfy their thirst for quilting knowledge. If you are interested in finding out more about teaching for Quilting Weekly contact me by either leaving a comment here, or sending me an email.

To Wash or Not to Wash your Fabric

2009-10-25T11:09:00.001-05:00

To wash or not to wash fabric this is a debate with no end in sight! Get a group of quilters into a room and ask this question...........they will all have an opinion and a reason for why you should or shouldn't wash your fabrics.

There are many reasons to wash, in fact some very valid reasons........so why do so many not follow this advice? Do they like to live on the edge or do they enjoy risk? I am not sure and therefore want to explore it one more time during our weekly discussion.

In addition to this question, I want to discuss the differences in fabric from quilt shops vs discount fabric stores. Some of us will only buy the quilt shop fabrics, while others only buy from the discount stores.........is there a difference in the quality or just the price? What do you purchase most often and why?

This discussion is sure to get interesting and may even turn into a heated debate, either way we are sure to have fun and learn a few things along the way. Won't you join me?

I would love to see some quilt shop owners join in the discussion so you can educate us on the benefits of your lovely fabrics.

The first discussion is scheduled for Monday Oct 26th at 8pm central time and will continue each night through Friday. (in 5 different time zones) If you are not familiar with our days and times I highly recommend you visit Quilting Weekly's forum to get the details.

See you Monday!
p.s. If you want advance notice of our our chats, topics, classes and weekly specials simply fill in the short form at the top of this page. (it is free and you get 2 free lessons worth over $50 just for taking a look)

Last chance to chat this week

2009-10-16T09:16:00.000-05:00

The 3 Keys to Successful Quilting is our topic this week, and it has been an interesting week. If you have not been in the chat room this week you have one more day to join in on this discussion.

Today! Oct 16th, 8 pm Eastern time - Join Kathy and Linda your hosts as they reveal the 3Keys to Successful Quilting

So don't miss out go and set your alarm now and bookmark Quilting Weekly (the chat room is found under our goodies tab on the site. You have to go to Quilting Weekly to find the chat room)

If you have ever made a bad quilt and want to know how to prevent doing this again, you need to learn these secrets to making a successful quilt!

The 3 Keys to Successful Quilting

2009-10-11T18:44:00.000-05:00

This week (Oct 12th - Oct 16th) is a chat week at Quilting Weekly, and our topic this week will be "The 3 keys to successful quilting". Find out what the "3 Keys" are, and why they are so important to the success of your quilting. This is a great topic for beginners to more confident quilters. As it will help you understand what mistakes to avoid during the initial design process.

If you have ever had a quilt that just didn't work and wondered why? The answers may be found in this chat. Come to ask questions, share your knowledge or just listen to what others have to say. Either way we always have a great time! Won't you join us??

Where: Quilting Weekly - Once on the site, click the "goodies tab" to find our chat room.
When: Week of October 12, 2009 thru October 16, 2009 , Chats last about an hour.

Monday 8pm Central time
Tuesday 8pm London UK time
Wednesday 8pm West coast time
Thursday 8pm Hobart Australia time
Friday 8pm Eastern time

BTW we have different moderators each night so no two chats are exactly the same. You can join us all five nights if you have the time. For your convenience here is a world clock so you can figure out what time to be there if you live outside these areas. World Clock

See you Monday! (That's my night to chat)
Chris

P.S. If you any questions you would like to ask, and can't make the chats, leave them here in the comments section with your email address and I will be sure to get you answers.

Quilting Weekly Newsletters, where to find them

2009-10-06T22:42:00.001-05:00

Quilting Weekly is now back on track with newsletters, and now they will be archived on the site indefinitely!

That's right so no matter when you register for Quilting Weekly, you can always get caught up on the news. Just log in and go to the "goodies tab", look for "newsletters" and click the issue you are interested in reading!

Note: Only registered members at Quilting Weekly can read the newsletters. If you are not registered yet you can join by filling out the form at the top of this page.

Under this same tab, is where you will find out chat room. Did you know that we meet on the 2nd & 4th weeks of the month? Find all the details in the forum.

How did you start quilting?

2009-10-02T11:09:00.003-05:00

How did you get started with quilting?

This was the question that was asked in one of our recent chats. This is something that I am also very curious about. I often wonder what inspires a person to take on the challenges of making a quilt. I mean with all the lovely quilts available in stores today; you could buy one without all the hassles of making one, right?

The sky is the limit when it comes to the investments involved with quilting. You could get started for very little money, or you can spend thousands in machines, fabric and tools. Quilting today is much more than the recycling of fabric scraps sewn together to form a blanket strictly for the purpose of staying warm. It has developed into an art form all its own.

There are traditional functional quilts, abstract art quilts, picture quilts and even 3-D quilts! There are as many styles of quilts as there are quilters. Each quilter brings their individual personality and style to their textile work. The freedom to create your own unique style and ignore all the rules of traditional quilting attracts many fiber artists to this craft, but what about the rest of you? When we speak of fiber artists, we think of the art quilters, but there are many who still love the traditional style of quilting, like the quilts our ancestors created. What about you, what attracts so many of you to struggle through the challenges of all that exact cutting and piecing?

"How did you get started with quilting?" This was the question presented in our chat room recently, along with "what inspires you to continue quilting?" I have my own reasons for starting, but I was curious to see what others have to say about what attracted them and what keeps them going.

Let's see what you had to say

These are the responses found during our live chat. Many of you had similar stories so you may see some repeat answers. But even if they are similar, I still think each person had something to add to the discussion and did not want to exclude anyone.

I broke this into 2 sections. The first one is "how you got started" and the second one is "what inspires you" I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I enjoyed typing them.

How did you get started quilting?

I started quilting because I have always loved quilts. My grandmother made quilts and gave me a couple. And then I realized my Mom quilted when the kids were out of the way. And now I own 5 generations of quilts. We are all still learning, too many kinds of quilting to know them all. I started teaching myself, and asking Mom on the phone, then I took 8 classes at a quilt store then I joined the quilt guild where there is always someone to ask, then I joined Creative Quilting and Quilting Weekly where there is always someone to ask online.
When I lived out west I had a friend who quilted and she got me started on star quilts.
- Did she teach you how to quilt then?
No, just got me interested and then I moved back home. Mostly I learned from books trial and error (mostly error). I am still learning today. I have never taken lessons but need to for binding, which I have trouble with. Books and the internet is how I learned mostly.
I had a grandmother who quilted, but I didn't actually make any quilts, except for a small baby quilt while she was alive. I learned some things from what my daughter was taught. Most of what I have learned was from books and then through the internet.
I began quilting years ago. I wanted to make a baby quilt for my son. He's now 19. I was self taught at first. I've taken some classes since then. And I have invested in many books.
I began quilting as a natural progression to all the other sewing skills I had been taught by my mother
My friend and I began quilting as a lark 2 years ago we have a few quilts finished and I became hooked on it. We both enjoyed sewing.
I started myself off I think. Just liked the look of it and always like to try different things. This one has stuck. I was going to a craft group that made lots of different things and the leader did quilting which I liked the look of. So I found a magazine and went for it.
I was going to a craft group that made lots of different things and the leader did quilting which I liked the look of. So I found a magazine and went for it.
For me the challenge of being able to cut fabric up and then put it back together again to make something nice.
A co-worker invited 3-4 people to come and learn to quilt. I said I'd come to socialize but I wasn't interested in doing anything with a sewing machine. Then I got hooked.

Who/what inspires you?

What inspires me is fabric, other quilts, pictures, people talking, quilt guild, everything inspires me. My ancestors all quilted, but I would say interested me rather than inspired. Inspired makes me think of fancy quilts and these were just beautiful appliqué or scrap quilts. But I always loved them. Only information book I use is" Better Homes and Gardens Complete Guide to Quilting", but I have a lot of magazines for inspiration, and quilt shows. But what inspires you the most. To me it is the fabric!
Seeing some of the quilts in those shops on the week-end was inspiring. They were beautiful. I was at a grist mill on Sunday and they had little grain bags made into wall hangings. They were really neat. I bought a bunch of them to make my own.
I was at a friend's house today and I saw her pillows on the couch with leaves and flowers. I took out my cell phone and took a picture of them. Now I want to use that for a quilting design someday soon.
I was more inspired when my daughter made a quilt in the 4^th grade!
I loved watching some of the local cable shows here in the states. There a number of shows dedicated to quilting that can be very inspiring and they give you tips and instructions for many of their projects.
The most inspiring book is probably "Pieced Flowers, by Ruth B. McDowell". I have never gotten beyond piecing with the straight seams.
I didn't have anyone in my family that I can say inspired me to quilt. Although I found out one of my aunts used to make quilts. I never say any of them though, too bad.
Fabric is one of my inspirations, but I get inspired by many things including books, photos, nature, quilt shows, websites and well just about everything I see could be a quilt idea!
I really like The Quilt Show with Alex and Ricky, but I'm going to take all the classes I can on quilting weekly. I like Alex's quilting by hand book. I also like watching Matt Sparrow do his live long arming online
I like Alex's web site too, and Ricky's, but I also like thequiltshow.com fabric and other's quilts, lots of ideas at different shows and flowers
I must admit I love looking at other peoples work as well
What inspired me? Was I took it up as a challenge; I needed something to do after my back surgery.
We saw a Christmas wall hanging in a book and decided to try and make on for a present but instead we ended up having such a good time that one turned into 12. Neither of us knew anything about quilting and it was all trial and error.
To me it is usually the fabric first, and then I have to find a pattern to do it justice. If I have an order for a quilt, or course I start with the pattern, but for myself I start with my fabric. I see pictures in magazines and then say to myself, "I have the perfect fabric for that one, I think I will make it, if I have enough fabric of course"
I love the fabric, but sometimes I start with the pattern and colors that the person receiving the quilt like. For the quilts for family I'm inspired by whatever theme they want for their quilt.
As for inspiration I think probably it all (fabric, patterns and things I see around me). And my imagination takes over. I am very naughty about following patterns. – have to do my own thing somewhere along the process.

