Tidbit Tuesday #45 - Starching

Good Tuesday to you my friends! 

I have another tidbit for you today! Two weeks in a row even! 

This is a tip that I have grown to love and use all the time.  At first I groaned because I thought it took too long but after giving it a fair chance, I can't imagine not doing it.  

Starching.  Is. Amazing. 

I don't know about you, but I use a lot of Fat Quarters and Fat Eights.  Upon opening these, they always have folds that are not always so easy to get out. If you are anything like me, you want to give those pretties a quick iron and get to cutting so you can delve right into your project, right? That was me.  Inpatient and quick to cut.  This almost always resulted in inaccurate cutting which doesn't bode well when it comes to putting the quilt together.

Fabric is Ansonia by Denyse Schmidt for Freespirit!

Here is what I do with all my fabric before I cut it. 

First open up the fabric and lay it wrong side up. Using your favorite starch spray the wrong side of the fabric.  I like to use Faultless Heavy Starch as I can just starch one side and be good.  If you use a lighter starch, you may have to repeat the process on both sides, and perhaps more than once.  You will have to test to see what works for you. 

Note:  When I am pressing my blocks (using the same method) I use a lighter starch like Flatter! Love that stuff!! It smells sooooooo good! 

Love my Oliso Iron and Flatter by Soak!!

After you lightly sprayed the starch, let it sit for a minute or two.  I usually work in pairs.  I will starch two fat quarters, or whatever, wait two minutes, press one and before I start the second one, have a third sprayed.  This way one is always ready to go after I am done pressing. 

BEFORE you press, flip your fabric so the right side is now up.  Now press your fabric.  Go kind of slow.  You want the starch to raise up through the fabric as you press and you don't want the fabric to be wet so give it a good pressing. If you still have stubborn wrinkles in your fabric, after pressing the right side of the fabric, now spray the right side of the fabric with the starch, let sit, and then flip it to the wrong side and press.  Just remember you always want to draw the starch up through the fabric to your iron.  Never iron directly on the starch you just sprayed.  

Once you do this, your fabric will be wrinkle free and crisper.  Starching also stabilizes the fabric which is extra good when you are working with the bias edges!! It also helps  your fabric from fraying.  Who doesn't love that when you have to trim all those frayed edges from the back of a pieced top before getting it quilted??!! 

Another thing I have noticed with starching is that my cutting has been much easier and more accurate.  Nice crisp clean cuts! 

Oh and don't worry.  Your quilts won't be super stiff from starching (unless you go reallllyy overboard..lol)  and all of it will wash out!!! 

The morale of this story is that if you take your time in prepping the fabric, your quilts will go together easier and will come our more accurate.  Who doesn't want that? :)

These are all my personal thoughts on this subject matter.  What are your thoughts on starching?? 

Much Love!!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #44 - Seam Allowance

Hello Friends!! 

So if you have been a follower of mine for a while, you know I used to do a Tidbit Tuesday every Tuesday, or close to every one anyway. :)  After taking a blogging hiatus and then coming back, I haven't done one for a while.  

On that note, I thought I would bring back my tidbits! Yay!  Granted, these probably will not be every Tuesday but you will see them every now and again.  

Just like before, if you have your own tidbit you'd like to share, please send me an email at karrielyne at gmail dot com and I will try and post your tip on my blog.  Be sure that if you have your own blog, link to it in the email so I can link the tip back to you! 

Today my tip is about accurate seam allowances.  If you are a veteran sewist, you already know how important this seam accuracy is and you still may find this tip helpful so don't turn the page just yet. *wink*  If you are new to sewing then if you haven't perfected this 1/4" seam allowance, this may be just what you need!! 

I've tried a lot of methods but this is my favorite by far.  It does utilize a tool that you have to purchase but after the results I've had, I'd buy it 20 times over again.  Oh, this entire post is my personal opinion.  I was not asked to do this post, nor was I paid to do it.  I purchased the tool with my very own money! Yah! 

By chance I saw a post in Instagram by someone I follow.   Her name is Nydia and she blogs  at The ADD Crafter. She was using a tool called Ideal Seam Gauge.  It immediately caught my attention and that day I ordered it.   You can find them at Sew Very Smooth. 

Let me tell you a bit about it... 

This tool is made of a hard plastic so it is durable.  It's not a flimsy piece of plastic or paper that can be ruined over time. Huge plus for me.  Also you will notice that it has multiple sizes so it's great for other sewing needs besides quilting! How cool is that? 

