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Quilting Tips and Techniques
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Learn how to make a quilt sleeve You will need to add a quilt sleeve on the back if you intend to hang your quilt or wall hanging. You can slide a rod or dowel through the sleeve and hang it on two nails. Most quilt shows also require a sleeve on the back of your quilt to facilitate hanging the quilts. Here's how to make a 4” sleeve. Measure the width of your quilt, then cut a strip of fabric 8 ½” wide, by that length. For a large quilt, you may have to sew two strips together to get the length required. For a small wall hanging which is not going into a show, you can make your sleeve narrower. Fold your strip of fabric in half and press. Fold the end in ½” and then again ½” and sew. Repeat at the other end. If you have not yet sewn on the binding, pin the sleeve to the upper edge of your quilt, flush with the edge. As you are sewing your binding on to your quilt, you will sew through the sleeve and secure it. In order to secure the lower edge of your sleeve, you must hand stitch it through the back of the quilt only. In order to accommodate the dowel or rod, push the outer layer of your sleeve up about ¼” and pin in place. Hand sew the side next to the backing. Viola! If you want to add a sleeve to a quilt which has already been bound, cut as above, and with right sides together, sew a ¼” seam along the long edge to make a tube. Finish the ends as above. Pin the tube to the top of the back of your quilt just below the binding, and hand stitch along the top edge. Finish the bottom edge as above.
Quilt Care and Storage Quilt Care: I have been asked so many times about quilt care and storage and how to wash a quilt. It is not an easy answer, partly because it depends upon which batting is inside the quilt and whether it is a very old quilt or quite new. Never dry clean a quilt as the harsh chemicals are very detrimental to fabrics, and the chemicals never totally come out. Unless the quilt is in constant use, being dragged all over the neighbourhood by a toddler, you can usually freshen up your quilt by vacuuming it. Place a nylon stocking over the end of the hose and give your quilts a thorough vacuum. This works especially well with wall hangings. However, do not lay it on the floor and run over it with the power head of your vacuum!! Another way to dust a quilt is to put it in the dryer on “air fluff”. It doesn’t get any heat, but the dust and cat/dog hair seem to disappear and it looks fresh again. If the quilt is in constant use, like a baby quilt or the sampler quilt that I keep on the back of the sofa (I have a dog and cat that love it!), then I feel it has to go into the washing machine to remove the dirt. A front loading washer is easier on quilts than the agitating kind of washer, so if you have a larger quilt, take it to the Laundromat and use those big front loaders! I do put my quilts in the dryer on low heat and leave it until it is almost dry, then lay it over a bed or railing or even out on the grass on a clean sheet (not in the sun) to finish drying. Cover it with a clean sheet too, to protect it. Quilt care for those antique quilts is specially important. You can try the quilt wash products sold at quilt stores. Dissolve the product in a bathtub of cool or lukewarm water. Lay your quilt on a clean sheet then immerse it in the tub. Let it soak for at least ½ hour, squishing it around a little now and then. Squish the water through it, like you are hand washing your favorite sweater. Now let the water drain from the tub and refill with clear water and rinse the soap out. Get a buddy to help you lift out the quilt/sheet, lifting the sheet, not the quilt as you don’t want to be pulling on those old fabrics and stitches. Gently squeeze out the water, then roll in towels to remove excess water. Lay your quilt outside on a clean sheet out of the sun to dry. Remember those images of quilts blowing in the breeze on the line? It’s a great way to blow the dust out of your quilts, but fold them over the line, rather than pin them along one edge – that would cause a lot of stress at those points and may pull them out of shape.
Storage: Wrap your quilt in a cotton sheet, pillowcase, or acid-free tissue paper to store. Refold often so creases do not become permanent. Never store quilts in plastic as it keeps in moisture causing mildew. If your quilts are going to be stored for a long time, it is a good idea to bunch up acid-free tissue paper to place in the folds, or roll your quilts onto a cotton covered tube.
