It’s time for a give-away!! Are you excited??
I ran into quilter extraordinaire Patsy Thompson at Spring Quilt Market, and she gave me a copy of her latest DVD Free Motion Fun…with Feathers! Volume 4, to give-away to one lucky Quilting Gallery reader.
You can watch an intro video on Patsy’s web site that gives you an outline on what you will learn in this DVD set.
I took a couple of photos while in Patsy’s booth. Unfortunately the lighting is poor, but you can still see some of her fabulous quilting.
I’m lucky enough to own Patsy’s other DVDs. She’s taught me so much and inspired me to actually try free motion quilting last year. Now, I love it.
How to enter: Leave a comment below sharing your favourite quilting tip. Your tip can be about free motion quilting or any part of the quilting process from cutting, piecing, quilting or binding. One random winner will be chosen Monday, July 19th.
Facebook, readers: You need to visit the Quilting Gallery blog to leave your comment and be entered in the give-away: CLICK HERE
And the winner is #120 Avery Claire. Congratulations!
My favorite free-motion quilting tip is to relax. If you tense up, you end up exhausted and your movements are jerky and not smooth. I would love to win Patsy’s DVD’s. I follow her blog and love the quilting she does. Thank you. Take care and God bless, Cory
My tip would be to get this video! I mean watching the clip made me think that with the help of this DVD I could actually accomplish something close to this…really I do think so! ;)
Just saw this DVD offer and know that I need it bad. I will watch the video in a few minutes but I am already sure I need it! I have been practicing my feathers and need all the inspiration I can get. I love doing them and want to do more. This looks like a dream come ture if I win!
Love the pictures on the blog and want to make feathers just like them!!
I think the most important tip is to relax and enjoy the quilting process. These DVD’s are very inspiring!
I’m actually a pretty good machine quilter, but I am Soooooo ready to step up to the next level. I get so inspired by Patsy’s work, but I haven’t taken that leap yet.
My tip? Sorry, ladies and gents, it’s one that you wish wasn’t so: Practice, practice, practice. Patsy didn’t quilt like that the first time or two (or TEN) that she sat down to quilt, and you probably won’t either. Don’t give up.
I am a hand quilter & a clueless newbie about machine quilting, so my tip is about binding.
I always make bias binding in large amounts, even when dealing with all square corners. It’s easy once you get the hang of it and excess can be stored around cardboard for craft projects, mini quilts, and/or charity quilts so you can whip them up in no time and it doesn’t take up much storage space.
Plus, I don’t dread the last step to completion! =) You’ve got to love that!!
It is very helpful to draw your design and trace over it a few times. It gets your brain into the rhythm of the design so when quilting you automatically know the way to go.
Also practice, practice, and practice some more.
My best tip is enjoy the process. Take a deep breath, relax your shoulders and stitch. Remeber it doesn’t have to be perfect, quilting gets better the more you do it. On my freemotion I just let the fabric tell me what it wants and needs. Sounds silly but it works. Also, don’t try to go too fast. Take your time and just concentrate on the immediate area you are working on.
i want to learn how to machine quilt, i dont have any tips cause I am just learning, i like to surround myself with items like this book that knows what they are talking about. since dh lost his job and unemployment i could never buy a book like this. what an honor it would be to have it, and it is a super honor for you to offer it.
Everyone else has mentioned quilting gloves (I love them too). But how about the “Sew Slip” sheet. Allows the quilt to just glide over the table.
I recently learned that if I have many blocks of one type to make, that I should completely put together one block before I start mass producing block sections. I had 40 2″ border blocks with only 3 pieces in the block. Seemed simple until I realized that I’d put 2 or the 3 pieces together WRONG in all 40 blocs. I would have caught this mistake if I’d made just one of them completely first. 1/2 hour to sew together wrong, and 2 hours to rip them apart. Sigh.
I would so much love to have this giveaway…I have heard so much about Patsy!
My tip is to always try to make the binding when you finish the quilt top. That way you do not have to search for the fabric months down the line! I have over 10 quilts waiting to be quilted and all the bindings are waiting too!
