luv2quilt asked:


I’m looking for a good quality quilting frame that will fit a mid-arm sewing machine. I have to be able to easily disassemble it to store it from time to time as my sewing room is not real big. I’m looking at new joy, grace pro, etc. Does anyone have any helpfull information on these so I can make a wise choice? I would also welcome advise on the right sewing machine to go with the frame. Thanks

Thelma

Karen Lincoln asked:


Quilting has been an age old tradition. In days gone by, women used to gather around and do quilting work together. This was quite exciting for them, as they would get to meet one another, as well as do things that they enjoy together. Quilting has also passed down to generations, and is still carried out by many. Quilters love to spend their time, sewing and patching different pieces of fabrics together and seeing their designs taking shape.

In the olden days, quilts were made by hand, as no machines were available then, and this was quite a time consuming process. If the quilt was small, then it would not take much time. However for larger quilts, time taken to complete was much longer, and these were quite tough to handle. Can you picture, a group of women, all sitting together, making a large quilt, and constantly having to get up and move, in order to cover each part of the quilt. Sounds tiresome doesn’t it?

Thanks to technology, all this has changed. Though there are many, who still prefer to make hand made quilts. Nowadays, you have machines to help you with your quilting. These days, women don’t have the patience, nor the time to sit and hand make quilts, more so if its a large quilt. In today’s age, you’ll find mostly machine made quilts, as hand made quilts have become extremely rare. Machines make the quilting process much quicker, and a lot easier. You can either use a regular sewing machine, which has quilting capabilities or you can use a long arm quilting machine, which is exclusively meant for quilting.

The long arm quilting machine is extremely popular. These machines are specifically meant for quilting larger quilts. Its arm is around 18 inches. These machines are electronic, and make the process of quilting rather quick, as it covers a wider area in a short span of time. Moreover, its much more comfortable as you don’t have to keep getting up and changing your position or the quilt’s position. This long arm machine makes the quilting process much more efficient, and is time saving as well. You can now make a quilt with a long arm quilting machine in a short period of time, and with not too much of effort.

A regular sewing machine can also be used for your quilting purpose. However the main draw back with a regular machine is that, its arm is just seven inches in length. And so the person who’s making the quilt, can focus only on a portion of the quilt, at a time. Moreover, you have to keep shifting your position, along with the quilt, so that it fits into the sewing machine. This lands up being as uncomfortable and uneasy as making your quilts with hand, where you have to keep moving.

You can purchase a long arm quilting machine at various prices. The difference in prices is mainly due to the quality of the machine. Machines of well known brands, are naturally much more higher than the lesser known brands. It all depends on you, your budget and how much your going to be using your long arm quilting machine. You rather spend a little more than compromise on quality. Alternatively you can wait for sales or discounts.



Jerry

Ally asked:


I have never made any projects with quilting but I would like to start, I don’t have any experience in this area, but I do have a sewing machine and a quilt book, and I would like to do something with it. I have always like and admired quilting projects and I wanna to know which tools should I buy. What Are the Essential Quilting Supplies For Beginners?

Glenda

R.t. Markovsky asked:


What is machine quilting? It is using a machine to sew a quilt together. Think in terms of a very large sewing machine that is very flexible. If you have already been making quilts by hand and giving them to friends and relatives you may want to explore going a step further. You may want to take the plunge and start selling your wares.

So how does one transition from making quilts totally by hand to using a machine? For the small shop that does one quilt at a time and still wants to retain the more personal touch there are manual quilting machines. They allow you to create quilts that are very personal and still allow you to have the freedom to let your imagination run wild with your creations. In turn, going to a machine versus doing the work totally by hand will allow you to increase your production.

Looking further down the road, if your hobby/business keeps growing, you may want to look into getting a computerized quilting machine. With this, you can program in all the information about the quilt you are making and it will do the rest for you.

You can certainly count on there being manufacturers that create the machines to any level possible.

A good quality quilt is something that everyone loves and hands down from one generation to the next. Normally it would take a long time to make a quilt that people will want to pass on to their kids. With the use of quilting machines, you can dramatically increase the number of quilts you can make. With the manual quilting machine, you have greater control for the more personal touches that will make your quilts something that can be handed down.

There are websites and online forums that you can contact about your quilting machines and quilting business for futher advice. You don’t have be alone in the process of starting and building your business.

One of the best, and least expensive, ways for people to find out that you are there and what your product is to participate in local craft and hobby fairs or shows. There are probably a number of nearby craft shows where you can set up a table and be lucky enough to sell all the quilts you brought with you. That will let people see and touch your quilts so they can see the quality of the quilts for themselves.

