Now that the binding is attached to the quilt by machine, we can sew the folded edge of the binding to the back of the quilt by hand.

Of course, some quilters prefer to use the machine for this last step, but I think it’s nice to slow things down a bit with needle and thread in hand. You’ll need a sewing needle–sharps, size 8, 9 or 10, thread to match the color of the binding fabric, thread snips, a thimble if you wear one, and clips or pins to hold the binding in place while you sew.

Thread the needle and make a knot at the end. Insert the thread through the layers at the edge of the quilt, under the sewn binding. Pull the thread up to the back of the quilt, and just barely grab the folded edge of the binding–one or two threads of the fold, that’s it. Pull the thread through.

Insert the needle into the backing just a little bit behind the thread exit point, then travel through the batting layer about 3/8″ or less. Come up through the backing and grab the binding fold again. This is a slip stitch. Continue stitching along the straight edge of the quilt, removing clips as you sew, and placing them further around the binding, so you’re continuously sewing and prepping the next steps.

Keep repeating the slip stitch along the straight edge of the quilt, until you approach the corner. When you reach the corner. Stop and ‘park’ the needle in the quilt. At the corner, fold the right side over the left side forming a miter in the binding on the back of the quilt at the corner.

Fold the right edge over the left edge . .

. . .and secure the corner with a clip or pin.

Continue slip-stitching to the corner . . .

 

. . . then take a stitch or two along the diagonal toward the outer edge of the quilt.

Then take a stitch from back to the front (or front to back, depending on your perspective!), catching the mitered flap on both sides. This will help to keep the binding square over time.

Pull the thread from the front to the back, again . . .

 . . . and stitch along the mitered edge so you can continue to sew the binding fold from the back. Repeat the corner miter at each corner.

Take a peek at the front to admire your work! If all goes according to plan. The binding bulk at the corner will be evenly distributed front-to-back.

Once you’ve made it all the way around the quilt, tie off and bury the thread end.

Before calling the project ‘done,’ make a label. The label can be elaborate or simple – a scrap of fabric from the quilt top will do. The point is to record the important stuff on a label that will follow the quilt where ever it goes!

With a permanent fabric marker, write the name of the quilt, the pattern, your name as the maker and the date on the fabric label. If the quilt is a gift or for a special occasion, add that also. Consider adding washing instructions or the city where it was made, too. Tell the quilt’s story. Slip stitch the label to the back of the quilt.

It’s also a good idea to take a picture of the finished quilt so you have a record of the projects you’ve finished. Quilts tend to move on from their original maker and it’s sometimes nice to look back and remember the quilts you’ve made.

And the best part of making a quilt is enjoying it–while you are planning the next one!

Happy stitching!

aj

xoxo

 

We’re coming into the home stretch now!

Once you are satisfied with the quilting, it’s time to bind the quilt. The very edge of the quilt has all kinds of raw edges that will fray, so we cover them up with a double fold binding.

First audition some binding options. I chose this dark taupe-y brown. It matches some of the specks of brown color in the quilt. Since only a small slice of the binding will show, it’s good to choose an accent color. For bindings, I much prefer darker than lighter options. . . consider this is the quilt’s frame.

Set the binding fabric aside for a moment, and pull out your ruler and rotary cutter. Trim the batting and backing even with the quilt top. Now would be the time to straighten up any border edges that got a little wonky in the quilting process. Be careful not to slip!

You’ll have some scraps! The batting can be used to stuff dolls or pin cushions. And the fabric strips can come in handy for scrap quilts . . my favorite!

Remember how to cut strips? You’ll need three for sure, but we’re just at the cusp of needing four, so I’d go conservative and cut four. Cut strips 2-1/4″ wide. How do I know how much I need? Calculate the perimeter of the quilt, then divide by 40 (the average presumed usuable width of the fabric).

Connect the strips end to end using a diagonal seam. This is about the only time I ever use the lines on the cutting mat. Line up one strip end right side up with a horizontal cutting mat line and line up a second strip end on top of the first one, aligned with a vertical line on the mat’s grid. then draw a diagonal where the edges intersect, secure with pins. . .

 . . . and sew on the line . . .

. . . then trim with scissors, about 1/4″ away from the seam. . .

. . .and press the seam open

Fold the whole length of the binding in half wrong sides together and press the fold nice and crisp.

Starting to the right side of the middle of your first side, and leaving about a 10″ tail, pin the binding onto the edge of the quilt, with raw edges aligned, working clockwise. Stop when you get to the corner.

Sorry about the blurry pic . . . with a small square ruler that has a bias line, align the bias line on the ruler with the yet-to-be-bound edge of the trimmed quilt (1), then draw a short line (maybe about 1/2″ long) along the ruler so it’s at a 45˚ angle (right in the middle!) from the corner of the quilt (the binding will cover the  quilt’s corner, so don’t hesitate to peek!) (2)

Then sew a 1/4″ seam through all layers of binding and quilt. Use a walking foot, if needed. Slow down as you approach the drawn line.

When your stitching hits the line, pivot and sew along the line right off the quilt.

Fold the binding back toward the right so the binding and the quilt edge form a straight line. Then fold the binding back over itself to the left so the fold is right where the red dashes are.

Pin the next side of the binding in place, and start sewing right at the binding fold/edge of the quilt. Don’t forget to mark the next corner!

Repeat until you are almost back to your starting point. Leave about  10-12″ section of binding unsewn, with lots of extra binding on both sides of the opening.

Lay the quilt flat, and fold each binding end toward each other, so the folds just ‘kiss.’

Calculate one-half of the binding width (2-1/4″ divided by 2 = 1-1/8″) Measure and mark 1-1/8″ from the ‘kiss’ on each side of the binding

See?

Then smush the quilt together to give yourself some room with the binding ends, and secure the smushed section of the quilt with a study pin.

Now, observe where the marks are. Pull the left binding end up above the quilt and lay it flat on your work table so you can see the mark. Then fold the binding end from the right so the mark is directly on the fold (that’s the one in my hand)

And place the two ends on top of each other so the folds and marks align ash shown.

 

Then open up the top fold, and draw a line across that connects the corners, and secure with pins.

Sew on the line.

 

And cut 1/4″ away.

See?

Finger press the seam open, and remove the pin that was smushing the quilt together. The binding should lay flat on the last section of the quilt.

Finish sewing the binding in place

Ta-almost-done!

Next time, we’ll sit with needle and thread and sew the folded edge of the binding to the back of the quilt.

How is it coming?
 

Or, Karen, as you call it, ‘the squiggly stuff.’

This is the moment you’ve been waiting for. . . . free motion quilting. The challenge I face is showing you the basics of free motion quilting–which by its very name requires movement to do a really good job of showing you what to do–and all I have is a still camera. Eh, well.
Here goes. . .

I’ll start first with the secret to success . . actually I’ll offer a list:

1 – Relax. This whole process is about developing smooth, even stitches.

2 – Develop your own style. You may not know what that is just yet, but the more you quilt, the more you’ll find things you like. Textures you want to repeat and things you don’t necessarily like for one reason or another.

3 – Start with the basics, get really good at them, then challenge yourself to reach the next level. This is not an over night process. Every project you quilt will get better and better. Be patient with yourself and with your technique. 

4 – The quilting adds personality to the quilt. Listen to the quilt, it will tell you how it wants to be quilted. (No, Aunt Joan hasn’t flipped her rocker!) It’s really true. You may not think so at first, but you’ll see. . .

5 – Some will recommend drawing some quilt patterns on a piece of paper first. I’m not sure I agree with this approach. When you draw on paper, the feeling is completely different because the paper is stationary and the pencil moves. On the sewing machine, just the opposite is true the pencil (or needle) stays in one spot, and the paper (or fabric below it) moves.

6 – If you want to test the concept first, it’s a very good idea to make a test quilt sandwich. Take two 10-12″ scraps of fabric and place a piece of scrap batting in between. Try some free motion strokes on this test square first. This will allow you to check the thread tension and make adjustments before you hit the ‘big time!’

7 – Read through all the directions below first, then try your hand at it. Experiment and try different things. Be bold, not timid, but also not forceful or jagged. Smooth, deliberate lines are the goal.

First, a few (more) things that might come in handy.

We’ll start with a darning foot or free motion foot. This one might look a little strange because it also has a sensor mechanism which automatically regulates my stitch size. You don’t need anything this fancy. You will recognize your free motion foot by the spring and circular or semi circular base.

You might also like to try some quilting gloves. The rubber dots in the finger tips help you to hold and move the quilt sandwich securely. They aren’t necessary, but you may find them helpful as you use your hands to maneuver the quilt on the sewing machine bed.

You may also like to keep your seam ripper handy, not because you’ll be ripping out stitches (you might rip out a few), but this helps bury the knots (just like we did on the straight line quilting).

Before you do anything, drop the feed dogs. The feed dogs move the fabric forward in one direction. By putting them out of commission, you will be able to move the fabric from left to right and backwards and forward freely. Consult your sewing machine manual to find the switch or lever. Usually it’s somewhere on the bottom or side of the machine.

Next, decide where you will start. I’m going to suggest that we start with the side rectangle on one of the blocks. We will fill that rectangle with a ‘meander.’ It’s one of the easiest fill patterns. Meander ‘purists’ will tell you to make smooth and steady loops that don’t cross–imagine Mickey Mouse hands or traveling on a back country road. Rounded lines that transition smoothly from one curve to the next.

