Visit me today over at Bear Creek Quilting Company’s Blog!
They invited me over for a visit to share a tutorial for a Valentines Table Topper using their Honeysweet Jelly Roll by Fig Tree & Co for MODA, which you can get at their quilt shop HERE.
Sign up for their newsletter HERE for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to their shop!
Check it out!
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It’s time to get to cutting….are you nervous?
Well, you are not the first! There are a few things you need to know about how to cut fabric safely and accurately. Once you have got those down….piece o’cake.
I don’t want to scare you, but rotary cutters are super sharp and are the leading cause of quilting accidents(okay, that may or may not be true, but they say 98.7% of all statistics are made up*wink*!). I think this mostly comes from carelessness. So how can you avoid accidentally cutting yourself?
#1- Keep the saftey lock on when not cutting…yes, this means between every cut! Bumping it into the floor could cost you a toe, ouch! Wearing shoes is not a bad idea either.
Safety On…
Safety Off…
#2- Keep your fingers away from the edge of the ruler. Look across the line where you will be cutting before you slice, you might just notice a finger that’s a little too close:) You can also use a safety glove designed for rotary cutting on your non-dominant hand just in case.
#3- Cut away from you. Resist the urge to do all kinds of arm twisting instead of rotating the fabric or ruler:)
#4- Change your blade often to keep it sharp.
#5- Use a good acrylic ruler! HERE is my post on rulers to learn how to use and pick a good one.
Now…How do you actually go about cutting the fabric? I’m going to show you how by cutting 2 1/2″ strips from a fat quarter. To start you will need your ruler, a rotary cutter and a rotary cutting mat.
Rotary cutters come in several sizes. They are referred to by their blade size. A 28mm cutter is for small or tiny projects, but the most common are the 45mm and the 60mm. The 60mm is larger and can cut through bigger stacks of fabric. The size rotary cutting mat you want is up to you. If using a smaller mat, you may have to fold your fabric to be able to cut it. Your mat should be placed on a hard flat surface. TIP: Do Not Iron on your mat!!! This is a rookie mistake and will warp your mat and it will be pretty much ruined.
Press your fabric. All those wrinkles make it hard to get accurate cuts. Using spray starch stiffens the fabric and keeps it nice and crisp. I use Mary Ellen’s Best Press.
You will notice that the edges are not exactly straight. These always have to be “squared up” before you can start cutting your pattern pieces. You also have to trim off the selvedge edges on your fabric.
To square up the edge…slide your ruler across the fabric and find a line to cut on that will make a nice even cut across your entire piece of fabric. Make sure you are lined up with the markings on the mat on both ends of the fabric. Here I had to come in about 1/2″.
With your fingers spread apart(but not over the edge!)… apply firm pressure to the ruler.
Take the safety off of the rotary cutter and run it along the edge of the acrylic ruler, keeping pressure against the ruler as you go. Pushing too hard against the ruler can make it slip. When cutting you should be standing and to the left a little(if you are right-handed) so that your cutting hand can naturally extend straight forward and not at an awkward angle. There you go! A nice clean edge.
To cut the width of our strip we will be using the markings on the ruler rather than the ones on the mat as our guide. Rotate your fabric so that your clean edge is on the left(if you are right-handed). You can still line it up with the markings on the mat, but you don’t have to worry about the numbers. Just do it in the center so that you have more room. We are cutting at 2 1/2″, so line the square edge we just cut with the 2 1/2″ line on the ruler. Now, cut the other side of your strip.
Beautiful! You can trim the top and bottom edges to get your desired length according to your pattern.
What happens if you are cutting along and your rotary cutter slips to the right???
No worries! Re-square up your edge just like you did initially. Slide the ruler over to cover the oops and get a new clean edge. If your ruler slips and you cut into the strip area…well, you will have to toss that strip and start over.
What if you are not cutting a fat quarter, but are cutting fabric off the bolt that has a fold in it?
The procedure is the same, just line your fold up with a line on the mat before squaring up the edge on the right.
When you cut your strip width, use one of the horizontal lines on your ruler to keep the folded edge straight. If you have to fold your fabric because your mat is small…try not to fold more that once and keep the fold neat. If the folded edge of the fabric is not kept straight and even, you will get strips that are slightly “V” shaped and a little wonky. As a beginner, you should open up your strips and check to see if you are cutting accurately. Measure the width of your strip at a few different points to check.
Click HERE to find parts 1, 2 and 3 of the Beginner Quilting Series, So You Wanna Quilt…
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Did anybody celebrate the second annual Local Quilt Shop Day?
Well, I definitely did! Fabric diet…what fabric diet? What can I say, I’m addicted and I have got to keep my suppliers happy:) I am unloading my guilt here on today’s Sunday Stash!
