Craft Blog

There are so many different hobbies that you can get into. Depending on the kind of person you are will depend on the hobbies you might want to look into getting into. One thing that is starting to become more and more popular is quilting. If you want to get into quilting but don’t know how to quilt you are in luck! Here are so tips on how to learn to quilt.

The first tip on how to learn to quilt is to take some lessons. There are different quilting schools out there that are available. You can look in your local phone book or online. If you can’t find any there call some quilting shops and see if they know of any that are available. You will want to make sure that when you sign up for quilting school that you let them know that you have not quilted before and want to learn to quilt. This way you will be put in the beginner class and not a class where you are learning to do different techniques to help improve your quilting skills.

The second tip on how to learn to quilt is to join a quilting group. There are quilting groups out there that quilt once a week or once a month. This is a great way to meet new people in your community along with learning a new hobby. If you are looking into joining a quilting club you will want to make sure that you let them know that you want to learn how to quilt. This will help them to know that when they are doing different techniques they can show you step by step and explain to you why they are doing different techniques so you understand the purpose.

The third tip on how to learn to quilt is to ask some one that knows how to quilt. If your grandma or aunt quilts ask them if they can teach you how to quilt. If you are asking your grandma she will probably love to show you how because she will be excited that you are interested in something she is interested in. This is a great way to learn to quilt because you can learn techniques that might not be used any more but are great techniques. This will also give you an opportunity to get to know your grandma or aunt or who ever a little bit better.

The fourth tip on how to learn to quilt is to make sure that you ask a lot of questions. When you are learning to quilt you will want to make sure to know why some one is doing a certain technique or why they are threading something a certain way or folding a piece of fabric differently. These are all things that might not seem that significant but might end up being really important for the quilt.

These are just a few tips on how to learn to quilt. If you want to learn to quilt you will want to make sure that you get as much information on quilting that you can. You can do some research by going online or going to your local quilting shop and asking them what they think about different avenues to take to learn to quilt. They might be able to give you a little insight to what your different options are depending on what is offered in your community. You can also go online and subscribe to get different quilting new letters that might include different tips on how to learn to quilt. It is up to you what you want to do when deciding how to learn to quilt.

There are so many different things that you can learn about quilting. If you are just starting out in quilting and want to get to know other people who quilt you might want to think about joining a quilting group. If you want to join a quilting group but are not sure how, here are some tips on how to join a quilting group.

The first tip on how to join a quilting group is to look in your phone book. Sometimes communities have a quilting school. If you call a quilting school they should be able to give you information on different quilting groups around the area. This is not only a great way to get more ideas on quilting but it is also a great way to meet new people in your community.

The second tip on how to join a quilting group is to get some of your friends together that quilt. This is a great way to spend time with your friends and to get out of the house. Some people hold their quilting group once a week while others hold it once a month. It is up to you how often you want to meet up with your friends to quilt. But this is a great way to start a quilting group of your own.

The third tip on how to join a quilting group is to ask your local fabric stores. Usually fabric stores can give you names of people who quilt or they might actually have their own quilting group. You will want to make sure that when you go into your fabric store to ask about a quilting group that you talk to some one that actually quilts and not just some one that works there cutting out fabric. If you ask some one that quilts they might not be in a quilting group themselves but they probably have heard of one that you might be able to join. The fabric store might also have a list of different quilting groups that are available to join.

The fifth tip on how to join a quilting group is to ask around to your friends. If your friends don’t want to start a quilting group they might know some one that already has a quilting group. If they give you a couple of options to choose from you might want to check them out first to see which one you like best and which one you think you would fit into.

The sixth tip on how to join a quilting group is to go online. You can see if you can google different quilting groups in your area. If the quilting groups have web sites this is a great way t see what type of projects they have worked on together and different tips that they have. This is a great way to see what a quilting group is about before you join.

These are just a couple of tips on how to join quilting groups. There are so many other options out there. There are even quilting groups online that switch ideas with each other and give each other advice on different tricks they can use while quilting. The best thing to do if you are thinking about joining a quilting group is to get out there and see what is available in your community and see which works best for you and your family schedule. Then you will be able to get a better idea on which quilting group you want to join.