First, insert the needle in the upper left corner of the rectangle. Pull the bobbin thread up from the bottom as we did before in the straight line quilting lesson and park both threads up and behind the foot (the squiggly red line in the upper left of the picture). Keep your needle in needle down position, so it stops in the fabric when you stop sewing (mine is needle up in the pic). Then remove the basting pin (red arrow). You’ll be traveling from the upper left corner to the lower right corner with a smooth, steady straight line of stitching. Try to keep the line fluid and organic.

Like this. Notice a couple of things. The stitches are nice and even. The faster you depress your foot pedal the faster you need to move the fabric to keep the stitches even. So, do yourself a favor and go for smooth and steady (repeat that phrase in your head, if it helps!). Not fast and furious. Smooth and steady. Also notice the big read parentheses markings. That’s where my hands should be (if the right one weren’t taking the picture). Your hand placement should always be on either side of the needle, gently pushing the fabric outward – key word: Gently.

Important! Stop and look at the bottom of the quilt. Do this early and often. Look for nicely formed stitches that are balanced from top to bottom. It’s not uncommon to have to adjust the upper thread tension to get a well-defined stitch when you switch from piecing to quilting.

If your loops have little spider legs on the bottom of the quilt, you might try INCREASING the upper thread tension a little bit and give it another test.

If too much of your bobbin thread is poking through to your quilt top, you may try DECREASING the upper thread tension. Especially when you are first learning, it’s a really good idea to check this frequently.

With experience, you’ll get to know your machine and the settings that work best, but it’s not a happy thing to get all the way through and realize that the tension is off. Thread type, batting, fabrics all can create different tension issues. That test quilt sandwich can help you get a good handle on this, too.

Here’s how the bottom of my quilt looks:

Back to the front, notice we’ve moved from the upper left corner to the lower right corner with a nice even meander. To avoid stopping and starting and burying all sorts of knots, you can move carefully from one rectangle to the next where they meet in the corner. Slow down as you approach the corner so you can transition from one rectangle to the next easily. See the arrows? Don’t forget to stop and remove any basting pins before you proceed, and while you’re at it, adjust your hand position too.

Oh, and by the way, don’t forget to breathe!

You can transition from one block rectangle to the next in this same process. Remember to remove pins as you work, and change your hands so they offer the best support for the section of the quilt you are working on. Tie off and bury the knot and ends as we did before–at the beginning and the end of the stitching.

Snip the thread close to the quilt top. A word or two about the thread cutter. Some people say I’m crazy, but I rarely use mine. I haven’t yet found a sewing machine that does a neat job of making a tidy knot. So rather than have lumps of thread all over the back of my quilt, I know it can be tedious, but I much prefer burying the knot this way. You will find plenty of people who disagree with me on this. So you decide. . .

So here’s how the block looks with the four rectangles quilted with a meander fill. Notice that where I’ve quilted, the layers are compressed. Where I haven’t quilted, the quilt is puffy. Now you have a clue to my quilting style. I like to create texture. The more densely I quilt, the more the quilt is compressed. The more I leave un-quilted, the more it puffs. In my opinion, this adds such interesting dimension and personality to the quilt. Just be sure to stay within the recommendation on the batting package. Most cotton battings require that your quilting stitches are at least 6″ away from each other. Otherwise the batting will degrade over time and use.

Just for something a little different. Try quilting in the corner and center squares of one of the blocks. Like before slow and steady is the ticket. Transition from one shape to the next via the corner. Don’t forget to remove pins and change hand position. (Are you still breathing?)

Can you see the difference between where the puff is on this block versus the last one? Which one do you like better. There isn’t a right or wrong answer.

I like to recommend that new quilters work the meander until they are sick to death of it. Seriously! It’s more challenging than it looks, and it’s very versatile. Big meander is a nice fill for big spaces, tighten it up and it’s a nice medium fill for spaces like our blocks. And tighten it up even further for really compressed look – a really tight meander is also called ‘stipple.’ It takes planning to make the transition from one shape to the next and to avoid getting stuck in the corner.

Keep meandering if you prefer, but just for fun, I’ll show you a couple of easy alternatives to try. For the cream sashing strips, I’m going to add really easy up and down lines. The effect is a corduroy look. Again, slow, deliberate motion. Start in one corner, pull up the bobbin thread, hold it off to the back and side until you take the first two or three stitches. . .

Don’t worry if the rows aren’t even. Believe it or not they will look more even than you think they will.

Here’s a bird’s eye view of the quilt. Notice in the lower right, I’ve already worked two of the sashing pieces, transitioning from the lower horizonal strip to the lower vertical strip via the corner where they just touch.

Now, look at the red X in the lower left corner. If I start there, work my ‘corduroy’ toward the middle, I can then transition to the lower middle verical sash. Then to the middle right sash, then upper right, then top. Realize that I’m parking my needle in the quilt, then I’m positioning the quilt comfortably so I can move across the row with my stitches after each corner transition. (I hope this makes sense.)

What happens if you run out of bobbin somewhere in the middle. No worries.
 

Cut the top thread, flip the quilt to the back and pull out a few stitches until you have a thread end long enough to knot.

Then knot and bury the thread ends as before.

See, all gone.

From the front, insert the needle close to or on top of  the last stitch (where you make the knot).

And carry on.

For the border, let’s try a slight variation-a loopy meander. This time we can start off the edge (you can now remove those pins that held the folded backing over the quilt edge.) that way you don’t have to bury the knot. And we’ll make smooth and easy loops to fill in the border.

Like this . . .

Once you’ve made it all the way around the quilt, plan the stitching so you can stop in the batting just off the edge of the quilt.

Here’s the back. Look at all the texture!

And the front. Can you see the puff and compress?

If you aren’t feeling completely confident in your quilting stitches just yet, don’t fret!! This skill takes a fair amount of practice. Take a look at my first attempt at free motion quilting. The long curvy lines in the blue border were perhaps not the best way to start. That’s why I like to start with the meander so much. The short curvy motion is much easier to conquer than long curves.

And my first attempt at meandering in the border of that same quilt, shown from the back because it’s a little easier to see. Your first attempt is bound to be filled with jiggley less than confident curves. But it you stick with it, free motion quilting can be the best part of the process. And the most fun. At least I think so!

That’s a lot of information. Questions: ask away!

Next time we’ll bind the quilt. Almost done!

aj

xoxo

Here’s where we left off last time. The quilt is basted, and the backing is turned over the top edge of the border to reduce fraying.

I usually like to start any traditional quilt with some straight-line, in-the-ditch quilting. The straight lines stabilize the quilt layers nicely, getting the quilt ready for free motion quilting. You don’t have to start with straight stitches, but I like to. Sooo . . .

 . . . We need some supplies.

Thread. I typically choose 100% cotton. It will age at the same rate as the quilt, assuming that my quilt is made from quilting cotton cloth (and it is). I choose the color of the thread based on the quilt top, then usually use a similar color in the bobbin, no matter what backing material I chose. Sometimes a little bit of the bobbin thread can peek through the quilting stitches and by choosing matching colors, those annoying ‘dots’ of color won’t show if the top and bobbin threads match. I tend also to use solid color thread for quilting rather than variegated colors. Those multi color spools sure are tempting, but I think they can add confusion as the quilts get more complicated. Truth be known, my go-to thread color choice is natural. There are lots of schools of thought on this topic, these thoughts just happens to be mine.

For this quilt, I’ve chosen a rusty orange that matches my quilt top. I’m tempted to stick with my usual natural, but I think maybe the orange might show up better in the photographs for the blog post.

Also, quilting gloves, a walking foot, and a darning or free-motion foot. Since we’ll start with quilting straight lines today, we’ll put the darning foot aside for now. Review your sewing machine manual to place the walking foot on the machine. Be sure the little fork-shaped arm is engaged with the nut on the needle shaft.

In my mind, this little needle–it’s called a self-threading needle–is critical. I swear, I can’t do any quilting without it. You’ll see why soon. I think it’s poorly named. It doesn’t thread itself! I’d prefer to call it an open-eye needle. I know the picture is blurry (my camera stinks, but then, only a poor craftsman blames his tools!), but can you see that the eye looks like a little fork?

To set the stage for free motion quilting later (the squiggly stuff), I like to start with some straight line quilting. I feel that the straight lines stabilize the quilt sandwich, then you can really play with the free-motion (squiggly) stuff. And for this quilt, I’m going to sew directly at all the seam intersections for the blocks and sashing. This type of quilting is called in-the-ditch quilting.

A bit about the walking foot–It makes it easier to sew through multiple layers of fabric. When you sew, the feed dogs advance the fabric under the up and down motion of the needle. The walking foot adds a similar advancement mechanism at the top. So both the feed dogs and the walking foot work together (like magic) to advance multiple layers of fabric under the needle.

