Quilting Basics: Tips and Tricks

Sewing labels make your homemade quilts seem like more than a simple gift to friends and family members. However, quilting is not always easy. Many experienced quilt makers have found little tips and tricks that makes it much easier to do what they do. These tips range from cleaning up, to choosing colors and patterns for the quilts.

1. Use a small hand-operated air pump, like a mini bicycle tire pump, to clean lint and dust out of the sewing machine. This lint can build up to damage the machine. Most manufacturers advise against using products such as canned air, since it can damage the machine.
2. Use colored construction paper to help compare colors and patterns. Just take the quilt blocks and lay them onto different colors of construction paper. This way, you can match up colors easily, without worry that your quilt will clash.
3. Keep needles organized in pockets in a binder. This makes it easy to choose the right size needle when you’re in a pinch.
4. When marking, lose the marking pencils, and use loose chalk. Just take the stencil and place it over the material. Take a foam brush, dab it into the chalk, and run it over the stencil design.
5. Write cutting measurements down on a dry erase board. As you make each cut, erase the measurement to avoid confusion. It’s much easier than reading it from a book.
6. Prep and stack all of your pieces ahead of time to save much time while sewing. This will also help you keep track of all the different strips of fabric.

For more information about labels for your handmade creations, contact us at It’s Mine Labels.