We all know that quilters are very clever at coming up with tips and tricks to help in all aspects of our projects. I want to hear from you about your favorite idea to put on this page. Suggestions will change frequently on this page, so check back often. If you send me something to use, don't fret if it doesn't show up right away. I will try to keep your ideas rotating.

Mary Ann from Washington State gives us a couple of tips:

Small pieces of batting: Zig-zag them together using a narrow stripe of pelon, fabric or stabilizer under the two edges as you sew. Use them with small blocks in the quilt as you go method sandwiched with a backing fabric. A table runner, pillow top or a wall hanging are projects to use smaller pieces too.
In case they are dusty or need washing, use a mesh or nylon laundry bag.

Nancy's Notions sells a blade sharpener for the roller cutters and another Company also exchanges them for new blades when you send your old ones. Sand paper can take a burr of the end of a needle. Use a sanding block extra fine.

Mary Lou from Louisiana gives us a way to use scraps of batting:

Use leftover batting pieces instead of Swiffer cloths. Cut to fit your Swiffer mop. Not reusable but neither are the regular cloths and it's a wonderful use to recycle batting.



Charlene from Oregon gives us all a wonderful way to enjoy our passion of quilting while giving to those in need:

There are times my brain needs a rest from complicated quilting designs yet I still want to sew. So I decided to go through my stash of fabrics - which I will never see the bottom of in my lifetime - and I sew lap quilts to take to care homes in our area for people who use wheelchairs. I pick patterns that I really can almost do without thinking, such as Disappearing 9 Patch, Warm Wishes, Log Cabin, etc. and they mostly work well as scrappy quilts too, so don't throw those pieces of fabric away, put them to good use. The people receiving lap quilts are so appreciative and some never receive gifts at any other time. The same works for quilts for children in hospitals or in need for other reasons. Please go through your scraps and help them. It is worth your time.


Linda from Pennsylvania gives us a great tip:
A handy hint. Use a old perscription bottle to keep track of old used needles. Just put a hole down the center of the lid that screws on. You can then drop your old machine needles down inside so they are safetly out of the way. A large perscription bottle works well for old rotary blades to dispose of them safely. Linda Hanlin


Charlene from Oregon sends two tips:
Do you get tired of taking fabrics from the clothes dryer to find a snarl of ravels? I bought a pinking rotary cutter and pink the cut edges of the fabric before washing. Seldom any thread tangles, the pinked edge is less that 1/4 in. so no having to cut it off before using fabrics and a bonus is that if a fabric has a pinked edge I am sure it has been washed already.

I used to pin the back side of the binding to the quilt to make it faster and easier to finish hand sewing it. This resulted in many stickery 'owies'. I finally got smart and in the hair accessory section of my favorite store I cams across hair clips that bend to close and unbend to open. So quick and easy to use, do not fall off and cost very little. Best of all, no 'owies' !


Jo has sent another tip:(This is wonderful for those "lost souls" that would love to be in your quilt....)
When I cut the halfsquare triangles and have an extra side left over no matter what size, I place them by my machine and when I am strip piecing and come to the end of the seam, not to waste my thread, I sew one of the extra triangles together to make a new 1/2 sq. I have these separated by size, I have used these to make a border of a block or even a sawtooth border around and entire quilt.I know there is an easier way to say all this but maybe you can get my meaning. Hope so

Cameron from California says:
My new best friend is waxed paper. You can see through it, you can stitch through it and the pieces are far easier to remove than other papers. You can draw on it while seeing through it. You can perforate it fairly easily if the space you want to fill in is slightly irregular.




This comes from Suzy from North Carolina
I always had a problem keeping my sewing area and cutting table free of tiny threads, ravels, and tiny pieces of fabric. I now keep a lint roller on the cutting table and at the machine. It picks up everything and keeps those areas neat and tidy.

This comes from Judy from Colorado
A HELPING HAND
When attaching the binding to the quilt, (especially anything bigger than the average wall hanging or table runner) trying to keep the quilt straight and piled up on the sewing table so the edge will feed straight through needle is alway a hastle. (It is hard to get hold of the quilt when it is hanging off of the table.)
If you use a quilter's glove (the ones with the rubber on the finger tips) on your LEFT hand, you can easily grab the quilt to get it straight on your sewing table and your hand won't slide on the fabric when guiding the quilt under the presser foot. (I have found that this 'gloved left hand technique' works very well anytime I am dealing with a lot of fabric, ie: sewing rows together-then sewing those rows to more rows, applying long sashing strips, attaching borders, etc).

I "borrowed" a tool from my husband for picking up pins that drop on the floor while I am sewing. It is a telescoping tool with a magnet on the end. Just stretch it out, wave it over the pins. No more getting on your hands and knees to find that pin or needle that tried to run away. I not only have one in my sewing room, but I keep one with my bag that I take to class. If your husband doesn't have one in his tool box, drop a hint that he needs one, or check out my notions.

Ellen from Florida gives this suggestion:
My tip is to use post-it notes to mark a measurement on your ruler when you're going to cut a lot of strips the same size so you don't have to figure out the measurement before each cut.

This tip helps you see your sewing area on your sewing machine. Place two rubber door stops (they look like a wedge and can be easily found in the hardware section)under the back of your machine. This tips the front of your machine slightly toward you.

Ever find that you just don't have enough time to quilt? This is one obstacle that I am always facing. I work full time in addition to running this online store. In order to get to UFO's in my quilting room, I make the time. Now mind you, not that much time, but valuable time. I set aside two hours one night a week to go into my sewing room and just "forget" the outside world. It amazes me how much I can get done when I "give" myself time for my passion of quilting. Give yourself "time", even if it is only 15 minutes, you will find yourself looking forward to those few moments. And, look at it this way, even though those chores you could be doing are set aside for a short time, they will still be there and you will be more enthusiatic about doing them after you have given yourself "a treat".

Jo has sent a GREAT idea. She says to glue a piece of velcro to the back of your machine. When you end a seam, attach the thread ends on the piece of velcro, that way when you start to sew you don't get that dreaded knot or snarl at the beginning of the next seam. I had to try this one, but I used a piece of velcro that has the adhesive back to it. I love it because I don't have to hold the threads at the start of the seam and leaves both hands free to feed your fabric into the machine. All you need is the part of the velcro with the little loops and place it right above the needle on back of your machine. Thanks Jo.

While at Quilt Market, I met Debra Henkel from Handmaiden Designs and she gave me a great tip. She says to take a silcone hot glove used for the kitchen and cut it in two, giving you two sections that will cover your fingers....put one piece on each hand and use this for gripping your quilt while you are machine quilting. If you would like to see Debra's patterns, visit her web site at www.handmaidendesigns.com. Thank you for this tip Debra.


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