The best part, it not only has a 1/4" seam guide, but it has the SCANT 1/4" seam guide! This is the one I use with my machine.  I most always use cotton quilting fabric and I use Aurifil thread so when I sew my seams, my seams come out "ideal".

Once you choose the allowance you want, or want to test out, lift your presser foot and slide the tool underneath.  Using the hand crank on  your machine, slowly lower your needed so that the needle drops into the hole for the seam width you are aiming for.  Once you have the needled dropped in the hole, lower your presser foot so it stabilizes the tool. Use lines on your machine or on your presser foot to ensure the tool is squared up (use a ruler if necessary) and then add your seam guide. 

Here is a close up of how I lined up my presser foot with the purple markings on the tool to ensure it was square. 

Once you are all square up, add your seam guide.  I used a magnetic one from Dritz.  

WARNING:: Do NOT use a magnetic seam guide if you have computerized mechanisms below the needle plate!! This will ruin the computer.  For most machines this is safe to use because the computerized parts are not under the needle plate, but if you are not sure, contact your machines customer service to see if it is safe to use.  

I have a Juki 2010Q, so if you have one of those, you are safe! 

Don't wan't to use a magnetic seam guide?  No problem!! You can use other marking tools like washi tape (pretty tape that resembles masking tape, only prettier) or post it notes.  Some machines also have seam guides you can screw into your machine.  

Now you are ready to sew a test piece.  I will usually take 2 pieces that are 2.5" square and sew the seam and press it open.  Measure the piece.  Does it measure 4.5"? Yes? Bingo! 

Once you have your seam all set, sew to your hearts content!! 

As you can see below, one of the biggest reasons I prefer the magnetic seam guide, or the kind you can screw in, is because it is a surface I can run my fabric against with out worry of it sliding past it too much.  However, use what works for you. 

I hope you enjoyed this tidbit Tuesday!! Don't forget to send me your tips!

Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #43

Hey, guess what?! I remembered that it was Tuesday today!!! Shocking, I know! Don't worry, I have a back up to remind me just in case I forget though... ;) 

Today's tidbit is something that I never would have thought of to do, but it's really a great tip!! Especially if you have a cutting table that is a bit low and your back hurts from cutting so much!

I received an email from Karen who shared this with me:

"I got a tip straight from the world of competitive barbecuing.   My father is on a competitive barbecue team.  Since him and his teammates are all on the tall side, their backs would start hurting as they had to stand hunched over to pull their pork butts.  They came up with an ingenious solution.  They now can raise up their table quickly when they need it, and put it back down when they don't.  How, you wonder?  Take 1 1/2 inch PVC pipes, cut into 12 inch lengths, cap one end, and put it onto your cutting table's legs.  I put the table up for marathon cutting sessions that used to leave my back in spasms.   If you don't want your table up, just remove the legs.

 

And, please excuse the stained carpet.  Our dog, the Village Idiot, chew up a lipstick under the table. The rest of the mess, well, its my sewing room.  It breeds creativity, right?"

 

Sorry Karen, I had to leave in the Village Idiot comment...it totally made me laugh!  :D  Thanks so much for sharing this tip!! 

 

Anyone else have a tip to share?! Just email me at karrielyne@gmail.com, and if you have one, include your blog address so I can link to you! :) 

 

Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #42

Hello again my friends! 

Today's tidbit is a quick one. One we've probably all learned from experience, but still try to test the waters. 

You are probably wondering "what on Earth is that woman talking about?" right?

Well....what I mean is that when you find something you really like and you have no reason to change it, don't. 

Example: 

Sitting atop my next MBS quilt made of Sherbet Pips!! :D

Thread. I've used a good plenty of different kinds, but my all time favourite is Aurifil 50wt cotton thread. It's a dream to work with. It's smooth. It leaves less lint in your machine, which by the way, makes your machine literally go "ahhhhhhhhhh...". ;) 

In case you are wondering #1, I get mine at Red Rock Threads!  It is $8.95 per spool but it's only $4 shipping no matter how much you get! The shipping is super fast too! Gotta love that! Stock up! ( I was not asked to promote this shop, its just who I use and like. )

In case you were wondering #2, my favourite colour in Aurifil is the Light Gray #2600. I do all my piecing with this and a lot of my quilting too because it nearly becomes invisible, even on white fabric! (Again, I was not asked to promote Aurifil, it's just what I love!)

