Craft Blog

Enjoying a beautiful quilt is the ultimate goal of every quilt maker.  Even beginners want to succeed.  If you are a beginner, your will want to use the easier straight stitch.  Many patchwork patterns are based on straight shapes such as squares and rectangles.

The Log Cabin block is very familiar to everyone.  Most beginners will start with a Log Cabin quilt.  They are almost always made from strong light and dark contrast fabrics.  When finished they can be arranged in many ways which results in secondary patterns.

The nine-patch is one of the easiest quilt blocks to construct.  They consist of squares arranged three by three.  A large number of quilts are based on the nine patch block.

Curved patterns are more difficult.  They give a sense of movement.  A well known curved pattern is the Double Wedding Ring.

There is a book called 101 Fabulous Rotary-Cut Quilts.  It is a wonderful book containing complete instructions.  In it each pattern is marked with a thread spool to indicate if it is for a beginner, intermediate, or advanced quilter.  One spool for beginner, two spools for intermediate and three spools for advanced.

The definition of a skilled beginner is that they know how to thread a machine, wind a bobbin, and know how to use a rotary cutter.  They understand basic quilting terms and can sew simple pieced designs. 

If you are an intermediate quilter, you attend quilting classes, understand quilting terms and have mastered them and you are experiencing success.  You often try challenging patterns and you feel comfortable with your sewing machine.  You may even be entering your quilts in quilt shows.

An advanced quilter will design their own quilt blocks, change the scale of patterns and will be able to quilt complex designs with the quilting on the finished quilt.  They have a good use of value and are constantly learning new techniques. 

Professional quilters are paid for their work.  They are often pattern designers and quilt shop owners.  They do historical research and are top award winners at prominent quilt shows.  They receive awards and honors for their work.  They design fabrics and they often appear on television and have their own quilt retreats.

Most quilt shops offer classes.  The classes range from beginner to advanced.  It is a good idea to take classes and advance your skills with each class.  An intermediate class usually teaches straight lines to curves.  They teach fold back techniques to create curves.  Some quilts look complicated but they really are not.

The beauty of quilting is that there is always something new to learn. Quilters of all backgrounds can learn new methods or improve existing skills.  It is important to learn all aspects of quilting.  Learn how to choose color and fabrics.  Learn about the different styles of quilts by taking classes and workshops.

Quilting patterns, classes and ideas are available on the Internet, in the quilt shop or in the class room.  Classes are taught on all skill levels.  Magazines, quilt books, and television shows and the Internet offers many patterns.  Quilt books can be found at the library and you can learn new ideas at your local quilt guild.  There is a pattern for every level of expertise. 

Whether you are a beginner choosing your first project or if you have been away from quilting for a while and want to start again, start small.   You might want to start with a table runner or a pillow.  This will take less time than making a full size quilt and will give you the inspiration to increase your skills. 

Quality is the key when selecting fabrics for your quilts.  The best fabric to use is 100% cotton.  It minimizes seam distortion and presses crisply.  Cotton is also very easy to quilt.  There are other fabrics used for quilting and they contain other types of fiber content, such as silk and wool.  It is important, however, to stay with the same content in each individual quilt you are making. 

Most fabric comes 44/45 inches wide.  It is important to purchase a little more fabric to allow for any errors you might make or any shrinkage that occurs when washing your fabric or in matching plaids.

Many quilters differ in their opinion about pre-washing fabric.  Most fabrics you can purchase today resist bleeding and shrinkage, but on occasion might occur.  You want to be especially careful with reds as they might have a tendency to bleed a little.  Many quilters feel that pre-washed fabric is easier to quilt.  Others like the crisp look from not pre-washing.  It is important to press your fabric well if you decide to pre-wash it so as not to have any permanent wrinkles in it.  Some people prefer to wash their fabrics before making their quilts because of the chemicals used in the fabrics to preserve it.  Occasionally people find that they have allergies to these chemicals. 

Be sure if you choose to wash your fabric that you wash all of the fabric in the quilt.  If you don’t wash all of it, your quilt will not remain uniform.  If you decide you want to wash your quilt after completion, it would be better not to wash your fabric before.  Washing the quilt after completion will give a slightly puckered, antique look.

There are also many fabric companies to choose your fabrics from, and there are many looks that you can achieve by using specific collections of fabrics.  Many people like the vintage look of the 1930’s.  People love the colors from that era.  Many are now buying reproduction fabrics from the Civil War era.  Flannel fabrics are very popular for added warmth to cuddle up with on a chilly fall or winter day.  Felted wool is used for foundation and appliqué texture.  Homespun textures are also very popular.

Moda fabrics are exceptional quilting fabrics.  They offer many design and color lines such vintage, holiday, charm packs, fat quarter bundles and jelly roll bundles.

