Here are all my posts about hand quilting and Big Stitch quilting. I don’t use these techniques with fusible applique or Quilt As You Go, but I LOVE using Big Stitch Quilting with my cheater fabric.
Learn how to hand quilt. It’s easy, relaxing, and goes faster than you think it will.
In this video you’ll learn all the basics of hand quilting – from the tools you need to the mechanics of how to do the stitch. There are two methods you’ll see people use – stabbing and rocking. I’m a rocker – gathering up several stitches with each pass of the needle.
Some people are very concerned with the number of stitches per inch. As I mentioned in the video – I am not. 🙂
If you want to get smaller stitches, work towards it gradually. This stitch feels awkward the first time you try it – and it’s even more awkward if you’re using a very tiny needle. I recommend starting with a pack of needles that includes several sizes. Start with the largest and work with that until you feel comfortable, then start moving to smaller and smaller needles – sticking with each size until you feel comfortable with it. When you’re happy with the length of your stitches – stay with that needle size.
Here are all my posts about layering and basting your quilt, and the final round of quilting.
Here are all my posts about hand quilting and Big Stitch quilting. I don’t use these techniques with fusible applique or Quilt As You Go, but I LOVE using Big Stitch Quilting with my cheater fabric.
Using a fabric glue stick to hold appliqué pieces in place while I sew has been one of my best discoveries ever.
Maybe a bunch of you do this already?
I have a very fraught relationship with glue. There are the glues that make your paper bubble and warp. The glues that seep beyond where you put them on fabric. The glues that stick your fingers together. The glues that don’t really stick like they should.
But last year I started using glue to hold my appliqué bits in place and I fell in love!
Let me count the ways. . .
Fabric glue sticks are designed for use with fabric. They don’t seep through, and they’ll soften up after washing. They’re perfect for a temporary hold.
They work really well on slightly napped fabrics like velvet and cuddle fleece. The beaver bits on that face you see above didn’t shift a smidge while I sewed them on with the machine.
I especially love using fabric glue for hand appliqué. Pins distort the fabric and – even worse – my thread was constantly getting hung up on them. With the fabric glue stick I can position all the pieces right where I want them, stick them in place, and then whipstitch away. Everything stays perfectly flat and I never catch my thread on a pin. Joy!
I tried a few brands and they all worked well, but I’m carrying this one in my shop because it works well and is a great price. 🙂
If you have ways that you use fabric glue sticks, I’d love to hear them!
This is a weirdly divisive question in the quilt world.
It’s also one of the most common questions I get. Do you prewash your fabric?
Yes.
Mostly.
How’s that for a definitive answer?
Let me clarify. . .
I prewash all quilting cottons. Always. They go straight into the laundry hamper when I buy them and they’re not allowed into my sewing room until I wash them.
Why?
I have had bad experiences with the fusible adhesive not sticking to fabric because of the sizing in it.
I have had dark colors bleed onto light colors in a finished quilt, washed for the first time. (Absolutely heartbreaking!)
I have had shrink issues with doll clothes where the fabric puckers badly along the seams because it had not been prewashed.
Sure – most fabrics won’t cause these problems if they haven’t been prewashed. But some do! And you never know which will be the problems until AFTER the heartbreak.
Prewash!
I prewash all knits and flannels.
They have more of a tendency to shrink than wovens and I want to get that shrink out of the way. I’m getting ready to start handsewing some clothes for myself (using this fabulous book my husband got me) and I definitely don’t want those to shrink after the fact.
I don’t prewash faux fur, satin, polar fleece or cuddle fleece.
They don’t have shrink issues. I’ve never had any of them bleed. The ones I buy never seem to be coated with excessive sizing so they don’t feel icky. There’s no real reason to prewash them.
I don’t really use any other fabrics – so I have no advice to give about rayons, voiles, challis, etc.
One more note. . .
A lot of people say they don’t prewash quilting cottons because they like the crinkle effect they get after washing. I’ve found that I get plenty of crinkle – even with prewashed fabric – by using cotton batting. I use Warm & Natural brand 100% cotton batting and I do NOT prewash it.
Want quick access to a bunch of other posts about fabric?
I don’t usually add sashing or borders to my quilts, but Controlled Chaos isn’t a typical quilt for me. I went back and forth for a long time, debating the need for sashing. Sashing finally won for two reasons. . .
I like that each little block is its own composition. In some ways I liked those compositions blending into each other and creating new shapes, but ultimately I decided I like the look of a little frame around each piece.
The thought of matching all those seams (necessary if I went without sashing) made me weep.
So – sashing it is!
Adding sashing isn’t hard – just think of it as another skinny block between each of the bigger blocks. Skip the border (for now) and just think about the strips in the quilt’s interior.
We’ll start with adding the vertical strips.
