Getting Bulk Out of Those Pinwheels

A Piecing Tip for my Lovable Quilting Friends:

One of the things that I deal with often is bulky seams (to the point where I sometimes break a needle during the quilting!), and one of the culprits are pinwheels. The reason for this is the centers all come together at the middle of the wheel, and this can create a very bulky center. This is the technique I use to eliminate that bulk so that the completed block will look more professional, and definitely less lumpy! I use this technique on other blocks also, like stack and whack, where the centers come together in such a way that there is a big clump of fabric on the back, which can show up as a pucker on the front.

Press the seams  towards
the dark.

For a pinwheel block, the first thing we usually make is 4 half square triangle blocks - make sure that you press your seams in the same direction on all four - I usually press towards the dark fabric.

Lay out the 4 triangle blocks in
a pinwheel pattern.

Once we have four of these, we arrange them in a pinwheel shape and then sew two sets of the squares together.

Again, press the seams towards
to dark.

Once the two sets are sewn, it is important to press the seams again. I continue to press them towards the dark. This will allow me to "nitch" the seams together when they are sewn, with the seams pressed opposite each other. ("Nitch" is basically is placing the two sets right sides together such that the seams fit together perfectly when the seams are pressed opposite each other. You can feel with your fingers when there is a gap, or if there is overlapping of the seams. If either of these is the case, you are not properly "nitched", and your seams will not line up after sewing.)

Snipping seam at center.

The next step is to sew these two pieces together, making sure the seams nitch together. This will ensure that the seams of your completed block will line up perfectly in a pinwheel shape. Once these are sewn, flip your block to the back side. You will need to snip right along the center seams, close to the sewn line. Flip your block to the other side and repeat for the seam on that side.

Press one side up, and
the other side down.

Now press one side of the seam up and the other side down, ignoring the center area.


You're almost done! Open up the center area, fanning it out so it looks like a checkerboard, and press it open.

Center of block pressed into
a checkerboard pattern.

Finished pinwheel.

Now flip it over and iron it - you should have a nice pinwheel without that huge lump in the center. It's time to admire your beautiful workmanship!




I hope you found this technique helpful. One of my goals is to help you be as professional looking as possible, and always proud of your finished work!

This week's verse:
"Remember the former things long past, for I am God and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying 'My purpose will be established and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.' " (Is. 46: 9-10)

May your Easter be blessed from above, and may you recognize all He has done in His love for you!

Until next time, happy quilting!
Cathy

Binding Tips and Tricks

Quilting friends,
I meet with the most wonderful small group of quilters (we call ourselves Women of the Cloth) and I am always delighted to see how much everyone helps and encourages each other. If you do not belong to a group, I would highly recommend you find one. I always look forward to our meetings and having some quilting time with my friends. I have also learned so many things from them!

Just a few weeks ago, we were discussing binding issues, so I brought in some quilted samples and fabric strips, and we all enjoyed a demo from each other on our different binding techniques. In this blog, I have tried to summarize what I learned from these wonderful fellow quilters.

 The below techniques assume you already know the basics of binding - there are videos on YouTube by several instructors on how to do this. It would probably be very confusing to try to follow what I am telling you here without understanding basic binding application techniques.

I have struggled off and on trying to make sure those bindings are filled and corners great, and have occasionally wondered why my corners look at bit funky. After trying the tips I learned from my group, I am now delighted to have perfect corner miters - and no empty bindings! Think of these tips as extra information that you can decide whether or not would work for you.


The orange pin is the start point.
Proceed to wrap the binding around,
folding the corners properly
and pinning into place until
you can see where the binding
 seams will end up.

A thank you to Donna Findley who embroidered
this cute baby quilt and has allowed me
to use it for this demonstration.

1) It really is irritating to me to have my binding seams end up at the corner, but if you do a quick check by putting a pin in your quilt where you intend to start, leaving your tail above (typically 8 to 10"), then wrapping your binding around the quilt, you can determine roughly where your seams are going to end up and make adjustments at the start point if necessary.



Some tools you may have to
mark your corner.

I use my right triangle,
lining it up with the edge of my quilt,
and mark with tailor's chalk.

2) Begin sewing your binding at your start point. As you approach the corner, take whatever you may have available to mark a 45 degree angle into your corner, a little over a 1/4". When you have sewn to the chalk mark, that is your stopping point. Pivot the quilt, and sew directly out to the corner on the marked chalk line. This will help you to obtain the crisp corner miter.

