Bethlehem wasn’t a winter wonderland. It was mild, with dusty roads and scrubby bushes and trees. A manger was a far cry from a baby bed, and He wore swaddling clothes, not cute onesies or warm pajamas. His mother was an exhausted young woman, who gave birth in a stable, not a sterile hospital room. Her only birthing companion was her husband, not a midwife, doctor, or nurse. Instead of a waiting room full of anxious and excited family, there were shepherds, a few sheep, and later some Wisemen from the East, bearing the only baby shower gifts received: Gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Humble beginnings for the King of Kings.
But yet hope sprang eternal in that Baby’s cry beneath a bright and guiding star. Hope for redemption. Hope for an abiding grace and unfathomable mercy – not deserved, but certainly hoped for. Hope for peace during a time when the world was such a violent place.
This year has been a whirlwind of events which have taken our breath and worried our souls. It’s been a year when peace of mind became a precious commodity. But now…during this time of giving each other gifts, spending time with treasured family and friends, let’s pause and remember the hope which took on a human form one night in Bethlehem of Judea, thousands of years ago. And as we face the New Year, let’s remember no matter what it may throw at us, we still have that Blessed Hope.
We’ve all probably had this happen. At some point, in our quilting journey (especially if you’ve quilted for a while), it happens. And if it hasn’t happened to you yet, you can be pretty sure it will.
What am I talking about?
The ugly quilt square.
You’re not sure how it came about… you were so careful in picking out your fabric. So exact and tedious with the construction…but somehow, something went terribly wrong.
I have two universal theories about ugly fabric: Can it be used somehow in applique? Can it pass for grass or a flower center or something? If you don’t applique, there’s only one other thing you can do with ugly fabric – cut it in small pieces. And if it’s still ugly, the pieces are too big.
But ugly quilt blocks are a whole different matter. The colors could have looked great in the fabric shop under the florescent lights. But in different lighting the material may look off. You may have honestly believed the quilt block would look better with more of the same quilt blocks surrounding it, but no, those just ramped up the ugliness about 500 per cent. So now you have an ugly quilt block (or three…or more) and don’t know what to do about it. I know some of you would just throw them in the circular file and move on with life – make something different with the fabric or put it in your stash for another day. But for some of us, once we’ve made a few blocks, we feel like we’ve made a commitment to the cause. We’re bound and determined to perservere, even if it means we’re surrounded by ugly quilt blocks. This blog will offer a few suggestions about what to make with an ugly square or some squares you have no idea what to do with.
Make a pillow. If you’re only dealing with one large, unattractive square, frame it with some other fabric and make it into a pillow. If you have a few small squares, join those together and make a pillow. Even if you’re still not thrilled with them after constructing the pillow, a pillow is much easier to hide than a quilt.
Put it (them) on the back of a quilt. Even the most unattractive blocks can add a little spice to a plain quilt back.
Make more of the same ugly block, then cut them up. I have found one of the best ways (and one of my favorites) to use both ugly fabrics and ugly quilt blocks is to cut them up and make a Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt
Not only is this super fun, it’s also really easy. Add some dark or light fabric to unify the blocks and quilt and you may find those ugly blocks aren’t so ugly after all.
Another way to cut up the blocks for use is to make them into 5-inch charm squares. Cut them down into 5-inch squares and then peruse the patterns on the internet which use these charms. Once again, altering the blocks from what they were supposed to be into something manageable and useful may be all you need to do. When these 5-inch charms are paired with a consistent 5-inch charm (all the same color) to create half-square triangles, you may discover you’ve made an awesome quilt you absolutely love.
Make more of those ugly blocks, sash them, and make a table runner or table topper. I have found that with both ugly fabric and ugly blocks, the color fabric used for sashing is crucial. Black, dark-ish gray, and white seem to make everything play nicely together. And with a small project such as a topper or runner, at least you don’t have to make a ton of those ugly blocks.
Make them into another project. They can be used for appliance covers, bags, iPad holders – the list is as endless as your imagination.
When all else fails, give the block(s) and the fabric away. My regular readers know this is an escape route I’ve used more than once. When the I dislike the project so much I have to force myself to stitch it, when I have lost all interest in it, or I really fight with myself to try and like the fabric, I’ve been known to kiss that project good-bye. I will leave it on the free table at my guild, turn around, and walk out. I will toss it in my box of donation goods for the thrift store. If another quilter really likes it and mentions that to me, it will be in her backseat before she pulls out of my driveway.
There is no shame in that game. You’ve unburdened yourself from an albatross of a project and it’s found a welcome home somewhere else. It’s a win/win.
Throw the block(s) away and put the remaining fabric in your stash. Believe it or not, you’ll probably use it. It may work great for a quilt back, applique, or wonderfully match a future purpose.
Use them for quilting practice. Sandwich them up with backing and batting. Stack them near your sewing machine. One evening a week, drop those feed dogs and practice quilting on your sewing machine. If you have time, do this daily. I can’t even begin to tell you what a confidence building exercise this is and how much it will improve your quilting.
So, with all the escape routes marked for ridding yourself of unattractive quilt blocks, how do you avoid making them in the first place? It all pretty much boils down to the basics.
Be careful purchasing your fabric. In this blog: https://sherriquiltsalot.com/2021/02/ I discuss how different lighting can alter the appearance of the material. Most stores have florescent lights and those can really throw colors off – especially blues and greens. If possible, take your fabric to the window and look at it. Sunlight does little to alter the fabric’s true appearance and it’s your best friend if you have some doubt about a choice. Also be careful what fabrics you have next to each other. The adjacent colors have been known to throw a color “off” a little. If you place a lime green or purple next to a warm color, they tend to heat up. Likewise, if you put them adjacent to a cool color, they’ll cool down. If you place a white next to a red, it may appear pink. The blog I mentioned earlier covers all of this.
Be careful about the complexity of a quilt block. The more pieces a block has, the more opportunities there are to make mistakes. Those blocks will have more seams, more fabric placement, and more block units. My go-to for complex blocks – even after 35 years of quilting – is paper piecing. For me, it simplifies everything and lowers the chances of making construction mistakes.
Make sure you have a range of true values. Lights, mediums, and true darks should go into any quilt/quilt block to show true contrasts. Often the very reason a block looks ugly is because only mediums were used or lights and mediums. This will make a quilt/quilt block look “muddy.”
Search for a border fabric to pull all the fabrics together. Sometimes a great border fabric will cover the many sins of the blocks. Some of my long-time readers know I have problems with brown fabrics. Brown is probably my least favorite color. If I have to use it in piece quilts, I tend to automatically search for a border fabric with some brown in it. It will soften the color and make (at least in my mind) everything go together. For whatever reason, I’m okay with brown in applique quilts. Probably because it serves a function such as stems or vines.
I hope this blog does two things. First, I hope it gives you some ideas about what to do with an ugly quilt block – or several ugly quilt blocks. There are some options out there for you if you find yourself between the rock of not being able to throw the blocks away and the hard place of not know what to do with them. However, I hope the second thing you may get from this blog is this — it’s okay to throw those blocks away if you need to. There are no quilt police. It’s not a wrong decision. Sometimes ridding yourself from the blocks is what you need to move forward with the next project.
This year is quickly drawing to a close. Most of us (despite all the Christmas hullabaloo) are looking at 2022 in the rearview mirror. There’s less and less of the calendar on the wall and the shiny new one is just waiting to be unwrapped and hung up in its place. With this in mind, I’d like to take some time to review this year of “Make Your Quilt Yours!” We’ve covered a lot of territory in 52 weeks. However, I would feel remiss if we didn’t review a few of the ways we can take a quilt pattern and make a quilt from that which reflects our tastes, our personalities, and our concerns.
Substitute the colors.
For some quilters this comes easy. They take a look at the pattern, review their stash, and make a list of what fabrics on hand matches the yardage and value requirements. They may let this simmer over night to make sure they’re in quilting Zen about their choices, then grab their rotary cutter and get down to business.
For other quilters, this may not be as easy. If a quilter has been used to picking out fabric which resembles those used in the pattern (or purchasing a kit), the decision to stray from this can cause some anxiety – will the quilt look right with my fabric choices verses the designers?
Let me reassure you, there is a way to make sure your quilt will be just fine. It all has to do with color value. Color value is defined as: The value (also called lightness or luminosity) of a color is a measure of how light or dark a color is while its hue is held constant. The lightness of an object depends on the reflectance of that object. As a former physics teacher I could go into color waves/particles, refraction of light sources, etc., but I won’t. The concept of value which is important to all quilters is this – the lightness or darkness of a fabric.
That’s it. That’s all you need to be concerned with. And now the question you may have is, “How do I tell what the value of a fabric is?” As quilter, it’s important to know all quilting fabric falls into three value categories – lights, mediums, and darks. As a matter of fact, if you have an older quilting pattern, when the yardage is listed it may only note so many yards of lights, so many of mediums, and so many of darks. However, these directions were written back in the day when fabric manufacturers actually produced true darks. Most of what masquerades as darks now are really mediums. So how do you feel comfortable about the choices you make?
It’s honestly not hard. Most of us are in possession of this:
A cell phone. And one of the neatest features on a cell phone is a camera and the camera plays a major role in determining the color value of fabrics. Let’s say we want to make this quit:
But we want to make in a different color way. No problem. Take a picture of the quilt pattern front.
Somewhere in the camera settings on your phone, you have the ability to change the picture’s appearance from a colored photo to a black and white one. You want to find that setting and flip the picture to a black and white appearance. I have an iPhone 12 Pro. I simply pull up my picture, tap edit on the top right-hand corner of my screen and find the saturation button at the bottom. I click this on and lower the saturation level to -100. The colored picture changes to a black and white one. This black and white image is very important. The areas which show up as white or nearly white are the lights. The gray parts are the mediums, and the nearly black sections are your darks. Simply reference the black and white picture against the yardage requirements in the pattern directions and you’ll be fine.
I would also repeat the same photo process for the fabric. I would do this because, like I stated earlier, fabric manufacturers are producing fewer and fewer true darks. Most of the fabric families on the quilt shop shelves are actually mediums, even though they may “read” dark when compared to the other fabrics. Take a picture of the fabrics you want to use, flip it to black and white, view it with a critical eye. Make sure you have a fabric which will work as a true dark. The use of only lights and mediums in a quilt can result in a “muddy” looking quilt top.
Change the size of the quilt.
When I started quilting, my target patterns were always small quilts. There were reasons behind this: smaller quilts took less fabric, therefore cost less; smaller quilts took less time to make; and smaller quilts were easier to quilt on my regular sewing machine. The longer I quilted, the bigger the quilts became and soon I was making bed quilts almost exclusively. Now I have more bed quilts than I need, and I’ve gifted quite a few to family and friends. So, my quilting has gone back what was in the beginning – primarily small quilts I can use as table toppers, table runners, cuddle quilts, and lap quilts. I still make a few bed quilts, but not nearly as many as I did years ago.
However, what hasn’t changed is the appeal of certain quilts. I still make the quilts I like, only I tend to make them smaller.
You may find yourself in a similar situation. You may not need bed-sized quilts or may not want to invest in the expense of all the fabric. If you quilt your own quilts on a domestic machine, it’s certainly easier to handle the bulk of a smaller quilt than a queen-sized. If any or all of these conditions describe where you’re at in your quilting journey, don’t be afraid to shrink the quilt. Make the blocks smaller or make fewer blocks. Just adjust your borders accordingly. Or leave the borders off entirely.