So why is this my tidbit for today? Not to talk you into switching to Aurifil (even though it is really really really great thread) but just to tell you to stick with what you love and you know works. There is nothing worse than telling yourself that you are going to try something new just because it's cheaper. Then after fighting with breaks and knots and re-calibrating your machine just to find out you hate it and you have to go spend the money on the thread you really like and you *really* wasted the money on the crappy thread anyway. {{takes really big breath and ends rant}}... LOL!

Notice the bit on re-calibrating your machine? Yes, you do need, or may need, to do this if you change your thread. So all that work you did to get your 1/4" seam perfect....yep, you need to start over if you choose a different type/weight thread. Why? Well, because if you have a different weight thread, thinner or thicker, like it or not, it affects your seam allowance. That little bit could change your block size by 1/4" - 1/2". Ugh.....See what I mean? It's just not worth it. :)

Moral of this story is to stick with what you like, and if you must change to a better thread, don't forget to test your 1/4" seam allowance again so when you start piecing, you won't have to rip it all out! Especially if you are mid-project. :) 

Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #41

Ohhh...It's Tuesday and I almost forgot about my tidbit. That's because I had yesterday off and today totally felt like a Monday! Glad I got my head back on straight! :)

Today's tidbit comes from someone I adore! One of the sweetest people I've "met" in blogland!! 

Her name is Cindy and she blogs over at Adventures of the Singing Quilter.  One of these days when there is no more threat of snow, we are going to get together. Aren't we Cindy? I haven't forgotten! ;) 

Here is Cindy's tip and I Love it!!!! 

"I went to my quilt retreat last week and someone had an awesome idea that I though you might like to use on your Tidbit Tuesday sometime.

You know when you struggle to lay your quilt out just right.  You think you have it, and then  you sew it together only to find you probably should have moved this block over there, etc.  Well...here's a easy, and very cheap, way to help solve that problem before a stitch is taken. 

It's called a peep hole.  Yep...those little things you look through your door to see who's bothering...I mean stopping to visit you?  :o)  They're only around $5.00 at your local home improvement store.  You can look at your quilt through this little gem and see the pattern and color and how well your layout really is.  It's truly amazing!"

Awesome tip!! Thank you Cindy!! 

Remember, if you have a tip you'd like to share, please email them to me at karrielyne@gmail.com!! I still have a few waiting in line to share, but I can always use more! 

Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #40

Holy Smokes!! Forty! Forty Tidbit Tuesdays! That's like over the hill, right? *ducks from flying objects*

Hhahahaha...just kidding! Age is just a number to me. I always say your are as young as you feel. That means we are ALL spring chickens here, right?! :)

Today's tidbit comes from Erica who emailed me this great tip!! Erica, if you are reading this and you have a blog, please let me know so I can link to you and give you more credit! :) 

Here is what Erica says:

"My tip is for binding...  I like my binding to be full and to get that I have to pull my binding up to the 1/4 inch mark when sewing the binding to the back by hand.  I was always licking my fingers to get be able to grip the fabric and move it up with my thumb.  Then it hit me to use a latex glove on my stationary hand.  This works great.  I don't even have to use hair clips to hold it down anymore. "

 

What a great idea!! I know exactly what she is talking about and I plan to use this tip on my next binding!!! 

Thanks Erica!!! 

Got a tip you want to share? Please email it to me at karrielyne@gmail.com along with your blog address (if you have one) and I'll feature it here! :)

Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #39

**tap tap tap**

Is this thing on? 

I promised I'd be back today for a really great tip! I really wish I was the genius that thought of this, but I wasn't. Bummer dude! LOL. :) 

Nope, this tip, as far as I know, originated over at Red Pepper Quilts (amazing blog by the way) but I first saw it on my buddy Ann's blog called Renegade Quilter.

We are quilters, so we quilt. This part is not my favourite part of putting a quilt together but I am getting better at it. However, I still look for ways to try and make this easier on me because it is a lengthy process.

Those quilts can be slippery little suckers and you need something to get a grip so you can quilt away. No way could I quilt a quilt with just my bare hands. I normally use these cute little purple gloves that have rubber knobbies on the finger tips. Those did work, for the most part, but it was difficult to get a really good grip to move the quilt along. Not only that, they were kind of pricey. 

So the tip today is to go out to your local hardware store and get yourself a pair of these babies, or something of the like. 

