As much as quilters love buying new fabric, it's amazing how difficult it can be to actually bring ourselves to make the first cut into that beautiful yard of material!
If you are reluctant to get out the scissors to create audition pieces for your quilt, try making photocopies instead. You can do this by scanning the fabric into your computer with a flatbed scanner, or by using an all-in-one printer/copier attached to your computer.
If you don't have either of these devices, make the copies at your local office supply store or copy center.
First make several color copies of your fabric choices, and then make a few black and white copies as well. Cut apart the photocopies into your patches for your blocks and audition each one without endangering your actual fabric stash!
Once you have chosen fabrics that work well in your design, substitute the black and white photocopies for your patches. Since the color doesn't distract you in these copies, you can determine if the value and contrast in each fabric is correct, along with the scale and proportion of the prints.
Photocopies cost just a few pennies and are easily reproduced...but slicing into your fabric prematurely can be costly and traumatic!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Quilt Labels
Without a label on your quilt, generations to come will be unable to trace your quilt's history.
Quilt labels not only help establish a quilt's historical importance, they can also help deter theft and even provide identity in case of theft.
Quilt labeling has become such an art form itself that we may revisit it more than once in our tip section. At the very least, you should attach a muslin label to your quilt that includes this information:
Quilt Piecer's Name
Quilter's Name
Date the Quilt Was Completed
Pattern (give credit to any pattern designer)
Inspiration
Title of Quilt
For a simple label, spray-starch a muslin square and then iron freezer paper to the back of the muslin for stability. If you like, use a thin-point marker and ruler to draw straight lines on the paper side of the freezer paper. These lines will show through the muslin and provide writing guides. Use a permanent, non-bleeding marker to write your information on the label (Pigma pens are one brand available in quilt shops). Heat-set the ink with a dry iron. Remove the freezer paper, turn under the label's raw edges, and applique the label in place on the quilt back.
To deter theft, apply the label to the quilt backing before you quilt the project. This extra stitching makes it difficult to remove the label without also destroying the quilting.
Quilt labels not only help establish a quilt's historical importance, they can also help deter theft and even provide identity in case of theft.
Quilt labeling has become such an art form itself that we may revisit it more than once in our tip section. At the very least, you should attach a muslin label to your quilt that includes this information:
Quilt Piecer's Name
Quilter's Name
Date the Quilt Was Completed
Pattern (give credit to any pattern designer)
Inspiration
Title of Quilt
For a simple label, spray-starch a muslin square and then iron freezer paper to the back of the muslin for stability. If you like, use a thin-point marker and ruler to draw straight lines on the paper side of the freezer paper. These lines will show through the muslin and provide writing guides. Use a permanent, non-bleeding marker to write your information on the label (Pigma pens are one brand available in quilt shops). Heat-set the ink with a dry iron. Remove the freezer paper, turn under the label's raw edges, and applique the label in place on the quilt back.
To deter theft, apply the label to the quilt backing before you quilt the project. This extra stitching makes it difficult to remove the label without also destroying the quilting.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Rotary Cutters
Rotary cutter blades are actually supposed to rotate! Many quilters mistakenly believe that the rotary cutter should perform like a knife, sawing through the fabric layers. However, a rotary cutter blade should turn freely, just like a pizza cutter.
If you have your locking screw set so tightly that the rotary cutter blade does not move, your blade and cutting mat will wear out prematurely, and you'll fatigue much more quickly as you try to "bear down" to cut through multiple fabric layers with a fixed blade. While you're at it, give your rotary cutter a little TLC and you'll reap the rewards of clean, crisp cuts.
Carefully disassemble your cutter, laying the pieces in sequential order on your table so that you can easily put it back together. If you're nervous about being able to reassemble it, put your digital camera to good use and snap photographs at each stage of disassembly to help guide you later.
Wipe lint buildup from behind the cutting blade. Next add one small drop of sewing machine oil (you may use the oil that came with your longarm) on the plastic surface that sits next to your blade. This small amount of lubrication prevents rust and keeps the blade spinning smoothly.
Reassemble the cutter, keeping in mind that the nut holding the blade should be loose enough that the blade rotates as you slice your fabric. If your cleaning and readjustment don't greatly improve your cutter's performance, it may be time for a new blade!
