Quilt Qua
Helping to Expand Your Creative Expression
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Half Square Triangles
Fri 20 Nov 2009
Tips, Tools and Techniques Hundreds of quilt blocks include Half Square Triangles (HSTs.) This block is made of two triangles, each representing half a square, hence the name. The challenge is to quickly and accurately make these triangles in the quantities needed for a quilt. The traditional method for making HSTs is to cut two differently colored squares in half on the diagonal, swap them, then sew them back together on the diagonal. The Marti Michell templates are made for this purpose. They are placed on a strip of fabric with the blunt end against the cut side. (see picture ... Read More...
Inklingo
Fri 06 Nov 2009
Inklingo is a method of printing templates directly onto the wrong side of fabric for hand piecing, machine piecing or appliqué. It is a very accurate method of preparing patches for cutting and stitching. Inklingo templates: position templates on the straight of grain compensate for mirror image print seam lines for hand piecing, plus cross hairs and matching marks provide precise cutting lines have perfect seam allowances eliminate basting onto templates allow you to perfectly cut patches at all angles without specialty rulers. Watch a free demo video online now! The color coded templates are available on a CD ... Read More...
Fabric Postcards
Fri 30 Oct 2009
4 x 6 works of art Have you made your own postcards yet? It's a super way to express your creativity and, yes, they can be mailed! Get out your scraps, specialty fabrics and embellishments and challenge yourself to explore new techniques in creating 4" x 6" works of art. Then join a swap and prepare to be amazed at the appliquéd, beaded, embossed, embroidered, painted, pieced, quilted, stitched, thread painted and just plain embellished cards you receive in the mail. These postcards can be mailed as long as they are regulation size (4" x 6"), no more than 1/8" ... Read More...
Easy Prairie Points
Fri 16 Oct 2009
Prairie Points are little triangle tabs of fabric that can be inserted into seams for a three dimensional effect, or used as a binding as an edging accent. They are made of squares of fabric, folded into triangles and either nested or overlapped. They can be made individually or as a strip. There are several methods of making individual prairie points. Method One Start with a square and fold it on the diagonal wrong sides together. Fold the top of the triangle back against itself. This will put all four raw edges at the bottom of the triangle. There ... Read More...
Quilting Tips and Techniques on Video
Fri 02 Oct 2009
This is a list of quilting videos I have found useful. These videos show a specific technique in a short and precise manner. If you know of one you think should be here, let me know! Here's a tip for those on dial-up: click the video to start it loading, then click the pause button and minimize it. The video will continue to load while you do other things. When you are done, come back and hit the Play button. 3gp-cinema has created freeware for those who would like to download a You-Tube video to their hard drive or cell ... Read More...
Coloring a Quilt with Crayons
Fri 18 Sep 2009
Break out that box of crayons and make a colored quilt block to use in a quilt, as an applique for a T-shirt, or even a pillowcase. It's easy. These directions are for using regular crayons on 100% cotton. If you want to color on synthetic or synthetic blend fabrics, you will need to use Fabric Crayons. Fabric crayons are ideal for transferring colorful designs permanently to all your craft and home sewing projects when using synthetic and synthetic blend fabrics. Order Fabric Crayons for $4.79 Start by prewashing your 100% cotton fabric without using a fabric softener or dryer ... Read More...
Machine Quilting Basics
Fri 21 Aug 2009
Machine quilting your top is a time honored tradition that goes back to the days of the treadle. Sewing machines were expensive - if you had one, you made sure to show it off. You might hand piece the quilt top, since the stitches didn't show, but machine quilt the top where the stitches DID show. Today we are more likely to machine quilt a top to both save time and allow for creative expression. Machine quilting is not difficult but it does take some practice. You don't need to buy a fancy machine to machine quilt. All machines will ... Read More...
How to Tie a Quilt
Fri 21 Aug 2009
Once you have made your quilt top, how do you finish it? Rather than the time consuming method of sewing the three layers of your quilt sandwich together with quilting stitches, tying quilts is a fast and easy way of finishing your quilt which gives you a give you a softer and puffier feel. In some cases (such as that of a quilt made with blue jeans), tying is the only way you will be able to finish it. Start out by stretching out your backing face down on a table or floor, attaching it to the surface with masking ... Read More...
Choosing the Right Sewing Machine Needle
Fri 07 Aug 2009
If you have ever had difficulty piecing a garment or quilt, you know how important your choice of needle can be. This primer will give you an overview of the type of sewing machine needle you should choose for your project. Needles range in size from a very thin and flexible 60\8 to a heavy-duty needle 120/19. (Needle sizes are not the same for regular home machines and commercial machines.) Just like thread, most needles use a two number identification system to define the needle shaft diameter. The higher number measures the diameter in fractions of a millimeter. The lower ... Read More...
How to Make a Quillow
Fri 24 Jul 2009
Quillows are Quilts and Pillows together. By sewing a special pocket into your quilt, it folds up and fits inside itself to make a pillow. These are the perfect sleepover accessory for kids to take with them or a nice item to keep in the car on long trips. Great for a couch throw, too. Quillows can be made any size, and are fun to do in a theme such as "bugs" or "autumn." To make a small quillow, you will need 2 yards of fabric for the top, 2 yards for the back, an 18" square for 1 side ... Read More...
