Up until fifty years ago, the overwhelming majority of women could sew. All the women that I knew as a child sewed and knitted and manufactured some of the clothes for me and my four brothers. When I was eight or nine, I and each other child in my class was taught the fundamentals of knitting and before I went off to college, my mother taught me how to take up my jeans, sew on patches and repair my clothes.

Unfortunately, sewing, knitting and repairing clothes has largely died out in the United Kingdom. I now live in Thailand and I do not see much evidence of sewing or knitting here, so I assume that these arts are dying out all over the world among the masses, although I am sure that there are individuals everywhere who still knit and sew.

It is a crying shame. If you are going to make your own clothes or furnishings like cushions, pillows or soft toys, it is quite essential that you select the correct cloth for the job. Using the wrong cloth will make your task more difficult and might even render your work pointless. So here are a few suggestions on choosing the correct fabric for the job in hand.

The first and most obvious thing to do is read the suggestions on the pattern you are using and if you are a novice take that advice until you know what you are doing. Regrettably, a lot of people do not read the instructions anymore. I can not remember the number of times I have seen someone struggling to assemble something and discovered the directions in the bin with the packaging.

Get to know fabrics by examining the textiles in the shop. Ask questions about textiles and look at the cloth on the bolt or roll. If the cloth does not look right on the bolt it probably will not look correct anywhere else either. When you unroll a few feet of the bolt, does it lie flat or does it roll up or crumple? Grab a handful and squeeze it. Does it crumple easily? Does it feel right?

Is the fabric fraying on the bolt? If so it will fray when you use it too. Look on the bolt for special cleaning or handling directions. Do they suit your needs?

It is quite difficult to work with satin because it slips easily. T-shirt knit is also a problem because it rolls up on itself. It is probably best to avoid these fabrics until you acquire some experience

Cotton is the best fabric for novices because it is easy to work with and everyone is very familiar with cotton goods. We know how they must feel and we can tell good, thick weighty cotton from cheap, thin cotton. We also all know that cotton shrinks. Therefore before you cut you cloth. wash it and cut the shrunken cotton fabric. In effect, you have pre-shrunk it.

If you’ve been involved in a quilting community for some time, you will be acquainted with just how popular roses are for a quilt pattern. If you are not, lets just say : a lot!

With that understatement aside, its straightforward to grasp why a rose quilt design wins the hearts of many keen quilters. Its a really lovely flower, representing a whole range of feelings, depending on the colour.

To the shock and horror of some, there are some flowers aside from roses that really translate well to quilt patterns and in a number of cases, are even better (scandlous, I know)

Daisies

These little lovelies are my first pick when I’m thinking about including any floral elements in a quilt design. Why?

They are so versatile! On one end of the scale, when portrayed with a good level of detail and realism, they’ve a brilliant stylish and untroubled feeling about them. However , if you’d like to go the other way, they’re the perfect flower to turn into a cartoony, fun and happy style of quilt pattern.

Perfect if you’re hoping to make a quilt for a young girl who isn’t into princesses!

Tulips

Yes, the flower than Holland made famous, or vice versa. This flower has been a favorite of artsists for hundreds of years.

Now its your turn to take the tulip from the canvas to your bed spread. These flowers work well with nearly any pattern and look superb to boot.

Chances are, your quilt will also stick out (in a good way) from the usual , rank and file floral designs that other quilters ususally go with.

Lotus Flowers

For those people searching for a flower that has the same dignity and class that roses bring to a design – you can raise the stakes.

A Lotus flower has equally as much, if not more, grace and class as a Rose, except with a good dose of elegence tossed in for free!

So there’s 3 simple and effective flowers to include on your next quilt design, and remember : just because its floral, doesn’t mean it must be a rose!

If you’re into quilting, then you may have a quilt (or several quilts) that you’ll be wanting to keep for as long as possible. To keep them in good shape, there are one or two straightforward things you can do.

While this advice works well for all quilts, it has been written with patchwork quilts in mind.