If you have your locking screw set so tightly that the rotary cutter blade does not move, your blade and cutting mat will wear out prematurely, and you'll fatigue much more quickly as you try to "bear down" to cut through multiple fabric layers with a fixed blade. While you're at it, give your rotary cutter a little TLC and you'll reap the rewards of clean, crisp cuts.
Carefully disassemble your cutter, laying the pieces in sequential order on your table so that you can easily put it back together. If you're nervous about being able to reassemble it, put your digital camera to good use and snap photographs at each stage of disassembly to help guide you later.
Wipe lint buildup from behind the cutting blade. Next add one small drop of sewing machine oil (you may use the oil that came with your longarm) on the plastic surface that sits next to your blade. This small amount of lubrication prevents rust and keeps the blade spinning smoothly.
Reassemble the cutter, keeping in mind that the nut holding the blade should be loose enough that the blade rotates as you slice your fabric. If your cleaning and readjustment don't greatly improve your cutter's performance, it may be time for a new blade!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Quilting
You can determine whether fabric will be a good choice for quilt backing by evaluating its selvedge edges in addition to its color and pattern. Study the fabric at the store to avoid disappointment later. Look at the selvedge edges of the fabric, specifically where the mounting pins held the yardage in place for dyeing (you'll see small holes along the selvedge edge.)
Check the right side of the fabric along this strip. If you see small white or light areas surrounding those pin holes, it means that the fabric dye did not completely penetrate each warp or weft yarn. When the pins holding the fabric for processing penetrated the selvedge, they exposed the lighter side of each fiber, making the fabric's "wrong side" visible through the pin holes.
Why is this important to a longarm quilter? Since your needle is very large and will also penetrate the backing fabric from "wrong side" to "right side" your needle could also expose the lighter side of the backing fabric around every needle hole. This phenomenon is often confused with batting bearding or a dull needle. In fact, the fabric itself is the culprit!
Check the right side of the fabric along this strip. If you see small white or light areas surrounding those pin holes, it means that the fabric dye did not completely penetrate each warp or weft yarn. When the pins holding the fabric for processing penetrated the selvedge, they exposed the lighter side of each fiber, making the fabric's "wrong side" visible through the pin holes.
Why is this important to a longarm quilter? Since your needle is very large and will also penetrate the backing fabric from "wrong side" to "right side" your needle could also expose the lighter side of the backing fabric around every needle hole. This phenomenon is often confused with batting bearding or a dull needle. In fact, the fabric itself is the culprit!
Choosing the correct fabric for quilt backing
You can determine whether fabric will be a good choice for quilt backing by evaluating its selvedge edges in addition to its color and pattern.
Study the fabric at the store to avoid disappointment later. Look at the selvedge edges of the fabric, specifically where the mounting pins held the yardage in place for dyeing (you'll see small holes along the selvedge edge.) Check the right side of the fabric along this strip. If you see small white or light areas surrounding those pin holes, it means that the fabric dye did not completely penetrate each warp or weft yarn. When the pins holding the fabric for processing penetrated the selvedge, they exposed the lighter side of each fiber, making the fabric's "wrong side" visible through the pin holes.
Why is this important to a longarm quilter? Since your needle is very large and will also penetrate the backing fabric from "wrong side" to "right side" your needle could also expose the lighter side of the backing fabric around every needle hole. This phenomenon is often confused with batting bearding or a dull needle. In fact, the fabric itself is the culprit!
Study the fabric at the store to avoid disappointment later. Look at the selvedge edges of the fabric, specifically where the mounting pins held the yardage in place for dyeing (you'll see small holes along the selvedge edge.) Check the right side of the fabric along this strip. If you see small white or light areas surrounding those pin holes, it means that the fabric dye did not completely penetrate each warp or weft yarn. When the pins holding the fabric for processing penetrated the selvedge, they exposed the lighter side of each fiber, making the fabric's "wrong side" visible through the pin holes.
Why is this important to a longarm quilter? Since your needle is very large and will also penetrate the backing fabric from "wrong side" to "right side" your needle could also expose the lighter side of the backing fabric around every needle hole. This phenomenon is often confused with batting bearding or a dull needle. In fact, the fabric itself is the culprit!
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