Today we're going to discuss quilting tips and techniques as we prepare to sew our blocks. Next Friday will be our first quilt block tutorial designed by Sherri of A Quilting Life. Sherri is such a talented and experienced quilter - I can't wait to see what she has up her sleeve!
· A SCANT ¼” seam allowance is best. Measure your seam allowance with your ruler. Your seam should fall just inside the ¼” line of your ruler. This will help so much with accuracy with creating your quilt blocks. Your piecing will just fit together better. Many machines have a ¼” presser foot available. I just adjust my needle to the right one notch and it’s perfect with my regular foot. Go here for more details on and pictures of a Scant ¼”. I can't emphasize this one enough - especially as we plan to make quilt blocks for this quilt along.
· Pinning can help a lot with keeping your pieces matched up accurately. I'm a rebel and often sew right over the pins (because I like to live on the edge). Clover makes really thin pins for quilt makers that are a dream. Invest in good pins - long with easily grip-able knobs at the top are the best. (Also, they're easier to find when your drop them on the floor.)
Squaring up your quilt blocks means to measure and trim them so that they measure accurately and are all the same size. I get it - squaring-up can be tedious work- but it makes a HUGE difference in keeping things accurate and square. I like to piece my block portions like flying geese, half-square triangles, etc slightly large just so I have the room to square them up with nice, straight edges.
Just make sure that you square up evenly on all sides. Those square rulers with the diagonal line are a big help for squaring up because you can use that line to find the diagonal center of the unit and keep the block from getting trimmed in-accurately.
For squaring up something with a point, like this flying-geese block, make sure you leave a ¼" seam allowance at the tip of the point. A Pineapple or Flying-geese ruler like this one will have a guide to help you maintain that ¼" at the point. Also note how I squared up evenly on all four sides so that the point remained centered.
Quilting theory according to Amy Smart
It's not a race or a competition and there is no Quilting Gestapo that are going to come check every seam allowance or measure every quilt block or make sure you've followed the pattern perfectly. I've learned not to fret too much if a few star points get lost along the way while I'm doing something creative. Then again, I don't usually enter any of my quilts in the State Fair - for the most part they're for me or for friends and family who generally don't quilt.
For me quilting is about playing with color and design and a creative outlet. Your purpose might be different than mine - just do what makes it a fun, creative experience for you. Play with different colors, don't be afraid to stretch yourself a little, but make sure it's still something you are enjoying along the way.
A little business:
I have set up a Virtual Quilting Bee Flickr group. There's not much to see right now, but as we start having blocks to share, please feel free to upload your creations. One of my favorite parts of going to a quilting class is to see the variety of fabric choices people bring to the same project. It's so inspiring! This Flickr group will be like our 'classroom design wall'.
Thanks so much for participating. I really want this group to be as helpful as possible! Feel free to leave tips or links to other quilting techniques in the comments below. Also, if you have questions, I will leave my responses in the comments as well.
Lynn
Yay! I can't wait for next Friday! Today's info. Was very helpful!
Marion McClellan
That was an AWESOME post! Very thorough 🙂 You ROCK!!!
familyhammond
Amy, thank you so much for all the information that you provide. I cant wait to start this next friday! Because this will be my first quilt Im expecting lots of mistakes but I'm so encouraged after your "pep talk" about having fun and not putting too much pressure on ourselves. Thank you 🙂 Have a great weekend!!!
Jessica Pyykkonen
Thank you for the tutorial! I posted a link to it on my little blog that I am starting (https://iloveyoubushelandapeck.blogspot.com/)for my friends that keep asking me to teach them to quilt. I don't really see myself as a "quilter" as I am still learning so I don't really feel qualified to teach others. This tutorial is perfect for all of my friends that keep asking me the
amy smart
That is so great! Thanks for sharing it Jessica - and how awesome to have friends that want to learn to quilt!
Julie C.
Your blog is such a great resource for new quilters (and old ones like me!). I will be sharing this with my beginning quilt students. Thanks for putting all of this information together - I know it's a lot of work. Also, I think the reason you "set the seam" is to sink the stitches into the fabric and flatten and/or even out the seam itself. Especially helpful if you have any
Ashley J @ MommyByDayCrafterByNight
You are so talented Amy!! I can't wait to get started!!