There are different things that you have to make sure to consider when you are quilting. One thing that you need to consider when you are quilting is the different things that are involved when you are making a quilt. You will have to decide on what type of fabric you will want to use, what type of thread you will need to use, and even what type of batting you want to put into your quilts. If you are unsure about batting, here are some tips on how to choose the appropriate batting for quilts.

The first tip on how to choose the appropriate batting for quilts is to first decide what type of quilt you are going to make. If you are going to make a baby quilt you will want to use a softer batting. There is batting out there that is made especially for baby blankets.

The second tip on how to choose the appropriate batting for quilts is to decide how thick you want your blanket to be. If you are quilting a blanket for the winter months you will want to use a thicker batting that will help keep in more heat.

The third tip on how to choose the appropriate batting for quilts is to make sure that you know what different battings consist of. Different battings are made of different materials. You will want to make sure that you find out what different battings are made of so you will know how they will break down. Some battings are thinner and will break down faster then others.

The fourth tip on how to choose the appropriate batting for quilts is to decide how much you want to spend on your batting. Depending on what your batting is made of and how thick it is and how it will break down will all help in how much battings costs.

The fifth tip on how to choose the appropriate batting for quilts is to decide how much batting you need. Different batting is sold in different amounts. If you quilt a lot you will know what batting consists of and how much you need. If you do not quilt a lot you will want to ask for some help so you make sure to get the amount of batting needed for your quilts. Sometimes you can buy batting by the yard while other times you have to buy the batting in a bag. It will depend on what sewing store you go to whether or not you will be able to buy batting by the yard or not.

The sixth tip on how to choose the appropriate batting for quilts is to ask around. If you don’t know the difference between different battings you will want to make sure that you find out the differences. You can go online and do some research or go to your local sewing store and ask the people that work there. You will be able to ask different questions so you make sure that you know exactly what batting you will need for the quilt that you are going to sew.

These are just a few tips on how to choose the appropriate batting for quilts. You need to make sure that you know the facts on different battings so you can make the appropriate decision. You don’t want to guess what batting is going to be best for a quilt with out knowing what the batting actually consists of. The best way to get exactly what you are looking for is to make sure that you know how to choose the appropriate bating for quilts.

There are many different things to that you can do when you are quilting. You first have to decide what type of quilting you want to do. You can hand quilt, or quilt with a machine, or you can do a tied quilt. If you are thinking about doing a quilt but are not sure what type of quilting you want to do here is some information on the differences between hand, Machine, and tied quilting.

The first difference between hand, machine, and tied quilting is that they are obviously all done differently. If you hand quilt something you will be doing it all by hand. If you have different blocks of fabric that you want to piece together you can either hand quilt it or machine quilt it. Hand quilting takes a lot longer to do for some then machine quilting but some people prefer to hand quilt because they have certain techniques that they like to use while quilting their quilts.

The second difference between hand, machine, and tied quilts is that you might use all of these on one quilt. If you are going to tie a quilt you will want to make sure that you have some kind of a grid system so your ties will all be even. If you do not have some type of grid system your quilt might not have enough ties and your batting might end up shifting on you. There are a couple of different ways that you can make grids on your quilts you can use a fabric marker and take a yard stick and measure out where you want your ties to be. There is also a plastic grid that different fabric stores have available where all you have to do is place it on to of your quilt and then mark with your fabric marker where you want the ties to go. This will help to ensure that all of your ties are straight and that you have enough so your quilt will not come apart. If you tie a blanket you can bind the edges by either hand quilting them or by machine quilting. It is a personal preference how this is done.

The third difference between hand, machine, and tied quilts is that they all have a little bit of a different look to them. If you tie a quilt you will have little ties all over the quilt that hold the blanket together. If you hand quilt you will have designs that can hold the quilt together. If you machine quilt there are a variety of things that you can do. Depending on if you use a machine that has software that can quilt a quilt pretty much by itself or of you just use a machine to quilt different patterns in the quilt. If you get a quilter there are all sorts of different pictures and designs that can be made.

These are just a few differences between hand, machine, and tied quilting. If you want to find out more information on the differences between hand, machine, and tide quilting you can ask people that quilt at your local quilting shops, you can go online and do your own research, or you can call and ask a quilting school. It is all up to you on how much you want to learn about the differences between hand, machine, and tied quilts on how much information you will want to get. You will also want to get an idea about the experience level differences between hand, machine, and tied quilts so you know which one will work the best for you.

