This  post is part of my Learn to Quilt series. You can find all related posts {here}.

Civil War Jubilee

Now the fun starts! We’ve learned all about the basics of quilting, and now we are ready to move on to actual sewing. I’ve chosen a free pattern from Moda for this project (shown at left).. You can find the pattern {here}. The sample uses traditional fabrics (Civil War repros) but as soon as I saw it, I knew it would be perfect for more modern fabrics, too. I love the shape of the blocks and the illusion of curves that the piecing creates. The piecing is relatively simple so it’s a great starting point, but it’s also challenging enough that it’s a fun project for a more experienced quilter, too. I was being overly ambitious in trying to work this into two posts so constructing the quilt top will be in two parts – today is cutting and piecing blocks and next Monday I will cover assembling the quilt top and adding borders.

I’m going to use pre-cuts for my version. You have the option of following the pattern exactly as written or going with my changes. To use pre-cuts like me, your fabric requirements are:

1 jelly roll (with 40 strips cut 2.5″ x WOF)
5 fat quarters
1 yd for borders
1/2 yd binding
4 3/8 yds backing

This will yield a 68.5″ x 72.5″ quilt. My quilt will have 40 blocks instead of 45 like the pattern. I’m also going to use the same fabric for both borders. My fabric placement won’t be as rigid as the pattern sample, either. This is partly because I like a more scrappy look, but it also allows us to use fat quarters instead of yardage. My centers will all be solids. Here are the fabrics I’ve chosen:

Notice that I have more fat quarters than necessary. This is because I want a wide range of colors for my block centers (plus I had the yardage on hand! Stash-busting is always a good thing.)

CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS

From each jelly roll strip, cut:

2 – 2.5″ x 12.5″ strips
2 – 2.5″ x 4.5″ strips
3 – 2.5″ squares*

*Theoretically, there should be exactly enough width in the jelly roll strip for you to get all of the above cuts. Cut your longer strips first and your 2.5″ squares last. You should easily be able to get 120 squares from your jelly roll strips; cut the rest from your fat quarters. You need a total of 160 2.5″ squares for the quilt.

From eight fat quarters, cut:

6 – 4.5″x8.5″ rectangles
2 – 2.5″ x 18″ strip: subcut into 2.5″ squares for block corners

You will have 8 extra rectangles and 10 extra squares.

Tips for cutting:

• Use the measurements on your rulers as cutting guides, not the marks on your cutting mat. Rulers are more accurate.
• Put in a fresh blade if your rotary cutter is catching on the fabric or not cutting all the way through on the first pass. If your blade is relatively new, then make sure you are using firm and even pressure.
• To prep your fat quarters for cutting, lightly starch and press them. This will make your piecing go smoothly and ensure accuracy.
• Keep a small bin or bucket on your cutting surface for scraps to toss in the garbage. Keep a separate one for scraps you want to save. Your surface will be neat and you can empty out the buckets when you’re finished exactly where they need to go.
• Stack your block units together – in order – as you go. For this project, you will have four stacks:

PIECING INSTRUCTIONS

Follow the original pattern to piece your 40 rectangular blocks. The instructions are on page two and three of the PDF file. They are excellent instructions that even include pressing directions. As you are piecing your blocks, keep in mind that your triangle corners won’t match the centers of your blocks like the sample. Here are a few blocks I’ve made:

Tips for piecing:

• Instead of drawing a line from corner to corner on each 2.5″ square, use a paper guide as a stitch line. You line the guide up between the corners and sew next to it, making sure your seam is centered diagonally across your square.
• Work with an assembly line set up with the block components in tidy stacks next to your machine as shown above. This will allow you to chain piece.
• Trim your thread ends as you sew to keep things tidy.
• Lightly starch each finished block and press it.
• No pinning is required until you assemble the quilt top.

See you next Monday for the continuation of Lesson 7 – Learn to Quilt: Piecing Part 2. We will assemble the quilt top and cut and sew our borders.

Little Hands & Toes

This  post is part of my Learn to Quilt series. You can find all related posts {here}. Start {here} if you’d like to cover the lessons in order.

