|
Home
Shopping
Cart
Books;
Deck the Halls
Inspirational
Appliqué
Patterns :
Apple Pie
Snowmen
at Play
Tidings of Joy Tree Skirt
Fabric Kits:
Tulip
Time Quilt
Fruit Salad Quilt
Magazine Features
Lectures and trunk shows
Quilting Classes
Calendar
Quilting Tips
-
Appliqué
Directions
Measurements
& Math
Squaring
Up
More
Quilting Tips
About the Designer
About the Web Site's Name
Links
|
Quilting Tips - Some Basics
When you start a quilt, determine its purpose
before you begin and plan your effort accordingly. If you are sewing a
heritage quilt to pass down through the generations, constantly check
for accuracy and be willing to redo mistakes. If you are making a quilt
to be used for family picnics, don't sweat the small stuff. If it can
cover the grass, that's good enough.
Learn to sew an accurate 1/4 inch seam. "Close" counts in quilting,
just like horseshoes and hand grenades.
Measure your blocks after assembling. It is easier to fix mistakes when
there are only a few seams to check.
When preparing to add borders, always measure your quilt to know its
actual dimensions.
Always measure through the
center of the quilt top, not along the edges because edges have a
tendency to become stretched or distorted. Adding borders that match
the center measurement help to keep your quilt square and true.
Always re-measure your quilt
after adding borders and before you add the next one. The newly added
borders have changed the quilt size and it is very easy to cut the next
border too small. (Ask me how I know this.)
When assembling border strips
that are longer than the width of the fabric, sew them together using a
seam that is at a 45 degree angle.
Cutting border strips on the
straight of grain uses more fabric but helps to eliminate wavy borders.
To make your quilt more
interesting when assembling rows of appliqué pieces that are the same,
use a variety of fabrics in similar tones rather than one fabric for
all pieces.
When
cutting directional fabric, double check before cutting so that the
design will be right side up when sewn into the quilt.
Buy wonderful fabrics when you
run across them and build a good stash. Then on snow days you can shop
at home and start your quilt without leaving the house.
Keep lots of chocolate
available as you quilt, but don't spill it on your fabric. It melts
quickly and is a pain to get out.
Enjoy your quilting. Don't
let your desire for precision and perfection ruin the joy of creating.
|
