GiftsForQuilters.com Tips Page

Quilt Tips: Email me your quilting tips for everyone to see! :))

Before basting your quilt top, it is important to get all the lumps, bumps, wrinkles and folds out of the batting. If I have time, I lay out overnight, but sometimes I don`t have overnight to spare. In that case, I put the batting in a warm dryer (WITHOUT moisture; I don`t want to shrink it unintentionally) and run the dryer for about 15 - 20 minutes. This will usually relax the batting and get rid of the wrin-
kles. Of course, if you have prewashed your batting, the wrinkles will already be
out!
How to Determine Your Stitch Length-Free Motion Quilting

Out of all the machine quilting techniques, free motion takes the most practice to learn, but it is ‘learn-able’.Stitch length is created by the combination of how fast you move the quilt sandwich under the needle and machine speed. Remember, your feed dogs are down and cannot help move the quilt through the sewing machine.Strive to keep your stitches even. Learning this skill takes practice…there is no other easy, magical way. It is all practice.I do not recommend varying the machine speed as you stitch. Some do. For instance, they`ll say to speed up as you go around curves. I find that keeping a constant speed and hand motion gives me the most reliable even stitches. I will be able to both hear and feel when I am in the ‘zone’. Do feel free to experiment with both. The ultimate goal is for you to feel both comfortable AND in control as you quilt.Sometimes the stitch length will need to be very short. It depends on the size of the design and the thread being used. For instance, the curvy pattern of micro stippling is teeny weeny. A stitch length of 12 spi is much too long to complete the curve gracefully. Play with your machine speed and how fast you move the quilt to adjust your stitch length when you warm up. The stitch length should be just long or short enough to produce smooth curves.

***Does your backing fabric "stick" or "grab" the sewing machine bed while you quilt? Starch your backing before layering it in your quilt sandwich. Starch helps the backing slide.

Marking Quilting Designs with Glad Press `N Seal Freezer Wrap
You will need a pounce pad and powdered chalk for this method

look in "Notions"
Take your Glad Press `N Seal freezer paper and secure over your copied
quilt pattern. Place on top of a quilt sandwich and with no thread in machine,
outline the design. Remove the paper copy and place the freezer paper
with the tiny holes over your quilt. I like to use a permanent marker to mark the edges of my block or border on the PNS to give me a guideline for placement.) Then take a pounce pad and rub it firmly over the quilting design. Look in "Notions" The chalk disappears quickly with a little heat or a damp cloth.
You can rub hard to transfer the design - the PNS prevents the chalk from seeping onto other areas of the fabric.

Use dental floss to sew buttons for a secure finish.

Needle Size Chart
60/8 Universal--Silk,organza,chiffon,sheer
70/10 Universal--Blouse & lightweight dress fabric
70/10 Microtex--Batiste, crepe de chine, microfiber
75/11 Stretch--Interlock, knit, lycra
80/12 Embroidery--rayon thread for decorative stitches & Pictograms
80/12 Universal---Cotton, linen, wool
80/12 Metallic---Metallic & decorative thread
90/14 Jeans---Denim, canvas
90/14 Stretch--Fleece, knit, faux suede & leather

After sewing and pressing many stradas, hang them on a hanger until ready to use. Ricky Tims, Colorado

What Can You Get From A Fat Quarter:
99- 2 " squares
16- 4 1/2" squares
50- 2 1/2" squares
12-5" squares
42- 3" squares
12-5 1/2" squares
30- 3 1/2" squares
9- 6" squares
20- 4" squares
6- 6 1/2" squares

Yellowed Lace can be whitened again by soaking it in sour milk.

Use two rubber doorstops on the backside of your sewing machine to elevate it slightly. This will give you a better view when the needle comes in contact with your material.
Nancy Reed, Middletown Indiana

Do you have unused/old clothes pins laying around maybe even ones that belonged to your mother or Grandmother. Take a permanent ink marker and write the number 1, 2, 3, etc on each clothes pin. Then you can use the clothes pins over and over to mark the rows of your quilts.
Nancy Reed, Middletown Indiana

I read a tip a long time ago. I think it was in Threads. I have used it for ages. If you have a serger just serge the cut edges together and bingo no thread or tangles. It only takes a little longer than cutting the corners. Hope this makes some Happy Quilters.
Pat Birmingham,Keithville La.

When cutting fabric for a quilt project, cut the smaller left over pieces in a much smaller version of the quilt project you are working on. These blocks can be sewn as a "bonus doll quilt" nin between chain-piecing the larger quilt. My granddaughter thinks it`s wonderful to have a matching doll quilt.
Sherida Parkinson