I was initially going to write about the quilting community today, but I think I covered that pretty well in Lesson 2: Quilting Definitions and Resources so instead I’ll go over Scrap Management. The more you quilt, the more you will have to deal with scraps so it’s good to have a method in mind. This lesson outlines what I do with my scraps and this may be too much or too little for you given how often you sew. Some people literally save every scrap, and while I do save a lot, I must have order above all else so itty bitty pieces go in the garbage. Be forewarned that there are a lot of steps/processes/tasks in my scrap management system. I’m kind of obsessive that way but don’t let it dissuade you from quilting. You don’t have to be this level of quilting ka-razy.

CUTTING SCRAPS

Most of my scraps come from leftovers from a quilt project. I sort these scraps as a I go:

• Fat Quarters – When working with yardage, I cut my fabric so that I will have a fat quarter leftover whenever possible.
• Small, regular scraps | pieces with mostly straight edges that can be used in a project without additional cutting -  I have a bin dedicated to these. Here is a quilt I made with this type of scrap:

• Small, irregular scraps | odd-shaped pieces that would need to be cut for most quilt blocks – These go straight into the bin for my scrappy stars project. They’re perfect to piece together for something like this:
• Strings | long, narrow pieces at least 1″ wide but less than 2.5″ – These go into a big basket under my desk. Strings are usually foundation pieced and string quilts look like this one I recently finished:
• Binding ends | 2.5″ wide by various lengths – I’m working on a scrappy trip around the world quilt (tutorial here) so these are perfect. You could also save these to make scrappy binding.
• Big scraps | smaller than a fat quarter – These go into a bin under my cutting table. It’s easy to sweep them in there while I go. The really big pieces get cut into 2.5″ and 5″ squares at some point (with scraps then going into the different piles listed above). The smaller bits go into a set of Deep ArtBin Containers, sorted by color.

ArtBin 6990AB Super Satchel Double Deep Box with Removable Dividers

LEFTOVER/ORPHAN BLOCKS

There are lots of reasons why you might end up with orphan blocks. Sometimes a block just doesn’t work out. Or you make too many. Or you overdo it when you’re squaring up and that dang thing is too, too small.  You can save them up for projects like potholders, pillows, sampler quilts or you can donate them to the charity committee of your quilt guild like me. Or if you are supremely talented like Anna Maria Horner, you could whip up a series of amazingly beautiful quilts using your orphan blocks. (I was in her Composing a Quilt workshop at QuiltCon and it is hard to believe what that woman can do with leftovers. Imagine what she does with all that turkey that’s left after Thanksgiving?!)

ORPHAN PRE-CUTS

There are usually a handful of charm squares, jelly roll strips, layer cakes, etc. leftover from a project. I throw all of my orphans into my various scrap bins by size. What are they good for? Well, some of the quilts I’ve shown above plus any project that uses those cuts. Don’t be afraid to sew with stuff that doesn’t “match.” We’ll talk about fabric selections in the next lesson.

Scrappy quilts are some of my favorites. Check out my Pinterest board for scrappy quilt ideas. (Looking at scrappy quilts is a great way to help you start thinking about your own scrap management plan.) Do any of you have scrap management tips? How small is too small to keep? Share with us in the comments!

See you next Monday for Lesson 7 – Learn to Quilt: Piecing. We are starting our project! The pace will slow down a bit to just once a week for our last four lessons as we make a quilt from start to finish.

This  post is part of my Learn to Quilt series. You can find all related posts {here}.

Welcome back to my Learn to Quilt series. Today we are talking about a subject where I am definitely an expert – building a fabric stash! The main thing to remember is to buy what you love, even if you don’t have a plan for it. That may not always work if you’re quilting on a budget, but we covered some tips on that in our previous lesson. For this post, I’m assuming that you have some cash to spend and you’re looking to invest in quilting fabrics.

QUALITY

Quality is not something that concerned me when I first started quilting as I thought fabric was pretty much all the same. I was incorrect. There is wide spectrum of quality in commercial quilting fabrics, but you’ll mostly be purchasing from one of two places: Your Local Big Box Retailer or an Independent Quilt Shop (brick and mortar or online).

Fabrics from big box stores tend to be on the lower end of the quality spectrum. You can find nice/decent quality quilting fabric at big-box stores, though so don’t count them out completely. Some top quilting fabrics manufacturers actually sell to these big box stores and many of these stores also carry higher quality lines (let the price per yard be your guide on that). Low-end quilting fabrics are rough, thin, and fray easily. You might even see errors in the printing process.