A bit about in-the-ditch quilting. When you pieced together your quilt, you pressed the seam allowance to one side or another. For the next few sentences to make sense, let’s assume the up-side of the seam allowance is the side that the seam allowance was pressed toward (usually toward the dark fabric, but not always), and the down-side is the side the seam allowance was pressed away from. In-the-ditch quilting basically means that you are sewing a line of stitching ‘in the ditch’ or right in the seam allowance, HOWEVER, technically, you want to sew just a teeny-tiny bit to the ‘down-side’ of the seam allowance–I hope this makes sense. If you feel your quilt at the seams, you can actually feel the seam allowance lump. You want to stitch just to the down-side of that lump, but very close to the actual seam itself.

For starters, I’m going to sew around the border seam–the seam between the sashing and cornerstone pieces and the flowered border. First, I want to remove only the safety pins that will interfere with the walking foot (the safety pin on the left is in the way. the one on the right will clear the foot, so it stays). With a tail of top thread about 3″ long, align the needle over the seam corner . . .

. . . Then do needle down and needle up. A little tug on the top needle (upper left of the picture) should pop a loop of the bobbin thread up to the top of the quilt (red arrow, the thread is hard to see (camera/user issues), but there’s a little loop peeking up from the bottom). So you can keep track of this little bugger (and to keep from making an unsightly nest on the bottom of the quilt), use a seam ripper or sewing stiletto to pull the bobbin thread end all the way up, and rest it on the quilt behind the walking foot.

For quilting, I usually increase the stitch length to about 3.0 on the machine display (check your sewing machine manual for how-to on changing stitch length). Proceeding slowly and deliberately, sew with a nice straight quilting stitch on the down-side of the seam.

Especially when you are unfamiliar with the machine, once you’ve sewn about 10″ or so, lift up the quilt that you’ve just quilted so you can see the bottom. The stitches should be nice and even and well formed. It’s very possible that you’ll need to adjust the upper thread tension. Increase the upper thread tension if the bobbin thread is just sitting there and the top thread isn’t pulling it up into the quilt sandwich. Decrease the upper thread tension if the back of the quilt looks okay, but the stitches on top show too much of the bobbin thread. The upper thread tension adjustment is usually a knob above the needle. Check your sewing machine manual if you aren’t sure.

When describing quilting instructions, I try to avoid absolutes . . . never . . .always. But I think I can safely say, that I always quilt with my needle-down option engaged. That means that whenever I stop, the needle will be in the quilt. Some sewing machines do not have this option, but it’s nice to know you can stop sewing and know exactly there the needle will be and that the fabric won’t slip out of position.

In this case, I’m at a corner, and I’m going to pivot to proceed around the border corner. So with needle down, I can lift the presser foot, and turn the quilt, then drop the presser foot and keep sewing.

Once the quilting is almost all the way around, stop about 3-4″ before the corner. You’ll recognize the two threads you left on the top of the quilt at the beginning. With the walking foot ‘parked,’ make a square knot with the top and bobbin thread . . .

 . . . and get out that self-threading needle. Pull both threads taught, and pop the thread into the needle through the opening. The little forks will grab it temporarily.

Then insert the threaded needle into the quilt batting right at the thread exit spot. Travel the needle through the batting maybe about an inch or so, then and pull the thread through and off the needle with one movement. As you pull, make sure to pop the square knot under the quilt top fabric layer . . .



Then snip the thread close to the fabric. And watch it disappear! This is called burying the knot.

Whenever possible, bury the knot on the back of the quilt. So . . . once you do those last 3″ of stitching. . . .

Give yourself plenty of thread and cut both the top and the bobbin thread without pulling the bobbin thread to the top this time, leaving about a 4″ tail in the top and bobbin thread.
 

Repeat the process to bury the know, but this time on the back of the quilt. Use the bobbin thread to pull the top thread to the bottom. Make a square knot.  . . .

. . . and bury the knot in the batting from the back of the quilt.
 

A novelty at first, this knot stuff can get tedious! So while you are pin-basting, consider different ways you can quilt straight lines while minimizing loose ends and knots! You can pivot, or sew diagonally, or stitch over existing quilting.

Once the border seam was quilted, I decided to quilt all the horizontal and vertical seams as well. Sometimes the down-side of the seam switches in the middle of the seam. If the seams nest nicely (during piecing), it only takes a slight jog to switch from down-side to down-side.

This may seem nit-picky, but I really can’t stand when my ditch stitching gets off-track! I’m a fussy bucket about it. In the whole scheme of things, it’s not a big deal. A true-in the ditch seam is harder to do than it looks! You know how to get to Carnegie Hall, right?

And here’s how the quilt looks with all the block, sashing and border seams stitched in the ditch. Notice that I’ve left as many pins as possible in place, and removed them only when they interfered with the straight line quilting. Turn the quilt over, and  . . .

Oops! I missed a seam!

You can quilt the whole quilt with straight lines and the walking foot. Check the batting package to see how far apart the quilting stitches should be according to the batting manufacturer. I like the way the in-the-ditch quilting makes give the quilt structure and puff. The pieces get a beveled look.

I know this is a lot of information, and I promise, most of this will make a lot more sense when you do it, but if you run into trouble, post a comment and I’ll see if we can address it.

Are we having fun yet?

aj
xoxo

 

So, Karen, now that you’ve got a stack of quilt tops complete, let’s see if we can complete the task of turning you into a quilter, rather than a ‘topper.’ (A topper is someone who just likes making the quilt tops.)

The next step is to make a quilt sandwich. There are several ways to baste a quilt sandwich. Thread basting can be time consuming, but it’s really nice for hand quilted projects. Or spray basting. I’m not particularly keen on spray basting–you need a well ventilated area, the over-spray can be a problem, and you are adding a chemical to your quilt that stays in it until the quilt is washed. Or pin basting, my preferred method, and what we’ll discuss below.

I like pin-basting because you can re-use the pins. There are no added chemicals involved. And the pins become a  kind of road map – as you quilt, you’ll remove pins. So you can quickly see where you still need to quilt–if there are pins, you’re not done yet.

We’ll need backing material, batting, and the quilt top to make the sandwich. And a couple of additional supplies.

• Curved safety pins. I like the 1-1/2″ length. The 1″ pins are just too small to handle. You can’t have too many of these in my opinion. The first time I made a really big quilt, I had to stop and run down to the store three times before I could finish pin-basting that quilt!
• Kwik Klip by Paula Jean Creations. Or you can use an old spoon. Personally, I prefer the Kwik Klip. Either way, your finger tips will thank you!
• Low-residue painters tape–from the hardware store. The 2″ wide version is good.

Find a nice big space that can accommodate the entire quilt backing. A hard-wood or tiled floor or a large hard-surfaced table (not a fancy table that might scratch!). Lay your backing material perfectly flat on your work surface right side down.  (If the backing material has to be pieced, press the seams open to reduce bulk.)

Using the painters tape, secure one side of the backing to the work surface. Don’t leave lots of big gaps between the tape pieces.

Then tape down the opposite side of the backing material. As you place the tape, give a little tug (not a big tug) to remove any lumps and to make sure the material is taught but not stretched.

Tape one of the two remaining sides in place. . . .

. . . and then the opposite side. Again, a little tug as you secure each piece of tape. Taught but not stretched. Once all sides are secure, go back and adjust any of the pieces of tape to make sure all the lumps and bumps are removed.



Next, measure a piece of batting against your quilt top. A little too big is better than a little too small. Place the batting on top of the taped backing. And smooth it in place. Once again, no lumps or bumps.

I’m using an 80/20 blend. 80% cotton, 20% man made materials. This is really good for a high-use quilt, like a baby quilt. There are lots of different types of batting. So many things to experiment with as you quilt more and more projects! For now, an all-cotton or cotton blend is a good choice.

Notice that my backing is a bit larger than the batting. That’s okay. We’ll deal with that later. Consequently, I’ve placed the batting on one end of the backing, so I can trim one big chunk of backing, rather than have two smaller chunks of backing fabric, if I placed the batting smack in the middle.

Then the quilt top, Centered over the batting and backing. Smooth, smooth, smooth. Take the palm of your hand and smooth out any extra bulk working from the center out. Don’t worry about the extra batting and fabric for now. Just make sure that you have batting and backing underneath the entire area of the quilt top.

See how smooth?

Place a curved pin through all layers. If all the layers have been meticulously smoothed, you don’t have to work from the center out. I like to pin the blocks and sashing first, then the border at the end. But it really doesn’t matter.

This step can get boring. Stick with it, and find a way to make it fun. I like to start thinking about how I’d like to quilt the project while I’m pin-basting. Put some music on or listen to a book. . . . or let your thoughts be your company. “Boring” can be a good thing, sometimes.

You’ll want to place a pin every two or three inches or so. Think about dropping cookies on a cookie sheet. Not too far apart, and not too close.

Use the Kwik Klip in your left hand to lift the pointy end of the pin while you secure the pin with your right hand. Lefty’s will do the opposite.

One more block to do, then the borders. As you get more experienced, you’ll want to plan the pin placement based on where your first quilting stitches will go.

The quilt is basted.

Including the borders.

A rule of thumb (or better, a rule of fist!). Make a fist. You should be able to put your fist on the quilt anywhere and feel at least two basting pins!

Now, trim the extra batting–about 1″ away from the quilt top edge on all sides.

This is a step I learned early on. It helps to keep the backing material from folding back underneath itself while you are quilting. And it also keeps the edge of the quilt from fraying too much while the quilt is being quilted. Remove the tape on one side, and fold the backing fabric once so the raw edge of the backing (trim the backing before folding, if needed) abuts with the edge of the trimmed batting . . .

