expertvillage asked:

How to gather and use the supplies needed in quilting design, including machines, stencils, patterns and fabric;get expert tips and advice on making a quilt in this free instructional video. Expert: Shelly Cordsen Bio: Shelly Cordsen has been sewing and crafting for years. She offers classes around the Southwest demonstrating many different advanced techniques. Filmmaker: Mike Phillips

HOMER

Tina S asked:


We prefer not to use the iron on method. We would like to try the fabric sheets 8.5 x 11 that you can run through the bubble jet printer. Has anyone used this method and are there any tips or favorite brands of fabric sheets?

RUSSEL

Karen Lincoln asked:


Quilting, like painting is a wonderful art. It is similar to painting in the sense that paints and brushes are replaced by threads and needles. Paper is replaced by fabrics. Quilts were traditionally made by hand, but not with the advent of sewing quilting machines, many prefer to use machines. This is because, machines make quilting work easier, faster and not to mention a lot neater. You have the option of using an ordinary sewing machine which has quilting capabilities or you can use a machine that is specifically designed for quilting.

Small patches of different fabrics are used to make quilts, though you can use the same fabric as well. It’s really interesting and can be likened to working on a jig saw puzzle. Only difference is, in a quilt you need to stitch up the entire thing. Quilting as a craft has been around since many years. Some quilts are passed down to generations, and there are many happy memories associated with these quilts.

If you’re a beginner and your interested in quilting, you can start off by using two or more different fabrics. Basically, you should start collecting left over fabrics or materials that has remained from previous stitching. Once you’ve collected these, you can then start by sewing all of these together. You should be able to use the sewing machine quite adeptly. It’s advisable that you practice using the sewing machine, as much as you can, as handling the machine while quilting is no easy task. You could also create designs of the quilt. Start with simple, basic designs, and then once you have enough experience, you can move to more complex designs. The Internet has a number of sites where you’ll be able to get some free quilting designs. If these seem too complicated, you can just get some ideas and create your own unique designs.

Quilt designs need creativity, so make sure you gear up all your creativity while your quilting. You can create various designs on a quilt, it could be floral designs, geometrical patterns, landscapes, plaids etc. Basically, the choice is so much, you can choose whatever design you think you could work with. If you’re new to quilting or quilting designs, you can try out mini or miniature quilts with easy designs. There’s no hard and fast rule that it has to be a large quilt. Once you gain experience, you can move to larger quilts. It’s basically up to you, and what your comfortable with.

Once you decide on a design, the next step is to draw it on a fabric and cut it out. Place these cut out designs on the quilt in the way that you want it to. Mark these designs using pins on the quilt, or you could also run a needle (without a thread) around the designs. This creates an impression of dotted marks, which will then make the quilting process much easier.

You can choose from an extensive range of colors to make your quilt. Generally a single color is not used for a quilt. Multiple colors are used, which make the quilt attractive and unique. Choosing colors may seem simple, but its important that you choose the color after giving it some consideration. Think of the colors of your bedroom and what would blend in. You can also think of cool and soothing color tones. For a guest room, a brighter color will work great, as they can enjoy your handiwork.

People generally design a quilt on a certain theme. Quilting the theme is the toughest part though. The designs have to fit into the main theme that you have chosen. For example, if your making a quilt for a baby, you can use common things that are attractive to babies such as toys, animals, alphabets etc. Also since it’s a baby, choose the color wisely. Don’t choose dark colors, but go for soft baby colors such as light pink, light blue, light yellow etc.



MARCELINO

Penny Halgren asked:


Have you ever looked at a box of memorabilia or trinkets and wondered what to do with it - other than close the lid and put it back on the shelf?

Maybe you have a collection of hankies from your grandmother. Or what about the bowl of buttons and the box of lace you’ve been saving for some project? Or maybe your husband, son, or boyfriend has a box of military medals.

You can easily share those treasures in a wall hanging style quilt.

Basic quilt blocks are the foundation for these memory quilts, and you will find an expression of creativity and soul as you develop the layout of your quilt and devise methods for attaching the objects.

Designing Your Quilt

Your collection should be the center of interest for your quilt or wall hanging. The first thing to do is pull your collection together and lay it out on a table.

Decide on a theme for your quilt. If you have a collection of gloves, your theme might be elegant parties. A collection of buttons might reflect memories of childhood. Those military medals might be to honor a soldier hero.

You might even want to make notes about your theme and thoughts to guide you as you make your quilt. Think, too, about keeping those notes as a journal for future generations to appreciate your creation.

Fabrics

Select fabrics that relate to the theme of your quilt - both in color and design. For example, you might not want to include a bright fabric with fire trucks in your memorabilia quilt with gloves representing elegant parties. However, that truck fabric might be perfect for a quilt with buttons from childhood.

Use a variety of lights, mediums and darks to give your quilt an interesting background, keeping in mind the mood of your quilt. A quilt with a somber mood might not be the place to put a wide selection of bright, fun fabrics.

Size of Your Quilt

Let your collection determine the size of your quilt or wall hanging. As you lay your collection out on the table, you will get a sense of how large your quilt needs to be in order to display your memorabilia in its best light. You may decide to add or remove some of the items; or even to make two quilts with your collection.

