QUILT TIPS

There are many great quilt tips to help make your quilting experience more enjoyable.

Here are a few that I have used myself or come across in the years I've been quilting. Hopefully you will find these quilt tips helpful.

1. Take the pattern you will be using when going shopping. This will help you in deciding how much fabric to buy.

2. Tack fabric you already have on index cards to take with you when shopping. This will help you to know what you have and what you still need.

3. If your not sure what colors go together, choose fabrics from the same fabric line. Don't hesitate to ask the clerk for help.

4. When buying fabric look at both sides. Sometimes the reverse(lighter side) is just what you need.

5. It takes just as long to make something of value out of good fabric as it does from poor fabric. Use the best quality fabric you can afford.

6. After you bring your fabric home keep a list of the fabrics you purchased. On the list have a description of the fabric. This should include the date purchased, the name of the fabric collection, the style or color number, the price and the store it was purchased at, and any other information that would help you if you needed to purchase more. I keep this list on my computer so I can find it easily.

7. If you are a fabric collector and collecting a particular type of fabric, let your friends know what you are collecting, they will help you in your search and make the collection even more memorable.

8. To square up your fabric, fold fabric and place folded side horizontally along any line on the cutting board. Place the left vertical edge slightly past a vertical line on the cutting board, with rotary cutter and C-Thru ruler take your first cut.

9. When cutting many strips the same size, add the strips you need to get the total width. (ie-5strips 2.5 inches=12.5inches). Take the first cut at that point(12.5 inches) and move left at that interval(2.5 in.) until you have all your strips.

10. Use a piece of fine sandpaper under fabric to keep it from slipping when tracing a pattern.

11. When doing applique adhere freezer paper to the fabric. It stiffen the fabric and allow you to cut the shape more easily.

12. For hand applique fill bobbins with different color thread and store in bobbin box. It's smaller and keeps thread from tangling.

13. To make an accurate 1/4 inch seam on your sewing machine put your C-Thru ruler under the presser foot. Bring down your needle at the 1/4 inch mark on your ruler. Place a piece of masking take along this point on the throat place. To keep the fabric from going past this point you will need more thickness. This can be done with several layer of masking tape, or moleskin you can buy inexpensively at the drug store.

14. If there is only a small amount of difference in the size of the pieces your are sewing together, put the largest piece on the bottom (next to the feed dogs) the sewing machine will ease the pieces together while sewing.

15. To figure the width and length of a quilt set on point, take the finished size of the block and multiply it by 1.414. Multiply that measurement by the number of blocks across and down plus any sashing and borders.

16. When basting your three layers together use a contrasting thread for easier removal when done.

17. If you are left-handed you may find it easier to follow the diagrams with the book or pattern turned up-side down.

These are just a few of the many great quilt tips. I will be adding to these tips on a regular basis. If you have any quilt tips you would like to share with other quilters, please send them to me at "contact-me"

Return to Home Page from Quilt Tips