Then fold a second time, so the border edge is encased in the fold. Pin the fold through all layers. Repeat this on all sides.

It looks a little weird when you do this, but it’s only temporary. Some quilts that will be quilted edge to edge right away, may not benefit much from this step.

If you aren’t sure about selecting the backing material, take your quilt top to the quilt shop, and place the quilt top on the bolt of backing fabric your are considering. Fold a corner of the backing over the quilt. You’ll get a preview of what will peek out from behind the quilt later on. If you don’t like what you see, audition some more before you buy. Also, the busier the backing fabric print, the harder it will be to see your quilting. If you aren’t confident with your quilting just yet, that’s okay. . . opt for a really busy-printy backing and you won’t be so self-conscious.



Here’s what the pin-basted quilt looks like.

Next up: Quilting!

aj

xoxo

Ready to start the quilting process. . . .

Wait! . . .Hold the phone! So the quilt top is all done. You step back to admire your work and you discover . . . oopsie!

A mistake. . . . Poo.

Not to worry! This is no big deal. But first we must make some decisions. Leaving the mistake in the quilt is always an option. Some quilters like to leave a mistake in a quilt because it creates a record of his or her current situation. For example, one of my friends was in the middle of making a quilt, when a close family member passed away. When the quilt was finished, a mistake in the piecing was noticed. Instead of fixing the mistake, my friend decided to leave it in the quilt, to mark the sad event in her life.

If you choose to correct a mistake in the piecing, it’s an easy to fix. Karen, I think you’ve already decided that’s the direction you are taking with the mistake you found in your pieced top.

So, here’s how.

First, let’s pretend that I don’t like that cream sashing strip right in the middle of my quilt top and I want to switch it out for a different fabric . . .
 

Flip the quilt to the wrong side, and let’s have a look. It’s a little hard to see, but if you look closely, you can see where I’ve added red dotted lines to show where I’m going to pull out seams. (So, get that trusty seam ripper handy!) I’m going to start with the longer seams at the top and the bottom of the sashing strip–in other words, the long quilt seam, but the short end of the sashing rectangle–break the thread and rip out at least 1/2″ beyond the offending sashing strip corner intersection along that long seam.

See, this is the bottom sashing seam. I pulled out the seam along the bottom of the sashing strip, PLUS about 3/4″ on each side, into the block seam. I’m going to pull out this same amount of stitches at the top of the sashing strip too.

Then, I rip the longer seam between the sashing and the block.

The last seam–the other long seam between the sashing and its neighboring block–is easy to find.

There. The offending sashing strip has severed its ‘ties’ with the quilt top.

I decided I liked the way that cream strip looked, after all, so I’m going to sew it back in. This is where, Karen, you want to get those green strips you wanted to use in place of the orange ‘mistakes’ . . . Be sure the new sashing strip is the correct size as called for in the pattern, then pin the long side of the sashing to the side of the block, right sides together. It will feel a bit more awkward now because all of the surrounding seams and blocks and fabrics want to get in the way! But you are the boss, not the quilt! So don’t let all that extra fabric intimidate . . .

At the sewing machine, push the rest of the quilt out of the way, and focus on the one seam you just pinned, and sew your usual scant 1/4″ seam.

Repeat that same process for the other long side of the sashing strip. Concentrate on one seam at a time as you re-sew the new sashing in place.

Once the long sides of the sashing strip are sewn to their respective neighbor blocks, you have a partial seam to sew at the top and the bottom of the replaced sashing strip.

Place the partial seam so the raw edges are aligned and the quilt parts are right sides together. . . . nest the seam intersections as you did when you sewed the blocks together.

Pin the seam intersections, and sew the usual scant 1/4″ seam.

Below, the seam is resewn and pins are still in place. Notice where the reddish thread (the original seam) stops and starts again. The new seam was done with cream thread.

All better now. . . Ready to press. . . .

How’d you do?

If the quilt center is a little off from the size it should be, that’s just fine for this first project. But, do you know why? Can you see where your seams might be too large or too small? Is your pressing nicely done? Was the cutting up to snuff?

The next step is adding the border and we don’t have any pieced corners to match, so it’s no worries if things are off a scontch or two. However, it’s a good habit to assess your progress, and improve as you go. Your first quilt project isn’t going to be perfect, nor the next one, but it’ll be perfect for you! And that’s what really counts!

aj
xoxo

        

 Okay! Now that the quilt center is complete, it’s time to add a border. Just like we did when cutting strips for the block parts, we need to cut some strips from the border fabric. Fold the fabric twice, make sure both top and bottom folds are aligned with two parallel lines on the ruler and cut strips–a little wider than needed for the pattern . . . .

  Carefully rotate the strip, and trim to the proper measurement.

  . . . keep cutting!

 
Ta-da!

If you are just doing the table topper size, your strips are plenty long enough to add to each side of the quilt. But what if you decided to make more blocks and your quilt is longer than the 42″ (approximately) width of fabric? . . .

. . . Make the strip longer, of course! This is one of the few times I actually use the lines on the cutting mat. Place a strip right-side-up on the mat with the top edge of the strip aligned with a horizontal line on the mat. Notice that the selvedge edge is to the right.

Place a second strip, right-side-down on the cutting mat on top of the first strip. Notice that the right edge of the second strip is aligned with a vertical line on the cutting mat. The selvedge edge of the second strip is at the top.

 
Place your ruler on top of the two layers of fabric so you can draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the second strip. Draw the line from point to point where the two fabrics intersect . . . from the northwest corner to the southeast corner. Be careful here, this won’t work if you draw southwest to northeast!

Place a pin or two on each side of the line to secure the strips.

Take the strips to the sewing machine and sew from corner to corner directly on the line.

 

Head back to the cutting mat, place your ruler so the quarter inch mark on the ruler is aligned with the seam you just made, and trim all the stuff on the northeast side of the seam, leaving the 1/4″ seam.

Trim the ‘dog ears’ if you like.

 
Press the connecting seam open. And ta-da! You made your strip longer!

So, why do I press this seam open when I was such a fuss-bucket about pressing most of the other seams to one side? Good question (I’m sure you were asking it in your head). Since there are no seam intersections involved here, this helps to hide the seam and keep it flat. The diagonal seam, as opposed to just sewing strips together end to end, also helps to hide the seam in the printed fabric.

 
Now let’s see what it looks like on the pretty side. See?! Bet you wouldn’t even know that seam was there unless you were really looking for it!

 
Now, let’s measure the border length. Some instructors will have you do a lot of measuring and averaging. I have found that using the quilt itself to measure how long your border should be is as accurate as any math equation.

For now, we’ll pretend this is a really large quilt. (You really don’t need to fold the quilt top in half to do this step on our small table runner, but we’re getting practice for the big quilts in your future). Fold the quilt in half and place it on your cutting mat or a flat surface. Smooth out any bubbles, and make sure the sides are aligned fairly well.

Choose an existing center, seam, and fold your border strip in half. Align the fold in the quilt with the fold in the border strip (on the left) And smooth the border strip so that it lays right on top of the quilt center. Be sure that the border strip is pretty close to parallel to the central seam you selected earlier (at the beginning of this paragraph).

 See, here’s where the folds align on the left. Quilt top on the bottom, border strip on top.

 
Place the ruler so it aligns with the raw edge of the quilt, and cut the border. There! No math measuring! Save the rest of the material for another border strip. Repeat to make two side borders.

 
Lay the border strip on your work table, right side up. Place the quilt top, right side down on top of the border, and pin each end of the border to each end of the quilt center. Start with the ends first. Then pin across the rest of the border strip. ‘Ease in’ any lumps and bumps–you shouldn’t have much ‘easing’ to do if you’ve done a nice job with the piecing and pressing in the earlier construction. Remember to pin toward the raw edge like we did with the sashing strips.

 
Now sew the 1/4″ seam. We placed the border on the bottom, closer to the feed dogs, so the seams won’t get hung up on the feed dogs as you sew.

 
Press the seam toward the border, or away from the quilt center (however you prefer to think about it). Set the stitches first . . .

 
. . . Then press from the front.

Once both side borders are added. Repeat the measuring process for the top and bottom borders. These borders will be a little longer than the first two. 

 
Like before, align the folds, smooth the border strip over the quilt top, be sure the border strip follows along one of the pieced rows. Make two, one for the top and one for the bottom border.

 
Pin. Sew. Press. Repeat for both top and bottom borders.

 
And now you have a quilt top!

Yay! A few steps left: Sandwich, baste, quilt, and bind. But first things first. That’s how you add the borders.

aj
xoxo

 

Welcome Faye Eloise!

Born May 21, 2013.

Congratulations and big hugs to Karen and Josh!

aj

xx00xxx

Now that your quilt blocks are sewn, and sashing pieces are cut. It’s time to assemble the quilt center.

Just like we did with the quilt block parts, arrange the blocks and sashing strips on your table next to the sewing machine. If your table isn’t large enough, a nearby floor can be a nice substitute for a design wall. Cat and dog family members enjoy ‘helping’ with this step, so keep an eye on your project! *wink-wink*

And, again, similar to how we sewed the blocks, start at the top row, and sew the sashing strip to the far left cornerstone. Progress piece by piece through the quilt center.