The Shape of the Quilt

Be open to a unique shape that might develop as you design your quilt. Your button quilt might be round; a quilt with military medals might take on the shape of a medal with the ribbon. Or, your collection may be perfect displayed on a traditional rectangular quilt. A hankie or collar quilt might have scalloped edges to echo the shape of the piece.

You may discover that the blocks within your quilt are different sizes, or even different shapes. For example, you may attach each glove to a block. You may place a short glove on a square block, while an elbow-length glove is better suited for a rectangular background. Be open to those different shapes, and know that you can always place strips of fabric around or between the blocks to piece the quilt.

Overall Look

As you design your quilt, keep in mind the idea of repetition in your quilt. By repeating themes, shapes and / or colors, your quilt or wall hanging will have the continuity of a traditional quilt while displaying the uniqueness of your collection.



EARNEST

ashleyg asked:


Why is it sop important to wash the fabric for quilting before you cut it?

AVERY

saramah asked:


I have lots of fabric that would be good for quilting. I am having a garage sale and would like to sell quilting blocks of the material. As I am not a quilter I don’t know what the best size to sell the block in would be. Can you help?

NOAH

Jake Saab asked:


Quilts include the crib sizes, twin, and full, double fit, queen, and king. The standard crib fit is around 45-inches time’s 60. Twin fits are 72 x 90, full and the double are 81 x 96, queen fits are 90 x 108, and the king fits are around 120 x 120.

To choose your materials you must consider batting quilt fibers. Once you choose your batting make sure that, you unfold the cotton material and let it set a couple of days before you start crafting. The batting will relax and inflate. You want to space your batting closely to avoid bunching also when crafting your quilt. Some materials require pre-washes before you can use the fabric. Read your labels.

You have options in battings, including the traditional, which is often made of cotton and the polyesters. The blends of polyester and cotton will shrink sometimes. To stitch the cotton you will need to create intervals of larger stitches, yet if you combine polyester with your cotton, you can minimize the stitches.

The line of battings, include polyester, silk, wool, etc as well. If you choose the polyester, you can create a non-shrinking quilt with intervals of larger stitches. In addition, you can create intervals of wider expansions, which you can craft your quick at a speedier pace. Polyester is the choice of battings, since crafters can design a quick, machine washable, and non-shrinking quilt. As well, the crafter can design a thinner quilt verses the thicker, since polyester is a batting made of “high loft.”

My favorite is silk, yet if you are creating a traditional style quilt, the silk may not be suitable. You can still make a quilt of silk, yet you will pay top-dollar and spend a length of undesired time to finish your project. In fact, most crafters do not recommend silk for creating quilts.

Wool has migrating fibers, yet you can sew through the material with ease. You will need to space closely when needling. The wool over time will loose its fibers however. Wool will also fuzz. You can use lightweight materials, or cloths to prevent fuzziness, as well as to prevent fiber loss. Wool is not suitable for machine wash; rather you should take your quilt to a professional cleaner, or wash it by hand and allow it to air dry.

Now choose your style:

If you want the antique or traditional quilt, you will need to use the “low loft” material. The quilts include the Fairfield, which is 100% bleached cotton, the poly-filled cottons, which is 80 % cotton; the “Mountain Mist/Blue Ribbon Stearns” are 100% cotton as well. You can also choose the 100% polyester, Morning Glory, or the Glory BEE I, which is also 100% polyester. Many other styles and varieties are available.

Once you decide which fibers, or fabrics you want to craft your quilt you can then consider your backing. You can purchase yards of backing. The backing today makes it easy to fill in the length and width of your quilt. Ultimately, if you choose backings that come up short or longer you can stitch a couple of pieces together to even your quilt. Still, you want to make sure that the backings work in harmony with your fabrics, or fibers.

Ultimately, if you want to spend time making a quilt you can choose blocks and patches. The pieces of material were frequently used by grandmas, or women of traditional days. The quilts are often sturdier than the modern quilts, yet you can still craft a strong quilt today.



ANGELO

Tima.ashar asked:


From the time quilt making came into existence, a well-accomplished hand quilting stitches have been adored and envied. There is a feeling of veneration among quilters when they see a good hand made quilt.

Many of the quilters don’t use hand-quilting techniques because they are not sure and not confident about the results that they will produce. If you are not good quilting with your hands then you may leave visible knots or stitches or may be your art work wont look nice. Also, there is a possibility that you might leave some uneven stitches, which hold on to only few threads on the back of the cloth and very easily come out, this may lead to larger areas and your fabric might get torn.

People who have mastered this art of hand quilting, when they stitch a fabric, the length of the thread on both the sides of the quilt is the same and so is the gap between the stitches. Its true that the smaller stitches has good quality. The stitches are more even and consistent, which is more important that the size of the stitch.

Quilting Tips

It is learnt that if you cut a tiny piece of rubber from your jar opener rubber and keep it next to you when hand quilting. This will provide you better grip for holding a needle. It also helps in pulling desired amount of fabric thickness.

A very common problem that you come across when hand quilting is that the needle slips off the thimble, especially when you try to pull it through the fabric. To overcome this, wrap about 1/4″ masking tape around the thimble and you are free from slipping and sliding off the thimble.

For more information visit - quilting book



STERLING