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17 Reasons to Quilt | Techincal Tips for Quilter's Sateen | Guide to Rulers | Rotary Cutting

Suzanne's Tips

Golden Threads Tools and Techniques for Quilting Your Quilt
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It's All About the Seam Allowance!

Check your accuracy for machine piecing.
Cut 3 strips of fabric 1 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Sew 3 strips together side by side. Press.
Measure. It should measure 3 1/2" square.
If your measurement is less than 3 1/2" then your seam allowance is too big
If your measurement is more than 3 1/2" then your seam allowance is to small.

Causes for inaccuracy:

Edges of fabric are not together.
You pressed in a pleat.
Your 1/4" foot is not accurate.
Poor lighting.

Trudie Hughes, said "You don't need an expensive machine or a 1/4" foot to get a perfect seam allowance." Trudie had a quilt shop for 35 years, wrote 15 books and designed her own rulers. Who was I to question her expertise.

In quilting you need a scant quarter inch. You have to figure the seam allowance and the pressing take up some of the space. Engineers that design 1/4" feet don't realize that.

Trudie taught me how to mark the plate of the sewing machine to use as a guide. A Bernina has the perfect mark on the plate. For other machines I use a single paper triangle shape from Triangles on a Roll as my guide.

Once you have established your perfect seam allowance you will see an improvement in your piecing.

1.Place a small piece of masking tape on the plate in from of your sewing machine presser foot.

2. Line up the sewing line on a piece of Triangle on a Roll paper with your needle. Lower presser foot. Using the edge of the paper, mark the masking tape with a ball point pen.

3. Using the marked line on your tape as a guide, sew 3 strips of fabric ( 1 1/2" x 3 1/2") together side by side. Make sure your edges of your fabric are together.

4.Press seams to one side

5. Three fabrics( 1 1/2" x 3 1/2")sewn together should measure 3 1/2" x 3 1/2".

We have found this method to work on any sewing machine. You don't need a 1/4" foot or a magnetic guide to get a perfect seam allowance.

17 REASONS TO QUILT

1. To be creative
2. The love of sewing
3. The love of fabric
4. The love of color
5. Make a treasured gift
6. Learn an “old world” craft
7. Build camaraderie with quilt friends
8. Create an heirloom to be handed down through generations
9. Personal accomplishment
10. Escape from everyday life
11. To spend time at the quilt shop
12. To have something warm to snuggle up with
13. To keep your mind active and learn new things
14. To learn how to have patience
15. Make quilts for charity
16. To build self confidence
17. To relieve stress

Technical Tips for Quilter’s Sateen from RJR Fashion Fabrics

There is a possibility that, after washing, cotton sateens may lose some of their luster. To minimize the loss of luster we recommend washing the fabric in a gentle cycle using lukewarm water and a phosphate free detergent. If you wish to avoid a loss of luster, do not wash the sateen.
When using a pencil on a sateen cloth, because of the weave of the sateen, the pencil may be more difficult to remove. To avoid any problems when using a pencil, always mark lightly or just light enough for you or the quilter to see. When using the felt tip washout pens, carefully follow the instructions of the manufacturer.
To avoid fraying, fabric pulls, and loose threads, cut along the grain of the fabric.
We encourage the use of 100% cotton quilting and sewing thread when working with cotton sateens. Cotton threads will help promote the longevity of the sateen.
To create interesting surface effects with sateens, change the grain of the fabric around when piecing. For a more traditional look, use the grain of the fabric in one direction.

GUIDE TO RULERS

Use rulers with a smooth surface on the bottom. Press down on the ruler with your finger tips and not the palm of your hand. Rulers with raised grids, grips or sandpaper on the bottom get in the way when you are sub-cutting squares into triangles. We recommend Rotary Rule, Rotary Mate, Big Mama or Big Daddy rulers by Trudie Hughes.

Click Here to Shop For Rulers.

ROTARY CUTTING

When rotary cutting quilt always use the same rulers throughout the quilt. Use the lines on your ruler to measure your pieces and not the lines on your rotary mat. Use the plain side of the mat to cut on and you will find ruler lines easier to read and is less confusing on your eyes.