Remember to use pins to secure your pieces before you sew. And don’t forget, place the two pieces you are sewing right sides (or pretty sides) together.

Chain-piece to save thread and time.

When sewing sashing strips to blocks, be sure to use extra pins, and when possible, sew with the fewest seams facing down, so your seams intersections don’t interact with the sewing machine feed dogs and go all flippy-flop on you.

Start with a pin at each end of the block . . .

Then fill in with a few more pins in the center. ‘Ease in’ any extra fabric bulk if you have it. But if your sashing strip and block sides are the same size, ‘easing’ should be minimal–here’s a good opportunity to point out that checking the size of your block before you get too far along makes a lot of sense?

Chain piece some more–be careful to place the pins so you don’t run over them with the sewing machine needle.

Cut apart, and place the blocks back into the arrangement on the table (or floor).

All the rows are sewn, but not pressed. . . yet.

Press each row individually. Remember to set the seams (1, 2, 3!) . . .

Then press the seam toward the sashing strip . . .

 . . . and in the block rows, too! Set the seams (1, 2, 3)  . . .

 . . . then press the seam toward the sashing

Replace the pressed rows on the table. Check to make sure everything is where it belongs. 

Then place the top stashing row right sides together to the top end of the first block row.

Pin. Ends first . . .

 
Then pin across the row, easing in any fabric bulk. Do you see how the concepts continue to resurface?

Be sure that all seam intersections nest.

Now, we’re ready to press the row seams on the quilt center–toward the sashing rows.

Set the seam (1, 2 3) . . .

 . . . and press the seam toward the sashing row. Be careful the longer seams may need a little special attention. They may try to go all wonky on you!

And we now have a quilt center.

Seam intersections are perfect,  . . . right?

 I like to take a peek on the back. No flippy-skippy seams . . . ?

Does it measure up? 22″ Square.

Or pretty dern close!

Karen, I know you are making a quilt like this one with four blocks, but you’ve also got one started with nine blocks, or three rows of three blocks. Can you do the math to determine what size your nine-block quilt should be?

Hint: Figure out the finished size of each element (blocks and sashing), add the the correct number of block dimensions and sashing dimensions across the length or width of the quilt, then add back 1/2″ for seam allowance.

Happy Stitching!
aj

xoxo

 

With Karen’s blocks sewn and waiting in the wings, it’s time to add the sashing strips and cornerstones.

But first, a bit more about cutting. First some fabric basics that you may or may not already know from previous sewing experience.

Quilting cottons are woven from tiny threads. That means the fabric will be more stretchy (along the crosswise grain–from one selvage to the other) or less stretchy (along the lengthwise grain–along the selvage). You can even see this property when the selvage isn’t present, as with this square of scrap fabric. Hold the fabric on two sides and give it a little pull. If it feels pretty firm and doesn’t give, that’s the lengthwise grain.

No stretch=lengthwise grain.

A little stretch=crosswise grain. (Can you see a little big of give in the fabric where my thumbs are pulling toward the outside edge)

Really stretchy=bias.

All this stretchy-ness stuff may not seem like a big deal at this stage. Who cares, right?

The blocks Karen has been working on are sewn together from pieces. Just by looking at them, you can’t tell which side of each piece is stretchy or not stretchy. And for the smaller pieces, it really doesn’t matter. But as you add longer, skinny pieces, the stretchy-ness can work against you as you sew. So, when it’s possible, it’s a good habit (not a required habit) to cut sashing pieces along the less stretchy length of grain of the fabric.

Our pattern, is written to cut strips along the cross-wise grain of the fabric from a fat quarter, which isn’t a problem and, in this case, it’s more economical. But since Karen is planning to make a second larger quilt from her blocks, it could be beneficial for her to cut her sashing strips along the lengthwise grain.

Let’s see how, with the tools we already have.

First, we’ll cut the sashing strips from a fat quarter.

Fold the fabric in half, so the selvage edge and the cut edge of the fat quarter are at top of the cutting mat, and the fold is at the bottom.

Like before, align one of the horizontal lines at the bottom end of the ruler with the fold at the bottom of the fat quarter; at the same time align the 2″ vertical line on the ruler so you will cut a little more than the 2″ strip you’ll need for the sashing pieces. Cut, tummy and away.

Rotate the strip you just cut 180˚ and align the fold now at the top with a horizontal ruler line and the cut vertical line with the 2″ vertical line on the ruler. Cut off the excess for a 2″ strip.

Rotate the strip 90˚, then cut the strip a little more than 9″ long. Rotate the ruler too!

Rotate the strip 180˚, so you can trim the other end. . .

. . . so the sashing is exactly 2×9″ – by the way, by cutting through two layers of fabric, we cut two sashing strips at once! Keep cutting sashing strips until you have exactly how many you need according to the First Timer Table Topper pattern.

Above, the sashing strips were cut along the crosswise grain.

Now, let’s cut more strips, for Karen’s second quilt project (she’s planning to make two!), but we’ll cut these so the long side of the sashing strip follows the less-stretchy lengthwise grain.

First, let’s figure out how many sashing strips we’ll need for a quilt made from nine blocks. A quick sketch tells us we need twenty-four. (And 16 cornerstones.)

First, fold about 1/2 yard of sashing fabric twice. make sure the folds are parallel. In the photo below, the corners are folded down temporarily so you can see the layers. Fold the fabric so you can clearly see both folds, then place a ruler on top. The fold at the top and bottom should align with two horizontal lines on the ruler. Since we know the lines on the ruler are parallel, the folds should also be parallel.

Since you’ll be cutting a 9″ strip, and your ruler is only 6-1/2″ wide, we need to improvise a bit. Rotate the ruler 90˚ and make a small cut at the bottom fold to mark a little more than 9″ from the left edge.

See the little cut?

Now, rotate the ruler back 90˚ so you can now cut across the fabric, fold to fold. Remember to align the bottom fold of the fabric with a horizontal line toward the bottom of the ruler. And make sure you are spot-on with the little snip you made at the fold.

Now let’s true-up the strip so it’s exactly 9″ wide. Rotate the fabric–be careful not to disturb the layers–and rotate the ruler again so you can measure exactly 9″ from the newly trimmed end.

See? 9″

Make another nick in the fabric at the bottom fold. . . and cut. You now have a strip 9″ wide.

Rotate the 9″ strip counter clockwise, and cut a strip (along the lengthwise grain) that is a little more than 2″ wide and exactly 9″ across.

Rotate the newly cut sashing strip, and true it up to 2″ wide.

Continue in this manner until you have twenty-four 2×9″ sashing strips. You should be able to get 20 sashing strips from the 9″ cut. Based on a standard width of fabric off the bolt which is about 41-42″ So you will need to cut one more strip to cut the last four strips you’ll need. To save fabric, cut those last four sashing pieces from one 2″ width-of-fabric strip. So, four of the 24 strips will be a little bit more stretchy than the others.

You see? Sometimes it’s good to make an exception.

Next post, we’ll sew again. That’s always the fun part!

aj
xoxo

 

Karen has been cutting up a storm. A test seam is next.

And then we begin to sew.

For real!

Start by laying out one block next to your sewing machine. 5″ square in the middle, 2-1/2″ squares in the corners and 2-1/2×5″ rectangles on the sides. Basically, this is called an elongated nine-patch.

Working left to right, we’ll sew the block into rows, then sew the rows together. So start by picking up the rectangle in the middle, top row. Turn it upside down and place it on top of the 2-1/2″ square to its left, right sides together, so the right edge of the square and the left edge of the rectangle are aligned.

Place the aligned edges on the sewing machine right at the needle. Notice a couple of things in the photo below:

 – I pinned the two pieces together first
 – I’m holding the thread ends with my right index finger
 – the quarter inch foot
 – needle-down position so I can abut the fabric right up against the needle when I start to sew

 

Once you make your first few stitches, let go of the thread ends. And continue sewing the 1/4″ seam to the end of the two pieces. When you reach the end of the fabric, take a few extra ‘stitches to nowhere’ . . .

Leave, the remaining 2-1/2″ square from the first block row on the table in its position in the block arrangement for now.

Pick up the 5″ center square and the 2-1/2×5″ rectangle from the left side of the middle row. Align, pin, and sew the 1/4″ seam just like before, make a few extra stitches at the end.

Then sew the 2-1/2″ square and the 2-1/2×5″ rectangle from the last row

Stand up, come around to the back side of the sewing machine, and look at the pieced units behind the needle now sewn. They will be on the table or hanging off the back of the sewing machine. Three pieced units, each with two pieces of fabric sewn with a beautiful 1/4″ seam, and a couple of ‘stitches to nowhere’ between each unit.

Take your snips or thread scissors and cut the thread between the first two sewn units. Leave the most recent unit sewn in place (so we can keep ‘chain-piecing’–the process of sewing, sewing a few ‘stitches to nowhere,’ then sewing again)

No need to press any seams yet. Place the first two units back into their place in the block layout on the table. Then pick up the 2-1/2″ square on the right side of the first row, pin it to the unit you just snipped off the chain-pieced thread, and sew the 1/4″ seam.