Mine came from Menards (these are not everywhere but its a store like Home Depot) for $3!!! Any hardware store should have something like it. Maybe even Wal-Mart or Target, but I've not looked there. They are a knit glove and the palms and fingers are a rubbery surface. 

See all that crinkly goodness? That is what grabs a hold of your quilt and make quilting sooooo much easier!!

I admit, they are not the prettiest things you will ever wear, but don't worry. It's not like I'll be behind you taking pictures of you in your silly mits.....*crosses fingers behind back*. ;)

A couple of suggestions to go along with these is to get a pair that fits as snug as you can stand. If you get a pair that is too loose, you won't have the control you need. If they are too tight, well blood won't circulate to your fingers and that is, well....that's bad. So don't get them too tight. :)

Oh, and just to prove that I haven't been a complete nincompoop in the sewing department....

I have been working on a cute little project in Max & Whiskers by Basic Grey for Moda.  More on that soon!

Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #38

I think most of us use rotary cutters. If you don't, grab your purse or wallet and get in your car and go get one, and a cutting mat and rulers. Yes, now! You can thank me later. :) 

Along with those rotary cutters, we must have rotary blades to go in them. We also need to change these blades every so often because as they get dull, our cuts are not as clean and we can't have that. As soon as you change that blade and cut with it, you will automatically wonder why on Earth did you wait so long to change it! There's nothing like a fresh blade in a rotary cutter. :)

Dilemma. They really are not cheap. They are vital though, so we spend our good hard earned money on them hoping to catch a sale at JoAnn fabrics to get them at 50% off! If not, we usually find ourselves waiting just a wee bit longer to change that blade. Yes, you know you do.

Why am I babbling on about this, you ask? Go ahead, ask. I won't mind.

Ok, let me tell you anyway. :)

A dear reader, Kenna, over at Kenna Quilts sent me a tip about rotary blades. This might sound goofy but I think I just might give these a go.

Carpet blades. Two in a pack for $1.49. <----- Did you see that price!!?? I think its really worth a try at that price and if they work, just think how much more fabric you can buy!!

Ohhh...you probably want to know where to get these huh? Well, head on over to Harbor Freight Tools (click the name and it takes you right to the blades) and you will find the blades that will fit the 45mm Olfa cutter. Kenna said she has used these in her Olfa and loves them, but she isn't sure how they would fit in other 45mm cutters. Still...worth a try in my book.

As a matter of fact, I just placed my order for 5 sets. 

Carpet cutters. Who da thunk it? Thanks Kenna!!!

Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #37

So... ummm ... last week I completely and utterly forgot about Tidbit Tuesday. I realized about Friday that I had forgotten.... oops! 

Today's tidbit is something I saw on a friends blog and I thought it was such a great idea, I asked her if I could use it here to share with all of you. Granted, all of you probably already follow my friend, because she really is awesome! :) 

Julie, from Jaybird Quilts was doing a binding video/tutorial and I noticed what she did with her binding after she had it all pieced together and pressed in half... lookie what she did...

Photo courtesy of Julie from JaybirdQuilts.com (thank you!)

She wrapped it around an empty spool of thread! What a great idea and look how cute it is! Great tip Julie, thank you for letting me feature it here. Now to go hunt down a few empty spools. :)

Oh, and while I am on the subject of Julie, she has some really great binding tutorials on her blog. She even braved what I probably never will, videos!!! Click HERE to see how easy she makes it! Honestly, I hated to do binding until I learned how to do it the Julie Way. :)

Something else that is exciting for me and for a few others.... 

Remember this...

Amanda has now made kits for this pillow available on her **NEW** and fabulous website!!! Sweet!!! Want one??!! Just click HERE to head on over! Even if you are not interested in a kit, head on over and take a look. Her site is really cute and it is also where you will find all the kits for future projects from her design team. :)

Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #36

Hello everybody!! 

Wow...thank you all so much for your sweet comments on my latest Moda Bake Shop goodie!! Every one I make I keep saying it's my favourite. Until I make my next one. Then that is my favourite.  I think this one will be my favourite for some time though. Central Park is just sooo...sooo....sooo pretty! 

So thank you. Again. You all rock and you all make me smile! =)

Today's tidbit comes from Charlene from Musings of a Modern Mormon Mom.  She has a lot of neat stuff on her blog and a couple of really cute kids!! =)

Here are her tidbit's that she wanted to share with everyone...