Binding Charts
Fri 19 Jun 2009
Binding Charts for both Bias Cut and Straight Cut Binding Bias Cut Binding* Cut width of binding Fabric needed to make binding lengths of: 0 to 200" 200 - 350" 350 - 500" 1" 1/2 yd 5/8 yd 3/4 yd 1 1/2" 5/8 3/4 7/8 2" 5/8 7/8 1 2 1/2" 3/4 7/8 1 1/8 3" 3/4 1 1 1/8 3 1/2" 7/8 1 1 1/4 4" 7/8 1 1/8 1 3/8 4 1/2" 7/8 1 1/8 1 3/8 5" 1 1 1/4 1 1/2 *The mathematical formula for this is: Multiply the number of inches around ... Read More...
Binding Basics
Fri 05 Jun 2009
There are two basic types of binding, straight grain binding (which includes cross grain binding) and bias binding. Straight grain binding is binding that is cut in strips along the grain of a piece of fabric parallel to the selvedge. Crossgrain binding is also cut in strips along the grain but it is cut from selvedge to selvedge. Bias binding is binding that is cut at a 45 degree angle from the selvedge. Deciding which method to use and the width of the binding is really a matter of preference - the quilts preference, that is! Straight grain binding that ... Read More...
Fabric Calculator
Fri 22 May 2009
This is a great little calculator to estimate how much quilt material you will need if you are creating your own quilt. Just input the information requested and click on the Calculate button. Always buy just-a-little-bit more to allow for miscalculations and cutting mistakes. There is no such thing as too much fabric! If you aren't sure how big to make your quilt, see our chart of standard mattress, pillow and quilt sizes at the bottom of this page. There is even a pattern for making a "hot dog" pillowcase with all seams enclosed! Click here for a binding calculator ... Read More...
Border Styles for Your Quilt
Fri 08 May 2009
Adding a straight or a pieced border To make sure your quilt lays flat, you must measure your border strips before sewing them on the sides of your quilt top. Don't just sew on a border and cut it off when you get to the end. That is a recipe for wavy borders. Measure your quilt through the middle horizontally. Cut two borders to this length and sew them to both sides of the quilt, matching the center of the quilt top with the center of the border. Press to the border and measure again through the center. Cut two ... Read More...
Adding a Border to Your Quilt
Fri 24 Apr 2009
The perfect border can often make the difference between an ordinary quilt and an extraordinary quilt. A border can surround the interior blocks of a quilt bringing them to an abrupt halt or it can gently encourage those blocks to fill out the quilt and finish it. An exciting border can bring life to a plain quilt top, making the border the focal point of the quilt. Likewise, a very busy or heavily pieced quilt top can be calmed with a plain border. The choice you make will influence the final effect of the quilt. Choosing the border style Decide ... Read More...
Common Color Associations
Fri 10 Apr 2009
Red: Red has exciting and possibly dangerous associations such as love, passion, energy, speed, strength, heat, aggression, danger, fire, blood, violence and aggression. Red is an excellent attention grabber and accent but could easily overpower the viewer if used as a background color. Red means stop or signals warning or forbidden actions in many cultures. Orange: Demanding attention, orange suggests energy, warmth, enthusiasm, flamboyant, demanding of attention. Yellow: Yellow has generally happy associations such as optimism, imagination, sunshine, summer and gold. But it can also convey dishonesty, cowardice, betrayal, deceit, illness, hazards. Yellow demands attention, but use it in small and/or ... Read More...
The Color Wheel Can Help
Fri 27 Mar 2009
This is part two of a three part article. The colorwheel can help! The color wheel has three Primary Colors - red, blue, and yellow. These are sometimes called the pure colors because every other color is made up of some combination of these three. The Secondary Colors are the colors these make when mixed: orange, green, and violet. Intermediate Colors (sometimes called Tertiary or Triad colors) are a combination of one primary color and one secondary color. These are: blue-violet; red-violet; red-orange; yellow-orange; yellow-green; and blue-green. These 12 colors are occasionally referred to as high intensity colors. ... Read More...
Color in Quilts
Fri 13 Mar 2009
This is part one of a three part article. Have you ever agonized over choosing the exactly right fabrics for your quilt? Choosing the correct fabrics for a quilt can make an otherwise ordinary pattern sing but there is no need to agonize over it! Assuming you have been dressing yourself for a few years, you probably already know the basics of an effective design. Interior decorators will tell you to pick a item you love and design a room around that. When you choose the clothes you will wear that day, don’t you do that? Based on your activities ... Read More...
How to Choose Sewing Machine Needles
Fri 27 Feb 2009
If you have ever had difficulty piecing a garment or quilt, you know how important your choice of needle can be. This primer will give you an overview of the type of sewing machine needle you should choose for your project. Needles range in size from a very thin and flexible 60\8 to a heavy-duty needle 120/19. (Needle sizes are not the same for regular home machines and commercial machines.) Just like thread, most needles use a two number identification system to define the needle shaft diameter. The higher number measures the diameter in fractions of a millimeter. The lower ... Read More...
Quilt Applique Techniques and Tips
Fri 30 Jan 2009
Recently, the members of the QuiltersBee discussion group started a discussion thread on the various methods of appliqué. It turned out there are as many different methods as there are quilters! Here are a few of the techniques and suggestion to make them work. Remember to relax and enjoy the process. Click here to purchase applique tools. Needle turn Appliqué cut out your motif including a scant seam allowance. Draw the placement diagram lightly to your base fabric in pencil, then baste the motif in place with thread or tiny pins. Turn under the edge with a moist toothpick as you ... Read More...