Tutorial on how to use scraps of fabrics to make a magic quilt that sews itself as you are making another quilt.
Hey friends! I have been trying to think of ways to be more environmentally friendly when I am quilting. I am really thoughtful about the beautiful fabrics I select and I want to use every scrap so that nothing goes to waste. Today I am sharing a scrap buster tutorial to make a quilted bookmark! How to make a quilted bookmark: Materials: Fusible Midweight Interfacing Quilter's Cotton Scraps Sewing Machine Iron & Pressing Mat Other Helpful materials: 6 1/2
Description The horse is a recurring theme among quilters. It represents freedom, beauty, and power. I wanted to pay tribute to the life force of this animal in a simple representation, made of natural colors, suitable for adventurous beginners. This meticulously crafted pattern features vibrant hues from the Robert Ka
You did it! You successfully pieced, sandwiched, and quilted a cool new project. It’s looking great, but before you finish it off with binding, there’s one more step you just can’t skip: squaring the quilt. This week I’m demonstrating how easy it is to achieve perfect straight sides and 90-degree corners. Click HERE to watch the tutorial and learn how to take your quilts from “good enough” to first-class!
Need an easy tutorial on how to sew an open seam? This quick and easy 5 step sewing tutorial will show you how to sew an open seam fast!
Are you new to machine quilting? You may have made tied quilts for a while and now want to explore machine quilting. I’ve seen a lot of advice given for how to machine quilt but I think mos…
Description The horse is a recurring theme among quilters. It represents freedom, beauty, and power. I wanted to pay tribute to the life force of this animal in a simple representation, made of natural colors, suitable for intermediate quilters. This meticulously crafted pattern features vibrant hues from the Robert Ka
What is a scant 1/4" seam allowance? Knowing how to sew a scant seam will help with the accuracy of all of your quilt piecing.
Quilting for Beginners teaches newbies how to quilt from the basics, start to finish. This 5 part series walks you through each step of quilt making.
When I started quilting, I had no idea how to do this. My knots would look so ghetto, lol. This may be a no-brainer to a lot of you seasoned sewers out there, but for all of you that’d like a…
Although it may seem like a regular sewing machine is not capable of free-motion quilting, the truth is you can do it on a sewing machine. Using a regular
Hand quilting is the technique of sewing together the three layers of a quilt (batting between two layers of fabric) in a decorative freehand stitch.
I often get a question from my readers - how to sew straight? In this guide, I will show you how to easily keep stitching lines straight. I will talk about topstitching mostly because keeping seam allowances equal is a different topic. Have you ever had problems with crooked stitching lines? I bet you had. Even intermediate sewists are struggling sometimes to do it and had to rip and redo stitching. But sewing in a straight line is much simpler than you think. And I want to help you to sew straight every time.
This is an easy tutorial on how to square up fabric before cutting. Follow the photos to prepare your fabric for any sewing project.
Learn the basics of quilting with this helpful guide. An introduction to selecting fabric and thread, piecing the top, quilting, and binding. How to start making a quilt.
When it comes to the best thread for quilting, how do you choose? There are a lot of decisions to make and factors to consider. There's also the issue of whether you are looking for thread for machine quilting or hand quilting. Many of these thread tips are helpful for any sort of sewing, so keep this handy for your non-quilting sewing projects, too! The best threading for quilting is generally a cotton or polyester-cotton blend. Avoid cheaper polyester threads as they are more likely to break or snap over time. The weight of your thread depends on your fabric and pattern. Thicker fabrics or quilts with more layers of fabric need a thicker weight (or stronger) thread. First, we will discuss thread in general, looking at the terms associated with thread and how it's measured. Then we will go into the common thread materials each thread type from which each is made. We will then focus on types of thread you will see when looking at thread spools along with the types of thread that are readily available. Some are great for quilting and some are not as fitting. Finally, we will focus on the best machine quilting threads as well as the best threads for hand quilting. So, start reading and get ready to learn all about thread in relation to quilting and choosing the best threads for your upcoming quilt projects. Table of Contents Thread Basics Thread Material Types of Thread Best Threads for Machine Quilting Best Threads for Hand Quilting Conclusion
tutorial on joining the ends of quilt binding
The precision of your pieced quilt pattern depends on the accuracy of your quarter-inch seams! Get accurate seams with these tips and tricks.
Straight line quilting is a great beginner quilting technique, but there's a right way and a wrong way. Continue reading to see if you are doing it right!
If you are planning on making a quilt with your old blue jeans then these tips for quilting with denim jeans will help you out.
