Penny Halgren asked:


Sometimes tying a quilt seems like the very last resort to getting a quilt finished.

While hand quilters love the look of a skillfully hand quilted quilt, and machine quilters appreciate the beauty and complexity of fine machine quilting, tying a quilt can be equally rewarding. And those ties don’t need to be simple yarn knots with tails tied every 6 inches.

For example, take a look at some of the particularly ornate Crazy Quilts from more than 100 years ago. These gorgeous Crezy Quilts were tied, but it isn’t obvious how they were tied, since you can’t see the ties on the front; thus didn’t distract from the exquisite embroidery stitches.

On the back side of these quilts there are simple double thread tacks holding the quilt together. To achieve this, the patchwork quilt top was sewn to a foundation fabric, securing the top to the inner layer.

The backing layer is also attached to the foundation fabric in the center of the quilt, but the ties do not come through to the quilt top. By carefully pulling the needle and thread through only the backing and the foundation, the double threads could be tied on the back.
Extra work, to be certain, but clearly worth the effort in order to preserve the quality and beauty of the Crazy Quilt top.

But, What About the Patchwork Quilts of Today?

Everyone agrees that tying a quilt is much faster and generally easier than either machine or hand quilting.

Basically anyone who can hold a needle can tie a quilt and get a sense of accomplishment. All members of a congregation are invited to tie a knot in the prayer quilt, no sewing ability needed. Yarn, perle cotton or embroidery thread tied in a simple knot is perfect for that kind of quilt. When the quilts are made, the quilters place the ties in the quilts, and then the members of the congregation finish the quilts by tying the knots.

Other quilts would be ruined by either hand or machine quilting. Anyone who has seen a moderately heavily quilted quilt understands that the quilting tends to reduce the puffiness in a quilt.

If you want a puffy, fluffy quilt, using thick batting will give you that look. And tying the quilt will keep the layers together while maintaining the puffiness you want. Hand or machine quilting this type of quilt would significantly reduce the puffiness, and completely change the look of your quilt.

Many tied quilts are simply tied in the corners between the blocks, leaving the blocks as open space. Other quilts are tied in the center of each block with either yarn or perle cotton.

But, tying a quilt doesn’t need to be boring!

The best ties are washable, won’t unravel, will stay tied, and are strong enough to hold together when they are tied. Even with those considerations, why not add a little flair? Using embroidery floss or cording might be a possibility. And instead of using yarn or perle cotton, try a ribbon.

And what about adding something interesting in the tie? Sew a cute shaped button - say a train or fire truck - onto your quilt, and then tie the knot on the back of the quilt. Simply pull your thread from the back of the quilt, attach the button, and knot the thread, just as you would sew a button on a shirt.

Another possibility is a bow. Instead of just knotting your quilt tie, finish it off with a bow. Add a large button under the bow for an even more interesting look. As added safety against the bow coming untied, double knot it.

And speaking of trains, trucks and other things with wheels, make double-sided circles of fabric and sew them on to your quilt as wheels of your vehicle, attaching them just in the center. You might even add a button on top, and make the fabric circle wheel able to spin around.

If you have a lattice on your quilt top, maybe you could lay down a narrow ribbon and tie it in place with ribbon ties every few inches along the way. If you will wash the quilt or wall hanging, the ribbon strips might need additional stitching to secure them to the quilt top.

Where you place the ties on your quilt can be interesting, too. Just as quilters stitch their quilting to make a design, your ties can add to the design of your quilt.

If your quilt has an ocean flavor, your ties can be like birds in the sky or whiskers on a seal. A basket quilt might have bows along the handles of the baskets. And your Sunbonnet Sue might have ribbons on her hat.

Have fun with every aspect of your quilt - from sewing the blocks together to quilting the top - whether you hand quilt, machine quilt or tie your quilt, finish it so someone you love can enjoy using it.



GRAHAM

Penny Halgren asked:


ve a little patience and love to pay attention to detail, maybe making reproduction quilts is the home-based business for you!

Almost everyone has a beloved quilt in their home, one made by a dear family member. Those quilts are often passed down through several generations. They eventually start to show wear and can be used for nothing more than display.

There are people who would actually love to use those quilts, but know that normal everyday use would destroy them. Those people would pay to have someone reproduce a likeness of that quilt.

