Discover Quilting Tips and Techniques
A quilt is far more than simply a blanket. It is a work of, if not art, certainly high craft, involving the intricacies of the art of stitching, color coordination and design piecing. Beginners, therefore, would initially find quilting work to be too demanding and difficult.
However, the beginners can now benefit from the experience of quilting masters who have compiled a list of very useful quilting tips and techniques for their use. These tips and techniques will help the beginners learn the craft rapidly, avoid mistakes and do the work quickly.
Quilting is a time consuming work consisting of a series of steps. Each step involves quilting tips and techniques, which need to be mastered to make a quilt without any defects. Rare is the case where quilts are made without any mistakes.
Below are given some quilting tips and techniques, which are in no way complete, being the barest minimum, but enough to ease the beginners initial diffidence. The beginner as he goes along will learn more advanced techniques and in course of time develop his own quilting tips and techniques, hopefully aiding further progress.
Important tips and techniques for beginners
Fabric selection: The type of fabric you buy will determine to a large extent the quality of your work. Choose a good quality fabric that is soft and heavy and has crisp colors and clear designs. The weave should be of high quality. In case of metallic prints, the metallic material should not flake. Cheap fabrics will have none if these qualities and will also present shrinkage problems.
Fabric marking: Always use chalk to mark fabrics. Pencil, pen, or wash-out markers will not wash out and may spoil the fabric over time.
Needles: A needle is often hard to grip. For a firmer grip, cut a finger tip from a latex glove and use on the finger that grips the needle. Always store needles by inserting them into a bar of soap. This way the needles are not rusted. Also, the coating of the soap film keeps the needles smooth allowing easy piercing of fabrics and foundation.
Ruler: Always use the same ruler throughout quilting to prevent measurement errors.
Slipping: To reduce chances of slipping and inaccuracy use sandpaper underneath fabric and rulers.
Rotary cutters are a very important tool and can be the cause for many quilting mistakes. Keep spare blades on hand and keep them covered. Use the rotary cutter while standing because sitting or leaning position can cause crooked cuts. Avoid cutting pins since they scratch the blade causing defective cuts.
As you go on quilting, you will learn more advanced techniques and in order to bring about further improvement develop your own quilting tips and techniques.