I decided to make the sashing strips the same width as one finished square in the block. I think that’s a good general guideline for balance. That meant cutting them 2″ wide. If you used 1/4″ seam allowance for your sewing, the finished blocks should be 15.5″ square, so cut 15 strips each 2″ wide x 15.5″ long.
Start assembling the rows of your quilt by alternating blocks with sashing strips. Here’s one row.
Repeat until you have all five rows.
One quick tip. The problem most people have when adding sashing is that the strip is the wrong length by the time they get to the end of the line of stitching. The longer the seam, the more likely (and worse) the problem is.
Using a walking foot when you sew will help prevent this, but the best way is good old-fashioned pinning.
Start by folding your strip in half and marking the center with a pin.
Match the center of the strip to the center of the block and pin.
Match the ends of the strip with the edges of the block and pin.
Fill in the rest of the length with pins until it’s all secure and evenly distributed.
Sew the seam.
Your strip and your block should still be perfectly lined up when you get to the end of the seam.
I wrote a whole post about what I call “Divide and Conquer” for pinning long seams here.
End tip. 🙂
Now you need to sew all five rows together with strips in between them, plus strips at the top and bottom for those borders.
Cut those strips 2″ wide x 65″ wide. You’ll need six.
When you sew your rows together, it should look something like this.
Use that same pinning tip to keep everything lined up.
All you need now are the final strips for the side borders. Cut them 2″ wide x 84.5″ long. You’ll need two.
Sew those strips to the sides and your quilt top is finished!
Cut a piece of fabric and a piece of batting 11″ square. Layer the fabric over the batting and quilt the two layers together.
Step 3
Roughly cut out all the pieces and fuse them to the wrong side of the fabric.
I used white felt for the snowman head, and Timeless Treasure prints for the rest of the fabrics: charcoal Sketch for the hat, red Pop for the ribbon, orange Sketch for the carrot, and solid black for the eyes.
Step 4
Hold the snowman face up to a window so you can see the face markings through the felt and mark the placement of the eyes, nose and the mouth.
Step 5
Cut out the pieces neatly on the solid lines. Where there’s a dotted line, leave a little extra seam allowance.
Step 6
Peel off the paper backing and layer the pieces on the background block. The bottom edge of the head should line up with the bottom edge of the block. The hat should overlap the top of the head.
Fuse the pieces in place.
Step 7
Stitch the edges of all the pieces down. I like to use a simple straight stitch and black thread.
Use this simple stocking pattern with whatever embellishment you choose. Or none at all! The lined construction is easy enough for beginners, and it works with any quilt, appliqué or embroidery pattern.
Throughout most of the instructions I’m using this free Santa appliqué pattern, but you can use any decoration you like. Here’s the exact same stocking made with three different cats from this quilt pattern.
Here’s how to make the stocking. . .
Step 1
Download the stocking pattern here. The pattern pieces print on two pages. Overlap them so that the heart and the edges of the stocking line up and tape them together. There’s more info on joining pattern pieces like this here.
Step 2
Cut two rectangles 9″ wide and 19″ tall from your main fabric, your lining fabric, and 100% cotton batting. My favorite batting is Warm & Natural.
Step 3
Layer one main fabric rectangle with one batting rectangle and quilt the layers together.
I’m showing this from the back so you can really see the quilting. Any design will do – it just needs to hold the two layers together.
Repeat with the other main fabric and batting rectangles so you have two pieces.
Step 4
Layer the two quilted layers and the two lining layers right sides together and cut four stocking pieces – two main and two lining.
Step 5
Decorate the front of the stocking however you like. I used my favorite appliqué with fusible adhesive method. You can see how I do that in this video.
If you’re doing floating heads (like the cats) no adjustment is needed. Just print the pieces out at whatever size you like.
If you’re doing a head that’s cropped off at the bottom (like the Santa) you’ll need to make some adjustments because the bottom of the stocking slants.
On the original Santa appliqué pattern, the beard is cropped off at the horizontal dotted line. For the stocking I left a lot of fusible adhesive below that dotted line and fused the whole thing to the fabric. That extra fabric will accommodate the slant at the bottom of the stocking.
Arrange the pieces on the front of the stocking. Let that extra beard fabric overhang the bottom edge of the stocking.
When you’re happy with the arrangement, fuse it down, stitch around the edges, and then trim off the extra beard. You can use this same technique for any animal bodies that you want to use on the stocking from any of my quilt patterns.
Step 6
Now time to start putting the stocking together! Layer the lining pieces right sides together and sew around the edges using 1/4 inch seam allowance.
Leave the stocking top open, and also a place on the back seam for turning. The turning hole needs to be big enough to fit your hand through it.