Fabrics from Independent Retailers/Quilt Shops are on the high end of the spectrum. These are the fabrics I recommend that you work with, even if you are on a budget. Here’s the reason…quilts take many hours to make and they are a piece of art. Use the best materials you can afford and you will have a more beautiful and longer-lasting finished product.

PRE-CUTS

Pre-cuts are a great addition to any quilting stash.  For a full list of the different pre-cuts and a description of each, check out this printable from Moda. Note that pre-cuts vary by manufacturer (in number per package, types offered, etc.). so don’t expect them in every fabric line you fall in love with. Pre-cuts can seem expensive at first glance, but when you consider the number of prints offered compared to buying yardage, they’re actually a great deal. Plus the fact that you have so much less cutting to do is a time-saver that is hard to put a price on.

For a new quilter, there are a few pre-cuts I recommend over others. Start with the Layer Cake. They are 10″ square and super versatile for all kinds of projects. The size also means that you get a good chunk of each fabric so you can really see the design. Check out layer cake patterns from the Moda Bake Shop {here}.

How many to buy? Just one layer cake plus some yardage will make a good-sized quilt top – even up to a twin or full size depending on the pattern.

Strip piecing with jelly rolls is also one of my favorite kinds of sewing, but you’re working with long pieces (44″) and they’re relatively narrow (2.5″) so I’d wait until your 1/4″ seam is perfect before tackling a jelly roll project. You’ll be happier with the end results that way. I know this from experience because my first quilt was made with a jelly roll. I didn’t even own a 1/4″ foot and I struggled piecing those strips. Nothing matched up because I didn’t have a consistent seam allowance.

Check out jelly roll patterns from the Moda Bake Shop {here}.

How many to buy? Just one jelly roll will make a lap quilt. I recommend the Jelly Roll Race pattern as a way to get started sewing with Jelly Rolls. Really fast and really easy.

And last, charm packs and mini charm packs are both useful and cute.  These cuts are a nice way to get a sampling of a fabric line without committing a lot of your budget to it. Charm squares measure 5″ and mini charms are 2.5.”

How many to buy? Charm packs and minis are a small amount of fabric.  To get the coverage of a layer cake, you will need 4 charm packs or 8 mini charms, but you can make a quilt top with just one charm pack and yardage (see photo above). Unless you are working with a pattern that tells you a specific number of charms, I would say buy just one of each .The point with these pre-cuts for me is to have the full fabric line, even if its in small pieces.

BUNDLES

When it comes to bundles, these are usually fat quarters or sometimes fat eighths. These bundles usually include the whole line or just one colorway from the line but be sure to read the details so you know what you’re getting. The bundles can be made up of different cuts, as well: 1 yard, 1/2 yard, fat quarters, and fat eighths. Bundles like these can be a great way to build your stash. Instead of going for bundles that contain fabric from just one line, I’d say go for mixed bundles. You can find a lot of these on Etsy and there are some shop owners who are great about mixing different collections. I recommend Westwood Acres, Stash Modern Fabric, Fabric Shoppe, and Fresh Modern Fabric. A fat eighth or fat quarter bundle is plenty of fabric for any quilting project, but if you are buying basics like stripes, polka dots, or solids that you can use in multiple projects then 1 yard or half yard bundles are the way to go.

YARDAGE 

I used to buy a ton of yardage. I would cruise those sale bins on my favorite Etsy shops and just rack up. But the problem is that online shops typically sell their sale items in one yard cuts, which is way too much for quilting, Unless we are talking one of the three Bs (background, backings, and bindings), half yard pieces are the biggest size you should buy. I would even go so far to say stick to fat quarters.

When it comes to the three Bs, you will need yardage and sometimes lots of it. Look for versatile prints like polka dots and stripes, small scale prints and dark neutrals like navy and gray. All of these are good choices for the three Bs. Here are some guidelines for buying yardage:

All of these estimates are based on standard 45″ wide quilting fabric, but if you’re making Queen or King size quilts USE WIDE QUILT BACKINGS. They make 108″ wide fabric just for this purpose.