If you decide to make reproduction quilts as your quilting business, you will need to know your customer’s wants very clearly. Maybe your customer would like the quilt to use the same color scheme but to be sewn with new fabrics. But what if they want exactly the same fabrics?
There are fabrics being manufactured today that are reproductions dating as far back as the 1800s. Those fabrics can be costly, though, so make sure you pass that expense along to the customer.

Another option does exist, but there are several “ifs” involved: “if” the fabric is still in good condition; “if” the customer understands the new quilt will look as worn as the old one but will be much more stable; “if” you have digital direct to garment printing available in your area, you can create the same quilt for much less than the reproduction fabrics.

Digital direct to garment printing is a process that apparel decorators use. It is NOT screen printing. It is NOT sublimation printing. It is NOT a transfer. Do not try to reproduce a quilt using any of those methods. Any of those methods will fade and wear quickly over time and will not feel natural.

Digital printers lay fabric on top of the printer platen and print onto the fabric as we would print paper from a printer at home. The inks are water based,actually penetrating the fabric fibers to become part of the fabric. A heat press is used to dry the water out of the ink, leaving only a soft natural looking fabric!

To create a reproduction quilt, you or your digital printer would scan in the fabrics and create your very own “yardage.” The print area is generally around 14×16 inches, so your fabrics would be printed in segments that size. If your customer doesn’t mind and if you think the fabric quality is good enough, you could actually scan in the entire quilt block and print it. You’d still have to piece the blocks to each other and quilt them.

To find a digital garment printer in your area, start by calling the t-shirt printers listed in your phone directory. Ask if they provide water based digital direct to garment printing. When you find someone who says yes, pay them a visit. Ask to see samples. You will not be able to feel any ink on the products at all. You also will not be able to see a line around it like transfers tend to leave.

If you choose to reproduce quilts as your quilting business, you will have truly selected a niche market. You can reproduce quilts that customers bring to you, or you can reproduce quilts that you love to resell at craft shows or in your own online store.

If you choose to reproduce quilts to resell at shows, be sure to attach a small tag or note that tells a little about the quilt’s history and a photo of its inspiration if possible. Sometimes knowing a little about the quilt’s past is the difference between making a sale or not!



CLYDE

Penny Halgren asked:


e a quilter and have not yet tried your hand at Leisure Arts quilt patterns, stop by your local library or bookstore to see what you have been missing!

Leisure Arts is one of the world’s largest publishers of craft instructional guides. Located in Little Rock, Arkansas, Leisure Arts publishes instructional DVDs, books, leaflets, and newsletters in addition to its website, www.leisurearts.com.

The company has many focuses from cross stitch to knitting, to Christmas entertaining. Leisure Arts’quilting patterns are some you will not want to miss.

Mary Engelbreit fans will love the Leisure Arts quilt patterns book called “Breit Quilts to Applique.”

“A Banquet of Quilts” is another Leisure Arts quilt patterns book. The designs are for quilted placemats and table runners. The quilt patterns will give you beautiful finished products to dress up any table and delight guest for many years.

12 Leisure Arts quilt patterns are featured in “A Year of Rag Quilts.” The blocks created will make great wall hangings and pillows. Combine them to make a full quilt!

“Seven Day Quilts” promises to teach techniques that will get you a completely finished quilt within a week! The Leisure Arts quilt patterns in this book are for very colorful quilts.
If you are looking for quilt patterns that are more traditional, Leisure Arts offers those, too. Leisure Arts quilt patterns of long ago are brought back to life in “Antqieu Quilts Recreated”. The book also demonstrates how to use reproduction fabrics in your quilting so your new quilt will look almost identical to the old ones!

Leisure Arts also offers some free patterns. To enjoy some free Leisure Arts quilt patterns, visit the website and click on the “Free Downloads” tab. You will need to enter your name and email address to register, but the downloads that follow are free.

There are quilting and other craft projects availalbe to download. From the craft downloads, you will find fun creations like a child’s rose petal t-shirt, a holiday card holder, and necklaces.

You will also find downloads for crochet and knitting, cross stitch, recipes, and paper crafts, too.

Leisure Arts quilt patterns and other Leisure Arts projects may be the topics of podcasts or webcasts. If you are interested in downloading those, select the “Webcast” tab and follow the directions. You will be able to select your focus, either quilting, crafts, cross stitch, etc., from a drop down menu. Once you download your audio or video, you can watch or listen to the instructions at your convenience.

