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02-26-2014

So You Wanna Make A Quilt…Part 8- Binding Your Quilt

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Part 8- Binding

What is quilt binding anyway???

Well, just like the binding on a book holds the pages together…binding on a quilt holds the raw edges of the quilt together! Not to mention it also adds that final border and pizazz to your quilt:)

The binding or finished edge of a quilt often gets the most wear so it needs to be durable and stronger than the rest of your quilt to keep it from unraveling. You are probably asking your self, how do I get it on there? Don’t stress! I am going to give you some tips and lots of pics to make it super easy.

Binding your quilt

What you need to know to Bind Your Quilt?

There are a couple of things to decide before you actually get to it:) What type of binding do you want to use, what technique to apply it, how much you will need and how to finish it off.

Types of Binding: Bias or Grain

Bias Binding is cut on the diagonal(or bias grain), using the 45 degree line on your ruler.

Grain Binding is cut using either horizontal or vertical lines that follow the straight or crossgrain of your fabric.

Forget what in the world these things are? Remember this diagram:)

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The benefits of bias binding is that is stretchy and is great for binding curves. The fabric is also a little stronger when cut like this and will wear less over time. That being said….I always use a straight grain binding unless working with curved edges and so far so good:)

Techniques for Binding: Machine or Hand

When binding your quilt you will attach the binding to one side and the attach it to the other to seal up your quilt. There are lots of techniques for this and you have to find the one that works for you!

Machine binding is done…you guessed it…with your sewing machine!

Hand binding is actually done using your machine on the front of your quilt, but finished off by hand on the back for a seamless look. This is considered the more traditional way to finish your quilt and takes a bit more time to do.

How much do I need?

Binding is typically cut in 2.5″ strips and then joined together to form one unit that will go all the way around your quilt. There is a simple formula to calculate exactly how many strips you will need!

binding formula

If you have a smart phone there is a great app by Robert Kaufman called The Quilter’s Little Helper for calculating all sorts of quilty things! And I love LilyStreetQuilts.com for their border, backing and binding calculator.

Border,binding,backing calculator

Okay, okay…How do I actually do it!!!

I have got two tutorials to help you out.

   make your own binding

and…  How to bind a quilt

I will show you how to make your binding first and then how to attach it to your quilt and finish it by machine! Just click on the tutorial links or pics to get there.

This is the end of our So You Wanna Make A Quilt…Beginner Quilting Series….I know, kind of sad right?  Good luck with all your quilty adventures and feel free to email or comment any questions you may have!

To find Parts 1 through 8…Click HERE!

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You can find and follow TheSassyQuilter here on Facebook, Pinterest, Bloglovin’, or by email(form on right sidebar)!

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02-19-2014

So You Wanna Make A Quilt…Part 7- Quilting

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Part 7- Quilting

At this point I am sure you have a couple questions running through your head….How do I actually quilt this thing? or Am I going to ruin this quilt top that I just spent so much time working on? Let’s look at the purpose of quilting and how to do it first and guess what…you are not going to mess up anything!

Quilting serves two purposes for a quilt; function– it actually holds the quilt together and form– the texture and beauty it adds to the quilt.

You can quilt your quilt by hand or by machine. I learned how to quilt by hand…that was the way my grandmother quilted. Now, I primarily quilt on my sewing machine, but I usually have at least one hand quilting project on standby for when I feel like it. I am going to focus on machine quilting techniques, but a lot of these apply to hand quilting also.

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A few tools you may need to quilt your quilt are:

Walking Foot or Darning/Hopping Foot for your sewing machine.

Marking tools- rulers, chalk, disappearing pen, water soluble pen, frixion pen, hera marker.

Stencils

Painters Tape

Machine Quilting Gloves

Quilting Needles

Antique Quilt

Antique Quilt- Crosshatch and Feather Quilting

You will need to look at your quilt and plan out how you want to quilt it. For beginners a simple straight line design or grid is a good starting point. It is helpful to mark these designs on your quilt top before you baste it…no pins in your way at that point. They make quite a few great tools to mark your design on the quilt. You have to experiment a bit and find the one you like the best. Here are a few Pro’s/Con’s to help you make up your mind.

Chalk, Pro-comes in several forms and can be easily removed when you are done. Con-can disappear on you if you keep brushing against the design.

Disappearing Pen, Pro-removes itself! Con-can disappear too rapidly depending on humidity. You should always test this first.

Water Soluble Pen, Pro-design stays put. Con-you may have to wash your quilt to remove it. You may not want to wash every quilt.

Frixion Pen, Pro-this is removed by iron, very easy. Con-these marks have been known to reappear in different temperatures. Maybe not best for a show quilt!

Hera Marker, Pro-this plastic tool makes a crease in the fabric to mark lines and is easy to use with nothing to remove. Con-you cannot do very intricate designs, just straight lines.

Painters Tape, Pro-this low tack tape is great for marking lines and you can sew on either side for uniform widths and is easy to remove and reuse. Con-this tool also doesn’t allow for very detailed designs.

