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If I only have one smallish fabric to wash, a yard or less, I fill the sink with the hottest water, put the fabric in and leave it until it cools. If there is dye in the water I'll then rinse it several times. Then I wrap it in a towel to remove the excess water and iron with a dry iron to finish it off.
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I've recently made a few discoveries regarding threading needles. First... I have started using either John James, Roxanne or Hemming needles. James and Roxanne both make a large eye needle but there is something about the imported needles that just thread better. And they sew like a dream. I could never go back to Dritz or Clover. Another thing is your thread. I used to only use Gutterman and Metrosene thread until I saw a comparison done on all threads and I couldn't believe the differences. For smooth thread with no burs on it Coats and Clarks 100% cotton hand quilting thread came out the best. I run the end of the thread between my front teeth to kind of flatten it and then I trim the end on a sharp diagonal. I have even been able to thread these needles in a moving car!! The right tools make all the difference. Donna
To read an article on How to Thread a Needle, click on
http://www.quilterscrossroads.com/index.php?page=articles&category=19&p=3
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When I see a pattern in a magazine that I would like to make some day I put a sticky note paper sticking out the top of the magazine at that page. I use a different color sticky note for each type of pattern, yellow for patchwork, blue for applique and so on. When I am ready to make that pattern I can go quickly to the proper magazine and don't have to look through all of them.
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Wearing gardening gloves or quilter's gloves while rotary cutting helps prevent the ruler from slipping.
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A plastic container that TicTacs came in is great for storing needles in while traveling. They won't escape from the container, and it is just the right size.
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Most people operate the foot pedal of their sewing machine with their right foot only, but it doesn't take long to get used to using your left foot half the time and the alternation of feet is easier on your back.
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If you mark your quilt with chalk or pounce, put handy size pieces of Glad Press N Seal over the patterns. The marks will remain protected and clear through all framing and handling until you take off just the bit to quilt next.
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If your hand quilting knot comes to the top of the quilt, rebury it using a wire needle threader. Insert the wire into the quilt close to where the knot should be, come to the top in the place where the knot should go back down into the batting, and insert the knot into the wire loop. Then pull gently until the knot is reburied.
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When I paper piece I position my mini-iron and toy ironing board (I used a folded towel before someone gave me the ironing board) on one side of the sewing machine and my mini-cutting board, rotary cutter and quarter inch ruler on the other side. This really speeds up paper piecing.
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To make threading a needle easier, run the tip of the thread across a bar of soap or candle while holding the thread firmly against the soap with your thumb. This stiffens the thread and makes it easier to get it through that teeny, tiny, little hole in the needle.
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This recipe will remove the marks from a quilt top following quilting: 3 parts rubbing alcohol 1 part water 1 squirt of clear dishwashing liquid A clean, slightly damp white wash cloth Rub gently until marks are removed, hang to dry.
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As a long arm quilter I often have many quilt tops waiting to be quilted. I store these on cardboard from the center of bolts of fabric from the sewing shop. This keeps them compact and saves on ironing time when it's time to get them quilted.
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Store UFOs in a pillow case rather than a plastic bag. Pin a picture of the project or a block to the outside of the bag. Hang the pillowcase from a clip-on pants hanger.
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Make quilting stencils using Glad Press'n Seal. It grabs onto the fabric and doesn't slip while you are marking your quilt. To use it, place a piece over the quilting pattern you want to use and trace it onto the Press'n Seal. Perforate the Press'n Seal by sewing it with your unthreaded sewing machine. Place it in position over the area you want to quilt. Use a Pounce Pad to put chalk markings onto the quilt.
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If you are cutting out a lot of unusual shapes, such as hexagons for a grandmother's flower garden quilt, try using heat resistant plastic as a template. Cut the template to the proper size, smooth the edges with an emery board, place on the trimmed fabric, and iron the edges over the template. Spray on some spray starch, press once more, and the template can be removed. This saves a lot of basting.
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If you baste your quilts with safety pins, buy some bent ones. These go through the layers of the quilt so easily they're well worth buying. You won't need a spoon or a shoe horn any longer.
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Cutting mats get warped easily. I store mine in the closet, hanging on skirt hangers. They are always safely out of the way.
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I use parchment paper on my ironing board when I am layering applique pieces backed with fusible webbing. The webbing won't stick to the parchment paper. You can buy the parchment paper at the grocery store. It is a much less expensive solution than a teflon ironing sheet, which serves the same purpose.
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If you are having trouble with your thread shredding when you are using specialty threads such as metallic thread, use a specialty needle. Top stitching needles and metafil needles have larger holes than the others, and will help prevent your thread from breaking.
