Start Here – Quilting 101

New to quilting? Looking for some help with the basic skills and terms? Start here! Quilting tips tricks and little bits of inspiration for the newbie to intermediate quilter.

How To Create A Mitered Corner In Your Quilt Binding

In the beginning days of your quilt journey, every single step of the quilt-making process is new and kind of confusing. You marvel over details of beautiful stitching and perfectly matched pieces! I’m going to show you how to create a mitered corner in your quilt binding.

It is actually really easy once you know the steps. (So don’t panic when you see all the photos below… I just like to be thorough in my tutorials!)

Creating a mitered corner in your quilt binding is a really important step to learn!

Seriously, after you’ve worked so hard on the piecing and all the quilting and who knows how many times you had to pull out the seam ripper?!

A sloppy quilt binding is just giving up when you’re so close to the end of making a beautiful quilt!

First of all, if you aren’t comfortable with sewing on your binding with a machine yet, you need to watch this video. It details out step by step – the whole binding process!

It is the exact steps that I go through for every quilt binding that I sew.

How to Create A Mitered Corner In You Quilt Binding

NOTE: I use a 2.5″ Binding strip to start out with.

1. Begin sewing your binding to the BACK of your quilt. (Start in the middle of one of the sides of your quilt)

2. When you come close to the corner of your quilt, stop sewing 1/4″ from the edge of the quilt.

3. Leave your needle down. Rotate your quilt 45-degrees. The corner should be pointing towards you.

4. Sew straight through the corner of your quilt.

5. Take your quilt off the machine and flip your fabric up along the 45-degree line you’ve just sewn.

6. Keeping the 45-degree line tucked under.

Fold your binding line down where the raw edges of the fabric match up with the raw edge of your trimmed quilt.

Notice in the photo how the folded edge aligns with the top edge of the quilt?

Here is another angle of the same folded corner.

7. Pinch the quilt to keep the layers from moving and put the quilt back in your sewing machine. Sew the same 1/4″ stitch line all the way down until you get to the next corner.

8. Repeat until 4 your quilt corners are sewn. Flip your quilt over. Now it is time to fold the binding around the edges.

I like to use these Wonder Clips to hold everything in place while I sew. (They actually are amazing all over your sewing room!)

9. To fold your quilt corner into a mitered corner, you’ll want to fold in one side of the binding like the photo below. Tuck it all the way flat up in the corner. This will create a 45-degree angle with your other binding strip/

It might take a little practicing to get the mitered corner perfect, but you can do it! Keep at it. I believe in you!

10. Holding the fabric in place, the next thing you want to do is to fold the top fabric over.

You’ll want to make sure the first fabric that you folded down stays in place so you can create that 45-degree angle in your second fabric.

I like to use my seam ripper or the other end of my seam ripper which has a pointy end (the official name for this tool escapes me at the moment. If you know what it is called, hit me up in the comments!)

11. You’ll know that you’ve got it right when the edges of your folded fabric line up perfectly.

12. Sew your binding on the front using your sewing machine – or- you can sew it on by hand if you prefer! …Voila! 🙂

Hopefully, that wasn’t as painful as you thought it was going to be!

It does take a little practice to get the feel of how to manipulate the fabric, but I assure you that it gets easier with each quilt you create!

So, how did you do when you tried to create a mitered corner in your quilt binding? Were you successful? Do you need to work with your fabric a little bit more? Let me know in the comments.

For more tutorials and ideas for basic quilting tasks, check out my blog category Quilting 101. I have so many tutorials already posted and I’m adding new ones all the time 🙂 If you have a suggestion or a question, please contact me and let me know!
How To Get Really Flat Seams When You Sew

Today I’m going to share with you a fun little trick! You’re going to love it. It works every single time without fail. Here is how to get really flat seams when you sew!

I bet you even have everything you need in your house right at this very second…

*announcer voice* Are you tired of those wonky seams that will not stay where you put them? Pressing and pressing with your iron can stretch and pull your fabric throwing off your measurements and eventually ALL your hard work of extra precise cutting!

[*Insert really bad infomercial lady struggling with even the simplest of tasks*]

When you’ve had enough, you’ve had enough!

