Quilt
Tips From Quilters Around The World
Machine
Piecing
I use an electric personal shaver as an
electric seam ripper. Just gently pull the two pieces of fabric apart so that
you can see the threads, and touch the shaver to the threads. It really comes
apart quickly and easily and what a time saver! - Cassie in Louisiana
When you need to rip out a seam, use your
seam ripper and cut a stitch about every half inch or so. Then pull the
thread from the other side, and it will pull out easily without distorting
your fabric. You will have to pick out the small pieces of thread,
but that's easier than trying to rip out a seam that will distort
your block. - Marie in Mississippi
If you need to rip out a seam, give it a quick shot of spray starch
and
press it first. It's easier to rip out and helps stabilize the fabric so it
doesn't distort or fray as much. - Sandra in New York
When I use a pattern that says to sew and flip corners, and trim
the excess,
I stitch a second line 1/2" away from the first (closer to the outside
corner), then cut between the lines of stitching. This gives me a variety of
HSTs (half-square triangles) in various colour combinations and sizes that
can be used as filler or to make a miniature quilt. I also use Gladware lunch containers (3 sections to it) to store
these HSTs
and other cut off triangles, extra squares, pieces cut slightly too small,
etc. They make storage easier because they stack and you can keep different
sizes separate. - Gerda in Alberta, Canada
Getting small block pieces from the cutting table
to the machine can cause arrangements to be out of order sometimes. I had
my husband cut a piece of paneling about 16" square. I used a thin piece
of batting and put this on top of the piece of paneling. Then I covered the
batting with 100% cotton about 2" bigger than the paneling. I then wrapped
about 1" of fabric all the way around to the back side and hot glued it down
on the back. Makes a mini design board portable. Used it when I was teaching
some quilt classes so the ladies could pass it around and see how the
blocks were laid out.
When I stitch "flip and sew corners" (like for a snowball block), I
draw (or
eyeball) my line on the diagonal of the small square, like the instructions
say, but when I sew, I sew a couple of threads LESS than the line (between
the line and the corner I am sewing to). When I sew ON the line, the
thickness of the fabric makes my "flip and sew corner" too small.
- kiskat in Texas
If you have trouble threading your sewing
machine needle or any needle for that matter try this: for the sewing
machine, place a small piece of white paper behind the needle with the left
hand and thread with the right. For sewing needles, use any white or
very light colored background. This was my Grandmother's trick and
it works. - Pauline in Arizona
It's so frustrating to find your blocks are short in
size. I find it worthwhile to make each part a bit larger, then square them
to size after pressing. When the directions call for sewing two 2" strips
together, I'll make my strips 2-Ľ"...sew the seam, press, then slice &
square up. I do the same with half square triangle blocks. Make a bit bigger,
then trim. - Pat in Ohio
I was at a quilt away retreat this past weekend. I
looked for my wooden spool for the bigger cone type thread so I could use it
on my machine. Well I could not find it so I had just emptied a
small spool and so I used the button hole cutter and removed the top
part of the spool and put it on the machine spool holder then slipped
my larger thread over it. It worked great!!! - Pat in Ohio
If you are sewing mini pieces together - in the
instances where instead of sewing triangles, you sew a square or rectangle
and trim. Do the small pieces tend to loose their shape or warp with the
bias when you press them? Try trimming off only one layer of your
square or rectangle next time. Leaving one layer to back your small
piece stabilizes it and holds the bias. Well worth the little
extra thickness. - Vella in Canada
When ripping out a seam, cut every second or
third stitch, turn over and pull out the seam. - Connie in Colorado
If your quilt blocks always come out a smidgeon
too small, and you have an incremental needle setting, set it to the right
one notch. - Elaine in Nebraska
Cut a small piece of fabric about one inch
wide and two inches long and pass it under your needle when you are finished
sewing. When you are doing lots of sewing or strip piecing it keeps you
from having to cut the thread each time and saves thread. - Muriel in Connecticut
I label my quilt blocks the same way the cells
in spreadsheets are labeled in the computer (ie. Excel). The columns going
across are letters and the rows going down are numbers. The top left hand
block is A1, then the ones below it are A2,A3, and so on. The second block
from the left, next to A1 is B1 and the third from the left is C1. If I ever
am confused, I can pull up a blank spreadsheet on the computer and see which
is which. - Lisa in California
When in need of a quilting stiletto, use a wooden
skewer (used for grilling meats and veggies on grill) Works great in a
pinch, holding down the corners of fabric as you sew the seams together
so they don't slip." - Bambi in Ontario
As I take my rows of quilt squares off the
design wall, I pin a sticky note on each row, with the row number and an
arrow for the direction to press the row. I put the note so it shows at the
top, so I know when I finish a row as I sew them. - Margaret in Indiana
When stacking my blocks to sew in rows, I pin
together with one pin for the first row, two pins for the second row, three
for the third, and so on. - Sue in Nebraska
Making flying geese stable -no more stretched out
corners! I know that this sounds different but - when you place your square
in the corner of the rectangle -make sure that the crosswise grain edge
- "stretchy" edge is to the TOP of the square - then after you sew
and flip up the triangle - you will have a lengthwise "non-stretchy"
edge
going all of the way across the top of your flying geese - makes it MUCH MORE
stable to have the whole top edge of the flying geese "Non-stretchy". Also -
try to make sure that your squares are REALLY squared off - helps to keep
those little pieces from fraying away. - Dollie in Idaho
I have been using the large spools of serger
thread on my sewing machine but it was flopping around so much - I have
learned that by putting the spool in a mug that it works wonderfully!! - Nancy
in Missouri
When making quick triangle corners (such as
in making a snowball block) I use glue-stick SPARINGLY to hold the corner
blocks in place. I then sew and trim as usual. - Cindy in California
If you have lost your stiletto at a class or
even at home, I have a tip for one that you won't mind losing. Take a chop
stick, sharpen it with a pencil sharpener then blunt the end slightly with an
emery board and there you have it, instant stiletto. They are free if you
eat Chinese or if not, you can usually get one at the supermarket if they
sell sushi. Another advantage is that if you get too close to the needle with
the wood, it's easier on the needle. - Carole in New Jersey
If you find it hard to thread the needle in your
machine, put a finger behind the eye. The flesh colour will show behind and
make it easier to see where to thread. - Cecile in Ontario
I keep a bamboo skewer handy near my sewing
machine. It makes a great stiletto for holding the fabric as it gets near the
needle and saving my fingers. - Judy in Minnesota
Use your walking foot when sewing flannel
to reduce stretching. - Renee in North Carolina
I use light gray thread for just about all my
quilting and blends in with all fabric, to make things easy I pre-wind about
20 bobbins at a time so when I run out all I have to do is pop in
another. This saves lots of time. - Kimberly in New York
I had trouble with
my sewing machine always moving on my kitchen table.
