|
|
Quick Tips
We have many "Quick Tips" for you to help in your quilting experience. There is a list at the top of this page (bellow) that you can click on for the topics of interest to you! General Tips Quilt Shop Fabric vs. Chain Store Fabric Basic Paper Piecing Tips Tips for preparing your Quilt Top Estimating Thread for your quilt top The Science of Cotton Thread Sewing Machine Needles - Whitch to use? Which to Use - Betweens or Sharps Clean Bobbin Area
Stitching
Machine Embroidery
Thread
The Difference Between Chain Store Fabrics and Quilters’ Grade Fabrics
by Jim Salinas I’m often asked, “Is there really any difference between the printed cottons found in chain stores for $2.99 to $5.99 per yard and those found in quilt shops and the best mail order catalogs for $7.99 to $9.99?” You bet there is! Premium brands start with high quality greige (gray) goods. Premium greige goods have a thread count of at least 60 by 60 threads, and most have thread counts higher than “60 square.” Higher thread counts produce a silkier hand, less bearding when quilted, longer fabric life and better printing definition. Most chain store cotton prints are made from less expensive greige goods that have 60 square construction or less. In chain stores, 60 square construction is considered to be the benchmark of high quality. In addition to thread count, fabric quality is also determined by the diameter of the yarns used, the size of the cotton filaments and the length of the cotton staple. Although premium raw materials are more expensive and add to the final price you pay, you get a far superior finished product. Premium brands typically make use of a higher number of screens (the number of colors used in the print) and more complex and sophisticated engravings. High screen counts and complex engravings require using slower and more exacting flat bed presses than the high speed rotary presses used by domestic printers for most chain store fabrics. Once the greige goods are printed, they have to be “finished.” The printed fabric is placed in a chemical bath that sets the dye into the cotton fibers. Unfinished or poorly-finished goods bleed badly and have a very coarse, “boardy” hand. Premium brands are finished using more time-consuming and expensive processes that create the silken hand of quilters’ grade fabric in addition to superior colorfastness. It is, of course, an over-simplification to divide the cotton print industry into chain store brands and quilt shop/mail order catalog brands. Indeed, chain stores often carry a limited range of premium brands. But, generally speaking, chain store offerings are price driven. They cannot easily sell the higher priced fabrics to their clientele. As a result, chain stores tend to carry the lower priced (and therefore lower quality) cotton fabrics. Consider also the element of design. Premier designers tend to design for premium fabric companies. The technical aspects of the use of premium greige goods, printing many screens with fine definition, creating a silken hand through more sophisticated finishing processes – all these elements enhance a designer’s efforts. World-class design brings a unique dimension to premium quality fabric. It comes with a price, but it adds immeasurably to the special nature of quilters’ grade fabric. There is one more point that should be addressed. That is the issue of service and expertise. Most quilt shops and mail order quilting catalogs, the prime sources of premium fabrics, are well staffed with knowledgeable, friendly, quilting experts. Most shops provide classes and expertise unmatched by the chains. Quilt shops and mail order catalogs generally do not sell jobber goods. They offer only first quality, premium brands at fair prices. These firms deserve your support. In conclusion, there is most definitely a difference in fabrics. You get what you pay for. Premium brands offer a vast quality advantage over cheaper alternatives for just a modest increase in cost, especially when you consider the effort, skill and love that will go into your use of the fabric. -Jim Salinas
Please read all the instructions before beginning your paper piecing project.
Whether you quilt your top yourself or employ the services of a long-arm quilter
, following these simple tips will make the results more successful. Press Your Quilt Press all seams so that they lay flat. You may press them all to one side or press them open which ever will result in the least bulk at seam intersections. Pressing as you go will result in a better quilt. Measure Your Borders The most common problem when machine quilting is a top with a wavy border. This happens when you don't measure your border before adding it to your quilt top.
Backing
Untangling the Thread: Estimating Thread for Quilting
Bob Purcell at Superior Threads often gets asked the question "how much thread does it take to quilt a quilt?" Estimates vary widely depending on the size of the quilt and how tightly your quilting will be. But Bob spent many hours tangled up while figuring out the amount of thread it will take for the average quilt.
Everyone's technique is different so the following are only averages. Of course it is possible to use much more or much less thread. The numbers are for the top thread only. Double them if you plan to use the same thread for the bobbin. The three sets of numbers following the size represent Light Quilting/ Medium Quilting/ Heavy Quilting.
Laptop/Crib quilt- 200 yds./400 yds./600 yds.
Twin quilt- 400 yds./800 yds./1,200 yds.
Queen quilt-600 yds./1,000 yds./1,600 yds.
King quilt-700 yds./1,500 yds./2,000 yds. This great tip was found int the School of Threadology manual. The book and accompanying DVD lay to rest many of the myths we have heard for years, as well as great 'hands-on' tips to make your sewing smooth sailing. For more great thread tips check out the complete set available through Superior Threads.
An excellently pieced seam requires skill as well as good components. One of the major components of a good seam is the thread. Most quilters prefer cotton thread for piecing because cotton has a high heat tolerance and is therefore iron-safe. Cotton is also softer and more pliable than most other fibers. Here is what to look for in a quality cotton piecing thread:
~ Reprinted with permission from Bob Purcell, Superior Threads www.superiorthreads.com Sewing Machine Needles A. We listen to the professionals -- those who do and those who teach. The majority tell us they use the Topstitch style needle for nearly all applications including piecing (#80/12 needle), embroidery (#90/14), quilting (needle size depends on the thread size), general sewing construction/crafting (usually #80/12). The only exception is when sewing on knit fabrics and they use a ball point needle. If you sew at all, you probably already have “sharps” in your sewing kit. If you’re hand piecing cotton fabrics, use a sharp. Experiment with the sizes in your “sharps” needle pack to see which works best for you. A lot of hand piecers prefer the #10 size needle. To hand quilt your project, you will need to use a needle from the “between” pack. You may want to experiment with needles of different companies to find one that suits you. Some are stronger than others and will not bend as easily. Needles labeled "inbetweens" or "Betweens" are designed for hand quilting. They are shorter and thicker than Sharps. Why use one kind for sewing and one kind for quilting? “Sharps” are, well, sharp. A sharp point penetrates fabric like cotton without doing much damage. If you used a blunt tip needle for your piece work, you would likely leave large holes in the fabric with each stitch. Sharps pass through the fabric easily. Their thin, sharp tip is just the right size to separate the fabric fibers enough to pull thread through without leaving large holes. The “Betweens” are used for quilting because their tip works through several layers of fabric better. Betweens are perfect for working through a batting with a condensed or thick loft. And their short length allows the "rocking" motion needed to create even and short stitches.
|
|