, Author at Tools For Quilting

Free Motion Quilting Instructions

free motion quilting with the Designio DZ3400

Not so much free motion quilting instructions but, following on from my tips for beginning quilters, I decided to put together my top free motion quilting tips.

Note, it does take practise, not many quilters get it right first time. Expect some odd patterns and snarl-ups till you master it!

Free Motion Quilting Tips

1)Free motion quilting is a lot about keeping a rhythm. When you start, it might be helpful to decide what speed (NOT really slow nor flat out) is comfortable for you.

If your machine doesn’t have different speed settings then put some sort of block under the foot pedal so when you mash it down it goes to that speed.

That takes thinking about the speed and your foot out of the equation and helps you to concentrate!

In my opinion, I would say cutting mats for quilting are an essential, not an option!

In this article I’ll cover the essentials you need to know about cutting mats, from selection through to storage and cleaning.

King Quilter Quilting Machine

Produce fantastic King Sized Quilts easier than ever!

KingQuilter produce a few different machines, today I’m taking a look at the King Quilter Quilting Machine 18x 8″ size.

The King Quilter 18×8 is perfect as an entry level long arm quilting machine. If you’ve struggled with quilting on one of the smaller, domestic sewing machines , then the King Quilter is the best solution for you.

Quilting is such a massive subject if you’re just starting so here are my top tips for beginning Quilters! Top Tips For Beginning Quilters Learn the terminology! It might seem obvious but it’s surprising the amount of would be quilters … Read more

Embroidery In Quilting

Lots of crafters who enjoy quilting also end up enjoying embroidery in quilting. You might feel as if you have torn loyalties of which craft to pursue in the small quantity of time available for hobbies. Does this sound like you? … Read more

8yr Old Quilter and Former Foster Kid Pays It Forward

This lovely story about how an 8yr old quilter and former foster kid pays it forward is worth a share I reckon!

The CAMACO Quilt Guild provided over 50 hand-made quilts to Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children on Nov. 11 at their month-to-month meeting at the Millmam Center in the Villas, N.J.

Brother HC1850 Review

Brother claims that the HC 1850 is perfect for:

“sewing, quilting, and basic monogramming. Designed for versatility and ease of use, this machine includes a hassle-free, built-in stitch reference flip-chart”.

Because we are quilters it’s good to see some specialized quilting features which include a detachable large table, spring action quilting foot, and the ability to do free-motion quilting.

This is a short article giving a brief explanation of patchwork piecing methods with some videos for a visual explanation. As you already know, generally quilts are formed using blocks which can be joined together by hand or machine. There are different methods … Read more

How to Choose the Right Batting

In a previous article about quilting fabric I briefly mentioned batting, but in this article, I’m going to talk about how to choose the right batting.

It’s important to choose the right kind of batting, many new quilters don’t realize the importance, or know there are many different kinds of batting.

Now, as I said previously, batting is the “sandwich filling” of a quilt, the bit that goes in the middle between your pieced quit top and the back. It’s also the part that creates the warmth, insulation and weight of your quilt.

When I first started quilting this was one of the first questions I asked”what is stitch in the ditch?”.

It’s one of those strange bits of terminology that crop up in quilting and although it sounds strange, it does have a simple explanation. When I first heard the term, I had images of quilting groups lined up in a ditch all sewing away!

I’ve seen the holiday candy appearing in the grocery stores so I decided it was time to look for Christmas gifts for quilters.

I know, I know, I can hear you saying it’s too early, but don’t you think it would feel great not to be rushing at the last minute. There’s also the problem of having a brilliant idea for a gift then finding it’s sold out, I hate when that happens!

Have you ever been tempted to buy a bundle of boxed threads from a dollar store? I know, they look good a rainbow of colors and twenty spools for a bargain price.

STOP…..

Don’t do it!

Janome HD3000

You know, sometimes you just want a basic sewing machine that does a top notch job without a lot of bells and whistles. Well the this Janome claims to do just that!

Not everyone wants or needs a computerized sewing machine and can sometimes feel intimidated by all the technology, especially if they’re transitioning from a granny inherited machine.

Your budget will also dictate what kind of sewing machine you purchase. Better to buy a good quality basic machine than a cheap computerized one.

Not all scissors are made equal, and if you’ve ever tried to cut fabric with scissors that have been used for cutting paper, you’ll know what I mean!

There are many different kinds of scissors, including scissors for quilting. Choosing the best quality is important, good tools = good job!

Many of you will be using some kind of fabric cutting device however, you do still need good pairs of scissors for some tasks.

Of course, you can go to a dollar store and buy some but I don’t recommend this. I’ve tried it and it’s a false economy, a few cuts and they break or go blunt!

Brother cs6000i Sewing Machine Review

Do you need a budget sewing machine for quilting? You’ve no doubt found out that having quilting as a hobby can be an expensive one! This Brother sewing machine review should help you to make your choice.

If you’re new to sewing and sewing machines then learning all the terminology is a bit of a learning curve.

An often asked question is “what is a presser foot,” I remember wondering this many years ago. Initially, I thought a presser foot was the foot peddle, you press it with your foot to make the sewing machine go, made perfect sense to me!

Simply put, A presser foot is an attachment for your sewing machine which holds fabric flat as it is fed through the machine and stitched.

Have you ever wanted to build a craft website? You’ve landed on my site probably by doing a Google search, or via some social media. I built this site myself, from having no knowledge a year ago to what you see today. Even I’m impressed and it’s my own site!