I bought some rubberized kitchen liners, cut a
piece for under my machine and pedal. Works like
a charm.... Barbara in Dorval, Quebec, Canada
When ending any machine sewing I'll sew onto a small scrap of fabric (as if I
were chain piecing) and leave it there...snipping the threads behind it to
retrieve whatever I sewing. When I'm ready to sew the next block, I'll just pull
this scrap slightly to the back out of the way of the needle and begin sewing.
This prevents what could be a 'bunched up mess" with the bobbin thread that I've
experienced numerous times before at the beginning of sewing. This method also
saves wasting thread. - Opal
I use 2 rubber wedge
shaped doorstoppers behind my sewing machine to tilt
it forward,so much easier to sew and see where you are
sewing. - Earnestine in Auckland, New Zealand
Sit
directly in front of your line of sewing when sewing
by machine. It will help to make your seams straight
as an arrow. If you sit even a bit to one side or another,
your line of stitching will go just that little bit
with you. ~Rae Cooper, Arizona
I purchased a telescoping
magnet at the hardware <available also with car parts>
store for about $3-4. I keep it in a drawer by the sewing
machine and use it to pick up pins, scissors, etc. that
fall when I'm sewing. Otherwise I either have to get
up in the middle of my sewing, or I wait to get it when
I get up later, and usually forget! - Deborah in California
I had trouble wih my
sewing machine always moving on my kitchen table. I
bought some rubberized kitchen liners, cut a piece for
under my machine and pedal. Works like a charm....
- Barbara in Quebec
The perfect companion
beside your sewing machine is a pair of tweezers. When
you just get a fraction of the thread through the needle,
grab it with the tweezers and pull it through. Also
useful for pulling out the little bits of paper in the
seams when paper-piecing. - Anne in Ontario, Canada
If you use a carpet underlay
cut to fit under your portable machine, it will keep
steady. It works very well. - Muriel in Oakville, ON
When my quilt becomes
too large to handle, I set up a card table beside my
sewing machine table to support the weight of it while
I'm sewing borders. - Zan in Sioux Falls
A fabric eraser is ideal
for removing those annoying bits of thread left after
you have been "un-sewing" - just run the eraser
over the seam and the thread comes right out. - Anne
in Ontario, Canada
Do your fabric pieces
slip while you are sewing them together? If you press
those pieces with an iron (just press by holding the
iron on the pieces, then lifting off), the heat will
set them together for you. They won't slip as easily
and you won't need pins or as many pins which can distort
your seam line! - Rae in Arizona
When sewing, slip an
old tricot/nylon nightgown on over your clothes. Threads
won't stick to your clothing and they will just slide
right off. You may look funny, but it works. In
case the doorbell rings, don't forget to take the nightgown
off! - Linda in Utah
Easy to accurately attach
triangle units. Fold the triangle unit in half,
pinch crease to mark the centre. Do the same to
the section you want to attach it to. Simply pin
the centre points and sew. - Vella in British
Columbia
I have a towel bar set
up beside my sewing machine. I hang my cut strips
over it so they don't wrinkle and they are handy to
pull off one at a time! I sometimes use it for
trims too if I am using them. - Marilyn in Ashcroft,
B.C.
Spray starch your blocks
before sewing together and they won't slip. -
Jessie in Massachusetts
When I am "unsewing"
seams, whether in borders or the quilt blocks themselves,
I keep a lint roller next to me. That way, when
I am done, I can just run it across my project and remove
all the stitches. This works well with when using
a seam ripper or single edge razor blade. - Susan in
Michigan
Use two of those brown
rubber door-stops to wedge underneath the back,bottom
of your sewing machine. They will give it a comfortable
tilt for long periods of sewing. - Carolyn in
Texas
I keep a roll of wide
masking tape near my machine. It is great for picking
up small pieces of thread specially when I have ripped
out a seam. I also use it to hold down backing when
I layer my quilt. - Mary in New Jersey
This is from a friend
of mine. She suggested that you keep a supply of half-square
triangles by your sewing machine and use them instead
of scraps of fabric when you are starting or ending
your sewing. No unsightly threads all over and you have
alot of half-square triangles to make a quilt with.
- Donna in Oregon
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