If you have your own personal story that you would like to share with our readers here, please feel free to leave it in the comments section. Your story just might inspire someone else to get started with quilting.

If you want to get involved in our live chats be sure to head over to Quilting Weekly, register to get on our mailing list. (Or simply fill in the form at the top of this page).

A Blog with a Purpose

2009-09-30T12:04:00.002-05:00

The Original Purpose of this Blog

When I started writing this blog, I knew nothing about blogging. So I set off on a journey to learn about blogging and wanted to share my quilting journey with whoever wanted to read it.

Since the start of the blog I have learned many new things about blogging and my life has taken many turns along the way, some of which I have shared here. They included personal quilting projects and experiences, stories about my personal life, sprinkled with whatever quilting information I could find on the web. I have shared videos, photos, and websites and even taught a few quilting lessons here. On occasion I also put up information about the happenings on my Classroom website. So you can see the purpose or direction was varied and a little unorganized, but then so is my mind and life! LOL

Blog Number 2

Then came blog number 2. As if this wasn't enough challenge I thought I would take on another blog. The main reason was to explore another blog format that I had heard so much about on the web. http://www.wordpress.com This site while still in the free blogging service category offered me statistics and reports on traffic and allowed me to fine tune some things. This was very exciting to me. I now could tailor my writing to fit what the readers wanted. (I am still perfecting this as we speak) And if you are curious about my other blog take a look at Online Quilting.

The Challenge of Running 2 Blogs

Now the challenge of running 2 blogs was becoming ever increasingly difficult for me. I wanted them to be both about quilting, which is my passion as you all know. But how was I to keep them unique? I again fell into a similar habit. (Old habits die hard) I was posting all the same things. Yes the articles were different, (well some of them were exactly the same). I figured I could get away with that as there were bound to be different readers on both blogs, right? At first this may have been true, but as time went on I found that there was a huge following of the same people on both blogs. Now I was beginning to find it difficult to find new topics for both blogs that were interesting enough to keep you all happy. (Not an easy task)

As you may know with blogging and the internet in general the attention span of the reader is very short. My attention span for writing is even shorter! LOL I knew I had to plunge ahead as both blogs offered one common goal. "To reach as many quilters as possible, and offer them the help they needed to succeed at quilting."

Blogging Burnout

The final straw came with Blogging Burnout. I was finding blogging less and less fun. It was becoming real work. Well if it is work, then I run the other way. I only like to do things that are fun. Don't criticize me; you would agree if you can get away with not working at your job!

I took a few weeks off and just let the blogs sit. This is not a good thing in the world of blogging as you run the risk of losing your readers. I spent this time working on my website Quilting Weekly, as it is what pays for my fabric habits. At least all that time wasn't spent just having fun! I was actually trying to build my business up.

Once I got past the guilt of not writing daily or every few days, I found that the pressure was off and I could think more clearly about how to handle this situation. And today it finally hit me!!

Making each blog Serve a Specific Purpose

I needed to give each blog a specific purpose. This will have many benefits to me and the readers.

I decided that this blog Quilting Lesson Online will now be called Quilting Weekly. It will be the official blog for all the news and goings on at Quilting Weekly, giving my members and other readers the inside track to what we is happening there.

Classes - Sharing sales and news about new classes
Teachers - Sharing news about new teachers, their classes, or websites and services
Chats - Our monthly live chats offer members and non member’s ways to interact. I will list all the information about our chats here so you can plan your month accordingly. At the end of these chats I try to do a summary, (because we offer 5 different chats in 5 times zones) so I will post those summaries here.
Notices of when our newsletters are posted on Quilting Weekly. (Sorry I won't post the newsletters here as this is a benefit to the members). If you want to read them you will need to register at Quilting Weekly

As for the other blog, Online Quilting is where you will now find all my other quilting related articles.

This site will be full of resources - Including a links page. I have one set up for quilting related blogs, and one set up for quilting related websites.
Articles on quilting - Articles written by me or others will be found here. If it has to do with quilting I will find and write about as much as I can.
Tips - Quilting tips will be posted in articles, and I may even set up a page just for them over time.
Quilting news - If I find important news about quilting I will post them and any relative links.
Websites, videos, or other help I find on the web - I will continue to scour the web and bring you what I find.
Lessons - Yes on occasion I will post free tutorials or quilting lessons on this blog as well.

In Conclusion

So you see, now that each blog has specific goals it will be much easier to keep them unique, allowing me to reach a more targeted audience.

As for the frequency of my posting, that is yet to be determined. Because there is so much useful information on this blog, I don't want to remove it just yet. I may decide to in the future. If and when I do, I will move it all over to Online Quilting. That way none of it will be lost for ever.

As always your comments, thoughts or suggestions are welcome. (That is why there is a comment section) Please don’t be shy about using it.

Blogging Burnout

2009-09-24T19:34:00.000-05:00

Bogging burnout, it can happen! And it finally did for me. As you can see I just haven't written anything for some time now. Not because I don't enjoy sharing my quilting knowledge, great links and video finds with you, but simply because it was getting to be too much for me.

You see I have two blogs, a website and I belong to many online groups were I also do classes. In addition to all this computer stuff I was trying to fit in sewing/quilting time and manage my personal life. (Yeah I know stop complaining and get back to work right?) This is not uncommon as I know there are many of you who are doing the same right now.

Since my daughter moved back home (with financial troubles that I needed to help her sort out), my sister in-law and my sisters health issues I was getting overwhelmed and just had to cut something out. That turned out to be blogging!

I am not trying to complain here as we all have things we deal with daily in our lives and find ways to manage. I am merely trying to let you know that I will be back on track soon and wanted to apologize to all of my loyal readers for not giving you something new to read.

Blogging takes effort this is true, but if you are passionate about it, then it should come easy as long as you are not trying to over due it. So instead of trying to post daily, try every other day, or maybe once or twice a week. What ever schedule you set, try to stick with it.

Here are couple of insightful articles on Blogging Burnout. If you suffer from this condition then you might benefit from reading these. There are great tips on how to avoid the burnout factor and stay on track with your blogging.

7 Ways to avoid blogging burnout

Preventing Blog Burnout from ProBlogger

For me personally, I need to take a slower pace. So now I hope you can understand why it has been days since my last post and will be continuing to check back for my latest updates. If you have any suggestions or thoughts about Blogging Burnout that you would like to share, please do so in my comments.

Natures Best Contest from Quilting Gallery

2009-08-28T09:34:00.001-05:00

Check out the Natures Best Contest on the Quilting Gallery!

This looks like a great contest, one that any level quilter could enter. Why not get in on the fun, and see if you can't win one of these fabulous prizes. You could enter in the small category or the large, or if you really ambitious both!

Here is a quote from her site. Click the link for all the details.

It’s two contests with one theme: small projects (e.g. table runners, bags, wall hangings, lap quilts, etc.) and full-sized quilts. Read the full contest details, see the prizes and submit your photo(s).

Important Date to Remember
Contest start: August 24, 2009
Final submissions: September 25, 2009
Voting: September 26 through October 4, 2009
Winners announced: October 5, 2009

You could win on of several great prizes

2 spools (1,094 yards) of Cotton Mako’Ne 40 from Aurifil

10 1-yard cuts of Asian fabrics from Kona Bay Fabrics

10 fat quarters of It’s a Dog’s Life by Phyllis Dobbs

Quilting for Peace by Katherine Bell and STC Craft/Melanie Falick Books (not yet released!)

a free quilting class of your choice from Quilting Weekly

the cutest owl ever from Mel’s Own Place

Custom Applique Quilts are Simple to Create

2009-08-27T08:42:00.005-05:00

Custom Applique Quilts are Simple to Create
By Penny Halgren

To create a unique custom applique quilt, all you need is a simple design.

If the traditional appliques just don't excite you, make your own custom applique design. It's as easy as flipping through a child's coloring book or searching through clip art.

Custom appliqué quilts are perfect gifts for celebrating the birth of a baby. When the mom-to-be picks a less popular nursery theme, it can be hard to find a coordinating gift. That will make your custom appliqué quilt extra special!

One woman chose a "Cat in the Hat" theme for her newborn's room. She wanted something different and knew she'd have to custom sew and accessorize just about everything in the room.

She turned to an old coloring book for inspiration. The lines in children's coloring books are generally simple, especially in coloring books for younger aged children.

For the crib quilt, she enlarged a coloring book page of the cat's hat. Using the enlargement for a pattern, she appliquéd red stripes onto the hat which she had cut from white fabric.

Using iron-on adhesive, she put the large, bright red and white striped hat in the center of her pale teal-colored crib quilt top and stitched around it using a tight satin stitch. She added coordinating prints around the sides for the border and without much effort at all, had a custom appliqué quilt. She used the same techniques to add characters from the famous Dr. Seuss story to bumper pads and to create a wall hanging for the nursery, too.

It's easy to use the same procedure for creating a custom appliqué from clip art. Select your theme, then start your art search. The important thing is to look for simple lines.

Don't forget that you can manipulate some clip art. Once you open a clip art file, see if you can select the image then choose "ungroup" from the edit command. If it will allow you to ungroup, you can make simple changes.

For example, if you want a custom applique of Santa riding a reinderr, but the one you've found has ornaments hanging from the reindeer's antlers, ungroupling will probably let you delete those ornaments from the design. Don't forget to save your art once you've completed your editing!

Many people like to assemble the custom appliqué separately, then finish by stitching it to their quilt top or quilt block. Others, however, like to assemble piece by piece onto the quilt top or block by basting, then finishing the stitches with either an appliqué stitch, zig-zag or satin stitch.

Fonts may also be used for custom applique designs. It's really easy to create a custom appliqué quilt with a name or favorite hobby ("Cheer!" and "Play Ball!" are two that come to mind). Simply type the words and make the letters the size you want. You may have to print the letters individually rather than on one sheet if you want them to be substantially large.

You can even make custom appliqués for your favorite fraternity or sorority member by using a font like Symbols for the custom applique pattern.

Once you've printed the letters, they are your pattern for your custom appliqué design. Play around with the positioning once you get them cut out. Have fun and create interest by overlapping the letters in some places.