If you have a spare bed which is not often used, you could lay numerous quilts on top of the bed, and cover with a sheet of muslin. They avoid getting creases this way and are easier to “visit� when the mood strikes! Keep your quilts in a cool, dry area as temperature fluctuations can damage fabric. It is not a good idea to store quilts in attics or basements because of this, and because this is where nibbling insects and mice may find it. Take care of your treasures.
Important Quilting Rules...I'll show you which ones can be broken and which ones shouldn't. It's important to develop good habits when you start quilting. These quilting rules will assist you with the basics. 1. Always sew a 1/4" seam when piecing a quilt. The only times you don't sew a 1/4" seam is when you sew a "scant" 1/4" seam. This means you sew a seam that is one thread less than 1/4". 2. Never press seams open, always press to one side. This is usually the case, however sometimes in order to reduce the bulk it is necessary to press a seam open. 3. Never press with steam. I've learned that you don't get a sharp crease or a flat seam unless you press with steam. The key is to "press", rather than "iron" the piece. Ironing could stretch it out of shape. 4. Always press towards the darker fabric. This is a great quilting rule! However sometimes this is not feasible and we have to press towards the lighter fabric. We can stop the darker fabric from showing through by "grading" the seams. Holding your scissors on a 45 angle, with the darker fabric on the top, carefully cut off the very edge of the seam allowance. 5. Always wash your fabrics before using. There are two schools of thought regarding pre-washing. One school says yes, always wash your fabric before using. The other school says no because it is easier to cut and sew with the sizing still in it. If you do not wash your fabrics, you should at least check colorfastness of dark fabrics by wetting one corner and pressing it between two layers of a white paper towel. If you see color on the paper towel, the fabric needs to be pre-washed or further treated to fix the dye. If you do decide to pre-wash, you could use spray starch to "crisp" up the fabrics again and make them easier to cut and sew. 6. Always close your rotary cutter. This is one of the quilting rules that must not be broken!! Rotary cutters are as sharp as razors and very dangerous. ALWAYS close your cutter every time you set it down! It's a great habit to get into. 7. Always straighten your fabric before cutting. This is SO important! otherwise your strips will not be straight - they'll have a sideways V in the center. Holding fabric in the air with selvedges together, look to see if it hangs straight or has a bulge. If there is a bulge, then you must "walk" the front half sideways with your fingers until fabric hangs straight. This takes some practice but is well worth the effort.
Cool Quilting Tips These Quilting Tips show Shortcuts and Tricks on Quilting Techniques Batting Not Quite Big Enough? You can add a strip to cotton or Hobbs Heirloom batting. Make sure the edges you wish to join are straight. Butt
the two strips together without overlapping, and sew together using a medium/large zig zag stitch. Be careful not to stretch either edge. You can add to polyester batting by butting another piece up to it and hand stitching it together with big stitches. Do Not Overlap!!! Presser Foot: When you are not sewing, keep your presser foot in the down position. This takes the pressure off the spring that puts it up and down, and it will last longer. Quicker Bobbin Changes: A Quilting Tip Time Saver When starting a new project, purchase two spools of thread. One you will use to thread your sewing machine, and the other you will fill two or three bobbins with. When you run out of bobbin thread you don't have to stop and refill it, you just pop another pre=filled bobbin in and keep sewing. Sitting too Long?: Do you get stiff muscles from sitting at your sewing machine too long? Make sure you get up and stretch while getting yourself a glass of wine or piece of chocolate! You'll feel much better! Stippling Tip: You have been carefully practicing machine stippling, and its really really difficult. Well relax!Pour yourself some wine, put the pedal to the metal and go crazy! The trick is to let go and not be so up tight about perfect curves. Thread Bunnies: Sew a line through a small scrap of fabric (about 1"x2" folded in half), then feed your project in right after it. This will save you thread and time and helps keep unravelling to a minimum at the start of a seam. When you have finished your seam, feed the thread bunny back under your presser foot and sew a line through. Now you're ready for your next seam. Uncrease your Batting: If you don't have time to take your polyester batting out of the bag and let it relax for 24 hours as suggested by some manufacturers, try popping it in the dryer on air fluff only for 5-10 minutes. This will relax and fluff up your batting. Another way to achieve this is to lay it over a bed or sofa and "blow dry" it with a hair dryer. Lumps and creases disappear!
