Our little group is made up of a variety of quilters.
Some enjoy 'applique' more than others, and some
are very good at 'paper piecing',
others - not so good !!
But, we all love quilting and though the levels of experience vary,
we've picked up a few hints and tips along our journeys.
We are also avid readers of the Quilt Magazines and often share the tips and hints with each other.
It was only natural, that we also wanted to share them on our site.
So on this page, we will compile our best HINTS & TIPS.
Hope you enjoy them.
If you want to share some
just contact us.
Updated: 01/02/10
Enlarging or Reducing Block Patterns:
To reduce a pattern (for example, 18" to 15"), divide 15 by 18 and then multiply by 100; this equals 83 percent. So, to reduce the size, divide the size you want by the size you have.
To enlarge, divide the size you have, by the size you want it to be. Multiply both answers by 100 to get the percentage to reduce or enlarge
Tie a bright ribbon to a safety pin and place the pin where you stop quilting. When it's time to begin quilting again, you'll know where to resume because you can easily see the ribbon.
Use golf tees to pair spools of thread and bobbins. Place the bobbins on the tee first, then add the spool of thread. Whenever you are ready to use that spool of thread again the bobbin is right there ready to go.
Keep a wad of 'sticky tacky' (the stuff you use to hang posters) on the top of your sewing machine to hold your seam ripper.
To resharpen your rotary cutters, fold up a piece of silver foil so that you have several layers. Then just cut through it several times. Your cutter will be resharpened........Works great !!
Store sewing tools in an old cutlery basket taken from a dishwasher. It can hang on a pegboard too !!
When machine quilting a specific pattern or design on your quilt, use the new Glad Wrap Press 'n Seal to draw your design. The wrap sticks wonderfully to the fabric and lifts without any residue. After quilting, the wrap is easily removed at the seam lines. There is no pinning and the wrap is clear so you can see exactly where you want it to be placed.
Attach a small suction cup hook on the side of your sewing machine to hang small scissors and thread clippers.
Ironing a large quilt top and backing can be a bit awkward. Try putting your iron on an extension cord and place two ironing boards end to end.
When paper piecing a scrappy or string quilt - use the pages from an old telephone book. They rip out easily and are being recycled.
EVER WONDERED HOW A SEWING MACHINE WORKS ??????? 