"If you make a block with many pieces, and when you iron it, it won't lay flat, put it on a folded bath towel, then iron it. It always lays flat after that.

To make straight lines for quilting, instead of drawing with pencil or disappearing ink, I use blue painter's tape. It doesn't leave the fabric sticky so I don't have to wash it out afterward

Use a potholder to make a case for scissors or rotary cutter. For a rotary cutter, fold pot holder in half and stitch the side and bottom edges together. For scissors, bring 2 corners together and stitch edges. The loops can be used to hang cases in your sewing room.

I love this one!  Use 2 door stops to raise the back of your machine so that the machine is tilted toward you.  Makes it easier to see what you’re sewing, gives you a better angle to see where your needle is going.

To keep bobbins neat, I went to the dollar store and bought some of those soft elastic hair bands – the ones that look like the fuzzy side of Velcro.  They slip perfectly over the bobbin, holding the thread tight – no more snarls!"

Wow....great tips Charlene!! Thank you! I really want to try that towel one AND the door stop one!! Fantastic!! 

In other news....

Miss Kelly from Thinking Out Loud has put up a challenge. Her challenge is to do something, anything, crafty, everyday for the month of February! Ack!! I don't know if I can do this every day, but I am sure going to give it a go! If you want to join in, go read her FIRST POST on her blog, go make something, and then go join and upload your photos to her Flickr Group! I think it's a great idea, actually and I think it will be fun too! 

So my craftiness today (Day 1) was to work on my Block-A-Palooza blocks! I had block one from Quilt Dad done already from last week...

Today I worked on block two from Oh Fransson ...

 

 

...and block three from Sasikirana Handmade...

I'm really loving these blocks so far!! I am using the same line, Sunkissed by Sweetwater for Moda, but I am changing up my colors cuz I like to be different. =)

Are any of you participating in Block-A-Palooza too? 

Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #35

Before I get to the tidbit for today, I just want to shout out a BIG thank you to those of you who have submitted tips to me!! They are a HUGE help because I surely cannot think of them all and I know we all have tips that make sewing easier and more fun!! So THANK YOU!! 

If I haven't posted yours yet, don't fret. I will. Promise! 

If you happen to have tips, please send them to me at karrielyne@gmail.com with the subject line reading TIPS and I will feature them here and give you all the credit! :D

Today's tip was sent to me by Wendy from Why Knot? who saw it in a newsletter from The Quilt Bear Quilt Shop!

To go to the newsletter, click HERE. 

I am going to admit a less than smart thing here, but I'm ok with that and why not give you all a chuckle, right? 

When I first read this I was like, "huh? what do you do after you cut the top off?". 

After I blankly stared at the photo for about 10 minutes I finally realized that after you cut the top off of the smaller spool...you put it INSIDE the larger one. That way it will fit on your spool holder! Genius!

I don't have a serger (pouts) and that is my excuse for my lameness. ;) 

Hope this helps some of you!!! Thanks Wendy for a great tip!!! 

Oh....do you remember this pillow?

Yes? No? Well either way, come back tomorrow for a bit of a surprise...hee hee :D

Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #34

I was working on a Moda Bake Shop project this weekend and as I was sewing I encountered a really great tip. Sometimes until you actually run into an issue, it's hard to think of those tips! :) 

Do you ever find yourself sewing along and when you look at your seams, you see skipped stitches?  like this...

click on image to see larger version of my mess..lol :)

You re-thread your machine, check your bobbin and even re-thread that, but nothing works. You think to yourself, "oh great! All this work and my quilt is going to fall apart!".

I'm here to tell you the solution is "usually" really as simple as changing your needle! Yep! Sometimes, unbeknownst to you, your needle gets bent and doesn't like to play nice, so this is its way of telling you he needs to be replaced!

So switch out that pesky needle and put in a fresh one and start again. Hopefully you will now have pretty stitches like this...

Don't you just love when bad things happen to me so I can teach you how to prevent them? LOL! 

Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #33

Ooooooookkkaaayyyyyyyyyyyy.....it's Tidbit Tuesday and I have a good one for ya!! 

This is kind of like a "my brothers friends mothers fathers uncles daughter in laws sister" kind of linkage so try and keep up, k? LOL

Sarah from Confessions of a Fabric Addict *waves* emailed me with this tip. 

She was reading The Bitchy Stitcher.... this post... (I recommend following this blog. I mean, come on. The name it self lured me in! ;))

In the comments of this post, Stephanie said....