The same holds true with enlarging a small quilt pattern. You can increase the size of the blocks or add extra borders. The only word of caution I would issue is this: be careful with applique quilts. Sometimes the applique pieces lose their characteristics if enlarged or shrunk too much.
Personally, I think borders can be the most underrated part of a quilt. If a quilt was a sentence, the borders are the end punctuation. Therefore, borders can be a question mark, a period, or an exclamation mark. Let me explain.
It’s super-easy, once you get to the end of the construction of the quilt center, to just measure it for the borders, cut out some fabric strips, and sew them on. At this point, you’re probably ready to bring closure to a project which may have taken weeks or months or years, but who’s judging? I call these borders periods. Even though the fabric may be lovely, you may have added a flange, or even multiple borders, but they’re all still just fabric strips, measured correctly and sewn on. They’re the Friday sigh of relief after a long week at work. Nothing particularly ugly, but nothing really eye-catching either.
Border question marks are those quilts without borders. Is the binding large enough to serve as a border? Should it be considered a border? Does the quilt need borders? Why doesn’t the quilt have borders? So many questions…
Then there are the borders which are exclamation marks. These are the ones which not only frame the quilt center in the loveliest possible way but are works of art within themselves. You can tell the quilter took the time to plan and execute borders which aptly draw a conclusion to the quilt. They not only frame the center, but also pull the eyes to and from the center. They complement it and repeat certain elements in the quilt which brings both cohesion and conclusion to it.
Next to substituting color choices, altering the quilt border can be one of the easiest ways to put your signature on a quilt. If the quilt pattern has some applique on it, it’s easy to repeat the applique in the border. If the quilt is pieced, use some of those blocks in the border. Allow the border to echo what’s in the center of the quilt. Not only will it add a bit of pizazz, but it will give the quilt cohesiveness.
Develop some signature elements.
If you’ve walked in the quilt world long enough, you know there are some quilts you can look at and just know who they belong to. Judy Neimyer is one. Most of her quilts have this dazzling center with lots of spikey elements and flying geese, softened by some circular motion or elements. Kim Diehl is another. She can take traditional quilt blocks and turn them on their heads or put them in such a sweet setting that it makes you immediately want to make one of her quilts. These designers have consistently used these “trademarks” to their advantage.
There’s no reason you can’t do this, either. This can be approached in so many different ways but let me offer a few suggestions.
Have a signature color. I admit, this one is one of mine. Most of my quilts (not all of them, but most), have purple in them somewhere. Purple is my favorite color and is usually found somewhere in my quilts – even if it’s just on the label. This one has gotten so bad that if my quilty friends can’t find purple in one of my quilts, they’re a little disappointed. It’s kind of like Find Waldo, but with fabric.
Add some sparkle. I don’t mean actual sparkle, such as is in metallic fabrics. Adding sparkle to a quilt means finding a fabric which may be unexpected and adding it to your quilt top in small amounts. Some quilters call this their “zinger” fabric. It adds just a bit of a different twist to a top. For instance, let’s say you’re making a quilt which is primarily purples and greens. Your sparkle may be an over-dyed orange fabric, used sparingly in the smaller pieces of blocks. It adds spice to the quilt top and helps the eye move across it.
Have a signature quilting motif. This motif doesn’t have to be large. It can be worked into the quilting in some way – it doesn’t have to be the primary motif. For instance, mine is hearts. Most of the time – especially if I quilt my own quilts – somewhere on the top will be quilted hearts. I have a friend who quilts her name into the quilt. I chose hearts kind of by accident. It was one of the first quilting motifs I learned to do by hand and machine. I have gotten really good at making them and use them judiciously.
Quilt your conscience. This one can be a little tricky, and truthfully, it may be the one signature element about your quilts only known by you until word gets out. I came upon this idea when researching a blog I wanted to write about Quaker Quilts (which I shelved – not enough information available and I felt an actual person with Quaker beliefs could do it better and more accurately). During the pre-Civil War Era, Quaker women refused to purchase fabric or cotton for batting which was produced by slave labor. They held steadfast against the enslavement of any persons and could not in good conscious use anything produced via slave labor. Therefore many Quaker quilts were made of woolens, linens, silks, and fabric imported from England (which had outlawed slavery years before America did).
Today, the idea of quilt your conscience may include quilting “green.” It could mean using batting produced by environmentally friendly methods, or fabric dyed in such a way it doesn’t hurt the environment. It could mean upcycling left over quilt blocks or making scrap quilts in order to reduce the among of fabric in landfills.
This also could mean quilting current events – goodness knows enough of us did during Covid. These quilts not only are a historical marker, but also provide quilters an emotional out for their feelings, their fears, and their thoughts.
Design a signature label.
I hope by now I have drilled into your mind the importance of labeling your quilts. The label should list your name, city and state, the date the quilt was completed because the date it’s started and the date it’s completed can be years apart, and who the quilt was made for and the occasion (if any). This is the minimum which needs to go on the little fabric label on the back of your quilt. However…you don’t have to stop here. The printing can be done in your favorite color. You can handwrite the label, embroider it (by hand or machine), use a favorite applique element, or ink in a small picture. The wonderful designer Tula Pink includes an esoteric fact on her labels – something I started including on my label several years ago. Somewhere on my label will be the average price of some household good that particular day. It could be a loaf of bread, a cup of coffee or a gallon of gas.
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If you’ve made the quilt during some kind of major crisis, such as COVID, it’s good to indicate that somewhere on the label, too. It puts the quilt in historical perspective.
By adding more than the standard information on your quilt label, you’ve made that element of your quilt uniquely yours. All changes don’t necessarily have to go on the front of the quilt.
I hope this blog helps you in two ways. First, I hope it assists you in overcoming any anxiety you may have about changing up quilt patterns. Remember, it’s just fabric and it’s just a quilt – and honestly, there are very few things which can’t be “fixed” on a quilt. Secondly, I hope it inspires you to make each quilt you construct uniquely yours. These design elements don’t have to be large or complicated. They can be small and tucked away in a corner or on the back of a quilt. Dream big, start small, and then work your way into making a quilt truly reflect you, your values, your sense of humor, and the love you have for quilting.
It’s been a long while since I’ve thrown up the Grumpy Quilter logo on my blog. However, the time has come, and I need to get this off my chest, not only for myself but also for my friends who either work in a quilt shop or own a quilt shop. I have never owned a quilt shop, but have worked in one, have friends who are employed at a quilt shop, have friends who own a quilt shop, and have certainly spent enough time in a quilt shop to speak with authority on this subject: Quilt Shop Etiquette.
You wouldn’t think of eating in a restaurant with your mouth open or talking loudly or running after a waitperson to get their attention or leave after you’ve ordered because you think the prices are too high (at least I sincerely hope you wouldn’t). Just like there are certain rules of etiquette for restaurants, there are certain standards of comportment for quilt shops. Over the past couple of years, I’ve noticed some quilt shop customers’ behavior which has left me flabbergasted. Then, I thought to myself, “Self, maybe these dear people have never been enlightened to proper quilt shop etiquette. Why don’t you give these folks a heads up?” So, consider this blog my attempt to educate those fabric consumers who may not know The Unspoken Rules of Quilt Shop Etiquette.
There are guidelines for behavior outside the quilt shop. Just in case you don’t know, quilt shop employees and owners have a life outside the retail establishment. They have families, other interests, obligations, etc., just like you do. So, if you see them outside the quilt shop, it may not be the best time to ask questions about a fabric line, a pattern, a class, or complain about something in the shop. Say hi, smile, and move on. Chances are after dealing with retail issues all week, the owner or employee really doesn’t want to talk about quilting for a bit.
Sometimes the quilt store employee/owner may give you information about the shop and then it’s okay to proceed with a quilty conversation. For instance, I have a dear, dear friend who is employed by a large quilt/fabric store. I see this person usually at least once a week and we text back and forth almost every day. If she gives me some quilty information, I may ask questions, but it doesn’t take up our entire interaction.
Just be aware of the situation and be sensitive to the fact they may not want to “talk shop.”
There are guidelines for behavior inside the quilt shop. First, let me give you some cold, hard facts about quilt shop revenue. According to the American Retailer, most quilt shop owners only keep 1%-3% of any fabric sale. So, let’s set up this scenario: You decide you want to make a queen-sized quilt. You don’t have a pattern in mind, but you know the quilt shop you frequent has lots of patterns. Once you enter the door, either the owner or employee greets you and finds out your plans. Patterns are pulled out. Decisions are made. Fabric is auditioned, photographed, discarded, substituted, and finalized. By this point, there’s a good (and realistic) chance the employee or owner has spent two to three hours with you. Equally realistic, the final costs may come to $350. Yes, this can be considered a chunk of change. However, also realize if the store owner makes 1%-3% net on the sale, this only comes to $3.50 — $10.50. If it’s the employee who made the sale, they’ve only earned $1 — $3 per hour on your purchase.
It’s no wonder more and more brick-and-mortar quilt stores are closing their store fronts and moving to on-line sales only.
And before you wonder if this is truly a realistic scenario, let me remind you, at one point I was a part-time quilt shop employee (mainly to support my habit). I cannot begin to tell you how many times I had worked with a customer in this same situation, only to be told right before I started to cut the fabric, “Don’t bother. I’m sure Walmart or some shop on the internet has the same fabric and pattern for less money.” The matter was made infinitely worse if they blatantly shopped the internet while I waited on them.
Seriously.
For everyone’s sake, don’t be this customer. You just really injured your relationship with the quilt shop (i.e. don’t expect to have the welcome mat rolled out the next time you come in the shop), you’ve wasted the owner’s or the employee’s time they needed to help other customers or fill orders, and the fabric at the big box stores isn’t close to the quality of quilting cottons. The courteous thing is to walk out with something, no matter the reason for the visit. It doesn’t have to be an expensive purchase. It can be a marking pen, pins, or needles. I’ll issue a Zone of Truth here: This is what really bothers me about shop hops and the Row-by-Row experience. These events are coordinated with the thought they will help quilt store owners stay afloat during what is considered the slow time of year – summer. The idea is customers will come into the shop to either get their shop hop passports stamped or pick up their Row-by-Row pattern. Quite often this is all they leave with – and both items are free. No purchases are made.
Again, don’t be this customer. The purchase doesn’t have to be large or expensive. A few dollars here and there during the slow time of the year goes a long way in keeping the quilt shop’s doors open.
Now let’s talk about special orders. Sometimes when you’re making a quilt, you need a special fabric. The store may have had this material in stock at one time or it may not have enough for your needs. You may have searched in vain for a substitute or for other locations which may have the fabric. Nothing worked and now you ask the shop owner if they will special order the fabric for you.
If you have a good relationship with the shop, chances are the owner will do his or her best to make this happen. They will do this as a favor for you – their loyal customer and friend. Now you need to know how to handle this situation to maintain this relationship. If an entire bolt is ordered, realize this means 12-15 yards of the fabric is now winging its way to the shop. You need to prepare yourself to purchase the entire bolt, because the shop owner may not sell the remaining fabric after they’ve given you the actual yardage you need. If the owner insists this is not necessary, at least buy five yards to make it worth their effort.