There has to be a better way, right?

*ding ding ding* YES! There is a better way!

Ok ok… no more bad infomercial… just simple practical advice from here on out! …I think I might have had too much Coke Zero today?

The Office GIF from Theoffice GIFs

First, I’m going to show you the easiest way to press your seams. You can probably start doing as soon as you reach the bottom of this post…

…And then I’m going to give you some of my recommendations on tried and true products that can help ease your fabrics into submission and make you their Queen.

The Easy Method

Here is what you need:
1. Iron (This one is my favorite!)
2. Ironing board (or this really really amazing wool mat)
3. Your pieced fabric
4. And a really thick magazine
Wait, what?…

Yes! Think like… Ikea Catalog – thick and heavy. A phonebook will work (if anyone even still has those?) but it is a little over kill. You don’t have to go that heavy. Just thick enough to have some weight to it. A Time Magazine will not do the trick.

A good hardcover book will work as well, but please be aware that you’re going to be laying it on top of really hot fabrics, over and over and over again. I haven’t personally experienced any damage over the years, but I wouldn’t trust it with my favorite books, ya know?

Pressed To One Side or Open?

Choose: Do you you want to press your seams to one side or open? Ah, that is a good question that will leave any new quilter scratching their head.

Is there a right way? Is there a wrong way?

Personally, I like to press my seams to one side. BUT if you take a poll of other quilters, you’ll get all kinds of answers and some will even dare say that I’m a crazy fool!… we quilters can get pretty heated when it comes to the big stuff…

I think it is a choice you have to make for yourself and depending on the fabric and project as well. There isn’t a wrong way, I can answer that for you.

From here on out, I don’t care what you do with your seams, the steps to follow will be the same if you want to know how to get really flat seams when you sew!

Here is what you’re going to do:

Start by getting your iron to the right temperature for your fabric.

Press on the backside of your fabric piece first to get the seam to lay flat.

Press your seams however you like.

Then turn your piece over and give it a light pressing on the front side of your seam as well. This will set the seam from both sides.

A quick note about fabric: It expands when it gets hot. That is why sometimes, you can iron it all out and then when it cools, there is some curly/warped situations that can happen. ~~It is a form of fabric rebellion.~~

After you iron your seams and before it can cool all the way, place it under your magazine/book.

The weight of the magazine will ensure that your seams stay put and as the fabric cools off, it will stay perfectly flat. So simple, yet amazing, right?!?

I usually will have a few layers of fabric cooling in a stack under the magazine at a time. Then I swap them out for fresh hot ones every 4-5 layers so that I know they are cooling nicely and really really flat.

…Other tools I like to have up my sleeve to make the chore of ironing less of a pain.

1. Magic Sizing

I don’t know what this stuff is made from, but if you have a fabric warp issue, this stuff will fix it. When you want that quilt to lay flat and the fabric just isn’t cooperating… magic sizing is your answer.

It is a fabric starch that makes all the fabric fibers step back in line like the day it rolled off the machines in the factory. Ta-da… magic!

2. Mary Ellen’s Best Press

Best Bress is absolutely loved by quilters everywhere. It has been around for ages and is a really great product. I’ve owned several bottles over the years and if you’re looking for a good spray with bang for your buck, you won’t be sorry!

3. Flatter Spray

This one is relatively new to me, but… I love it so much. First of all, flatter spray smells lovely. (I have the pink one… because well… pink!) It doesn’t leave any feeling of stiffness to your fabric but you won’t see a single wrinkle in sight when you use the flatter spray prior to ironing! No white flakes or crusty bits either!

I use this when I really want perfection beyond the grasp of this universe. And my flatter spray always delivers.

4. Wool Ironing Mat

Maybe I’ve been in a cave for a while or something, but I’ve really taken notice lately to these wool ironing mats. I assume they must have been around forever though. Have you seen them?

When you iron with them, the wool maintains the heat (not enough to scorch your fabric) so it kind of warms the underside of the fabric as well and you have good even heat all around and lovely lovely pressed fabric.

Genius!

By following these tips, you will be well on your way to discovering how to get really flat seams when you sew! Easy Peasy, right?