WHAT MAKES A  COMPLETE STASH

I’ve given you a few tips on where and how much to buy, and now let’s talk about what to buy. If you have no stash at all, this should get you on the right track for building one.

Color. I like to have the full ROY G BIV rainbow array. My challenge colors are yellow (because there don’t seem to be that many nice yellows out there) and purple (because it’s my least favorite color). I especially try to look for yellow when I’m shopping, but purple can suck it because I’m not going to make a quilt with a color I don’t like. Again, this goes back to buying what you love. If you only love warm colors, just build your stash on those. The only color I think you must buy is white because nothing pops like colorful blocks on a field of white. There are other neutrals that you might use, too (gray, brown, navy) but those are taste-specific. Quilts with white backgrounds are universally appealing.

Value.  Value is the relative lightness or darkness of your fabric. Relative to what? Well, to the other fabrics you’re working with. If you read a lot of blogs, you’ve probably been seeing lots of “low volume” quilts/fabric stacks. What they’re really referring to is the value of the fabrics. Here are two rainbow bundles I pulled from my stash:

It’s pretty easy to see the value difference between the two. The balance of light and dark is what gives your quilt interest or allows you to add depth. Most patterns and most quilting teachers will tell you to select a balance of light and dark fabrics, but low-value quilts can be incredibly beautiful, too. Be sure to add a wide range of values to your stash.

Scale. This refers to the size of the print on your fabric. When buying quilting fabric, it’s a pretty safe bet that the prints will be appropriately size for quilting. Scale is something you will have to consider when you are actually selecting prints for a project, but for stash-building, go crazy.

Themes.  There are lots of different categories for the prints on quilting fabrics. At the most basic level, you have reproduction prints and contemporary prints. Reproductions are referred to by era (Civil War or 1930s, but people who are really into those fabrics break it down even further). Other themes are geometric, stripes, florals, shirtings (very small scale prints), calicoes, text, polka dots, and novelty/conversational prints. A wide variety of themes will make for an interesting stash so be open-minded. At the same time, though, be balanced in your choices. Don’t always go for the bold print because that bright floral will lose its boldness next to ten other bright florals. And don’t forget about solids! Every stash needs a good selection of solids.

TIPS FOR STORAGE AND ORGANIZATION

For me, being able to fondle and gaze at my fabric stash is a big part of the enjoyment factor. It’s important to me to have a pretty space to sew in, and fabric is the perfect decorative item. Keeping that in mind, most of my organizing tips are also display-friendly.

Wall storage units like this vintage shelf are  perfect in a sewing room:

You can see what you have and it’s easy to access it. Use plain jars for storing notions and even smaller pre-cuts. I hide less attractive items in my closet:

I love ArtBin containers for storage. The slim ones are good for my in-progress projects because they’re large enough to fit finished blocks as well as fabric and patterns (or even a book with your pattern). I use deeper ArtBin containers for storing some of my scraps (I have a scrap storage system that I’ll cover in a later post).

Slim ArtBin Container

Deep ArtBin Container

My favorite storage solution is this CD shelf from Pottery Barn:

If you fold fat quarters just the right way, they fit perfectly into CD-sized containers so search your house for those or your favorite organization store.

I used to store my fat quarters in CD bins from Target but I didn’t like not being able to see them. These were a good solution. though, and may work for you if you have deep shelves.

I hope you’ve gotten some good information from this lesson. I could talk about fabric and organization all day. I love both!

See you on Thursday for Lesson 6 – Learn to Quilt: Scrap Management.

This  post is part of my Learn to Quilt series. You can find all related posts {here}.

Quilting can be an incredibly expensive hobby. A mid-range sewing machine easily runs $1500 and top-of-the-line ones go for closer to $5000 (or higher!). Notions and tools can take a huge chunk out of your disposable income. And let’s not even get into fabric! That’s the worst part. But there are ways to quilt on a budget so don’t be discouraged if you want to quilt but don’t have lots of cash to spend.