Also keep in mind as much as you love your LQS, other people love it just as much as you do. This means at any given time you decide to visit your favorite quilt shop, other quilters may also be there. No matter how good a customer you are, no matter how much of your paycheck resides in the shop owner’s till, wait your turn. You may know how much you spend at the shop. And the owner certainly does. However, those customers there who are ahead of you have absolutely no idea. If you try to jump ahead of them, it will make you look like an awful person and if the quilt shop owner acquiesces, it makes them look like they play favorites. This will leave a bad taste in the mouths of the other customers, and they’ll be less likely to return. Then the store owner loses revenue. If you absolutely can’t wait, tell the owner and plan to return a bit later. Trust me, you’ll earn major brownie points.
And while we’re discussing shopping etiquette, let’s talk about the quilt shop employees. You may be BFFs with the owner. You may know the owner by name, know their kids’ names, even their grandkids’ names. However, when you come in the shop and she or he is busy with another customer or involved with something else (because bookkeeping, ordering, and payroll must be done), don’t demand ask for the owner to wait on you. A quilt shop owner employs others who may know more about quilting than they do. And quite often this is the case. Trust me, an employee can often have better input than the owner. They may have quilted longer, had more quilt education, or be better at picking fabrics. Don’t turn your nose up when an employee offers to wait on you. Treat them with kindness and respect. Trust me when I tell you they do a great job and will go out of their way to make sure you’re happy.
Lastly, let me hit three other personal responsibility items. You could be the best quilt shop customer ever, but if you neglect the following three details, your best-customer-ever status will quickly disappear:
Come prepared.
Know what you want and have the needed information with you so the quilt shop can make sure you leave happy. For instance, if you need border fabric for your quilt, know how much you need and at least have a picture of the quilt center on your phone to reference the colors. The best-case scenario is to have the center with you. If you need backing, know how big your quilt is. Don’t expect the quilt store owner or employees to read minds or be psychic. If you need to match your focus fabric, at least have a picture or a swatch of it with you. Just because the shop had the exact same fabric two weeks ago doesn’t necessarily mean they have it now. If you’re starting a new quilt, have the pattern with you or be prepared to find one at the shop.
In other words, do your homework. This ensures you leave happy, and no one is frustrated.
Note the layout of the shop and respect it.
Most of the time, even the smallest quilt shop will have a designated area for cutting, another area for auditioning fabric, and possibly a classroom area which serves as a place for consultation or problem solving. Respect the layout – it’s there for a reason. Don’t audition fabrics in the cutting area. Don’t have lengthy consultations or problem-solving sessions at the fabric audition area. If you’re at a new quilt store (or one which is new to you), ask where the designated locations are. This is important because generally a layout is in place to control traffic and over-crowding. And if a shop is super-busy, it’s often critical these areas are respected.
Realize the quilt shop owner or the employees may not be conversant with all quilting techniques or sewing machines.
I can tell you how to find out what sewing machines your LQS is familiar with: Look what’s at the entrance of the shop. If a fabric store sells machines, they’re in broad view as soon as you step into the store. Why? Remember what I told you about net fabric sales – that it’s generally only 1%-3% of the total purchase? Not so with sewing machines. Usually the biggest net sales are made from sewing machines. Those will be out front and center of the LQS, set up and ready for you to try. If you have the brand sewing machine the shop sells, the owner and the store employees will be very, very familiar with that brand and can help you with nearly any issue you have.
If you don’t have the store’s brand, the quilt shop staff may not be able to help you. For example, if you have a problem with a consistent ¼-inch seam allowance, they will probably give you generic advice, such as “move your needle over,” but they may not be able to tell you how to do this on your machine.
Don’t get upset. Go home and boot up your internet machine. Search for your machine’s manual. Find out how to move the needle. This is why God gave us Google.
Likewise, don’t expect all of the store’s employees to be familiar with every quilting technique. Chances are there will be some folks proficient in the major quilting techniques such as color choice, piecing, and hand and machine applique. But other more obscure methods like broderie perse or trapunto? Maybe not. But again, that’s why God gave us Google. Go home and use it.
Okay. End of rant. I honestly don’t complain too much, but this is one of those times. Having been a quilt store employee as well as a customer, I can understand the frustrations on both ends. However, some of our behaviors have gotten out of hand. I have noticed since we’ve been released from COVID lockdowns, everyone’s patience seems a little worse for the wear. Take a deep breath and realize it’s usually not the store owner’s or the employees’ fault. Quilt shop owners are like other business owners right now – it’s difficult to find help. There may be lines at the register and the cutting table and fabric is not immune to supply-side logistic nightmares.
Just …. Be kind everyone to everybody. Take a deep breath and be kind.
If block units, blocks, and all the sashings are squared up and the cutting is accurate, at this point, your quilt center should be squared-up, too, right?
This is where we left off last week. We went through exactly what the squaring-up process is and why it really shouldn’t be left as the last step before sewing on the binding. At this point, we’ve square up everything as we have constructed the quilt and now we’re ready to put on the borders. And yes, if you’ve faithfully squared-up the block units, blocks, sashing, and rows, your quilt center should come out to the size the quilt pattern says. It’s easy to think at this point you only need to cut the borders to the size dictated by the pattern and sew them on.
Well, yes…and no. Technically if all the squaring up has been done, the borders should go on quickly and easily. However, if you’ve come this far, you want to be sure everything will still go together wonderfully in the end. So here’s what we will do:
If you’re quilt top is badly wrinkled, press it.
Lay it out, face-up on the floor or a table – some surface which is big enough, so the quilt lies flat.
With a measuring tape, measure the length of the quilt an inch in from the right and left edges and in the middle. Average these three measurements. The average will be the length to cut your side borders. Ideally, all three measurements should be the same. However, there may be variances and if there are, the measurements still should be pretty close.
Cut out your left and right borders the width needed per the pattern and the length deduced by your average.
Find the center of the length of the border strip and the center of the length of the quilt. Pin both centers together and then pin the edges together, working from the center pin down one side and then the other. Sew on and repeat on the other side.
Press the borders, with the seams pressed towards the border strip.
Lay the quilt out again, face-up on the floor a table – some surface which is big enough that the quilt lies flat.
Now measure how wide the quilt is. Again, take three measurements – one an inch from the top, one an inch from the bottom, and one across the middle. Average these three measurements together and cut your top and bottom border this length and the as wide as the pattern calls for.
Repeat the pinning and sewing as dictated for the left and right borders.
One really helpful hint about borders – border pieces cut along the lengthwise grain of fabric really stabilize your quilt center the best. However, whatever you do, cut all the border pieces on the same grain – all lengthwise or all crosswise. If you mix the grains, the borders will be wavy.
Sandwich your quilt and quilt it or send it to the long arm artist.
Once the quilting is done, you’re on the final stretch. And at this point, you have two options: Do you want to wet it and square it up again or not? There’s a reason this becomes an option. A long arm artist will baste the top, bottom, and sides of your quilt to the backing and batting. This will help stabilize the quilt and keep all three layers of the quilt sandwich from shifting and keep it square. They will also do some stitching in the ditch along some of the squares for the same reason. If you’re quilting your quilt on your domestic machine, you do the same thing. However, no matter how careful you are, the quilt could become slightly un-square during the quilting process – not so much the quilt center, but the borders. Instead of the corners being a perfect 90-degrees, they become a bit wonky. There are two ways to approach putting those borders back to a 90-degree angle.
The Wet Method
I will be honest at this point and tell you I generally only use this method for wall hangings which must lie flat and even against a wall or truly special quilts, such as those destined as mile-marker gifts (such as weddings, special birthdays, etc.), or quilts which are definitely show-bound. While this method does work wonders to get everything squared-up beautifully, handling a wet quilt can be difficult and the larger the quilt, the more difficult it can be.
This method requires two items – a washing machine and either an area you can pin the quilt flat, or one of these:
A cardboard dressmaker’s cutting surface.
The first step with this method is to trim the backing and batting even with your quilt center. To make sure I get the four corners of the quilt as close to 90-degrees as possible I use a square ruler along the sides, like this.
Then thoroughly wet your quilt. I generally do this via the washing machine on a delicate cycle (my washer does not have an agitator – if yours does you may opt for a soaking in the tub or shower stall instead of using the washing machine). Helpful hint insert: If you’ve used water dissolvable marker or Frixion pens on your quilt, this is a great time to get those out. After the quilt has gone through the delicate cycle and spun out, it’s time to pin your quilt to either a clean carpet or the cardboard cutting surface. Pin judiciously, making sure the sides and top are perfectly straight and even. If you’re using a carpet, you may want to purchase one of these:
The laser light can help you line up your quilt evenly. If you’re using one of the cardboard dressmaker cutting surfaces, the gridded lines on it are your guide.
This process takes time. Use your hands to spread the quilt out and manipulate the quilt sandwich to square it up. After the corners are at 90-degree angles and the sides are even, pin it in place and allow it to dry completely. If you have a fan, you may want to use it to help it dry quicker.
The Dry Method
This is the method I use the most, because most of my quilts are made to be “used up.” They’re not show quilts or super-special-once-in-a-lifetime quilts. The quilts are cuddle quilts, play quilts for my grand darlings, picnic quilts, lap quilts, and charity quilts. This method will square these quilts up nicely, but I don’t have to wet them.
The first step I take is to trim down the backing and batting – especially if the quilt was long armed. Traditionally we always make sure the batting and backing are several inches larger than the quilt top, but most long arm artists want you to have a 6-inch to 8-inch border of the back and batting so they can clamp it to hold the quilt taunt. I trim those down to about an inch, just so I don’t have so much bulk to deal with.
I realize the borders may still be basted down to the batting and backing, and if the stitches are still pretty well intact, you can skip this next step. If the basting stitches have broken or aren’t intact, I take the quilt sandwich to the sewing machine and stitch the sides and top and bottom of the quilt again, about 1/8-inch away from the edge of the quilt top. This keeps everything taunt as you begin to square up the quilt for the last time.
If you don’t have one of these:
You may want to purchase one. I find these square rulers are the most useful for squaring up the corners.
Place the square ruler at one of the corners of the quilt. Line it up as best you can at the bottom (or top) of the ruler and along the sides. Then, with a rotary cutter (a 45 mm or 60 mm works best for this), trim the backing, batting, and any slender pieces of border fabric you need to in order to make the sides, top, and bottom of the quilt square and even.
Now all you have to do is bind your quilt and enjoy!
I hope these two blogs have helped you in two areas. First, I really want you to understand how important it is to square up your quilt with every step, and if you’re making large blocks, it’s crucial to make sure your fabric is on-grain. These minor actions play a major role in making sure your quilt will lie flat or hang straight. Second, I hope the blogs have demonstrated squaring up isn’t a horribly scary process. As long as you have a good ruler, cutting mat, and sharp rotary cutter, you’re good to go.
Have you ever viewed a quilt which looked like this?
It’s a really nice quilt, and the maker may have spent a lot of time thinking about design and color and techniques. But there’s just something off about the quilt. You may not be able to put your finger on exactly what it is, but something is off. So, you wonder is it you, or is it something else?