Step 7
Layer the main stocking pieces right sides together and sew them around the edge using 1/4 inch seam allowance – just like the lining. Leave the top open, but do NOT leave a turning opening.
Turn the lining right side out. Slip it inside the stocking (the stocking should still be inside out) and line up the side seams.
Sew the stocking to the lining all the way around the top edge using 1/4 inch seam allowance.
Step 9
Turn the stocking right side out. This can be confusing if you’ve never turned a lined thing right side out before.
Start by pulling the lining out of the stocking. Then reach into the turning opening, grab the toe of the stocking, and pull the stocking right side out through that opening.
Keep pulling and the lining will start coming through too – right side out. Turn the lining completely right side out. Sew up the opening using ladder stitch, and tuck the lining down into the stocking.
Step 10
You have two options for the top edge. You can work the lining and the stocking so that the seam between them is right at the top edge of the stocking. You only see the lining if you peek inside. Press with lots of steam to set the fold.
(If you want to add a hanging loop like on this cat stocking, cut a loop of ribbon and slip it between the stocking and lining layers before you sew them together in Step 8. Be sure to catch the ends of the ribbon in the stitching as you sew those layers together.)
If you want a little bit of the lining to peek out of the top, leave the batting inside standing up (don’t fold it down) and use that as a guide to fold the lining down over it. Press with plenty of steam.
Finished!
Here’s a quick list of links to all the patterns I used. . .
The free alphabet pattern is here. I printed it at 90%. You might need to go much smaller for a significantly longer name, or arrange the letters the long way.
You could make the stocking even simpler by just using a really fun Christmas fabric – no fancification needed! Try embroidering a design instead of using appliqué. Or use a couple of leftover pieced quilt blocks for the main fabric.
Play around with this pattern! It’s completely open-ended so you can do just about anything with it!
Here are several free patterns that work with my basic 10-inch applique squares – no resizing needed!
Here are several free patterns that work with just some simple resizing. This post about making coasters has info about resizing an applique pattern that can be applied to any of these projects.
I’ve really been having fun playing with English Paper Piecing (EPP) ever since I got Diane Gilleland’s All Points Patchwork and made my very first EPP project.
Every time I look at a hexie template – especially when it’s solo and surrounded by other fabric – I see an eyeball. 🙂 So when Diane asked me to participate in a Halloween EPP Blog hop I leaped at the chance.
The design is super easy. Make a bunch of hexies and then start playing around with them.
I made 96 black hexies using all the black-on-black fabrics in my scraps, and 14 green hexies, two each of all my acid green scraps.
Then I started playing around with the arrangement and joining them together.
I put the matching eyes together in pairs, and then added 1/2″ felt circles. If you make them “look” in the same direction, they’ll look like pupils to the eyes.
Every time I release a pattern I get requests for additional blocks. It’s usually just one or two people with very specific requests, but when I released the Woodland Critters pattern I got a LOT of requests for a moose block.
Trace the moose pattern onto the paper side of your favorite fusible adhesive. I’m head over heels in love with these printable fusible adhesive sheets because I can skip the tedious tracing and get right to the fun part– choosing fabric!
The pattern pieces have already been reversed so just trace or print them as they are.
Roughly cut all the pieces out, leaving a little extra all the way around each piece.
Following the manufacturer’s instructions for time and steam, fuse the pieces to the back of the fabric. (I use Heat & Bond Lite for all my quilts.)
Cut each piece out neatly. Cut directly on the solid lines. Leave a little extra seam allowance (roughly 1/4”) past all the dotted lines. Those bits will tuck behind other pieces for a nice, neat finish.
Trace the features onto the front side of the face pieces. If you hold it up to a window you’ll be able to easily see the features shining through.
I like to trace a little inside the eyes and nostrils– just so I have a rough guide where to position those pieces– and trace right over the line for the mouth. I just use a fine-tip sharpie or a pencil, nothing fancy.
Peel off the paper backing and arrange the pieces as shown. Line the bottom of the shoulders up with the bottom edge of the block. Remember: the dotted lines show which pieces tuck behind other pieces.
(I quilted my background block to the batting before I started, so that’s what you see here. You can find more info about the “quilt as you go” (QAYG) method I use here.)
Following the manufacturer’s instructions for time and steam, fuse the pieces to the background fabric. Important note: For some
brands the fuse time and steam settings for fusing fabric to fabric are different from the time and steam setting to fuse the paper to
the fabric. Check your package.
Stitch around each piece as desired.
I like to use a simple straight stitch with black thread. (I go over the mouth three times for an extra thick line.) It’s a great cartoony look that suits my designs, and it holds up very well through multiple washings. Some people prefer the look of a zigzag or blanket stitch. It’s all good!
Trim the block to size if it’s for a quilt, or proceed with whatever other awesome thing you’re making.