This will give credibility to your quilts in ways that advertising and the internet can never do. Once people begin to know your quilts and their quality, they will begin to spread the word to their friends and relatives.

The principles of marketing and advertising will hold the same for quilting businesses as it does for any other type of hobby/craft business. You will need to define your target customers. Then figure out the best ways of reaching them while staying within your budget. Don’t underestimate the power of “word-of-mouth” advertising.

Many successful craft entrepreneurs have found that having parties at their own homes or those of friends or relatives provides more than enough business for them.



Willie

Jennifer Walter asked:


Chenille is a tufted velvety yarn is known as soft or Imitation chenille. Unlike some of the other quilting textile which you can find on the market, chenille is not very old textile. It’s popularity only arises only in the recent times. Ten odd years ago its existence was not common.

Not many quilters actually had the chance to use them in their quilting projects. It existence is not as famously known as that of silk or cotton. The corporeal is smooth, mild & synthetic. In semblance also it is soft feathery.

At present, chenille has its own brightness with numerous qualities. These are the qualities which make chenille quilt unique as compared with other quilting fabrics. Its distinctiveness had made chenille one of the much sought after quilting fabrics of all time.

As chenille quilt is a kind of soft cloth with perfect look that’s why is excellent to prepare gift quilt, bedspreads & lap quilts. In 1996 designer Christine Bramhall also designed chenille jacket which later on became the talking point of the fashion industry.

LIST OF MATERIAL AND SUPPLIES NEEDED WHEN DEALING WITH CHENILLE FABRIC:

* Iron

* International type sewing machine

* Rotary cutter

* Cutting Board

* Sewing needles – International size 12

* Rotary ruler

* Needles

* Stitching machine

* Chenille – colors of your preference

* Cutting Board

* Fabric to make blocks, silk shall be most attractive.

* Pins – Glass Beheaded or plastic make.

* Batting

* Design for chenille quilt

Please follow these instructions carefully when you are working on your quilting projects:

1. Pre-wash the textile separately. Please do ensure the colors don’t fade and the textile doesn’t shorten. Then well dry the textile & Iron it later including the sprinkle starch. Try to be attentive that the textile be completely dry & dense with out wrinkles. Dry clean would be a better option if you can avoid washing.

2. More the layers and varied designs give chenille quilt a royal appearance. It can be used in different ways such as an appliqué pattern or block pattern. Place the base textile on the bottom & layer textile on top. Flat a textile & pin the layers together.

3. On every side stitch 5 or 6 layers of textile together keep away the pins. Later on the stitches are to be detached therefore stitches should be done loosely. While using block quilt patterns cut the textile as stated and make simple blocks as directed. Don’t let to slip from the mind to use the combination of textile while through it with chenille.

4. As the pieces joins do lining, batting and quilting as you would for any other quilting fabrics. Better to ensure do not quilt above chenille pieces as it looses it’s feather with the stitches on it.

5. Put attaching next to the edges using 2.5 inches attaching folded lengthwise. Be careful that never attach chenille. Always use silk as it is permanent and stronger cloth you can also feather the chenille by moderate wash drying with air blow.

Chenille is extent to use, as appearence can be swollen and warmer than normal quilt. They also require additional care like any of your precious things might require. These quilt do not ask for a wash regularly.



Tonya

Janette O asked:


I am a beginner to sewing and quilting.I have no previous knowledge of quilting.

Alice

Ang asked:


I have a good basic sewing machine(babylock) so what would be a good reasonable machine that could do embroidery and machine quilting or would I need to just have 2 seperate machines? I am still new to sewing/quilting and would like a machine that’s fairly easy to use and easy on price.Any suggestions would be great.

Ruben

Kristen Q asked:


I have a beautiful new sewing machine and I would like start quilting. What materials and tools do I need to start?

Manuel

Jennifer Walter asked:


Quilting – this is something you can have fun with and use it too. Fun, well don’t we all like to stay warm in extreme conditions, sit in a warm quilt and watch television.

Add some really true blue colors to that quilt and fabric that makes you feel extra comfy. With heart felt trueness – there’s no better feeling than to be able to utilize one’s own self created product.

Today machines have overpowered our lives beyond imagination and yet if you were able to have something that you can claim to be handmade wouldn’t express be an achievement of sort.

Quilters like us can have that distinction, yeah almost handmade, as we would require a sewing machine. If the craft of quilt making is to be kept alive then the responsibility will have to be shouldered by some of us thus a start to finish education in very essential for that.