There are so many different things that you can do when it comes to quilting. If you are just getting into quilting and want to know about the different techniques that are used in a quilt here is some information on what you should know about quilting, piecing, layering, and binding.

The first thing you should know about quilting, piecing, layering and binding is that they are all part of the quilting process. If you are making a quilt you will probably use at least two of these if not more on each quilt you make. For example if you make a quilt you will start by either quilting it, piecing it, or layering it and then when you are done you will bind the edges or at least the corners depending on what your preference is.

The second thing you should know about quilting piecing, layering, and binding is what each one is. When you quilt something it is when you take a piece of fabric and you have a front and a back with batting in the middle and by either hand quilting or machine quilting or even tie quilting you sew the whole quilt together with a pattern. If you piece a quilt together this is done if you are going to be using different colors o blocks that you are going to sew together to make a blanket or you have different shapes that you are incorporating into your quilt. Piecing pretty much means that you are taking different pieces of fabric and sewing them together to make a bigger piece. Then there is layering. Layering can be done a couple different ways.

One way that layering is done is when you are using a shear piece of material on your quilt. If you are using a shear piece of material you will usually layer it over another piece of material to give it a certain look. Once you have put the layer of sheer over the other piece of material you will want to sew that together to secure it so it won’t move every which way when you are trying to get the rest of your quilt put together. The next thing is binding. Binding is the process of sewing the edges of your quilt together. If you have made a quilt and you have quilted the middle and all around the edges you can still see the batting coming out and all of the little strings that are at the ends of the fabric you bind it together so you are not longer able to see those things. The binding is what finishes your quilt to give it the look of being completely done. You can bind your quilts together by folding the material and tucking into the inside of the quilt and then hand stitching is closed so the stitches are not that noticeable, or you can machine sew it together and be able to do a little pattern around it to give it the look of a border.

These are just a couple of things on what you should know about quilting, piecing, layering, and binding. If you want to get into more detail or find out how you can see different examples there should be places in your community where there are quilting classes available. You can s logo online and see if you can find different demos of these techniques being preformed. This will help you to get a better idea of when you are quilting what you should know about quilting, piecing, layering, and binding.

Quilting magazines give you the opportunity to learn from leaders in the quilting world.  There you can gain information on the latest patterns, machines, fabrics, notions and quilting tips from readers and professional quilters.

Everyone who subscribes to quilt magazines have a passion for quilting.  They allow you to search your imagination and learn new techniques.  The best thing about subscribing to a quilt magazine or two, or even three, is that there are so many new patterns and projects in them.  Subscribing also saves you money over the price you would pay for individual copies. 

When you buy a pattern book, you often pay as much as, or more than the price of a year’s subscription.  In the book there may only be one or two patterns that you like.  In the magazine you have as many as nine or ten projects in each issue.  Some magazines are delivered every month and some come every other month.  Over a period of a year you can have many projects for less than the price of one pattern book.

The patterns often give you an optional size chart so you can make a wall, lap, twin, queen or king size quilt.  Many patterns you buy in stores only give you one size option.

There are several stories included in magazines.  It is interesting to read about success stories of women who have started businesses and often work at home.

Information can be found about which fabrics to buy, how to care for them, what are the different battings available and which ones work best.  In one magazine there is a tribute to the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804-1806.  It features a beautiful quilt using traditional designs. 

Quilt magazines keep you informed of various contests and quilting weekends with quilting experts.  They help you discover ways to create embroidery and how to use digitizing software.  Some magazines include quilting tips.  If you share a tip and it is published in the magazine there is a $25 prize for each submission published.  They tell of their favorite finds and special offers and include product information.

There is a page for great ideas.  In one magazine they covered how to find space in closets and cupboards to store quilts when they are not being used.  Included was a tip to refold your quilts occasionally so they don’t develop permanent creases.  One of the answers was to store seldom used quilts in a guest bedroom.  They can be placed on the bed in layers so they won’t develop those permanent creases. 

There are often holiday gift ideas and how to make beautiful projects from your fabric stash.  They often pay tribute to the contributors in the magazine.   Readers also send pictures and articles about the quilts they have made from the patterns in the magazines.  Thanks to the magazines for giving its readers such great patterns.

