Quilting Basics

I'm so excited to be teaching a Beginners Quilting class next week at church.  It's geared toward the person who has always wanted to make a quilt but is overwhelmed and doesn't know where to begin.  I'm going to post a couple of beginning tutorials over the next couple of days, but first I thought I would give some basic tips for starting the quilting process.

The first thing you're going to need are some basic tools:

Rotary Cutting Mat

Rotary Cutter (either the 45mm or 60mm will work--it’s just personal preference; the one shown here is 60mm)

Ruler (there are tons of rulers out there, but the most basic sewing ruler tends to be 18”x 3”)

Sewing Scissors (used for cutting threads)

Sewing Machine (any old machine will do)

Ironing Board & Iron (steam function should be off & heat should be set for Cotton fabrics)

Sewing Pins (if desired)

(You really should never have to pay full price for these items; sign up for JoAnns coupons--you can use as many of their coupons at one time as you want.  You can also go online and print off the 40% Hobby Lobby coupon that's on their website.  Even a lot of Wal-Marts carry these supplies for cheap if you don’t have any coupons.) 

Choosing Fabrics:

Make sure any and all fabric you buy is 100% Cotton.  This rule can be broken later on in the game, but as a beginner, it’s very important that you are working with all of the same type of fabric for ease of sewing.  

When choosing fabrics it’s all about personal taste, but there are a few things that can really help you choose fabrics that will work well together.   Here’s a link that gives some tips for what to choose, and Pile o' Fabric also had a great explanation of use of the color wheel if you're interested.

A couple of things to ask yourself when putting fabrics together:

·      Are the fabrics too busy all together?  If the answer is yes, try swapping out one of the patterned fabrics for a solid fabric that matches the other fabrics.

·      Is a larger print fabric ideal for the block I am sewing?  (If your block has a lot of little sections a smaller print would probably be better)

·      Do you want a high contrast with the fabrics or do you want a subtle color scheme (same colors but different shades along the spectrum)?

·      Do you know how much fabric you need?  It’s better to get a little extra than be stranded when you don’t have enough.  Make sure you calculate how much you need beforehand if possible (and maybe round up in case of mistakes, miscalculations, or a mistaken pattern).

 

Everyone has a different process for how they pick out fabric.  Sometimes I see a fabric that I absolutely love and then find other fabrics that compliment it.  For example, I saw these 2 cupcakes fabrics and just had to have them.  I knew I needed a third fabric that went with them, so I found this one:

Notice it shares the majority of the colors from the other 2 fabrics, but has a different background color.  Now for the borders of the quilt, I'll find a solid color fabric to use; I'll probably use the hot pink color, because it's an accent color in the fabrics that isn't used as a background color in any of the other 3 fabrics I've already chosen.  

Sometimes I buy fabrics that are all from the same line of fabric that are meant to be used together.  Take these fabrics for example, they're all from Robert Kaufman's Roar! series.  I'll probably add a solid fabric to connect the fabrics together, but all of the fabrics match each other without me having to think too much about it.

And sometimes, I just randomly come up with a combination that I like--you get better at it the more you do it.  Also, it never hurts to hop on Flickr, quilting blogs, or even do a google images search and take a look at lots of quilts.  You’ll quickly see what you personally like and don’t like.

Some things to think about:

Now that you have you're fabric--"to wash or not to wash, that is the question."  There are quite a few strong opinions out there about whether or not to wash your fabric before you quilt with it.  I’ll let you decide, but just remember if you wash one fabric, they all need to be washed.  I tend to definitely wash fabrics that I know have a risk of bleeding (such as red or other deep colors).  Make sure that before cutting your fabrics and after washing them, you iron them just before they've completely dried.  You need the fabric completely flat and ironed in order to accurately measure and cut.  Sometimes though it is definitely easier to not wash any of your fabrics--they are crisper and easier to work with then.  You decide what works best for you. 

There's one last thing to check before you start quilting:

All "seam allowances" (the distance from the thread line to the edge of the fabric) for quilting are always ¼ inch unless otherwise noted.  First, check your machine for a pre-programmed stitch that sews ¼ inch away from the edge of the fabric.  (Keep in mind that different pre-programmed stiches will move your needle slightly to the right or the left based on the idiosyncrasies of that stitch).  Measure on your machine ¼ inch out to the right from the point where the needle comes down to the edge of the foot to make sure it’s a true ¼ inch.   I’ve seen some people actually mark their machine with masking tape at the ¼” spot to use as a guideline. 

It's not the greatest picture, but do you notice how a ¼” from the needle does not go all the way to the edge of the metal plate on my machine?  That means that if I line up all of my fabric to the edge of the plate, my blocks will all come out small.  I have to align mine with the feeders to get it the right size.  So make sure you measure on your machine to find the true ¼” 

Are you ready to quilt????  If you have any questions please, please ask!!  The first tutorial will be up on Monday. :)

A Modern Gift

I thoroughly enjoyed making this modern quilt for the Free Motion Quilt Along.  I loved the random piecing on front and back, and I really enjoyed randomly quilting the design lines that determined the quilting sections.  It was rather liberating not to have to make anything exact.

It's time again for 100 Quilts for Kids, and I had originally pulled different fabric for this project, but since I didn't have anyone particular in mind for this quilt I've decided to donate it to the cause.  My husband is a Pediatric Resident, so he will be finding a child at his hospital this week to give the quilt to that he thinks is a good match for the quilt. 

