| Quilting Tips |
Fat Quarter Storage Tip Use a CD shelf! Tuck fat quarters and fabric rolls into the compartments of a CD shelf. You can display your beautiful fabrics up on the wall. Hang fabric After washing and pressing your fabrics, hang them over a coat hanger to keep them smooth. You will be able to find your fabrics more easily when they aren't buried in a box Machine Quilting Support the bulk of your quilt with an extra card table while machine quilting. Rotary Cutting Safety Does your rotary cutter have a setting so it is always on? I was reminded today NOT to use that setting-if you drop it, it can slice your feet! Keep your rotary cutter closed. Signing Quilts with Thread You can sign your work with thread! Write your name, date, and city with quilting stitches, embroidery, or cross stitch. Quilt with the same color thread as the background fabric for a 'mystery' message that people can discover. To mark the quilt without drawing on the fabric: Use a 'Sharpie' pen to write on a piece of white tissue paper. Baste this paper on the quilt. Stitch through the tissue onto the fabric. Tear away the tissue when done. Staying organized If you're like me, you have trouble staying organized! I am trying something new in my sewing room: EVERY time I walk through it, I clean up one item. It's hard not to get overwhelmed and discouraged, so I force myself to stay focused on that ONE thing. |
| Please feel free to e-mail a tip anytime! quilitmailbox@yahoo.com |
What is a Layer Cake? Other than something yummy to eat, a Layer Cake in the quilting world is a pack of forty 10" squares representing a fabric collection. A Layer Cake always consists of forty 10" squares. If a collections is under forty bolts, there will be duplicate squares. Or, if a collection is larger than forty bolts, a few fabrics will not be represented in the Layer Cake. Total yardage for each "Cake" is approx. 2 3/4 yds. Patterns are being developed in which to use Layer Cakes. Sometimes the pattern combines a Layer Cake with a Jelly Roll. But if you simply divide a Layer Cake square into four equal squares, you will have four 5" squares. If you did that to all forty 10" squares, it would be like having four Charm Packs! So you can also use Charm Pack patterns with Layer Cakes. What is a Jelly Roll? The first to introduce Jelly Rolls is Moda fabrics. A Jelly Roll always consists of forty - 2 1/2" laser cut strips representing a collection of fabric. Since collections can vary as to how many fabrics are in them, sometimes there will be duplicate strips in a roll. Sometimes, if a collection is larger than forty bolts, a few fabrics will not be represented in the Jelly Roll. The forty strips are 2 1/2" x w.o.f. If you laid the strips side by side, the yardage would equal 2 3/4 yards of fabric. There are a lot of patterns on the market now to use Jelly Rolls. They are also great just "as is" to use in log cabin, rail fence, and nine patch quilts. |
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