Quilt Qua
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Tips for Buying a Home Sewing Machine for Quilting and Other Sewing
Thu 11 Sep 2008
Testing a sewing machine before you buy will help to ensure that you actually like the machine when you get it home. When you go in, take the fabrics that you like to work with. Then sit down at the machine and run a straight stitch. For quilters, straight stitching is probably the most important thing. You want to look for the most precision straight stitch, the most even straight stitch. Since most quilters like to do free-motion quilting or stippling, you want to know if you can handle that and how well the machine feels. If you're into other ... Read More...
Create an Interesting Design For Your Quilt with Simple Shapes
Thu 11 Sep 2008
Quilts and quilt designs are created when the quilt maker combines blocks. A block is the basic unit of a quilt top. Typically blocks are square. They can be made any size, and frequently a quilt is made using many blocks with the same design. They can be pieced together from smaller pieces (called patches) or could be appliqué. It is also possible that a block could be a solid piece of fabric. The smaller components of a block are called patches. They can be many different shapes - triangles, rectangles, squares, diamonds, or curves - but the idea is ... Read More...
Elements of Your Quilting Design
Thu 11 Sep 2008
You can transform your quilt from a Plain-Jane to an Exciting Quilt with simple design elements in your quilting design. Although books are getting better about this, often a book demonstrating a beautiful quilt top design falls short when it comes to suggesting quilting designs. Many of the books have small pictures of the whole finished quilt top, leaving you guessing how it was quilted. Others have close up pictures of the quilting design for part of the quilt top, but don't show how that part connects with the rest of the top. Effective quilting designs don't need to be ... Read More...
Diamond Shapes
Thu 11 Sep 2008
Cut fabric strips according to tool measurements. Line up the tool on the edge of your strip as shown and trim edge. Slide tool to right, completely filling the desired size diamond with fabric. Make next cut. Continue down length of strip. Learn more about Diamond Shapes: - Diamond Shapes Any Questions or Comments, please e-mail us or call 1-800-660-0415. © 2006 EZ Quilting by Wrights Read More...
Hexagon Shapes
Thu 11 Sep 2008
Cutting fabric: Tools are designed to cut from strips of fabric. See tool for proper fabric strip size. Step 1: Center tool onto strip of fabric as shown, aligning the correct size hex with edges of fabric. Cut along right sides. Step 2: Slide tool across strip, aligning left point with "V" in fabric strip. Cut along right sides. Step 3: Turn fabric, align tool with edges on left, and trim corners on right. Repeat steps 1 - 3 down length of strip. Cut number of hexagon shapes desired. (Refer to chart for size of quilt). Example: For a wallhanging ... Read More...
Handi-Square
Tue 09 Sep 2008
Square up blocks. Ideal for use with rotary cutter. While most acrylic tools are designed to accurately cut fabric pieces, this tool will help you confirm accuracy of work in progress. You will find that the time spent squaring up or perfecting sub-units is worth every minute and this tool will make these tasks easier and faster! You will discover as many ways to use the Handi-Square™ as there are patchwork blocks. Take a look at the Features of the Handi-Square.™ Centering Circles Use angled lines to determine if seams are straight and at the proper angle. First lay the ... Read More...
Is It Square?
Tue 09 Sep 2008
Square up pieced blocks perfectly. Ideal for use with rotary cutter. While most acrylic tools are designed to accurately cut fabric pieces, this tool will help you confirm accuracy of work in progress. You will find that the time spent squaring up or perfecting sub-units is worth every minute and this tool will make these tasks easier and faster! You will discover as many ways to use the Is It Square?™ tool as there are patchwork blocks. Take a look at Features of the Is It Square?™ Centering Circles There are two centering circles in the Is It Square?™ tool ... Read More...
Easy Tri-Mate
Tue 09 Sep 2008
The Easy Tri-Mate tool cuts triangles that are four times as long as they are tall. For example, a Tri-Mate triangle with a finished height of 1" will have a base that measures 4". The Tri-Mate tool can cut triangles with finished heights from 1/2" to 3". To cut a triangle using the Easy Tri-Mate tool, first cut a strip of fabric which is 1/2" wider than the finished height of the desired Tri-Mate triangle. For example, a triangle with a 1" finished height is cut using a 1 1/2" strip. Lay the tool on the strip of fabric aligning ... Read More...
Easy Angle
Tue 09 Sep 2008
Before cutting strips, fold your fabric once parallel to the selvedge edges, with selvedge edges together. Then fold again in the same direction. Trim along one side of the folded fabric perpendicular to the selvedge edge to square it up. Determine the finished height of your triangles or the finished side of your triangle square (two half-square triangles sewn together to form a square) and add 1/2" to get the needed width of your strips (which will then include 1/4" seam allowances. Use an acrylic ruler to cut strips this wide. To cut triangles so that they are ready to ... Read More...
Tri-Recs
Tue 09 Sep 2008
When paired, a Tri unit and two Recs units will always make a triangle within a square. To determine the strip width, add 1/2" seam allowance to the size of the finished square. When two Recs units are paired, the result is a divided rectangle twice as tall as it is wide. Once again, determine the finished height and add 1/2" for the seam allowance. For example, for a 4" finished triangle within a square, or for 4" x 2" rectangles, cut 4 1/2" strips and align the bottom of the strips with the 4 1/2" lines for cutting. Cutting ... Read More...
