Fabric Selection

Hello Ladies,

I have found that when I have left over material such as strips, squares etc. I lable gallon size zipp lock baggies and put my pieces in there also if you have two pieces of fabric that are right side in and you have to make a cut. I sew my 1/4" seam then follow by another 1/2" seam and cut down the middle now I already have two pieces sewn together for a later project. I then place it in one of my marked baggies according to size and or shape. 

This works great when you need to make a quilt in a hurry!

Instead of throwing away old tshirts with the kids favorite team or action figure... I sew the sleeve ends shut, sew the waist shut, and then stuff with poly fill.  Finish it off by sewing up the neck.  What you are left with is a memory pillow that hugs you back, and the kids don't get upset that they have lost that favorite tshirt!

Enjoy:)

How many of you have boxes, or bags full of fabric scraps that you just can't throw away?  Well, start by separating all your fabrics into colors, then cut 4 or 5 inch squares out of them (then toss the little leftovers, hard for some I know :) ) and play... You can put lights and darks together, cut into triangles, make pinwheels, or just start sewing things together and let the quilt evolve!  It is nice to see all your gorgeous fabrics (past and present) melding together into a quilt that may surprise you and also gives you a pleasant walk down memory lane.

Have fun ladies.. I know I did. Now I have some fun quilts, and all the extra space for new fabric!!

Natalie

Before washing new fabric, clip the corners and that will help keep it from raveling. Also remember to throw a dye catcher in there to catch any colors that may run.

Choosing fabrics that coordinate can be an overwhelming task.  I have found the best place to start is with ONE fabric fabric that is a gem, one that incorporates the colors I want to mix.  Many times, this will be a border fabric as well as one of the fabrics within the quilt top.  With the 1st choice fabric and the yardage requirements in hand, I browse my stash and the quilt stores.  I pick more fabrics than I actually need and then eliminate some by checking for a mixture of business and quietness, as well as small and large patterns. 

When I shop, if I see a fabric that I think would be a good 1st choice but I don't know where I'm going to use it yet, I usually buy 3-4 yards, since I will typically use these as a border print as well as within the quilt.  If the fabric will probably be used as an accent, I buy 1 yard. 

Choosing fabric can be the most fun part of quilting!  It's harder to make mistakes than you might think! 

When washing a lot of fat quarters or eighths, I don't dry them completely in the dryer.  I like to leave them slightly damp and press them the rest of the way dry, guaranteeing no wrinkles.  It will also work on bigger pieces of fabric too.

Before washing your fabric sew across the raw edges close to the edge so the fabric won't fray

While shopping in a thrift store, I came across a beautiful floral print flat sheet.  The sheet was almost new, with no fading or wear.  I purchased it for .50, took it home, washed and pressed it.  I have made it into the most beautiful quilt top, using the alternate nine patch block.  I took colors from the floral boquets for the outside borders. 

Sheets make good quality quilt tops as they have a high thread count and don't wrinkle easily, combine well with other quality fabric and drape well on the bed.

To identify fabric content, burn a corner of a peice of scrap fabric and extinguish it in a bowl of water. Cotton will feather with a light ash as it`s burned: poly blend will feel like plastic when it is burned.

When you buy or come across a quantity of fabric, cut a small diagonal snip across all four corners before you wash it.  This will prevent ravelling and getting all the pieces tangled up together in the dryer (or at least cut down on it a lot!).  Also, you can now identify what fabric has been washed and what hasn't!