You must observe copyright laws when using other media to help you design custom appliqué patterns. Most art is under law in which if used for personal use only, there is no copyright infringement. If you try to sell your custom appliqué projects using the already published art, you are likely in violation of copyright law.

The same goes for fonts. There are many websites that allow viewers to download and use free fonts, but most of those include stipulations that the use of the fonts must be for personal - not commercial - use only.

Penny Halgren http://www.TheQuiltingCoach.com Penny has been a quilter for more than 26 years. She enjoys exploring all aspects of quilting sharing her knowledge with all quilters.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Penny_Halgren
http://EzineArticles.com/?Custom-Applique-Quilts-are-Simple-to-Create&id=998679

For more help with applique try "Quilt Applique" by Melissa Haworth

At Quilting Weekly we take the learning beyond the classroom and into your sewing room. Learn at your own speed, and with the personal guidance of our teachers you will never be more than a click away from help!

Quilt Applique by Melissa Haworth

2009-08-26T12:26:00.005-05:00

Wow I am so excited to share the news about our latest class. If you are a regular here, you know that this blog will occasionally share news from Quilting Weekly. Well today is one of those times.

Melissa Haworth is a new teacher on Quilting Weekly, and her first class Quilt Applique is a wonderful class to start with.

If you have ever wondered about quilt applique, wonder no more. This class offers something for everyone. It shares techniques for both the hand sewers and the machine lovers as well. There are several techniques taught in this class, and it is done is a way that even beginners will be appliqueing blocks after just a few short lessons.

Applique doesn't have to take hours to learn, and it can be done anywhere......can you say that about machine piecing?

Give Quilt Applique a try and get started today making heirloom quilts for your family and friends.

Proper set up for your Sewing table

2009-08-10T09:09:00.002-05:00

Do you suffer from back, shoulder or neck pain when sewing? What about circulation issues with your legs or feet? If you said yes to any of these then you may not have the ideal setup for your sewing table.

If you find yourself not sewing for as long as you like comfortably and seem to get up to stretch more than you sit and sew, then watch this video! It can really help make a difference in your comfort and therefore your enjoyment in sewing or quilting.

Quilt Blocks, What Can You Do with Them?

2009-08-08T10:36:00.001-05:00

Quilt Blocks, What Can You Do with Them?
By: Chris Dahl of Quilting Weekly

Free block patterns, books about quilt blocks, classes on and off line, block swaps are just a few of the ways we quilters get caught up in the making of quilt blocks.

If you like to try new block patterns, but don't want to commit to making an entire quilt with each block what can you do? What are your choices for using up all these quilt blocks? Especially if they are of different sizes!

Here are just a few ideas to get you from quilt block to finished projects in no time at all!

Create Placemats - use a block for the center and add other blocks to frame the center one

Create table Runners - can use up several blocks, or just one or two with a large novelty print

Create Wall hangings - one block with borders can be framed as wall art

Create a tote bag, with one block on the front and one on the back

Another option for tote bags - Use several blocks and piece together for a scrappy looking bag. These can be used as grocery bags if you make them larger

Pillows

Pot Holders or Trivets

Add fusible to the back of the block, then re-cut into shapes for applique

Make a sampler quilt - this can be with similar blocks, similar colors or a completely scrappy look with all different colors and blocks.

Add as decoration to clothing by appliqueing or fusing them onto jackets, sweatshirts etc.

As you can see there are many possibilities for using up your quilt blocks. Don't let them pile up in a box or drawer get them out and put them to good use. Need a sampler quilt pattern idea? Try Block Beginnings from Quilting Weekly. This class not only provides you with a great sampler quilt pattern, but you actually learn how to draft your own quilt blocks by the end of class!

How to Applique Baby Quilts

2009-08-06T10:22:00.001-05:00

How to Applique Baby Quilts
By Andrea Hunter

Applique is a creative technique, often used in quilting. It can also be intimidating if you've never tried it before. Here are some simplified instructions, for those who wish to attempt this sometimes dreaded task. An applique stitch is a stitch used to attach one piece of fabric to another. In quilt making, this method is often used to attach simple cut outs to a base fabric. The applique stitch will accomplish two things. First, it will securely attach the cut out to the block. Second, it will keep the edges of the cut out from fraying. Below, you will find step by step instructions on how to applique.

1) The first step is to cut out a quilt block and also the shape you wish to attach to the block. If you have purchased a pre-cut quilt kit, this will already be done for you.

2) Next, you will use a light weight fusible web (sold as Stitch Witchery, Heat N Bond, etc.) to attach the cut out to the block. This will prevent the cut out from moving around while you applique. Washing the fabrics before starting the fusing process, will ensure that the fusible web will adhere to the fabrics. Follow the instructions that come with the fusible web to attach the cut out(s) to the quilt block.

Note: If you don't have fusible web, you can use straight pins to attach the cut outs, but you will likely have puckers in your cutout when it is appliqued. To center a name on a block, start with the middle letter of the name. For example, if you have the name, "AVERY", you would start with the letter "E". Place the "E" in the center of the block and press. Then place the "V" and the "R". Then place the "A" and the "Y".

3) Choose your thread color. If you are a beginner, it is a good idea to choose a thread color that will blend in with the shape you will applique'. This will help to hide any mistakes, as they will blend in with the shape(s) and seem unnoticeable. If you are pretty confident and experienced, with a sewing machine that takes fairly uniform stitches, you may want to coordinate your thread with an accent color on your quilt. In this case, you would choose a color much different from the shape that matches another color on the quilt that you want to bring out.

4) Test your tension! This step is very important and is one that you should try on scrap pieces of fabric. This way, you won't mess up your masterpiece! Take two scraps, one that is smaller than the other one. Use your zigzag stitch to sew the smaller piece on top of the larger piece. Sew along the edge of the smaller piece so that the needle alternates, taking a stitch on the smaller piece, and a stitch on the larger piece, attaching the two together. Make sure your stitches are even. Your zigzag stitches should also be very close together, to create a satin stitch, so the edge of the cut out is not exposed when you are finished. If your stitches are not satisfactory, adjust your tension, a little at a time, until you get the desired results. If adjusting your thread tension doesn't work, try adjusting your bobbin tension.

5) Now for the fun part! It is a good idea to start on a corner so the place where you start and end will look as smooth as possible. Sew around the shape(s) with a zigzag stitch. If you are going to applique' more than one shape, such as a name, start with the center letter first. As you sew around the shape, pause and turn on the corners, to keep an even stitch, all the way around. Try to end so that the place you start and end looks continuous.

See, that wasn't so difficult. You should now have an appliqued piece of work, that you can show to all of your friends, and be proud of.

Andrea Hunter is the co-founder of Sandrea Baby Quilts. http://www.sandreababyquilts.com offers handmade and personalized baby quilts, baby quilt kits, baby quilt patterns, receiving blankets, and free tips for quilters.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrea_Hunter
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Applique-Baby-Quilts&id=1763936

Quilting Weekly offers you both paid and free quilting lessons. Whether you are looking for patterns and instructions or just need some advice Chris Dahl (the owner and head teacher) is always ready to lend a hand! Her Mother Goose Baby quilt pattern is one of the most popular classes on the site today.

Your Different Sewing Machine Options

2009-08-04T10:08:00.004-05:00

Your Different Sewing Machine Options
By Amy C

Some crafts people begin a sewing hobby with the misconception that it will save them money. The truth is sewing is more enjoyable than economical. One of the major expenses involved in sewing is the purchase of a sewing machine and all of the additional components. It is vital to understand and research your sewing machine options before making a final purchase. The following are a few tips which you can use to ensure that you make the right decision.

Sew many choices!
Before moving forward and purchasing a sewing machine, you must first decide what kind of sewing projects you would like to attempt. This is one of the most important things to consider since all sewing machines have different capabilities and functions. For example, if you plan to use your machine for garment construction or repair then a simple easy-to-use multi-stitch machine will be fine. If your hobbies will include sewing felt or leather, then a more complex and industrial strength machine may be a better choice.

Sew much money!
Buying a sewing machine can be overwhelming, and the amount of choice can become confusing. This is why working out a spending budget is one of the most important steps. Try to be realistic about how often you will use your machine and set your limit accordingly. Sewing machines can cost anywhere between $100 and $4000 dollars. If you are not careful it is easy to convince yourself that you need the one with all of the bells and whistles. Many of these extra functions will go unused and are not necessary for even more advanced and difficult home sewing projects.

Sew where do I start?
When searching for a sewing machine, it is always a good idea to visit a local dealer. Here, you will be assisted by knowledgeable salespeople who will guide you toward the machine which is most suitable. Most sewing machine suppliers will also allow for you to test multiple machines before deciding on a final purchase. This is a great way to see for yourself if a sewing machine is comfortable, user friendly and a high enough quality. Some sew machine dealers will also have gently used machines for sale. This option is perfect if you are first starting out in the hobby and would like to work your way up to a more complex machine. Sewing can be an incredibly enjoyable hobby and purchasing a machine should not be hard on you or your bank account. Shop around and take the time to make the right decision.

Make sure to visit Discount Sewing for discount supplies, tips, tricks and advice. Come and discover the perfect Embroidery Sewing Machine and more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy_C
http://EzineArticles.com/?Your-Different-Sewing-Machine-Options&id=2480385

If your interested in more articles on sewing machines check out these two found on my blog:

What sewing machine should I buy?

Or

Sewing Machine Tips from our Live Chat

Selvage Quilts

2009-08-02T12:32:00.001-05:00

Don't throw away your selvages, they are a hot commodity around quilters today. Yep those edges that we have been told to cut away for years are not being sought by quilters around the world. In fact some of the fabric manufactures have caught on and are now selling bag fulls of these little treasures.

What makes them so special? Their unique labeling and colors is what I find attractive. If you look at the selvages, you will see things like the manufactures name, the colored dots or squares for the dyes used in the making of the fabric, even date and location it was made. Talk about a historians dream!

How do I use them?
Simply cut off no less than 1.5 inches but better if you can spare 2.5 inches (this shows a bit of the fabric too, and sew them to a foundation. Simple flip and sew the selvages to the foundation. I use muslin, it is cheap and not as stiff as paper. But use what you're comfortable with.