Quilt Borders frame your Quilt---Its your work of art, frame it properly Quilt borders maybe be created in an unlimited number of ways. However, I will keep this simple to start with and then leave you to come up with your own ideas for your quilt borders. My sampler quilts have a small (1/2" – 1”) inner border and then a larger outer one. I would suggest you cut your inner strips 1 ½” wide. Measure your quilt through the center vertically. If this measurement is (for example) 38”, then cut two strips of the inner one 38” long. Pin this to your quilt at each end, and in the center. Place a couple more pins in between. Sew this to your quilt, easing (making it fit) where necessary. If you have to ease, it is easiest to do by placing the largest part underneath,(i.e. big bottom – put the biggest part on the bottom) and gently stretching the top layer to fit. Now measure your quilt through the center horizontally (for example 40 ½”). This will be a different measurement than your vertical number because you have added inner borders. Again, cut the two inner strips the correct measurement – 40 ½” – and pin to the top and bottom of your quilt as suggested above. Sew. Ok, you are ready for your outer border. Decide how wide you want this to be. On a 9 block sampler quilt, I would make it anywhere from 3 ½” to 5” wide. Any larger and it will be out of proportion. Same with any smaller. If you can’t decide, then just cut your strips 5” wide. That’s a good size to begin with. Just like you added your inner border, you need to measure through the vertical center of your quilt and cut two borders that exact size. Pin and sew onto your quilt. Measure horizontally through the center of your quilt and cut the last two borders that size. Pin and sew. Whew, that is done! Now your quilt borders are done and your top is finished. You are ready to layer, quilt, and bind it. Alternatives: There are numerous books on the market which give you some interesting and innovative ideas. They can be simple, like strips of fabrics sewn together or rows of small blocks, to intricately pieced ones. Sometimes (especially if I’m short of fabric!!!) I put blocks at the corners of my quilt as shown in this quilt
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Learn how to make a quilt backing When shopping for quilt backing some people like to purchase inexpensive fabric, or plain muslin for the backing of their quilts. This is okay as long as it is good quality fabric. You don't want the back of your quilt to wear out long before the top. I actually prefer to choose a backing that co-ordinates with the top of the quilt. Sometimes it gets flipped over, or scrunched somehow and the back shows. I think it looks prettier if it appears that you put some effort into choosing a complimentary back. Having said that, I confess that I do break my own rules sometimes by not purchasing nice co-ordinating fabric for a back. An example would be my halloween quilt, which has a lot of one type of halloween fabric on it (see the my Quilt Gallery), but also has a section made up of great seasonal fat quarters which may never have been used on a quilt top. It still "goes with" the quilt top, without being overly expensive. I'm afraid I must also say that I have in the past purchased yards of fabric at a sale, thinking I could someday use it on the back of a quilt. Its still waiting for the perfect top to use it on! Maybe I'll try overdying it! Sometimes I try to "use up" what I've got -- after all, isn't that what quilting is all about? Quilting probably started when someone wanted to use up the scraps left over from dressmaking. So, I occasionally "use up" bits and pieces for the quilt backing, and unfortunately I'm not always happy with the result. Unless it is a fun and funky quilt like the halloween one, I think I'll stick to a co-ordinated backing! I've learned my lesson. How to piece your quilt backing. It is possible to purchase extra wide fabric made specially for the purpose of quilt backing, and it is great. It saves you time because you don’t have to sew long pieces together, and if you are hand quilting you don’t have any extra seams to sew through. If you cannot find extra wide backing fabric that co-ordinates with your quilt, then you have to purchase enough yardage of a quilting cotton so that you can sew it together and make it big enough for your quilt. When sewing 44” fabric together for the back, rather than make just one seam down the center of the back, it is best to put one full width of the fabric down the center, and add two narrower widths down each side as shown below.
