BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Quilting QUILT TIPS & HINTS FROM BELLAONLINE READERS:

This is where you can post your hint or tip for other quilters to read. Let's see how long this thread can go for!! Remember, be succinct with your title, and you can post as many hints as you wish.

My hint is that if you decide to wash your fabrics before you sew them, cut a little triangle out of each corner. This will stop the fabric from fraying and getting into a nasty gnarl whilst being washed. It also reminds you when you find it in your stash, that it's already been washed.
Cheerio for now

My first (-: hint is: At Office supply stores, Walmart and more they sell a little plastic bottle with a sponge on the end. It is used for stamps. I use it for my fabric water erasable pens, or for when ever I need just a dab of water. Easy peasy.

Ok Guys, where are you? I thought there'd be masses of hints on the board by now!!!

Here's my second hint : Always use the same thread in your bobbin as your're using in your sewing machine. There's a very good chance they'll behave very well, because they're the same.
Cheerio for now

I'm new to quilting and really don't have any hints...but I always wash and then put away my new fabric after purchasing. My mom waits forever and I go to her house and there is a leaning tower of fabric on the dryer.

Like Connie, I don't have any tips to offer. But I would like one.

How do you keep those little threads that you cut off the ends of seams, or when you rip out a seam, from spreading? I find them all over my ironing board, on the sewing cabinet, on already completed blocks, and unfortunately the carpet. Is there anything that attracts them?

Note: I know one answer is chain sewing, but since I do individual blocks I can not sew a multitude of pieces at one time. It's usually one at a time for me.

GrannyH

Even when you chain sew you still have to cut those threads at some time. I just think lots of threads everywhere means you've been really busy!

Is Granny daycare over yet? The kidos here started back on Thursday. Today was my sons first day of classes at college.

Yeah, well, I've been really busy then.


Yes, still operating. School doesn't start here until September 8th, so three more weeks. That's a little late, but it's always the day after Labor Day. Then my days will be mine again.

I began quilting later in life, around 58 or 59, and it has become my passion. Tools are an important part of quilting, I think, and every quilter needs a SEAM RIPPER. Yes, we will all make mistakes at one time or another and the seam ripper is my best friend. Proper lighting would be another tip. I have one of those pricey lights that stick onto your sewing machine and you can direct the bright light right where you are sewing. It is a WONDERFUL invention and well worth the money.

Happy Quilting!!

I keep a small ashtray beside my sewing machine and I put clipped threads in it to attempt to keep the thread from going everywhere. Some still ends up on the floor, but most of it goes from the ashtray to the garbage.

I also keep a small paper bag attached to my ironing board for trimmed fabric and clipped threads.

When beginning a new quilt I cut out and piece only one block (or two if the pattern requires) and post them on the wall so I can see them from my machine. It makes for good reference and incentive to keep at it. I have read folks put a piece of wide tape rolled onto it self at the edge of their machine table to stick cut threads on. My personal favorite tip is to MAKE TIME to quilt a bit everyday. We all work hard and our work must get done but fifty years from now will someone say Wow my Nana was a great worker or will they say Wow my Nana made the best quilted "woobies" !! I have another request, if I may: both of my grandmothers quilted and I have some great stories about them. Would anyone be interested in sharing your families quillting stories? Thanks.

I hope that Judie doesn't mind if I act like hostess here. (You know she's sleeping while I'm being my most 'creative'.)
Thank you all for your posts.

Joan, you joined BellaO just one month after I did - and you made your first post today. I'm nearing 2,000. I like the idea of the light. I also have a different pair of glasses at my sewing machine. It's just a little stronger than the pair I use for reading.

Butterfly, I have often wondered to myself why I don't have some sort of container sitting by the machine, but I don't think it will be an ashtray. Earlier this week I celebrated six years of being smoke-free. I'm not adding any symbols of another time. I have to go back and look, but I'm remembering that once upon a time Judie gave us instructions for making a cloth container for these threads.

Beltinsmom, I like your reference block idea. Won't work on the quilt I'm doing now, but will at a later time. I have done a paper drawing of the entire quilt I'm working on now which is hanging next to my machine. It has helped with placement and color selection, etc. As far as you suggestion about posting family quilting stories, there is an older topic here like that which you could add to, or you can start another. I, for one, would love to hear the stories since I don't have any of my own.