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If you are making your own Chenille, try making test pieces with the fabric in different orders. You'll be surprised at the difference in the finished product.
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I have never used freezer paper before. In other aplique that I have done, I just cut out the material, basted it under and sewed it in place using an invisible ladder stitch. How do you use freezer paper, and in your opinion is it easier or does it provide better results? I'm really looking forward to doing this quilt. I love reproduction work. (Baltimore Album Block of the Month at http://www.quilterscrossroads.com/clubs/baltimore )
There are two methods of freezer paper applique, needle turn and traditional. I have never done needle turn, but I find the traditional method very easy. There are good instructions at http://www.quilterscrossroads.com/index.php?page=articles&art_id=64 . It's probably a lot like what you are doing now.
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I don't put the fabric away that I have searched through my stash for until I am done with a particular project, but I don't want my workspace to be cluttered. I have a special shoe box for each project and this keeps the fabric for that project together, along with the pattern and any completed blocks, cut fabric, etc. When the project is finished I put everything away at once. This saves time and keeps everything organized.
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Do not use Sharpie brand pens for your quilt labels. They can bleed while you're using them, they can bleed in the wash, and they can fade eventually.
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A great gift for someone who likes to applique is one of those circular bobbin holders for storing bobbins. Put in bobbins filled with thread from your thread stash. Arrange similar colors together for a nicer look. Put the cover on, and hold it closed with a piece of elastic with a pretty ribbon or silk flower attached. This is a very classy gift that will be appreciated by your favorite appliquer.
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To keep your fabric squares from slipping when marking diagonal lines for making triangles, use for drawing the line a piece of emery board. I mark one line down the center of the triangle and sew the quarter inch seam to each side of it instead of drawing the sewing lines on the fabric.
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I use plastic silverware trays to keep strips of fabric for log cabin blocks organized.
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Drill four holes into the top of an empty pill container. Put four bobbins with different colored threads into the container and thread each thread through a different hole. You can bring your hand sewing with you while traveling and your thread won't become tangled.
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Polyester thread may eventually cut through cotton fabric. It is safer to use cotton thread.
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If you are having trouble marking your quilt top, use a plain or tone-on-tone fabric on the back and mark that.
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Always make a practice block before cutting out enough fabric for a whole quilt. What if you don't like the colors? What if the block is too challenging or too easy for you? What if you just don't like it for some other reason? It's better to try it than to have to figure out what to do with all that cut fabric. You can always save your practice blocks and make small projects out of them. I used several to make a tote for my quilting supplies, and it looks quite pretty.
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put a small stack of post-it notes beside your needle for a more accurate 1/4" seam. This is better than a magnetized guide as the magnet may mess up the computer inside your sewing machine.
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Buy some holiday fabrics when they're on sale after the holiday is over. When trying out a new block to see how it looks or if you like it, make it in a holiday fabric. Eventually, you will have enough to sew together and make something out of, like a wall hanging, place mat or table runner.
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When free motion machine quilting, move your hands at a moderate speed, but have the sewing machine going fairly quickly.
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When hand sewing, to prevent those tiny little knots in your thread that are so hard to get out, run the thread across a lump of beeswax, or a piece of soap.
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When I shop for fabric I take with me a looseleaf notebook filled with sheets of plastic see-through photographic slide holders available at stationery stores. In each pocket I stick a 2 1/2" piece of fabric from my stash. You can also put a piece of paper with details of how much the fabric is left in with the swatch. Then you can find the best match for you fabrics and not buy the same fabric again.
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I use nonfusible lightweight webbing as a foundation for paper piecing. Just trace the pattern right onto the webbing, and proceed as usual. You don't have to tear the paper away, saving time for quilting.
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Before you do a whole project and then find out that the fusible webbing brand you have gums up your sewing machine needle, do a test run. If you are getting gummy stuff on your needle you are probably also getting it inside your machine.
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For iron-on applique: I like to fuse all the pieces to each other before I iron them to the background. I do this on a teflon ironing sheet. Under the sheet I place a full sized diagram of the finished block. I lay the pieces out following the block diagram, fuse them together and then fuse to the background. This way I know that I have all the pieces arranged perfectly.
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I like to make the binding for my finished top right after I finish the top. I store it on a paper towel roll. While I'm waiting to finish quilting the top I don't have to worry about accidentally using the binding fabric for something else.
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Glad Press and Seal makes a great transluscent paper for foundation piecing. It's easy to tear away too.
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If you are having trouble threading a needle, try turning it to the other side. One side of the eye of a needle will be larger than the other.
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To keep the small pieces of fabric square, always press your fabric on the straight grain.
