Tag Archives: quilting

Quick Tips for Rotary Cutting

Posted on by
Reply

A rotary cutter is the cutting tool of choice for many quilters. It is much easy on the hands and much quicker than traditional scissors. It is also more accurate. Here are some tips make sure your rotary cutting goes quickly and easily.

After you preshrink your fabric, add some starch when you press. I know we seldom think of starch any more (at least I don’t), but a light starching will help keep your fabric layers from slipping when you cut them with a rotary cutter.

If you are totally new to rotary cutters, remember to place a self-healing mat underneath your fabric to protect the cutting surface. You can also use very thick cardboard that you don’t mind cutting, but using the specially-made mats will give you a better surface to cut on and more accuracy. Cutting mats come in several sizes and feature helpful grids.

A standard rotary cutter on a basic, self-healing mat.
High Quality Photo

Touching Post on Stash Manicure

Posted on by
Reply

Stash Manicure is a great site for quilters, but guest blogger Gmama Jane recently posted a touching item that caught my attention. She writes about quilting as therapy and about some of the struggles her family has been through.

If you want a great read on how quilting touches our lives, check out her “Quilt Therapy.”

Thank you Jane for a heartwarming reflection.

Quilt Art

Posted on by
Reply

Quilting has always been an art form as well as a practical craft. Modern day quilters have taken this art to new heights. Rather than patterns or traditional fabric collages of symbols and pictures, modern quilt artists design landscapes, abstract art, and even portraits in fabric.

This fascinating hobby is obviously not for everyone. It takes patience and skill, but if you love to draw or paint as well as sew, quilt art may be for you.

Quiltart Gallery was started in 1995 as a way for modern quilt artists to showcase their creations.

Sewing Glossary–Q is for Quilt

Posted on by
Reply

A beautiful quilt with a stained glass design.
High Quality Photo

Quilt: A quilt is two layers of fabric with a layer of batting or other insulation sandwiched in between. To quilt means to sew these three layers to together, usually with stitching which forms a pattern. Quilting may be done by hand or machine.

Quilts or coverlets for the bed may also be tied together; this is an older method. When a quilt is tied to together, the outer edges of the front and back fabrics are first sewn together and then the batting is inserted. A needle is used to run heavy thread through all three layers at certain evenly spaced points and the thread is tied together; this is also known as tacking.

The fabric cover for most quilts is made of fabric pieced (sewn) together in a decorative manner. Quilt patterns can be quite elaborate and some quilts are true works of art. Many cultures have their own quilting traditions.

Quilter: Someone who quilts. There are quilting clubs, magazines, and shows available for people who enjoy quilting.

Quilts as Memories

Posted on by
Reply

During the American Civil War, women often made quilts to honor their fallen soldiers. Fabrics from the deceased’s clothes were often incorporated into the design. During this time, quilts also served the time honored purpose of being economical covers. Women made quilts especially for their male relatives to have with them while they were serving in the war;since material was frequently scarce, quilts as an economical measure were more important than ever. Charity groups made quilts for groups of soldiers and quilts were also sold to raise money for supplies for sick soldiers and so on.

During World War I, the custom of the Blue Star Banner developed. Families who had a son or daughter serving in the war would hang a banner in the window. These banners were often quilts. If the serviceperson was killed in action, a gold star was placed over the blue star representing them.

Quilts continue to serve as memories, such as the quilts to raise awareness of AIDs and other diseases. Of course, quilts can preserve happy memories of loved ones still with us; many quilters incorporated scraps from children’s clothes and symbols of special events to give their grown children a special memento of their growing years. Incorporating scraps of family heirlooms, such as grandma’s wedding gown, which might otherwise deteriorate, is another special way to make a memory quilt.

The African American Quilting Tradition

Posted on by
Reply

Every ethnic group had their own special quilting traditions. African Americans were no exception. The early slaves frequently remembered art forms from their native lands and incorporated this heritage into their quilts. Slaves would use scraps saved from garments they had made for their masters and scraps from their own clothes which had worn out. There are many fine examples of quilts made by African American slaves still in existence.

Historians theorize that quilts may have served as symbols in the Underground Railroad. Prior to the Civil War, ex-slaves and white abolitionists would help escaping slaves on the route to the north and safety, through a series of hidden resting spots on the way. Members of the Underground Railroad had to use the utmost secrecy to keep themselves and the escaping slaves safe. It is theorized that certain symbols on quilts were used as signs to show the escapees where to safely stop and rest. The quilt symbols would be known only to the Railroad workers and the people they were assisting; a quilt hung on the side of a barn or on clothesline, allegedly to dry, would have been a symbol that this was a safe haven. So far historians have not been able to document this theory with historical evidence, but it is fascinating.

Quilting Site

Posted on by
Reply

If you love to quilt, you will love allpeoplequilt.com. This site is filled with patterns for quilts, quilted pillow, lunch bags, totes, and more.

The site belongs to Better Homes and Gardens American Patchwork and Quilting magazine and it is a find, even for a non-quilter like myself. Who knew you could make so many charming projects with quilt blocks and techniques.

The site’s Tool School gives video demonstrations of using some of the latest tools for cutting and sewing quilt patterns.

A Little Primer on Quilt Batting

Posted on by
Reply

Today, you can purchase a wide variety of batting. Cotton and polyester are the two main fiber types, but batting is also available in wool, alpaca wool, silk, and even bamboo. Batting is designated by the degree of loft which refers to its thickness. You can buy: low loft, medium loft, high loft, extra high loft and super loft.

Thin batting allows you to make tiny stitches. Thicker batting can be difficult to quilt by hand.

If batting is not good quality it may “beard.” Bearding means that that the batting fibers come through the quilt. Batting may be made by bonding or needle-punching to hold the fibers together; needle-punched battings can be extremely dense. Some people who hand-quilt do not care for needle-punched battings, because they are more difficult to pull a needle through than bonded battings. Bonded battings are bonded with chemicals and some people do not care for them.

While organic battings are environmentally friendly, polyester batting makes a good choice for people wanting to avoid allergens. Polyester holds it shape not matter how often it is washed and it is easy to hand quilt; however, it can be more difficult to machine quilt because it is somewhat “springy”. Polyester is also not as warm as cotton battings. Mountain Mist 100% polyester batting is a good, all purpose batting.
Cotton batting is excellent for machine quilting. If you want a nice, soft quilt, cotton can be ideal; it softens with age and is often the perfect weight when you want sleep under something that is not too warm and yet keeps you comfortable. Cotton batting does shrink the first time it is washed, so it should be pre-shrunk unless you want that antique, puckered look. Quilter’s Dream natural select 100% cotton is an excellent cotton batting.

Find for Quilters

Posted on by
Reply

The folks at Lazy Girl Designs are definitely not lazy. They have a lovely collection of quilt patterns: Butterfly Collection, Starry Night, Holiday Wreath, Square Knots, Star Patch, Star Patch Paws, and many more.

Check out the Flying Geese Pattern book. To help quilters cut out “flying geese,” the clever designers at Lazy Girl are offering a Flying Geese ruler. The unique ruler will help you cut out this design and others with ease.

I admit I don’t quilt. I have never tried it, but I have always admired the patience it takes to make these gorgeous creations. Online Fabric Store has some interesting fabrics to incorporate in your quilt designs, including some delightful Amy Butler designs
.