Well, if you looked at the quilt above and thought those thoughts, it’s not you. It’s the quilt. Even though a quilt may be perfectly pieced or appliqued beautifully, there’s still something wrong. It doesn’t hang straight. It may look a bit wavy. It simply doesn’t look right, but you can’t figure out exactly what’s wrong with it. There are technically a couple of things which could be happening here, either independently or in conjunction with each other – off grainlines and/or poor squaring up.
As I’ve stated many times before, fabric has three grainlines: crosswise (also known as width of fabric or WOF), length wise (known as length of fabric or LOF), and bias – which cuts across both the crosswise and length wise grains. For my quilters out there who are also garment makers, you are probably familiar with these terms. Generally, if quilters are cutting fabrics in strips in preparation to sub-cut it into units, the strip is cut across the width of the fabric. And here is where the first issue may crop up.
Quilter’s cottons (or any other 100 percent cotton fabric for that matter) are woven. This means the threads or yarns are placed perpendicular to each other and are attached by weaving, to make up the warp and weft of the fabric. Once the fabric is completely woven, it’s processed, finished, folded, and wrapped around a bolt. During these processes, the threads can shift, causing it to lose its perpendicularity.
Now the fabric is off grain. And to be honest, most fabric is off grain by the time it’s rolled off the bolt to be cut. If you’re making a garment, cutting fabric strips to be sub-cut, or cutting out large quilt blocks as either setting blocks or applique backgrounds, it’s important to put the fabric back on-grain. This is not a difficult process at all. Simply make a small cut across the selvedge, about an inch in from the side:
And rip the fabric from selvedge to selvedge.
Then re-fold the fabric to make your crosswise (WOF) cuts, making sure to line up the torn edges. Now you’re ready to rock and roll.
At this point, let me throw in a Zone of Truth. If you’re cutting small fabric pieces to go into block units, it honestly doesn’t matter if the fabric is on-grain or not. By the time you get those pieced and quilted, no one should be able to tell if you’ve corrected the grain line or not. However, the larger the fabric pieces, the easier to tell if they’re off-grain. Even when they’re quilted, they will want to ripple and not lie flat. My general rule of thumb is if I am cutting strips or blocks 3-inches or larger, I make sure my fabric is put on-grain.
Now let’s talk about what may be the second issue which could be wrong with the quilt at the top of this blog: Improper or absent square-up. What is square-up? In broad terms, squaring up a quilt pertains to the quilt sandwich – it’s a step taken after the quilt is quilted and before the binding is sewn on. The process makes sure the four corners are at a perfect 90-degree angles. However, like I said, this is a broad definition. Personally, I think a quilt should be squared up at every step during construction. Let me explain.
To me, squaring up a quilt begins as soon as you have the quilt pattern in hand. The very first thing I encourage any quilter at any level to do is read the pattern twice before purchasing fabric or making the first cut. The first read-through is to get you acquainted with the process the designer took. And now here’s a Zone of Truth about fabric designers: Some of them are really great. Some of them are not. Don’t be fooled by a pretty cover. Take that pattern out and read it. As you read it, look for certain aspects:
Pictures, illustrations, or line drawings – Quilting is a visual art. Sometimes a picture can be far more helpful than words.
The cover picture is clear – While I may not choose the color way the designer chose, the cover picture has enough clarity I can take a picture of it with my cell phone and flip it to black and white so I can see how many lights, mediums, and darks I need.
It indicates in some way if it’s a beginners, intermediate, or advanced quilting pattern.
If it’s an applique pattern, it tells you if the applique pattern pieces are reversed or you need to reverse them with a light box.
The designer has listed his or her website. This is important. Go to the website and see if the designer has updated the pattern. No matter how hard designers try (and the vast majority of them try really hard) not to make mistakes, mistakes do happen. Good pattern designers usually have a place on their website where they list the pattern, any mistakes, and the corrections. If you cannot find a corrections tab on the designer’s website, Google the pattern. If nothing about the pattern is returned but the images of the designer’s quilt and their site, you may want to rethink making the quilt. This usually means either no one has purchased it, or the directions are so poor no one has attempted it.
The directions allow for a bit of extra fabric in case you make a cutting error.
As you are constructing your block units, the pattern supplies you with an unfinished unit measurement.
For me – and I’ve quilted for 35-years at this point – these seven aspects are important. However, number 7 is super important in the squaring up process. Let’s say you have to join a half-square triangle to a square. The HST has an unfinished measurement of 2 ½ inches and the square also has an unfinished measurement of 2 ½-inches. If the pattern lists this unfinished block unit measurements as 2 ½-inches x 4 ½-inches, you realize once you’ve sewn the HST and square together, the unit should measure 2 ½-inches x 4 ½-inches. Once the HST and square are joined and pressed, you can measure it. If it is the correct measurement, you can proceed to join all of these units together, checking as you go to make sure the unfinished measurements stay consistent.
However, if the joined HST and square aren’t 2 ½-inches x 4 ½-inches, you realize you must take steps to correct it. Seam allowances can be examined to see if they are a true ¼-inch. You can re-measure the HST and square to make sure they have been cut and trimmed correctly. In other words, you can correct the tiny mistakes before they become huge quilty issues. This is why those unfinished block unit measurements are so important.
But what if the unfinished block unit measurements aren’t in your pattern? Don’t worry. You can figure out those measurements on your own. For instance, let’s take a look at this block:
This is the Greek Square block, and it’s made up of HSTs and squares which are pieced from two rectangles. The finished block is 6-inches, which means each HST and pieced square should finish at 2-inches (2 + 2 + 2 = 6). Unfinished means you simply add ½-inch for the seam allowances. So as you’re piecing each HST and square, you want those to be 2 ½-inches, unfinished. Once they’re joined together in rows, the row should come out to 6 ½-inches (2 ½ + 2 ½ + 2 ½ = 7 ½. Then subtract two ½-seam allowances for the middle block: 7 ½ – 1 = 6 ½. Once the square is set into rows, that extra ½-inch seam allowance will go away and the block will finish at 6-inches).
Figuring out the unfinished measurements isn’t hard, and it’s important to do if the pattern doesn’t supply them. While all of this may seem like intense (and even unnecessary) attention to detail, it’s these actions which are the first “squaring up” of the quilt. You make sure the block units are the correct size. If they’re not, you adjust cutting, seam allowance, or even the thread (by switching to a different weight or ply) to make sure the units come out at the correct unfinished size.
Once the units are made, join them together to make the block. Because of all the care put into the units, the block should come out at its correct unfinished size. However, it’s still necessary to measure the blocks to be sure. I make several blocks and then spend some quality time at my cutting mat, measuring and trimming (if needed). This is the second “squaring up.”
Now let’s talk sashing. Sashing is the strips of fabric you put between the blocks and between the rows. It has lots of design possibilities. Sashing can be pieced or appliqued. Wide sashing opens up lots of quilting opportunities. It adds width and length to a quilt. However, if used correctly, sashing can also be a great squaring up tool. I learned this little trick when constructing my Dear Jane. As you’re cutting your quilt out, also cut the vertical sashing to the size required by the quilt pattern. After you’ve constructed your block, sew a sashing piece to the right side of the block. If the sashing and the block are the same size – whoop whoop! Your block is squared up, and the sashing is the right size. If one is off, re-measure both and make corrections where needed. This is a great, little square up trick, and it saves time. Once all your blocks are completed, the sashing is already sewn on and you’re ready to sew the blocks into rows.
Speaking of rows, now it’s time to sew the sashing between the rows and on the top and bottom of the quilt (if required). It’s important to make sure all the rows are the same length. There’s a couple of ways to do this. If the pattern doesn’t have any borders, you can check and see what the finished width of the quilt is and add ½-inch. If your rows measure this, you’re golden. If the pattern has borders, you can subtract the combined border finished width from the width of the finished quilt and add ½ inch. All the rows should come pretty close to this width. If you’re off a smidge (1/4-inch or less), don’t sweat it. This amount can be worked around.
Once you’re sure your rows are approximately the same length, now it’s time to make your horizontal sashing to go between the rows. If it’s a solid piece of fabric, cut the fabric strip across the WOF (joining pieces if necessary) to fit the measurement of the row width. Find the center of the row of blocks and the center of the horizontal sashing and pin the two centers together. Then pin out from the center for the left and right sides. If you’ve measured, cut, and joined correctly (if needed), the horizontal sashing should be easy to pin into place.
Sometimes the sashing looks like this:
Those small squares which fall beneath the sashing are called cornerstones. And while this may look a tad intimidating to construct, it’s really not. Here’s how it goes:
Cut the strips of horizontal sashing the finished width of the block, plus ½-inch for the seam allowances. So, if the finished width of your block is 8-inches, you’d cut the strips at 8 ½-inches.
Cut the cornerstones the same size as the finished width of the vertical sashing, plus ½-inch.
Sew the cornerstones to the horizontal sashing strips.
Sew the horizontal sashing to the rows, matching and nesting the cornerstone seams with the vertical sashing.
If block units, blocks, and all the sashing were squared up, once the quilt center is assembled, it should automatically be squared-up, too, right? Is there a need for additional squaring up at this point?
Tune in next week to find out the answer to this and other burning quilty questions….
Quilt block containing several Drunkard Path Units
I mentioned gentle curves, but beyond giving them a passing reference and telling you I really liked them, I didn’t go into any details about how to handle them or how to make them. So, this week I want to correct that oversight and deal with the gentle curves
Of the quilt world.
Much like their counterpoint tight curves, gentle curves lead the eyes across the quilt. And depending on how the quilt is designed, the curves can lead away from the quilt outward
Or focus the eyes toward the center of the quilt. They give movement and direction to almost any quilt top. And, if you ask me, they’re a bit more fun and a little easier than their tighter-curved sister. So, let’s take a look at how you construct and quilt gentle curves.
Like Drunkard’s Path, gentle curves can be appliqued on or pieced. This quilt block
Known as Orange Peel, has easy curves and is simple to applique. The orange peels (often called “melons”) can be stitched down by hand or machine without a lot of trouble. This quilt block can be pieced, but it would be tricky. Much easier just to applique those melons in place.
When these blocks are placed together, they form a beautiful quilt center that beckons the eyes to follow the curves across the front.
Notice the Orange Peel Quilt has primary and secondary patterns.
There is also this quilt block
Called Clamshell. And it’s really not so much a quilt block as it is a unit. Depending on the desired look, it can have a tighter curve or a gentler one. Again, this unit is for applique—either by hand or machine. When the clam shells are appliqued onto a background, the results are beautiful.
This type of quilt is a great stash buster and is nearly mindless work.
This quilt block**
Which is really a mixture of tight and easy curves is machine stitched – just in case you were wondering if all gentle curves had to be appliqued. This block usually requires templates and the ability to sew accurately in really tight spaces. In all honesty, this quilt block requires some slow sewing and determination and a glass of wine doesn’t hurt, either. However, the payoff is one outstandingly beautiful quilt.
Now let’s look at all three quilts:
It’s easy to see how the curves pull your eyes across the quilt. Even though the curves aren’t as tight as a Drunkard’s Path, the movement is still there. It’s rhythmic and soothing.
These three quilt blocks are made from patterns. And while I love these quilt blocks (even Winding Ways), my very, very favorite gentle curves are improv curves – curves you don’t need a pattern for. These are improv curves:
These are gently, wavy curves which remind me of the ocean. These are super-easy to make, too. All you need is to get over any fears of not having pattern directions and some fabric, a rotary cutter, and your imagination.