If you have any questions, feel free to comment down below and I will do my best to answer your questions!
4 Reasons why you should never apologize for taking a sewing day

When life gets super hectic and beyond controlling stress levels… I crave sewing time. Do you ever feel the same way? Like if you could just lock yourself away for a little bit and hyper-focus on something else you could clear your head?

To make room for all of the extra tasks at work and the appointments on your calendar, it is easy to start cutting back on the time you carve out for yourself.

You might reschedule that lunch date you had with a friend, stay up late to work on that project for work…. or put that quilt you were really excited to start sewing on the back burner for “someday“. *womp womp womp*

Even with all that is going on and your full calendar… you should never apologize for taking a sewing day and here is why.

I’m a huge believer of self-care and do what you gotta do to take care of you so you can take care of everything else.

I’ve written a few posts on the matter if you care to enlighten yourself a little more…
What you do to take care of you is not a priority that should make anyone feel ashamed or apologetic. (To clarify, it is not an excuse to neglect the needs of others either... keep reading to know when to draw the line.)

The 4 Reasons why you should never apologize for taking a sewing day

1. To Avoid Burnout

Sometimes we need to take action to care for ourselves to avoid burnout. You are aware of your personal limits and you certainly know when you have reached (or gone past) those limits!

Take steps to keep yourself from reaching the end of your rope during an especially busy or stressful season!

Doing what you can to be healthy, make good choices, and generally, being responsible for our own wellbeing is not selfish. It is necessary.

For me, somedays, that looks like me sitting on the couch with a book in my hand and my back to an enormous load of laundry waiting in the corner for me. ~~Don’t ever let it smell your fear…~~

Other days, it has been a hectic week and I just want to get lost for a few hours sewing!

2. The Ability To Make Progress Towards Something Within Your Control

Maybe its a huge project at work that isn’t progressing like it should… or it is an out of control potty training toddler that has you wanting to pull your hair out?

The fact is there are times when no matter what you think or do, you are not the one in control. For OCD people like me… it’s utterly exhausting.

Taking 15 minutes to sit down and stitch a perfect quarter inch seam, over and over again to make progress towards a bigger sewing project is enough to bring a little order back into the world.

Read more tips on how you can get better piecing.

3. Two Words: Brain Rest

Ok, so sewing isn’t exactly a nap for your brain…

BUT it does require enough concentration that you can’t be focusing on planning out that crazy big church fundraiser AND following a sewing pattern at the same time!

Unless you are a superior human species, you simply won’t get anywhere with either project with only half of your attention span.

You gotta have your whole brain on that sewing pattern or you’ll be spending time with your seam ripper!

FYI: This one is my favorite seam ripper.

Taking focused time to sew can allow your brain to block out other stresses that might be weighing heavy on your shoulders.

4. A Focused Sewing Day Benefits YOU in SO MANY WAYS!

You are simply less able to handle the stresses that come our way when you’re already depleted by physical and emotional exhaustion.

You are more resilient and more able to handle life’s stress when you are both physically and emotionally at your best.

When someone tries to give you grief for spending time with your favorite sewing machine instead of _(fill in the blank)_ you can give them this list!

A Sewing Day Is Beneficial For Your Physical Health.

It isn’t a jaunty jog around the block or the same as eating a whole bushel of kale, no… but the relaxation you get from taking a happy sewing day (or even a few minutes!) can trigger a relaxation response in your body. It can calm your stress hormones which can help prevent damage to your health… so in a sense, sewing is really good for your health, both inside and out!

Your Needs Are Just As Important As Others Needs.

I can’t say this enough. Your needs are just as important as others.

Taking time out to care for yourself can remind you and others that you and your needs are important, too!

Sewing Time Gives You Alone Time

Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, there is something special and comforting about a little alone time when you need it.

When you’re relaxing by yourself, it’s much easier to slip into a state of quiet meditation, enjoy some self-reflection, or let your problems work themselves out in the back of your mind, without taking all of your focused concentration.

It Makes You a Better Caregiver

As mommas, this is easy to overlook because our joy is supposed to be to take care of our families.

However, people who do not take care of their own needs (including inner happiness) and forget to nurture themselves are at danger of deeper levels of unhappiness, low self-esteem, and feelings of resentment.

