Since I’ve had quite a few emails and messages today concerning Hurricane Helene, I thought I’d make brief post updating my readers.
I live in North Carolina. In the Piedmont — an area which puts me smack-dab in the middle of the Tarheel State. I am fine. My daughter and her family are fine. My son and his wife who live in Florida are fine. I appreciate more than you’ll ever know everyone who has asked about me and my family. Quilters are seriously the best people ever.
What’s not so fine is Western North Carolina. There’s a lot of flooding. Some folks have literally lost everything except what little they could carry out with them. There obviously is no power and there’s no cell service. Families are hanging onto their sanity by sheer will and the power of prayer as they wait to hear from their loved ones. I can only imagine how parents with kids at App State are feeling.
Pray for North Carolina. Pray for the linemen. Pray for the rescue personnel. It could be a while before we get everything cleaned up and all the questions answered.
PS — If you feel led, please direct donations to Samaritan’s Purse (www.samaritanspurse.org). They are already on the ground in Boone, assembling medical facilities. Or direct your donations to the American Red Cross. I did hear Appalachian State University has its dining hall up and running for anyone who needs a hot meal.
Appalachian State University
I think this is somewhere around Asheville. The Biltmore House is currently closed.
Beech Mountain Parkway. This hit home pretty hard because last Friday, Bill and myself, along with Meg and Justin, took the grand darlings here:
The Land of Oz on Beech Mountain. I hope the park didn’t take too much of a hit.
The top photos were screen shot from Appalachian State’s Facebook Page and Beech Mountain’s Facebook Page. The Oz photos are mine.
As promised, this blog is a continuation of last week’s blog about sewing machine feet. Since the holiday season is right around the corner, and some of you lucky quilters will receive a new sewing machine for Christmas, I thought it might be a good idea to look at the “standard feet” which come with most machines. However, there also are some specialty feet you may want to have Santa drop in your Christmas stocking as an added bonus.
Even Feed Foot/Walking Foot — These are the same foot. And I know I mentioned in the first blog this was a “standard” foot which comes with most machines. However, I seriously love this foot and use mine several times a week. If your machine doesn’t come with one, I would ask for one. This foot evenly feeds the top and bottom fabric together over the feed dogs. It’s perfect for matching stripes and plaids, sewing anything on the bias, and for sewing “fluid” fabrics such as silks, satins, homespuns, and Minky. I love it for sewing binding strips together and for attaching the binding to the quilt.
Adjustable Binding Foot – The full name of this little jewel is Universal Adjustable Tape/Bias Binding foot. You can use the dials and adjust the foot to suit various with of bindings. This is a very specialized foot and all it does is put bindings around the cut edge of the fabric. This foot assures the binding is always neat and professional-looking, without any hand sewing (flipping the binding to the back of the quilt and whip stitching it down). If you prefer sewing your quilt binding down entirely by machine, you may want this foot in your Christmas stocking.
Patchwork/Quarter Inch Foot – This foot was also mentioned in the first blog. If you are given a sewing machine not specifically geared towards quilters, this foot may not be included in the “standard” feet which comes with the machine. If you’re a quilter, you definitely want this in your Christmas stocking. It takes the guess work out of perfect ¼-inch seam allowances. Or if you use French Seams in garment construction, this foot is handy for you to have, too.
Additional Quilting Feet – Usually a traditional darning foot comes with nearly any machine:
However, there are lots of other quilting feet you may want – especially if you want to do thread painting or quilt on your domestic machine. There’s the Open-Toe Quilting foot:
Which allows you to see your quilting a bit better. I like this foot for quilting around applique shapes. I can clearly see the outer edge of my applique, so I don’t quilt over it.
There’s the “Spoon” Quilting Foot or more accurately the Clear Glide Quilting Foot. This is also used to quilt along the edges of applique. Some quilters prefer this foot over the Open Toe Quilting Foot.
And finally, there’s the Ruler Foot. Do not try ruler quilting without one of these feet especially made for use with ruler work. Some machines’ darning feet look exactly like a Ruler Foot. However, compare the difference:
The Ruler Foot is a bit taller and thicker than a darning foot. It won’t allow a quilting ruler to slip under it and the needle to clip it.
If quilting on your domestic machine is definitely in your future, I recommend the Open-Toe Foot, Ruler Foot, and Walking Foot. You’ll get a great deal of use out of all of them.
Roller Foot – This foot is for use with denim, velvet, and leather. While the “standard” quilt may not use any of these fabrics, art quilts might. If you’re an art quilt fan, you may want to eventually add a Roller Foot to your collection.
Adjustable Blind Hem Foot – If you’re a quilter who still does alterations or some garment construction, this foot ensures your blind hem is neat and gives your garment that tailored finished without having to painstakingly hem it by hand. However, if you love the look of hand stitched applique, but hate the time it takes, try your hand at hand applique by machine. This type of applique is different than raw edge. The edges of the applique pieces are turned under and glued in place. Then the pieces are glued to the background fabric and are machine sewn down with the blind hem stitch with monofilament thread. If done correctly, no one will know you didn’t sew all those thousands of pieces by hand and will marvel at your ability to do it so quickly.
Super Slim Zipper Foot – This foot is much slimmer than the standard zipper foot included with most machines. The slim zipper foot makes sewing in zippers easier, faster, and more accurate. It is also great for sewing on snap tape, pipings, and other trims. It can get super-close to zipper feet or the piping cord while still holding your fabric down, eliminating the broken needles you may experience with the standard zipper foot. Most quilters eventually delve into bag making (quilting seems to be the gateway drug into bag construction). If you’re one of these folks who make bags, you definitely may want a Super Slim Zipper Foot.