To begin, cut your fabric into rectangles. I always cut my fabric larger than my block. So, if my finished square needs to be 12-inches, I may cut my rectangle strips as long as 14-inches. How many I cut is up to me. I’m literally sewing strips of fabric together to make a square of fabric. For the sake of not complicating things too much, let’s cut three strips 5-inches wide by 14-inches long. This gives us lots of squaring up opportunities.
Take the two of the strips and place them both right sides up, one on top of the other.
If there’s any doubt about how sharp your rotary cutter blade is, now is the time to change it. A dull blade is going to make this next step much more difficult. In the middle of the vertical side of the two rectangles, make a straight cut of about an inch.
It’s much easer to control your curve if you begin with the straight cut. If you go in at an angle, the fabric will shift, which will make things a little cattywampus.
After you’ve made this first cut, make a gentle, wavy cut with your rotary cutter. Don’t go too much above or below the middle of the rectangle. For the sake of example, I’ve marked my rectangles with a Frixion pen so you can see how much above and below the center of the rectangle I steer my rotary cutter. And at the end of my cutting, I also exit the rectangle with a straight cut.
Now remove the top pieces. You’ll find the two bottom ones will match up with these two pieces just like a puzzle.
Like sewing any other block units together, match the two pieces, right sides together and take them to your sewing machine. You may want to shorten the stitch length just a bit. I lower my length from a 2.5 to a 2.0. This shorter stitch lets you control the curves just a bit better. If you have a ¼-inch piecing foot, it will come in handy here. Line the edge of the fabric up with the foot and sew. Your job is just to guide the fabric. I’ve found if I slow down my speed just a tad and then just let my fingers guide the fabric over the feed dogs and out the back, this works well for keeping the gentle curves intact. Don’t try to force it.
Once you have both pieces sewn together, repeat with the remaining two.
Now we need to add the third strip. Take the two blocks you just pieced and lay them right sides up on a rotary cutting mat. Take the third strip and place it right side up on the pieced squares. Here’s where you have to be a bit careful. When you make your gentle cut, you do not want to intersect the seam, so be sure to stay away from it. Using the same technique as above, make about a straight 1-inch cut on the side and then carefully make a gentle, curvy cut, and exit on the other side with a straight cut.
Line the pieces up. Then take them to your sewing machine and sew them together, letting your fingers simply guide the fabric and not force it.
Let me add a couple of caveats here. First, with all these curves, you’re dealing with a lot of bias. I spray my fabric well with either spray starch or Best Press 2 Starch Substitute. Either of these tend to make the fabric a bit stiff which not only keeps the bias in check, but I also think it makes cutting the fabric easier. Second, don’t force the fabric in anyway. Let your fingers gently guide it. Third, despite my nearly rabid love of pins and pinning my block units, this is not the place for either. That’s right. You heard correctly. Don’t use pins. I personally find them more of a hindrance with these types of curves than a help. You may need to stop (with your needle down) and re-line up the fabric pieces so the edges meet, and then resume your sewing.
Once the strips are assembled into a block, give it a good press, and wait for the block to cool before any additional cutting or trimming.
At this point, there is so much you can do with the block. You can keep adding curvy strips, so the block becomes a placemat, table runner, wall hanging, or small quilt. Simply square up the piece to eliminate the uneven edges, quilt, and bind. However, one of my favorite uses for these gently curving blocks are as backgrounds for applique. I am not crazy about solid fabrics used for backgrounds in applique. They have no movement and don’t pull the eye in towards the applique pieces. In the past, I have always used a background with a small print, mottled colors, stripes, checks, or even muted plaids. The mixed colors and print add a subtle movement to the background which enhances the applique. However, once I became comfortable working with improv curves, I began to use those in my backgrounds. I generally don’t have more than three curvy pieces in the background (because too much of a good thing still can be too much and I don’t want the background to distract from my applique), but having three neutrals sewn together (and with this technique, one of the pieces of fabric could be a solid) definitely adds something special to the applique block.
Let’s look at another way gentle curves can be used in quilting: the quilting itself.
The absolutely great thing about these gentle curves is that they can be made with a walking foot. So, for all you quilters out there who are still just a bit apprehensive about dropping those feed dogs and free-stylin’ it, gentle curves may be just what you need to begin the journey of quilting your own quilt. Besides using the walking foot, quilted gentle curves have some definite advantages. First, they are super-easy. Used either horizontally or vertically, most of the time you don’t even need to mark your quilt.
However, there are also some additional gentle curvy quilting designs which may require a bit of marking, but still use the walking foot.
And if you have a quilt top with a lot of geometric shapes, curvy quilting can help balance the quilt out by offering a total opposite look with the quilting. It can tone down those harsh lines.
**Now, let’s go back to this quilt square:
I breezed over the construction in the first part of the blog. However, I anticipate I may get some questions about how to construct it. I decided to include those instructions at the end of my blog.
Three very important issues to deal with before we begin sewing instructions. First, color placement is everything in this quilt. When the color placement is right, you not only have the gentle curves in the block, but you also have the illusion of large circles. It’s a super-good idea to sketch out this quilt and color it in or use a quilting software program such as EQ 8 to make your color and fabric choices. Second, templates will be used. Fortunately, free templates for this block are readily available on the internet. They can be downloaded and printed on cardstock. Lots of quilt stores have the acrylic templates, also. Missouri Star, Marti Mitchell, John Flynn, and Amazon offer lots of selections for purchase. You can either trace around the templates with a fabric marker, Frixion pen, or pencil and cut the pieces out with scissors or use a rotary cutter. A small rotary cutter is easier to use – it seems to handle the curves better than a larger one. Third, the larger a Winding Ways block is, the easier it is to construct. My rule of thumb is this: If I plan to machine piece my Winding Ways blocks, they’re never smaller than 8 ½-inches unfinished. Any smaller than this and I will hand piece them.
To make one block, you will need to cut four of template A in your focus fabric and four of templates B and C in your background fabric.
On the pieces cut from template A and template B, you will need to find the center. Fold the piece in half and gently finger press it to find the center. You may want to mark the center with a dot made by a water-soluble fabric or a Frixion pen. Then make a dot ¼-inch in on the top of the left and right sides of the pieces. Many time acrylic templates already have holes drilled in them to make marking the fabric units easier.
At this point, pinning these units will seem similar to how we construct a Drunkard’s Path. Piece A is your pie and piece B is the ice cream. As the ice cream goes on top of a piece of pie, so piece B goes on top of piece A. Pin the centers together, and then put a pin in the dots on the sides of the pieces. Now you need to pin the curves just as you do with a Drunkard’s Path block.
Sew A and B together and press.
Repeat this process with Piece C on a long edge of Piece A. Make four of these units and then lay them out to make sure you have everything placed correctly.
Join two of the units together and then repeat for the other two. Be sure to press the seam to the side
Sew these two new, larger units together and press. I admit I press this seam open, as curved seams are difficult to spin in the middle.
There you have it – a beautiful Winding Ways block!
I hope this blog encourages you to embrace gentle curves. They’re so much fun and are so easy to make. They allow you to think a bit outside the box and can add lots of dimensions to a quilt or an applique background or the quilting itself.
The subject of this blog is “Quilter’s Block,” not “Quilt Block.” Don’t get the two phrases confused, they are very different. A quilt block is a quilt block. A unit of a quilt top.
Quilter’s block is not a part of any quilt. It’s that thingie which invades your creative space and keeps you from making the quilt you want. It’s a dam holding back your creativity. It’s the death-knell to your inspiration. I sort of hit on this subject way back in 2019 when I wrote this blog: https://sherriquiltsalot.com/2019/06/12/when-your-quilting-mojo-has-left-the-building/comment-page-1/. I talked about when your desire to quilt has left the building. When you have no craving at all to handle fabric, thread, and needle. A bad case of lost quilting mojo means you may never quilt again. A less severe case means it may be a while before you do.
Quilter’s block isn’t quite like that. With quilter’s block, the desire to quilt is there, but you just don’t know what to do. You wander aimless up and down the aisles of a quilt shop, and none of the fabric speaks to you. You hole yourself up in your quilt studio only to spend hours lost on YouTube or Pinterest. You leave without putting in a stitch. If you’re at this place now, or you’ve been there and got the t-shirt from the trip, don’t despair. We’ve all had quilter’s block at one time or another. And instead of giving you a hot, hip list of all the mental exercises you can put yourself through to get rid of quilter’s block, I want to try to explain the creative process (which in many ways is like nailing Jello to a wall), which may in the long run, allow you to understand why creative people think and react the way they do, and how to deal with yourself when the creative spigot is turned off.
In my world, there are three types of quilters:
The ones who follow the pattern to the letter – down to either using the exact same fabrics the designers used or purchasing material as close to the designer’s fabric as possible.
Those quilters who veer from the pattern a bit – they may alter a few of the blocks, enlarge or reduce, make the border their own, etc. Minor alterations, but the pattern is followed about 70 percent of the time.
The quilters who are not even in the same room as the pattern – they consider the directions a jumping off point (such as how much fabric to buy), but overall, the pattern is merely a suggestion, that is if they use a pattern at all.
If you read the above characteristics with broad strokes, it’s easy to think the third category of quilters are not only the most creative, they’re also the smartest quilters – I mean radically altering a quilt pattern or even designing your own is a fairly detailed process, right?
Yes and no. It is a process, but it’s not too complicated. If you have a grasp of basic math skills (and I’m talking addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication and know how to use a calculator), you can alter almost any pattern and can certainly design your own quilt. The fact is creativity has nothing to do with intelligence. Once you get past an IQ of 120 (which is only slightly about average), creativity and intelligence are not related at all. Allow me to give you a personal example.
I taught high school science for years. One of the perks of this (or at least what I considered a perk), was I got to help judge middle and elementary school science fairs.
I loved elementary school science fairs. Crowded gymnasiums filled with kids, their science fair backdrops, cool experiments, and chattering excitement. These students were excited (meh – at least over all excited) about their experiments and projects. After you’ve judged these things a few times, you know the drill. The students who the teachers feel have done a particularly good job with the presentations, the hypothesis, experiments, and reports are strategically placed so you see them first and they’re easy to get to. This allows the judges to spend a bit more time with them before they check their watches and find out they need to hurry along before judging is over. And I’ll be honest with you here – those kids did tend to take home the ribbons and move to the next level of competition.
However, it wasn’t those kids who fascinated me. It was the kid in the corner who honestly, really had a brilliant and probably original idea, but didn’t know quite how to execute it as well as the kids who were now flaunting ribbons. These were the students I spent extra time with after the fair was over because I knew in all probability, it was going to be those kids who grew into the adults who would rock our scientific world.
What does this example tell us? Both groups of kids – the one in the corner and the one with a ribbon pinned to their backdrop – were of at least average intelligence. However, the one with the ribbon was probably more creative. They could execute idea and package it attractively.
So you see, intelligence and creativity actually have very little to do with each other.