If you’re broken, you are or no help to anyone. Don’t let it get that far.

Taking time to care for yourself regularly can make you a better caretaker for others.

Is there a thing as too much self-care time?

Taking a sewing day is necessary and fundamental, especially in a world where just existing is hard enough.

My “sewing days” can be anywhere from an uninterrupted 30 minutes at my sewing machine while dinner is in the oven to a long Saturday morning where I don’t even look at the clock until lunchtime.

It doesn’t mean that I’ve crossed everything off of my to-do list. It doesn’t mean that I’ve scrubbed the house clean or vacuumed all the floors.

I don’t know about your life, personally… but in my house, there is ALWAYS something to do, something the mend, something to be cooked…

It just NEVER ends…

There is a small trap with self-care/sewing days that I feel obligated to point out!

Sewing days as a form of self-care should not be used as an excuse to run away from everything that is required of you.

Just because you might forget about the rest of the world for a little bit doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.

Sewing days are not the adult version of pulling the covers up over your head so the daylight can’t find you and drag you out of bed!

Also, taking care of yourself is important, but not so important that you neglect the care and well-being of others.

Before you abandon everything and lock yourself in your room for hours, do a quick check to make sure that you have your top priority list items in check:
- Take care of your family’s needs (even if its a cereal for dinner kind of night!).
- Make sure you keep up with work tasks that have a specific deadline and don’t let them pass you by.
- Be kind to yourself and others. Do not let anyone who is important to you feel like they are any less important.
You don’t need to apologize for taking a sewing day, ever.

Self-care and sewing days should be high up on your priority lists.

Take care of yourself and remember all the benefits of taking a little sewing time can have on your wellbeing and your days if you just carve out a little time.

Sewing Time = Happy Time 🙂
HST – More piecing in less time!

I am all for a good quilting trick to get more done in less time. You know that. Today we’re going to dive into the most popular ways of making HSTs – Or Half Square Triangles. More Piecing in less time!

For more quilting terminology, check out The Quilter’s Code Unlocked.

Sometimes you need to draw a line on your fabric to ensure straight sewing or cutting, I really like these markers because the line stays when you need it to and disappears when you don’t need it anymore. All it takes is a few squirts from a mist spray bottle. and you’ll never even know it was there!

$Learn how to sew 2,4 & 8 HSTs in no time! More HST mean quicker quilts and beautiful works of art in a fraction of the time!$

1. Making HSTs two at a time (the “traditional” method)

Unless you have a specific pattern to go by which tells you all the measurements up-front, you’ll need to do a little math.

Decide the size you want your unfinished HST block to be (the size of your block PLUS your typical 1/4″seam allowance). Add 1″ to that number.

This is the measurement you want to cut the squares to make your two half-square triangles.

UNFINISHED HST BLOCK + 1″ = SQUARE SIZES TO MAKE TWO HSTS

$Learn how to sew 2,4 & 8 HSTs in no time! More HST mean quicker quilts and beautiful works of art in a fraction of the time!$

$Learn how to sew 2,4 & 8 HSTs in no time! More HST mean quicker quilts and beautiful works of art in a fraction of the time!$

2. Making HSTs four at a time

Making HST is definitely more piecing in less time! But the math becomes a little more complicated.

I usually make HST 4 at a time if I am creating pieces where I need them to all be the same size but the size isn’t specific. i.e – If I am just playing with fabric.

$Learn how to sew 2,4 & 8 HSTs in no time! More HST mean quicker quilts and beautiful works of art in a fraction of the time!$

$Learn how to sew 2,4 & 8 HSTs in no time! More HST mean quicker quilts and beautiful works of art in a fraction of the time!$

3. Making HSTs eight at a time

Making eight HST is certainly fewer calculations than making 4 at a time. You’ll find it extremely satisfying to have so many HSTs in such little time!

$Learn how to sew 2,4 & 8 HSTs in no time! More HST mean quicker quilts and beautiful works of art in a fraction of the time!$

$Learn how to sew 2,4 & 8 HSTs in no time! More HST mean quicker quilts and beautiful works of art in a fraction of the time!$

And there you have it! All the useful charts and measurements for making HSTs quicker than quick. You’ll be creating beautiful masterpiece quilts built with HSTs in no time!