Welcome, and glad to hear from you all. GrannyH

good morning all. I have a quilting tip that my sisters seem to find quite handy. When I make a quilt and I find a backing that I really like, I leave a lot of overhang when putting the layers together. When it comes time to put on the binding however, I bring the backing over the top and sew to the front of the quilt. I have had many complements on this and if you have a backing that really matches great, It shows on the top also. Hope you find this of value in your quilting endevors

I have several quilts that my granny and great grandma made that brought the back side of the quilt to the front side to finish off the quilts. These quilts were made in the 20's and 30's. Only problem with this method of finishing off your quilt is - if the quilt is used often then the wrapped around method of finishing off wears out faster than the rest of the quilt. If you use a binding, which can be made from the same fabric as your backing, if it wears out it is easier to replace.

I also have two tips 1. I catch or pick up those loose threads either with scotch tape or with a roller that is used to roll across your clothes to get the lent off. 2. When your needle gets caught in your quilt, when hand quilting, grab a rubber band and wrap it around the top of the needle and pull needle on through.

Great Tips quilters! Keep them coming!!

Here's another tip from me:

When you've finished your quilt, and you are intending to show it, make a large draw-string bag to keep it in, out of the left over fabric. Or if you haven't got enough, use calico for the bag but decorate it with the left over fabric. This makes it very easy for the show personnel to identify your quilt with its bag.
Cheerio for now

Judie; would this also be a good plan for storing any quilt? I store mine in a pillowcase, cause I do know not to store in any type of plastic.

Absolutely GrannyH, plastic and quilts just don't mix. There are other ways to store your quilts. I have a number of teaching quilts which I use to teach certain techniques. I store them UPSIDE-DOWN on a spare queen bed. This way they stay uncreased, and the light doesn't get to them. I find this is a good way to store quilts that you use off and on.
Cheerio for now

Hello quilting friends. I have a list of tips we shared at one of our guild meetings. Following are a few of them.

Use the empty cardboard bolts from fabric stores: Cut in half to make two shorter pieces, fold your lengths of fabric around and store upright on shelves. (I did this...it was so much fun...I feel I have a mini quilt shop in my sewing room. I made sure that the bolts are out of the sun!)

Keep a legend of the quilts you make: on a 3 x 5 card, glue a strip of each fabric you use and make a notation of batting used. Keep in a recipe box.

Lay a piece of sandpaper down on your table top and lay fabric on top of sandpaper when drawing on fabric � great for appliqu� projects � sandpaper keeps the fabric from moving around. (this was my tip and I have used hundreds of times!)

Happy Quilting!

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Cindy, great tip about the sandpaper. I glued very fine sandpaper onto a VERY sturdy piece of cardboard and use it for tracing templates onto fabric, writing labels, etc. It is so helpful in that the fabric will not slip.

One small tip: I keep scissors (small ones) at the ironing station, cutting station, and, of course, by the sewing machine. Very helpful to me and saves steps even though I have a VERY SMALL sewing room. Makes me keep things organized! Well, most of the time.

Joan

Amen, I'm so happy to hear that someone else has a pair of scissors in every nook and cranny! My DH struggles with the prospect of two hundres snippers about the place!!

cheerio for now

I am new to your forum, but to the lady with the problem with threads everywhere, I keep a length of masking tape (the wider the better) rolled backwards, sticky side out, near my sewing machine and ironing board. It is simple to collect the threads on it and they stay put!

Welcome to the forum. And I thank you for the tip.

If you get the weekly newsletter from Judie, you may have noticed that she included a project that seemed as if it was just for me. It was to make a fabric thread catcher/pin cushion combo. What she doesn't know is that I intend to make the pin cushion because of an incident earlier this week. It involves carpet on the floor under my sewing machine and the fact that I keep my pins in a small jar. It is not fun when that jar falls off the sewing cabinet and dumps pins all over the carpet. And it even hurts a little.

Great Project, Judie, and so timely. GrannyH

Another tip - Use spray starch on your pieces, before sewing them together. You won't need to use pins to keep them together, the spray starch will do that for you.

No finger pricks, and best of all, no skewing with the pin, especially with small pieces.
Cheerio for now

GOOD MORNING! KEEP A LINT ROLLER BESIDE YOUR SEWING MACHINE & ON YOUR CUTTING & WORK TABLES. HELPS KEEP THE USUAL LINT DUST DOWN TOO.

I have been sewing a lot lately and got tired of stopping to wind bobbins. I did 6 bobbins last night and so that should last me for a while!

Granny, have you tried using a lint roller to pick up threads? I have also used masking tape wrapped sticky side out around my hand to sweep up threads.

A lint roller? What a great idea dewdrop38. Shall get me one this week.

Cheerio for now