BUY VINTAGE

You can get a deal on a used or even vintage sewing machine. Older machines work just as well as new ones without some of the bells and whistles (which are like leather, a sunroof, and butt warmers in a car. Nice but not necessary). I would actually recommend buying an older machine rather than a cheap new one. Trust me. I wore out a cheap new  machine in a few months after I started quilting. You can find an older solid metal machine (perhaps even built into a cute table!) for around $100-$150 (I’ve seen them for as low as $25 at the thrift store). You will easily spend $100 on a brand-new low-end machine that is lower quality. It’s like with furniture – unless you are going above the mid-range in pricing, you are better off buying vintage. When Grandpa says they just don’t make things like they used to, he is so so right.

Vintage stores and thrift shops can also be a good resource for fabric. Vintage sheet quilts are very popular right now and you can find the sheets everywhere for just a few dollars each.  If you live somewhere devoid of thrift shops, look for vintage textiles on Etsy. They are always lower priced than new quilting cottons.

My Vintage Sheet Quilt

SHOP THE SALES

This is an obvious way to save money in any kind of shopping you do. Stalk your favorite shops for sales. Sign up on their email lists so you know when the sale is happening. This goes for your notions, tools, and batting, too!

PLAN AHEAD

Use patterns that give you specific fabric requirements so that you can shop sales and use coupons where you can. If you like to create your own designs, plan ahead so you know what you will need. It’s like making a list before going grocery shopping – you’re definitely going to spend less money that way.

USE YOUR STASH

You may already have some fabric on hand. Take an honest assessment of your current stash and use what you have. Anything looks good if you cut it up into small enough pieces. You can even experiment with dyeing or bleaching your fabric.

DON’T READ BLOGS

Blogs are a fun and inspirational part of the online quilting community, but if you are on a budget or a fabric diet, stay away. There’s a lot of temptation out there.

ONE AT A TIME

Working on one project at a time is an easy way to save money. Put your focus and resources (cash and time) into that one project. Even if you only make one quilt a year, you are still a quilter!

CHARITY QUILTS

If you want to quilt and are not concerned about keeping the projects, join the charity committee of your local guild. The fabric is provided via donations and you are often given a pattern. The quilts go to a good cause and it allows you to quilt and hone your skills without spending any money.

RECYCLE

Instead of taking your old clothes to the thrift shop to donate, why not cut them up for quilts? Every single quilt my grandmother made was from old clothing that the family had worn out. Stick with cotton (avoid blends with stretchy things like lycra and spandex) and even old t-shirts can be used to make quilt with interfacing.

ESSENTIAL TOOLS

We talked about quilting tools in Lesson 3, but which ones are essential? These are the necessities to get started quilting. You probably already have several of these items.

• Sewing machine
• 18″x24″ cutting mat – buy the biggest mat you can afford. An 18×24 inch mat is a good medium sized mat.
• 45 mm rotary cutter
• 1/4 inch piecing foot
• 6×24 inch ruler (a very versatile size)
• 12 1/2 inch square ruler
• Fabric
• Quality cotton thread
• Machine needles
• Pins (I’m partial to Clover Fork Pins)
• Small scissors or thread snips
• Iron

See you next Monday for Lesson 5 – Learn to Quilt: Building a Fabric Stash.

This  post is part of my Learn to Quilt series. You can find all related posts {here}.

If you’ve ever been inside a quilt shop, you will see that there are endless supplies, notions, and tools used for quilting. Fabric is just the tip of the iceberg.

Sewing Machine. The most important thing to look for in a sewing machine is one that works well and almost any machine will do as long as you take care of it.  Sewing machines are classified as mechanical, computerized, or electronic. Mechanical sewing machines have basic functionality all controlled by simple push buttons. Computerized machines have an electronic interface and may be able to hook up to a computer for embroidery. I am not a fan of electronic machines where all of the sewing functions are controlled through a touch-screen interface. I find them slow to operate (scrolling through screens) and the electronics will go bad long before the mechanical parts do. My Bernina is computerized and I LOVE IT, but I would like to have a mechanical machine as a back up or for other tasks like quilting (Jukis are a good option for this).

Sewing Machine Feet. Your machine will come with basic feet. You will also need a 1/4″ foot, a walking foot (for quilting but also useful for sewing heavy home dec items, and a darning foot  (used for free-motion quilting). There are several varieties of darning feet so ask for a demo if you can so you can choose the appropriate one for your uses.