Shan
Thanks for your experience and gift of teaching.
Kath
Fantastic post and such great information. One talented woman aren't you Amy. Love it!! Have you ever thought of putting your tutorial into book or printable form for easy reference? They are great for the beginner - like me. I have just started the Tripping Around the World using Sherri's tutorial. It works really well, although I have only made one block!!!
CathyK
Amy, I am so excited for this Virtual Quilting Bee! Thank you so much for putting this on. May I ask a question? I have been quilting for about a year and a half and I still have a terrible time with Flying Geese and Half Square Triangles. I was very interested in your flying geese picture above and the two rulers you wrote about. Is there any chance you will be "demonstrating" those?
amy smart
Cathy,<br /><br />Great question. I don't know yet what the 16 blocks will look like, but I think that is a great idea for a post. I'll try to do one along the way somewhere about Flying Geese and Half Square Triangles - those are such useful basics.
Katarina
Thank you so much for a great post!
Sarah
You spoke my reasons for why i quilt too. I love playing with fabric, arranging colours and seeing how small beautiful parts make up a large beautiful thing. And, everyone needs a hobby, I agree.
Sharon Dawn
These have been great posts! Thanks for the information!!
Trudie
Thanks for these posts. I have forwarded to a couple friends that are thinking of trying their hand at quilting. Wish I had seen these when I started.
2ne
Nice tips to show 🙂
Shirley
What a great post thank you for taking the time to write it.
the yellowhouse gardener
Your tutorial is very nice and informative, however the title is grossly misleading. This is piecework not quilting. I have been sewing for over 20 years and quilting for 5. Piecework instructions are everywhere and almost always mislabeled. I still struggle with quilting because there are so few resources properly labeled. The books almost always say something along the lines of quilt as
amy smart
Thanks. Good point - I had that same thought as I was writing the post and forgot to edit before I went out of town with my family. I've since changed the post title to be "quilt-making techniques" because you're right: quilting and piecing are two very different skills. And we're definitely talking more about piecing at this point. I have a couple of posts about the actual
Lisa in Port Hope
thank you for sharing your philosophy, it's exactly how I feel. Right now my first sampler quilt is spread out in the living room and loaded with toys--it's a train. And that seems exactly right to me. My quilts are for living with. I did a fabric pull and am looking forward to the first block.
Gerda
I love the idea of a virtual quilting bee and the posibility to learn from others without losing a lot of money on lessons (money I rather spend on fabric!!). I also like the possibility to learn from people on the other side of the globe!!! Although I've been quilting for a little over 5 years, I try to learn every day (or week. And maybe others will learn from me, who knows!!<br />I've
Aline
I quilt for a while now (like 7 years) but this post was so simple and full of good and useful information that i kept reading and enjoying it! I cannot wait to read more of what you have to teach! Thank you for writing it and as you said, you need to have fun when you are making your projects, that's what quilt is about (for me anyways)! Greeting from Brazil, Aline
amy smart
Thanks so much for all of the sweet comments everyone! I'm glad this series has been helpful or motivational in someway. I'm excited to see the blocks that we make next!
Lorraine
Hi, just found this site, and it's wonderful! I'm fairly new at this wonderful craft, and have been doing different things to find my niche, wall hangings, totes, small baby quilts, and now I'm on my second rag quilt. The first was small, all flannel, but my present project (biggest one so far!) is a queen size jean/flannel rag... oh my gosh... lots of pieces to keep track of!
'US'
Thanks so much! I hope to participate as I am new at trying out quilting! I hope I develop some skills as the week go on. <br />Thanks for all the detailed post on supplies, cutting, fabric selection, ect. that you posted. I also loved that you mentioned for us to feel welcome to use what fabric we have! 🙂 I just purchased tons of fabric from a quilt store that went out of business, so now I
Silvia Helena
Gostei muito desta aula. " Sim , foi uma aula realmente." Agora já me sinto muito mais segura para prosseguir com meus projetos ( ainda são muito simples) .Acho que estou no caminho certo.<br />Muito obrigada por sua generosidade em compartilhar tudo isso.