With these HST tricks. you’ll be sewing more piecing in less time!
8 Reasons Why You Should Shop At Local Quilt Shops

It’s so easy to get caught up in the big sales online, isn’t it? Big Box stores can offer big deep discounts when they want to… And you never even have to leave your living room chair. With all the ease, it might be easy to never leave your house!

Check out the bottom of this post for finding quilt shops in your area. Don’t be afraid to go on a little adventure to the other side of town every now and then… you may just find the fabric shop of your dreams!

Here is why you should shop at local quilt shops!

1. When you shop local, you’re making a personal investment in your neighborhood and your community.

It is said that for every $100 spent locally, roughly $68-$73 of it return to local activity! Wow!

When you shop at local quilt shops you are individually stimulating the local economy with your support and in turn, helping shape your community’s unique character and personality.

2. The ladies in local quilt shops are the best of the best!

Every single quilt shop I’ve been inside (and I usually try to hit up at least 1 or 2 when we travel) has the best people inside it! Friendly faces and smiles that are all too happy to have quilty conversations with you!

Also, other customers… who isn’t happy when you’re shopping for fabrics? Everyone is happy happy happy!

3. Quilt Shops will go the extra mile for you

Because the employees are likely personally invested in the fabric curating and selection as well as displays and collections they are selling, they are more likely to go the extra mile for their customers.

These ladies are extremely knowledgeable about their fabrics, their selection and will even help you pull together a quilt color palette if you’re having a hard time. They live and breathe fabric every single day and they are the masters of it.

For more info on curating your own fabric selection, check out this post.

4. Non-profits receive more support from Local Businesses

Local business owners provide significant support for non-profits. i.e. Quilt shop owners are just really really nice people! Non-Profits receive as much as 350% more money from local shops that non-locally owned businesses.

So, your money actually reaches even further to help the community!

5. A more defined selection

I’m not going to lie, the selection that you will find at a local quilt shop is so carefully crafted and refined to the requests of your community, it is unreal. Want local baseball team fabric? boom.

What is it that your quilting group is into right now? – Chances are that you’ll find something to meet those needs in your local quilt shop. If not, all you have to do is request a certain product and I’m sure they will be happy to carry it for you!

6. CLASSES! Learn something new!

My local quilt shop hosts numerous group activities and classes each month… you’ll never be bored. You can learn a new skill taught by another local, or check the schedule for a meetup of another traveling quilter!

Meet new friends, ask specific questions and get one on one help. Make sure to ask your local quilt shop if they have a calendar of events so you can start scheduling your quilting education!

If you’re looking for something very specific that your local Quilt shop doesn’t offer… I am always happy to point people towards BluePrint. They’re online classes are very informative and really good at breaking down the steps.

7. Create Local Jobs – Maybe even for you?

Another benefit for your community is more jobs… perhaps even a position open for you if you’re in the market for some part-time work! Maybe you’re retired and need a little extra spending money (or more money for fabric)

Do you have a skill that you think other people could benefit from? Perhaps you could hold a class?

8. You don’t have to pay to ship or wait for your mail person to bring your fabric!

This one is self-explanatory but it is worth mentioning… especially if you are impatient like I am. When I am inspired by a great idea or a beautiful vision for a quilt project… I want to start now, like right now… not 3-5 business days from now.

How Do I Find Local Quilt Shops?

The first thing you can do to find your local quilt shops is to ask around! Ask where your quilting friends shop. See if your guild has any recommendations!

Another way you can find local quilt shops is to give google a search for “quilt shop in your town” or “fabric shop in your town“. You might just be surprised to find a few little shops you didn’t even know existed!

Read the reviews online and make sure it is in a safe area before you venture out but don’t be afraid to go to an area of town you haven’t frequented before.

Make an adventure out of it!

If you live in a big city, chances are that you have at least a few quilt shops around you. But don’t forget to search the small towns around your area!

Small towns are full of wonderful small businesses that can use some good local business as well!

You can even get a few girlfriends together and make a day of it by carpooling and getting out of town for a change of scenery (oh, and getting some fabric too, of course!)