Washing

Washing could cause a number of issues with quilts, particularly if its a patchwork quilt. The problem is that because these quilts are made from a bunch of different material types, each could have its own instructions for washing.

This implies that different temperatures and styles may cause colors to run, damages to the material or fading.

The one way to wash a quilt that’s safe for every material is a cold water hand wash. All that you generally need is a delicate hand scrub with a half scoop of washing up powder (or half cap of liquid) and then carefully scrub and clean by hand.

If you’ve got any embedded stains, is also ok to soak with an oxidizing agent also. This works on a remarkable number of stains. If you’re ever unsure, check the packaging before soaking.

Storage

When the seasons and temperature changes, chances are your quilt will too. If you’re putting away your patchwork quilt for a while, there’s some straightforward steps you can follow for safe storage.

After you’ve cleaned your quilt, find a space that is out of bright daylight. Exposure to sunlight over time will fade and draw the color out of any quilt, so make sure its in a dark place.

Second, ensure its off the ground. Find a shelf or place higher up to store the quilt. This may keep it relatively dirt and dust free while its being stored.

Finally, do not store it near any heating or cooling units. This could lead to damage and pre-mature wear to portions of the quilt exposed to the temperature changes. Be sure to check that no cooling or heating ducts pass close to the storage area as well.

If you follow these pearls of wisdom, your quilt will last for a number of years to come!

If you’ve put together a few quilts, chances are at least a couple of them have been patchwork quilts. If you’ve got a couple under your belt and have yet to do a patchwork one, now is a great time to start!

To get you going, I’ve listed a few ideas to get you away from being bored by normal patchwork quilt designs.

Hexagons

Get a square, add a couple more sides and you’ve got yourself a hexagon. This is at the top of my list, simply because I mostly have such a lot of fun putting together a hexagon patterned quilt.

After you’ve your pattern worked out, it virtually always stacks and repeats very well and looks superb when you’ve finished. As an added bonus, its always the one people remark on the most when I am showing them my quilts.

Triangles

Everytime I bring up triangles as a patchwork quilt pattern, there’s always some die hard quilters announcing ‘triangles aren’t a genuine patchwork pattern!’. Well I say boo to that. If its a pattern made of recoverd or left over materials its a patchwork quilt pattern.

Let them stick to their conventional and boring squares, I know which quilt patterns are going to get some more interest at the end of the day.

Crosses/Plus Shapes

From a peek, this might appear one of the more complicated patterns to do. Nevertheless don’t be put off from giving it a go, its essentially far simpler than it first seems!

You will have to work around and switch positions of some of the blocks in your pattern, but once you’ve got it worked out, its basically very easy to copy (shhh don’t tell everyone though). I also have a load of fun swapping and experimenting when I am working out the pattern.

So there you go, three different and novel approaches to patchwork quilt patterns. Go ahead and give one of them a go, you’ll be pleased that you did.

Interested in sewing or quilting? Are you considering purchasing a new sewing machine or updating your present stitching machine that you use for your quilting jobs? You wont just be quilting but you do wish to have a machine which does quilting well. There are a bunch of factors to consider when it comes to buying the best sewing machine for quilting, or any sort of sewing task for that matter. The following is a simple guide for getting a new unit which will help you complete your quilting jobs with ease.

One thing that you must definitely be on the lookout for getting a new machine for your quilting jobs is one that has great straight stitch capacities. The straight stitch is a major part of the quilting process, so you will want to make sure that the unit you purchase can handle the job. If you are experienced with quilting you’ll already know how urgent this is.

There are more essentials that you should go looking for when purchasing the best sewing machine for quilting including different hem stitches, different types of feet for different material types, and many others. A good machine is one that can include a number of accessories to handle multiple sorts of sewing tasks and not just quilting.

Needle control is very important during quilting activities thanks to the fact that you'll be doing a lot of starting and stopping in order to piece materials together. You need a machine which will give you the ability to stop, pivot, needle up, and needle down with ease and with no interruption to keep your quilting task moving smoothly.