A favorite feature is on easy organization.  They offer tips on how to keep your fat quarters, and how to stay organized, which is very helpful.  Magazines also share their favorite finds.  They help the reader to also enjoy the editors’ picks from the latest quilting books and products.  Products that may not have been discovered were it not in the magazine.

Every pattern the magazines published are tested to make sure the instructions are accurate.  They teach how to cut your fabric and improve your rotary cutting skills and how to square up your blocks.  Many patterns give you the opportunity to perfect your skills, especially appliquéing points and curves.

Take the time to browse through some quilt magazines at your local book or grocery store.  In them you will find many projects and ideas that will entice you to subscribe. 

Strip piecing is when many fabrics are sewn together to complete a unit that can be cut apart into segments.  Strip piecing is faster and often more accurate than the more traditional methods of cutting and eliminates the need to work with small pieces of fabric.  The steps for strip piecing are as follows: cut three strips of fabric and lay them one above the other on the cutting table.  Then place the dark strip over the medium strip and sew them right sides together using a scant quarter inch seam allowance.  Then press the seam toward the dark seam.  Place the light strip on top of the medium strip right sides together and stitch.  Press the seam toward the medium strip.  Place the sewn strips on cutting mat. Keep fabric edges even with grid lines on mat. Line up the 1" mark on the ruler with the left edge of fabric.  Then cut the strips in segments, the width that you want. 

The best way to cut strips is with a rotary cutter.  You will spread out the layers of fabric with the edges lined up.  Hold the ruler so that it won’t slip and cut with the other hand.  After cutting the first strip, move the ruler over and continue cutting your strips.

A lot of strip quilt patterns require two and a half inch strips of fabrics.  Moda fabrics now have a bundle of pre-cut strips called the jelly roll.  They contain 40 strips of each fabric in a line.

If you would like to join a strip club, contact Cozy Quilt Shop by going to their web site at www.cozyquilt.com.  They have several patterns for strip quilts at the low cost of $5.00 to $8.00 each. 

Strip piecing is a wonderful alternative because the cutting is so streamline.  It is surprising how easy it is to create a wide variety of quilt designs with just simple strips of fabric.  I can’t think of any cons to strip piecing.  Strip piecing allows you to construct your quilts quickly, easily and accurately.

You can make a simple quilt with strips and using your scraps that you would normally throw away.  Save those scraps and cut them into five inch pieces.  Continuously sew the strips together until you have several inches collected.  Then cut them into five inch squares.  When you have enough five inch squares, sew them together for a great utility quilt.  You will not have wasted your scraps of fabric and you will have what I call a “freebee” quilt.

A good way to organize the many strips you have cut for your quilt is to drape them over the bars of a wooden indoor drying rack.  This will save on clutter in your sewing room and also keep you organized and you will be able to choose the strip you are needing without having to dig through the pile.  You can also drape them over clothes hangers.

If you would rather, you can piece your quilts in the more traditional way.  You can have that scrappy look and also do many more complicated quilts.  You can do quick, small projects that can be completed in one day or the more complicated quilts that take longer.  Consider the many bright fabrics that are available and make a quilt for the summer months that are ahead.  Learn new techniques.  Now is the time to make those heirlooms and gifts for those you love. Take advantage of the little bits of time you have in your day and be creative. 

There is nothing like a quilt that was made with love.  There is nothing like a quilt that has been handed down by many generations.  There is nothing quite like an antique quilt that has been given to you or you have purchased at an antique store or auction.  A quilt has many meanings.  They are a symbol of cherished memories, of warmth and of comfort.

Many people have had a grandmother whose work you have seen displayed. Sometimes these quilts represent many generations.  Our grandmothers often used fabrics from dresses she made for her daughters or granddaughters.  Isn’t it fun to listen to stories of where the scraps of fabric came from?  Often they got their patterns from newspapers. These hand pieced quilts will be cherished forever.

What is a Keepsake Quilt?  It is a quilt that is made with love for someone to keep as a memento.  Sometimes they will have a specific theme or design made with the person you want to give it to in mind.  Sometimes the quilt will be a wedding gift to be treasured for a life time.  Many times it is a baby quilt that the new mother will save for that child to use when they become a parent.

