Quilting 101 - Quilting Tips and Hints

QUILTING TIPS AND HINTS

Tips gathered by MaryAnn Pankowski.
What a great presentation by MaryAnn at our last chapter meeting. She gave us many tips and hints and most of all the note to "Change Your Needle".   Had a great time.  Thanks MaryAnn. 

Here is here list, with some comments and additions from the peanut gallery (me).

•  CHANGE YOUR NEEDLE!
  
  • Signs you need to change your needle:
  • Your fabric has runs or snags
  • Your needle thread keeps breaking or shredding
  • Your machine won't make a stitch
  • YOU CAN'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME YOU CHANGED YOUR NEEDLE!!!

How To Clean An Iron - Quilters

Steam Iron

Have you ever been ironing a light colored fabric (maybe your favorite blouse) and all of a sudden there are red/brown rust spots splattering all over the place?  Maybe, you are making a quilt, you forgot that you used the iron for some sort of Steam-A-Seam or other iron type adhesive. You need to clean that iron or it is surely going to make a mess of future projects. There are many reasons that an iron needs to be cleaned.

Quilting 101 Series: Positively Perfect Pressing - Pressing vs Ironing

Quilting 101 Series: Positively Perfect Pressing

The Mulberry Quilting Chapter has started a series of Quilting 101 topics.  Barbara Morse has been spearheading this endeavor and we have many different speakers (chapter members) on different topics about quilting basics.  So, I have taken the speaker notes and added my take, my thoughts and my opinions.  Read on.

Pressing Vs Ironing

Quilting 101 Series: Spray Starch for Quilting

Starch - What is it?

Do you remember ironing when you were a kid?  My mom (way back in the dark ages - OK, maybe the 1960's) paid me 10 cents a pillowcase, 5 cents for a handkerchief, and 15 cents for my dads shirts!  She hated ironing - at least she never asked me to iron sheets - (whatever)...

Manna Bags

Manna

 – in the Bible, the food miraculously provided for the Israelite's in the wilderness during their flight from Egypt – “good things which have been provided as sustenance”.

OK, so snagged this photo from Pinterest, but this is the gist of what we are trying to collect.

What are Manna Bags?

Manna Bags are bags filled with a few essential items like non- perishable food and snacks,  bottled water or juice, new socks, toothbrush and toothpaste and some information about local shelters. They are small enough to fit in your car and are a blessing to the homeless living in our community.  There are so many individuals and families that just need a helping hand.  Keep several of these 'Manna Bags' in your car, and hand them out when you see a need.

Should I turn an antique quilt top into a quilt?

What Should Be Done With Antique Quilt Tops

What a tricky question…what happens to the value of an antique quilt top (or blocks) when you make a quilt out of it?

A customer sent me an old quilt top. She thinks her grandmother made, but doesn't know any more than that.  It looks like it was made in the late 1930s. She wants me to make it into a quilt. Also, she wants to how much finishing would reduce its value?

 

Quilt completed from vintage blocks

 

Should You Pre Wash Your Fabric Before Quilting?

To Pre-Wash or Not to Pre-Wash

To pre-wash or not to pre-wash – that is the question of every quilter. It has been a topic of hot debate for years, and every quilter has their own opinion about whether you should wash your fabric before quilting.

Ultimately, there is no right or wrong answer. It comes down to your personal preferences and goals. But, let’s take a closer look at both sides of the debate.

Taking Care Of Your Quilt or Memory Quilt

How to Take Care Of Your Heirloom Quilt

 It’s important to educate yourself, your loved ones and your friends on proper quilt storage. When taken care of properly, quilts can be passed down through generations.  Let's go through some simple tips to keeping your heirlooms in great shape to pass down to your family.

General Do's and Don'ts

Storage

• DON'T store quilts in plastic bags or containers. Plastic cuts off air circulation and gives off harmful by-products as it ages. Mold and mildew can result from moisture trapped inside plastic covers. Static electricity generated by plastic attracts dust. If you have quilts stored in plastic bags in the attic, rescue them NOW!

How to Choose the Right Quilt Batting

Choosing The Right Batting

This post will hopefully help you find out everything you want to know about choosing the right quilt batting for YOUR quilt.

A quilt is like a sandwich and is made of three layers. The top, batting and backing. The batting is what goes in the middle of the "quilt sandwich.” This little informational tutorial will discuss many different types and uses of batting (See 70 Uses for Batting ). You can choose from 100% cotton, polyester, cotton/polyester blend, bamboo, wool, silk, etc.

• To help decide which to use, you may want to ask yourself a few questions first:
• What will the finished product be used for? Quilt, wall hanging, bed-spread, etc.
• Who will the end user be? Does it need to be flame retardant for children?
• Does it need to be especially warm?
• In a warm climate - does it need to breathe?
• How do I want the finished quilting project to look - flat or fluffy? Contemporary or traditional?
• Do I need a light or dark batting?
• Will it be hand or machine quilted?
• How much am I willing to spend?

5 Things You Should Demand That Your T-Shirt Quilt Maker Include!

At Shadywood Quilts, we have made over 11,000 t-shirt quilts since 2006. Suffice it to say, that we have a little bit of experience in making a successful T-Shirt Quilt.

T-Shirt Quilt TOPs

While we are busy making T-Shirt Quilts for hundreds of folks every year, we have several people that bring us the T-Shirt Quilt TOP for us to finish. We love taking care of you, but sometimes we cringe when we see the top that the customer wants us to work a miracle on.