Using the Easy Dresden
Tue 09 Sep 2008
Cut accurate wedges every time. The Easy Dresden cuts multiple sizes and a variety of designs. It's easy to use for beginners and experienced quilters alike. Directions for Cutting Wedges Cut a strip the width of the size wedge you've chosen. The tool would cut wedges from a strip of fabric in this manner (see illustration at left). Finishing the Edges The top edge of the completed circle can be turned under 1/4" in a smooth curve, or the top of each wedge can be curved by using the template given to recut the tops of the wedges after ... Read More...
Easy Circle Cut
Tue 09 Sep 2008
Using the Easy Circle Cut™ The Easy Circle Cut™ tool cuts circles and background circles. To Cut Out a Circle, first cut a strip of fabric that is 1" taller than the desired finished circle. For example: For a 4" finished circle, cut a 5" strip of fabric. Fold strip lengthwise. Align Fabric Fold Line of Easy Circle Cut™ on the folded edge of the fabric strip (A). Insert rotary cutter (18mm works best) in correct groove marked in inches from center and cut holding rotary cutter straight (B). Continue to cut number of circles needed. To make Inset Circle ... Read More...
Add Photos to Your Next Quilt With DTG Printing
Sun 07 Sep 2008
Would you like to add a photo to your quilt that looked more like part of the fabric than an iron-on decal? In the past, we relied on photo transfer paper to iron our photo onto our quilt block. Have you heard about direct-to-garment printing? It's a great new way to get your favorite photo out of your scrapbook and onto your quilt block. Direct-to-garment (DTG) printing is a form of digital printing. With a cost of about $20,000, it's not practical to run out and buy your own DTG printer. The typical price for a DTG print is $8 ... Read More...
Custom Applique Quilts are Simple to Create
Sun 07 Sep 2008
To create a unique custom applique quilt, all you need is a simple design. If the traditional appliques just don't excite you, make your own custom applique design. It's as easy as flipping through a child's coloring book or searching through clip art. Custom appliqué quilts are perfect gifts for celebrating the birth of a baby. When the mom-to-be picks a less popular nursery theme, it can be hard to find a coordinating gift. That will make your custom appliqué quilt extra special! One woman chose a "Cat in the Hat" theme for her newborn's room. She wanted something different ... Read More...
Use Your Embroidery Machine to Quilt? You Bet!
Sun 07 Sep 2008
Quilters who are not already a machine embroidery enthusiast just may find themselves engrossed in the craft once they realize they could incorporate machine embroidery into their quilting. Embroidery is a traditional way to add special decorative touches to quilts. Whether by hand or machine, a quilter may accent his or her creation with embroidered flowers or other accents. But today's machine embroidery - for those willing to try it - can make quilting quite different. For instance, a quilter may use a simple embroidery design to let the machine "quilt" the project. Simple one color designs work best, especially ... Read More...
Personalizing Quilts with Letter Applique is Easy
Sun 07 Sep 2008
Letter applique quilt patterns can be as intricate or as easy as you'd like! There are thousands of fonts available free of charge on the Internet. Starting your letter appliqué quilt pattern search on a free font website is a good idea. Most font websites have their styles broken down into categories, which will make your search for your letter appliqué much easier. Are you making a quilt for your granddaughter? Look in the "curly" or "cute" category. Looking for a boy-themed font? Be sure to check out the "old school" or "athletic" fonts. There are also western fonts that ... Read More...
Christmas Art Quilt Patterns
Sun 07 Sep 2008
Once you find the right Christmas art, quilt patterns to showcase it generally fall right into place. If this is your first attempt to use art to appliqué a Christmas art quilt pattern, getting started may seem a little overwhelming. It's really easy when you keep these tips in mind. First, select simple art. Maybe your first Christmas art quilt pattern design shouldn't be an intricate scene. Try starting first with a Christmas tree. A Christmas art quilt pattern that centers on a Christmas tree can be very simple or more intricate, depending on your skill level. It could be ... Read More...
Making Rag Quilts
Sun 07 Sep 2008
If you are a beginner quilter looking for near-immediate gratification or an old pro who wants to create a different look, why not try making a rag quilt? Frayed seams are a characteristic of rag quilts. Fraying the edges give a rag quilt a soft, vintage look simply by clipping the seams and washing and drying the quilt. Rag quilt patterns can be adaptations of traditional quilt patterns or, totally new designs that will be accented by the frayed edges. Rag quilt patterns do not need to be expensive. As a matter of fact, many rag quilt patterns are available ... Read More...
Create a Complex Quilt Design Using only Simple Shapes
Sun 07 Sep 2008
Quilts and quilt designs are created by combining blocks. By changing the shapes of the pieces within a block (i.e., substituting triangles for squares) and/or changing the placement of the colors of the pieces (i.e., switching light fabric for dark fabric), you can create a whole new quilt design while keeping construction of your quilt the same. Simple is the name of the game for many quilters. Using one or two shapes for all of the pieces in your quilt makes it easy to sew; and squares and triangles offer many advantages in terms of simplicity. As a beginning quilter, ... Read More...
How to Buy Cotton Quilting Fabric - Part 1
Sun 07 Sep 2008
Buying quilting fabric seems like it should be pretty simple. And, frankly, when I began quilting, it was simple. At least I made it that way. I wandered through the fabric store and found fabric I liked – the pattern, the color, the design. But generally, I bought fabric just because I liked it. As a result, my quilting fabric stash included all types of fabrics – polyesters, cotton/polyesters, rayons, and some wools. After a few quilting experiences (some of which were pretty bad), I learned the advantages of different fabrics. Now I look at a few different things when ... Read More...