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Scraps of Wisdom

QUILTING TIPS YOUR TEACHER NEVER TOLD YOU!

by Eleanor Burns, Quilt in a Day

Recently one of my students told me she had discovered a gadget on her sewing machine she had never noticed before. She has had this sewing machine for three years! It occurred to me that this is probably true of many of us. We are so accustomed to using our wonderful sewing machines in the same way all the time, we may not be aware of its capabilities. Many sewing machine dealers offer instructional classes when you purchase a new sewing machine and I strongly recommend taking them. Also, consider pulling out the user’s manual for your machine and reacquaint yourself with it. You may be pleasantly surprised at the wealth of information you find.

Over the years I have developed a bag of tricks that I enjoy sharing with my students. I hope these will be helpful to you and make your quilting experience even better.

Rotary Cutters

• Don’t hesitate to change your blade when it becomes dull. If you have to “saw” through your fabric, your blade needs to be replaced. “Sawing” through layers of fabric with a dull blade can damage your cutting mat.
• Damaged cutting mats shorten the life of your rotary blade.
• When changing your blade, lay out the pieces in order of assembly so you can reassemble properly. Better yet, keep the instructions that come with your cutter.
• Use tweezers to remove the blade to avoid cutting your fingers
• Check to ensure that two blades are not placed in cutter.
• If you are left handed, make sure you assemble your cutter properly for lefties. Ask at your local quilt shop if you need help.
• Always keep the cutter closed when not in use for safety. It is easy to cut your hand just by bumping your cutter.
• You can easily make a safe travel pouch by seaming one side and bottom of a hot pad.
• Always, always have band aids handy

The Notorious Traveling Foot Pedal

• Put a computer mouse pad under the pedal for stability.
• Apply an adhesive strip of Velcro to the bottom of the pedal.
• Place the pedal on car floor mat.
• Wrap a large rubber band around the foot pedal to keep it in position.

Tools & Supplies

• Substitute a bamboo Bar-B-Que skewer when a stiletto isn’t handy.
• Paint clear nail polish on a stiletto cover that keeps coming off.
• Tape down your cutting mat with duct tape.
• Use blue painter’s tape to pick up loose threads.
• For a measurement that is used repeatedly, mark your ruler with Glow Line Tape® or blue painter’s tape.
• On a plane flight, if you can’t take scissors along to cut thread, use the cutter on your dental floss container.
• Tape a plastic bag on the edge of your sewing table for loose threads and tiny scraps.

Using Invisible Thread

• To ensure proper feed of thread from the upright position, place thread spool in a jar or cup, and tape a safety pin to your machine if thread guide is not available.
• Loosen the top tension only.
• To use in a bobbin, loosely wind only a small amount of thread on bobbin.

Lessons on Sewing Machines

• Have your owner’s manual handy for quick reference. Many sewing machine companies offer replacement manuals if yours is lost.
• For a missing bobbin cover, tape a business card to the throat plate.
• Use a stack of Post-Its® or adhesive moleskin as a seam guide for accurate quarter inch seams.

Avoiding Ugly Quilts

• Refer to the color bar on the selvage of the fabric to help select coordinating pieces.
• Use a Ruby Beholder® to check for differences in value of fabric.
• Take digital photos while trying to decide from different layouts.
• Check layout by looking at it through a door peephole.

Words of Encouragement for Less than Perfect Quilts

• You will never notice it from a galloping horse.
• Hang it high and keep it moving.
• Drive past it as 20 miles an hour and see if it looks good.
• You will never notice it from a moving train.
• You meant to do it that way.

Eleanor Burns has written and published over 70 books on quilting. She has been teaching and entertaining a national audience with her Quilt in a Day series on public television. In addition, she has a retail quilt shop, wholesale and retail mail order business, and a retail Web site. For details, call 1-800-777-4852 or visit www.quiltinaday.com.

Reprinted from Quilting Now, October 2007