Me and a couple of my fellow Sassy Quilters hit the streets yesterday and did our own little shop hop. What a fun day! Everyone should do this some time…just map out a few shops within a two hour radius and keep hopping till the sun goes down, and why not wrap it up with a fun dinner out. Call the shops ahead of time and let them know your coming and maybe they will do a little sale or treats for your guild group.
We only made it to three and one wasn’t even on the list!
Couldn’t get to JoJo’s Quilt Shop due to time…and they were giving away freebies too…bummer) Sorry JoJo’s, maybe next time….
First stop was KellyAnn’s Quilting in Warrenton, Va. This was a two hour drive, but worth it! They had a great shop with lots of selection and a guest demo by Susan of Swirly Girls Design. We got to preview the Michael Miller Clubhouse and see some of her brand new designs and fabrics! Fun, fun, fun:) Here’s what I got there:
KellyAnn added our next stop for us by sending us over to The Crazy Cousin. They had some awesome deals on a couple of older lines of fabric…some 6.99/yd! I stocked up on some Winters Lane, Avalon and Cuzco to go with some I already have…..and some Kona Snow and Scrumptious stripes!(I know I am using a lot of exclamations!!!)
Next, we booked it back to Quilters Corner in Richmond, Va, keeping it a little more local! Quilters Corner greeted us with cookies, muffins and something to drink:) And some free fabric as a gift! Here I snagged some new fabrics by Riley Blake, Country Girls. I had resisted this earlier in the day, but face it…this was a sign, I had to get it:) I added the pink from a 30’s collection.
I also got some of these adorable Ghastlies! I know a lot of people hate this fabric(including those who were with me…Jennifer and Nikki!), but I just love it! Reminds me of my family, lol.
I love when the back of a quilt is a little crazy so it is a backing for a jelly roll quilt I want to make with this…
Yes, I told you I got a little out of control….We met in a Joann’s parking lot to leave, so why not go in there too!
I got these Denyse Schmidt prints for two backings that I need. 40% off….deal!
Lesson learned: Fabric diets are like food diets, go too long and then you binge! Guess I better get to quilting:)
See you Wednesday for the next part of my Beginner Quilting Series, part 3-Cutting
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Tomorrow is Local Quilt Shop Day! I don’t know about you, but I am excited:) Me and a few of my guild girls are doing our own little shop hop and show our local quilt shops some love<3! We hope to hit at least these three, but one is actually 2hrs away. I have just been waiting for a reason to venture out and visit some new locations.
Are you supporting your local shop? Go on out and get at least a fat quarter:) I am on a fabric diet right now, but I have already twisted my own arm:) and know I am going to find some beautiful goodies. Have fun!
If you can’t get out and about…Craftsy is having a great sale! Check it out.
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A big thanks to all who entered and for all the sweet comments on my Goose on the Loose quilt:)
Would anyone be interested in a Goose on the Loose quilt along a little later in the year? or someone also asked me about a Triangle quilt along?
Leave a comment if you would like to join one or both!
You can find and follow TheSassyQuilter here on Facebook, Pinterest, Bloglovin’, or by email(form on right sidebar)!
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You have got your tools and you have got your eye on some gorgeous fabric…now what???
Well, you have to decide what you are going to make. It might be a pillow, a table runner, a wall hanging or a big ‘ol quilt! When you are a beginner I think the most important decision will be the difficulty of the project, not what it actually is. There are lots of easy patterns out there for beginners so get excited!
How do I read this thing?
Let’s start by talking about what information you will find in quilt patterns. What does it tell you?
Size– It will list the finished dimensions of the quilt. Some quilt patterns may even give you different size options…twin, queen, king,etc. I love when they do this:)
Skill Level- This may not be on all patterns, but will give you an idea of how difficult it may be. For beginners(not that you couldn’t do anything you put your mind too!), but the less seams the better. 25 pieces in a block or curved seams might be more frustrating than fun at first.
Fabric– How much fabric will you need to complete the quilt. For US patterns this is listed in yards, but if buying in metres you can buy the same amount and will just have a little extra for your stash. I actually tell beginners to buy a little extra anyway. It never hurts in case you make a mistake during cutting. I still do this by the way! As they say…measure twice, cut once.
-The pattern may also tell you what color fabrics or value of fabrics you will need. For example, 1 yard of yellow or 1/2 yard of a dark, medium and light blue.
-Does your pattern include fabric measurements for the backing and binding? Some don’t, but your quilt shop can help you figure those out if you need them.
Tools– It will often list any special rulers, tools or templates needed for the project.