 

"FYI: If you get blood on fabric, all you need to do is use your own spit and it will completely take the blood out. Sounds gross, but it works! (Longarmers rely on it, as strangers prefer to NOT have blood on theirs! hehe)"

So in other words, either stop sticking yourselves with needles or sewing your fingers (OUCH), or start spitting on your quilts. *grins*

You wonder why I always wash my quilts first..hee hee :)

Have a tip of your own, or a tip you saw somewhere else that you think is helpful? PLEASE oh PLEASE email me at karrielyne@gmail.com with the subject line of "tips". Please? :D

Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #32

Hello hello hello!!!!

Today's tidbit is brought to you by Angie from Love Sew Special!

"When I am drawing diagonal lines on my blocks I start from the center and work towards the corners. I do the same when I am pressing my seams. My grandmother taught me this years ago, and I still use it today. It keeps the blocks from stretching, especially near the corners where there is not as much fabric to work with as in square blocks.  I often draw these lines on a piece of cardboard that I have glued and taped a piece of fine sandpaper to the center of.  This helps hold the piece in place and also helps with the distortion factor."

Awesome tip Angie!! Thank you!!!! 

Keep those tips coming! I need more more more!! Did I say more? LOL! 

If you have a tip you'd like to share, please email me HERE with a link to your blog (if you have one) so I can feature it here! :)


Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #31

Oh. My. Goodness. 

I love the holidays but boy am I glad it's over. All that hustle and bustle has gotten me completely worn out! 

I hope all of you had a joyous holiday and got all the goodies you wished for!! 

On to tidbit Tuesday once again! Yay! :D 

This is another one of those things that I learned at my Stitch ~n~ Bitch that I had noooooo clue about. 

Do you know that your batting has a right side and a wrong side to it? Uh huh...it sure does! 

Who'd a thunk it? ;)

All battings will be a bit different so you may have to test them (I will tell you how). I always use Warm & White or Warm & Natural off the roll, so just like fabric, the sides that are folded together are the wrong side and the side facing out is the right side. Or if you are using it packaged, the side that is flatter/smoother with the "flakes" in it is the right side. The photo above shows right and wrong. The top corner shows the right side and it is laying on the wrong side so you can see a bit of a difference. It's much easier in person though. :)

Here is one of the FAQs directly from The Warm Company: 

"Is there a top and bottom side to Warm & Natural?
Yes. The side with "flecks" (plant and leaf particles) is the top side. The whiter side is the bottom side. If you iron a quilt or wearable made with Warm & Natural, press with the top side toward the iron and make sure your iron is on a low setting. If you make a white quilt consider quilting with Warm & Natural bottom side up."

This rule (I believe) is only for batting that is needle punched. 

You are probably asking why on Earth it even matters, right? Well I did a bit more research on this too and it's because it is needled from the right side. This pushes fibers all in one direction. This means that if you put your quilt sandwich together and put the wrong side of the batting facing your quilt top, when you quilt it, your needle is punching through the opposite way it was punched, or against the grain, causing more friction than needed on your needle and machine. Now, granted, it doesn't make "that" much of a difference. I know for a fact I've been putting my batting on the wrong way because I lay it out the same way every time ( or used to ) and my quilts have turned out fine. However, it does makes quilting a smoother process. :)

Do you ever use a dark backing and you get little pieces of batting punched through? It's because you put your batting wrong side up. Next time, put it right side facing your quilt top and you shouldn't get those pokies. 

If you are not sure how to tell what side is right or wrong, first feel it. Run your hand over each side. Generally speaking, the smooth side will be the right side and the bumpy side will be the wrong side. If you are still not sure, take a machine needle and push it through on one side, then the other. The side that it pushes through the easiest will be the right side. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts and/or comments on this, or if you have more tips about this! I definitely thought it was interesting as I had never even thought twice about which was the right way to lay my batting. Now we all know! :)

Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #30

Thirty? Wowzers! I guess they add up fast, huh? :)

Today's tidbit comes from Sandi over at Piecemeal Quilts, who happens to host our monthly Stitch ~n~ Bitch with her mom! Thanks Sandi and mom. :)

Do you ever come up short on your backing fabric? Care not to piece it with other fabric to make it the right size?

Well maybe this technique will help you out.

I have never tried this, but Sandi has, so it is do-able. :)

Click on over to Flynn Quilt Frame Company and scroll down to the heading that says Diagonal Pieced Back. There is even a link for you to print the instructions.

