LGJARN52

I would think that everyone has tips from other quilters, famous or not, that they use. The two best that I was thinking about in the quilting room today are: Using exercise weights to hold your cutting rulers from slipping and making miscuts....thank you Donna Jordan! My second is: and I have no idea who the original genius was that thought of using pool noodles to roll your individual quilting pieces on for sandwiching and then basting. My lower back and knees owes that woman a giant hug!

sschick

This is not necessarily a quilting tip, but something I use all the time. I sew on vintage/antique sewing machines so there is no automatic threader. I was watching a tip and tricks video about vintage machines and this was IMO the best tip. To make it easier to thread the eye of the needle, cut the end of the thread at an angle. It works most of the time and I also use it for threading hand needles.

Shari

whitetiger

Sometimes my auto needle threader doesn't work and I have to thread it by hand. I learned somewhere once that if I put a white piece of paper behind the needle I can see the needle eye better and is easier to thread.

bearisgray

I stiffen the thread end with Fray Check to assist with the needle threading process.
just need to give the thread a few moments to dry. And put a paper or something under the thread to keep the Fray Check off other surfaces.

I just spent many minutes a day or two ago fighting with a limp thread that did not want to go through the eye of the needle. And thus needle had an eye bug enough to walk a camel through. It would have been way too easy to look for the Fray Check then - assuming I could have found it.

Iceblossom

Learn to cut using your rulers, not the lines on your mats. One of the first things I do with new quilters I am mentoring is turn the mat over to the blank side (most have a blank side...)

bearisgray

Before putting a project away/aside - make sure one has "everything" together - and include machine used and settings - pattern or sketch of what one had in mind - then bundle it in a zip lock bag or clear container. Or a clearly labeled opaque container.

Onebyone

To stop a seam from veering off at the end, place left index finger along the left side of the pressure foot when you get close to the end. The seam will not veer off. When hand sewing put your thumbnail , with a little pressure, on the knot of the thread tail and then pull the thread, the knot will pop right into the fabric. Saves me lots of time when hand sewing binding. Auto hides the knots.

Synnove

When making sashing with a bias tape maker, for example for quilt as you go, before putting your fabric strip through the sashing tool cut the strip just slightly less than the required width. For example, if you're using a bias tape maker to produce a 1 inch sashing, the instructions will tell you to cut a fabric strip 2 inches wide. Instead, cut it a scant 1/8 inch narrower. It will fit into the bias tool much easier and will flow through it better.

quiltingcotton

I've been having issues with my older acrylic rulers getting brittle and chipping if hit wrong with the rotary cutter or just slightly moving it against another acrylic ruler or dropping it ever so slightly. You can only work with so many chips, the chipped spot catching, or being sharp, or changing the cutting edge. Plus it is easier for the rotary cutter to ride up over the chipped area toward fingers.

As an added note in case anyone is wondering about how do I measure/how much to cut with the straight rulers, I have really good cutting mats across my cutting station/table with 1/2 measurements blocks, and smaller scoring marks. My mats were a little pricy, but well worth it as they are extremely accurate with the measurement lines on them.

So my tip is:
With my squaring off rulers, and straight rulers, once I get an acrylic one that is no longer usable, I replace it with an aluminum or stainless steel ruler. I have gotten multiple lengths of the straight edge aluminum/stainless steel rulers as well. It's nice that they have hanging holes in them. I just pull the size off the hook that I need.

The framing and carpenter squares work great for squaring off two sides of a block and then turning the block to do the other two sides.

I even use the aluminum triangles now as well. I also was able to get aluminum centering rulers. (0 in the center with measuring marks going off of both the left and right sides. Nice for centering designs.

Honestly, if I had known what I know now, I would have started off with the metal rulers. A whole lot cheaper too in the long run. My rotary cutter also works great with them, with no worries of it riding up over a chipped acrylic edge anymore!

Just a note: that if you go this way (metal rulers), that you watch that the one you buy don't have sharp edges. Just make sure you buy good brands of woodworking/carpenter rulers, so the edges of the rulers aren't razor sharp. Just read the reviews and stay away from those brands that reviewers say have sharp edges.

aashley333

• Leaders/enders-My studio is messy enough without bits of thread everywhere!
• Fabric-Wash as soon as it arrives. Then I know it is ready to use. Also helps to limit order amount.
• Make sure you have enough background fabric before you begin. Ask me how I learned this!
• When fabric shopping online-I fill my cart to the brim, and then I eliminate choices that I can live without!
• Music helps your rhythm when ironing.