Block Size– You need to know what the finished size of your block is. A block may finish at 12″, but its unfinished size is 12.5″. If you trim it down to the wrong size…you are in trouble.
-There is a general rule in quilting that our seams are 1/4″. When two seams meet…you lose 1/2″. This means the finished size is always 1/2″ smaller for the block and for the smaller pieces of fabric within the block. The pattern should tell you if something different is required.
-Another thing to note is that a beginner will probably like a larger block size! You may not be ready for 200 six inch blocks right off the bat:)
Cutting Guide– These are pictures of which direction to cut your fabric so you can the right amount of pieces. You don’t want to waste fabric by cutting in the wrong direction.
Construction– Here is where they tell you how to actually make the blocks and assemble the top. Lots of pictures here will be a life saver.
This is an old pattern book that was my grandmothers. I love seeing her handwriting in it and me and my sister actually have those quilts!
How do you know what pattern to choose?
That is up to you! It is YOUR quilt, so you can pick what you like and you can even do something different than what is in the pattern if you wanna! I almost always change something. If it is getting too complicated…turn that quilt into a pillow or a table runner(I have sooo done this!). Don’t like the colors they picked or can’t find them…pick something else.
If you are a little nervous I suggest a baby quilt…A. they are adorable:) and B. they are not that big, so it doesn’t feel overwhelming. A simple solid block design like HERE would be a great place to start!
The MOST important thing is too read the pattern all the way through before you start! Get an idea of how involved it is and how it is going to go together.
And last, but not least… Relax!!! Many of us never even finished our first quilt. We just moved on to the next one and figured it out. HERE is my first quilt. It took me 13 years to actually get that one done and it is a little scary at that. I love seeing how much I have grown and you will too!
My first Quilt…Wonky to the max!
For earlier posts on Quilting Tools and Fabric click HERE.
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Triangle Quilt- 49.5″ x 65″
My Triangle Quilt is finally finished and bound! This one was fun to quilt too…lots of straight lines makes it simpler:)
The fabrics are Simply Style and Boho Girl. I also threw in some solids to break it up.
If you want to know more info on how I cut and pieced this Triangle Quilt, visit my previous posts HERE and HERE.
I loved this fun paisley for the backing. I like the back of a quilt to be extra sassy!
I quilted it using a 50wt. Aurifil thread in lime from the Simplify collection. I am so in love with these threads!!! I used a navy for the binding.
You can get this set at Cotton Bliss HERE!
HERE is the tutorial I used to machine bind this quilt.
P.S. Have you checked out Gotcha Covered Quilting?
Here is their Etsy shop with lots and lots of great fabrics to start off your new year and new projects!
You can find and follow TheSassyQuilter here on Facebook, Pinterest, Bloglovin’, or by email(form on right sidebar)!
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You can find and follow TheSassyQuilter here on Facebook, Pinterest, Bloglovin’, or by email(form on right sidebar)!
Keep it Sassy♥
So what do you need to know about fabric as a beginner??? Who, What When, Where, How?
Let’s start with a How! How do you understand what these people are talking about?…….Terminology: In quilting there are A LOT of wierd words like fat quarter(not body part), WOF(barking dog?-no), and UFO(no aliens required)! I have made a Sassy Dictionary for beginners HERE. Check it out to get familiar with the terminology used.
Basically fibers woven together to form a cloth. Fibers run up and down and side to side. The way these fibers run make up the grain. There are straight grains(lengthwise and crosswise grain) and a bias grain(diagonal). The straight grains run with the direction the fibers and the bias grain is at a 45degree diagonal, cutting across all of them. Why does this matter? The bias is stretchy and the straight is not. The more you learn about quilting, the more you will care about this. I made several quilts before I even knew what this was, so don’t stress if this is confusing.
Notice how I threw another word in that pic? Selvedge. This is a big one! If you are in the US, you might say Selvage or if British, Selvedge(both acceptable). I am in the US, but for some reason I use the word Selvedge…I think its because I associate it with the “edge” of the fabric. The selvedges are the finished edges of the fabric and they keep the fabric from unraveling. They are thicker and tightly woven and should be removed before sewing.
A few things to note about selvedges: info printed on there includes designer, manufacturer and dots of the colors used in printing.
selvedge or selvage edge of fabric
Three possibilites here….except if you have a loom and well, you can make your own:)
Big Box Store(oooh, quilt snobs wincing everywhere!)- These are your Joann’s, Hobby Lobby’s, Hancocks, etc. Let’s face it, these places are cheaper and often have some great coupons. This is where I get most of my notions and supplies(can’t beat 40%off!). The longer I quilt…the pickier I am with my fabric choices(only slightly snobby), but these stores now carry some pretty nice lines and the quality is good. As a rule if it feels like sandpaper or you can see through it…keep searching!