Do you want to know how I did it? I’ll rewind and give you a bit of history. After losing my hubby last year, I found myself in need of an occupation. Not only to keep me busy but to give me an income. After some extensive online research, I came across a training program called Wealthy Affiliate

I’ve seen many free blogging sites, like Blogger or Weebly, I’ve used them myself in the past. This time, I wanted a “proper” website, one that not only helps people but also gives me an income.

If you’re a crafter, there are more ways of using your website than selling your handmade crafts. This is where the training program at Wealthy Affiliate comes in. The training teaches you to create a solid online business.

Keep reading and I’ll explain!

Do you need a sewing table for quilting? So you’ve got your awesome sewing machine for quilting, your tools and notions and a project in mind.

Your fat quarters are spread out over the dining room table, (which is covered with a cutting mat), along with your quilting rulers, rotary cutter and all your other tools!

You start your cutting and piecing, look at the clock, OH NO, dinner time, time to clear the table….

Solution? a dedicated sewing table for quilting! There are many different types, sizes and prices, choosing one depends on your space and budget.

Cushion made by the Janome Artistic Digitizer Software

You’ve mastered the basics of quilting and browsed through all the different quilting patterns available so what’s next? Creating your own patterns with quilt design software programs!

Let’s have a look first at what quilt design software programs can do compared to a graphic design software or paint program for example.

If you’re fairly new to quilting you might not have heard of using stencils for quilting. I’m sure you’ll remember stencils from when you were a kid. I couldn’t draw or write neatly, so using stencils helped me get good marks for “neatness of work!”

The same principle applies when using stencils for quilting, the aim is to get a neat finish. A quilting stencil is used to trace designs onto a quilt top and there are thousands of different design templates. Grooves are cut into the templates forming patterns and designs, these guide you when you come to quilting your project.

John Flynn Quilting System

So you’ve pieced your quilt and have the 3 layers reading for quilting on your sewing machine or by hand. Do you have problems rolling it up and keeping the tension? Don’t have the budget for a Long Arm Machine? The John Flynn quilting system could be just the thing!

How many times have you tried to get on with a project only to be stopped by your children demanding attention!? There is a solution, get them to join you. In this article, I’ll go through the basics of how to teach children to quilt.

You can start them at quite an early age, my own Granddaughter (Eve) was just 5 yrs old when I introduced her to sewing and 8 when I started teaching her how to quilt. She’s 21 now and at the moment is mainly interested in Ed Sheeran and filling in her eyebrows, quilting is low on her priority list!

How to Teach Children to Quilt

Young children will want to do what the grown-ups are doing and it’s best to get them involved right at the start of a project. They also like to do things with their friends so get them to invite a friend round to join in.

Firstly, if you haven’t already done so you need to teach them to use a sewing machine. I was lucky enough to have a Singer Featherweight for Eve to practice on, it was a perfect size for her small hands. Put a bit of tape on the 1/4″ mark, it’s much easier for a child to follow this guide rather than the etched in one on the plate.

Quilting comes in all different styles and depends on the traditions and history of the country of origin. Simply put, quilting is made up of a “sandwich” of fabrics, the top layer which is the pattern part and can be made up of quilt blocks, the middle which is called the batting (padding) and the back which is usually a complimentary colour to the top pattern.
I’ve put together a list of the commonly used terms in quilting in this quilting terms definitions article so you have a quick reference guide.

Quilting Terms Definitions

Accent quilts – This is a pattern that follows different lines but works with your patchwork pattern.
Achromatic – Black, white and grey color schemes.
Album quilts – These are quilts made for a specific event and made up of different blocks. These are personal to the recipient or maker of the quilt and are sometimes given as gifts to mark a special occasion.

Juki Exceed F600 Quilt and Pro Special

Historically, Juki have been known for their industrial sewing machines, only recently moving into the domestic market (history here) around 2009. I’ve previously looked at the basic Juki long arm quilting machine, this time I’m checking out the more sophisticated Juki Exceed F600 Quilt and Pro Special, one of Juki’s computerized domestic sewing machines.

Computerized Sewing Quilting Machine

It sounds as if Singer have tried to produce a budget sewing machine that does it all, dressmaking, quilting, embroidery and more. There are many claims about what is the best sewing machine for quilting, so let’s take a closer look and see what the Singer Confidence Quilter can do.

The Simplicity Rotary Cutter Machine is no longer available

Singer S18 Studio Computerized High Performance Quilting and Sewing Machine

Singer s18 Studio Sewing Machine

Singer claim to give you a high-performance machine for a fraction of the cost:

On the face of it, the Singer S18 looks like a great sewing machine for quilting. You can see by the image that it has that all essential extra throat space needed and conveniently located function buttons. Let’s have a look at the functions and features in more detail.

I believe most of us crafters can’t resist a good book, they are a great source of new ideas and I just love adding how to quilt books to my collection!

Things have come a long way since the book in the image was published in 1921. Thousands have been published since then and I’ve put together a list of my top 5 favorite quilting books.

brother scanncut cm100dm home hobby cutting machine built in scanner

Brother Scan Cut Machine

We know how expensive it is to keep buying different dies and different size quilting rulers to get the shape we want for our projects.

Well, how about a product that scans AND cuts, like the Brother Scan Cut Machine?!

A world’s first, you don’t need any cartridges dies or computer software.

You can scan a photo, sketch or an image and the Brother ScanNCut will whatever shape you want.

Product – Singer Futura xl 400 Computerized Sewing Embroidery Machine

Price – Special Package only $1,799.00 – I want it all special!

Website – Sewing Machines Plus

Singer Futura xl 400 Computerized Sewing Embroidery Machine

The Singer Futura xl 400 Computerized Sewing Embroidery Machine is part of special package from Sewing machines Plus is packed with goodies.

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