Creativity has been defined as “A joyful willingness to engage with the world. It’s a fearless state of alertness to detail.” (Peter Himmelmann, Forbes, April 16, 2018). While our creativity isn’t determined by our intelligence, it is fostered by our openness to a given situation. We’ve seen this played out again and again when fabric shopping with friends. We can look at a piece of fabric and think it’s the ugliest, homeliest, awfullest thing we’ve ever seen. We mutter under our breath “What in the world was the designer thinking? Do they need glasses?” Another quilter in our group will purchase three yards of that fabric, go home, and turn it into one of the prettiest quilts we’ve ever seen. Same fabric, different level of openness.
As quilters, it’s important to keep ourselves open to the possibilities of a pattern and fabric. Found a quilt pattern you like? Great! However, are there a few things you’d like to change about it? Does it have a block unit or technique you really would prefer not to execute? Redraw the blocks or block units to what you want. Better yet, draw a complete quilt top you’d like to make. The sketch doesn’t have to be perfect, it just needs to reflect what you’d like the quilt to look like. Then break it down into blocks, and then the blocks into block units. Keep yourself open to the possibilities. The one tenant I continually emphasize in my blogs is this: The pattern is merely a suggestion. It’s the place you begin, not necessarily the place you finish. Make your quilt yours.
It’s also important we don’t evaluate while we create. Evaluating while you’re trying to create it is a bit like trying to drive your car forward when it’s in park – it doesn’t work. Creating means you’re playing with new ideas, visualizing what you want to make, planning it, and considering all the possibilities. Evaluating means you’re analyzing and judging. You’re picking apart ideas and sorting them into piles of good or bad, useful or not useful. So as you begin the process of creating your quilt, pull your fabrics with abandon. Audition them. Keep out all the ones you think will work – even if it’s more than you need. Shelve the fabric you won’t use.
Then leave them alone for 24 hours or longer. Go back and narrow the field to what you need. Make your blocks. Lay them out the way the pattern suggests. Then play with the arrangement. Use your phone to take pictures of the different layouts. Then once again, give yourself 24 hours or longer to “stew” over the possibilities. Now begin to evaluate.
In this creative/evaluating process, there is always room for you to catch your breath. Instead of deciding on your fabric and immediately launching into the cutting process, you’re allowing your mind to “breathe.” While you may be moving onto other things, your subconscious mind is still evaluating. When you return to your fabric choices or layout, the creative side of your brain has done remarkable work. Now it’s possible to narrow decisions and decide what really pleases you.
Personally, I think the worst quilting mistakes I’ve ever made (although to the viewers these blunders may not be visible), is rushing the creating/evaluating process. I either evaluate while I’m making my initial choices, or I evaluate too soon. A 24-hour time span works best for me. Yours may be shorter or longer. But the more you allow yourself “breathing” room between creating and evaluating, the more tuned in you become to what works best for you in this process. The important take away here is this: There should be a clear separation between creating and evaluating.
We should also be cautious about how we listen to “experts.” There are many quilters who have plied their art for a long, long time and I truly consider them the “Grand Masters” of our field. These are the quilt teachers, best-selling authors, YouTube stars, and noted fabric and pattern designers of our world. And yes, they are truly worth listening to and taking note of. I’ve taken their classes, read their blogs, and have their books. However, following anyone’s advice to the letter can stifle creativity. Listen to what your gut is telling you about your quilt. Some of the most successful people in the world did what people told them would never work. Some of what I consider the best quilts I ever made are the ones I truly listened to my heart and gut and went with those verses the pattern or the designer. With this thought, we need to be cautious about how we view failure.
Fear of failure – wasting resources and time – is like putting a wet blanket on a burning creative fire. The thought of “What if this doesn’t work, and I’ve wasted all this fabric and time on nothing?” is real. We all face this thought. And none of us want to waste material or time. So with this fear, let me remind you of the wonderful athlete, Babe Ruth. During his athletic career, Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs. I realize this record has been broken, but it’s still an outstanding number of home runs, and for years he was known as the King of Home Runs.
However, did you know he was also the Master of Strikeouts? See, the Babe never swung for singles or doubles – he only swung that bat with the thought of making another home run. He thought it was worth the risk of failure (striking out) to be successful (homeruns).
If you avoid failure, you won’t be successful in anything. Be okay with your mistakes. If you take more chances, you’ll have more gorgeous, wonderful quilts than you know what to do with. And those quilts with mistakes – don’t toss them. Quilt them up and use them as charity quilts or cuddle quilts or gentle reminders risks are always worth taking. Failure is as much a part of the creative process as successes are.
Not my studio….
The creative process also means finding your Zen in the middle of chaos and confusion. Sometimes the best description of my quilt studio is this: There appears to have been a struggle. In the middle of making a quilt (usually several quilts at one time), to the casual observer my studio is a mess. Fabric is everywhere, papers are strewn, and my design board makes no sense at all.
But it all makes sense to me, and that’s the most important thing. While to others (including my long-suffering husband) it may look like a quilt store threw up in my studio, I know exactly what I’m doing. After the project is complete, I will clean it all up and it will return to its former state of tidiness, but when I’m pushing through the process, it often appears quite chaotic. While you’re pulling fabric, designing, and redesigning your quilts, realize your studio may look like mine. But keep in mind there will be time to return everything to its rightful place.
Now, after reading all of this you decide to take the leap and veer from the quilt pattern directions. You’re excited to put your stamp on this quilt but also a little leery you’ll make a huge mess of the whole thing. Let me offer four pieces of advice. First, have confidence in your abilities. I’ve mentioned several times in my blogs making a quilt is like eating an elephant – you can do it as long as you take it one bite at a time. In other words, don’t look at the entire quilt while you construct it. Look at it one unit at a time, one block at a time, and then one row at a time. This way you not only keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed, but also are able to concentrate on only what’s under your needle. If you want to change a block and use half-square triangles instead of set-in seams, you just need to remember a half-square triangle is a half-square triangle no matter what quilt it’s in. You pick your favorite construction method and get down to business. A flying geese is a flying geese. A four-patch is a four-patch. Take it one step at a time and realize you know how to make those units. Yes, a little self-doubt is good for the soul – it does keep you on your toes – but it shouldn’t stop you from changing things up a bit
Second, realize very, very few things are impossible in the world of quilting. You may think your idea seems crazy at first, and you may wonder if your concept will work, but nothing is impossible. Don’t even let the word “impossible” dwell in your mind. Instead divide your quilt world into two categories: Things I’ve Tried and They Worked and Things I Haven’t Tried, but I’m Pretty Sure Will Work. This sounds much more positive and workable. And truthfully, it is accurate. Every quilter has had to back track and change things, but in the end usually a wonderful quilt is the result. Ignore the word impossible and get on with it.
While you’re ignoring the impossible, also ignore the discouragers. This is my third piece of advice. No matter what you do in life, there always will be some people who tell you it’s impossible, it won’t work, or you can’t do it. I’ve quilted over thirty years, and during this time, I’ve discovered most quilters are extremely positive people who encourage each other. But there’s always that one…who no matter what… will find something wrong with everything. Including your quilt or your quilting ideas. Ignore these quilty lemons. Every road to victory is paved with predictions of failure. And keep this little mental tidbit in mind: Once you have a great quilt under your belt, full of your creativity, your ideas, and your skills, those naysayers will probably shut up.
And good riddance to them.
Fourth, avoid analysis paralysis. This means don’t spend so much time thinking about what you want to do and cramming your brain with so much information that you decide the risk is too much and you back out of your decisions. Yes, information is knowledge, but knowing what could possibly go wrong with each step can make attempting the project seem not worth it. Remember, chances are what could go wrong – the mistakes you might possibly make – more than likely won’t happen. The risks are worth the rewards.
The last few thoughts I’d like to leave you with are ideas to nurture your creativity. For quilters, pretty fabric, viewing beautiful quilts, and talking to other quilters are all part of this creativity sustainment. However, there are a few additional, non-quilt-related activities you can undertake which will also help foster your creativity.
Exercise more – Often the more you sit around, the more lethargic and unmotivated you feel. The key is to realize when you actually need rest and when you’re avoiding physical activity. If you’re not really tired, make time to move around more than you normally do. Instead of implementing a strict workout routine (unless that’s your thing), just make sure your day involves some gentle forms of exercise. Take a walk, do some stretching…changing your environment by moving around helps you see things from a different perspective. This is why I encourage you to take a break from quilting after you’ve sewn an hour. Get up. Stretch. Hydrate. You’ll find you’re a better quilter for it.
Cut out mindless entertainment – If you are what you eat, are you also what you watch? If you opt for more creative entertainment, rather than mindless stuff all the time, it will have a positive impact on your creativity. It’s not that you shouldn’t have some completely mindless entertainment at times (because we all do), just balance that with some good movies, good books, and quilty YouTube channels, too.
Follow your inner voice – Listening to your inner voice can be simplest way to overcome stifled creativity. Treat all your “crazy” ideas as valid, rather than immediately dismissing them. You can always dismiss them later if they turn out not to be the best option. But first, give them a chance. Brainstorm how you can follow through on an idea so you can accomplish your goal. It might not look anything like your original quilt idea, but you’ll discover this by taking time to imagine the different possibilities.
I realize I’ve discussed creativity in broad strokes. I’ve touched on quilting with some of these strokes and in others I’ve left the ideas solely up to you. The primary issue I want you to come away with is this: Use all the creativity you have in a quilt. Don’t be afraid to switch things up. There are honestly very few quilting “mistakes” which cannot be fixed. And with every goof, there are valuable lessons learned. You’ll never reach your full potential in anything until you push yourself out of your comfort zone.
This blog is about a subject near and dear to my heart – quilt retreats you thought I would say fabric, didn’t you?
I love quilt retreats. Overnighters, day trippers, you name a quilt retreat and if at all possible you can sign me up. Why am I so crazy about these? For me, a person who still works more than full-time, these are uninterrupted hours of sewing with a group of people who share my same passion and probably the same warped sense of humor. Usually great food and wine involved. Annnnnnd chocolate. What’s not to love? Seriously, if you never heed one other word of my quilty advice, if you have a chance to go on a quilt retreat, do it. It’s so much fun.
You’ll have a great time, but you will also get a great deal accomplished. All those projects you never really have time for – you can start on those at a quilt retreat. However, it’s important to remember a quilt retreat is a little different from a vacation and it’s pretty imperative you plan accordingly. And that’s what this blog is about – how to plan for a quilt retreat and implement that plan. So, without further ado, here’s Sherri’s Plan of Action for Quit Retreats.
Read your registration and keep a copy with you. The registration form usually comes with some key information, such as the address of the location (so you can plug it into your GPS), mealtimes, check-in time, and location of the sewing space. If you worry you might lose this piece of paper or it may be shuffled somewhere you can’t find it, do what I do: Take a picture of it with your phone right before you leave. This way it will be the first picture on your camera roll, and you’ll always have easy access to it.
Start Prepping Early. Just like a retreat is different than a vacation, so is the packing. Besides the clothing and other essentials, you also have to pack your projects. I’ll go over how I pack my projects in a bit, but now I want to talk about how important it is to prep your projects before you pack. There are a couple of ways to approach this subject. If you want to spend a good chunk of your time prepping your applique pieces and cutting things out at the retreat, you may want to breeze over this section. However, if you’re like me and want to maximize your sewing time, try to prep as much as possible at home. My prep plan goes like this:
For machine applique, I have all my applique pieces traced on my fusible web. Time permitting, I will have these fused to the fabric. Ideally, I would like to have all my pieces cut out, bagged and tagged, and ready to fuse once I’m set up at retreat. I also like to have the pattern traced onto the background.
