What is a Hanging Sleeve? A hanging sleeve is a tube of fabric sewn to the back of your quilt at the top. To hang a quilt with a sleeve, just slide a rod of some sort through the tube. This is the method that quilt shows use when hanging quilts, but you can do…
Do you have a drawer full of memories in the form of T-shirts? Why not get them out of your drawer and onto your bed in the form of a quilt? Make a T-Shirt Quilt! It’s easier than you think. Start by evaluating your T-shirts. Are they all the same size or color? Do they…
Once you have made your quilt top, how do you finish it? Rather than the time-consuming method of sewing the three layers of your quilt sandwich together with quilting stitches, tying quilts is a fast and easy way of finishing your quilt which gives you a give you a softer and puffier feel. In some…
How to piece a quilt or block on-point A quilt that is set on point is almost always more interesting than one done with a straight-set. But it can be tricky to piece. Although you are working in rows, each row has a triangle at both ends so you can piece the rows diagonally as…
Machine quilting your top is a time-honored tradition that goes back to the days of the treadle. Sewing machines were expensive – if you had one, you made sure to show it off. You might handpiece the quilt top since the stitches didn’t show, but machine-quilt the top where the stitches DID show. Today we…
A quillow is a quilt with a reversible pocket strategically sewn on the quilt so it can be folded up to fit inside the pocket, making a pillow. These are the perfect sleepover accessory for kids to take with them or a nice item to keep in the car on long trips. Great for a…
Mmmm, warm cuddly fleece. Is there anything better to keep the chill air at bay on a cold autumn afternoon? Fleece fabrics are generally made of polyester or acrylic fibers which are inherently water-resistant. These fleece fabrics are knitted, then brushed, to create a warm cuddly surface. The fibers are compacted during the brushing process,…
Great for foundation piecing, template piecing, appliques, photos-on-fabric, stenciling and more. Freezer paper is that wonderful stuff you can find in your grocer’s storage aisle along with plastic bags and foil wrap. One side is paper and the other has a light coating of plastic which melts like wax when you iron it. To adhere it…
Part TwoPart One is here Adding a straight or a pieced border To make sure your quilt lies flat, you must measure your border strips before sewing them on the sides of your quilt top. Don’t just sew on a border and cut it off when you get to the end. That is a recipe…
How to Learn to Paper Piece without Tearing Out Your Hair Foundation piecing is the technique of sewing fabric to a foundation in order to achieve very precise results. The foundation can be fabric and left in place, or it can be paper to be removed later. Paper pieced patterns are usually small and give…