The reason for this, is that a quilt gets most of its wear down the center and a seam there will wear faster. Also it is more comfortable if you are snuggling under a quilt, to NOT have the seam down the middle. Now, if for instance, your quilt is about 60” wide, then I would not make two narrow side panels, -- I feel it is already offset from center by having one full panel of 44” and adding about 20” on one side only. Your seam is not down the center so that is okay. How to figure yardage for quilt backing: The back of your quilt should be about 3-4” larger all around than the top of the quilt. I usually measure the length of the quilt and add 8”, and then measure the width and add 8”. If the quilt is wider than the normal 45” fabric (it is also a good idea to measure the exact width of the fabric you are purchasing as widths vary from 4045”), then you will need two lengths, ie if your quilt top is 70x85, add 8” each way making it 78x93, then you will need 93” times two, or 186”. I would purchase 5 1/2 yds or 4.8 m (186" divided by 36" for yard, or divided by 39" for meters. You can also make a horizontal seam on the back. This means if the length of your top, plus the 4” top and bottom, adds up to less than 90" (45”x2)then you could use two widths of fabric. Measure the width plus 8” and purchase two times this number. I prefer to use this method only if the quilt is going to be hung on the wall because I feel it gets more wear on the seams when they are horizontal. Some quilters also like to piece the quilt backing, using the left over fabric from the front. It can be squares or strips or whatever you want to create.
Basting a Quilt---Will hold your fabric sandwich together while you are quilting Begin layering and basting a quilt by placing the back, right side down, on a large table. Place a pin in the center at the top and bottom, and tape the back down to the table. Center the batting on the backing. Fold the top half of the batting towards the bottom, and spray the folded half with 505 basting spray. Replace the batting on the backing, and smooth it out. Always spray the 505 basting spray onto the batting rather than the fabric. Fold up the bottom half of the batting, spray with 505, and lay back down, smoothing any wrinkles. Matching centers, place the quilt top on the batting. Fold half of the quilt top down and spray the batting with 505. Smooth the top over it. Repeat for other half of quilt. If you do not wish to use adhesive spray, you can layer the three tiers of your quilt and pin with safety pins, placing them about a hand-span apart. Many quilters still like to stitch their layers together. You must layer your quilt sandwich, then use large stitches to anchor your quilt sandwich horizontally and vertically. If it is a large quilt, then it is a good idea to stitch diagonally as well. In my machine quilting business I do a lot of layering and basting for quilters who wish to hand quilt. Because it is machine stitched, I need only stitch it in one direction, usually horizontally, and it is held firmly in place. Backing is Green, Batting is White and the Top is Multicolored
Fold the edges of the backing and batting over the edge of the quilt top, and pin with safety pins to keep the batting from getting raggedy while you quilt.
Quilting This is where the needle meets the fabric!!! All the previous preparation was done so that we could get to this IMPORTANT step. Quilting by hand is a lovely relaxing pastime (as long as you’re not in a hurry to finish!!). The first project I made, shown here, was a 12 block sampler. It was machine pieced and totally hand quilted. You can see that some areas have faded from being on the back of the sofa, even though it was in a dark north facing window. Of course, it has also been washed a lot too because the cat and the dog like it so much! Hand Quilting To get started you will need: Needles – choose a good quality needle in a size 10. These needles are very short, which will assist you in making small even stitches. Small embroidery scissors – handy scissors to cut your thread. Thimble – these come in many varieties, from plastic to metal or leather. Pick one that fits your middle finger on your sewing hand. If it is too big it slips off and that can be very annoying. Hoop or frame -- I prefer a a 14” hoop or the 11x17 plastic Q-Snap frame so that I can take my projects with me when I travel. The Q-Snap frame comes apart and packs easily into a suitcase or tote bag. If you prefer, you can get a larger floor frame which is more stationary. Thread – I firmly believe that we should all be using COTTON thread on our cotton quilts. I have a wonderful friend who used polyester thread on one of her first creations, and after only 10 years it was in tatters – what a heart breaker! Polyester is a very strong fiber and eventually with everyday use, cuts the cotton fibers in your quilt’s fabrics. Cotton thread has a little give to it, therefore it is a perfect match to cotton fabric. Some people prefer to quilt without the hoop or frame and are very good at it. I