A wonderful keepsake quilt is a photo quilt.  They are quilts whose blocks are made up of individual photos printed on fabric.  You can have your photographs printed on fabric at a copy center such as Kinko’s or you can even print them on your printer at home.  An easy way to print them at home is to cut your fabric to 8 ½ by 11 inches and iron it on freezer paper that is cut to the same size.  Put it in your printer and print the same way you would a document.

When you are giving a keepsake quilt to someone, they often will not want to use it.  It can be put on display by hanging it on a wall or quilt shelf with a dowel for hanging.  You would then want to make a sleeve on the back that matches the backing fabric so it can be easily hung on the dowel.  You might want to consider entering the quilt in a local fair.

Quilting has become a popular hobby.  With the many patterns and fabric choices available you will be able to make any style of a quilt you want.  Let your imagination go wild.  Quilts make wonderful gifts.  They are also a wonderful way to decorate your home.

You can never have too many quilts.   Quilt making has provided enjoyment and relaxation for many centuries.  Some patterns can be a bit of a challenge but you are sure to rise to the challenge.  So, which is better, quilting for keepsakes, or for use?  It really doesn’t matter.  Quilts can keep you warm on the inside as well as on the outside.

Why not have a variety of keepsakes and those you use.  Quilts can be used on your beds and can be used as tablecloths.  They can be used to keep you warm at football games and can be used as a picnic cloth to spread out on the ground.  They can be given as gifts or kept for your own warmth and enjoyment.  You can make a signature quilt and give it to someone as an anniversary gift with family and friends participating in the making of the quilt and signing the quilt making it very sentimental.

As you can see, quilts can be functional as well as decorative.  Display your quilt in a glass case or display it on your bed.  Whichever you decide will be the right decision.

Most quilters love to piece their quilts.  Then comes the time that they must be quilted.  Hand quilting is one option, but it may take weeks or even months to complete.  Who has that kind of time? 

Machine quilting has become very popular.  It is more durable than hand quilting and will last longer, especially if you plan to wash the quilt. 

Hand quilting can be done on a hoop or a frame.  Hand quilters like to have small even stitches although having straight stitches is more important than having small stitches. 

Machine quilting is done using a regular sewing machine.  Free motion movements are done with a darning foot. 

There are many types of designs for quilting.  They can be the same for quilting on the machine or hand quilting.  Some beginning quilters like to stitch in the ditch.  This is done by sewing in the seam line.  Outlining is done about a quarter of an inch away from the seam line.  Many machine quilters use a meandering stitch, which is free hand curved swirls. 

When hand quilting, you will get more even stitches if the fabric is stretched.  Using a frame helps you keep even tension and it also allows you to use both hands when quilting.  The only problem with using a large frame is that once it is set up, it could be there to stay for a long time until you are able to finish the quilt.  For smaller projects you could use a quilting hoop.  They are less expensive than frames.  Use a “between” needle for hand quilting.  They are a short needle with a small eye.  The type of quilting thread you use is also important.  Use 100% cotton because it is stronger than regular sewing thread.  You will also want to use a thimble when hand quilting.  It will relieve the pressure on your finger as you push the needle through several layers of fabric and batting.

If you prewash your fabric it will be easier to quilt.  Be sure to press your fabric after washing so you won’t have permanent wrinkles.  To prepare your top for quilting be sure to press the quilt top and backing fabric.  Cut the batting slightly larger than the quilt top; spread out the backing wrong side up on a table, bed or quilting frame.  Add the batting over the backing and then spread the quilt top, right side up.  Baste or pin thoroughly if you are not going to use a frame.

When you do machine quilting, you will want to use a darning foot.  If your machine didn’t come with this foot, you can purchase one at your local quilt store that sells your brand of machine.  Safety pins will hold your layers of fabric together during the quilting process.  If you are using your regular quilting machine you will want to use a large work surface that is level with the bed of the machine.  Use 100% cotton quilting thread.  It is also important to use a walking foot.  It will help you avoid puckers and you will have smooth quilt lines.

When you prepare your backing and batting fabric, make sure that it is at least three inches bigger on all sides of the quilt.  As you quilt your design, it will shrink your top and you want to have enough fabric to completely cover your quilt top. 

Machine quilting is best for speed and durability.  If done skillfully machine quilting can be beautiful.  Try and avoid a lot of changes in direction.