Make squares in any size you like. Once you have a stack of blocks you can make a quilt. The blocks can be cut up and joined with other selvage blocks, or sewn to other fabrics. You can mix and match with traditional blocks or solid blocks. The idea is be creative and see how much fun these are to make.

The best part is you are doing a great service by using selvages up. (This keeps them from rotting in landfills!) A RECYCLERS DREAM QUILT!

By the way, here are a few resources for inspiration:

Sewn

The selvage blog

Quilting Weekly (has two selvage classes now) 1 is titled "Go Green with Selvage Quilts" and contains 4 projects including 2 quilts in one class. The second one is making a lovely tote bag "Raking Leaves" These are a real bargain for the money.

Electric Quilt Software

2009-07-31T12:21:00.000-05:00

Did you know that your Electric Quilt software is one of the best tools for creating and planning your quilts?

Need ideas for a quilt?

Want to see how much fabric to buy?

Do you need templates?

Have trouble with rotary cutting instructions?

Paper Piecing is easy when you can print your blocks right onto the foundation
Wonder if the colors look good together? Print out just the colors or use the fabric libraries. You can even scan in your own fabrics if you like. Still need more fabric? Download fabric libraries from their website.

Not sure how many blocks to make?

How about drawing or designing your own blocks?

What about borders?

Want to test out quilting designs?

Electric Quilt can answer these questions and so many more. Take a look at their software you won't be disappointed. (you may however never make a quilt as you could spend hours having fun with this design software)

Sewing table that fit your machine

2009-07-30T10:33:00.004-05:00

Cool setup! No really if you need to extend your quilting space and don't want to spend a lot of money you need to check out these tables from Sewing Mate

The cool part is that can be adjusted to fit just about any machine! Don't believe me, check and see if your machine is listed on the Sewing Mate site.

Really how cool are these tables?

Great Ideas For a Quilt Baby Blanket Gift

2009-07-25T06:00:00.003-05:00

Great Ideas For a Quilt Baby Blanket Gift
By Jackie Lee

Making a handmade quilt for a new mom is a gift that will be treasured and loved for generations. There are many people who choose to keep handmade quilts as family heirlooms, and you may find your quilt baby blanket turns into something that is passed down from generation to generation.

It is pretty to learn to sew quilt squares, you can do it by hand or with a machine. You can find an entire kit at the craft store that will provide you with the instructions, and all the material you need to make a square. Most of these kits you buy one square at a time, then put them all together. This makes quilting a little less overwhelming, since you only have to focus on getting one square at a time done. When it comes to the actual quilting of the blanket you can do it yourself or you can also pay someone else to do it for you. There are machines that make quilting very easy, but unless you are going to do a lot of quilting it might be more economical to have someone else do the quilting or do it by hand.

A great way to make a memorable quilt baby blanket gift is to get the whole family in on it. Each family member can make a square or two. You can use cloth markers to inscribe special messages from each member. You can choose to have everyone work on the same type of squares or you can have a mix and match baby quilt with a variety of square patterns. Both are lovely.

You can also get ahold of the grandparents to be and see if they have any clothes or blankets saved from the parents' childhood. If they do you could include these fabrics in the quilt for their child making it a multi-generational quilt, which will no doubt be a family heirloom.

When choosing colors and themes for a baby quilt the sky is the limit. You can go with bold exciting colors, cartoon characters, or you could even call and talk to the parents and find out what color they are planning for the nursery to match your quilt to the theme of the room.

Making a quilt takes some time and effort. You may want to get started as soon as you find out your loved one is having a baby. This will leave you plenty of time to get the quilt done, and contact other family members who want to be involved in the project.

I know the quilt baby blanket gift we received holds a very dear spot in our hearts. It is a family treasure, and although we use it now, I may be tempted to put it away and save it for when my daughter has a baby.

Find more unique baby blanket gift ideas. For those who don't like to sew check out our no sew baby blanket gift instructions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackie_Lee
http://EzineArticles.com/?Great-Ideas-For-a-Quilt-Baby-Blanket-Gift&id=1429844

For a great baby quilt pattern take a look at the "Mother Goose Baby Quilt" pattern from Quilting Weekly.

What Sewing Machine to Buy

2009-07-23T15:11:00.004-05:00

What Sewing Machine Should I Buy?

This is tough question to answer, and there is no right or wrong answer here. One thing I can tell you for sure is that you need to do your research. And here are some pointers as to what you need to ask yourself, and the shop owners.

Ask yourself "What type of sewing will you be doing most?" General sewing, quilting (free motion or straight line). If you do craft or general sewing, what types of fabrics will you be working most.
1. This question leads to the type of feet your machine needs to come with, and how does it handle the different types of fabrics, like denim verses cotton verses silks etc.
What features do you like and what features must you have/or can't live without. Make a wish list here. Look online at the various machines and see what they have to offer.
1. As you start looking at machines, and your wish list you may find not all features are available on all machines. So categorize them by highlighting the feature in order of importance to you and the type of sewing you will do.
2. Do this research before entering the store. Once you get into the store, you may find a fast talking pushy sales person who will tell you anything to get the sale. So be sure you know what you want first. And the internet is full of great resources.
3. Check the manufactures websites, and then see if you can find forums or online groups where you can ask actual owners of the machines you're interested in. You will quickly get a feel for who likes and why or who doesn't why.
Ask about warranty and repairs. I know when you get a new machine repairs are the last thing you want to think about but this is an important one. You need to know if the shop does their own repairs or if they send the machine out. If they send it out, check out the reputation of the repair person or shop they send it to. Find out how long it takes on average to get it back for cleanings and repairs.
1. Knowing how long can help you plan around your projects better. No one likes to be without a machine, but cleanings will help you keep it off the repair table or at least less often.
Find out about classes. Do they offer them? How often and where do they hold them? Many shops hold basic or new machine owner classes, but what about more advanced classes or learning to use special feet and options your new machine came with?
1. If you have questions about your machine, can you get free answers, either over the phone or in person?
Make sure you can test drive the machines beforehand. And really try out the features you want on your machine.
1. If you use specialty fabrics, then bring scraps in to try and see how the machine handles them.
2. If free motion is what you do most make a quilt sandwich to test out. (a 10 to 14 inch sandwich should be good)
3. Try out all the feet you know you will use.
4. Try out the embroidery options if that is what you are interested in. Make sure you know how to hoop your fabrics, and how to adjust pattern sizes.
As you can see there are many things to consider when purchasing a new sewing machine. With the cost of machines ranging from hundreds to several thousand dollars, research is important if you want to invest in the right machine for your type of sewing.

Don't just buy a sewing machine; check to be sure the manufacture/company will be there to support you and your machine for the life of the machine. The company behind the machine is just as important as the machine it's self.

Updated: 11/25/09 with a really helpful link to a website for sewing machine reviews. Check out Best Sewing Machines Reviewed.

What Thread is Best For Quilting?

2009-07-23T09:20:00.001-05:00

What Thread is Best For Quilting?
By Kate Welder

Quilting thread is classified under two categories that is sewing and embellishing thread. The sewing thread is the one most used and is especially fit for quilting. Sewing thread comes in a variety of options, fibers and weights alike and the latter can be between 28 to 60. Because quilting threads need to be durable and withstand the time test, you should buy threads of 40 weight or somewhere near this number. Those closer to the 28 thread are for embellishments and those with a weight of 50 are sturdier and stronger, therefore used for piecing. How do you read the weight of a thread? Just study a little the label and you will see a little marking on the label, saying for instance 40/2. This means the thread weight and respectively how many plies it has. Therefore, the thread in the example has a 40 weight and 2 plies.

Threads designed for quilting are made of cotton, polyester, plastic, rayon or metallic materials. The metallic or plastic threads are commonly used in embellishments or to add specialized stitches. The cotton ones are used at larger scales and therefore they are widely available. They are also subjected to a mercerized process, in which the cotton threads that are treated with sodium hydroxide to shrink and increase their luster and affinity for dye. Cotton threads usually weigh from 30 to 60.

Rayon threads also display an increased affinity for luster while the polyester one holds the advantage that it doesn't shrink when washed and it neither loses its color. You should also bear in mind that metallic threads need acquires skills beforehand so that you can sew them together, so this type of sewing is not for beginners. When purchasing threads for your quilting, look for the specialized companies that have a long term tradition and quality reputation like Coats and Clark, or Guterman specializing in hand quilting and renowned for the quality and refinement of their threads, Madeira rayon threads, strong enough to be used for embroidering on denim and leather or Mettler, a company which offers several types of fibers.

Another thing to consider is your sewing tool; if it's old and rusty, it should be better left behind. If the spool moves itself, unreel it then pull it back on. If you come across threads that snap, it's best to leave them apart because they will snap inside your sewing machine too. Considering that the thread market nowadays offers so many inexpensive options, it is best to buy new thread whenever you need one and don't try to save money on the threads' quality. After all, you will end up less frustrated and you will do your work more quickly.

You will also find numerous types of threads available for different embellishments and you could find these in the local specialized store. For manual quilting, you can utilize embroidery floss, which comes in different shapes and fibers in every store you can think of.

At the end of the day, by choosing wisely the threads you are just beginning to become mesmerized by the beautiful art of quilting.

For more information on quilting and to receive a free ebook "Quilting Reveled 101" please visit http://www.quilthowto.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kate_Welder
http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Thread-is-Best-For-Quilting?&id=1734344

Easy Sewing Projects For Beginning Quilters and Anyone Else

2009-07-22T09:08:00.004-05:00

Easy Sewing Projects For Beginning Quilters and Anyone Else

Easy Sewing Projects For Beginning Quilters and Anyone Else
By Maybelle Maddison

OK. So you have decided to take the plunge and start quilting. The challenge is that you do not feel comfortable with your sewing machine. What you need are some easy projects to get you started, but that do not feel like you are wasting your time. The following list of projects make great gifts and you will also have great practice when it comes to tackle your first quilt.