XOXOX Subee
What a wonderful collection of great quilting tips! My tip is one I learned as a kid when my dad was teaching me to drive the tractor! He always told me to look ahead to where I was going, not where I am at the moment. The power of the machine gets me through the moment, but only my brain can get me to where I want to be. So when I machine quilt I look where I want to go and visualize in my brain how I want to get there. Or as my drivers ed teacher used to tell us, “Aim High!”
I anticipate a foray into the machine quilting world as soon as my Koala cabinet gets fixed. So at this point, my best tip is to read read read, and study what the pros do, watch videos on YouTube, and best of all: read all the great tips in this comment section!
Whenever I start the quilting process, I make sure my machine is all dusted out and has a brand new needle in it. I also make sure I’m not rushed when starting out because I like to be very relaxed when quilting.
My best quilting tip is practice, practice, practice while relaxing, relaxing, relaxing! In the beginning, I made a lot of quilt sandwiches with muslin and leftover batting and practiced for hours. It pays off!
I set up my domestic machine’s tension by using 12″ squares of muslin+batting+muslin sandwiched together. I start with an upper thread tension of 3.0, stitch 1-2″ and mark a line with a pencil and record the setting right on the fabric. Then I move to a setting of 2.5 and stitch another 1-2″.
Continue in this way through a few more settings, marking as you go and you will soon see what is a good setting for tension. Record on the fabric the type of thread you’re using and you’ll have a reference for the next time (pics on my blog under “preparing to quilt Andrea’s quilt).
My tip is to be sure to use a design wall for trying out ideas for your quilts. Purchase a sheet of styrofoam insulation at a home improvement store and prop it against a wall, if you don’t want to mount it permanently. It could be put away in the basement, spare room or anywhere it will fit. Pin on some flannel and put up your fabrics and blocks. You can easily pin into the styrofoam as necessary.
I use a sheet of clear plastic and a wet erase marker to draw lots of ideas for my quilting. I can erase it and start over and over again until my design is just right. When I’m done, I simply clean it off for the next time.
I absolutely adore feathers….they look so elegant on a quilt. My favorite quilting tip is to do a LOT of practice quilting by making baby quilts. They don’t take much time and you always have a gift on hand and what better way to get really good at your quilting!
Oooooh… would love this one.
My tip… relax those shoulders, turn up the music and ‘dance’… with those feed dogs down.
Have fun!
I love using scotch tape to hold down applique pieces while hand appliqueing.
To practice a quilting design, get a large white board, use wipe-away markers, and repeat the pattern over and over using large arm movements (not just the hand as in normal handwriting), until filling the space with the design is fluid and natural. When you move to your machine, don’t watch the needle, but look ahead to the space you want to fill with your quilting pattern. Practicing and looking ahead will prevent working yourself into a corner.
I like to try different feet like I discovered the Bernina # 55 Leather Roller foot is great for free motion quilting curves and I like to use the #34 Clear Sole foot when paper piecing you can see more.
Sounds strange, but the way my sewing machine works, I sometimes have more control with the feed dogs UP.
I am still working on my machine quilting skills and I find that I do best if I trace the designs onto thin paper (I use rolls that are used in exam rooms in Dr’s offices). I then sew right through the paper following the design. It takes time to pull the paper out but it is worth it for me.
I’ve seen Patsy’s videos on The Quilt Show and she’s great!
My tip: Don’t be in a hurry. Slow down, take your time, take time out – with piecing, construction and quilting. Avoids lots of undoing!
I love Patsy’s designs also. My tip, Practice practice, practice, muscle memory is a great thing, and the practice builds confidence.
What a great question to ask Michele, I have learned a lot of tips by reading through everyone’s great replies.
The only thing I can add is to watch someone do some free motion quilting, maybe a friend, a you tube clip, or a dvd, then practice on some 12″ sandwiched blocks that you can later make into a quilt (the QAYG method).