One of the best pieces of advice I have learned is: Measure Twice, Cut Once. I believe and follow that guideline for most of the sewing and other DIY's I create, and it has saved me money and grief. When I can predetermine the finished size of a project, I can calculate how much material I need to buy. Whatever project I plan, I usually buy just a little extra of any materials or ingredients only in case. Before heading out to your favorite fabric store, prepare yourself with some knowledge to spend less, and have more time to sew. With this sewing guide, How Much Fabric Do I Need?, read through my tips for sewing success! On this page, I will go over what you need to know when preparing a new sewing project, explain measurements, and provide downloadable fabric yardage charts to help, including how much fabric you may need for shirts, pants, shorts, dresses, skirts, and more for adults and children. Also, how much fabric do you need for home decor and accessories? Find charts explaining the amount of material required for cushions, ironing board covers, aprons, and more. There's also information on how to do the math and calculate for yourself to determine the fabric needed for any sewing pattern or project you plan to use and create. P.S. Find this article and everything else shared during National Sewing Month this year by checking out our main National Sewing Month 2023 page here.
Sewing darts is an essential part of creating the shape and fit of a garment, but there are a few different types of darts in sewing that vary from very simple to more complex.
If you find yourself losing steam after your patchwork quilt top is made, you’re not alone. But wait! Finishing that quilt is going to be soooo rewarding. Here are some ideas to help you push on to make that quilt backing.
Earlier this month at our March NYC Metro MOD Quilt Guild meeting we introduced quick demos - 20-minute sessions with members teaching members techniques, tips, and tricks. An email requesting volunteers was sent out and our VP, Bernadette, requested someone demo Y-Seams, more specifically me! To demo Y-seams I've used an 8 point star (45° points) and I've put together some info here about working with angles around a centre point: The centre of anything has 360° around it - you can add as many pieces as you want around a point and they'll all join up perfectly as long as the angles of each all add up to 360°, English Paper Piecing works in the same way. Your quilting ruler often has basic quilting angles marked on it - 45°/60°/90° or you can use a protractor to really start playing with your angles. Check out large sized protractors in your local DIY store, they're often cheaper than identical tools sold specifically for quilters and artists. Moving on now to a step-by-step photo version of my Guild demo - created for our guild members to refer back to and shared here so you can use it too. Beginner's Guide To Sewing Y-Seams Rather than marking your fabrics as above it's so useful if you can simply use the markings on your sewing machine foot to tell you when to stop sewing. Sewing machine manufacturers know how much quilters love their 1/4 inches so most add markings or grooves to their patchwork/1/4" feet to make life easier for us. Take a look at your 1/4" foot - does yours have markings? If it doesn't you might want to treat yourself to a new foot for your machine that does, it saves you so much time and improves accuracy so could be a worthwhile investment. Aren't those Y-seams easy after all? I hope my beginner's guide makes you want to give Y-seams a go if you do let me know how you go on and share your work too I'd love to see it - Chris :D Featured on: Clicking on an image will take you to a new page of crafty goodness :) Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only, no payment or commission is received on click-throughs and opinions are my own. Click to follow me on Follow Linky Parties This post may be linked to some great Linky Parties, always a great source of inspiration too. If you click through to my 'Fave Linky Parties' page you can see where I like to share my work.
Today's tutorial is from the talented Elizabeth, who blogs at Ocassional Piece - Quilt. Elizabeth is an experienced quilter with a degree in Clothing and Textiles. Elizabeth has put this excellent tutorial together to demystify the legendary "Y-seam" for us. Soon you will be sewing y-seams without even a blink, read on. Hi! I'm Elizabeth and I blog at OccasionalPiece-Quilt, or OPQuilt, for short. I've been sewing and quilting for more years than I should admit to, and during that time have completed over 120 quilts. So I've faced down more than my share of the Dreaded Y-seams. In June of this year, I made this quilt for my sister, titled Christine's Philadelphia. As you can see there are lots of peaks and valleys in this thing--lots of Y-seams going both ways (some people call them Y-seams and V-seams) but really, let's keep it simple. They are called Y-seams because the V-part of the letter Y usually has fabric with no seam, and the tail of the Y has a seam. I've marked the Y for you in red in the picture on the left. The picture on the right is the other type of Y-seam. I'll show you both. Let's start with the first type of Y-seam, where the "tail" of the Y is facing toward you and the "V" of the Y is underneath. Place a pin at the 1/4-inch mark through the seam, and into a spot that would be the peak of the 1/4" seamline, if you could draw it on and imagine it. Most beginners want to pin that seam to death. That makes me want to run screaming in the other direction. The success of your Y-seam depends on the "float" of the fabric. I sometimes will place one pin on either side of the seam, just to anchor it as I get going, then another pin or two along the starting point. Then I take out the (above) pin. Again, I want my fabric to float -- don't want to anchor that second half of the seam too much, as I need it to pivot. Start sewing from the left edge, as the seam faces you, using a 1/4" seam allowance. Fold the seam toward you, and as you approach the seam, slow down and use a bit smaller stitch. You are trying to anchor the stitching a bit. When you get to the seamline, when you are on top of the thread marking