Button Foot – This is not the same thing as a Buttonhole Foot. You use this foot to actually sew on buttons. You can use this foot to sew buttons on garments (of course), however, if you’re an art quilter or a quilter who may use buttons on applique quilts, you may want this foot – especially if you find sewing on buttons as tedious as I do.
Gathering Foot – I admit, this is a foot I used a lot when I sewed for my daughter when she was young. This foot lightly gathers fabric and attaches it to the edge of the flat fabric quickly and easily. As a quilter, if you make pillows and use ruffles to finish them, you may want this foot. I have a gathering foot, but in the Zone of Truth, I haven’t used it since I began exclusively quilting.
Narrow Hem Foot – This foot creates a rolled hem on lightweight fabric (which is super tedious if you have to do it by hand). If garment construction as well as quilting is on your project list, you may want to eventually invest in this foot.
Clear Zigzag Foot — Hands down, this is a great foot to have. The clear zigzag foot can be used for a lot of stitches – from the straight stitch to zigzag to satin stitches to decorative stitches. It allows for a great deal of accuracy at the beginning of sewing seams, especially on heavy fabrics. It’s also a very convenient foot to have when doing applique, embroidery, cutwork, and monogramming. Being clear, it allows for maximum visibility and control especially when working with intricate designs or using delicate laces.
In addition to the “fancy feet” listed above, you also may want to include a Low Shank Snap-On adaptor if your machine happens to be one of the high-shank models. Most domestic sewing machines are low-shank – that means your feet snap on or clip on. When purchasing your new machine, it’s always a good idea to know ahead of time if it’s a high or low shank. If it’s a high shank, you may want to add the low-shank adaptor to your Christmas list so you can use many of the generic feet available. If you have a “fancy” embroidery machine, chances are it’s a high shank.
Now onto all those buttons and knobs…
First of all, let me emphasize every sewing machine brand is a bit different. And every sewing machine comes with a manual, which you should read through. That said, the fancier the sewing machine, the more options are available, and the thicker the manual is. If you’re like me (especially if you have sewn for a while and tend to keep the same brand of machine), you breeze through the front part, thread the machine according to the diagram, and keep moving. If I encounter a problem, I pull the manual back out, hit the troubleshooting section, solve my problem, and then shelve the manual again. It would take a dire lack of reading material in my house to make me read every word on every page of my Continental M7 manual.
What I want to do with this last section of this blog is to briefly go over the basic knobs and dials and do my best to troubleshoot each one.
Bobbin Winder – Used to wind thread onto the bobbin. Usually it’s on the top of your machine. It’s important to make sure the thread is threaded onto the bobbin correctly before beginning the winding process – and this information is found in your manual. If the thread isn’t correctly inserted, it will wind beneath the bobbin itself, leaving you with a lovely bird’s nest which must be cut off. Make sure the bobbin is seated firmly in place before beginning the winding process.
Spool Pin – Holds your spool as you’re sewing. Most machines have the options of both vertical and horizontal spool pins.
Stitch Width Adjustment Dial – This primarily works with the zigzag stitch and the blanket stitch. On the newer, computerized machines, you may not have a dial, but a screen for making adjustments. This dial adjusts how wide your needle travels when moving from stitch to stitch.
Tension Adjuster – This is a pretty important knob or dial. When you thread your machine, you pass it through the tension discs. Usually the tension is factory set but depending on the weight of the fabric and thread, some adjustments may need to be made so the tension remains correct (the bobbin thread shouldn’t “pop” up to the top fabric and neither should the top thread show on the bottom fabric). One of the first steps I take when having tension issues is to re-thread my machine, making sure I have the presser foot raised. If you thread the machine with the presser foot down, the tension discs close, so the thread can’t pass through them. If you re-thread your machine and are still having tension issues, then you need to play with the tension numbers. Be sure to check with your manual for instructions on the best way to adjust the tension.
Thread Guide – The thread guide is the system which feeds the thread through the machine and maintains proper tension while sewing. Personally, if I have any issues with my machine, the first step I take is to re-thread it, making sure I follow the thread guide. Most of the time my issues have something to do with the way I thread it.
Take-Up Lever – This is the metal hook attached to your thread guide which pulls thread from your spool through the machine. You hook your thread into the take-up lever as part of the threading process. It’s important to make sure the thread is completely seated in the hook before sewing. Otherwise it will slip out and you’ll have tension issues and lots of birds’ nests.
Thread Regulator – This is the first part of the thread system. Sometimes the regulator has only one opening. Sometimes there’s more than one. Be sure to read your manual to know which opening to use (right, left, or both). It depends on several factors and your machine’s manual can instruct you about which one (or both) to use.
Automatic Threader – This is a feature I have a love-hate relationship with. It grabs the thread and pulls it through the eye of the needle. I simply find it faster not to use this feature on my machine, however as I’m getting older, my eyes are appreciating it more. When you take the time to learn how to use this correctly, it’s a wonderful feature. I simply have not taken the time yet…but that time is coming.
Needle Clamp and Screw – This clamp holds your needle in place with a screw. When the time comes and you need to change your needle, place a piece of paper over your feed dogs (this keeps the old needle from accidentally falling into the feed dogs – something you don’t want to happen ask me why I know this). Use a screwdriver to loosen the screw, replace the old needle with a new one, then use the screwdriver to tighten the screw on the needle clamp. It’s important to use a screwdriver. This ensures the screw has tightened the clamp to the point the new needle won’t slip out.
Backstitch/Reverse Button/Knotting Off Button – Being able to sew in reverse or having your machine tie off your threads is important. You need this for paper piecing and Y-seams for sure. With some machines, the reverse stitch is activated by a lever, and with others it’s a button. Newer machines may give you the option of a knot or a reverse stitch.