For prepared edge applique, either by hand or machine, minimally I like to have all my applique pieces prepped, bagged and tagged, and ready to sew. Ideally, I would also like to have my pattern traced onto the background fabric. In a perfect world, I would have my applique pieces pinned or glued to the background so I can pick it up and start sewing.
For pieced quilts, I do all my cutting at home. I’m more comfortable in my cutting space. I also bag and tag the units for ease of construction – i.e. all the 2 ½-inch squares for one block unit go in one bag, the squares for HST construction in another. Then I label the bags so I know what I’m grabbing.
If I need to press any fabric (such as backing or other large quilt pieces or fabric before it’s subcut), I do that at home. It’s no fun spending valuable sewing time on pressing fabric.
I begin prep work about a month before the retreat. Why so early? Well, I still work a full-time job, so my time is limited. If I begin early, I can make sure I’ve prepped correctly and well. Also, if I make a mistake, this gives me time to make a mad dash back to my LQS or order additional fabric online and get it before I have to leave.
Once everything is prepped, you can start packing your projects. My favorite way to transport my retreat projects is in project boxes.
I use one box per project and label each box. In this box I place the prepped pieces, the fabric (just in case I make a mistake, I can cut additional pieces out), the pattern, any matching thread or specialty thread, and any special notions or rulers. If I’ve already begun work on the project, I also make a note of exactly where I’m at in the construction process. Usually I mark this on the pattern.
One your projects are prepped and ready to go, now it’s time to think about your machine(s) and the sewing notions you use every time you sit down to quilt. Once you’ve decided which one (or how many) of your sewing machines you want to take with you, do a basic run-though before packing it. This is especially important if you plan to take a machine you don’t use every day. Set the machine up and do a practice sew session. Be sure the machine is cleaned and oiled before packing it (and don’t forget to pack the power cord and foot pedal). You may even want to have it serviced prior to attending a retreat. I normally attend a quilt retreat in October, which is several days long. I make an appointment in September to have my sewing machine serviced, so I know it’s ready for a grueling four-days of non-stop stitching. This has always worked pretty well for me.
Now for notions. It’s easy to forget something you use. I have a plan of action which generally cuts down on my leaving something behind. I put a bucket or plastic bin near my sewing machine a few weeks before the retreat. Every time I use a tool or notion, I drop it in the bin or bucket. When it comes time to pack my regularly used notions and tools, they’re all together.
Make sure you have bobbins for the machine you’re taking. You may want to wind several bobbins in neutral threads and have them ready, or you may want to purchase some prewounds. And it’s a good idea to pack a few empty bobbins, just in case you need them. If hand applique is on your retreat agenda, you may find winding any colored thread on bobbins to be a space saver. Bobbins take up much less room than spools.
Finally take your rotary cutters and scissors for a test drive. If either are dull, it’s a good idea to fix that bothersome issue before you leave. Change the blade in your rotary cutters (and packing a few extra blades is a great idea) and either have your scissors sharpened or replace those.
As you pack, remember these items:
A travel iron and pressing station
Portable lights – the light in the sewing room may be great during the day, but it may be a completely different story at night.
A small ruler stand
Extra feet for your machine – such as a walking foot, quarter-inch foot, free motion foot, and zipper foot.
Extra sewing machine needles in all needed sizes
Some kind of container to keep all your “normal” sewing notions together
Thread catcher
Pin Cushion
Small cutting mat
A mat for your machine to help keep it from vibrating or wobbling on those plastic retreat tables
At least one more project than you think you’ll get completed – you’ll be surprised at how much you’ll finish
Tool caddy
Extension cord and power strip
These are standard retreat supplies. However, the following are some items I’ve found pretty handy to have:
Pain reliever. You will be sitting hunched over a machine for much longer stretches than you are at home. You may need something to help with the aches and pains. And while we’re on the subject of our-backs-and-butts-are-not-as-young-as-they-used-to-be, let me encourage you to ALWAYS (not just at retreat), take a break after sewing for an hour. Stand up. Stretch. Hydrate.
A heating pad/extra zip-lock bags for ice. I’ve found both helpful for my neck and shoulders.
Minimally, a cushion for your chair. Ideally your own sewing chair. No matter how wonderful your retreat location and facilities are, chances are the chairs used are not made for people who spend hours at a sewing machine. A cushion can help correct this situation. Your own sewing chair can solve it completely.
A planner/list. By the end of retreat, I want to have some projects complete. The others I really hope to have constructed to a certain point. If you have a general idea of what you want to do, a list can keep you on track – which projects need to be finished, and what stages you’d like the others to be at by the time you leave.
Lastly, as a good friend of mine once told me,“A retreat is for fun – not a four-day sweatshop.” In other words, don’t feel you have to sew every minute. Fellowship. Eat well. Enjoy the time away from home and the opportunity to be with people who share the same passion as you do. Take care of yourself while you’re there. Try to keep a regular sleep schedule. It’s so tempting to stay up all night sewing (and it’s not like I haven’t done that before at retreat either), but remember you reap what you sew. If you do this, you won’t feel as well the next day. And eventually retreat has to end – even though we don’t want it to – and we must return to the real world and pick up where we left off.
If you have the opportunity to attend a quilt retreat, I encourage you to give one a try. They’re so much fun and you do get a lot done. Always remember you can plan your own mini-retreat. Talk with some quilty friends and plan an out-of-town get away or a day retreat at a church fellowship hall or some other location – someone’s home works just as well. I promise you won’t regret it.
It’s nearing the end of October. And for some of us, this means we’re almost through with our Christmas shopping. For others of you…well….
There are a couple of things I know for sure. First, money’s a little tighter with a lot of folks in 2022. Heating bills are predicted to be substantially higher than last year, and let’s not even talk about trips to the gas station…
The second thing I’m pretty confident about is at some point in the next few weeks, someone is going to ask you what you want for Christmas. If you have a significant other, I’m thinking they’ll ask you this question before too long (my hubs plays it safe – he marches into Pineapple Fabric/Keepsake Quilting and gets me a gift certificate). Children, parents, and other folks will soon follow suite.
Realizing this, I mulled over all the sewing notions in the marketplace. If you follow blogs or webpages, it seems new quilting tools come out every few weeks and it’s hard to keep up with everything. And I’ll also throw out this Zone of Truth: You don’t need every little new thing. For instance, I’m a bit critical (okay, a lot critical) about specialty rulers. With specialty rulers, most of the time they’re only good for one technique. For instance, there’s a ruler out there for the Hunter’s Star Block:
This is a nice block. It makes a beautiful quilt. But a large Hunter’s Star specialty ruler costs about $27 on Amazon and do you know how many other quilt blocks it works with other than the Hunter’s Star?
None.
I mean sure, you can use it for a straight edge and for measuring, but I like for my quilting tools to at least multi-task to one other job or be used daily. If I wanted to make a Hunter’s Star quilt, I would tough it out and math it out and make one without the specialty ruler. I could spend the $27 on fabric for the quilt. And besides, with all those set-in seams, one Hunter’s Star quilt would be all I made. But that’s beside the point.
Good Thread – I admit, I’m a thread snob. I prefer long staple, cotton thread. It holds up to piecing, machine applique, or quilting. It’s not linty and it doesn’t break easily. I prefer 50 or 60 weight for piecing, and 60 to 100 weight for machine applique (depending on the look I want). I adore 100 weight micro quilting thread, and if it doesn’t come in the color I want, I’ll settle for 80-weight in the desired hue.
I have preferences.
Generally, good thread doesn’t live in Big Box Stores so don’t look in Walmart or Hobby Lobby. Most quilt stores have a great selection of great thread. If you don’t have a LQS near you, I order from Superior Thread (which only carries the Superior Thread brands) or Red Rock Thread (which carries a wide selection of many quality thread brands). If you need thread, ask for a gift certificate from your LQS, or visit one of the aforementioned websites. All of those have gift certificates.
Cutterpillar Light Box – I’ve mentioned this light box before. I’ve owned a Cutterpillar Light Box for almost four years now and I have found it to be the best light box I’ve ever used. It’s wafer-thin, LED, has its own carrying case, and three light settings. This is one of the more expensive quilting notion on this list, coming in at $109 on Amazon. There are other wafer light boxes out there, but the Cutterpillar comes with a clear-cutting board which can safely be used on top of the light box (the price includes the clear-cutting board). It has a self-healing rotary mat and a glass crafting board which can be purchased at an additional price. The entire Cutterpillar set is about $190, depending on where it’s purchased.
I love the Cutterpillar because easily transported to quilting classes or retreats. The only thing I wish I could change about it is its size. I wish I could get one of these about the size of a table. It seems the longer I quilt, the larger my applique blocks are getting!
Electric Quilt 8 (EQ8) – I use this software almost daily. It’s so easy to jump on EQ8 and find just the quilt block you need in its vast block library. It has multiple quilt layouts and even “fabric” you can audition for your quilt. The Electric Quilt Company is constantly producing updates for the program (which are free with the purchase of the software) as well as “add ons” for specialty quilts such as Dear Jane. And they’ve begun offering virtual classes to help you really learn the ins and outs of EQ8. This is another of the pricier notions – it’s currently $239.95 on their website, but this is for the full program. There’s an EQ8 Mini for $150. If you have EQ7, you can upgrade to EQ8 for $99.95. It is less expensive on Amazon, but with this vendor, the software comes in CD-rom form. It’s a download from the EQ website.
If you really want this software but it’s more pennies than you planned on spending (or someone else spending), there are a couple of things you can do. Go to the website and sign up for their weekly email newsletter and blog. Lots of times they offer coupons in these. Next, the closer it gets to Christmas, the more likely they’re to offer a really good sale (and when EQ has a sale, it’s usually pretty good). Keep an eye out in your email for special sales announcements.
Misty Fuse – I wrote about this fusible web in this blog: https://sherriquiltsalot.com/2022/02/09/sticky-situations/. Misty Fuse is unlike other fusible webs because it does not have a paper backing. It’s literally a thin, web-like substance you fuse to the wrong side of your fabric by using a Goddess Sheet or other Teflon-infused pressing sheet. It’s easy to press Misty Fuse to your fabric and then cut out your applique shapes. This fusible web comes in white, black, and ultra-violet (which is used with sheer fabrics). And while all these characteristics are great, the one thing which really sold me about this fusible is it can take a beating from the heat of your iron and still work. With other fusibles, you must be cautious about how long you press them with an iron and your heat settings. Too much of either does not work well. The fusible literally loses its fusibility. Misty Fuse can handle too much of both and its fusing action isn’t affected. Ten yards of this product is about $30 on Amazon. It is also available in lesser yardage.
A Long Cutting Ruler – It’s no secret to my regular readers that the task I like least about quilting is cutting all the fabric. For this reason, I have found investing in some good quality, basic acrylic rulers is a necessity. There are two I work with nearly every day and both of those are 24-inches long. Once my fabric is folded in half on the width, these are perfect for cutting long strips. The ruler width varies – one is 6-inches wide and the other is 8-inches wide. One is an Olfa, which has a lip on one end I can lock under my cutting mat, so the ruler won’t budge. The other is a Creative Grids which has the gripper circles built into the ruler to prevent it from slipping. The 24-inch quilting rulers vary in price from brand name to brand name but generally run between the $20 and $30 range. My advice is to buy the same brand of ruler as your cutting mat so there are fewer measuring mistakes.