Sewing Table. If you don’t have a dedicated sewing room, this may be your dining room table. If you have a space dedicated to sewing, go for a drop-in table where the sewing surface of your machine is even with the table surface.  Sewing tables can be shockingly expensive but there are some DIYs on the web that will show you how to make your own. I don’t have a drop-in table and that is a must for me in my next sewing space.

Sewing Chair.  Look for something comfy like an office chair. There are some cute ones on the market with built-in storage or you could find a vintage one to make over. I like one with wheels for piecing but I switch to a stationary chair when quilting because I find I can’t get the right leverage when I’m working on a big quilt.

Rotary Cutter. Start with your basic 45 mm rotary cutter. It’s a useful size for lots of applications. I use my 60 mm cutter most often, though, just because I like the larger cutting surface. It seems faster and more accurate to cut with a bigger blade. A 28 mm rotary cutter is useful for small blocks or for use with curved templates.

Cutting Mat. Get the biggest mat that you can (budget-wise and space-wise).  18×24 is the smallest that you should go for everyday use. Anything smaller and you better be making quilts with tiny blocks! (The typical quilt block is 12.5 inches for reference). You need a mat made for use with rotary cutters so buy one from the quilting section at your store (online or brick and mortar). I’ve used an Olfa mat for ages and they are fine, but when my large one is worn out, I’m going to replace it with an Elan Miracle Mat. I use a 24×36 mat for everyday use in my sewing room and I have a couple of smaller mats for retreats/classes.

Pins. They make special pins for quilting that are very fine and have glass heads. They even make cute ones with buttons and flowers as the pin heads. But I think all you really need are Clover Fork Pins. These are unmatched in awesomeness for matching points on your blocks and your quilt top.

Here is  a stack of 4-patch blocks that I pinned using the Clover Fork Pins:

Iron. I have two irons that I use regularly and neither one is expensive. There are a couple of brands that you’ll read about on quilting blogs (Oliso and Rowenta) and they are both big bucks. I use an el cheapo Toastmaster iron that was $6.99 at Target (they don’t seem to have any quite that cheap anymore). I love it because it gets super hot and never shuts off. I also use a Black & Decker Classic Iron. This one frustrated me for a long time because the ridges on the sole plate tend to get stuck on fabric edges and make wrinkles, but I love the weight of it for pressing a block or finished quilt top.

Fabric. We’ll talk a lot about fabric in Lesson 5 so just know that you need it…and lots of it.

Batting. Batting is the stuff that goes between the quilt backing and quilt top. There are endless varieties and my brand of choice is the one I can purchase economically in bulk. I buy Warm & White Cotton Batting in a queen-size roll from JoAnn. I use a 40% or 50% off coupon and wait until they have free shipping over $200. My first roll made about 20 quilts, and I’m four or five quilts into my second roll. If you can’t store that much or don’t want to spend so much upfront, buy it by the yard at a big box store like JoAnn with a coupon. Get your specialty kind (fusible, wool, etc) at a quilt shop.

Templates and Rulers. There are so many special rulers for quilting on the market that it can be overwhelming. I’m going to list the ones that I find essential:

• Squares in various sizes (4.5″, 6.5″, 9.5″, 12.5″),
• 6″x24″ is the ruler I use most
• June Tailor Simple Circles Rotary Cutting Rulers
• June Tailor Shape Cut Pro Ruler (so fast for cutting strips!)

There are many different brands of quilting rulers for your basic ones (the squares and a 6×24)…Test them out before you buy. You may not be able to actually use them to cut in the store, but hold some fabric underneath the ruler and see how easy it is the see the edge of the fabric. You should also check for “grippy-ness.” Some quilting rulers are made with sandpaper-like gripping points on the back to help keep the ruler in place while you cut.

Cutting Table. This should be at least as big as your cutting mat, but larger is even better. I use a Martha Stewart cutting table with lots of storage and I love it.

Other useful sewing items:

• a bin or basket to set next to your machine for pins, scissors, etc.
• small, sharp snips to have near your while piecing
• a small bin on your cutting table for fabric scraps (the really small ones that will end up in the garbage)

What are your sewing must-haves? Let us know in the comments!

See you on Thursday for Lesson 4 – Learn to Quilt: Quilting on a Budget.