Stitch Selector – On some machines the stitch selector is a dial and on some computerized machines the stitch selection appears on a screen. Nowadays even the most basic machines have a dozen or more stitches and computerized ones can have hundreds. If your machine is one of those which has too many stitches to memorize, the manual will come in handy. The manual usually has a chart somewhere in it that lists all the stitches. My M7 actually has an app for your phone or iPad which lists all the stitches, and the feet needed for each. It comes in handy.
Stitch Length Adjustment Knob – This is a knob you need to get familiar with as a quilter. This knob (or on-screen button) adjusts the length of stitches by changing how much fabric the feed dogs pull through the machine for each stitch. This knob is often used in conjunction with the stitch width adjustment dial to create the perfect zigzag or blanket stitch for your machine applique stitches. If you quilt on your domestic machine, the stitch length is often used at “0” to begin quilting (to lock your thread) before the feed dogs are dropped for free motion quilting… which brings us to…
Feed dogs/Feed Dog Up and Down Button – Most quilters are quite familiar with the feed dogs – they’re the metal pieces which sit under the needle that work to guide the fabric through the machine. Somewhere on the machine there should be a button, knob, or lever which allows you to drop the feed dogs below the needle plate so you can free motion quilt or thread paint. After your free motion or thread painting project is complete, be sure to clean the feed dogs with a soft brush to get the lint out.
Needle Up/Down Button – Not all sewing machines have this wonderful knob\button, but in my opinion, it should become standard on all machines. When the “needle down” is activated, the sewing machine needle will stop in the down position, allowing you to safely lift the presser foot lever and reposition the fabric without it shifting. This is great for turning corners, Y-seams, and paper piecing. All sewists really need this feature.
I hope the last two blogs have achieved three goals. First, if a bright, shiny, new sewing machine will be under your tree this year, you’re aware of the very basic sewing machine feet you need. Second, to make you aware of some specialty feet which may make your sewing and/or quilting life easier. And third, I wanted to supply just a bit of a review on all the knobs, buttons, and levers on your machine. Sometimes if you don’t use them regularly or take them for granted because you use them so much, you forget what all they’re capable of doing.
Before you begin reading this week’s blog, let me make you aware I have a PS at the bottom with some additional information about the Sear’s Quilt Show at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1933. I’ve written several blogs about this show and have done numerous guild presentations on it.
It was recently brought to my attention that it’s time to start my holiday shopping.
I am one of those people who really like to have everything purchased, bagged, and tagged by Thanksgiving. I don’t know how it works at your house, but since I do all the holiday shopping, baking, and decorating, this is my call. I don’t sweat the shopping as much as I did because my children are now adults and tend to like pictures of dead presidents done up in green ink (money). A simple trip to the ATM a week or so before the holidays tends to do the trick. However, I also realize some of my readers may be getting something new and shiny under the tree…that sews…and takes thread…and can help you produce marvelous, quilty things.
Sewers can be kind of persnickety when it comes to their machines. Some of us that would be me like certain brands over others. I’m a Janome girl. I’ve sewed on one for over 30 years and it has always been a pleasant experience. I see no need to jump track and change. But no matter if you’re getting your first sewing machine or your fifteenth sewing machine, they come equipped with lots of feet and lots of knobs and buttons. What I’d like to do today is review some of the basic feet which come with nearly all machines, the specialty feet that may come with some higher-end machines, and maybe a foot or two you’d like to have someone drop in your Christmas stocking for future use. I also want to review the basic knobs and buttons and their use.
All sewing machines come with a presser foot. Most of the come with presser feet – meaning you’ll have certain feet which work best for certain jobs. Sometimes these feet are named after what they do and are categorized by the terms “high shank” and “low shank.”
The type of shank your machine has usually is found online through a Google search (search the brand and model) or in the sewing machine manual which comes with the machine. This information is important if you decide to purchase a generic foot for your machine – you’ll need to know what kind of shanked foot to purchase. Some of the feet will snap on and some will screw one. The machine’s manual will give you detailed directions on how to take your feet on and off (and often there are YouTube videos, too). Quite often if you purchase the same brand of machine, the feet from the old machine can be used on the new one.
The foot which comes with all machines, and will probably be on your machine when purchased, is the Standard Foot:
This is usually used for straight-line stitching and the zig-zag stitch. This is a great presser foot for beginner sewers to use while they get used to the machine.
The Zig-Zagfoot comes with many basic machines.
With some machines, their standard foot can’t be used for the zig-zag stitch, so you have to switch feet for this stitch. I have the option of using an open-toe foot for my zig-zag stitching – the open area makes it easy to see and control the zig-zag stitches.
Most basic sewing machines also include a Regular Zipper Foot.
This foot has an opening on either side of the foot. These openings allow you to sew close to your zipper on either side and you can also use this foot to sew piping. Sometimes, depending on your machine, you may need to move the needle when you use this foot.
If you purchase a sewing machine made with quilters in mind, chances are you’ll come across this foot:
This is called the Quarter-Inch Foot. I’ve also heard it called the Quilter’s Foot. Either way, this foot helps you keep a consistent quarter-inch seam allowance. If you’re into French Heirloom Sewing (or any garment sewing that requires a quarter-inch seam), you’ll also love this foot. It gives flawless seams and perfect finishes.
Most machines also come with a Walking Foot. And I’ll be honest here – next to my Quarter-Inch Foot, this foot is my favorite – so much so if my sewing machine didn’t come with this foot, I’d purchase it separately. This foot uses teeth similar to the feed dogs and it’s ideal for thick and heavy fabric or thick and heavy seams (such as sewing the binding onto the quilt). It also works well with fabric which tends to stick. I know a few dressmakers who won’t use anything but a walking foot on their machine and consider it an absolute essential when sewing knits. I use it for sewing the binding on my quilt, joining rows of blocks together, and sewing on borders.
The Buttonhole Foot usually comes with all machines, even those produced with quilters in mind.
