7 Secrets to Successful Quilting

Hi everyone:

You've got your pattern, the perfect fabric and you're ready to sit down and start stitching - or are you? There are a few things you can do before you start sewing to ensure you'll have a good result. Before you put the pedal to the metal, review the following 7 tips to successful quilting for a good start!

Clean and oil your machine 

• Yes, this does need to be done every once in awhile. You know all that lint that comes off the fabric as you sew? Well, some of it is stuck under the needle plate (no, that's not a felt pad under there) and around the bobbin area. Yes, it is! I use a small craft paintbrush to clean out under my needle plate and around my bobbin area. 

Brush out the bobbin area with a small paintbrush

I put a few drops of machine oil on my needle bar (and any other areas indicated in my sewing machine manual) and then in the bobbin race. I then run the machine for a minute or sew so without any thread in it to work the oil through. I then wipe off any excess with a cloth. Remember to use sewing machine oil, not a generic oil, which will cause more problems than good. While I'm at it, I might just wipe down the outside body of my machine with a damp cloth or a Swiffer cloth just so it looks nice and shiny before I start. 

A little drop or two of oil in the bobbin area ...

and on the needle bar

Put in a new needle 

• You'd think these things were the most expensive part of quilting, but they're not (you do buy fabric, don't you?)! Needles are cheap and are inserting a new needle with each project is one of the simplest things to do to ensure you're going to have a great sewing experience. If you can't remember the last time you changed your needle, it't time to do it. Make sure you're using the right needle for your project: I usually use an 80/12 Microtex sharp for piecing. Stick that baby in right after you've finished cleaning your machine.

My personal choice for piecing is the 80/12 Microtex Sharp needle

Wind a few bobbins

• I like to use a 50/3 weight cotton thread for piecing in either a cream or light grey, so I'll wind a bobbin or two before I start stitching. If I don't use all of them up for this project, I'll have them ready for the next one. This keeps me from having to stop to wind bobbins partway through my project.

Wind some bobbins before you start piecing

Check your bobbin tension 

• I find that I might need to adjust my bobbin tension, especially if I've been using a different thread in it. Hold the thread tail that comes out of the bobbin and let the bobbin drop down. Does it continue running across your studio floor - a little too loose, so tighten it up. If the bobbin doesn't drop at all, but clings stubbornly to the thread tail, you'll need to loosen it a bit. Ideally, the bobbin will drop a bit each time you jerk up on the thread.

Tighten or loosen the little screw for perfect bobbin tension

Thread your machine

• An obvious one, I know, but still it is required! You've put in a new needle, so now you'll have to re-thread your machine. Make sure you do it correctly. I know you're wondering how you could not thread your machine correctly, well... If you have several machines, it's easy to get confused about the thread path. One of my machines has an extendable thread guide and I've been known to start stitching without running the thread through the guide and without extending it. The imperfect stitching usually twigs me to this problem. Take out your machine manual and find the page that tells you how to thread your machine. Then do it.

Thread your machine properly - check your manual if you are unsure

Read through the pattern

• I know you want to just start stitching, but trust me, you don't want to miss this step. Make sure you have all the fabric that is required and the tools you'll need. Reading the pattern also ensures that you understand the technique(s) that will be used. If this is a new technique for you, maybe you'll want to make a test block or two before you start to ensure you understand the process. 

Read through the pattern before you start sewing

Assemble your materials 

• Much like cooking, you need to have all your ingredients materials with you at your machine before you start. After having read through the pattern (you do remember the previous step, don't you?), you'll now know exactly what you need for this project. If you need to prepare anything before starting, do it now. You might want to pre-wash your fabric before using it in your project. You might even need to buy more fusible web if you're running low on it. Now's the time to address all these issues. Having everything you need assembled before you start will allow you to jump right into that project and just keep stitching - until the chocolate and/or coffee runs out!

Gather your supplies together before you start the project

Have you completed all 7 steps? Then you should be ready to start your project. Oh, wait, there's just one more thing - have fun! 