Quilts can be either the simple ones or the more elaborative designed ones, the latter being for the more experienced quilters. Starters always have a query as to what’s the simplest form of quilt making and it is – a basic block quilt.

But what they forget to inquire “How to make block quilt for starters?” Sorry if you are looking for an as easy answer, there can be a whole think fat book written on this matter and I can talk about it for ages. Right now though no lengthy explanations, here is a primary guidance for those looking to start and finish a hassle free project.

List of tolls and supplies required :

* Customary sewing machine

* Spray starch

* Rotary cuter

* Embroidery needles – general size 12

* Iron

* Needles

* Cutting mat

* Quilt batting

* Fabric in 4 colors or 4 shades.

* Pins- beaded head

* Design for block quilt

* Rotary ruler

ASSEMBLING A BLOCK QUILT:

Block quilt is nothing but a quilt that is simply designed. In simple terms, one design on a selected block in sewed on after the other in similar fashion till the desired size is accomplished.

A block can be called as the unit for the quilt. Here below are some steps that could make your block quilt making experience much easier.

1) Get the fabric ready: washing the fabric separately is a prerequisite. That is if you want to ensure that there is no color loss or shrinking fabric dilemmas later. Let it dry dey and then proceed to iron the material once you have sprayed starch to it. Make sure that the material is entirely dry and hard sans wrinkle.

2) Cutting of fabric: Take the fabric and put over a place mat in the form of a heap one over the other. Then take a measurement scale and slash 2 inches X 2 inches pieces using a rotary cutter. Create as many pieces of out the fabric depending on the dimension of the quilt that you’d like o make.

3) Assembling a Block: Once you have the pieces stitch them all to make a bid square or a simple block. Carry on sewing to make multiples of identical blocks.

4) Piecing: This process will see you create the wanted dimension of the quilt once all the blocks have been stitched together.

5) Batting: The batting material should be placed above on the piecing. The upper side of your piecing should face the mat while the sewed portion along the batting. Take the lining material above it.

6) Quilting: take the help of a sewing machine to stitch all 3 layers with one another. For first time learners its recommended that stitching take place on and around a primary block while those who have prior knowledge may select extravagant patterns.

7) Binding: All sides of your fabric should be binded.



Nicholas

Jennifer Walter asked:


Memories are never ending tales of the warmth and happiness that we have shared over a period of time with friends, family and relatives. This experience only gets better day after day and therefore there are many more memories that we will want to preserve over a period of time.

Here in a picture quilt shall be a great way to do that. A picture quilt serves the purpose of keeping memories for us intact and later narrates them as if it were just yesterday.

Another name which picture quilts are known by is photo quilt, while the name – memory quilt is there because of the purpose and the making procedures. Kindly don’t get confused when the terms photo quilt, picture quilt and memory quilt come up as they are all the same.

If I were to be asked then picture quilt of all the different types would be the one I shall like to have. Let me share a personal tale with you here, once I sat for 5 days to build a picture quilt for my granny and those 5 days were very trying.

Reason was not pain in making that design I choose but because I couldn’t stop my hands while making it for her and then when I finally presented it to my grandmother she cried endlessly. These are precious things that you should make and be proud off as well.

I hope you are dreaming off the emotional talk I have made, I think you are as upbeat as I sound to craft a picture quilt so here’s how

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

* Needles and pins

* Photo scanner

* Threads

* Sewing machine

* Select the fabric or else cut portions from your old worn out clothes

* Photos

* Fabric paper

* Printer.

* Cutting mat, Rotary cutter, and ruler

THE PROCEDURE:

We should try and give more importance to the design pattern and relevance to memories while making the picture quilt. In this summary we shall learn how to craft a printed and scanned picture quilt, but there are other things you can do to make one. Having a predetermined design and theme will help you make one without confusion.

There is no limit to imaginations and if you like to be creative then making one with a marriage, family reunion or graduation theme will be the prefect way to start. The color scheme will help enhance the effect of the final product.

Carefully choose the picture and make sure it has high resolution so that the photo does not get lost in the beautiful shades of the picture quilt. Generally the square should be 6 X 12″. Pick the photos and cut them in the shape you’d like them to be placed on the quilt.

Place the photos in a way as to match your pattern of quilt. Then cut the fabric in the same size (printed or printed). Now place the photo and the fabric on a plain board. Ensure that the photos are of high resolution and fabric material is ironed as well as cut into shape.

Now follow the steps that you would do for a normal quilt making – batting, piecing, quilting and in the end binding. What you have in hand is that ultimate and unforgettable picture quilt ready to hold your find memories.



Nathaniel