In a jelly roll bundle you get 40 two-inch strips of fabric which are rolled up and tied with a ribbon.  They are used for strip quilting.   Charm packs are precut five inch squares and they contain a square of every fabric offered in a certain line of fabric.  Fat quarters are pre-cut into 18 by 22 inches pieces.  You can purchase them individually or in bundles.

Moda fabrics may be purchased in your favorite quilt shop or on the Internet.  When looking on Moda’s Internet site you will also find many free patterns featuring charm packs.  They also sell quilt kits of many of their quilt patterns.  This is a great service as you won’t have to spend hours trying to match fabrics on your own.

Try looking at the following web site for purchasing quality fabric on-line: http://www.gloriousfabric.com.  There you can purchase fabric for quilts as well as wearable art.   Shopping for these beautiful quilt fabrics couldn’t be easier.  You can purchase fabrics from Hoffman, Moda, South Seas Imports, Laurel Burch as well as Japanese indigo, marbles, batiks, flannel fabrics, patterns and quilting books. 
They accept Visa and MasterCard but there is a minimum credit card order of $25.00. If order is less than $25.00 (not including shipping charges) you will have to use their printable order form and go through the shopping cart.  You will then have to send them a check or money order as payment. 

There are many ways to find free quilt patterns.  The best way is to look on-line.  All you have to do is go to Google.com and type in free quilt patterns.  The sites for free patterns seem to be endless.  There you will be able to find free patterns for baby quilts, bed quilts, wall hangings, pillows, throws, table runners, place mats, vests and handbags.

Almost all of the patterns are adapted to beginning quilters.  You will also be able to find free patterns for all skill levels. 

Many of the leading quilt magazines offer free patterns on the Internet as well as famous quilt teachers and television hosts.  For instance – Alex Anderson the host of the television show, “Simply Quilts”, which airs on HGTV, has many free patterns on the Internet.  She invites various quilt makers and top designers on her show to teach many methods of quilting, from designing, choosing the right colors and fabrics, to how to care for the fabric and the best tools to use.  Each guest will show how to put a quilt together using many teaching methods.  All of the information for each show is on hgtv.com along with colored pictures explaining the procedures.

On this site you can also access a quilt glossary of quilting terms: terms such as appliqué, backing, background fabric, batting, bias, binding, boarders, chain piecing, fat quarters, etc.  You can also ask questions about quilting.  A new quilter asked Alex how to square up her quilt to prepare it for binding.

Free quilt patterns can also be down loaded.  Downloading usually requires Adobe Acrobat Software. An example of a pattern to down load would be to go to the Better Homes and Gardens quilt magazine site and click on quilts for beginners and choose a project you think you would be interested in.  You might be interested in the Four Flags Quilt Block.  After clicking on the title of the quilt you will see a colored picture of the block.  You may then down load the pattern for this project. 

If you are looking for some good Holiday patterns, a place to look would be McCall’s Quilting/holiday.  There you will find themed patterns that you will be sure to enjoy.  You will find patterns for quilts entitled, Prairie Christmas, Ribbon Candy, Blazing Star, All Tangled Up and many others.

Free patterns.com has a free pattern club that you can join.  After becoming a member you will have access to over 2,294 free patterns.  Your membership is free and you will be under no obligation to buy.

Kona Bay Fabrics offers free quilting patterns using their fabrics.  You can download them with Adobe Acrobat Software or the PDF version by clicking on the PDF icon.

You might want to attend a Shop Hop in your area.  Many states have these annual events where you will visit various quilt shops during a certain week.  These are usually held in the Summer or Fall.  It is a fun outing for you and your friends.  Often there will be a theme for the shops and each shop will make a quilt using that theme.  Each shop will also feature one on their blocks in the quilt and as you visit each shop, you will be given the pattern for their block.  When you have visited all of the shops, you will have collected each pattern which will allow you to make your own quilt.

Quilts often become heirlooms and are enjoyed for years and years.  They are wonderful gifts to give to those you love.  They provide warmth in more ways than one.  They who sleep under a quilt sleep under a labor of love.  Now is the perfect time to learn to 

Every quilt you make has to be quilted with some kind of design.  Whether you are quilting by hand or by machine you will have to make a decision of what kind of frame to buy.  You must remember that it’s not a quilt until it is quilted.  There are many styles of frames on the market for you to choose from. 

A quilting frame allows you to quilt without the need for basting. It will also allow you to keep a precise tension for the quilt top and backing so layers will remain flat and smooth.  They can be a beautiful piece of furniture or plain boards.   Hand quilting will enrich your quilt differently from quilting by machine.  You can also tie your quilts as well as hand quilt on these frames.