Wallets

Wallets are wonderful. What I'm thinking of specifically, is the Wonder Wallet pattern by Lazy Girl Designs. I've made so many of these because they are easy and practical. Over Christmas I used them as gift card holders. Because they only use half a fat quarter, you can go crazy over novelty prints without taxing your budget. With this pattern, you will get used to sewing in a straight line and using your walking foot.

Once you are confident with wallets, your next project can be a quilted purse.

Pillowcases

Pillowcases are all straight lines. Again, using novelty prints, these makes great gifts for young kids. I made pillowcases last Christmas out of High School Musical flannel. My nieces loved them!

Another benefit is that once you feel confident with your skills, you can make a quilt out of the same material. The recipient will get both the quilt and pillowcases. Now that is thoughtful!

Coasters

Folks who work in offices will appreciate a set of coasters to keep their desks nice. The upgrade for this project will be place mats to match the coasters.

Bookmarks

A quilted bookmark is the perfect gift for the reader in the family. You can choose the fabric and design according to the recipient's hobbies. Adding a book with this gift would be a nice touch. Another option is just to make a bookmark for yourself. I know that I have a hard time keeping up with them.

Tote bags

You can easily find tote bag patterns all over the Internet for good reason - they are easy and practical. If fact, you can have a tote bag for different reasons. You could have a tote bag for the grocery store, a tote bag for the library and a tote bag for work. You'll learn how to sew in a straight line. If you are a ready to branch out, you could use a quilt block as decoration on the bag.

Cranking out wallets, pillowcases, coasters, bookmarks and tote bags will have you getting comfortable with your sewing machine in no time. While you're producing lovely handmade goodies, you'll also be preparing yourself to start quilting.

Maybelle Maddison is a true Southern Belle and dedicated quilter. She has made it her mission in life to spread the joy of quilting! Visit her site at http://www.joannfabrics.org for quilting information, pattern reviews and suggestions on how to start and keep quilting!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maybelle_Maddison
http://EzineArticles.com/?Easy-Sewing-Projects-For-Beginning-Quilters-and-Anyone-Else&id=1063521

For a fun Tote bag pattern that uses something you already have in your sewing room, try Raking Leaves Tote bag pattern from Quilting Weekly

Sewing Machine tips from our live chat

2009-07-14T10:42:00.006-05:00

Sewing Machines

Chat Room Summary – Week of July 6^th -10^th

Our chat room was a buzz this past week with another lively chat, and this time it was about "sewing machines". When I chose this topic my intent was to find out what type of machine you use for sewing/quilting, and then find out what you liked best about your machine. This investigation into your sewing room was to help new quilters find out what's available today in the way of sewing machines and also to show them that quilting can be done on just about any machine at all. You don't have to spend a lot, or have a fancy machine to quilt.

What was revealed to me on the first day of the chat was something I did not expect. I was quite surprised at the number of you who own either treadle machines, or feather weights! This really did drive home the concept "that you really can sew on any machine, and you don't need a fancy machine to quilt". Treadles are one of the first sewing machines. No power required to operate these. And the feather weights were rather simple as well. Although they did offer the sewer a little more power as they were electric and had foot pedals similar to today's machines.

Let's explore these two machines a little closer

First let's look at the treadle machine. I would think that many of you may have seen a treadle machine at some point in your life. For me it was in my grandmother's house as a child. I would get to sit under the machine and push the peddle with my hands while moved the fabric through the machine up top. (Or at least until she got frustrated with my irregular movements, or too slow movements for her)

From the dictionary: A treadle [from OE tredan = to tread] is a part of a machine which is operated by the foot to produce reciprocating or rotary motion in a machine such as a weaving loom (reciprocating) or grinder (rotary).

Many of the early sewing machine were operated by a treadle mechanism linked to the machine by a leather belt.

Here you can see a treadle machine in the closed position. The machine would store neatly in the cabinet when not in use. What a beautiful piece of furniture this makes! The "pedal" at the bottom would be pressed back and forth in a rocking motion to make the needle move up and down with the help of a belt on the large wheel to the right of the peddle. There are many benefits to this type of machine beyond its obvious beauty.

The cabinetry was beautiful, but the machines were even more beautiful. Inlayed with gold, or mother of pearl was not uncommon.

Because this machine relied on your pedal power, it gave you total control of the speed. This is the ultimate speed control! You can sew as fast or slow as you want, by simply rocking the pedal faster or slower. Developing a rhythm is all it takes to gain control of this machine. Your legs will enjoy the work out too!

Beyond the control, there are no computer chips to break, or buttons to figure out this is as basic a machine as it gets. It is a straight stitch machine, but really in quilting the straight stitch will do the job just fine for piecing and quilting.

Featherweight machines

Feather weight machines were manufactured between 1933 and 1964 by a company named Singer. These were light weight and portable. Much different than the treadle machines which were in heavy cabinets which could only be moved around the home like any other piece of furniture.

The featherweights even had a foot pedal much like we use today. These machines were run by electricity and not by "man power". This gave the sewer freedom to pack her machine into a case and take it to class or to a friend's house if she desired.

Many of these machines had an extension on the bed that flipped up to give you more sewing space. The convenience of folding this extension up and down allowed to be packed in a small cubicle of a box to be tucked away when needed.

There are many attachments that can be purchased for these machines including walking foot, button holer, ruffle and even a zipper foot. It is a great machine for piecing and the manufacture doesn't recommend using it for machine quilting as it could burn out the motor. You cannot lower the feed dogs on this machine, making it difficult to free motion quilt. That being said, there are many people who say they have successfully used their machines for machine quilting. So my hat is off to all the ladies who are still sewing on either of these machines today.

Helpful links about treadle & featherweight machines

Treadle On – A helpful site dedicated to those who want to use "man powered" sewing machines.

Sewing Machine 221 Sale – Is a great place to start if you are looking for repairs or parts for your machines (old or new) Of course if you have a new sewing machine it is best to go to your dealer or the place of purchase if the machine is still under warranty, as going someplace else for repairs could void your warranty.

Planet Patchwork – Read this well written and detailed article on featherweight machines. It is very informative.

About.com – Here are some photos and facts found on this site on featherweights. The pictures are a great help if this is your first time learning about this type of machine.

Our chat also revealed more modern machines as well.

Some of the brands available today include:

Now there may be others, this is just the ones that I am familiar with, and names that I have heard in the chat and amongst quilters I have met. Each of these companies caters to the home sewer. There are many price ranges and features to choose from. Basic sewing and embroidery options can be found on many of the machines today. So how would you decide what is right for you?

What machine should I buy?

Ask yourself "What type of sewing will you be doing most?" General sewing, quilting (free motion or straight line). If you do craft or general sewing, what types of fabrics will you be working most.
1. This question leads to the type of feet your machine needs to come with, and how does it handle the different types of fabrics, like denim verses cotton verses silks etc.
What features do you like and what features must you have/or can't live without. Make a wish list here. Look online at the various machines and see what they have to offer.
1. As you start looking at machines, and your wish list you may find not all features are available on all machines. So categorize them by highlighting the feature in order of importance to you and the type of sewing you will do.
2. Do this research before entering the store. Once you get into the store, you may find a fast talking pushy sales person who will tell you anything to get the sale. So be sure you know what you want first. And the internet is full of great resources.
3. Check the manufactures websites, and then see if you can find forums or online groups where you can ask actual owners of the machines you're interested in. You will quickly get a feel for who likes and why or who doesn't why.
Ask about warranty and repairs. I know when you get a new machine repairs are the last thing you want to think about but this is an important one. You need to know if the shop does their own repairs or if they send the machine out. If they send it out, check out the reputation of the repair person or shop they send it to. Find out how long it takes on average to get it back for cleanings and repairs.
1. Knowing how long can help you plan around your projects better. No one likes to be without a machine, but cleanings will help you keep it off the repair table or at least less often.
Find out about classes. Do they offer them? How often and where do they hold them? Many shops hold basic or new machine owner classes, but what about more advanced classes or learning to use special feet and options your new machine came with?
1. If you have questions about your machine, can you get free answers, either over the phone or in person?
Make sure you can test drive the machines beforehand. And really try out the features you want on your machine.
1. If you use specialty fabrics, then bring scraps in to try and see how the machine handles them.
2. If free motion is what you do most make a quilt sandwich to test out. (a 10 to 14 inch sandwich should be good)
3. Try out all the feet you know you will use.
4. Try out the embroidery options if that is what you are interested in. Make sure you know how to hoop your fabrics, and how to adjust pattern sizes.
As you can see there are many things to consider when purchasing a new sewing machine. With the cost of machines ranging from hundreds to several thousand dollars, research is important if you want to invest in the right machine for your type of sewing.

Don't just buy a machine; make sure the company will be there to support you and your machine for the life of the machine. The company behind the machine is just as important as the machine it's self.

String Quilts

2009-07-10T06:00:00.002-05:00

During the economic slump of the early twentieth century, string style quilt making thrived. Rural mid-century women, cut off from mainstream society and markets, founded their own string quilt style. The twenty-first century version is known as selvedge edge quilts.*

The strings were narrow strips of scrap fabrics or otherwise used pieces of fabric that would be thrown out. String quilts knew no bounds. Women sewed their strips of fabric together until they covered a pattern in the shape of a diamond, square, triangle or any shape cut from newspaper or used fabric.

Women made strings from used, old, and new fabrics. All fibers and thread counts were candidates for the string quilt including the thinnest dress fabrics. Often, a flour sack served as the foundation fabric for sewing string pieces onto, in the flip-and-sew fashion, until the foundation was covered. They snipped off fabric leftover around the pattern edges, and the blocks were sewn together as any patchwork block would be. As a result, some string quilts offer a cacophony of fabrics not often used in quilts.

Some women used larger scraps, and often the block's strips were a variety of widths. Scrappy strips were asymmetrical and uneven, or pointed, or on the bias. Whatever fabrics were available, they were used as is. There was no time to waste cutting them to size. Women used an old blanket or quilt as the filler and tied the layers together; winter was near -- no time for quilting it.