After looking at the Leisure Arts quilt patterns and other projects, you may decide you are ready to buy one of the company’s books. The company offers its instructional books for sale online but they are also available in traditional bookstores. There is a “Store Locator” tab that will help you find your nearest dealer. Also, do not forget to check your local library. You may luck out and find that your library has nearly an entire collection!

Leisure Arts’ designs come primarily from freelance designers. This means that if you have a special pattern you have created, you have the opportunity to get it included in an upcoming Leisure Arts quilt patterns book! To learn more information about how to get your own projects considered for publication, check out the company’s website. Click on “About Us” then look down to see the “How We Get Our Designs” heading. You will find all the information you need there!



SETH

Penny Halgren asked:


nt to start a quilting business but don’t want to make actual quilts, how about selling quilted accessories?

Quilted accessories include a wide range of products: home d?r, clothing, pet accessories… and more!

In the home d?r category, your business could make and sell quilted potholders and matching aprons with pockets that coordinate with the potholder pattern. You could make and sell quilted oven mitts.

Table runners and mantel drapes are also popular quilted items for the home. Quilted placemats and coasters are also ideas.

For a living room, den, bedroom, dining room or kitchen quilted wall hangings are popular. These can be custom made to coordinate with your client’s own interior colors and style.

For a guest room or bathroom, why not quilt covers for a tissue box or photo or mirror frame? Quilted pillowcases are also good sellers.

Take the idea of home d?r to a smaller scale and perhaps your quilting business could be making quilted items for doll houses. Many collectors will pay top dollar to have their dollhouse beds accented with tiny little quilts. Such quilts would also be a niche business for baby dolls. Little girls love their dolls and many parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles would pay good money to have a special quilt made for a special doll!

Holidays open up a wide range of options for home d?r as well. Keep that in mind if your quilting business will focus on home d?r. Your quilting business could actually focus on holiday items.

Christmas ornaments, stockings, wall hangings, table decorations…the possibilities for that one holiday alone are endless! Imagine if your quilting business focused on all holidays.

For January, quilted d?r featuring snowmen and snowflakes would be popular for the winter theme. February is Valentine’s Day. Focus for that holiday would be on quilted items with hearts, cupids, etc. March brings St. Patricks’ Day and Spring.

April is Easter, and brings another slew of quilted holiday items to mind. Baskets made from quilted strips of fabric would be gorgeous. Patchwork eggs stuffed to perfection would also be fun items.

May and June bring graduations along with Mother’s and Father’s days. These months are great for quilted photo frames or scrapbooks with a quilted cover.

July’s patriotic theme would be great inspiration for quilted home de’cor as well. August and September sends children (and teachers) back to school. Quilted notebooks, tote bags, pencil cases would be great accessories for those months. Halloween and Thanksgiving also offer endless possibilities for home d&eacutecor, too. Use your imagination!

Quilted apparel could include a number of items as well. Belts and headbands are popular accessories. Quilted jackets are a higher ticket item you could make and sell. You could add small quilt blocks to simple cardigans as pockets. Combine your jackets with a matching quilted cap or tote bag and increase your price accordingly!

Other quilted accessories you could make include cell phone holders, lip gloss pouches, and eye glass cases. Coin purses and wallets are other ideas for quilted accessories. Purses and tote bags are also very popular items that translate nicely into quilted products.

The pet niche can be so much fun. People of all ages love to buy things for their pets. For cats and dogs, quilted carrying cases are good sellers. Pet beds are another top item.

Pet clothing is also very popular. Small dogs generally need the added warmth of a coat in the winter. Quilted coats, jackets and shawls are good sellers for pet clothing. Create a package by including the quilted coat or jacket along with a matching quilted hat.

No matter which niche you choose, any of these areas would offer great sales opportunities for your own quilting business.



LEONEL

Penny Halgren asked:


From “Jacob’s Ladder” to “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too,” have you ever wondered where quilt block names come from?

As you look through a book with hundreds of quilt blocks, several interesting things pop up. You may discover quilt blocks with a different design while having the same name. Likewise, you will find quilt blocks that look the same yet have different names.

How did this happen? And what is the inspiration for naming quilt blocks in the first place?

A study in history and understanding life in the early years of America are particularly useful to answer these questions.

Remembering that early Americans were driven from England to gain religious freedom, they continued to be very religiously minded in the New World.