Buttonhole feet have come such a long way. The ones used when I took Home Ec in high school were absolutely atrocious. But the new buttonhole feet make sewing the perfect buttonhole so easy and so perfect. The newer buttonhole feet measure the button which is inserted into the back section of the foot and sews a buttonhole the correct size every time.
A Piping/Cording Foot generally is also included.
This foot is easily recognized by the open grooves on the underside of the foot which holds the piping or cording in position. The piping or cording then passes through the foot in a straight line, producing neat, even stitching every time. And if I’m sewing on super skinny stems onto a machine applique block and those stems are either straight or have gentle curves, I’ve been known to pull this foot out for that very purpose. The narrow stems fit snugly in the grooves and are easily sewn on. Please note that for this to work, the stems have to be really skinny.
One foot which I received with one of my first machines was the Teflon Foot. It’s an odd-looking foot and as a quilter, I didn’t think I would use this very often.
This foot is made for use with laminated fabrics, vinyls, leathers, and suedes – fabrics which aren’t used in many traditional quilts. However, as I began to make a few art quilts here and there, this foot really came in handy as I used more “nontraditional” quilting fabrics on these. Then I discovered bag making. Not only will your walking foot come in handy for making bags (all those thick seams), but if you use clear, vinyl pockets in your bags, you’ll pull out your Teflon Foot every time. It makes sewing that stuff a breeze.
Usually there is also a Satin Foot or Open-Toe Foot. This foot is often made of a clear material to allow you to easily see where you’re sewing. It can be used for the zig-zag foot, decorative stitches, and satin stitching. It allows for a buildup of stitches to sewn onto the fabric and gives you maximum visibility. If you like raw-edge machine applique, you’ll love the open-toe foot. You can see every stitch and makes everything more accurate.
The last foot which comes with most sewing machines is the Darning/Free Motion Quilting/Open Toe Foot.
I’m not sure how many people actually mend their clothes by darning any longer (however, as part of the Big Stitch/Slow Down and Hand Stitch Movement, some folks are using colorful embroidery thread to mend their clothing – especially jeans). But this foot can be used for so much more than mending. The open toe foot can be used for thread painting and free motion quilting. Simply drop the feed dogs and have fun!
For the next blog, I’ll go over some of the additional feet you may want to purchase (if they don’t already come with your machine). I’ll also go over some buttons and knobs to make sure you know what they do. This blog is already over 2,000 words with the additional information about the Sears Quilt Show, so it’s time to wrap this week up.
Until Next Week, From My Studio to Yours,
Love and Stitches,
Sherri and Felix
PS – For those of you who may be newer readers to my blog, I have written and researched the 1933 Sears Quilt Show pretty extensively. I’ll post the link to a few of these blogs at the end of this PS.
If you remember, the winner of the Sears Quilt Show was a lady named Margaret Caden. She jumped through some pretty shady hoops to win the first prize ribbon, cash award, and the title of “America’s Greatest Quilter” (she didn’t put a stitch in the quilt). Part of the fame of receiving that first-place award was your quilt was presented to the First Lady of the United States. And in 1933, the First Lady was none other than Eleanor Roosevelt. We have pictures to prove that this indeed did happen.
Eleanor Roosevelt Receiving the Star of the Bluegrass
Mrs. Roosevelt happily accepted the quilt and then it simply disappeared. Quilt historians have searched for that quilt for years and it has never been found. It is not in the White House archives. Eleanor’s children and grandchildren have been questioned about the quilt’s whereabouts, too. None of them can remember ever seeing the quilt at the White House, Campobello, Hyde Park, or Val-Kil. Some people who knew Mrs. Roosevelt well didn’t think she would keep a quilt like Star of the Bluegrass around if she knew about Mrs. Caden’s “shady” way of entering the quilt. It’s almost like quilt grew legs and ran away. And for the record, I haven’t found the quilt, but I have a new idea about what happened to it.
The year 1933 was a desperate time for the United States. Many parts of the country were beginning to feel the hard pinch of The Great Depression. West Virginia was one of the first states to feel the claws of economic hard times digging in their citizens. Coal was king to this state and most families had at least one (most of the time more) family member who worked in the coal mines. For as long as locomotives and steamboats ran on steam, coal was needed. But with the introduction of gasoline powered motors to locomotives and boats, the need for coal declined. And with the declining need for coal, the living standards for many West Virginians also declined quickly and drastically. Mrs. Roosevelt toured these towns in West Virginia, which had been devastated by economic hardships – many times by herself, driving her own car. A practical woman, she sought to meet the needs of these people while still maintaining their dignity – which to Eleanor Roosevelt meant the chance to purchase their own homes, grow their own food, have the basic necessities in their homes, and educate their children and themselves. She was so devoted to this cause, she worked with the members of her husband’s cabinet and developed cities where this could happen.
She oversaw every small detail of these housing developments. Each house had two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living area, a root cellar and indoor plumbing – something we certainly take for granted but was truly a luxury to these folks. The houses were furnished with one double bed and two single beds. The kitchen had sinks and a refrigerator. The homes were heated by steam radiators. She also made sure these rooms had “necessary comforts” such as plates, cups, bed linens and quilts.
One of the first cities she developed was Arthurdale, West Virginia. She was intimately involved with the people who moved here. She paid personal attention to each home, making sure it was just right. I’m wondering if maybe she gave that Sears Quilt Show Award Winning Quilt to one of the first houses in Arthurdale? According to Eleanor’s children and grandchildren, she didn’t use quilts in her home. If Mrs. Roosevelt had no great love for quilts, she may have donated it for use in the first house.
Maybe.
I can’t prove it or disprove it, but it does sound like something she would do. It’s just another idea and honestly, we may never know, but it is one more piece in the puzzle of “Where did the Star of the Bluegrass go?”.