String quilts made by women in Gee's Bend, Alabama, and Mid-western Amish communities, have become an art form. Their stringed blocks are often square in shape or close to it, with one above the other. Sometimes sashing strips divide the blocks. The Amish string quilts can look like stacks of small squares. This pattern is named Coins.

When these noted groups of quilters combined their scraps into a string quilt, it may have been nothing special to them. Yet, the quilts dazzle the eyes of outsiders and art collectors who see them as wall art today. When the country was enduring the Great Depression, women combined their scraps into string quilts, which were seen as utilitarian and still are.

Now, women are making selvedge edge quilts, using strips cut from the sides or edges of cotton fabric. The selvedge prevents unraveling and holds onto hooks during the printing process. This edge is mostly white with the manufacturer's name and logo, the designer or collection's name, and a chart of the colors used printed on it. Selvedge edges are cut completely off and thrown away. Today, they are saved for a new purpose.

Selvedge edges are about one-half inch in width and run the length of the bolt. The writing on the edge varies in font style, color, and amount of coverage. This then becomes the decoration on this strip. The selvedge edge's size and shape matches another material women used a century ago that was definitely not intended for quilt makers, but instead was a by-product of cigar companies.

A century ago, cigar companies tied a bright colored silk ribbon around a bundle of cigars. Women stitched them together with black or colored embroidery floss stitches onto a fabric foundation block. They were not cut or curved, but placed side by side. Cigar company ribbons had fancy logos and used attractive fonts in black ink on yellow or orange ribbons. The various advertising on the ribbons added decoration to the quilt block. Green, pink and purple ribbons were occasionally used in the block designs, signifying a rare cigar.

Just as with many string and selvedge edge quilt blocks, women took the cigar ribbons and arranged them to form designs. The blocks were usually square, with strips laid in log cabin designs, on the diagonal, or in quartered designs. The color would add another dimension as the secondary pattern that formed when the blocks were sewn together.

Seldom were cigar ribbon tops made into quilts with batting and back. Made with silk and unquilted, they were fragile, unlike the string and selvedge edge quilts. Mostly they remained as tops to cover tables, or they were made into pillows.

The common thread in string, selvedge edge, and cigar ribbon tops, is that their popularity came about at the time of an economic downturn or a War, or both. The materials used in each were throw-aways being put to use, as a quilt or decoration for women's homes, and they were there for the taking.

Women did then as they do now -- they got creative and sewed together the fabrics they had, including scraps. New quilt styles emerged that we recognize today and hold dear in our homes, or see exhibited in a gallery as art.

*This term may have been coined by the Karen Griska who authored a how-to book, "Quilts From the Selvage Edge", AQS, 2008. Selvage or selvedge is correctly spelled either way.

For more articles on the history of quilts, fabrics, women's lives and quilt styles through time visit http://www.antiquequiltdating.com and the newsletter at http://quiltersspirit.blogspot.com Both are written by quilt historian Kimberly Wulfert.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kimberly_Wulfert

Kimberly Wulfert - EzineArticles Expert Author

Take a look at Happy & Scrappy The perfect pattern for string Quilts for only $16.00 US dollars.

Another great ideas that is sweeping the web is making selvage quilts. Selvage quilts are the perfect companion to your string quilt patterns. Mix selvages with other strings of fabric or alone you won't be disappointed with the results. Take a look at Selvage Quilts pattern, which shows you 4 different projects to get your creative juices flowing for months to come. This class is only $16.00

Organic Baby Quilt ideas

2009-07-08T06:00:00.002-05:00

Giving a baby quilt is rewarding and satisfying in it's self. But if you can make it organic, then you will feel even better as you know it will be good for the baby, the mother and our planet. This article will give you some tips on getting started.

Organic Baby Quilt

You can quickly make an organic baby quilt for the newest member of the human race. When you are invited to a baby shower or you are having a baby you know that one of the best present that you can give a baby is a quilt. The quilt will not only be used when the baby is small, but can be used as a keepsake when the baby grown and have babies of their own.

You can make a quilt easy. To make it organic you will want to make it using organic material. There are many variations of organic material available that you can create a unique baby quilt that is truly one of a kind.

To make a baby quilt you will want to cut out blocks of materials this will become the top part of the quilt. Depending on how large you will want the quilt is how many blocks you will cut out. You can make the blocks out of different patterns that you can then mix and match on the top of the quilt. Once you get the blocks cut out you will lay them out to see how you want to position them. Then sew them together. You have now completed the top of the quilt.

Once you have the top of the quilt designed you will need to cut a piece of fabric for the bottom of the quilt. Make this about the same size as the top blocks.

To assemble the quilt you will put the top of the quilt then batting and then the bottom. Sew these together you won't have to worry about the raw edges because you will be adding something to that. Once it's sewed, you will want to take binding tape which come in many different colors and wrap that completely around the quilt so that it gives a finished even look on both sides of the quilt.

It doesn't take long to make the quilt and it will be a treasured item for the baby and the family of the baby.

Just because you want to purchase all organic baby supplies you won't have to break your budget. It doesn't have to be expensive to buy organic baby toys and diapers. If you want to be a natural shopper and shop organic you can do it easily as more and more items are now being produced organically.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackie_Chapman

Need a fun idea for the quilt top?

Check out this Mother Goose Pattern found at Quilting Weekly

Making sens of Marking Tools for Quilting

2009-07-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

When you need to mark your quilts, there are so many choices available today that it can make your head spin. Chris from Quilting Weekly helps you make sense of them all in this short but informative video.

For more helpful tips, video tutorials and lessons visit Quilting Weekly. Where we Design Projects to Inspire!

Easy Quilting Crafts For Kids

2009-07-02T15:44:00.001-05:00

A great way to keep kids busy is to introduce them to quilting. While there are numerous crafts and fun activities for smaller children in daycare, preschool, or elementary school, finding educational crafts for older girls can be challenging. Quilting crafts for kids can help older children learn sewing techniques, spark creativity, and bust those times of boredom. It's a skill that can be used for a lifetime.

Girls love quilting because they're able to pick and choose from hundreds of patterns of all shapes and sizes. There are patterns containing flowers, squares, circles, characters, animals, nature scenes, and a variety of colors. Crafts and sewing can go hand in hand, so once a child learns quilting, she can easily add other sewing skills if desired.

Quilting Books for Beginners

Quilting books for kids offer step-by-step instructions about quilting. They also start with the basics such as how to thread a sewing machine and how to stitch in a straight line. The books list what types of fabrics, tools, and supplies are needed to make gorgeous quilts. Some books offer photos, a glossary, tips, actual quilt projects with step-by-step guides, beautiful patchwork ideas, and more. Once your child learns the basics of quilting, she can add to her skills and learn to make pillows, placemats, wall hangings, or lap quilts.

A Quilt for Every Occasion

Making quilts can be a fun way for your daughter to decorate her room in her favorite colors or themes. Quilts also make great gifts for any occasion: birthdays, Christmas, weddings, baby showers, graduations, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and even Valentine's Day. Quilt designs might also be geared toward a season, with flower patterns and light colors such as pink, light green, yellow, or baby blue in spring and summer. Darker colors such as red, brown, black, green, or blue will work well for autumn and winter patterns. Quilts as gifts will express love and effort because she made the gift very special with her own hands.

For the Career-Minded

Teens who want to earn extra money will find quilting to be very rewarding. It does take time and effort to make a quilt, but the returns can be excellent. She can sell her quilts at local flea markets, consignment shops, or even online through a website or auction (with parent's help, of course). Quilts are always in demand, and all styles and colors can be sold for profits. She can make quilts of contemporary styles or lovely patchwork designs like "grandma used to make!" It's her choice. She can even ask her friends and relatives about buying the quilts.

If you don't own a sewing machine, you might be able to find an affordable machine used at a garage sale or flea market. Or, check your local newspaper in the classifieds. You can buy one new in a local sewing supply store or on the Web. There are online auctions for sewing machines as well, so make sure to check all these resources to find a great deal.

Quilting skills will take some time to learn, but once she becomes confident, she can enjoy quilting as a way to relax and create something of value. If you'd like to start quilting with your daughter or even teach a class of young people how to quilt, search online today to find instructional books and websites about quilting.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Quilting Books and Ideas for Kids.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Robertson

Sharon Schamber is AWESOME!

2009-06-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Wow, I got to meet Sharon Schamber this week and she is an awesome quilter! She was the guest speaker for our local quilt guild and by the end of the presentation and her trunk show of quilts, I was with out words!

For those of you you who are not familiar with the talent of this lady I highly recommend you visit her sites, and watch some of her videos. She has plenty of them available on her site, and on YouTube as well. So lots to see for free!

Here are here websites:

Sharonschamber.com
Saronschambernetwork

And here is a link to her youtube channel

SharonSchamberNet's Channel

Curved piecing

2009-06-25T07:42:00.003-05:00

Curved piecing can scare most of us away. I know it scares me! But this video from Penny will have you wanting to try this technique and maybe even enjoy doing curved piecing.

The one tip I have for you is regarding the sewing over the pins. I know that some of you do this and Penny even tells you in the video that she does, I would strongly advise against this. Sewing over pins can break needles that we all know, but it can also throw off the timing in your sewing machine which can lead to expensive repair bills!

So do what you will with her advice, me personally I like the way she pins this block, but once under the presser foot I would remove pins as I go along.

Curved piecing shouldn't scare you anymore after you learn the secrets to pinning!

Cutting bias binding

2009-06-16T13:37:00.005-05:00

When you need to get a little extra stretch in your binding you have to cut it on the bias right? Yes most of us know this is true.

And for those of you who are new to quilting and who are not sure what we are referring to when we talk about the bias:
The bias is the stretchy part of the fabric Fabric has a straight grain (length of the fabric, cut end to cut end), and a cross grain (width of fabric selvage to selvage) which are at a 45 degree angle from each other. The bias runs diagonally across the fabric. And will have the most give making it perfect for curved binding edges.

The straight grain is the most stable part of the fabric. When you need some give in your fabric cut it on the diagonal, or bias and you will be able to ease it around curved or scalloped edges much easier.

But how many bias strips of fabric can I cut from one square?