Once you’ve sewn the first row, you can snip the unit that will be the third row and place it in its spot on the block layout. Repeat the process to add the 2-1/2×5″ rectangle to the right side of the second row.

Repeat for the third row.

All this back-and-forth on the table sounds more confusing than it is. The gist is that you keep putting the sewn pieces back in the block arrangement. Seems silly for such a basic block. But as your piecing becomes more complex, you’ll see why this is one of those good habits to establish from the start.

Once all your rows are sewn, lay the rows back in place on the table so you can see the whole block again.

Stop and look. Do all the pieces look like they are where they should be?

Next: press the seams. The pressing direction (shown by the red arrow) and in the pattern, indicate which direction to press.

Just like you did for your test block, set the seam first, with the seam flat on the ironing surface, place the hot iron on top and count . . 1 . . . 2 . . . 3. Then press the seam in the direction as shown by the diagram. Notice the seam direction alternates from row to row.

This is a good time to double check to make sure everything is going according to plan. Each row should be 9″ long.

Remember the quilter’s math from the test two-patch? A 2-1/2″ square plus a 5″ rectangle plus a 2-1/2″ square equals 9″ . . . Not so much, right? . . . It’s not as easy when there is more than one seam involved.

Instead, convert all the ‘unfinished’ sizes (the raw-cut size before any seams) to ‘finished’ size (the size after it is sewn into the quilt on all sides. In other words, subtract 1/2″ from each element of the row to get the ‘finished’ size of that element). Then add them up: 2 + 4-1/2 + 2 = 8-1/2″ then add back 1/2″ (because the row still has raw, unfinished ends) = 9″.

I know it’s confusing. For now, trust me on this. If any of the rows is not 9″ long, take another look at your seam allowance and your pressing, and review the adjustments made for the test two-patch.

Now, let’s sew the rows to each other. Start by sewing the top row to the middle row. Lift up the top row, and place it right sides together, so the bottom edge of the top row and the top edge of the middle row are aligned.

Pin across the seam as before, but this time take special care at the seam intersection. Squeeze the seam allowance like it’s the last bit of toothpaste in the tube. The seams should nest perfectly, and the bulk is evenly distributed on both sides of the seam with no gap between, and no overlap. If the intersection isn’t nicely nested and perfectly flat, gently nudge the fabric back and forth between your thumb and forefinger until you feel the seams ‘snap’ into place.

*Remember how this feels between your fingers.* This is one of those quilty ah-ha moments that you’ll revisit again and again.

Notice how I’ve placed two pins to secure all layers. One on either side of the existing seam. This is probably more pinning than you’ll need as you get better at it, but for now, while you are sill learning. Pinning is like sunshine – more is almost always better!

Place a few pins in between the seams too!

Back to the sewing machine. 1/4″ seam. Hold the thread ends out of the way. Slow and deliberate. No racing . . .

Repeat to add the bottom row to the block. Then press the seam toward the outer edge of the block. One seam will be pressed away from you, and one toward you. Remember to set the stitches (1 . . . 2 . . . 3) first!

Beautiful!

Take a close look at the seam intersections. They should intersect in one spot. Not offset from each other. If they don’t, don’t worry too much if’s off a little bit. You have at least three (maybe more, depending on how many blocks you decided to make) more blocks to make. And each block has four seam intersections! So lots of practice.

The block should look tidy from the back too. Notice the seam allowances are nice and even. Pressed without lumps and bumps.

Measure the block one more time. 9″ square.

Yay! Congratulations you made your first quilt block. Smile! Then do it all over again.

Remember, quit when you get tired, and step away. It’s amazing how much more fun this is when you are relaxed and fresh.

STOP! if you have questions or if something doesn’t make sense. A solution or clarification is just a comment away.

 

aj

xoxo

 

Most quilters can’t wait for the sewing to begin. Cutting can be tedious, but I think everyone agrees, we all do this for the sewing.

I never mind doing the cutting. To me, it’s the beginning of a new journey. A fresh start. The chance to feel the fabric between my fingers and see the fabric prints from a new perspective as the pieces are cut.

We’ll do a little more cutting once we get the blocks done, but for now, let’s sew.

The sewing IS the fun stuff, but when you are learning something new, some of the steps can be confusing. So if you feel your brain asking yourself more questions than you can answer. . . .

STOP! Every bit of this hobby is supposed to be fun. . . .

ASK! Help is just a comment or two away. . . .

TAKE YOUR TIME. Enjoy the journey.

And so we begin . . .

A Test Two-Patch

This whole quilting thing basically revolves around an accurate 1/4″ seam. So, first, attach a quarter-inch foot to your sewing machine. If you don’t have one, get one. It’s just that important. There are ways around using a 1/4″ foot, but why start with tricks and complications?

And really, in the long run, you will want to perfect a scant 1/4″ seam – just a thread width or two less than a 1/4″ seam. This will accommodate the thickness of the pressed fabric. (Don’t worry if that doesn’t make sense, just roll with it for now.)

Every sewing machine might be a little different, but if you can move the needle position, you’ll want it set right smack in the middle to start.

Thread the machine with a neutral color cotton thread through the needle and the bobbin. Refer to the manual that came with the sewing machine for assistance, if you need it. If you don’t have your manual, check online on the machine manufacturer’s website.

Set aside your beautifully cut fabrics for just a moment; dig into your scrap fabrics and retrieve two 2″ scrap squares of fabric. If you don’t have any scraps, you should have a few leftovers from the cutting for the project. Don’t worry if the colors don’t match or even if the scraps are both cut from the same fabric. This is only going to be used to test your seam.

Place your two squares right sides (pretty sides) together, with all edges aligned. If you can, put your needle position in ‘needle down’ mode. Lift your presser foot and insert the fabric so the right edge of the fabric is aligned with the right edge of the 1/4″ foot. Insert the fabric under the presser foot right up against the needle (assuming it’s in needle-down position).

With your right index finger, reach back and hold onto the two thread tails, one from the needle and one from the bobbin. You only have to hold these as you sew the first two or three stitches. This just keeps the sewing machine from sucking the thread ends into the needle plate on the sewing machine bed. Then gently press the foot pedal and sew a 1/4″ seam.

Treat the foot pedal as if you are driving down a neighborhood street with lots of kids in the yards, not as if you are getting on a busy highway and merging into high speed traffic.

Lift the presser foot (which releases the thread so you can pull on it) pull the block away, and snip the top and bobbin thread. It should look like this. Notice that the scraps are still 2″ square, and the seam is just a teeny-tiny bit over the 1-3/4″ mark on the ruler – that’s a scant 1/4″ inch.

Now, it’s time to press. If at the end of the day, your block isn’t the right size, it always (“always” is like “never” – it’s another one of those words that you shouldn’t say very much in quilting, but in this case, it’s appropriate) comes down to three things (maybe four) – 1) cutting accuracy, 2) seam allowance accuracy, 3) pressing accuracy. Sometimes, something is wrong with the pattern you’re following, but I’d be sure to eliminate the first three problems before you blame the pattern.

So, first, place your two-patch (that’s what you just sewed) on the ironing board. Take a hot iron, and place it on top (don’t rub back and forth), and count . . 1 . . 2 . . 3. Lift the iron. That ‘sets’ or compresses the newly sewn seam.

Next, finger press the upper fabric away from you. Again, no rubbing the iron back and forth. A dry, hot iron is best. If you feel you need to use steam, a little puff is all you need.  Notice the red arrow shows the seam pressing direction.

Now get out the ruler and measure. And here’s where we learn a little quilter’s math. 2″ + 2″ = 3-1/2″ . . . Huh? If you start with two 2″ squares, and sew them with a 1/4″ seam, you will loose 1/2″ (or 1/4″ from each 2″ square) because of the seam allowance. (Don’t worry if this doesn’t make sense right now, roll with it.)

And here’s the test two-patch from the back. Notice that the seam is pressed in one direction. The seam is nice and flat, no extra folds or twists.

If your test block is too small – if it is something less than 3-1/2″ – that means your seam is probably larger than 1/4″. Go back and move your sewing machine needle position to the right a hair and try the test again, start to finish.

If your test block is too large – if it is larger than 3-1/2″ – that means your seam is probably smaller than 1/4″ – go back and move your sewing machine needle position to the left a tiny bit and try the test again.

If the needle position on your sewing machine is fixed, adjust how you are using the edge of the 1/4″ foot. You may have to visually adjust the way you feed your fabric along the edge of the presser foot to make your seem a little bit smaller or a little big larger.

If your seam allowance is good, but your pressing isn’t quite right, take another look at how you press.

You will save a lot of frustration later by getting your test two-patch right.

One more thing. You’ll notice that I pressed my seam toward the lighter fabric. Remember this was just a test seam. Typically there are a couple rules about pressing – but these have lots of exceptions. First rule is, typically, press the seam to the darker fabric. Second rule, press away from multiple seams (we’ll see this later as we piece the quilt top together). One thing that may be somewhat controversial – but it’s a rule I try to follow – with a few exceptions, never press seams open. This post is already too long for me to explain the reasoning on this point. And at this point, you probably really only want to get to the sewing machine! Right?

Happy testing!

aj (aunt joan)
xoxo

 

And so we are ready to begin. Generally speaking, we’ll follow the instructions to make the First Timer Table Topper.