find I need the frame in order to keep my thread tension even and looking good and I can take my projects with me when I travel. The Q-Snap frame comes apart and packs easily into a suitcase or tote bag. If you prefer, you can get a larger floor frame which is more stationary. Always start quilting from the center of your project and work your way out to the edges. I usually recommend doing the minimum amount of quilting (recommended by the batting manufacturer), so that you don’t get bogged down and discouraged at the amount of time it is taking. You can always go back and add more later, but after saying that I also want to say that in my opinion, the more stitching, the better it looks! It is sometimes difficult to decide just how to start. Start really simple by sewing ¼” inside or outside your seam lines. This way you avoid the thick seams. I usually stitch inside the seam line on the fabrics I want to recede a bit, and outside on the ones that I want to emphasize. Ok, lets get started. Place your thimble (make sure it fits snug and does not fall off – that is so annoying) on your middle finger of the right hand if you are right handed, or the middle finger of your left hand if you are left handed. Thread your needle, then cut your thread (about 18” long) and put a big knot in the end you just cut. Thread is wound on the spool a certain way, and it helps keep tangles to a minimum if you knot the end closest to the spool. I find most books teach you how to make a lovely dainty little knot, but to be honest, I find that dainty little knots do not stay where they are supposed to, so I find it better to make a big honkin’ knot!! Insert your needle under the top fabric and into the batting, about 1” away from where you wish to begin, bringing the needle up where you wish to start. While lifting the fabric slightly, tug the thread so that the knot slips under the top fabric and into the batting. It is now hidden from view. Rocking your needle up and down, take one or two little stitches and pull the thread through, making sure the needle goes through to the bottom of your quilt. This is usually done by "feeling" the tip of the needle with the "under" hand. Continue stitching until you get to the end of your thread or the end of your design. Make a big knot in your thread near the surface of the quilt, then put your needle back down in the last hole that it came up, push the needle about 1” away and pull the knot down into the batting again. Snip the thread. Continue these steps till the whole quilt is complete.
Your finger underneath the quilt will get very sore from being pricked by that sharp little needle and that may limit the amount of time you spend on your project in the beginning. There are products you can purchase to cover up that sore finger – I am not comfortable using them because I then cannot feel my needle and the quality of my stitches suffers. (If the needle causes little blood spots on your quilt, the best way to remove that is with your own saliva.) Eventually I get a callous on the under finger and that seems to work the best. Machine Quilting There is a huge amount of information required to get you machine quilting and I would highly recommend that you take a one day course to get started. I also know there are some of you out there who will go ahead anyway and give it a try – Bravo!! I would maybe suggest that you start with a practice muslin and batting sandwich. You will need a walking foot if you wish to "stitch in the ditch” or in straight lines. If you want to free motion quilt (stipple or meander) then you need the darning foot, and you need to know how to drop your feed dogs. Once your quilt is layered and pinned or spray basted, put on your walking foot and starting in the center, sew in the ditch, i.e. along the seam lines of your block. Or you could sew ¼” inside or outside the seam lines. You do not need to use the same method on all the blocks. This is your sampler (or learning) quilt, so take this opportunity to learn a variety of ways to machine quilt too. Professional Machine Quilting Many of you enjoy creating the quilt top, but don’t want to take the time required to complete your creation. Here’s where a professional Longarm Machine Quilter steps in and does the finishing and sometimes the binding as well. You may even be able to find a machine quilter who will take over a partially quilted project. I know several have come through my studio, and the owners were delighted to have their quilts finally finished and on their bed! Don’t feel guilty if you just want to create tops – utilize the help at hand and get those tops quilted. It is sometimes the only way to finish the projects. How do you find a Longarm Quilter? Ask other quilters for recommendations, or call people who advertise in local Quilt Guild newsletters. I would go to the their studio and take a look at some of the work they have done and discuss the options available. Every different machine quilter has different requirements regarding extra batting and backing so be sure to discuss those too.