Here is a great article that answers the very question. Take a look at "Sew What's New" this is just one of the many useful articles I have found there. If it has to do with sewing you are sure to find answers on this website. You may even find some new groups or friends there as well. Sew What's New is a free social network, of members who are passionate about sewing. Take a look and see for your self. (At least read the article on bias binding)

Happy Quilting my friends.
Chris

p.s. did you know that Quilting Weekly runs live quilting chats on the 2nd and 4th weeks of the month in 5 different time zones? Check out the details in their forum.

Measure your quilt top the right way!

2009-06-12T17:28:00.003-05:00

When measuring your quilt top for adding borders or binding it there is a right and a wrong way to do it.

Watch this short video and see the correct way to measure. (The video is for binding, but this also applies to borders).

Finding time to quilt

2009-06-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Finding time to quilt everyday can be a challenge for me. I love my hobby which has turned into a business. But my everyday live seems to get in the way of doing what I love. Do find this to be the same for you?

I know we all have commitments in life, but one of those commitments should be to do things you enjoy. And to do them daily. Life is too short to do only what is expected and not to do what you want to do.

We all have work and families which consume most of our time. I don't want to get into how many hats you wear or to tell you where your priorities lie. What I do wan to tell you is that if you don't focus on something that makes you happy, then the rest isn't worth doing either. Hold on, I am not telling you to quit your job, or refuse to clean and cook for your family! as those things are important and need to be done as well. What I am saying is reward yourself daily with something you enjoy.

For me that would be to work on some kind of craft project, quilting, sewing, knitting or crochet. And of course I do enjoy reading and recently joined a book club! Something I thought I would never do. But you know what? I have found I enjoy that time more than I can explain here. I am reading more books and books that I would not have considered reading. This has opened a whole new world to me, and the fact that I get to meet once a month with girlfriends to discuss the book and other girl topics is just a bonus. So go ahead find out what you love to do, and just make time to do it! And do it daily. This will make you a much more relaxed person, and much more enjoyable person to be around.

Life is about balance. A balanced diet, and a balanced lifestyle.........so go get balanced! Did you know that sewing, quilting and crafting can lower your blood presure?

For more ideas on how others fit quilting into their lives, check out this lively discussion topic at Quilting Weekly.

Quilting Weekly Chat

2009-06-08T06:00:00.001-05:00

Please join my tonight for a live chat at Quiltng Weekly. We will be discussion Hand quilting vs Machine quilting. Where to fit in? Whether you are new to quilting or have been quilting for years this is sure to be a lively chat.

Quilting Weekly is an online classroom website that offers free and resonably priced lessons. This quilting chat is the first of many chats that will be offered, and the best part is you don't even have to be a member to join the quilting chats. You can participate as a guest. The quilt chats will be run every 2nd and 4th week of the month, Monday through Friday at 8pm in the respective time zones as follows.

1. Monday - Central US time
2. Tuesday - London UK
3. Wednesday - Western US time
4. Thursday - Hobart Australia
5. Friday - Eastern US time

Pick the zone that is closest to you, and join us. Each week we will have a new topic. You can join, one or come to them all as there will be different moderators, and different people in each one. You could learn something different in each time zone!

If you not a member you may need a little help finding the chat room. Just go to Quilting Weekly and click the "goodies tab" then look for the chat room, and click it to enter. You will need to type your name into the "anonymous" box before you can join in as a guest.

Quiltng on a budget - Contest!

2009-06-03T00:01:00.001-05:00

What a great website! No really check out Quilting On A Budget if you want to find a deal on quilting related products or services or ways to quilt inexpensively, you are sure to find it here. In addition to finding you ways to keep quilting and stay on a budget, she also finds sponsors willing to keep her supplied in plenty of goodies for giveaways.

Like this one which (Which I happen to be the sponsor for) The prize being a Free online Quilting Class from Quilting Weekly! and that is not all, each person who enters has a chance to win a prize! (Only one will get the free class of choice, but everyone has a chance to win the bonus if you do what she tells you to do) I will tell you that it involve twitter.

That's all I am going to say about the contest, you need to visit Quilting On A Budget to get the rest of the details!

Free quilt blocks

2009-06-01T11:00:00.001-05:00

Take a look at these free quilt blocks brought to you by docstoc.com

Watch this blog for more of these helpful free patterns and tips.

Free Quilt Block Patterns -

Free quilt pattern

2009-05-25T13:51:00.001-05:00

Take a look at this free quilt pattern brought to you by docstoc.com

Watch this blog for more free quilt patterns and tips.

Baby Quilt Patterns -

Quilting Classroom review

2009-05-13T11:10:00.002-05:00

I got reviewed how about you? I just found out that a wonderful lady over at Feels Like Home did a review on my online classes. How cool is that?

When I first read the article I was so moved by her story about her first attempt at making a quilt for her daughter. I can relate to her frustrations being a self taught quilter myself.

And then I saw the lovely review she did on my online quilting classroom. So why not take a look yourself at Feels Like Home, read her review and while your there check out the rest of the site. There is lots to see!

Free Fabric Postcard Class!

2009-04-28T09:06:00.007-05:00

Fabric postcards are popping up in mailboxes all over the world. They are being swapped, collected and traded by quilters and fabric artists everywhere. And why not, they are like little fabric treasures that appeal to even non quilters/artists.

If your curiosity is peeked even just a little then you may be interested to know that you can learn to make your own treasures with just a sewing machine and some fabric scraps. )Although you may find yourself adding other goodies like ribbons, decorative threads, yarns buttons and any other items you find lying around your craft space.) Once you start you won't want to stop. And there are lots of places on the web to join Postcard swaps, (really just google "postcard swaps" and see what I mean)

But back to my headline, which said "Free Fabric Postcard Class". This is being offered at Quilting Weekly. At Quilting Weekly they are known for their easy to follow and very detailed tutorials which they offer on a variety of quilting projects. To get the free fabric postcard class you will need to register for the site (which is free) and by doing so, you will receive not one but 2 free classes! One is the Postcard tutorial and the other is for making a friendship star quilt block and pillow. There are 3 different methods taught for making the infamous half square triangle, a skill every quilter should learn. There is no further obligation to purchase other classes, although I would recommend you at least look at the class list. There is no harm in looking right?

They also offer a weekly special on select classes at 50% off, so joining the mailing list is highly recommended so you get all the details. (oh if you joined the site you are automatically added. But if you decide not to you can still get on the mailing list by filling out my form at the top of my blog)

Take care my quilting friends, and if there is something you like or dislike about my blog be sure to let me know by leaving me comments. I love to hear from my readers.

Quilting sites worth looking at

2009-04-24T14:09:00.004-05:00

Here are a few quilting sites or articles that are worth looking at. (or at least in my opinion they are) Take a look and see what you think.

This first quilting site is also from one of my favorite blogs, and if you follow this blog you may have seen this post. Michelle has a great site which is full of quilting resources including a quilting blog list, quilt shop lists and more. If you have not seen her blog then I recommend you look today to see what a fart, pigs and wombat have in common! As a quilter you know you can use a fart right now, no really check out the Quilting Gallery and find why.

Next after you recover from your laughter on the Quilting Galleries blog article and want to get down to some real quilting, take a look at the great machine quilting on the "Oh Fransson" blog. If you ever wanted to learn machine quilting this tutorial just may get you started.

If you need further help, and like the idea of videos, and personal one on one help with machine quilting, head over to Quilting Weekly they have a great beginners, Machine Quilting 101 class worth looking at. This site also gives you 2 free classes just for registering on the site. Not bad, and if you don't want to purchase a class they still have lots to do there. One area worth looking at is the forum. Where you will see loads of great topics to read through, all quilting related of course. They run a weekly special there where one class a week in on sale for 50% off. And Registration is free, so why not get on their mailing list to see what classes are on sale or what else they are up to.

The new kid on the block. I just discovered a new site called You Can Quilt This, which has only been up for a few weeks according to the Lori whom I met on twitter. If you want to know more about the site you can contact her through her twitter account. This site has lots of wonderful patterns for sale, and all at reasonable prices I might add. Definitely worth a look.

This should keep you busy for a few days until I find more quilting sites worth looking at. The internet is loaded with great sites, I know (I think mine is one of them) Did you know that I have another blog Online Quilting? Between running my 2 blogs and website I have found that my posting here has slowed down a bit. I am sorry for that, but I assure you that when I do post I will make it worth reading. If you have enjoyed my writings why not leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts. I love to hear from my readers.

If your interested in learning quilting I suggest you also take the time to sign up for my news letter at quilting weekly and stay up to date with all the latest in quilting. (just fill in the form at the top of this page)

Until next time,
Happy Quilting
Chris

Free Tote Bag Patterns

2009-02-21T09:17:00.007-06:00

In today's world of recycle reuse, and less waste creating your own bags or storage containers is not uncommon. Most stores are now carrying and selling such bags. But we are sewers, and we have a fabric stash right? So why not make our own. I mean after all most of these patterns are simply quick, easy and if we get to choose our fabric then we are sure to enjoy the bag and be proud to carry it!

I too have been interested in bags, and have only made simple totes. I have bought books with patterns from the simple to the more complicated with pockets and zippers. But have not tackled them as yet. Why? mostly because of time. That elusive time that seems to slip away from me each and every day. There seems to be more and more to do every day, and every day I say today is the the day to start some sewing.

Well today is that day and I have found a site that will surely inspire you to get started making your own bags. This site has so many links to great patterns that you might just have to spend the entire day looking at them all to decide which one to make tomorrow! (But make at least one and see how easy they are and how much fun you will have) Bella Online is a great resource site that covers many topics, but this one is just about a "Bag Lady" and her obsession with bags. I think many of us can relate to her story, but more importantly you can take advantage of her great list of "bag Patterns". Go to Bella Online and check them out for yourself.

In addition to the above resource I have another link for you to check out as well. This article points you to a site with 35 reusable bag patterns! So check out Online Quilting, Free reusable shopping bag patterns as well.