If you’re ever near Preston County, West Virginia, you can visit Arthurdale and the first New Deal Village. Folks have carefully preserved 160 or the 165 original homesteads in what is still called “Eleanor’s Little Village.” It’s interesting to note that she was so involved with this community, she visited it a total of 33 times. And you can rent one of the houses to stay in while you visit.
Well, there’s a mine field if there ever was one. If you’re thinking about a quilt you’re making, you’ll come up with one figure. If you’re thinking about a quilt you inherited, that’s an entirely different amount. And if you’re talking about a quilt you either have purchased or want to purchase, well…that’s yet another sum of money. But before we go any further into this topic, I need to tell you two things. First, I’m not a certified quilt appraiser. I can tell you the basics (which I will in this blog), I can even perhaps give you a ballpark figure I would be comfortable with if it was my quilt But to get a certified appraisal for sale or insurance, you need a person who has gone through certified appraiser classes (either textiles, antiques, or quilts), passed them, and received certification from a nationally recognized organization such as The American Quilters Society or the Professional Association of Appraisers – Quilted Textiles.
Second – and this may be the most difficult – you must remove the sentimental value from the quilts. Yes, we can recognize the fact the quilt may mean a great deal to you because your great-grandmother twice removed stitched the quilt by hand while traveling in a covered wagon to California. We can appreciate it. However, if the quilt is in poor condition, that will play into the actual dollar value of the quilt. Likewise, if it’s a quilt we made, we know the time, the concentration, the costs, and the emotions tied up in that quilt (I don’t care what anyone says, I firmly do believe we are emotionally attached to what we make). However, very few of those facts actually add to the bottom line of quilt’s value.
At this point, you may be looking at a quilt you made or an antique quilt you own and be wondering if it’s worth all the time and trouble to get it appraised. If sentimentality adds nothing to the bottom line, should we even get any of our quilts appraised? The answer to the question is yes, but probably not all of them. Let’s talk about antique quilts first.
Antique Quilts
For a quilt to be considered antique, it must be 100 years old or more. And that’s just a rule of thumb. As an avid collector of quilts made in the 1930’s, I’ve had a few of those appraised – for both insurance and fair market value. In the event they got lost in a move, a trip to a guild presentation, or — heaven forbid – a fire, I would need a replacement value. And in many ways, placing a dollar value on these antique quilts is similar to the way we calculate a replacement figure for a quilt we make. Below are the general guidelines for valuing an antique quilt (from mariathequilter.com)
Condition. This is almost everything. A “younger” antique quilt in good condition is worth more than an “older” antique quilt in poor condition.
The rarer the pattern, the higher the dollar value. For instance, as mentioned, my favorite quilt era are the “Depression” Quilts, which run from 1930 until roughly 1960. Quilt patterns hit their heyday during this time (especially in the Thirties and Forties). Grandmother’s Flower Gardens, Sunbonnet Sues, Dresden Plates, Trips Around the World, and Double Wedding Rings were hugely popular patterns in this era. Hence, while they are adorable and gorgeous quilts, those which have survived to current times aren’t worth a great deal because there are simply so many of them. But those made of more obscure patterns, such as “Breeches,” “Hummingbird,” or those from Marie Webster patterns or kits are worth more because they are fewer in number.
The more intricate the fabric and workmanship, the higher the value. Quite often it’s the earlier quilts which show a higher quality workmanship. As patterns are developed, the applique may not be as intricate, or the pattern simplified to accommodate quilters with less experience. For an antique quilt, the earlier the pattern, the better the workmanship. Both of these place a higher value on the quilt.
Signatures or other historical information can add value to a quilt, but not as much as the first three bullet points. However, I think any type of historical context is important. Whether you’re purchasing an antique quilt or inheriting one, if the quilt has an accurate, written province, it adds to the quilt’s interest more than its value. Unfortunately, written provinces can be hard to come by. If I purchase a quilt from an antique store, I always ask about the quilt’s history, but seldom is any available. I know the oral history behind my great-grandmother’s quilt, but she would have never thought to write it down. It’s a utility quilt. She most likely would be surprised it wasn’t “used up” and thrown away long before now. It never hurts to ask about wills, household inventories, etc., but don’t be surprised when the quilt holds no written records.
New(er) Quilts
In my mind, three different scenarios may prompt you to get a new quilt appraised – especially if you made it. And the first reason is the same one given for appraising antique quilts – replacement value. Maybe it’s just me, but most folks (except quilters) tend to pass off new quilts as items which have lesser value than antique textiles and can be easily replaced. And I’m speaking from personal experience here. I was in the middle of making an intricately pieced and appliqued quilt when I discovered I would be a newly minted grandmother. I decided my grand darling would have this quilt. I pushed to finish the quilt (At Piece with My Past) before Evan’s birth, taking the time to journal it and retain my working sketches (something I normally do not do). After it was quilted and bound, I wanted to have it appraised – for two reasons: Replacement value and a need to see what it was worth, because I really spent a great deal of time on the quilt. It was hand appliqued and professionally long armed. Since there are no certified quilt appraisers in Jamestown, that meant a road trip to the nearest one, which happened to be in Asheville, which also happens to be a few hours away. At this point, the hubs was not impressed. A weekend road trip to get a quilt appraised was not on his agenda. It was simply a quilt I could make again if needed. After much hemming and hawing and waiting on the paperwork, the quilt he thought had little actual monetary value was appraised for several thousand dollars. He was a bit taken aback, to say the least. What he had always deemed a “nice hobby for my wife” was suddenly transformed into an artform with value. Go me.
Yes, I wanted this appraisal for my own satisfaction, but I also wanted the paperwork for Evan. With this in hand, she would know how much the quilt was bottom-line-actually worth for her knowledge. She would know how to insure it or, if hit with financially difficult times, how much to sell it for (I know this is a difficult thought, but when you give a quilt, you release it for the owner to do with what they like).