Another great tool for marking quilting designs are stencils. Theses are thin sheets of plastic with designs already cut out and ready to mark with your favorite marking tool.

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Time to Quilt!

You have got your design marked and now you are ready to go! What next?

If you are quilting basic straight line designs, the use of a Walking Foot is a must. You will never regret buying one of these feet for your machine.

When quilting you have a lot of layers going through your machine and sometimes the top layer is not being pulled through at the exact same rate as the bottom layer, this can lead to some slight shifting and can cause puckers in your quilt. A walking foot has an extra set of teeth that grab the top layer and your machine has the feed dogs on the bottom to grab that bottom layer….now they are going through at the same speed = beautiful even stitches!

Walking Foot

There are a million ways to quilt your quilt, but here are a few basic quilting designs you might like to try.

Stitch in the Ditch Quilting

Stitch in the Ditch Quilting

Stitch in the Ditch(SITD) – quilting along or inside the seams of your patchwork.

Echo– outlining basic shapes in your quilt and repeating that design several times.

Crosshatch– evenly spaced grid lines that cover the entire quilt, usually on the diagonal.

Straight lines– these can be evenly spaced or even a little wonky for a more organic feel.

Antique Quilt

Antique Quilt- Straight Line and Echo Quilting

Sewing Machine Needles…

An 80/12 Universal, Microtex or Quilting needle are all great for machine quilting. Microtex and Quilting needles have a slim, strong shaft which leaves a smaller hole in your fabric and can penetrate multiple layers in seam areas. If your quilt sandwich is extra thick you may want to use a size 90/14.

Sewing Machine Needles

Taking Your First Stitch

Holding the end of the top thread, hand turn your machines needle until it pierces the quilt and comes back up. The top thread should grab the bobbin thread below and pull it to the surface of your quilt. Now, holding both ends of the two threads, take a couple stitches in place. This will lock your threads in place so that your quilting will not come undone. Finish your line of stitching by locking them in place again and then snip your thread tails. This process is the same no matter what foot you are using on your machine.

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Tension

You may have to increase your tension while quilting vs. piecing. Test your stitches first and make sure they are even on the front and back of your quilt.

Tips for Starting…

As a general rule you will start near the center of your quilt and work outward. There is a slight pushing effect when quilting and if you start on the outer edges and work inward, you can end up with a puffy area in the center of your quilt.

It is helpful to quilt along the basic grid work of your blocks/borders first to stabilize your quilt sandwich and then go back and fill in your designs.

Roll and scrunch up the sides of your quilt to fit it through your machine. You need to keep the bulk of the quilt from pulling against you while you quilt. I do this by keeping the area closest to me piled up on my chest and the sides rolled up.

Use your hands to keep the area approaching the needle flat and smooth to keep from getting puckers or folds in your quilt.

What about Free Motion Quilting?

For this technique you use a darning foot or hopping foot on your machine, your stitch length is set to 0 and your feed dogs are typically disengaged. You are basically turning off the forward motion that your machine creates and you are the one who moves your quilt through the machine. This allows you to stitch in all directions and the possibilities are endless! This technique is a little more advanced and requires a lot of practice, but don’t be shy! Get a few simple designs under your belt and then give it a go. You never know, you might be a natural:)

darning foot

Darning or Hopping Foot

THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE

Relax! and give yourself a break…it doesn’t have to be perfect:) We are our biggest critics, so try to have fun and I promise you will get better.

Click HERE to find parts 1, 2, 3 , 4, 5 and 6 of the Beginner Quilting Series, So You Wanna Make a Quilt…

See you next week for Part 8- Binding.

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02-12-2014

So You Wanna Make A Quilt…Part 6 – Basting Your Quilt

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Part 6- Basting Your Quilt

We all have a love/hate relationship with basting our quilts! We gotta do it, but it is an interruption in our quilting mojo:) I am curious if there is anyone out there who actually likes to baste?…crickets….

If you are a total beginner you are probably thinking about your Thanksgiving turkey and wondering what it has to do with a quilt!

What is Basting?

Basting is a process used when sewing more than one fabric layer together. To make a quilt you will have to have a quilt top, batting(fluffy stuff in the middle) and backing. When we layer these three together to make our “quilt sandwich” we have to secure them to each other before we start stitching to prevent shifting and puckering.

Basting Your Quilt

Basting Basics

Basting is like many things in quilting…there is more than one way to do it, but the basics are the same.

•Your backing has to be flat and smooth. When making your quilt sandwich, you will not be able to see what is happening with the backing. This means you need to have it secured to something that will hold it flat and taut. Do not over stretch the backing! When it is released it will shift back to its natural state and scrunch up.

A couple popular ways to do this is with painters tape on the floor or with clamps on a table.

Backing

Secure backing to a hard flat surface.