Don't want to do all that math on your own?

No problem. Click HERE for a calculator to do it for you! Woo Hoo! :D

There are also some illustrations on that second link that makes the process make much more sense!

I think I may even give this a go on my next smaller quilt. :)

Thanks Sandi!

Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #29

Let's talk about needles today. 

This was a topic that I was completely naive about when I first started sewing and I thought it may be some good information to pass on. :) 

How often do you change the needle in your sewing machine? 

This can definitely vary depending on what you are sewing and of course the type of fabric you are using. I sew mostly quilts using 100% cotton so I change my needle, most times, twice during my project. Once when I begin sewing the top and once when I quilt it. Granted if the top pieces together in a few hours, I won't change the needle. The standard time frame is about every 8 to 10 hours of sewing. Another rule of thumb is to change your needle after you go through 3 full bobbins. I think this is much easier to keep track of than actual hours of sewing.

Why do we want to change our needles so often? 

Mostly because the needle wears down and can make your stitches funny or your needle can bend and the needle could hit your bobbin case...ACK! That will create burs which will break your thread and then you will have to replace your bobbin case. A few needles will be much cheaper to replace than that!

The needle in your machine is definitely not something you want to keep using until it breaks. You will end up doing so much more damage than it's worth. Needles are fairly cheap, grab a few packages the next time you are at the store and change them often. Your machine will thank you for it. :)

Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #27

Thank you so much to all of you for your warm comments yesterday. Seems a lot of you have gone thorough a similar experience. **hugs to go around**

I've been a bad blogger as of late and I'm sorry. I try hard to respond to all comments and lately I've just been so busy I haven't responded as I would like to. I can tel you that I read each and every one of your comments though, and I love and appreciate them so much!! 

Speaking of comments, that is today's tidbit. Some of you have your Blogger accounts set up so that I cannot reply back to you, meaning you are a no reply commenter and I'd really love to be able to reply. to you.  You may not even know that I am unable to reply and think I'm a complete dolt for never responding. I assure you I am not trying to be a dolt. :) 

So my tip for today is, if you will, please, check out the link I'm going to give you and see if your account is set up this way and if you're willing to change it. I know some of you may not want your email address visible and that's totally ok too. I know I've mentioned it to a few people and they had no idea I couldn't reply. Adjusting your account will also aid in contacting you for give-aways!!

I'd write out the instructions for you, but Jodi at Pleasant Home has already done such a beautiful job that I will just link to her post. Thanks Jodi!! She wrote out awesome directions that are easy peasy, and while you're there, say hi and check out her blog! You won't be sorry!! I love her blog and the things she makes!! Truly Fab!! 

So....HERE's the link :)

If you don't mind your email address being visible to me when you comment, pretty please go check your account settings? :D

Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #26

I was flipping through blogs yesterday and I wish I could remember where I saw this tip. I can see the image plain as day but I cannot for the life of me remember who's blog it was on. If you happen to know, please let me know so I can give proper credit for this tip!

**Updated** Thanks to my bloggy friends, it was at Pink Chalk Fabrics that this tip was posted! Thank you!!

I'm always telling my family NOT to use my quilting/fabric scissors. Especially my Ginghers! I certainly don't need those to be used to cut off the tops of Go-Gurts or opening boxes of Mac N Cheese!! 

It was suggested to tie strips of fabric on the ends of the scissors so that it was an indicator to use these scissors for fabric only! In other words... HANDS OFF!!  :D

I hopped right on that band wagon and tied up all my scissors!!

Off you go to tie up your own scissors so your oblivious hubbies or sticky fingered wee ones leave your precious fabric scissors alone. :D

Much Love!!!

Tidbit Tuesday #25

Hello friends!! 

I've got a quick little tidbit for you that may come in handy, and might save your thumbs too! 

If you don't have the basting pins that are curved (I wish I had those) you can try this trick to help you out when you baste your quilt. 

(Let me apologize ahead of time for the poor photos. It gets dark now at like 5:30 so taking pictures is a pain. Boo!!)

Grab your quilt, your pins, and a spoon. :)

Place your pin in  your quilt and set the spoon under the pin using either the tip of the spoon, or the side of the spoon....find what is most comfortable for you. 

 

 

Then use the spoon to help you close the pin. 

 

 

Your thumbs will thank you for it! :)  

 

Enjoy!!

Much Love!!!