Since we are talking about new(er) quilts, we also can flip the script a bit on what it would be worth without an appraisal. If something happened to a quilt and you wanted a quilter to replace the quilt with an identical one, how much would the replacement quilt be worth? How much would a quilter know to charge for a replacement quilt? And if someone asks you to make them a quilt, how much would you know to charge them?
I get asked this quite a bit. I’ve quilted a long time and I pretty good at what I do. I recently displayed this quilt at a local fiber arts fair:
I’m not sure if it was because of the bright colors or the subject matter, but I received a lot of compliments. I also received two offers for the quilt. The highest offer was $500.00.
Carefully hiding my epic eyeroll, I murmured the quilt was not for sale, it had been promised to a family member. Then I was asked what I would charge to remake the quilt.
“My starting price for a custom quilt is $1,000,” was my reply. After giving me their 1,000-yard stare, the would-be customer ambled off to the next display. I have a reason for this answer: I really don’t like quilting for other people for money. If I like you, I’d much rather just make you a quilt and give it to you. However, if a would-be customer doesn’t blink at the $1,000 price tag, maybe we can come to some agreement.
But how do you know if an offer for one of your quilt is a legitimately good one? Or if you’re interested in selling your quilts, how do you develop a fair price? If you’re thinking about offering to sell a quilt, the first piece of advice I would offer is to keep notes and receipts. You’ll need both to develop an equitable price. What I’ve learned through the years is most non-quilters honestly have no idea what a quilt costs to make. Nearly all of them are used to purchasing bedding in a bag from a big box store for less than a couple hundred dollars. The notes and receipts go a long way in not only justifying your price but also educating the customer. With that in mind, here are a few steps to go through before estimating a final price for a quilt.
Consider the pattern. How difficult is it? Does it require a pattern at all? Do you have to purchase a new pattern, or do you have it in your stash? Is the pattern consumable (such a paper pieced pattern where the pieces can’t be reused)? Let’s say we have the pattern in our stash, we’ve made it before, and it’s not too hard — $12.00
Consider the fabric. This factor is a bit more complicated. Cost of fabric depends on what kind you use, where it’s from, and what part of the world you live in. If you use batiks, the cost is higher than quality quilting cottons. In North Carolina, the average cost of a yard of batik fabric is $12.50, and the average cost of a yard of quilting cotton fabric is around $11 per yard. Let’s say the pattern calls for 6 ½-yards of fabric for the top, 4-yards for the backing and binding, and one yard for the border. That’s a total of 11 ½-yards of fabric. If we use quilting cottons, we multiply 11 ½-yards x $11, and that equals $126.50. By the way, you can Google the average cost of any fabric in your area to verify your estimates.
Consider the thread. This covers piecing thread only. Specialty thread for such techniques as raw-edge applique, “hand applique” by machine, and quilting should be a separate charge. For most quilts, a single spool should do fine. Cost of thread can vary, depending on if it’s long or short staple, cotton, or a cotton/poly mix. Long staple, cotton quilting thread in my area runs from $7.99 to $12.95, so the average cost is $10.47. I would have $10.47 listed as a thread charge on the invoice.
Consider the batting. This can also be complicated, because you must think about two things. First, what type of batting will be used and second, are you quilting the quilt or are you subcontracting this to a long armer? If you’re subcontracting the quilting out, you’ll need to work with your long armer for her estimate. The long armer will fill in the blanks for batting/quilting/quilting thread/bobbin costs. If you’re quilting the quilt, you’ll also have a per yard charge for batting. Polyester batting is less expensive than cotton and cotton blends. Silk, wool, and bamboo are the most expensive of all. Let’s say our customer is happy with 80/20 cotton-poly blend batting and we need three yards. If this batting is $10 per yard, we would charge $30 for batting.
Consider the quilting. Again, if you’re subcontracting to a long armer, he or she will price this and you’ll just add this cost to your invoice.* If you’re the one doing the quilting, the charge would depend on the type of design. An edge-to-edge (all over design) is less expensive than custom work. Currently, the average price for edge-to-edge quilting in my area is $0.02 per square inch. So, let’s say the quilt we’re working with is 80-inches x 80-inches. We multiply 80 x 80 to get the area of the quilt – 6,400 inches –then multiply the area by $0.02. The answer is $128. If the edge-to-edge is complex or custom work is involved, the price goes up. Custom quilting can roughly cost between $0.25 and $0.38 cents per square inch.
Consider your labor. I’m gonna repeat this one again for emphasis Consider your labor. Your labor, along with your quilting consumables (thread, needles, etc.,) must figure into the quilting equation. And for some quilting customers, this line item is hard to stomach. Many folks think that just because you enjoy sewing and quilting, they shouldn’t have to pay for your labor – after all they’re giving you an excuse to do what you like.
Nope. A baker may really enjoy baking, but you’re going to pay for their labor and their talent behind designing that oh-so-perfect wedding cake. Same thing goes for a quilter.
And don’t sell yourself short. Don’t charge minimum wage. If you’re quilting for payment, chances are you’ve spent serious time behind the needle learning your craft. Minimum wage at this date in North Carolina is $7.75 per hour. I figure my skill is worth $20 per hour. If I work on a quilt 40 hours, charging $20 per hour, that’s $800. Most quilts – from the first cut of the fabric to the final stitch in the label – take more than 40 hours. This is why if someone offers to pay me to make a quilt for them, my starting point is $1,000.00. That’s just for my labor. I do make exceptions. If I’m making a memory quilt for a grieving family, most of the time that quilt leaves my house with no money exchanged. Somehow I just can’t charge for making a quilt that might ease a huge hole left in their heart. But on the flip side, if the customer chooses a pattern which is intricate, requires handwork, the redesign of some blocks, etc., I will charge extra.
