I have often made a Triangular Label for a back corner of my quilts, usually calico or a light colour to suit. Write your details across with fabric pen and edge it with a strip of the binding fabric. With the quilt ready for quilting, baste it on ,hand sew across the diagonal,then bind as usual. It will be firmly in place on two sides of the triangle with the binding stitches (machine or hand sewing).......submitted by Barbara

 

 

 

Springy quilting cotton thread can be a nightmare to keep under control. I use a quarter inch wide elastic band and put it around the middle of the spool. This works wonders and you don't have to remove it when you use the thread......submitted by Jane

 

 

 

For hand quilting trace the various sections of the motif (eg. 4 wings & body for a butterfly) onto freezer paper. Cut out the pieces & iron them where you want the design. Quilt around each section. I can layer the freezer paper if I want to cut out several motifs at one time.
When stitching is finished pull off the freezer paper sections and re-iron onto the next areas......submitted by Connie

 

 

 

When I make a quilt, I use the left over fabric to make a matching pillow case that doubles as a storage bag. This makes it easy to identify what quilt I have stored......submitted by Sheila

 

 

 

To the back of my quilts I like to attach a hanging sleeve, made up of the fabrics used in a quilt. Then if it needs to be repaired the same fabric will be available......Submitted by Myra

 

 

 

It's helpful to lay your quilt batting out flat for a day before using it, to allow the wrinkles to relax.....Submitted by Sandra

 

 

 

Quilting Tip: No Marking is required if the background fabric has a grid print, like this pindot.

Quilting Tip

 

 

 

I embroider my name in tiny letters hidden in one of the blocks. My grandchildren love to search and search to find it...............Submitted by Jilly

 

 

 

When free-motion quilting my quilt, I like to 'sign' my name in a corner..............Submitted by Cathy

 

 

 

I have favourite embroidery needles to use when hand sewing my binding on. To save time trying to find them I keep them in the clear plastic box with my binding clips.............Submitted by Carol

 

 

 

To keep my lines straight when hand printing a quilt label, I press a piece of freezer paper which I have drawn lines on, underneath to use as a guide............Submitted by Beth

 

 

 

I have just quilted the border of a large bed quilt and today was about to remove the black marked lines that I had made by using one of the Pilot Frixion marking pens that require heat to make the marking disappear - but I didn't want to flatten the quilting, and hovering over all the marking with a heavy iron was not appealing - so I used a hair-drier instead and all the marks had gone in no time at all - much faster, more efficient and no aching arm from hovering with an iron............Submitted by Pauline

Hair-drier Removes Marking Pens Tip

 

 

 

To organize your plastic stencils, keep them together on round rings. Hang the rings on a hook to keep them from getting bent..............Submitted by Anna

 

 

 

I have favourite embroidery needles to use when hand sewing my binding on, which I keep in the clear plastic box with my binding clips. This saves time trying to find them.............Submitted by Carol

 

 

 

I like to use contact paper (rolls purchased from a dollar store) to mark my quilt top for quilting.
As I don't like to mark my quilt top unless necessary, these work so well. Staple multiple layers together and cut out the motif from the center to stick them to the quilt top. They will stick several times before they no longer stick well and need replacing..................Submitted by Kirsty

 

 

 

What I like to do when I hand baste my quilt, is thread the needle leaving the other end attached to the spool. This method allows me to never run out of thread as I baste across the quilt! You gently pull the long thread through the fabric, which comes off the spool, until I'm across the quilt.................Submitted by Karen

 

 

 

To transfer quilting designs through the holes of stencils, I like to use a foam paint brush to apply the powder...............Submitted by Betty

 

 

 

When hand sewing or quilting, I like to pre-thread a bunch of needles so I don't have to stop stitching to re-thread...........submitted by Tina

 

 

 

I'm making up some pieced backings in advance out of some of the fabric I don't love as much anymore. This will use that up these pieces of fabric and allow me to have backings ready to use for my donation quilts .........submitted by Ann

 

 

 

I found a baby bed frame sitting out for the trash. I see the possibilities of a solid wood quilt rack to hang on the wall to show my quilts. I think I will paint it white. It will need some 6 inches spacers attached at the corners to give some clearance from the wall. I have seen quilt stores use bed frames to show off their quilts on the wall, so I thought about this baby bed when I saw it and decided to make a refurbished quilt rack with it instead of letting it go to the junk pile. Best of all it's Free!! .........submitted by Debbie

Repurposed Quilt Rack Tip

 

 

 

I cut a small strip from an unusable rubber glove (wide rubber bands also work) to use for pulling the quilting needle through. It saves me from using the plyers I also keep for the same purpose.......submitted by Janet

 

 

 

When I machine quilt I practice in the 4" to 5" of extra batting and backing fabric that I layer my quilt top on.......submitted by Jean

 

 

 

When I use a wash-away pen for marking, I keep a little sponge topped “postage stamp” bottle filled with water to get rid of the markings. You can find these at most office supply stores........submitted by Sarah

 

 

 