Labeling your Quilts is really important A few tips on "how" and "why" Labeling your quilts is a must! Anonymous was a woman! I have several antique quilts without labels or signatures and I am constantly curious who was the maker of the quilt and where was it made. It would be nice to know if it was made for somebody's wedding, or if scraps from clothing were used. Ok, ok, I confess!! Sometimes I'm in a hurry and use a permanent pen to write my name and the year on the back of the quilt, usually along the bottom right edge. Labeling your quilts is not a time consuming process. It should be done, after all it is your legacy. This is the label I made for the back of my "Romantic Hearts" quilt. Using a fine point permanent marker, I wrote the information I wanted on light colored cotton fabric and then hand appliqued the heart shape to the back of my quilt.
You can purchase beautiful pre-printed fabric labels or make your own with muslin or light colored cotton. Again, use a permanent pen and write in the details of the quilt and quilter, you could also include the date. Permanent pens come in a great assortment of colors. Always practice on a scrap of your fabric, and make sure the ink doesn't bleed (smear), and that it is permanent. By ironing the label onto a piece of freezer paper, the fabric is
stabilized and will not stretch when you write on it. Remove the freezer paper before attaching the label to the quilt.
Embroidery, either by hand or machine, on a piece of muslin or light colored fabric also makes a great label. The new sewing machines that can create alphabets are wonderful for making labels. Some clever people use their computers to print a personalized label and stitch it to the back of the quilt. You can purchase ready to use fabric sheets to feed into your printer for just such a purpose. They make labeling your quilts easy. Occasionally quilts go missing whether by accident or theft. Some quilters like to stitch their label onto the back of the quilt before quilting, so that it is more difficult to remove. Alternatively, you can hand stitch the label to the back of the quilt when the quilting is finished. If you or a friend have lost a quilt you may look for it or register it at Lost Quilt Come Home, click the logo When labeling your quilt you should indicate the name of the person who made the quilt as well as the name of the person who quilted it (if different from the maker), the city, and a date (usually the completion date or just a year). It is also very nice to include a note about why the quilt was made, especially if it was for a special occasion. This label is on the quilt that I made for my daughter's graduation from University. I used a purchased label and wrote a little story about why I made this quilt and also included all the necessary information. You can see by the dates that it took me two years to complete this project.
Again, I used a purchased label and wrote the reason for making the quilt, as well as my name and the year. Some people like to make a fabric "envelope" for the back of the quilt, to enclose bits from the top, in case it needs a wee repair later on.
Binding a Quilt To determine how many strips you need for binding a quilt, measure your quilt to find the distance around the outer edge. If your quilt is 50” square, then the distance around it would be 50x4=200”. (If it is 50x80, then the outer measurement would be 50+50+80+80=260”.) For our sampler quilt, we will need about 200” plus about 8” for mitering the corners. When determining the number of strips needed, I usually divide the length (208) by 40” which is the minimum width of cotton fabrics. 208 divided by 40 = 6 strips (just over 5 strips, so cut the extra strip). Cut 5 strips 2 ½” wide. Sew them together to make one long strip. I prefer to sew them on an angle (see photo) so that the bulk of the seam is not all in one spot. Press all the seams to one side.
Fold and press the corner of your finished strip at an angle as shown below. Trim away excess fabric, then press the long strip in half lengthwise. You are now ready to sew it onto your quilt.
Starting away from the corner about 12”, place the angled end of your strip along the front edge of your quilt, keeping raw edges flush. Sew using a ¼” seam until you are ¼” from the corner. Stop sewing, cut your threads, turn your quilt in preparation for sewing the next side.
Pull the strip up at right angles, parallel with the next side (see photos below), then bring it down on top of itself to create a mitered corner. Place the strip flush with the side of the quilt and sew from the very upper edge to ¼” from the next corner. Repeat all the way around until you come to your starting point.
Cut the end of the strip so that it fits into the wee pocket you created with the angled start, tuck it into the angle and sew.
Fold the binding over the raw edge to the back of the quilt and slipstitch the edges through the back of the quilt only.