In her post, Karen mentioned an online tutorial about cutting, and while I agree with most of the information in that post, I follow a slightly different technique for some parts. You’ll see the differences as we go along.

Here’s the thing, with quilting, there are about as many ways to do things as there are quilters doing them, so try new methods as you are introduced to them, and pick the ones that feel most comfortable to you.

What’s all the fuss about cutting, anyway?

Pretty much, most traditional quilts begin by making blocks. Then the blocks get sewn together in rows, sometimes with sashing strips in between, sometimes not. Blocks can be pieced (carefully cut pieces are sewn together with a 1/4″ seam allowance) or appliqued (fabric shapes are sewn on top of a plain piece of fabric), or a combination of pieced and appliqued techniques. We’ll be focusing on an easy pieced block to start.

But when you go to sew your blocks together and the pieces don’t fit, it often can come back to cutting that is slightly less than accurate.

And so we begin

Find a good place to cut with nice lighting. The kitchen counter can be a perfect spot to get started. It’s usually the perfect height to stand and cut. (Better to stand than sit to cut.) You want to try to avoid long cutting session where you are bending over a shorter table. Your back will thank you!

So, clear a spot, put your cutting mat in place, and let’s get started.

First rule of thumb:

Don’t use the lines on the mat for measuring or aligning the fabric. Your ruler has precise printed lines. The lines on your cutting mat aren’t nearly as accurate. If you find that the lines on the mat are distracting, turn it over. Most self-healing mats are double sided for cutting, one side with lines and one side without.

Let’s DO it!

Select one of your print fat quarters that will be the large block center. Fold the fabric in half with the selvage edge of the fabric (for my fabric the selvage is a little fuzzy, often the selvage has words or color dots along the edge) at the top or further away from you and the fold is at the bottom, closer to you.

Place your ruler on top of the fabric and line up the fabric fold (at the bottom) with one of the horizontal ruler lines. . . .

 
. . . The first cut will be a little more than 5″ away from the edge of the fabric. This is where I differ a bit with the cutting post referenced earlier. Rather than juggle two or three rulers, one ruler will do the trick!

Place your palm on the ruler, and apply pressure from your upper arm (not your finger tips) to hold the ruler steady. . . . Another difference here from the referenced cutting post. Putting all that pressure on your finger tips can make your hands very tired for longer cutting sessions. Tired finger tips don’t hold the ruler as well, ruler slips, and all that cutting accuracy goes out the window.

However, I completely agree that it’s important to keep your finger tips away from the ruler edge. Always respect your rotary cutter, it is sharp! Keep it in closed and locked position when it’s not in use.

“Palming” the ruler may take a bit to get used to, but it’s one of those good habits to develop from the get-go.

 
Place the rotary cutter at the bottom, just off the fabric, squeeze the handle to extend the blade (assuming your rotary cutter is similar style to mine) and cut with even, firm pressure downward and along the right edge of the ruler. (Lefties will work in a mirror image, so they’ll cut the fabric strips off the larger piece from right to left)

Important: Cut from your tummy away. Never cut toward you. There are very few ‘nevers’ in quilting, but this is one of them!

It bears repeating: Apply consistent firm pressure along the ruler edge. One firm, even stroke is all you need, no back-and-forth strokes.

 
Before you move the ruler, pull the fabric away to the right to make sure your cut is complete, top to bottom.

 
Next, carefully rotate the fabric on the left (the part that is a little more than 5″ wide that you just cut off) 180˚ so the fold is now on top. Try not to disturb the layers as you rotate the fabric piece.

 
Place the ruler back on top of the fabric strip you just rotated. Align the 5″ line on the ruler with the freshly cut edge of the fabric. (See only one ruler needed!)

 
Notice, this time, I have aligned one of the horizontal ruler lines (doesn’t matter which one) with the fold that is now at the top.

See?

Now make another nice firm cut along the right edge of the ruler.

 
You now have a 5×21′ strip. . .YAY! Or it should be 5 x 21″ the length (20-21″) of the strip may vary some – depends on the fabric manufacturer, depends on how it was cut at the quilt shop. So it’s important to cut carefully, sometimes you don’t have very much leeway.

 
Without disturbing the fabric layers, rotate the freshly cut strip 90˚ so the raw edge is to the left. . .

Align the ruler so the left edge of the fabric is a little more than the 5″ mark on the ruler. You can’t see it on this photo, but I have also aligned the top and bottom of the strip (the two fresh cuts on either side of the strip) so they fall right on two horizontal ruler lines, each exactly 5″ away from the other. Rotate your first pieces 180˚and set them aside for one quick second.

 
Another firm cut through both layers of fabric. Now you have four layers one with a fold to the right, and one with the raw edges to the right.

 
Stack up the four layers, so the edge on the left and the top and bottom are all lined up. Align the two stacks, now four layers, and cut four 5″ squares.

Cut through all layers . . . Again, tummy and away, one firm slice. Remember to “palm” the ruler to hold it steady.

Four 5″ squares for the center of your blocks . . Yay!

To make the corners of your blocks, cut two more strips from this fat quarter (or select another fat quarter). Cut these strips be 2-1/2″ wide, just like before, except you can use the fresh-cut fabric edge to align with the 2-1/2″ ruler line. And skip the step where you flip the strip for the second cut.

 
Rotate the strip 90˚, then cut sixteen 2-1/2″ squares for your block corners.

Chose your contrasting fabric, in my case I have a smaller dot print. In your case, Karen, I think you can choose one of your white fat quarters. Follow the process as above to cut two 2-1/2″ strips. True up the messy edge like we did for the 5″ strip. Start with a strip that is a little more than you need, flip it carefully, then true up the strip to 2-1/2″ wide.

Notice that I have also flipped the ruler. My Creative Grids ruler is 6-1/2″ wide, so one side starts with whole inch measurements (indicated by the markings in the white dots) and the other side starts with half-inch markings (indicated by the markings in the black dots).

 
Remember to align the folds with the horizontal ruler lines (this keeps the strip straight)

You’ll need four 2-1/2×21″ strips. In my case, my fabric was only slightly longer than 20″ long, so I needed a few extra strips to cut the sixteen 2-1/2×5″ rectangles in need to make four blocks. Fortunately, I had enough fabric to cut a few more strips.

 
So, there you have it. I cut four 5″ squares, sixteen 2-1/2″ squares, and sixteen 2-1/2×5″ rectangles.

 

Keep in mind, if you are using different fabrics for your blocks or if you are making more blocks, for every block you are planning to make for your quilt, you will need one 5″ square for the center, four 2-1/2″ squares for the corners, and four 2-1/2×5″ rectangles for the block sides. 

Good luck! Ask questions if you have them. . . .

Next time, we’ll sew!

aj (aunt joan)
xoxo
 

 

Looks like Karen has made some really great fabric selections! Some 30’s reproduction prints . . .

. . . and some whites

The 30’s Reproduction or Depression-Era prints are pastel/bright and very fun. The designs on the fabric remind me of Tootsie Roll pop wrappers! When paired with white they are always so cheerful in a quilt.

But did you know these types of prints have an interesting history?

In the 1930’s, money was tight due to the Great Depression. Quilters didn’t generally have spare cash to buy new fabrics for dresses or quilts. Farmers saved their money for seed for the crops and feed to raise the animals.

So, feed and grain merchants saw a marketing opportunity. Cotton was inexpensive, so they packaged feed in inexpensive cotton sacks and printed the sacks with cheerful colors and fun prints. Empty the feed out of the sack, and the frugal farmer had some nice yardage of pretty fabric to turn into curtains or dresses. . . or quilts. What if you have chickens to feed but no sewist in the family? Save the feedsacks and trade the printed cotton for other necessities! Here is an interesting article for some more detail.

Karen, looks like you have more than enough fabric to complete the First Timer Table Topper. I just love your fabric choices! In fact, you may decide to add a few more blocks to make a baby-sized quilt! For your first project, I’d recommend that you stay with no more than 9 blocks, maybe 12, to keep the finishing steps manageable. But we can cross that bridge when we get to it! For the next step we’ll start with some cutting.

Oh, and I’d like to weigh in on your question about purchasing fabric online. . . . My first preference is to shop where I can see and touch the fabric live and in person. This is especially true when you are just starting out.

Scale (the size of the print) can be difficult to judge online. And hand (the way the fabric feels) is impossible to assess with an online purchase. Once you get a little more experienced with this fabric shopping thing (it doesn’t take long, believe me!), you’ll be comfortable with online purchases.

Anyone else like to weigh in? Feel free to leave a comment . . .

One thing, whether it’s your first quilt project or your 50th, buy the best quality fabric you can afford. I’m a firm believer that your quilting hobby should be pleasant in every way.

For your first few projects, expect to make a few mistakes, so having extra fabric on hand is a good idea.

Okay, here comes the fun stuff! (But, in my mind, it’s all fun!)

For some, choosing the fabric for your project can be the hardest part of the process. There are so many choices available. This isn’t just about calico prints anymore! One hard and fast ruler of thumb: choose the best fabric quality you can afford. And it’s always good to take the pattern along for reference when you shop.