So let’s make a hypothetical quilt and its hypothetical invoice.
Let’s say we’re making a queen-sized quilt, which is usually 90-inches x 108-inches (this can vary a bit). This means the area of our quilt is 9,720 square inches (90 x 108 = 9,720).
Now let’s estimate fabric. We’ll go with 6 total yards for the center, 2 yards for borders and binding, and 4 yards for the backing. That’s 12 yards total. Multiply this by the average cost of quilting cottons — $11 – and you get $132.
The pattern is of average difficulty, so add in $12.
We’ll probably use one spool of thread in the piecing — $10.47
We will need 4 yards of batting, and the customer is happy with 80/20 batting. This batting is roughly $10 per yard, so the batting will cost $40.
Now for the quilting. Our customer wants an edge-to-edge quilting over the top. We multiply the area of the quilt (9,720) x $0.02 for $194.40
Finally we will tackle labor. This is a queen-sized quilt. You’ve cut out the fabric, pieced it, added borders, pieced the back, pressed both the top and the back, cut the batting, quilted the quilt, trimmed it, and sewn on the binding. This is about three weeks of work. Assuming you’re working a 40-hour week, that’s 120 hours. Multiply that by $20 per hour and you have $800.
Totaling all the costs together and your quilt has a price tag of $1,188.87.
Let this amount sink in – for two reasons. First, if you do decide to quilt for payment, know how to price it so it’s worth your time and materials. Second, if you want to have a quilt insured, you know what its replacement value is, and it prevents any confusion on the part of an insurance company.
Finally, if a person has been nice enough to make you a quilt, value it. Yes, that quilt is probably imbued with lots of love and thoughts and prayers…but it’s also a tangible, monetary investment. Treat the quilt (and the quilter) with love and care.
I hope this blog helps you if you have an antique quilt or a current quilt you want appraised. If you know a little about how a textile is valued, it helps you make wise decisions about resale or insuring it. I’ve had to educate a couple of insurance companies about my quilts, and on both occasions what most would consider a “hobby” quickly turned into “art” before the policy ink was dry.
Until Next Week, From My Studio to Yours,
Love and Stitches,
Sherri and Felix
*If you are subcontracting the long arming, feel free to mark the long armer’s fee up 10% to cover your costs of contacting the long armer, transporting the quilt to and from her studio, etc.
Something that a particular person finds especially annoying.
The phrase “Pet Peeve” originated around 1919 from the 14th century word “Peevish,” meaning ornery or ill-tempered. People have a knack for finding something to complain about, but Pet Peeves are reserved for those things we find truly impossible to deal with.
Ah. Pet peeves. We all have them. About all kinds of things. I have them about driving – if you’re one of those drivers who never use turn signals, I’m looking at you. I have them about grammar. There are differences between there, their, and they’re. Overall, in the great span of the universe, pet peeves are those little things which get under our skin and drive us just slightly this side of crazy. Quilting and quilters aren’t immune to pet peeves. In this week’s blog I’ve amassed a list of the some common quilting pet peeves and how to deal with them.
Bobbin Barf
This is a bird’s nest – the cluster of thread on the back of the fabric sometimes formed when you begin a seam. I had never heard of it called Bobbin Barf until I began working on this blog, but I think it’s a pretty great name for it.
There are three reasons we experience Bobbin Barf:
Bobbin thread: The bobbin thread may not have been pulled up or put under tension before starting to sew. If the bobbin tension is too loose, extra thread can unwind from the bobbin and build up under the needle plate.
Top thread: The top thread may not be threaded correctly, or it may have been threaded with the presser foot down, locking all the tension discs. This prevents the thread from getting between the discs.
Thread quality: Cheaper threads can lead to more tension issues and breakages
Breaking the Sewing Machine Needle
You should change your sewing machine needle regularly. If using a regular needle, it should be changed after eight hours of sewing. If you’re using a titanium needle, you can double that time to 16 hours. I know it’s kind of difficult to remember to “clock” the hours a needle used, so I tend to change mine each time I finish a large quilt or two to three smalls ones and definitely after I finish quilting a quilt. However there are times, despite your attention to changing your needle, that sewing machine needles will snap. When you change feet, some machines require you to change your needle position. This is my biggest culprit. When I move from my standard “A” foot to my quilter’s ¼-inch foot, I have to move my needle over. I can’t tell you how many times I forget and break a needle. Some sewing machines also allow you to change throat plates for sewing. Often in this process, you also must change your needle setting or it will snap. Since I tend to get “tunnel vision” when I quilt (completely focused on the project and the process) I use neon colored sticky notes. I write myself a note in bold, black Sharpie on a bright neon Post-it Note, reminding myself to change the needle position as I change feet. I also put a duplicate note on the box which houses all my sewing machine feet. This usually works well. The bright color catches my eye and pulls me out of “tunnel vision.”
Running Out of Bobbin Thread
This one was a huge pet peeve for me before I purchased my Janome M7 Continental. I can’t tell you how many times I thought I was through sewing on a border only to find my bobbin thread ran out six inches from where I started. Since this seems to be a pet peeve for many sewists, more and more machines are coming equipped with a “bobbin alarm.” The machine will beep or ding when there’s a miniscule amount of thread left in the bobbin. My M7 just flat-out stops sewing when there’s about 18-inches of thread left on the bobbin. It will not budge until I swap out the almost-empty bobbin for a full one.
If you’re in the market for a new machine, I strongly recommend this be one of the options you look for. If you’re not, and your machine has no bobbin indicator, I would check the bobbin before beginning any long stretch of sewing, such as borders, sewing the center together, or quilting. To speed the process up, it’s always nice to have a few bobbins already wound and waiting. This means you only have to swap your bobbins out, and not have to take the time to wind a new one.