that other seam, STOP. Make a tiny stitch on top of the one before to anchor, but DON'T GO OVER THE SEAM LINE. Lift your needle out of the cloth. I pulled it away to show you what I mean, but you don't need to do that. Just give yourself a little room to smooth the (green) seam allowances out of the way, and to find the place to insert your needle again. Re-insert your needle just on the other side. Then line up the next two raw edges, smoothing the fabric away from the needle and your presser foot. Sounds more confusing than it is. Take a few tiny stitches to anchor, then change your stitch length back to normal. Another shot of my needle placed just on the other side of the seam allowances (which I flipped to the back of my presser foot). Depending on the amount of cloth in your Y-seam, and if you just feel better about it, go ahead now, and pin those raw edges together and stitch the rest of the seam. When you are through sewing, clip the thread if it is restricting the ability of the seam allowance to open up and lay flat. If you left a bit of thread there (pulled it away from the needle as in my photo above) there should be no problem. Press, keeping the tail of the Y-seam open. From the front, it looks like this. Now we'll tackle the other kind of seam--where the seam of the Y's tail is underneath, and you see the "V" part of the Y. First locate the valley of the one-quarter-inch seamline and put a pin there. Snip to within a couple of threads of the pin. Leaving the pin there insures that you won't cut too far. If that happens, curse a little. You can sometime rescue the piece with a bit of fusible interfacing. Better to not cut too far. Half of the seam (1/8") is all that's needed. Find the 1/4-inch peak of the seam below, and poke the pin in to anchor. You can leave in that center pin to hold it, and if you are afraid it will slip, it's okay to put one pin on the backside. If you can, try to avoid that pin on the right. Again, the success of a Y-seam lays in the ability of the fabric to move and pivot. Just as in the first type of seam, start stitching from the left side of the seam, towards that center pin. When you get to the pin, STOP with your needle down in the fabric. Remove the pin, then pivot the fabric so that you can match raw edges. As you align the new sides, it may feel a bit bulky under your foot, but smooth any excess fabric out away from you. Here you can see that I've pivoted, repinned the new raw edges together and am starting down the other side of the seam. This is what it looks like from the back. That deep fold is the V part of the Y-seam. The front. Give it light press. Resist the urge to saturate it with your pressing goo and mash it flat with your iron. A shot of steam and firm pressure with your fingers can usually help the most reluctant point to behave. Sometimes your seam gets a little jig-jaggy. As long as it's not too bad, it will be fine. I did the same kind of stitching process on this seam: shorten your stitches as you approach the point, then lengthen them out on the other side. A better point. All of these work fine in the quilt, because you haven't, a) stitched it to death, and b) murdered it with your iron. You can see one type of Y-seam where I joined the green roofs to the yellow houses. And you can see the other type where I joined the purple roofs to the sky. Now you know all my dressmaker/quilter tricks: never be afraid of Y-seams again! Thanks to Leanne, of She Can Quilt, for hosting this series of guest tutorials for the Finish-A-Long Motivational Program. (Just kidding on the name of it, but it does help get those UFOs out of the closet and onto the bed. Or wall.) And thank you Elizabeth! Don't forget to link up your Q3 finishes - the Q3 post-quarter link is open here and it will close at midnight MST, October 7, 2013. And if you still have some UFOs I hope you will join us for Q4 of the FAL, Q4 FAL lists can be posted starting on October 8.
Quilting with a sewing machine isn't an impossible task since quilting and sewing machines are mostly similar. The truth is, they are both sewing machines.
*Since there were so many requests for this tutorial after the Ruffled Scarf post , I thought I would post one on the main page, so no one m...
Learn the simple steps for making French Fold quilt binding.
HOW TO SEW A ROUND HEM: Learn how to create a great easy round hemline on your garments with this tutorial. Check this sewing tutorial here
What do you do with leftover quilt batting scraps? I have a wonderful solution to turn them into frankenbatting... if that confuses you, it is not near as hard as it sounds. It's a great way to make use of leftovers!
Description The horse is a recurring theme among quilters. It represents freedom, beauty, and power. I wanted to pay tribute to the life force of this animal in a simple representation, made of natural colors, suitable for intermediate quilters. This meticulously crafted pattern features vibrant hues from the Robert Ka
If you want to quilt on your domestic sewing machine, using a walking foot is one of the best ways to start. A walking foot is specially designed to help move multiple layers of fabric smoothly through your sewing machine, so you get great results.
In this video sewing tutorial, I will show you how to sew mitered corners. If you are looking for easy quilt binding corners check out my ideas on how to sew a mitered corner binding and mitered quilt borders.
Short answer is YES, you can quilt with a regular sewing machine. Learn how to master quilting with your sewing machine today!
Check out these step by step instructions on how to tie a quilt by hand. Absolutely everything you need to know PLUS a video!
Use strip-piecing short cuts to make this Nine Patch quilt in a traditional Irish Chain style. Gray and white low volume fabrics give it a modern feel.
From first stitch to joining the ends and the mitered corners in between, here's how to attach your binding to your quilt.
In week 3 of our 7-week sew along we are cutting and sewing 4 blocks. Don't forget to watch the instructional video in the pattern for help!
In this guide, I will focus on the following topics: quilt batting types, the best batting for quilting, and how to choose the right batting for a project.