If you end up doing LOTS of practice you could donate the finished quilt/s to a children’s cancer ward, or another worthy cause.
1. Keep a selection of needles in stock and ALWAYS use a fresh one for every quilt.
2. Brush lint from the bobbin area frequently (I do this every time I change bobbins.
3. I machine quilt standing and breath in as I shift the weight on one foot and breath out as I take the step to the side.
4. I wear ear guards to muffle the noise and protect my hearing
5. I visit Patsy’s tutorial website (365 Days) for inspiration and encouragement. She is an excellent instructor.
I am new to free motion quilting so my tip would be practice a lot. It take time to know the right speed to move fabric.
I to have started free motion quilting I am only learning stippling so far but would love to branch out and this book would really help.
My favorite tip is to pin the heck out of the loose borders! I’ve caught my extra backing fabric too many times and had to rip out some great free-motion quilting.
Use the hardware department to shop for quilt tools. One of my favorite is a telescoping magnet. Stretches from the size of a ball point pen to about 24 inches. Great for picking up pins etc.
practice, practice, practice.. dry the tears and practice some more.
Quilting tip: Remember, there are no mistakes, only design opportunities!
Practice! thats what I’ve been doing a lot lately. Use a kitchen timer set for half an hour to remind you to get up and stretch , take a break to rest your eyes, shoulders, back, arms and hands.
My tip is to make sure you have lots of prewound bobbins.
Love the tips given..THANK YOU!
I rolled my binding around my hand and then placed on the spindle (back) of my kitchen chair that I sat in for sewing … the binding hanging behind my shoulder was perfect for streaming down for sewing.
PRACTISE MAKES PERFECT..AND PERFECT PRACTISE MAKES PERFECT!
practise on a smaller version of the same sandwich you will be quilting on..for color choice decision and design!
Thanks for the opportunity!
I have heard so much about this DVD…if I don’t win it, I’m buying it :)
My quilting tip…draw your designs in pencil to practise and when you have a design you like, then practise running over the lines with your finger until you can do it in your sleep!
Loved the interview on Pat Sloan’s radio show..so fun to listen to you chat!
When I want to quilt certain shapes like leaves and want the leaves to look the same, I cut out a template using freezer paper and use my clover iron to press it in the place to be quilted. Then I free-motion around it, peel it off and then press it in the next place to be quilted. The same freezer paper piece can be used over and over before you have to make another. I wanted to quilt maple leaves around blocks on a quilt. Used this method to quilt 80 leaves!
I love feathers, and have tried making them “free-motion” but have never been satisfied with the results, and have had to frog stitch “ripit-ripit” and start over. . . I’m still hoping to learn how to sew free-motion feathers with such beautiful results! You are inspiring me to believe that I can do it!
my tip would be to wear quilting gloves!
and a cute little story….my daughter was sewing on her little machine (she was five or six i think at the time?) and i look over at her and she is wearing a pair of her pretend garden gloves that she dug out of her toy box!
I’ve never wanted to win another giveaway as much as I want this. I’m dying to try one of her dvd’s because I LOOOOOVE her stencils.
Anyway, my best tip I have is that when something works well, to stick with it. I long arm, and my quilts don’t shift when quilting them. I tried a shortcut (floating the top), and then I ended up with terrible results– so now I just do what works without worrying about shaving off time.
My quilting tip is: relax, breath deep,soothing music, take breaks often.
Practise , practise, practise – and don’t give up! As a beginner I like EZ boards to get the hang of the quilting motion. Thanks for the giveaway!
My tip: take courage and try. And don’t worry if it isn’t perfect, probably no one else will notice. They’ll be too busy admiring.
My tip is to not be afraid of any new technique! Mistakes made are simply opportunities for learning.
My tip: Always try something new it keeps you young and you can never learn enough. It makes you stronger and more interesting as a person. You can also help new people in quilting to want to go farther and to learn more. It helps make people new to quilting learn to enjoy it and not to be afraid and to give up,
I love using Sharon Schamber’s red ring for quilting. I hate having my hands covered with gloves!