An archive of sewing tutorials and inspiration

1

What kind of machine do you use?

I own two really wonderful machines, the Juki TL-2010Q and the Janome 4120QDC. I do most of my piecing and straight-line quilting on the Janome and use the Juki as my primary quilting machine.

2

Do you have a long-arm machine, or do you send your quilts to a long-arm quilter?

No. I quilt all of my quilts on my Juki TL-2010Q setup using a SewEzi Table. It’s a mid-arm machine designed for quilting. However, someday I would really love to own a long-arm quilting machine and frame.

3

What kind of needles do you use?

I prefer Schmetz 75/11 Embroidery needles for machine quilting and a Schmetz Microtex 80/12 needles for regular piecing.

4

How do you press your seams?

I prefer to press my seams to one direction to maintain the strength and add depth in quilting.

5

What thread do you use?

I use Aurifil threads, 50wt in cream or white for piecing and 28-40wt for quilting in usually matching thread colors. See my Aurifil thread review.

6

Do you prewash your quilting fabric?

I used to pre-wash all of my quilting fabric, but stopped because my fabric was turning into a threaded bundle of mess. More importantly, I didn’t notice an appreciable difference between quilts I made with pre-washed fabric and quilts I made with fabric straight off the bolt. Your results may vary, but I’ve had positive experiences with good quality contemporary quilting fabrics and consider my decision not to pre-wash, a calculated risk that I’m willing to take. I do however wash all my quilts immediately after they have been photographed.Please note that this applies only to cotton and cotton/linen quilting fabric. I always prewash fabric for garments or quilt fabric like flannel that I know will shrink by an appreciable amount.

7

How do you prevent the die from bleeding when you wash the quilt for the first time?

I wash my quilts in cold water on gentle cycle ALWAYS with Shout Color Catchers and tumble dry them on low. I try to be very careful about moving wet quilts to the dryer as soon as the cycle is over. Leaving a wet quilt sitting in the washing machine is one of the easiest ways to cause color bleed.

8

How do you store your fabric?

I store my fabric folded on a covered shelving unit in my sewing room. I keep all my solids and prints separate, both organized by color.

9

I’m unable to download a free pattern from your blog, what’s happening?

Most often, the problem is that your computer isn’t running the most current version of Adobe Reader, which you can download free from Adobe’s site. If you’ve downloader Reader and are still having problems, you may need to check your computer’s settings to make sure that something else isn’t preventing it from opening pdf files.

10

I have a question about copyright and/or pattern use.

Please refer to my terms of use guidelines here.

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