I live in Houston, Texas (no lack of anything here!) and my favorite quilt shop is a place called Quilter’s Crossing 🙂 You can check out their website here.

Tell me about your favorite local quilt shops! Write your town and your quilt shop in the comments below.
Psychology of Quilt Colors – What do your quilt colors mean?

Have you ever wondered “What do your quilt colors mean?” What is the psychology of quilt colors behind each quilt?

Colors and the feelings that they inspire are so ingrained into our brains that often times we don’t even think about it anymore!

Think about just a few colors for example…

Sunny Yellow – feelings of warmth, happiness, sunshine and fun!

Blues – feelings of calm, serene and, comfort

By changing up the colors in your quilt, you could potentially send invisible messages that translate into all kinds of different feelings for the end user of the quilt!

With this theory, a healing quilt will likely have a different vibe of colors from a picnic quilt, right?

What is the message that your quilt is trying to tell? What do your quilt colors mean?

Let us dive right in and look at some more Psychology of Quilt Colors.

This bright color is more than just little girl ribbons and bubble gum! This bold color is often linked with feelings of joyfulness, creativity, and glamour. It is vibrant and refreshing and euphoric. I’m also going to add in here that this one is my favorite to work with 😉

A rose-colored pink suggests femininity and a softer calming color associated with love, kindness, and femininity.

Red is most associated with energy, passion, and action. It is a warm color that attracts attention more than any other color.

Orange is a combination of yellow and red and is considered an energetic color. Orange calls to mind feelings of excitement, enthusiasm, and warmth. I love to pair a bright orange with a blue on quilts!

Peach colors are excellent for a happy or healing quilt. It exudes calmness and warmth.

Yellow is the color most associated with happiness and optimism, as well as creativity. It is also associated with warmth and a sunny blue sky feeling.

Pale or Pastel Yellow has the same psychology as sunny yellow but is a bit more subdued. It is the color of energy, enthusiasm, hope, fun, and cheerfulness. I love to use yellow on gender neutral baby quilts.

Green is a color the symbolizes renewal and growth. It is the color you see the most in the natural environment… It resonates with inner energy, rebalancing.

This shade of green is heavier on yellow tones and signifies youthful energy as well as harmony and renewal.

Teal, or turquoise, is a very soothing color to add into your quilts. It creates emotional balance and stability. Teal can conjure feelings of clarity, balance, creativity, compassion, and self-sufficiency.

Did you know that blue is the most popular “favorite color” in the world? Blue is often viewed as conservative and traditional. It signifies feelings of calm and serenity. Blue is peaceful, tranquil, secure, and orderly. It does not hold the same feelings of energy that warmer color tones have.

Cool or light blue holds the same psychology and feelings that a navy blue holds. It is often seen as a sign of stability and reliability

The color lilac symbolizes friendliness and having an open mind. The color is said to help reduce antisocial behavior and aggression by encouraging emotional expression. It is a very soothing color for a lot of people.

Purple is often associated with luxury, power, wisdom, creativity, and magic! What a power color, right? Purple is often uplifting and self affirming.

Grey has a mix of meanings that really depends on the end user of your quilt. Grey can represent neutrality and balance. However, grey can carry some negative connotations as the absence of color can make it feel dull or empty. I love greys, and often pair them with a brighter color in my quilts.

Have you ever added a little sparkle and shine to your quilts? Perhaps with a metallic fabric or a silvery thread? The color silver is associated with meanings of industrial, sleek, high-tech, and modern, as well as ornate, glamorous, graceful, sophisticated, and elegant.

Brown is a natural color that evokes a sense of strength and reliability. It’s often seen as solid, much like the earth. Brown is often associated with resilience, dependability, security, and safety. It also makes for a very masculine quilt.

Whew… so there you have it!

Colors are the secret code behind everything in this world. So next time you arere trying to pull a color pallet together with your fabrics, think back to the psychology of your fabric choices and decide … just What do your quilt colors mean?

…And then ask yourself… what is it you want your quilt to say?

Do you ever give thought to color psychology when creating your quilts? or do you just go with what you feel matches based on gut feelings and personal preference? Let me know in the comments below!