All day Sunday was spent at church for both religion and social time. The morning and afternoon sermons were divided by an extended lunch break where families would share the events of the week while enjoying the peaceful break.

Many quilts and quilt blocks reflected that religious devotion.

“World Without End,” a quilt made during the Revolutionary time period, is a name lifted from the Book of Common Prayer. It was, and still is, a phrase familiar in every church, regardless of creed.

It’s also interesting to note the range in complexity of making quilt blocks and quilts. The “Star of Bethlehem,” “Jacobs Ladder” and “Job’s Tears” represent quilts and blocks and were more studied designs. While the “Star and Cross” and “King David’s Crown” were simpler and very popular for bed quilts.

In addition, early Americans were also very politically minded. And women, even though they couldn’t vote, were acutely aware of the importance of the politics of the day.

While the original political efforts were directed toward economic freedom and relief from onerous taxes, later the politics shifted toward political freedom as well. After a century of local government, Americans were politically astute, and were dedicated to developing the machinery of a republic that would survive.

And the political conversations extended into the quilt blocks created during that time, enabling quilters to express opinions developed as they listened to the arguments of the day.

Even naming a quilt block stirred controversy. A block named “Whig Rose” and “Democrat Rose” created a debate as to which was the correct name - a debate not settled, maybe even today.

Politics and quilts continue to intertwine with “The Little Giant” being named after Stephen A. Douglas (from the Civil War era), the “Free Trade Block” (which has relevance today), “Fifty-four Forty or Fight” (from the early 1800s fight between the US and Canada over territory in the northwest territory) and “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too” (a campaign slogan during the Harrison presidential election in 1840).

The trades and occupations of the time also offered inspiration for quilt names. “The Anvil,” “The Carpenter’s Wheel,” “The Churn Dash,” and “The Water Mill” all came from women’s familiarity with old-time callings.

“The Reel” was a block that represented something close to home for quilters, representing the once universal occupation of women - spinning. The Reel was used to wind thread onto skeins.

Outdoor life provided more inspiration for quilt block names. Take, for example, “Flying Bats.” Bats were once familiar to everyone, and without screens in open windows, bats would be attracted to the light inside houses. Once inside, blinded by the light of the lamps, the bats flapped and banged against walls and the ceiling while women ducked and screamed while small boys made a game of chasing them.

With nothing but candles and oil lamps for light, the pioneers relied on the natural light of day for most of their activities. Industrious folk rose early and were able to witness the glory of every sunrise. It wasn’t too unusual that “Rising Sun” quilts would be created.

There are two different methods of making this intricate pattern, both reserved for expert quilt makers.

In sharp contrast, quilt blocks representing the setting sun are much simpler. A Block like “Setting Sun,” known also as “Indian Summer” required some skill, since it includes triangles on a curve, yet was not as difficult as the Rising Sun.

Maybe the contrast represented the difference in the level of energy of a quilter between the early morning rising and the end of the day, having completed a full day’s work.

Many designs were specific to their community of origin. And as they migrated away from the community, their form changed. Because there were no printed patterns at the time, replication of the design relied on copying the pattern by looking at an existing quilt, remembering the design having seen it previously, or understanding a verbal description of the quilt block.

Any of these methods could result in the proportions of the shapes within the block changing, therefore changing the overall look of the quilt; and a new block design with the same name was born, even though the quilter thought she was duplicating the quilt block exactly.

What will the inspiration for the quilt block you design be?



EVERETTE

Penny Halgren asked:


just have a lot of denim fabric lying around. Or, maybe you’re recycling old jeans and are looking for a quilt project. If you use your favorite search engine for free denim quilt patterns, you will likely uncover reference to a rag quilt.

Rag quilts are sewn with the seams on the top of the quilt. Snipping the quilt seams, then washing and drying the quilt give the desired ragging appearance. Most people consider it a “shabby chic” style. Rag quilts are very popular and denim’s natural fray would be an added accent to your denim rag quilt.

If you are looking for free denim quilt patterns, there’s good news. You can use any quilt pattern to create your denim quilt.

While you will find many free quilt patterns online or at your local library, there are few quilts designed specifically for denim. Denim is a fabric like any other. So, you may use it in any quilt you feel like trying!

If you plan to use denim in your quilt patterns, there are a couple of things you will need to keep in mind.

First, will your quilt be all denim or just feature a piece throughout the pattern?