Motor control is also vital during covering activities and the best sewing machine is one that can give you the ability to alter The speed of the sewing machine on demand. A foot pedal which will give you total command of the velocity of the machine is a total must have. Not only does it permit you to control the rate of the stitching machine, but it also frees up both hands which is crucial in the quilting process. A foot pedal may need to be bought separately, but regardless of whether that is the case you should ensure that a keenly priced foot pedal exists that is compatible with your machine before you purchase the unit.

Purchasing the best sewing machine for quilting can be a hard process, but if you keep these few factors under consideration you will be well on your way to finding the perfect machine for your home quilting needs.

Rolling on with our series on must have quilting tools, we come to

Seam Rippers

If you have ever messed up while quilting (and heaven forbid you do) then you’ll know the true benefit of one of a seam ripper.

These are the easiest and most effective way of undoing any misguided or miscalculated stitching.

But they are not only for mistakes, they also are a fantastic tool for rescuing or recovering any old materials and quilts. They may be used on curtains, other quilts, clothes or any fabric that has stitching that has to be removed!

This is neat if you are collecting fabrics for or working on a patchwork quilt, and is unquestionably a critical tool.

Quilt Markers

When I first took up quilting, I was attempting to find something to mark out some measurements for my quilts. I initially used pencils and made miniscule, light marks on the fabrics (I know, I know, I was new to quilting and did not have resources like the web).

When I found out about quilt markers, well I was over the moon to say the least. No more washing or stressing about whether it might come out at all or if I had pushed too hard.

You can mark out lines or measurements all over your quilt and not need to stress about it! Makes cutting far easier as well.

There is a surprisingly large choice available as well! The basic pens, similar to a mechanical pencil, sometimes use chalk to mark out your lines. However there are other different types of materials, for example ceramic and chalk-hybrid leads for these pens.

The results vary, that leads to quilters disagreeing over which one is best.

There’s one thing they do agree on though, no matter what material they use, they couldn’t measure without quilt markers!

In the subsequent article, we’ll be traveling further into controversial waters with a personal opinion on necessary quilters tools.

If you missed out on our previous article we covered the different types of scissors (and the reason why they are a life saver) and covered the finer points of cutting mats.

Continuing on, we now turn our attention to our next essential quilting tool

Thimbles

Yes, the simple thimble. While its design is simple and most quilters don’t think about it, it does an amazing job.

The reason I know it does a superb job is that I don’t notice all of the little things I usually would without it. No more attempting to separate fabric, worrying about whether I have got a good grip on something or not and even just stopping my fingers getting sore or raw.

The other great advantage they have is saving my fingers from tens (and likely hundreds) of pricks and accidental jabs with pins.

I really couldn’t imagine sewing without one today.

Measuring Devices

There are one or two different sorts of measuring devices that I use for quilting, but lets talk first about the one I use the most commonly.

Since I first started quilting, I’ve had a tape measure. It was one of the first quilting tools I ever owned. It was given to me by my mother when I first took up quilting, she knew that it was one of the most vital tool’s I’d need.

Its easy to grasp why. Like the fabrics I’m measuring, its flexible and can easily measure around corners and bends. It really makes measuring peculiar shapes fast and pain-free.

The other type of measure that’s necessary is a quilting ruler. These are largely massive transparent squares that have pre-measured grids and lines marked on them to help you mark out and decide where your lines or marks should go. This is nice if you are working from a single colour quilt or drawing your own pattern, like a green quilt design.

Once you’ve used one of these, you can never go back. Its just so simple and suitable to use that you could not imagine life without it afterwards!

In the next article, we’ll be wandering into the more controversial and opinion heavy regions of ‘must have ‘ tools.

So be prepared!

For those of you who are new to quilting, you ‘ll find that there are as many ranges of styles and techniques as there are quilters. Everyone has their own methodologies, ideas and habits.

One thing that is almost universal are marking pencils.

So what are marking pencils?

Marking pencils are primarily designed to help quilters mark out and measure fabrics by leaving a mark that’s solid, although not permanent.

You use a marking pencil to mark where you want to cut, stitch or make a note for later on in your project. The idea is that these marks will come out as quickly as the quilt is put in the wash.

