Tips and Tricks

Carolyn’s Tips & Tricks

May - June 2009

  • Fool your feed dogs trick...If your machine doesn't allow you to drop the feed dogs for free-motion quilting, tape a business card over them to prevent them from grabbing the fabric beneath the presser foot.
  • Press and Rest Works the Best... Once fabric pieces have been pressed, let them cool in place. It prevents distortion of bias edges.
  • Glue Stick Secret ... Store your glue sticks used for applique in the refrigerator. This keeps them firmer, making them easier to use and longer lasting.
    Windows Work Wonders... To see what a medium or large print fabric will look like when it's cut into smaller pieces, make a template window to carry with you when you're fabric shopping.
    Straight and Square Borders... For border strips, measure the quilt center in both directions throught the center to ensure straight sides and square corners. Measuring along the edges is less accurate because they may have stretched during assembly.
    Confused by Contrast? .. To see if you have enough contrast between the fabrics you've chosen for a quilt, make a black and white photocopy of the fabric. This eliminates color and shows only the contrast between and within pieces of fabric.
    See Before You Sew... Experiment with your arrangement of blocks by positioning them on a bedsheet until you're satisfied. Once you're pleased, pin them to the sheet before carrying them to your sewing machine.
    See It To Believe It ... To decide if your thread contrasts or blends the way you wish, practice your quilting designs on quilt sandwiches made from the same fabrics used in your quilt. If the color is not right, experiment with thread a shade darker or lighter.
  • Mistake-proof Trimming Method ... When you want to trim the batting, but not the backing, on a quilted piece, slip the edge of your rotary cutting mat between the backing and batting before you begin. This will prevent you from inadvertently cutting into the backing fabric.

March - April 2009

  • Lint Roller Holder . . . An empty plastic iced tea mix container makes the prefect holder for a lint roller. It's the right diameter and the perfect height for easy access—and you're recycling! (Pat McDaniel, Indio, CA)
  • Thread Marker . . . Each time you purchase a new spool of thread, use a permanent marker to mark the notch that holds the thread end. Now you only have to look for that mark to know where to anchor your thread. (Fons and Porter Love of Quilting - January/February 2004)
  • Cat Hair Collector . . . To remove cat hair from a quilt, try putting it in the dryer with a fabric softener sheet and run the dryer at a no-heat setting. Works like a charm. (Fons and Porter Love of Quilting - November/December 2003)
  • USING MONOFILAMENT THREAD . . . I like to use monofilament thread (I like Wonder brand by YLI) for all of my ditch stitching. Be careful to stitch a little slower when using it so that it will not stretch as you sew it into your quilt. You should also be stitching at a little slower (than piecing) speed when are using your walking foot. It is called a “walking” foot, after all, not a “running” foot! (Paula Reid’s Batts in the Attic website, www.battsintheattic.com.)

January – February 2009

  • Secure Thimble : If you have trouble keeping a thimble on your finger, apply a small piece of double-sided tape on the inside. If you prefer, put the tape on your finger before putting the thimble on. It works perfectly and leaves no sticky residue. (Dorothy Jessen, Pulaski, IA)
  • Prevent Rust : Place a silica pack from a medication bottle or a shoe box in with your needles and pins to keep them dry and free from rust. (Cathy Knowles, Manly, IA)
  • Mini Iron Storage : Store your craft iron in a one-quart mason jar. It is much more secure than the small stand that comes with the iron. (Becky Beekman, Shadyside, OH)
  • Saving Selvages : Instead of wasting the selvage edges when you trim your fabric, save them and make hot pads and rag rugs. Crochet a circle or an oval using a size J or K crochet hook and a single crochet stitch. It’s easy, and the results are both pretty and useful. (Joanne Ganaden, Eleele, HI)

Nov – Dec 2008

  • QUICK QUILT HANGER…To display a small quilted wall hanging, I use a twisted cord drapery tie-back and a wooden dowel. The tie-back has nice loops on both ends for the dowel and looks attractive. (Sandy Collins, South Bend, IN)
  • CLEANING IRONS…To quickly and inexpensively clean an iron’s surface pour a line of table salt approximately ½” x 6” on a terry towel. Iron back and forth with hot iron. Residue comes right off. (Norma Cotton, Kalkaska, MI)
  • TRIANGLE TRICK…Sew fabric triangles into the top corners of a small quilt’s back as an alternative to the traditional sleeve for hanging. Cut two squares of fabric approximately 3” x 3”. Fold each square in half diagonally, wrong sides together. Before the binding is sewn on, match raw edges and baste these triangles to the upper corners. Bind the quilt as you normally would. Insert a narrow dowel rod into the corners. (Terry Chilko, Morgantown, WV, www.terrychilko.com)
  • STUMPED BY CHOOSING COLORS?...Look for color combos that work on cereal boxes, product labels, in flower arrangements or magazine ads. Or, study the colors in a photograph or piece of artwork you love. Friends will never guess where you get your ideas! (Unknown)
  • HANDY GADGET TOTE…Here’s a cute way to keep your gadgets handy when you’re on the go. Place six sealable snack bags on a potholder so the bottoms line up in the center. Sew a piece of grosgrain ribbon down the center of the potholder, stitching through bags. Fold the potholder and sew a big button on the outside for closure. (Susan Hutter, Fort Meyer, FL)
  • TRAVEL ADVISORY…With increased airline security, scissors usually aren’t allowed on flights. I put my spool of thread in a used, circular dental floss container, which serves as both a thread holder and cutter. (Lynn Warren, Mays Landing, NJ)
  • SHARP THINKING…When changing the blade on my rotary cutter, I write “used” on the blade with a permanent marker. These blades then go in a second rotary cutter marked “paper”. I use this cutter for paper, template plastic or home decorating fabrics which saves my sharpest blade for cutting quilting cottons. (Marilyn Hopkins, Location Unknown)