Binding folded to seam line, using a
gauge to measure the width.

3) Pull your quilt slightly away from the needle. Now fold your binding up to the sewing line. You can either eyeball this, or measure it to determine the width of the folded binding. This dimension will vary according your binding width and other minor variables.

This is the dimension you will want to use when you fold your binding up at the corner. Measure from the seam line to the edge of the fold - this is one of those little secrets to obtaining a good miter.


4) Continue sewing all the way around your quilt, stopping at least 12" from your start point, and leaving an 8 to 10" tail.

Now, I learned that there is a new gadget out there - The Binding Tool - you can put this into your search engine to find one, and there is also a demo of how to use it on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex2PajesRvU

The directions for using it are printed right on the ruler - pretty handy! It makes the finishing up a piece of cake once you get the hang of it - but if you do not have one of these, here is a good method to use:

a) open up the end of the finishing tail (or use a piece of fabric the same dimension as the width of your binding - sometimes I will snip off the end of my tail if I have enough left over and use it.) Lay it across the top of the starting tail, right where the tail begins. The starting tail will be underneath, and lined up to the right edge.



b) bring your ending binding over and lay it across the top of the open piece. (This will also be over the top of the starting tail of the binding.) Now you have the dimension you will need to finish - snip off the excess tail of the end binding at the left side of the open fabric, being very careful to cut only the top piece of binding.

c) Open each of the tail ends and carefully lay them at a right angle to each other, matching up the top and sides. Draw a diagonal sewing line across and pin. Check to make sure you do not have the binding twisted in the wrong direction before you sew on the chalk line. Sew across the diagonal chalk line.

d) Before you trim the seam, check once more to insure you have not twisted the binding wrong. Trim ~1/4", and iron or finger press the seam open. Pin the remaining binding into place before sewing so as to avoid any stretching. Finish sewing it to the quilt.

5) Now to finish up, fold a section of binding over to the back side and finger press into place. Unfold and measure from the crease to the seam line. This is the dimension you will want to trim your batting and backing to, (with maybe just a smidge more - a little extra will just mean it will be folded under, but you will not have any empty binding!)


6) Trim out your corners and iron your binding up, paying attention to the miters. Sew the binding to the back of the quilt with whatever method you choose, making sure the back corner fold is on the opposite direction from the front corner fold. Your corners should have a nice miter and line up perfectly with your sewing line on the back of the quilt.

mitered corner at front of quilt

mitered corner at back of quilt

I hope this was not too confusing and that you did get a few tips that you can use. And, to each member of my quilting group, I am so thankful for you!


Until next time, Happy Quilting!
Cathy












Batting for Children's Quilts

When we think of batting, we think about things like dimension (loft, thick or thin), cost, warmth, etc. I keep quilted samples of the batting I carry on hand so my clients can determine the look they might like best. However, there is another vital thing we need to consider for use in baby, children, and invalid quilts.

When I am given a cute baby top for quilting, my first question is always "what are you considering using for batting in this quilt?" Years ago, I had a co-worker whose daughter was badly burned by sleeping too close to the fire with a non-fire retardant blanket. This memory is one reason I am biased as to what type of batting goes into a child's quilt. (I do tend to make very strong recommendations.) Children tend to drag their quilts around for years, and that favorite "banky"
being drug around is more likely to find a flame to ignite it.

You may not be aware that the worst batting you could use for a child's quilt, or an invalid's quilt for that matter, is polyester or a polyester blend. Put a match to either of these, and they will burn very quickly and melt. The melt is what actually sticks to the skin and causes the most severe burn damage. Children who have suffered from polyester burns go through very painful therapy, including debridement (scrubbing the polyester from the body).

A couple of years ago I found an article by Beth Kurzava in IMQA (International Machine Quilters Association) magazine. The full article can be read at: http://www.imqa.org/media/uploads/2011/11/17/files/BattingArticleFall2011_1.pdf

Beth performed burn tests on several types of batting. In each test, she lit an 8" square of batting, taking photos for 3 seconds. Below are her findings.

Polyester burn - 3 second lapse from start to finish
 

Cotton/poly blend - 3 second lapse from start to finish


I have had some customers who have believed that 100% cotton is the way to go, but Beth's testing shows that this is not the best choice either: (100% cotton burn sample - 3 second lapse from start to finish.)