Are there different types of pencils?

Yes, there are a considerable number of different types of pencils, made from different corporations. You’ll find that marking pencils come in numerous different shades and colours. This is so that you can choose a color that sticks out on the colour of the fabric it is used. You may also get white pencils also.

As there are such varied range of fabric types that these pencils may be employed on, different pencils may need more pressure applied or repeated applications to make the lines more obvious, for instance, you would wish to use a red or black marking pencil so it stands out on a green quilt design.

There is also a range or pencils that are engineered to be wiped away by hand. These are great if you cannot wash the fabric for any reason.

Any other tips?

If you've never used a marking pencil before or are uncertain whether it will work well with the fabric you want to use it on, make a little mark somewhere discrete on the fabric. Then put it through the wash to establish if it’ll wash out or not.

If it does not wash out or leaves ‘ghost images ‘ then avoid using it on your fabric.

If you have never used a marking pencil before, make sure you pick one up next time you are out shopping. It will make your quilting so much easier!

If you’ve never heard about “Sashiko” before, don’t feel bad, it isn’t the most common of quilt designs out there. While there’s a strong following, not everybody has a Sashiko quilt.

To give you a bit of a background, Sashiko is a style that originated in Japan decades ago when cotton and fabric was still extremely expensive. With Sashiko literally translating into “little stabs” it had been a style that was used to mend tears and worn out bits of cloth and making it look nice, while avoiding having to get new material or make a new quilt.

It can be both a pattern and stiched image and is frequently used for patchwork quilts, which has helped it gather strong support in some quilting circles.

While its historically done by hand, it is wholly feasible to now get specialised Sashiko sewing machines. There’s a fair chance that you may not own or know someone who has one, so it could be better to hire the services of someone that does.

There are a number of patterns available, the majority of which feature a range of japanese flowers. One pattern particularly which is a ‘plum blossom ‘ already looks almost all of the way to a rose and with a little modifying, would make a spectacular rose quilt design.

If you like to begin from the start, you can always use some of the other patterns as a guideline for styles and designs for your rose themed pattern.

If you’re not the sort to stitch by hand, you’ll find that select stores will already offer a variety of Sashiko designs and patterned material, prepared for you to work into a quilt design.

So if you’re searching for an alternative approach to a rose quilt, instead of the same old normal design, look at some Sashiko designs. You could be nicely surprised.

Welcome back to our must have quilting special. In prior articles, we covered the basic tools that without them, it’d be almost impossible to make a quilt.

In this article, we’ll be looking at some items that aren’t ‘critical ‘ to the quilt making process, but without them, it would probably take far longer and be a lot tougher.

Basting Gun

If you have never seen a basting or tacking gun, the easiest way to describe it is as a material stapler that connects material with transparent plastic rather than steel staples.

These staples are built to dissolve in a warm wash. The idea here is that you staple your top cover, batting and bottom cover together with these and then run it through your sewing machine.

Once stitching is complete, you then put the quilt in the wash and the staples come out.

Pins – and a lot of them!

If you don’t use a basting gun, you’re going to require something to hold the quilt together while you stitch it. Here’s where pins come in.

Pins have been utilized for many years as the default option when making a quilt. Many quilters still prefer to use pins over a basting gun as well , as its fast, simple and doesn’t run any risk of damaging a quilt.

Calculator

I’m not good with maths, thats why I will always keep one of those handy. Even for straightforward sums, there are a couple of times I have re-checked on the calculator to make sure my maths was correct.

Its prevented me from a couple of erroneous head calculations and some hugely mis-measured quilts.

Tape Measure

A tape measure is a great way to quickly and accurately make any measures for your quilt. It goes around corners and can wrap to almost any shape to offer you a precise measurement of anything one meter or under.

This comes in especially handy if you are measuring up fabrics for a patchwork quilt.

Its always a welcome addition in my quilting kit.

Well, that wraps up this guide on ‘must have ‘ tools for quilting, hopefully you’ve got some good ideas on what you might need or at a minimum has confirmed that your kit is complete!