Second, will you be using light or dark colored denim? Denim fabric comes in more colors, not just light and dark. There’s stonewashed denim for an extra worn look, and even colored denims.

You will need to consider the weight and colors of your denims as you create your denim quilt. Patterns may not have instructions for denim use so you will have to rely on your judgement.

If you are making a quilt using only denim fabrices, you will need to be certain that the denims are of the same weight range. Interspersing a heavy weight denim with a light weight one without putting some planning into it, could leave you with an awkward quilt. You wouldn’t want too many heavy denim quilt pieces on one side or the quilt’s final weight would be awkward.

Likewise, if you are planning to use denim as an accent fabric in your quilt, keep the weight of the other fabrics in mind, too. Nothing can ruin a quilt faster than mismatched fabric weights.

As important as the weight of your denim pieces, the color of your denim fabric is also important. For instance, if you are appliqu?g an “Overall Sam” onto a quilt that uses mostly cotton fabrics that portray an old, worn look, crisp dark denim overalls would look out of place. Weight of the denim in the same example would also be an important consideration.

If you are recycling your old jeans for your quilting project, maybe there are extra ways you can be creative. Depending on the quilt you are creating, maybe you could cut away the back pocket of your jeans to appliqu?nto your new quilt. If you happen to be making a throw, the pocket could become a handy remote control storage stitched right onto the throw! Maybe you could even recycle the belt loops. Sew them around the top and bottom border of your denim quilt and run a ribbon “belt” through them as an added decorative touch.

Applique quilts are a great way to use old jeans. Your old comfy jeans will transfer nicely to create a brand new comfy quilt for yourself or someone else. Have fun with your denim quilt project, whether you are starting with brand new pieces of denim fabric or simply finding a way to use your old jeans!



ELOY

Jan Myers asked:


The Great Depression was an era that created quite a challenge for women who desired to quilt. Not only was money very tight in households, but there were limited supplies nationwide. Women had to turn to creativity and resourcefulness in order to create beautiful quilts. Some popular quilts of today were actually born from The Great Depression.

The Great Depression, for those of us who weren’t around at the time, was an economic slump in North America, Europe, and other industrialized areas of the world that began in 1929 and lasted until about 1939. Begun with the collapse of agricultural prices in the 1920’s, it’s most well-known for the 1929 collapse of Wall Street. It was the longest and most severe depression ever experienced by the industrialized Western world.

Bankers and other previously weather individuals who lost everything jumped to their deaths from buildings. Workers who could find jobs still struggled to be able to feed their families. With the total collapse of the economy, people found creative ways to brings in small amounts of cash while businesses had to become creative to survive by vying for a portion of that hard-earned money from their customers.

So it’s easy to see why companies selling quilt fabrics, threads and tools had to find a way to create value in their products and encourage quilters to continue to spend such hard-earned cash. Luckily for them, quilts were a necessity that had to be created by hand because the severe economic times limited the ability to purchase them.

Women magazines began offering similar quilting patterns for free with each issue to increase their readership. After all, most household budgets could not afford to purchase a magazine, yet alone several quilting patterns.

So to continue selling magazines and to promote the purchase of fabrics, many vendors chose to offer free patterns that would encourage the purchases. Patterns such as the Star of Bethlehem, Wedding Ring, Grandmother’s Flower Garden and even Dresden Plate are just some of the patterns we still use today that were actually the result of The Great Depression.

Often women would share one magazine. They would trace the quilting patterns or even a picture from a quilt photographed for the magazine to make their own patterns at home. The most popular magazines would occasionally offer iron-on quilt patterns. These were extremely well received since several women could share not only the cost of the magazine but could share the iron-on patterns for their quilting.

Thus, offering free quilting patterns actually became a common marketing tradition that is still used today.

I found it particularly interesting that what was used to market to women and sell women’s magazines in The Great Depression is still used today. Many companies even offer free patterns in their magazines for quilting and other crafts.

We offer the same service at www.QuiltingResourceCenter to people who sign up for the patterns, even if they don’t belong to the members-only section of the website. Of course, those who do join the members-only site regularly receive original patterns created just for our members.

But caveat emptor

DOMINGO

Penny Halgren asked:


Beginner quilters are often mystified by the selection of quilting fabric. Rest assured that once you have a quilt or two under your belt, selecting quilting fabric gets easier.