The Treble clef background makes it perfect for someone who loves music.  I am giving this quilt as part of 100 Quilts for Kids to one of his patients in hopes that it brightens their day and makes their stay at the hospital a little more cozy.

 Here's the back of the quilt:

This was part of my 3rd quarter goals for the Finish Along - original goals found here.

Postage Stamps

The July block for do.Good Stitches is the Postage Stamp.  We needed to make 8 blocks using bright scraps from our stashes.

We used this tutorial.  I have to say I have new found respect for people that make entire quilts of these.  It would take forever to get all of the patches done.  It would be a little too tedious for me, but I think those quilts look fabulous.  I'll be excited to see how our group's quilt comes together.

Friday Night Quilting

Last night's Sew-In was most productive - I love when that happens!  I needed to catch up on my Modern quilt.  I got the back completed (also made haphazardly like the front using my left over fabric for the front).  I didn't even square since it was plenty big.

I spent the night quilting it.  I divided it into sections - using completely organic lines.  I decided not to plan it out beforehand since all of the rest of it has been random so far.  Each section was filled with one of the 5 stitches we've been doing with the Free Motion Quilting Project so far: Stippling, Sharp Stippling, Zig Zag, Circuit Board, and Loopy Lines.

 You can see four of the designs on the picture above.  I am really happy because I liked zig zag a lot more this time around, and even though I'm not a huge sharp stipling fan, I thought it was a lot more doable as well.

I got the entire thing quilted last night, so I'm thrilled to be almost completely caught up. (These last 2 pictures are from the back of the quilt).

Some Progress to Report

It's been several weeks since I have participated in WIP Wednesday and The Free Motion Quilting Project, but I have a little to show this week. 

1- Modern Quilt:  I'm a couple of weeks behind on this project, because of vacation, but I quickly got the quilt top finished yesterday and I really like it.  This is my first time doing this type of quilt and I found it quite enjoyable.  It's liberating to actually try to not line things up.

2- The rest of the week was spent making blocks.  I'm thrilled that all of my Skill Builder blocks are now done.  I haven't decided how I'm going to put them the last of them together yet.  I'm still thinking about it.

Other projects
Christmas blocks - no progress
Halloween Wall Hanging- no progress

Blogger BOM - Up to date

Do.Good Stitches - Need to make 8 postage stamp blocks

Stats for the Week:
New projects - 1
Completed projects - 0
WIP- 6

3rd Quarter Goals

Well, it's already that time again.  It's time to state my goals for the 2012 Finish Along.  I have gotten 3 of 4 done both quarters so far, so I'm wondering if I just say 3 quilts I'll actually complete them all this time around.

1- First on the list is my Modern Quilt.  I am seriously behind on the quilt along- As you can see, it is currently on my ironing board still in chain form.  It's my top priority for finishing.

2- It's time to finish up the 3rd and last quilt from the Skill Builder Sampler.  Here are the 12 blocks that need to be put together.

3- And last but not least - my poor Christmas quilt.  It's been on my list every quarter so far and has yet to even be touched.  In fact, this picture is from the 1st quarter goal list. Tee hee.  I'm feeling a bit sheepish about this one.  I WILL have some progress done on this by next quarter (hopefully finished) or I'm really going to have to do penance - no ice cream for a month or something of that sort.

Plugging Away

My goal for One Thing, One Week Challenge was to get partially caught up by finishing the 3 blocks from June that I still needed to do.  2 of the blocks were pretty involved, so I'm thrilled to have accomplished this goal with a couple days to spare.

Skill Builder #36 (and final block)- Butterfly:

I asked my husband what he thought and he said, "Oh cute" (pause) "It's a butterfly, isn't it?"  Uh ya.  He said to me, "Oh good.  I was afraid you were going to say it was supposed to be a Stealth Bomber or something."  Tee hee.  Maybe I can make a hexie Battle Cruiser to match.  Gotta love it.

Here are the other 2 blocks (full post here):

June Bloggers BOM

SBS #35- Feathered Star

I'm also linking up to BOMs Away.  Check out the other fun blocks people are making.

Last Day of the Stuetz Ladies Adventure

Our last stop on our way home was Portland, ME.  It's a beautiful city.  I really loved it.  I told Joel I'd be perfectly happy if he got a job in Portland, but the Children's Hospital is pretty small since it's so close to Boston.  Aw well - it was just a thought.

We went down to the wharf, and I had dinner to-go from the Portland Lobster Company.  It was voted the best seafood in Portland, and I can totally see why.  My lobster roll was quite tasty.  The picture above is the view from the restaurant.  It's right on the docks.

We went on a boat tour of the lighthouses at dusk.  After being around the water all week long it was about high time we were actually on it. 

We got a tour of all the islands around Portland.  I couldn't believe how many people actually live on them throughout the year and transit by boat.  There's an island for sale if anyone's in the market.  It's going for a cool 4.5-4.8 million dollars.  Alas, that's quite a bit out of my price range. :)

Christina was slightly cranky - too much time with the same people for too many days. :) By this point we were all ready to be home, but the boat tour was very beautiful and relaxing. 

Portland Head Light House

The building to the right of the church below is the tallest building in Portland - a whopping 17 stories.  Love it.  The sunset was gorgeous.

On our way home we made a detour, so my sister could set foot in Rhode Island.  She's now been to 47 of 50 states.  For fun I counted how many I've been to and I'm at an even 40 of 50.  I'm missing a bunch of states in the deep South and a couple other random ones. 

It was a good trip full of all kinds of really cool places, but I was more than ready to be home.  I missed my babies (hubby included) pretty badly by the end.  I was really excited to see them.