September - October, 2008

  • MARK AN OLD BLADE...If you keep your used blades for later sharpening or disposal, etc.; before you put it in the case mark the flat side with a small slash mark with a permanent marker. This will remind you it is already a used blade and keep you from reusing it as new. (Unknown)
  • STITCH SAFELY…I cringe when I see people using seam rippers, stilettos, or other metal objects to hold fabric in place while sewing. If you accidentally sew over the metal, you can break your sewing machine needle, damage your machine or worse yet, get hurt by a broken-off piece of metal. A bamboo skewer (available at dollar stores in bags of 50) is much safer for you and your machine. (Joyce Morgan, Location Unknown)
  • FOREVER LABELED…To make labeling my quilts easy rather than a chore, I precut quality muslin in 6” squares and press them on the diagonal. I open each one up to write on it, using the pressed line for placement and allowing for seam allowances. As I attach my binding, I refold each labeled square into a triangle and slip the raw edges into the quilt corner and stitch. Then I simply slip-stitch across the diagonal fold to secure it. (Sharol Ellis, Lexington, SC)
  • PERFECT DIRECTIONS…I used to have a hard time remembering which way I was supposed to press my seams on my walk to the ironing board. Now I label a flat, flower head pin with an arrow, pin it to the corner of the rows and see clearly which direction I need to press that row. (Shannon Wilkinson, Hollister, CA)
  • ARE YOU AVERAGE? A FONS & PORTER SURVEY…How many hours per week do you spend on quilting projects? 4%, Less than 1 hour; 13%, 1-2 hours; 29%, 3-5 hours; 28%, 6-10 hours; 26%, 11 hours or more.

July - August, 2008

  • RELAX YOUR BATTING…This tip may not be new but I have just discovered it. The polyester batting I use is always quite wrinkled when I remove it from the package. I put it in the dryer on the lowest heat for four or five minutes, and it comes out so smooth and soft. I imagine this would work for any type of batting. (Unknown)
  • KEEP TRACK OF BLADE CHANGES…I thought I was having to change the blade in my rotary cutter too often, so I placed a small piece of masking tape on the flat part of the cutter. I write the date I change the blade on the tape. They really last longer than I realized. (Sharon Abbey, Omaha, NE)
  • ARE YOU AVERAGE? A FONS & PORTER SURVEY…How long have you been quilting? Less than one year: 2%, 1-5 years: 23%, 5-10 years: 24%, and More than 10 years: 50%.

May – June, 2008

  • ON A ROLL…When I’m sewing on binding, I wrap it in a roll and slide it over my wrist. As I sew the binding on my quilt, I’m able to pull out the amount I need without getting the binding tangled and twisted. (Jennifer Allen, LaVista, NE)
  • SEWING ROOM DOUBLES AS GUEST ROOM…My sewing room doubles as my guest room, and I’ve arranged it to make the conversion very easy. I cleaned out half the closet and installed shelves at one end. For my sewing table, I used an inexpensive wood core door, supported at one end by a closet shelf and on the other end by an inexpensive file cabinet. (I did paint the door to match the room!) With a few hooks, an under-cabinet light, and a cork message board on the back wall, I was set. I love having storage on both ends of the table! The chair even rolls in. With the doors closed, nothing shows. (Peggy Follador, Davie, FL)
  • ARE YOU AVERAGE? A FONS & PORTER SURVEY…What is your skill level? Beginner: 6%, Intermediate: 70% and Advanced: 24%.

March - April, 2008

  • COOL IDEA…I store my fabrics in an old upright freezer that no longer works. It holds a lot, and I can see my stash at a glance. (Wendy Park, Kendrick, ID)
  • PICTURE PERFECT…After determining the final placement of blocks for my quilt, I take a picture with my digital camera. I refer to the camera screen as I sew to ensure I have put blocks in the correct position. After completing the project, I can delete the photo or keep it on file. (Dana LaBarr, Julesburg, CO)
  • ARE YOU AVERAGE? A FONS & PORTER SURVEY…How many sewing machines do you own? 20% said 1, 33% said 2, 22% said 3, 10% said 4, 6% said 5, 7% said 6-9 and 1% said 10 or more!

January - February, 2008

  • SEW CLEVER…Measure two opposite sides of the quilt center to square it up before adding borders. For example, if one side measures 76 ¼“ and the other 76 ¾“, cut (2) border strips to measure 76 ½“. Pin the strips evenly on both sides; the quilt center will adjust to fit the border as you sew. Repeat for the remaining sides. (Quilt Magazine)
  • COLOR CODING…When tracing a design on Glad Press’n Seal wrap for machine quilting, I use fine point markers in two colors. I use one color to trace the machine-quilting design as far as possible without stopping and then use the second marker to go in the opposite direction to complete the design. It makes it much easier to follow the pattern when stitching. (Mary Ann Peters, Athens, NY)
  • ARE YOU AVERAGE? A FONS & PORTER SURVEY…Are you a member of any quilt guilds or clubs? The answer is 50% YES, 50% NO.