One last tip, take a look at this great tote bag pattern called "Raking Leaves" that used selvages (you know those ends of the fabric which you typically throw away). This is not a free pattern, but it is certainly a reasonable one. I know that you will get plenty of help if you need it while you work on the pattern, so you are not just buying a pattern, you are getting personal private help should you need that. How do I know? I know because that is one of my patterns. Quilting Weekly is how I am trying to pay for my fabric habits. Worth checking out, no cost to look right?

Ok, after you spend the day looking at my pattern links, make your favorite bag then send me a photo! I would love to post it here for others to see. Or just leave me a comment letting me know which one you liked best. Take care and happy quilting!

Superior Threads Giveaway

2009-02-14T09:28:00.003-06:00

Last day for the Mother Superior thread giveaway. I just found this blog today, and wish I had seen it sooner to share with you all. But if you hurry you can still get in on the drawing for $50.00 gift certificate from Superior Threads.

If you are a quilter, you know you need thread, why not take advantage of an opportunity to get some of the best threads for free! The contest ends Midnight February 14th, 2009 and the winner will be drawn on the following Monday.

All you need to do is go to Mother Superior read the article and follow the instructions, you can get 1, 2 or 3 entries into the contest depending on what you do. All three are really simple and then you will increase your chances to win!
Go now to Mother Superior don't miss out on your chance to win some fabulous threads!

Handquilting Tutorial

2009-01-17T13:21:00.002-06:00

Hand quilting has never been my thing. I tried it in the beginning of my quilting days, and though wow this is so cool! Then I realized how slow it was. I made on bed quilt that was hand quilted on one of those plastic frames. The ones that look like PVC pipe. Any way it turned out pretty good for a first quilt.

Next came a wall hanging. Again this was done by what I now know as lap quilting, then I didn't have a hoop and wasn't sure I wanted to invest in one. After all I was starting to learn about machine quilting and how fast that was. That wall hanging is still waiting to be finished, 9 years now and counting.

The next project I decided to hand quilt was a lap quilt I made. It was one of those stack and whack type, I thought it was pretty special piecing work, and wanted to make it even more special by hand quilting it. And of course it is still waiting for me to finish, 8 years and counting.

So as you can see I am no expert on hand quilting, but I found someone who seems to have a pretty good grip on her skills. She wrote an easy to follow (and yes there are pictures too!)tutorial on "Perfecting your Hand Quilting" If you are needing some help, or want to learn this skill, I would highly recommend you visit her website and read this article.

When your done let me know what you think by leaving me a comment here.

By the way, did you know I teach quilting classes too? These classes are great for beginners and intermediate quilters. They are loaded with easy to follow instructions and lot's of step by step photos. Just take a look here at the current class list. At Quilting Weekly our classes and projects are designed to inspire!

Eco- friendly quilting

2009-01-08T14:25:00.007-06:00

Todays Online Quilting lesson

Image from: Keepsake Quilting

New year, new ideas! Eco-friendly quilting ideas that is. The above batting is made entirely of recycled plastic bottles. How cool is that? A king size batting uses up to 28 bottles! So go make a quilt and save the landfills at the same time.

Priced from $7.99 for a crib to $28.99 for a king size batting.

Here is another great site that explains more about Quilters Dream Green Batting.

To continue the Eco-friendly quilting, why not try organic cottons in your next quilt project. Learn about Organic Cotton from Live the Organic life website.

I know for years many quilters are doing their parts to help the environment by recycling fabric. Old shirts, pants bed sheets and more. Entire quilts made from leftover fabrics and fabric scraps is not uncommon. Recycling fabrics keeps them out of landfills, using every inch of a fabric including the selvage edges like shown on the Selvage quilts blog is another great way to help out.

Do your part and help make our world a better place. Recycle, re-use, or re-purpose items and feel good about quilting in 2009!

Composition quilting lesson

2009-01-05T10:35:00.003-06:00

As I develop as an artist, I find the need to explore other arts to enhance my learning. I never took any formal art training although I wish I had. Many times I find myself asking questions about what might look good when working with my art quilts, or landscape quilts which I am now exploring more thoroughly. Even simple photographs are hard to capture without a basic understanding of "composition"

Has this ever happened to you?
I find myself looking out the window of a car, and may see something that I say "Wow that would make a great subject for an art quilt or landscape quilt." But then I begin to pull out my camera snap a few pictures only to find out later that I missed the shot or it doesn't inspire me like when I first saw it. What could I be doing wrong?

The answer is simple, I don't understand composition. (must have slept through that part in art class back in high school) I remember the word but what does it mean, and how will it help me?

If you feel you would like a better understanding of how to capture that perfect photo, or layout that perfect landscape quilt, then you need to look at Kodak's Beginnings of photographic composition website

After looking through this easy to follow tutorial, I now have a better understanding composition and how it can make or break my photographs, and my future art quilts.

This Composition Quilting Lesson is a very important one, and if you plan on expanding your knowledge like me, then take a few minutes and look at the site. If you have any comments on this subject or any other post here in my comments section. Quilting Lessons Online wants to help you learn and your comments help me understand what your needs are.

Win free fabric!

2009-01-02T18:09:00.002-06:00

Win free fabric from Win Fabric.com

That's right you can win 2 yards of free fabric, that you get to pick from their lovely stash. The will be picking a winner once a week. So get your name on the list and see if you are that lucky winner! No purchase necessary, but you find something of interest once you visit the site.

In addition to the contest, they are also giving 5% of their sales to charity. How cool is that! So if you purchase some of their lovely fabrics, you can feel good about it knowing you are also helping out charity at the same time.

Please help spread the word about Win Fabric.com What a great site and idea!

Quilting Machines, what do I need?

2008-12-23T10:40:00.006-06:00

If you are new to quilting and are wondering what type of machine you need to get started you may want to have a look at my article at Online Quilting. It breaks this down into 3 simple categories and may just help you decide what is best for your situation.

Quilting Machines Covers everything from Domestic quilting machines to Long Arm machines. You will learn about the benefits and disadvantages of the different types of machines out there. This is a must read if you are a new quilter, or considering upgrading.

Hope you enjoy it! Your comments here will let me know for sure so don't forget to come back and leave them. Or better still subscribe to my feed and don't ever miss out on all my quilting lessons online!

Machine Quilting

2008-12-21T10:07:00.005-06:00

Machine quilting is an area that many new quilters seem to struggle with. They have many questions and I get so many e-mails on this subject that I thought it was time to lend a hand.

When machine quilting, you need to take the time to prepare properly. Machine quilting (which is the act of sewing the 3 layers together. Backing, batting and the quilt top)requires practice in it's self. There is no way around the practice part, sorry ladies! To perfect machine quilting, you need to put in your time at the machine. You need to become one with the machine. But how do you do that?

Prepare the layers and build a quilt sandwich first

There are many ways to do this. If this is your first time, I suggest getting some batting, and muslin or scraps of fabric together. Make a square about 12 x 12 inches of all 3 layers.

Place the backing on the table, wrong side up

Place the batting on the backing

Place the quilt top on the batting, right side up

Now you need to secure those layers. This step is very important. You can do this in a number of ways.

With Spray Adhesives

With quilters pins

With Thread

Now if you are not familiar with these methods you may need to do a bit of research to figure out which one you prefer. Sometimes it depends on the project at hand. Spray Adhesives work well for small projects, but have strong odors that may be offensive to some people. You need a well ventilated room to use them in. Pin basting is popular because it is easy to move or remove the pins as you quilt. Giving you the opportunity to smooth out the quilt and keep control of the wrinkles. Plus by removing them as you sew, you don't have anything to remove in the end like you would with thread basting. Thread basting is quick also, and many quilter like that, because the thread does not get in the way of quilting. So they don't have to stop to remove it like you do with pins.

As you can see there are pros and cons to all of these methods, and you need to find the one you like best. UFO-rphanages has a list of tips on Spray Adhesives. Pat Sloan has a video that shows you how to pin baste. I don't agree with her on a few things but the video will give you an idea of how to pin baste. (I prefer the curved pins they go through the layers easier. & I pin much closer than she does and I think that helps keep the layers from slipping)Take a look at About.com they show a good example of how to thread baste.

Once you have the layers basted together using one of the above methods

Your next step is the quilting. There are two main types of quilting. straight line quilting & Free motion quilting

As a beginner you may want to start out with the straight line quilting. This is much easier to master than the free motion quilting. One helpful tool you should own is a walking foot, or even feed foot on your machine. This type of quilting uses the feed dogs to pull the fabric through the machine. The walking foot helps pull the top layers of fabric a the same pace as your feed dogs in the machine are pulling the bottom layers. Making the fabric move through much easier and helps to prevent puckers. Puckers can occur when the layers are not feeding evenly. (they also can happen when your layers are not basted properly, or if the layers shift and you don't adjust the basting)

As for free motion quilting you should attach the darning foot. Then you will need to lower the feed dogs or cover them depending on your machine. Free motion quilting puts all the control in your hands. There are no feed dogs to pull the fabric, you are the only one moving the fabric. If you just let the machine stitch with out moving the fabric it would stitch in the same hole repeatedly. Think of free motion quilting as drawing with your machine, by moving the paper not the pencil. This take more practice than you think! That is why I suggested you make a small quilt sandwich, and now you can follow the steps to basting and practice both styles on the sample piece before going to your project.

Here are a few websites to check out for more examples of machine quilting.

Machine Quilting for Dummies (love this one)

Popular Patchwork

Expert Village has some great videos on YouTube.com here is one of them. Once your at YouTube.com type in "machine quilting" into the search and you will find plenty of videos to watch.

I hope this helps shed some light on machine quilting. There is still plenty more to learn about machine quilting which I will need to cover in another post. I did not want to overwhelm the new quilter, and I also know that if this gets too long, you may not read it all. Machine quilting is an important topic and I want to be sure you do read it all. So until next time get that practice piece out and have some fun. Play around with both straight line quilting and try some free motion quilting as well.

If you have any comments you would like to share on this subject please do so in my comments section. I love to read them. I also have mailing list you can join at the top of this page, I recommend you join if you want to learn more about quilting. My members get weekly quilting tips and much more. Enjoy Quilting today!