Local Quilt Shop– These are the smaller stores that you may or may not have near where you live. I strongly reccommend supporting these guys! If we don’t, they shortly disappear. The prices here are usually higher, but all a great quality product and the customer service is priceless. I can’t promise you this in every shop, but for the most part I think it is true. If not, let them know so they can fix it….a good anonymous email might just help. They usually provide classes for learning and the best part is if you run out of something you are already at the store! These guys cannot possibly carry every line available, so find a store that suits your tastes or let the owner know what interests you.
Online Quilt Shops– There are millions of great online shops out there! These shops are where you can find just about anything and shipping these days is not bad at all. I look for shops that have a flat rate shipping policy…especially if you spend a certain amount. My top tip for these is to pay close attention to their cutting policies. Pricing is per unit, which may be by the half yard or whole yard. If it seems SUPER cheap, it is probably a half yard only:) Most shops are eager to please and are willing to have an online conversation about what you want. So don’t be shy! Since I can’t see the fabric in person, I have often messaged the shop owner to look over my order and let me know if one of the shades of a color that I have picked it out of place.
Two ways: off the bolt or precut.
Pre-cuts: Layer Cake, Dessert Roll, FQ Bundle, Charm Pack
Another form of a precut is a Fat Quarter(FQ) or Fat Eighth(FE). FQ’s are not a quarter of a yard! Now we are just really trying to confuse you right?
A quarter of a yard is 9″ and when it comes off the bolt that makes a long skinny piece of fabric…not always a useable width. A FQ is still a quarter of a yard, but think of laying out a yard of fabric, opening it up and then cutting it into quarters. You then get a piece that is 18″ x 22″. Cut that in half and you get a Fat Eighth, 9″ x 22″.
Most quilters use 100% cotton for general quilting. After that it is all up to you! Scary….right?
Here are some general tips about fabric to help you out:
Start with a fabric you really are drawn too, this is called a focus fabric, and add coordinating fabrics.
When picking out fabrics notice Value and Scale. To keep it simple…Value is divided into light, medium and dark values. Here is an example below. Taking a black and white photo can let you know if you are on track.
Scale is divided into small, medium and large. A variety of both adds interest and contrast to your quilt. A fabric with a large scale print may look different once you cut it into pieces…”hey, what happened to those butterflies? none on this piece”. Too many small prints or the same size prints can make your quilt look busy or too “blendy”.
What about color??? Do you want a bold and vibrant quilt or soft and sweet?
HERE is a post I did on color for quilters. It is a basic lesson on picking colors, but in reality I think you could study color forever! Look for inspiration everywhere. Take pictures and use them as references. Avoid over matching everything….my grandmother said that makes it look store-bought(boooo….handmade rules!), but if you like it- go for it. This is where someone who works in the shop can really help or you may like starting with some pre-cuts to make it simpler.
Click here for post on Color for Quilters!
Your pattern should tell you how much…that’s next weeks lesson! When beginning, I recommend getting a little extra! If you cut something wrong, you can just re-cut and won’t have to run back to the shop or search online for more. If you don’t use it…just add it to your growing stash:) Remember, whoever dies with the most fabric wins!!!….not really, so take it easy tiger, I know it’s just all soooo beautiful:)
Is your head spinning in circles? Yes, learning to quilt seems like a lot to take in, but all you really need to do is get started! It will all fall in to place and you will be a pro in no time. Next week we learn how to pick out and read a pattern so you can get started:)
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Welcome to my little stop in the Wake Up to Kona Solids blog hop hosted by SewWeQuilt!
This hop is featuring quilts made ONLY with Kona solids and I thought this sounded like too much fun to pass up! If this is your first time visiting you can see My Quilts here and learn more about me in this post.
The inspiration and sponsors for the hop are Amanda Murphy‘s new book, Color Essentials, from CT publishing and these fabulous bundles of Kona solids by Robert Kaufman….Sunrise and Sunset(new to the market). Aurifil also has some yummy thread to match!
So here is my quilt, Goose on the Loose!
Goose on the Loose! 28 1/2″ x 32 1/2″
I used some left over Kona solid fat quarters from a Robert Kaufman Poseidon bundle. I used to the blues in the bundle to make my Prism quilt.
For this one I used the shades of green and some white, Kona Snow. I threw in a little Kona melon for some pizazz:)
I did a vertical design for the quilting, to keep with the directional flow of the quilt.
I used this tutorial to do the binding by machine.
I pieced my leftovers on the bias to create my binding.
Pink and green is one of my favorite color combos!
Here is a list of all the great quilts you can check out between now and the 21st!
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