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Before rolling the quilting frame to work on another area of the quilt I use a lint roller to pick up any bits of loose threads, dust or cat hair that may have landed on the quilt.
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I needed a light box for tracing patterns but couldn't afford to buy one. I found an old card table at a yard sale and took the top off, replacing it with a piece of glass. I put a light under the table and now I have a large surface to work on. When I'm not using it I fold up the legs and put the table under the bed.
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To prevent fraying in the washer and dryer, put your fabric into a pillowcase and close with rustproof pins.
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To make an accurate template using template plastic, trace or print out the pattern piece onto paper. Roughly cut out the paper pattern and stick it using double sided tape onto the template plastic. Then cut more accurately on the pattern line.
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Never use a blower to clean dust and threads out of your sewing machine. This pushes the dust deeper into the inner workings of the machine which causes more of the problems that you want to prevent. Instead, buy an attachment for your vacuum cleaner that is meant for cleaning such things as computers, sewing machines, and other small areas. Using this attachment on your vacuum cleaner you can suck out the dust and dirt, making your sewing machine last longer.
If you use this link to buy it will help to keep this website free.
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If you store your fabric in plastic bags or boxes be sure to make some holes in the plastic so the fabric can breathe. Plastic holds in moisture which weakens plastic.
If you store your fabric in cardboard boxes, be aware that cardboard contains acids which also can damage fabric. Line the cardboard with old sheets or acid free paper. Take as good care of your fabric as you do your quilts, and your quilts will last much longer.
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Before washing your rag quilt take it outside and shake it to get rid of loose threads. Use a washer with a lint trap if you have one. Clean out the lint trap in your dryer before drying the quilt. It will fill up quickly. Shake the quilt outside when you're done washing and drying to get rid of more loose threads.
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When machine quilting, using something to make the quilt sandwich easier to shift around makes it easier on the hands. You can use a teflon sheet on your sewing machine bed with a hole in it for the needle. This stays in place and the quilt shifts around easily on top of it. Or you can use gloves with little bumps on the fingers that are made for this purpose. These are available at your quilt shop, and are quite expensive. A cheaper solution is a pair of gardening gloves. Some people cut the fingers off a pair of rubber gloves and wear just the fingers. Or you can use the rubbery things that fit on your fingers meant for counting sheets of paper that are available from the stationary store. Use whatever is available to you. You will be able to machine quilt for a lot longer because your hands won't get as tired.
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For hand quilting, choose first the thread you want to quilt with, then look for a needle that will work with that thread.
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If you like to take your hand applique with you when you go places, buy a bobbin holder to carry your thread in. Some of the bobbin holders carry up to 30 bobbins. You can carry a large variety of thread colors with you if you put them on bobbins, and they don't take up much room. A bobbin can hold large amounts of thread, more than you'll need on a day's outing.
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If you have trouble sewing a straight seam, or sewing even stitches on your sewing machine, or if your sewing machine gets stuck every time it sews across a seam, maybe you need to slow down! When I stopped sewing so quickly I found that all of these problems were solved, and I broke fewer needles too. So let up on the accelerator and take life easier. Rebecca
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Save your applique templates in large envelopes. Trace the templates on the front of the envelope and you will know exactly which template is stored in each envelope. Paula
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When I want to join fabric strips at an angle, or sew any angled seam, instead of drawing the sewing line on the fabric with pen and ruler, I fold on the sewing line and press with my iron. This quickly gives an accurate sewing line. Bonnie
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Rubbery shelf protectors are great to put under your sewing machine food pedal to keep it from slipping. Lillian
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When you are making repeated cuts of the same measurement, mark your ruler with a post-it note page at the proper place to prevent inaccuracies. The post-it is easy to move when you're ready to make the next measurement. Karen
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Before pressing the seam to one side, press it flat, the way it was sewn. This embeds the stitches in the seam and flattens any puckers put into the seam by sewing. Hilda
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I use one layer of fleece as both batting and batting on a child's quilt. It saves time and money and it makes the quilt even cuddlier for the child. You can add the quilting stitches or not as you wish. This batting won't bunch up or come apart in the wash. Kate
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When I'm cutting just one patch out of a fabric, I find it hard to stop the cutter at just the right spot; I usually cut a bit too far, making it necessary to cut off that little bit of fabric before I can make the next cut of a different size. If I use the smallest size rotary cutter, I can cut more accurately, and often don't waste any fabric at all. Lydia
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My finger changes sizes occasionally, depending on how much fluids I've drunk that day, or for other reasons I haven't figured out. If my thimble becomes too loose, I lick my finger before putting it in the thimble. This prevents the thimble from falling off. Zinnia
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