If you are still uncomfortable selecting quilting fabrics, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

1. Who will the quilt be for? If you are making a baby quilt, don’t choose open weave fabrics in which tiny fingers might get entangled. If you are quilting for a family member who absolutely hates floral designs, make sure not to pick any floral prints for that quilt. It really is that simple.

2. What kind of quilt are you making? If making a rag quilt, lightweight flannels fray and puff just right for the open seams. Cotton fabrics also fray well.

3. Store displays can help. If you are not comfortable in mixing and matching fabrics, make note of the displays in your fabric store. Coordinating fabrics are usually displayed together. While you are certainly not limited to fabrics as they are displayed, the store’s coordination can help give you some good options.

The price you will pay for quilting fabric will vary depending on the fabrics you choose, where you shop, etc. If you are lucky, you may buy a gingham for a lining for only one dollar a yard. Those fabrics can go up from there. Keep an eye on the price tag if you have a quilting fabric budget!

Many quilters have been accustomed to buying quilting fabric at retail chain stores like Wal-Mart. The Wal-Mart chain, however, has begun to phase out some of those departments in stores throughout the United States.

More quilters are shopping online for quilting fabric and other accessories. If you have never bought fabric online but would like to try, do your homework to ensure you are working with a reputable seller.

If buying from an online auction site, you can review comments other buyers have made about the seller, quality of the quilting fabric or supplies they bought, etc. You will probably see descriptions such as “from pet free, smoke free home” included in the fabric listings you read. For buyers with pet or smoke allergies, that information is vital.

Also pay attention to whether you are buying quilting fabric by the yard or by the “fat quarter.” In most instances, a yard of fabric would be a better deal price-wise than a fat quarter.

To learn more about quilting fabric selection, join a local or Internet quilting club. More experienced quilters can help you gain your confidence.

With each quilting project you complete, you will discover you soon have a lot of leftover quilting fabric. That’s the mark of a serious quilter!

To keep your quilting fabric stash interesting, arrange a fabric swap with a few quilting buddies. Everyone can bring their quilting fabric scraps to swap. In addition to meeting people with the same interests, you are certain to pick up a tip or two!

Once you have a stash of quilting fabric, you’ll need to decide where to keep the fabric. Some quilters use cedar chests for fabric storage. Others use rubber or plastic large container totes. A simple cardboard box will also work.

Leftover quilting fabric scraps are handy to have around the house. Use them for quick projects, like a making coordinated pillow or a quilted postcard. If you think you have too much fabric, trade with your quilting friends, sell at an online auction or use free classified.



DONOVAN

Penny Halgren asked:


If you are a beginner quilter looking for near-immediate gratification or an old pro who wants to create a different look, why not try making a rag quilt?

Frayed seams are a characteristic of rag quilts. Fraying the edges give a rag quilt a soft, vintage look simply by clipping the seams and washing and drying the quilt. Rag quilt patterns can be adaptations of traditional quilt patterns or, totally new designs that will be accented by the frayed edges.

Rag quilt patterns do not need to be expensive. As a matter of fact, many rag quilt patterns are available for free on the Internet. Use your favorite search engine to find “rag quilt patterns.”

If you’ve already been exploring the Internet, chances are your favorite quilt sites also have rag quilt patterns available, or links to some. The best “how-to-quilt” websites offer rag quilt information as well as patterns.

Variations of the Nine Patch are popular rag quilt patterns. Strips are another popular rag quilt pattern. Keep in mind that while intricate designs could be converted into a rag quilt pattern, the fraying might distract from the quilt pattern.

It’s possible to complete a rag quilt in a weekend! The biggest challenge is getting accustomed to sewing “backwards.” In traditional quilting, we generally stitch the right sides together then turn them so the seams will be hidden on the underneath side.

With rag quilt patterns, the seams are sewn to the top so they can be clipped and frayed.

When assembling your rag quilt, you will make a fabric sandwich: place the first piece right side down on your table. The middle layer will be a piece of flannel or batting, and the top piece will be your fabric, right side up.

Once you have all your fabric sandwiches ready, you will sew the block together, again keeping the right sides up. So, instead of sewing with the right sides together, your rag quilt pattern will be sewn with the wrong sides together.This will keep your seams on top of the quilt.

Unlike traditional quilting, having uneven seams won’t be noticed once your rag quilt pattern is complete. So, even if you can’t sew a straight line with your sewing machine, you can make a gorgeous rag quilt!

