Chatterbox Quilts’ Blog
Helping Quilters Learn and Improve
The biggest problem I hear from quilters when it comes to the quilting part of their project is that they don’t know what motif to put on their quilt. They’re afraid that they’ll “ruin” their quilt, either through lack of skill or poor quilt motif choice. I’m not going to say that you can’t ruin a quilt through poor choices in these areas, but there are 4 considerations that I think will help you to avoid “ruining” your quilt.
I recently had the opportunity to interview Gammill Quilt Artist and long arm quilter extraordinaire, Sharon Blackmore of Love Shack Quilts, Sharon is a local long arm quilter, specializing in custom quilting, and is the host of the Prairie Quilt Militia and How do I Quilt This? Facebook group.
Sharon has been free motion quilting for about 20 years and long arm quilting (always on a Gammill) for about 12 of those years. Her secret to her amazing quilting is that she quilts every day. Yes, practice definitely makes progress towards perfection!
Sharon loves to challenge herself and this is also how she has improved her skills over the years. She believes that it’s important to challenge yourself and try projects outside your comfort zone to improve your quilting skills. Recently she has been quilting on leather and cork and the results are incredible!
As a Gammill Quilt Artist, Sharon has been teaching in Canada and the US on the Quilting with Confidence tour. Sharon loves teaching and appreciates the opportunity to learn from the other Gammill insructors on the tour.
The Rebel, designed and quilted by Sharon Blackmore
Click on the image below to learn more about Sharon and her quilting journey.
After we filmed this interview, Sharon and I recorded several more videos where Sharon shared quilting tips and advice on free motion quilting and went in-depth on how she quilted several of her quilts. These videos are available exclusively for members of The Quilter’s Way. Not yet a member, check it out here.
Click here to learn more about the Prairie Quilt Militia and the How do I Quilt This? groups.
Creatively,
P.S. Are you serious about improving your quilting? Do you want to connect with other committed quilters in a supportive, safe environment? If you answered “yes” to these questions, you need to join The Quilter’s Way. The Quilter’s Way is the only quilting membership site that includes both training and an active, supportive online community. Don’t wait another day! Join now.
P.P.S. Did you know that you can sign up to receive emails full of FREE quilting goodness? Click here to receive FREE content directly in your email inbox every few weeks from Chatterbox Quilts. I know you'll be glad you did!
P.S. I am an Amazon affiliate and, if you purchase items by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a small amount of commission. This doesn’t cost you any more $$$, but helps me to continue creating free content for you. Thanks!
Do you use the pillowcase method to finish your quilt projects? Do you know about the pillowcase method? If you don’t, I’m going to tell you all about it and you are going to love this easy way to finish smaller projects.
The pillowcase method is a way to finish your quilts without binding them. Yes, you know I hate binding, so this is one of my go-to techniques for avoiding it! You’ll need:
Your quilt top
Batting cut to the size of your quilt top
Backing cut to the size of your quilt top
No binding strips!
You are going to layer the 3 parts of your quilt as follows, from the bottom up:
Batting
Quilt top, right side up
Backing, wrong side up
Pin these 3 layers together around the raw edges, leaving a gap so you can turn it right side out later on. The size of the gap depends on the size of your project: a 3” to 4” is okay for most small to medium size projects. Leave a larger unsewn area is you are working on a bigger project.
After pinning the 3 layers together, sew around the outside of the sandwich with a ¼” seam, remembering to leave that unsewn gap for turning. I like to use a walking foot to do this. Clip off the corners and turn the project right side out, pushing out the corners (I like to use That Purple Thang to do this). Hand sew the opening closed and your project is now ready for quilting.
For detailed instructions, click on the image below.
Have you ever used the pillowcase method before? If so, let me know your results in the Comments below.
Creatively,
Download the free Get Out of the Ditch! guide to learn how to start free motion quilting by clicking here.
P.S. Are you serious about improving your quilting? Do you want to connect with other committed quilters in a supportive, safe environment? If you answered “yes” to these questions, you need to join The Quilter’s Way. The Quilter’s Way is the only quilting membership site that includes both training and an active, supportive online community. Don’t wait another day! Join now.
P.P.S. Did you know that you can sign up to receive emails full of FREE quilting goodness? Click here to receive FREE content directly in your email inbox every few weeks from Chatterbox Quilts. I know you'll be glad you did!
P.S. I am an Amazon affiliate and, if you purchase items by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a small amount of commission. This doesn’t cost you any more $$$, but helps me to continue creating free content for you. Thanks!
If you’ve never made a pincushion before, you’ll want to keep reading. This project is great for using up scrap fabrics and for dipping your toes into fusible web appliqué. It doesn’t take long to make at all, so it’s a perfect “gotta have it done in an hour” gift.
If you have never tried this easy form of appliqué and want complete instructions on how to do it, you’ll definitely want to check out my course, Fusible Web Appliqué Essentials. It goes step-by-step through the whole process of making a fusible web appliqué project. (Or join The Quilter’s Way where this course is included free with your membership).
Now back to the pincushion project. Here’s what you’ll need:
Two charm squares – one for the top and one for the backing
An appliqué shape that is backed with fusible web or you can use a glue stick to adhere it to the top
Perle cotton or similar heavy thread and a long, thick needle
Polyester fill or similar filling
Usual sewing supplies
Once you’ve assembled all your materials, starch the two charm squares so they are stiff. This makes them easier to work with.
Fuse or glue the appliqué to the top charm square. Finish the appliqué edges by stitching with your chosen stitch. I like to use a narrow zigzag.
Note: You might need a fabric stabilizer underneath the fabric, depending on the denseness of the stitch you have selected.
Place the top and back charm squares right sides together and stitch around them with a ¼” seam, leaving an opening on one side to turn. Clip the corners and turn it right side out, poking out the corners (I like to use That Purple Thang to do this).
Stuff with Polyfil or similar stuffing until very firm. Hand stitch the opening closed.
If you like the look of your pincushion just as it is, you can stop here, but if you want to give it a bit more definition, read on.
To give it a pincushion shape, I like to stitch through the centre of the pincushion and out the back several ties, pulling the thread taut each time. Use two lengths of perle cotton for this (a regular weight thread might break - ask me how I know!). Knot the thread and starting on the back, push the needle through to the top. Take a small stitch and then go back down to the back, pulling the thread taut. You could add a button on top while doing this if you wished. Do this 3 times and then knot the thread in the back.
Your pincushion is now done!
For a complete step-by-step tutorial on creating this pincushion, click on the image below.
Have you ever made a pincushion before? Share your ideas and experiences in the Comments below.
Creatively,
P.S. Are you serious about improving your quilting? Do you want to connect with other committed quilters in a supportive, safe environment? If you answered “yes” to these questions, you need to join The Quilter’s Way. The Quilter’s Way is the only quilting membership site that includes both training and an active, supportive online community. Don’t wait another day! Join now.
P.P.S. Did you know that you can sign up to receive emails full of FREE quilting goodness? Click here to receive FREE content directly in your email inbox every few weeks from Chatterbox Quilts. I know you'll be glad you did!
P.S. I am an Amazon affiliate and, if you purchase items by clicking through the links in this post ,I will receive a small amount of commission. This doesn’t cost you any more $$$, but helps me to continue creating free content for you. Thanks!
Lots of quilters loved this technique and some of them had some questions. As the edges of the facing strips aren’t finished, they wondered if they might fray when washed. Others wanted to know if this technique would work for large bed-sized quilts. To answer all of their questions, I created another video and you can watch it by clicking on the image below.
