Tips & Tricks

 When I teach  I share tips and tricks that I have found in the process of my work.  Often a tip will be the result of a "happy accident" or "what not to do".

The words,  "ask me how I know" are an admission of a less than desirable outcome in my studio.

I have an insatiable desire to learn new techniques that will improve the quality of my work.  For that I am thankful for the the happy accidents and our wonderful quilting community that share their tips on the internet.

I am continuing to compiling a list of simple tips and tricks to share so we all can have more success in our work.

1. Press Your Nested Seams - prior to sewing a nested seam, press the two fabrics together.  The light press will assist in locking the seams together, minimizing movement when the seam is sewn.               
2. 50/50 Vinegar and Water Spray Bottle - The fold in fabrics on the bolt can be difficult to remove.  Take a tip from garment sewists, press the seam out with spray of a solution of vinegar and water.  Garment sewists have long used vinegar and water to add a permanent press to pants.  This same solution can be used to remove that hard set in centre crease.
3. Folding Quilts - Simply folding a quilt along horizontal and vertical lines will result in permanent creases in your quilts if they are stored for long periods of time.  Check out "Quilt Folding" article by flourishing palms.bogspot.com.  Take advantage of the bias to reduce permanent creases in your quilts.
4. Air Erase Markers by Bohin - This is my go to marking pen.  This marking pen disappears from the surface of your fabric within one day.  If you are marking your work more than a day in advance of sewing, your lines will be gone.  There is no residue or reappearing marks with cold or heat.
5. Continuous Spray Bottles - Continuous spray bottles deliver a very fine mist for your starch or starch substitute.  If these bottles are not available at your local quilt shop, an equivalent bottle is available at Sally Beauty Supplies (but ensure you purchase the higher quality bottles).
6. Paint Color Chips - Sico's Valspar paint line produces color inspiration folders which show combinations of different color themes.  These color cards are a great inspiration for a quilt.  
7. Drive Backwards - When rotary cutting with a smaller square or rectangular ruler, start cutting backwards about about 2 - 3 inches in from the corner of the ruler and then cut in the normal direction.  This will reduce the chance of damaging the corners of your ruler.  If we start cutting at the corner of the ruler, over time the corner will be chipped away reducing our cutting accuracy.
8. Studio 180 Design Tools - The Tucker Trimmer, Magic Wand. Wing Clipper, Split Rects Corner Pop and Square2 are my go to rulers.  These are not a one time use ruler. These tools increase the accuracy of several basic quilt blocks.  There are YouTube videos showing how to use these essential tools.
9. Invest in your Pins - There is nothing worse than a large hole in your fabric.  A finer, higher quality pin is less likely to leave a hole in your fabric.  A courser pin will also increase the chance of misaligned seams as there is more resistance inserting a larger diameter pin.
10. Crazy patchwork circles make great pot separators - Use your scraps for leaders and enders to make crazy patchwork which are then cut into circles.  Add batting, backing and bias bindings for great pot separators.  Don't waste quality thread on "pigs" to start stitching that end up in your waste basket.  Make crazy patchwork instead.  I find 6",  8" and 10" circles are the perfect size for pot separators.
11. Old Income Tax Acts - The quality of paper in old Income Tax Acts are perfect for foundation piecing.  The paper is very high quality thin paper and the ink does not rub off on to your fabric.  Check with your local accountant for their old Income Tax Acts.  There are two releases of the Canadian Income Tax Act each year - so old Acts are plentiful.
12. Acorn Seam Align Glue - When you are piecing small patchwork, the Acorn Seam Align Glue is better than pinning your pieces.  Fabrics often slide when we insert a pin, so look for Acorn Seam Align Glue at your local quilt shop.
13. Acorn Easy Press Pen - With smaller patchwork or curved seams, it can be a challenge to get seams to lie flat.  Too much steam or vigorous pressing can often stretch fabric.  A small line of a starch equivalent in the Easy Press Pen will help your block to lie flat.  Look for the Easy Press Pen at your local quilt shop.
14. Pressor Foot Up when Threading your Machine - Always have your pressor foot up when you are threading your sewing machine.  When your pressor foot is up, the tension discs are apart, allowing the thread to fall between them.  If you thread your machine with the pressor foot down, the thread will not be under any tension and will ball up on the reverse of your seam.