Note: In recent years, cotton prices have risen dramatically, so it’s tempting to buy super inexpensive fabric when you see it – $2-3 per yard, for example.  Simply put, the fabric most often used for quilting is printed on greige (pronounced like the color”gray”) goods; the higher the thread count and the more twists in the thread used to weave the greige goods, the longer the fabric will last, and consequently the higher the cost to make it. Average prices for new quilt-shop quality fabrics will range from $10-12 per yard currently. This can get costly, and you need to make choices to stay within your budget. I figure, this is my hobby, and I want to treat myself so I can enjoy my craft to its fullest.

For our Table Topper project, we’ll need at least four different fabrics for the quilt top. For some of the fabric choices you can substitute scrap fabrics.

Focus Print
Sometimes this is the best place to start. Sometimes it’s the last fabric I select. Often the focus print is the border print, as it is for the First Timer Table Topper.

Generally speaking the focus print, or the main player fabric is a larger scale print that has lots of color. The colors in the main player fabric typically inspire the selection of the accompanying fabric in the quilt. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

And so, right out of the chute we have discovered why choosing fabric can be both fun and difficult at the same time! There is no formula to follow. No hard and fast rules. Those that have a good sense of color and value (dark and light) will find this task easy, others may find it easier to follow the colors shown in the sample on the picture of the pattern.

For my model, I’ve chosen a fun petite floral made by Free Spirit Fabrics.

Blocks
The First Timer Table Topper has four blocks, essentially made from large and small squares of colorful fabric, and rectangles made from white fabric. For the sample on this blog, I have chosen to make my blocks from all the same fabric, so I selected a fat quarter that matches my focus print.

What’s a fat quarter you might say? A fat quarter is a quarter yard of fabric. A yard of fabric is 36″ long. The width of the fabric for most quilting cottons is about 40-44″ wide. So a quarter yard of fabric would be 12″ (36 divided by 4) by 42 (on average) wide. A fat quarter is cut from a half-yard of fabric or 18″x 42″, then the half-yard of fabric is cut in half to make two fat quarters, each 18″ x 21″. Most quilt shops have a bin of fat quarters to select from. Some shops will cut fat quarters off the bolt if you ask them (nicely, of course!)

For the sample quilt on the pattern cover, I chose to use leftover fabrics or scraps from previous projects (check out ScrapTherapy, Cut the Scraps! for more details on using scraps!). So instead of a fat quarter, you can substitute 5″ squares of various prints from your scrap stash.

The blocks also have a contrasting fabric. On the pattern cover I chose to use white. A fat quarter will do. For my model on this blog, I’ve got a cute little dotty print to match my focus print. It contrasts nicely with the other fabric I’ve chosen for my blocks, and it goes well with my border, too! I liked that my blocks will be two different dot prints, one print is quite a bit larger than the other. I don’t want my blocks to be too blended or muddy, so I think these will work out okay. The large dot is from another print from that same Free Spirit line I chose for the focus or main player print. The smaller dot is made by Lecien.

Sashing
In the picture, the sashing strips are the long gray pieces that help the blocks stand out. For my Quilting 101 modle, I’ll be using a cream solid. Choose something that ‘stops the action’ or doesn’t compete too much with your focus print or with the fabrics you’ve chosen for your blocks.

Cornerstones
If you are using a fat quarter print for the blocks, like I am, then you’ll have enough fabric leftover for the cornerstone pieces. If you’d like to use leftover scraps, you’ll need 2″ scrap squares from your stash.

Backing, Batting, and Binding
We’ll need a few more bits of fabric to finish the project, but since we’ll focus on making the top, let’s not worry about these just yet.

Time to shop! . . .

Before beginning any quilt project, and especially if you are just starting out, it’s important to have a few essentials on hand.

Whether you are buying new supplies, or using ‘gently used’ tools, it’s ever so helpful to have the best equipment and tools that you can afford. Anymore, we all have enough stress in our lives. A hobby is supposed to be an escape from, not an addition to, your busy life.

So, let’s gather some stuff:

A Sewing Machine
Seems obvious, but if you are on the market for a machine to support a new hobby, it’s important to have the right equipment. If you are using an older machine or a borrowed one, if the machine you are using doesn’t have some key accessories, then you might consider making a purchase. This isn’t an endorsement of any sewing machine manufacturer; a decent sewing machine with basic quilting accessories can cost $2-500. Of course, you can spend lots more if you want more ‘bells and whistles.’

If you are sewing machine shopping, ask lots of questions and provide an honest assessments of your skills to the person helping you at the dealer. Test drive your machine before you buy it. It should be easy to use and feel ‘right.’ Most importantly, ask how your machine will be serviced! Your machine needs regular cleaning and calibration. If you notice something fishy with how service arrangements are made, then beware. 

During my first year of making quilts, I out-grew my sewing machine model twice!

A machine that is ideal for making quilts will have all the standard accessories, plus a quarter-inch foot, a walking foot, and a free-motion or darning foot. Plus the ability to raise and lower the feed dogs. Sometimes the walking foot and darning foot are not included with the machine, but may be purchased separately. Before you begin, take some time to get acquainted with your machine, learn how to thread the upper thread, and bobbin, and get a feel for how the presser foot works. If your dealer offers a get-acquainted-with-your-new-machine session, take advantage of it!

Sewing Machine Needles
Typically, you should change your needle after eight hours of sewing. It’s really easy to let that slide. But, relatively speaking, it’s a really inexpensive element of your sewing hobby that can make a huge difference in results. Sewing machine needles come in many shapes and sizes. The size of your thread determines the size of the needle. For piecing, I typically use a size 80/12 or 90/14 needle to go with a 40- or 50-weight thread. Needles are also characterized by their point. For now, let’s stick with a Universal point.

Thread
Again lots of choices. Since I typically use cotton fabrics for my quilts, I prefer to use 100% cotton thread for piecing and quilting for the simple reason that the cotton thread will age at the same rate as the cotton fabric. Other fibers, like polyester, will age at a different rate from the cotton fabric and may damage your work over time. Thread comes in different weights or thicknesses. The larger the number, the finer or smaller the thread width. I like using a 40- or 50-weight 2 or 3 ply thread for piecing. Brands: Mettler, Aurifil, Superior, Star Cotton, and others, all good!

Seam Ripper
Not just for fixing mistakes! (But keep it handy anyway)

Pins
You can’t have enough of them in my opinion. I like glass-head pins with a very sharp point and a shaft that is not too long and not too short. For quilting, you’ll also need some curved safety pins to baste the layers of your project before quilting, but you won’t need those right away.

Snips or Scissors
You will figure this out pretty quickly, so I might as well fess up right away, I have some weird sewing habits. For example, I rarely use the thread cutter built-in to most machines. I like using thread snips. What can I say? I’m a gadget gal, and there’s something powerful about using tools and gadgets you love.

Rotary Cutter & Fresh Blades
My favorite rotary cutter is made by Olfa and has a 45mm blade. It has an ergonomic handle that closes when you put it down. The blade is easily locked closed. This is great for beginners.

Important! The blade is sharper than it looks. Always treat your rotary cutter with respect and keep it away from curious little fingers and out of reach of pets. When not in use, return your rotary cutter to closed and locked position.

Mat
A basic, self-healing mat that is at least 18″ x 24″ is a really good start. Don’t worry about the lines on the mat, we won’t use them much, if at all. If you can clear a counter-height space for your cutting sessions, that would be ideal. The mat in the photograph is a 12″ rotating mat; these are really nice, too. And portable for quilters on the go!

Acrylic Ruler
Lots of options here. No slip bottom, slippery bottom, partly slippery bottom. Black lines, green lines, red lines. What’s important: Easy to read lines and numbers. Most of my photos will probably be shown with a variety of rulers. Go to a quilt shop, review your options, and choose carefully! For now, a 6-1/2″ x 12-1/2″ size – or something in that neighborhood – will be ideal!

Here’s the thing. The beauty of this hobby is that there are lots of options, and no one tool is right for everyone.

Good luck! Next time we’ll discuss fabric selection for the First Timer Table Topper.

A few weeks ago, my niece Karen asked my advice about making her first quilt.

Karen is 30-something, happily married to Josh, and has always been very creative.

One of her earliest crafty addictions was making dolls with wooden toothpicks, embroidery floss, and a bit of glue. Just about anything could be turned into an accessory for her creations! An acorn made an exceptionally nice beret, a discarded feather created a distinctive flair on a hat or fascinator (before fascinators were fashionable), a bit of trim, part of a string of pearls, tiny silk flowers.

She’s an avid knitter, too! Embroidery. You name it, she’s probably dabbled in it.

So when Karen asked me about making a quilt, I was thrilled. I could show her what to do!

Only one problem . . . I live in Syracuse, New York, and she lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Ain’t technology grand?! Karen and I decided to take her quilting journey together – online. We both blog, so we thought we’d share our experience with you too!

We’ll start with a super easy project, with lots of detailed blogging for every step of the way. We’ll link to each others’ posts so you can catch both perspectives. Comments and questions are welcome!

Join us, why don’t you?

The first project is called “First Timer Table Topper.” It’s nothing fancy, but has many basic parts. From there we may even branch out and work on other projects later on. I’m sure Karen will develop her own style as we go, and you know me, I love scrappy quilts. Somewhere in between we’ll have a little fun and learn a lot from each other.

Karen’s Blog