Email me or leave a comment telling me your secrets to successful quilting. I'd love to hear them.

My Top 5 Favourite Quilting Must Haves

Hi everyone:

Do you have certain items that you must have with you when you begin a project? No, I'm not talking about fabric, thread or a pattern - I assume that you already have these, as well as a rotary cutter, ruler and mat, but other tools and items that help you complete your project successfully. I have certain things I need with me before I start my quilt; items I reach for over and over again. They're not sexy or trendy, but reliable implements that help me create my masterpiece (okay, getting a bit carried away, but I think you get my drift). 

Here are my top five favourite quilting must haves:

Magnetic pincushion 

• I've used different pincushions over the years, but still like a magnetic one. I have two of these (one at each machine - yes, I'm a bit lazy) and love how I can just throw my pins at them and they catch them. This saves me having to look where the pin cushion is before I can stick my pin in it while I'm sewing along. I also like the fact that I can use my pincushion to pick up errant pins from the floor or around my sewing area, should my throw be a little long. It can also double as a paper weight, if so required. Being the OCD person that I am, both of my pincushions are pink.

Photo courtesy of clover-usa.com

Thread snips

• I bought a pair of these at a sewing show a few years back and love them. I used to use small embroidery scissors to clip my threads, but have found that these slightly curved at the tip snips are the best. I just give them a little squeeze and they neatly cut my threads. I can easily slide them under my piece to clip the bobbin threads and they're small enough that I often have them on my machine bed while I'm piecing. They'll also stick to my pin cushion (see #1) if I want them to. And yes, I have two pairs of these.

Bendable Bright Light

• We all have lights on our sewing machines, so why do we always seem to need more illumination? It can't be because we're getting old and our eyesight dim, can it? Well, whatever the reason, I find that having the Bendable Bright Light attached to my machine really helps to lighten up my machine bed. I like how I can adjust it so that the neck of the light is out of the way, but the light is positioned where I need it. The LED's in this light provide bright, white light allowing me to easily see my fabric and stitches. I also like the fact that I only need one light and can move it between machines - but I do have two of these as well. Seeing a trend here?...

Photo courtesy of bendablebrightlight.com

Mary Ellen's Best Press

• I truly believe that you need to starch your fabric so that it is easier to handle, presses better and cuts cleaner. By starching, I mean applying a spray product which will provide sizing to your fabric - it doesn't necessarily have to be actual spray starch. My favourite sizing spray (for lack of a better term) to use is Mary Ellen's Best Press. I prefer the Caribbean Beach scent, but there are several others, including a scent-free one for those of you with sensitivities. I like how it takes the wrinkles out of my fabric, gives it body and doesn't flake. As a bonus I can imagine that I'm lounging on a beach in the tropics  - yeah, while I'm ironing. I only have one small bottle of Mary Ellen's Best Press that I use at the ironing board - the other gallon jug is under my ironing station.

Photo courtesy of maryellenproducts.com

Reading glasses

• Okay, technically these aren't quilting tools, but they do help me to quilt, so I'm adding them to the list. Maybe you don't need these - yet - and I didn't when I first started quilting, but as the years have gone by... let's just say that my ability to see the smallest details while quilting has been enhanced by my reading glasses. I have several pairs of these "cheaters" around the house, but always have a pair at my sewing machine (hah, you thought I was going to say I had two pairs, didn't you?). While I don't use them when ironing or cutting, I do find them useful while stitching, especially if I've been at it for a few hours. If you're finding it more difficult to see when you're stitching, do yourself a favour and pick up a pair of these. You can get inexpensive ones at the grocery store or pharmacy and you'll be surprised at how much easier it'll be for you to quilt once you can see what you're doing.

Photo courtesy of magnifier.com.tw

So that's my list. Nothing too elaborate or difficult to find, just some items that help me in my quilting. If I'm at home, these are the things that are always by my sewing area, and if I'm at a retreat, these are the items I always pack. 

Do you have favourite items that you use when you're sewing or quilting? I'd love to hear what you consider your "must have" quilting items.