Tulip Hand Sewing Needles – I wrote a blog about needles here: https://sherriquiltsalot.com/2020/10/28/hand-sewing-needles-more-than-meets-the-eye/. Hand sewing needles are one of the least expensive quilting notions on the market. And no matter how much of a sewing machine goddess you are, there will come a time when you’ll need to put in a few stitches by hand. Tulip Needles are spun lengthwise instead of crosswise, meaning they will glide through your fabric with less friction than other brands. These are quality needles which come in super cute packaging. I’m old enough that my eyes aren’t always as sharp as I need them to be. However, I’ve found the eyes of Tulip Needles to be large enough I don’t have to wrestle with threading them. And Tulip has developed a tabletop threader which works specifically with their needles. Tulip Needles come a full range of sizes, and the price points run from $9 to $22 (the more expensive ones are beading needles). The Tulip Needle Threader is about $15.
Glass Head Pins – These are my go-to pins. The heads can withstand the heat of an iron without melting, they are fine enough no residuals holes are left, and are long enough to weave in and out of the fabric or parallel along the edge of fabric and not fall out. These range from $6 to $11. Like needles, pins are a relatively inexpensive quilting notion. Treat yourself to a couple of packages and replace them when they’re bent, or the point becomes dull. My favorite brand is Dritz.
Boxes – Those of you who are long time readers of my blog know my penchant for project boxes. I use these boxes to keep all my quilts together once they’re cut out, as well as keep any notions or specialty rulers with the project. And while any good cardboard box will do, my favorite are the clear, plastic boxes.
You can see through them, and they stack nicely. You will find them in quilt shops and on quilting websites, but honestly the best place to find them is Office Depo, Hobby Lobby, and Walmart. Depending on where you purchase them, the size, and how many you get, prices can run from $19 to $50. My favorite place to buy them is Office Depo. They have a larger variety of sizes – even small ones you can use to corral your needles, pins, or other small notions. Everything you need for a quilt can be tossed in the project box. When a quilt retreat or Sit and Sew opportunity presents itself, all you need to do is grab your box. And this type of organization makes it super-easy to get started on a new project. Everything is together and you don’t have to spend valuable minutes hunting for things. Project Box Alert – I just found them today at Dollar Tree! They cost a bit more than $1 but are perfect for quilting. Advertised as scrapbooking storage, they’re the ideal size for storing fabric, pattern, and notions.
Washi Tape/Painter’s Tape – I’ll be honest here – I use tape for a lot of things in my quilt studio, but the one kind of tape I don’t use is masking tape. It can leave a sticky residue. However, Washi Tape or painter’s tape remove cleanly.
So what do I use it for? If I need to trim quilt blocks down, I use it on rulers to indicate where the fabric edge should be. This way I don’t have to keep measuring and looking for just the right spot. I’ve found this to be super-handy, especially at night when my lighting may not be the best and I’m tired from working all day. There is no guessing or hoping I’m at the right spot. The painter’s tape or Washi Tape is bright and lets me know exactly where to line things up.
I also use it for quilting straight lines on my domestic sewing machine. Simply apply the tape and then stitch on either side of it for great straight-line quilting with a walking foot.
It can also be used to mark where the edge of your fabric needs to be as it travels over your feed dogs for that perfect ¼-inch seam allowance. If your machine doesn’t come with a quilter’s foot, no worries. You can use Washi or painter’s tape to mark where the edge of your fabric should be.
And finally, if you have to cut your fabric strips on an angle, these tapes can be a huge help. The quilting rulers come marked with several different angles on them, and trying to find the right one each time you cut can be confusing – especially after a long day at work or in not-so-great lighting. A piece of tape along the right diagonal line is a lifesaver. You exactly where to line your fabric up in order to make the right cut.
Prices on both of these vary greatly, but both are relatively inexpensive and can be found a big box stores such as Walmart and Hobby Lobby.
Small Rotary Cutters – I promised I wasn’t mentioning rotary cutters per se, but I will add this priceless piece of information here: Small rotary cutters – those 28 mm or less are much easier to control than the larger ones. While the larger ones are great for cutting through multiple layers of fabric, the smaller rotary cutters are way more versatile. They are easier to control, make cutting around templates so much more accurate and easier, and are so much better for trimming. These are available in 14, 16, 18, and 28 mm and run the price gamut of $10 – $12. However, let me add this caveat – a quick search on Amazon for replacement blades yielded only those for the 28 mm cutter. I’m not sure if somewhere like Missouri Star may have replacement blades for the smaller sizes.
Walking Foot and ¼-Inch Foot – First, I realize many sewing machines – especially those designed for quilters – already have these feet included with purchase. However, if your machine didn’t come with either or only one, you will more than likely want both of these as your quilting journey progresses. A walking foot will move all three layers of the quilt together over the feed dogs without any slippage. This means it’s great for quilting and sewing on binding. Many quilters, once they know where the ¼-inch seam allowance is on their walking foot, prefer to piece with this foot.
A ¼-inch foot makes piecing a breeze. Generally these feet have a phalange on the right side, so you know exactly where to line up your fabric as it goes over the feed dogs, producing a perfect ¼-inch seam. Keeping a consistent ¼-inch seam is imperative for perfect seams and perfect piecing.
A walking foot can range from $10 to $24 depending on if you purchase only the foot or the foot with accessories. A ¼-inch foot runs from $8 to $15, again depending on if you purchase only the foot or the foot with accessories. My advice is to order or purchase the foot made by your sewing machine manufacturer. This way you know the foot will work correctly. If your sewing machine manufacturer doesn’t make a walking foot or ¼-inch foot, don’t despair. Find out if your machine takes a high shank foot or a low shank foot and order generic ones. If you’re not sure what shank you have, Google your machine’s make and model or consult your sewing machine manual.
My Frixion Pens and Water-Soluble Markers – I know there’s a bit of controversy about Frixion Pens: the marks will come back if the fabric gets cold, they leave “ghost” marks on dark fabric, etc. However, I love these pens. To me there’s simply nothing better to trace applique templates with, mark block units for Y-seams, and mark applique backgrounds. And since I’ve discovered this:
Which completely removes Frixion ink, I have absolutely no qualms about using them.
I mark my quilt tops for quilting with washable markers. There are the ever-faithful blue water-soluble pens.
And there are these:
Which you may have never considered using. I admit when I first heard about quilters using them to mark fabric, I was very, very skeptical. However, after several quilting teachers (including one who is a quilt judge) mentioned using these with great success, I changed my mind. I purchased a pack and I have to admit, they work great and last a lot longer than the blue makers.
Frixion pens come in black, and a pack of three runs around $5. A box of 12 is about $25. They also come in a range of colors and can run from $6 to $30. The tip size varies from medium to extra fine. They’re even available in white. Blue water-soluble markers cost between $7 and $15 depending on the brand, how many are in a pack, and the tip size. Crayola Washable Markers run from $8 to $16, depending on how many are in a pack. If you want to use the Crayola Washable Markers, make sure the package clearly states they’re the washable kind and you will probably want the ones who can produce a fine line.
Clover Seam Ripper – Clover is a sewing notions company which has consistently produced wonderful products with great quality throughout the years. I’ve used their bias tape makers, stilettoes, and applique pins ever since I began quilting. However, I thought a seam ripper was just a seam ripper until I tried theirs. The tip is thinner than other brands, making it easier to slide under stitches and break the thread without a lot of hassle. The handle is ergonomically designed, too.
Like needles and pins, seam rippers do get dull over time and with continuous use. The rule of thumb is to replace your seam ripper once a year. However, I’ve found Clover’s seam rippers, stay sharper longer than 365 days.
These seam rippers cost about $7, so they’re not terribly expensive. I keep one at my sewing machine, one in my hand sewing kit, and one in my hand applique kit, and one in my sewing bag.
Tweezers/Purple Thang – Tweezers are great, little tools to keep near your sewing machine. They come in handy when you change your sewing machine needle. They can hold the needle in place while you tighten the needle screw. They are perfect for helping to position applique pieces before gluing or fusing them in place (especially the small ones). They are really useful when I use the Apliquick applique method – they can help fold the fabric over the edge of the interfacing – which really comes in hand with the smaller pieces.
However, the place I use both tweezers and the Purple Thang most in is paper piecing. I’ve found if I can score the paper with the tweezers or the pointy end of the Purple Thank, they come out oh-so-easy. Then I can use the business ends of the tweezers to retrieve any tiny papers left in seams and corners.
Tweezers come in all kinds of forms and sizes. Personally, I like the kind with the angled ends. These seem to be able to get in the tiny places better. I think the kind used for putting on eyelashes/eyelash extensions are the BEST. Amazon has these sets in a price range of $9.99 to $29, depending on if you’re happier with only four different kinds of tweezers or absolutely must have the diamond grips. The Purple Thang, which is one of my favorite quilting tools for lots of reasons, has price points between $6 and $12. The more expensive Purple Thang price includes a case and 10 Thangs – which now come in colors other than purple.
Quilting Gloves – For me, if I’m quilting on my domestic sewing machine, I have to have these gloves. They help hold the quilt sandwich in place, flatten the sandwich so I can see the area I’m quilting, and help me keep a firm grip on the sandwich bulk. However, I also use these gloves when I machine applique. They help me steady the background fabric and maneuver it. I also use them when I am sewing my quilt rows together and when I’m putting on the borders. The grippy surface of the gloves really help you tame all the bulk. The quilt market has lots of different kinds of these gloves. My favorite are these:
I like having some of my fingers free – this allows my hand to remain cooler and not sweat. When I need to remove the gloves, I can just slide my fingers out and the band of the gloves keeps them on my wrist, which means I don’t lose them if I just need to make an adjustment or two or answer my phone, etc. These are available on Angela Walter’s website, Quiltingismytherapy.com for $27.99. They are also available on Amazon, but are more expensive on this website. One word of caution, they do run a little small, so you may want to purchase a size larger than you normally wear.
I like the Machinger Gloves, too. Admittedly these do make my hands hot, but they have really good gripping action. Plus the grips are on both sides of the gloves, so if one side gets dirty, you simply flip them over and keep quilting. These range from $6-$13.
Zoom Classes – I’m not revisiting how wonderful Zoom quilting classes are – you can go here https://sherriquiltsalot.com/2022/09/07/the-zoom-zone-of-truth/ to read about those. If there is something you want to learn how to do in quilting (or almost any other area) or want to learn to do better, there is a Zoom class for it. You can take them in the comfort of your own home, in your own studio. Prices can range from under $50 to several hundred dollars depending on what you want to learn and how many classes are offered in a program. They’re a great way to expand your skill set in the comfort of your own space. Plus you don’t have to pack up all your stuff and then unpack it when you get home.
There. I’ve listed most of my very favorite quilting notions and tools. If someone is in a bind and wondering what exactly the perfect present for you would be, show them this blog. Better yet, print it out and circle the items you want. Not too many of their pennies will be spent, and you’re quilting life will have gotten a lot easier!