That’s another reason rag quilt patterns are so popular. They can be sewn together rather quickly using your sewing machine. The machine stitches will lock in and add stability to the quilt.

Since the blocks are sewn with the seams on top, there is no need for additional quilting of your rag quilt pattern. That makes rag quilt pattern projects move along at a nice speed!

Completing your rag quilt will take a little patience once all the sewing is complete. To “rag” your quilt pattern, you will need to clip the seams.

Clip straight down the seam (perpendicular to the stitches). You will need to make these cuts about every quarter of an inch. Your hand will get tired! To avoid hand cramps and blisters on your cutting fingers, you might like to use a pair of spring loaded scissors as you complete your rag quilt patterns. Spring loaded scissors automatically pop open after each snip has been made. They also usually are made so they are held on the outside, rather than putting your fingers inside scissor holes. If you don’t already have a good, sharp pair, expect to pay $15 or more. If you plan to do much rag quilting in the future, it might be a good investment!

Once you seams are snipped all around your rag quilt pattern, throw it in the washer on a delicate cycle. It’s not necessary to add soap, but it’s okay if you do choose to do so. After the wash cycle, give your rag quilt a double check to make sure you’ve snipped all of the seam allowances. If you find a place you’ve missed, this is the time to add snips. Once you are satisfied with the snipping, toss the quilt into your drier. Once it’s dried, your rag quilt will be complete!



THEODORE

Penny Halgren asked:


Quilters who are not already a machine embroidery enthusiast just may find themselves engrossed in the craft once they realize they could incorporate machine embroidery into their quilting.

Embroidery is a traditional way to add special decorative touches to quilts. Whether by hand or machine, a quilter may accent his or her creation with embroidered flowers or other accents. But today’s machine embroidery - for those willing to try it - can make quilting quite different.

For instance, a quilter may use a simple embroidery design to let the machine “quilt” the project. Simple designs that can be stitched in one color work best, especially for the beginning machine embroidery quilter.

If you want to give this a try, look for an embroidery design that’s simple - one that you can visualize stitched into a quilt. Some redwork inspired designs work well. Other simple designs like flowers, circles, sun/moon, houses, hearts - there are all sorts of designs to choose from - can work well as quilting stitches.

Be sure to keep your quilt top’s theme in mind. We all know and love the traditional beauty of the double wedding ring quilt. While the quilt top is beautiful with its color variety, the quilt back is just as pretty with its simple stitching that follows the design on the top.

What if you used an embroidery machine to quilt hearts into the quilt design? That one unexpected touch would truly make your quilt unique.

Have you ever needed to throw together a quick quilt? Many quilting pros laugh at the notion, but sometimes we need a quick gift to give and want to make it personal. Lap quilts and baby quilts are very easy to create on an embroidery machine.

Simply hoop your top fabric, batting and backing fabric into an embroidery hoop. Pick a design and get to work! Even if you are quilting solid color fabrics, you can complete a quick, beautiful quilt with the embroidery machine in no time!

Some ideas for a baby blanket for a boy would be to use outlines of footballs, airplanes, trucks, trains, etc., for your quilting pattern. The hardest part of your job will be re-hooping fabric and pushing the “start” button!

Ideas for a baby blanket for a girl include outlines of flowers, baskets, dolls, kittens, etc.

The method above uses machine embroidery on relatively small quilts. Larger quilts can be done the same way or may be quilted with machine embroidery by individual quilt blocks. Experiment to decide which method is easiest for you and remember that the machine embroidery quilting method may change with each unique project.

If you can’t find a pattern you like already on embroidery file, ask a digitizer to help you create one. A digitizer is someone who takes art images like line drawings, clip art and fonts and alters them to become a stitch pattern. So if you’d like for your family tree wall hanging to be quilted with a tree pattern, a digitizer can create one for you.

Be sure to let your digitizer know you plan to use the image for quilting. The digitizer will need to plan stitches accordingly.

Quilting is rich in tradition and therefore many true-blue quilters do not like the idea of using machine embroidery to quilt their projects. Isn’t it great to try new ideas and techniques? Remember, not to long ago quilters refused to consider machine quilting at all! Embroidery machines will never take the place of quilters, but it can be a fun and rewarding sewing technique to try from time to time.



JEFFREY