I've started to use a crochet hook to close my basting pins, with good results, saving my hands......submitted by Penny

 

 

 

When I make a quilt, I like to make a smaller version of the quilt block in the pattern to use as my quilt label on the back of the quilt.
Adding the name, date, and other label information in permanent fabric pen makes a nice finishing touch........submitted by Nancy

 

 

 

I like to use some of the leftover fabric to make a storage bag for the quilt to be stored in. They could be made with a hook and eye tape flap in the shape of an envelope or with a draw string.......submitted by Genny

 

 

 

When you prick your finger while quilting and have gotten blood on your work, scrunch up a small wad of quilting thread scraps, add some saliva (your own saliva for your own blood) and rub the spot. It removes the blood nicely.......submitted by Elaine

 

 

 

While hand quilting I put a piece of batting in the end of the spool of thread. This allows me to keep some pins and needles with the thread.......submitted by Shirley

 

 

 

For a quick easy quilt for kids or travelling, I use fleece on the back instead of batting and backing fabric.......submitted by Jill

 

 

 

I like to include a printed-on-fabric picture of the child I make a quilt for, as part of my label.......submitted by Elizabeth

 

 

 

When I've made binding for a quilt I wrap my pressed and folded binding on either toilet paper or paper cardboard cylinders depending on how much I'm going to have. When applying it, I drop the holder with the bias binding into a large empty gallon jug on the floor at my feet. It stays smooth, doesn't get tangled, and stays under control.......submitted by Joyce

 

 

 

When quilting a diagonal grid across a quilt I like to use a double line. This adds a nice detail and avoids going through the extra fabric at each corner.......submitted by Teresa

 

 

 

For backing material, I find the off the roll from a store can sometimes work out to be quite expensive so I have purchased a cotton sheet the size I required and found it alot less money. [Please Note: Sheets can be hard to hand quilt through, and this works best for machine quilting].......submitted by Ann

 

 

 

An easy way to hang a quilt, with a drapery rod on a wall, is with a pair of drapery sconces from a dollar store. These can be painted to blend or match your wall colour.......submitted by Diana

Hanging a Quilt Tip

 

 

 

When I am joining batting together, I overlap the two pieces about 3". Then I take my rotary cutter and make continuous smooth curves. I take off the excess batting and put the two pieces together like a puzzle. Using a big needle and long thread I zig zag my stitching along the cut lines pulling the pieces together. I use rather long stitches. By doing this, I do not have a straight line showing in my quilt and the quilting further holds the quilt batt together......submitted by Rhonda

 

 

 

To keep binding neat and orderly roll up the binding after pressing your binding in half. Then take an clean butter tub and cut a 1½" to 2" slit in the side. Place the rolled up binding into the tub and feed the end of the binding thru the hole. Cover with the tub lid. Place the butter tub either between your knees, or on the floor by your foot pedal or feet. As you sew the binding to the quilt edge, the binding slowly feeds out and doesn't tangle......submitted by Fran

 

 

 

A good "no marking" method for machine quilting is to use tracing paper or regular tissue paper to mark your designs on, with a permanent marker. Pin them onto your quilt and quilt on the lines. When finished, just tear away the paper from your quilt......submitted by Katie

 

 

 

Using plain metal hair clips to hold binding down while sewing, is much less painful than pins & they can be purchased inexpensively at bargain shops......submitted by Olga

 

 

 

The newest quilting tool that has the online quilting world abuzz with excitement is Glad Press and Seal. It can be used for appliqué, transferring quilting designs and as a stabilizer. The thin film tears away easily, and you can even print your designs on it with a printer..........submitted by Cyberquilters

 

 

 

Some of the large balls of crochet cotton are soft enough to be used instead of the more expensive sashiko threads in quilting....... submitted by Muffin

 

 

 

A way to transfer a quilting design, is to trace the design onto a piece of netting. Lay the netting over the fabric and trace the design onto your quilt top, using a chalk marker...... submitted by Helen

 

 

 

A way to mark a copy of a quilting design onto your quilt: Sew, with your sewing machine (no thread), the quilting design.
Put a tablespoon of cornstarch (cocoa or cinnamon for lighter fabrics) into a 4" circle of loose woven cotton. Tie into a pounce ball.
Pat the pounce ball over the holes in the design to mark the design on your quilt.

 

 

 

A quick and easy method for tying quilts.....
Using any color, not too thick crochet cotton, thread your needle leaving a very long piece, or even leave it connected to the ball of thread. Go along every 4" or so, making one stitch after another, without cutting the thread, through a long area (top to bottom of quilt, for example). Then cut the thread, and cut between each stitch, leaving enough to tie each "square knot". Tie each knot (I use the surgeons' knot, where you just tie 2 square knots, instead of one) Then go along and snip off the ends of each knot to about ¾"......Submitted by Mary

 

 

 

The little binder clips they sell at office supply stores that are like a clamp, work great when sewing the binding.... better than trying to stick a pin through all the layers....Submitted by Jennifer

 

 

 

    

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