So, I am sure you want to know what is safe to use. Well, there is 100% cotton, flame retardant batting out there, and the one I carry and recommend for use in children's and invalid's quilts is Dream Angel (by Quilters Dream Batting). The burn sample below is a 100%cotton fire retardant batting, but the manufacturer is unnamed in the article. (These photos also show a 3 second lapse from start to finish.)

 

Below is a photo quilt that I made for my granddaughter Emily - you can bet that I used a flame retardant batting for this quilt. Life is too precious, and she is too cute! (Sorry, but I could not seem to make the program display this one upright.)

 

 

So, next time you consider batting for that special loved one, consider carefully what you choose! In the meantime, Happy Quilting!

Until next time,

Cathy

Photos are courtesy of IMQA Magazine, Fall 2011.
http://www.imqa.org/media/uploads/2011/11/17/files/BattingArticleFall2011_1.pdf

 

Blue Marking Pen

Happy Holidays, all you quilters!

My baby is down and I am waiting for parts (not the best thing to happen at this time of year!) so I thought I would supply you with one of my tips this week. Many of you (mainly you applique-ers)  have asked how I get out those blue marks that are supposed to disappear simply by  wetting the quilt. I have found that water by itself does not always work, so this is what I discovered some time ago - I am not sure where, but I may have found this tip in one of Linda Taylor's books.

To 16 oz. of distilled water, add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. As you can see, I have this solution in a spray bottle to use as needed. I have yet to see this not work. I keep my spray bottle labeled with the formula, since so often my mind takes too long to wind its way around to what I am trying to remember.

Sometimes the marks are close to an area of possible bleeding fabric. (Red and purple are usually the worst, but if you are in doubt, test a sample of the fabric wherever possible by lightly dampening it and then blotting it with a white cloth. If there is any color on the cloth, it WILL bleed.)

 I try not to get to close to these areas with my original marking just to avoid any problems. However, when this is the case, I dampen a sponge with the solution and then  carefully dab at the blue marks. Do not go any closer than necessary to the suspect fabric to avoid any possible bleeding.

I hope this helps out some of you. In the meantime, I will try not to get too frustrated with my backlog while I am waiting for parts, and hope that when they do arrive, my husband and I will be able to get Louise going again!

Happy Quilting!!

Adding Borders

Adding Borders to Your Quilt:

Note: all measurements should be taken from the body of the quilt, away from the edges, near the top, center, and bottom.

1) Whenever possible, cut your borders lengthwise from the fabric instead of widthwise. This will prevent stretching distortion.

2) Determine the length of the quilt by taking a measurement in 3 places and taking the average (add the 3 measurements together and divide by 3.)

3) Cut two borders to the above average dimension. Find the center of the long side of the quilt and the center of each border - pin the border to the quilt at the center and the two ends. Continue pinning, easing in any fullness as necessary to make the quilt and border fit to exactly the same dimensions.

4) Pin, sew, and press.

5) Repeat with the opposite sides of the quilt.

A video you may want to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1CuzT9nMCw

Preparing a Quilt for Machine Quilting

Note: Proper preparation of your quilt top will result in a better finished quilt and can save you money. 

· Remove any selvage edges from your quilt and backing. Selvages are thicker than your fabric and will cause distortion in your quilt.

· Press quilt top well (from the back side of the quilt), making sure all seam are properly pressed.  Proper pressing during quilt construction will make the final pressing simple to do. (Quilt top must be clean, pressed, and threads clipped.)

· Backing seams should be pressed open.

· Batting and backing must be at least 6—8 inches wider and 6—8 inches longer than the quilt top. (This would be 3—4 inches larger than your quilt all the way around.)

· Check for any loose threads or open seams. Trim as many threads as possible from quilt top and back. (Note: dark threads can show through the quilt top in lighter areas. Holding your quilt top up to a light will help you to see these better so they can be trimmed.)

Stay stitch around top and/or backing where there are open seams to prevent the seams from becoming loose while quilting.

· DO NOT baste or pin the quilt layers together—this in not necessary for longarm machine quilting since each layer is loaded separately onto quilt rollers.

· DO NOT add any embellishments to the quilt until after it is quilted.

· If your quilt and/or quilt back is directional, make sure you indicate this by pinning a note to the top of the quilt and/or backing.

· Fold the quilt top carefully.