The Grace Company has a Z44 Fast Professional frame for hand quilting which includes a set of Bungee Side Tension Clamps.   Because they can handle any size quilt from a baby to a King, it will be the most cost effective frame available.  The Z44 Professional quilting system can accommodate any seating height. It has a new ratcheting height adjustment which allows you to raise or lower the frame to several different heights and it requires no tools.  You can even quilt standing up.  Check out their web site for other hand quilting frame options at www.graceframe.com. 

Many quilters are opting for machine quilting.  If you are looking to start your own quilting business, you will want to consider a long arm machine and frame.  Gammill quilting systems are very popular.  Their machines are high-quality and can help you to do your very best possible work.  Because of the length of the arm of the machine, you will have a greater work area.  You can get more information on this system by visiting www.gammill.net. 

Pfaff offers the Next Generation Quilt Frame.  It is a home quilting system that you can use for your own quilting pleasure or for a quilting business.  The Pfaff machine doesn’t have as long an arm as the Gammill but is sufficient.  You will want to find a Pfaff dealer near you and test drive this machine.  The quilting is stitched by freely moving the machine over the surface of the quilt by using any home frame or professional quilting system.

You can collect large numbers of quilt designs for your quilts.  There are many patterns available in quilt magazines.  Many patterns featured in magazines will also give you the pattern they used to quilt them.  You can also use a Dot-to-Dot method.  This method is the same as when you were a child and created pictures by connecting the dots.  Dot-to-Dot patterns divide the quilting into small sections.  As you practice using this method, your eye will automatically divide quilting patterns into sections.

All quilting done on these frames will take a lot of practice.  But the time and effort will be worth it.  Be sure to take classes on using the system after you make your purchase. 

You can also do free motion quilting on your regular short arm sewing machine.  All you have to do is lower your feed dogs and be sure to use a darning foot on your machine.  It is best to use quilting gloves which help you grip your fabric better.  Free motion quilting is stitched by moving the fabric freely in all directions.   

Whether quilting by hand or by machine it is important you use the fabric designs for clues as to how to quilt your project.  By planning the designs you will be happy with your quilt when it is finished.

To create beautiful quilts you must be creative and have a good sewing machine.  Some sewing machines seem to be more fun than others.  Does technology make a difference with you?  Do you want a computerized machine with tons of fancy stitches and attachments and accessories, or do you want a machine that is simple to use?

You can create beautiful quilts with a machine that does nothing more than a straight stitch or one that also has a zigzag stitch.  You can also create beautiful quilts with a very old Singer machine.

We live in a technology oriented world.  Everything seems to be computerized these days and sewing machines are no different.  There are simple machines, complicated machines, embroidery machines, overlock machines, and quilting machines made specifically for your home quilting system.  You can even buy software for your sewing machine and can download patterns from your computer to your sewing machine.   People are passionate about quilting.  There is a machine to match your creativity.  Which one do you choose and why?

Some people want it all.  It is not uncommon to have a basic sewing machine, a quilting machine, a serger and an embroidery machine. 

Operating a sewing machine for the first time can be intimidating. You can become overwhelmed when you go to the store to look at machines.  It is important to take the time to learn how the various machines operate and consider if you really need all the bells and whistles they offer.  Take the time to sit at the machine before purchasing it to be sure it is easy to operate and still meet your needs.  Visit Internet sites and sewing machine stores.  Don’t make your decision too quickly.  Take home the literature offered and study it.  Try many brands.  Be sure and test drive the machine using various types of fabrics.  Does it handle silky fabric as well as several layers of denim or other heavy weight fabric?

Electronic sewing machines can do such things as recommend the proper presser foot, the right thread tension and stitch length, the size to sew a buttonhole, and some will automatically cut the thread.  

Try looking on www.ConsumerReports.org  for unbiased reviews of machines.  According to them you can buy good machines for under $200 which has many features. But, if you spend more for an electronic model, you get more convenience and hundreds of stitches.

Consumer Report says that Singer, Brother, and Kenmore sell about 70 percent of all sewing machines. Brands such as Bernina and Husqvarna Viking are gaining in the area of more expensive, feature-laden machines.  The report also says that sewing/embroidery machines had the best sewing ability.

Before buying a sewing machine, consider your skills and your needs.  Most people will keep their machine for about 10 years.  If you are pretty sure you will never embroider, buy an electronic or mechanical model with as many features as you can afford.  If the projects you are working on are complicated, you’ll probably be more satisfied with an electronic model.

If there’s a chance you might want to try embroidery, it might be a wise investment because they have superior sewing capabilities.  Wait for sales.  You will probably be able to purchase a better machine for less money than you had expected.  When shopping, be sure to try out the machine with an experienced salesperson.  Also take advantage of the free classes that are offered to buyers of new machines.  If you decide to buy a used machine, ask the retailer for a warranty because manufacturers’ warranties are usually not transferable.