Poor Customer Service
This is a big pet peeve for most folks, regardless if they’re a sewist or not. Poor customer service just stinks – that’s the only way to put it. But for folks like quilters, who tend to do a bit of online shopping, poor customer service can really slow you down big time when you’re working on a project. Even before the Pandemic, brick-and-mortar quilt shops were closing at a record number. Now most of us must do some of our shopping on the internet. If a product does not arrive on time, the instructions are vague, or part or all of the order is wrong, we reach out to the company’s customer service either through a chat-bot, email, or phone call. If we don’t receive a reply in a timely manner, get inaccurate information, or worse, emails and phone calls are ignored, we tend to get a bit hot under the collar (at least I do)
Like a lot of quilters, I have a several online sites I tend to order from on a regular basis. These have always given me stellar customer service, so I tend to frequent them. However, if I am ordering from a new-to-me business, I always Google it. If folks have had a poor experience with these stores, usually you’ll find some kind of evidence on Google. As for my blog, if I mention a brick-and-mortar store or online site, you can be sure I’ve ordered from them and have had a good experience. My blog is not monetized in anyway, and I don’t work for any quilting business.
“I Want One” Syndrome
First let me begin this pet peeve with a caveat. Quilters are some of the most generous people I am acquainted with. Most of you know I became a quilter not so much for the quilts as for the quilters. Through a research project, I became friends with quilters and wanted to continue to hang out with them after I completed my project. So I learned to quilt. Overall, most quilters are just the finest people I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing. They’re generous with their time, knowledge, and their quilts. We make quilts for family, friends, babies, Christmas, birthdays – you name it and if we like you (and feel so led), we’ll pop out a quilt for you. This brings us joy.
However, there’s always this one person (or more) who we may not be especially close to, who will take a look at our quilts, and will say something to the effect, “I would so like to have one of your quilts. You love to quilt. Make me one.”
And making this person a quilt may not be anywhere on our quilting radar. How do you say no without being rude? Maybe I’ve just gotten older and crankier, but I simply tell them I’m booked. Which is not a lie. I have a list of quilts I want to make and usually those quilts are already attached to a person, event, or show. I really don’t want to be bothered making my third-times-removed Cousin Clem who I only see at family reunions, a quilt.
You don’t have to be ugly, but you don’t have to make that person a quilt. The word “No” is a complete sentence. And don’t let them make you have a case of “quilter’s guilt” if you refuse.*
Printing Patterns
One of the biggest changes I’ve seen in the quilting world over the past 10 or so years is the number of downloadable patterns. You no longer need to wait on the US Postal Service, FedEx, or UPS for some of them. Many are available for immediate download and instant gratification with a point and click of your mouse. Your brand-spanking-new pattern will show up on your laptop or iPad and all you must do is print them.
Sounds super easy, doesn’t it? Sure, you compensate for instant gratification by using your printer ink, but you don’t have to print the entire pattern at once. And for the most part, it is easy. However, what’s important to remember is this:
A little box or line. This is usually found somewhere on the pattern and generally right under it is something to the effect “When printed, this square/line should measure 1-inch.” Depending on how your printer is set up, it’s not difficult to make sure the square or line measures exactly 1-inch. When the print dialogue box is open, make sure the “Fit to Page” box is unchecked – this allows the pattern to print at its actual size. If it’s printed with the “Fit to Page” box checked, the pieces may come out smaller than needed.
And to be perfectly honest, this is not so much a pet peeve (I think trading instant gratification for printer ink is okay) as it is a procedure not mentioned in most of the initial pattern directions. A quilter sees the random square or line at some point in the pattern and then realizes he or she may not have printed the pattern correctly. Word of caution – patterns not designed in the United States tend to need more tweaking to get the line or square to measure the 1-inch requested. I usually have to play around with the enlarging mode on my printer for a while to get it to print correctly – or just decide to go with a smaller block.
There are work arounds with pet peeves. I am thankful I only have a few quilting issues and a couple of those can be easily solved as long as I remember to make myself a note or thread my machine correctly. I may or may not have hit on your quilting pet peeve. If I haven’t please leave it in the comments. I’d love to know what it is.
Until Next Week, From My Studio to Yours,
Sherri and Felix
*A few words about making quilts for others. As a rule, I don’t quilt for payment. If I make a person a quilt, it’s truly because I love that person, I’m thinking about them, and although I may not be able to make their circumstances better, I can leave them with a tangible item to remind them someone cares for them. Personally, I think quilting for money would suck the joy right out of my quilting life. Yes, I have been offered money for quilts I’ve already made, and when I begin to slim down my collections, chances are at that point, I will sell a few.
If you chose to make a quilt for a person who has requested one, and that person is not normally an individual you would have chosen to give a quilt to, it’s important to remember you’re doing it out of the goodness of your own heart. Be prepared the person may not care for your choice of colors or blocks or quilting motif. Be prepared they may complain and not show the proper amount of consideration. Then let the quilt go. Release it. This is so important. A person who doesn’t understand the amount of commitment a quilt takes –whether they like the quilt or not – may not treat the quilt well. So don’t be hurt (or surprised) if you discover the quilt used as a dog bed, a moving blanket, or treated in some other cruel manner. You’ve given the quilt away – it’s not yours any longer. I think one of the angriest moments I can remember as a quilter was early on in my journey when I made someone a quilt who had begged for one. At that point in my life, my time was extremely limited – my kids were small, I worked full time, and my husband worked out of town. But I did make this person a quilt (she had given me a full-guilt trip about it) and not long after I gave it to her, she sold it for $50.
It was then I learned to release any control I thought I may have over a quilt. It no longer belonged to me and technically the recipient could do whatever they wanted to with it. However, it also meant I didn’t have to make that person another quilt.
