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03-18-2007, 03:53 AM
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#11 |
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Quilt Teacher
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: New York
Posts: 1,566
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Re: tips and tricks
I'll post a couple of pressing tips:
1) Pressing is moving the iron up and down. Moving back and forth like ironing can stretch the pieces or the blocks out of shape. A little spritz of water and air drying can remedy this to some degree. 2) Press seams to set them before pressing them to one side. This allows the threads to better incorporate into the fabric. 3) Press seams to one side from the top of the fabric. I open the pieces, hold one piece up and press along the seam, being careful to not pull the fabric so that it stretches. 4) After pressing the pieces open its a great time to measure the "unit". Say the squares are 2 1/2", after stitching and pressing they should measure 4 1/2" across the whole way down the stitching line. If they don't, now is the time to pull the seam and restitch. Careful pressing goes a long way toward accurately sized blocks. Happy quilting! Teri
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"Life dances and you have to dance with it, whether it is taking you on a wonderful ride or stepping on your toes." --Phillip Moffitt |
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03-18-2007, 04:00 AM
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#12 |
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by the sea
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 449
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Re: tips and tricks
Marge,
I've found that putting the foot pedal on an old computer mouse pad keeps it in the same place. Just now mine sits on one of the Justice League Heros(a left over from my grandkids)  lynnb |
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03-18-2007, 04:00 AM
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#13 |
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Sew-crazed
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: suburb of Buffalo NY
Posts: 1,400
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Re: tips and tricks
My tip? (and I was thinking this late last night) Don't sew when too tired. Hmmmmmm
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Laurie A clean house is a sure sign of a broken sewing machine  http://laurdee.blogspot.com/ |
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03-18-2007, 06:50 AM
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#14 |
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Senior Quilter
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: suffolk,VA
Posts: 1,218
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Re: tips and tricks
my tip? do your prep work for the next day's quilting at night, and then re-check with fresh new eyes the next morning before sewing.
mitered corners for bindings: pin on the binding, (wrong side up) matching the edge of the binding to the edge of the quilt. when you reach the first corner, stick a pin VERTICALLY thru both the binding and the quilt at the very tip of that corner. hold the pin upright as you pivot the binding to the right at a 90 degree angle. now the right side of the binding strip is facing upward. Still holding the pin, fold the binding strip back over itself at that corner (now the wrong side of the binding is up again) and make sure that both edges of the straight and folded binding strip are aligned, and square on top of each other. then take the vertical pin out and secure the fold with a clip or pin. press to set that fold. |
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03-18-2007, 07:11 AM
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#15 |
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Senior Quilter
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Clinton Township, Mi
Posts: 1,063
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Re: tips and tricks
 Teri...those pressing tips are really good! THX!!Donna |
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03-18-2007, 07:11 AM
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#16 |
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Country Quilter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Webster, WI
Posts: 5,589
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Re: tips and tricks
door stops (the rubber slanted ones with grips on the botom) work good for under the machine also...I have two of them under mine right now!
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Have a great quilty day!Patsy
"Worry looks around, sorry looks back, Faith looks up."    |
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03-18-2007, 07:14 AM
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#17 |
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Sew-crazed
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: suburb of Buffalo NY
Posts: 1,400
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Re: tips and tricks
Interesting! I never thought of tilting the machine a bit! Thanks!
How about RIPPING? Any hints?
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Laurie A clean house is a sure sign of a broken sewing machine http://laurdee.blogspot.com/ |
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03-18-2007, 07:30 AM
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#18 |
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Playing Piecefully
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Clayton,MI
Posts: 6,281
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Re: tips and tricks
i have a tip for ripping do this carefully and only pull out a couple stitches at a time as pulling to many stitches at a time can distort the fabric (stretch it out of shape) then after you have the stitching removed press the fabric and then restitch.this will help the fabric lay like it should in the quilt. i use to try to do this as fast as i could to fix my mistake and couldnt understand why it buckled a little then i slowed down and really looked at what i was doing and realised my mistake and found that a press before i put it back together made repieceing much easier no buckling.
Cathy this is such a good idea. i love the pill bottle idea for the pins and needles Hugs cindy
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I Believe There Are Angels Among Us!!
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03-18-2007, 08:27 AM
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#19 |
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Sewrite
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Waleska Ga.
Posts: 4,411
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Re: tips and tricks
Thanks everyone but this is something we all get to benefit from I'm just the one who condensed it down to one page. So to speak.
I've been useing the pill bottle idea for a while but I do have an added suggestion . When done mark the bottle "NEEDLES" then wrap it completely in strong tape. The bottles are easy to crush so this way if they are broken the tape holds everything together and hopefully no needles escape. Its hard to imagine with todays technology that there are still sorting jobs at some of today's garbage plants that require a human , especially in the city and towns that recycle. I do have another question about matching seams but am going to see if I can find an example first.
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 One of life's little secrets is to make today's stumbling blocks into tomorrow's stepping stones.
Last edited by cathy : 03-18-2007 at 10:07 AM. |
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03-18-2007, 09:51 AM
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#20 |
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Quilter
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: PA
Posts: 68
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Re: tips and tricks
<~~~smiling at Cathy....thanks Cathy for the reminder about marking the "pill bottle" as needles...actually I use a Sharpie Marker and mark right over that pharmacy label "old needles"...but YOU KNOW...I honestly did not think of the bottle being crushed at the disposal center THANK YOU for that reminder, GREAT SUGGESTION  ! Matching seams can be a *pain in the neck*, DGD took a class with a national teacher and he suggested this to DGD, first "wiggle seams between you thumb and index finger" to lock them into place or "snug them up", then pin where the two seams join, right on the seam stitching...THEN and this is the part that is the *pain in the neck* use straight pins (2 or more on each side of that first pin allowing at least 1/2" between those pins)....this allows for the ease of the fabrics as you stitch them together! Did I mention I HATE TO PIN, but it was a very good suggestion for DGD and for all of us  ! OH AND REMEMBER don't sew over those straight pins, remove as you approach and approx. one stitch away !Keep the suggestions coming please...this is great having these tips and memory refreshers! Cathy this is a great thread (thumbs up to you) for suggesting it!
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Barb |
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