•Your backing also needs to be at least 2-3″ larger than your quilt top on all four sides of your quilt. I will warn you to not go skimpy on this one! You will regret it when you have basted your entire quilt and realize one corner has no backing to cover it….ashamed to admit how many times I had to learn that one:)

•Your batting also needs to be smooth and extend 2-3″ beyond your quilt top on all sides. Batting doesn’t have to be quite as flat as the backing, but you want it to be smooth and not have any folds. Lay your batting out for a couple hours so it can relax or breathe from being folded will help. Your batting can be 100% cotton, Polyester or a blend of the two. Cotton batting can be lightly ironed, but Polyester will melt…so be careful of that. I like to use 100% or a Poly/Cotton blend.

Batting

Different types of batting.

Quilt Sandwich

Quilt Sandwich

•You will need something to secure the layers together. There are 3 basic techniques:

Thread basting

Pin Basting

Spray Basting

The oldest and most traditional way is with thread. You take large running stitches about 3 or 4″ apart to secure the layers and then, cut and remove when done quilting.

The most popular is probably using safety pins. A size 1 1/2 – 2 curved safety pin is good and small enough not to leave a large hole in your quilt top! You should space them so that when you place you fist on the quilt it is surrounded by pins. Using a Kwik Clip is a good tool to make that easier and try not to pin where you will be quilting. You will need 100-200+ pins, especially if you want to baste more than one quilt at a time.

Safety Pin

Curved Safety Pin

Kwik Clip and Safety Pins

Kwik Clip and Safety Pins

The growing trend is to use a spray adhesive. You do need some ventilation and a mask is not a bad idea. The drawback to spray basting is that it can be difficult to keep things flat and smooth when everything is sticky:) It is really great for small projects, but can be done on large quilts also. You will have to use the adhesive on each layer and work from the center outward. Having a friend helps a lot! They sell fusible batting as an option also.

Spray Basting

Spray Basting

How do I know which to try?

As a beginner I am going to recommend using the pin basting technique. It is the least complicated and can be done on a floor or table top(be careful not to scratch up your table!) You should do at least one on the floor and pay your dues like everyone else:) Just kidding! It’s not that bad. I figure if my 86 year old grandmother could do it, then I shouldn’t complain.

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Eventually you have to try out a couple different methods to see what fits your style the best. I love using the table top…that floor was killing me…and I converted to spray basting a while back. My sister uses a board basting method with two 2 x 4’s and it works great for her. You can check that one out HERE at Color Me Quilty. Your longarm quilter may also be able to baste your quilt for a fee.

Once you are basted you can get to quilting! I would love to know your favorite method to baste, so please share:)

 

Click HERE to find parts 1, 2, 3 , 4, 5 and 6 of the Beginner Quilting Series, So You Wanna Make a Quilt…

See you next week for Part 7- Quilting.

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01-29-2014

So You Wanna Make A Quilt… Part 4 – How to Cut Fabric

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Part 4- Cutting

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.

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Safety On…

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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.

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#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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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″.

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With your fingers spread apart(but not over the edge!)… apply firm pressure to the ruler.

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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.

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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.

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Beautiful! You can trim the top and bottom edges to get your desired length according to your pattern.

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What happens if you are cutting along and your rotary cutter slips to the right???

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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.

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What if you are not cutting a fat quarter, but are cutting fabric off the bolt that has a fold in it?

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The procedure is the same, just line your fold up with a line on the mat before squaring up the edge on the right.

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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.

REMEMBER

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Click HERE to find parts 1, 2 and 3 of the Beginner Quilting Series, So You Wanna Quilt…

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01-22-2014

So You Wanna Make A Quilt… Part 3 – Quilt Patterns

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Part 3- Quilt Patterns

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!

Understanding Quilt Patterns

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.

Fabricstack

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

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.

OldPatterncolor

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!

Look at all those corners, Wonky to the max!

My first Quilt…Wonky to the max!

 

For earlier posts on Quilting Tools and Fabric click HERE.

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01-15-2014

So You Wanna Make A Quilt… Part 2 – Fabric

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Part 2- Fabric

 

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.

Fabric

 What is fabric?

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.

grainpic

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

selvedge or selvage edge of fabric

Where do I go to get my 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.

How do I buy it?

Two ways: off the bolt or precut.

  • A bolt of fabric is the large flat cardboard tubes you see lining the shops shelves….ahh, a beautiful sight:) The fabric is actually folded in half before it is wound onto the bolt. If you opened up the fold it would measure about 44-45″, this is referred to as WOF, or Width Of Fabric. One end of the cardboard bolt will have the manufacturers information, designer and pricing details. You take the bolts and have the shop/store cut off just the amount you need. Fabric is measured for purchase by the yard(US) and some shops may have a minimum yardage requirement, just ask.
  • Pre-cuts are pre-packaged fabrics that have already been cut into a specific size. The great thing about pre-cuts is that they are already coordinated together, have lots of variety and you are ready to jump into your project.  The most common pre-cuts: Layer Cake: 10″ squares, Jelly Roll: 2.5″ strips, Charms: 5″ squares, etc. Be careful…these things are like candy, hence the names:)
Precuts

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″.

 QuarterYardCutspic

 How do I know what fabrics to pick?

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.

          Value ValueBW

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”.

Scale

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.

colorwheel

Click here for post on Color for Quilters!

How much do I get?

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:)

 YouCanDoIt

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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