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Nothing will do more to improve your quilting than learning to make an accurate ¼ inch seam. With
an unthreaded machine place a piece of paper with the right-hand edge on the ¼ inch mark on your
seam gage, and sew a row of “stitches”. Measure your make-believe seam and see if it is a ¼ inch seam.
If not, try moving your needle position to make a perfect ¼ inch when you guide what is being sewn
along your ¼ inch line. Practicing a ¼ inch seam will pay big dividends.
Test your ¼ inch seam allowance by sewing two 1 ¼ inch wide strips together and pressing the
seam. Measure across the joined strips. If the piece measures 2 inches you are right on the money. If
not adjust your seam width and try again.
Use the fuzzy side of Velcro with adhesive backing to mark ¼ inch on the machine bed. It has just
enough thickness to really guide the fabric. Easy to remove or adjust, and it stays sticky for quite some
time.
Measure twice, cut once.
Always read the directions all the way through before you cut anything. You would not believe the
things you find mentioned for the first time at the end of the instructions.
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When you are folding fabric in fourths and cutting a lot of strips, stop every 2 or 3 strips and open
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one up to make sure they are still straight. Your ruler can slip without you realizing it and give you dog
legs.
When cutting squares for half-square triangles, cut the squares 1 inch larger than the finished size
rather than the recommended 7/8 inch. Then trim them all to the correct size. It gives much better
results.
When making a quilt with log cabin blocks and you want to be able to square them all up to a
certain size before you sew them
together, make that last round of strips in the block an eighth of an
inch wider and you should be able to square all the blocks to the size that you want.
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Before putting thread onto your machine, running a line of “Sewer’s Aid” down the side of the
length of the spool will make your thread run smoothly through your machine and will lubricate your
machine at the same time. Sewers Aid is made by Prym-Dritz and can be found where sewing notions
are sold.
Fold a couple of lengths of Pearle Cotton to make a long string and spray a little WD-40 on it. Run it
up and down the long slit in the front of your machine where the thread goes. It will remove small
pieces of thread and fuzz and lint that have gotten into this area and will lubricate your machine.
Use two door jams under the back side of your sewing machine (one on either end of the machine)
to tilt your machine forward a little. This way you can easily see the fabric as the needle passes through
it without creating stress on your back or neck.
Bearing the above in mind, this is a good time to point out that for most sewing tasks you should
not be watching the needle—it is only going to go up and down—but should be watching the seam gage
as the fabric passes it to the front of the needle. You will be much more accurate doing this.
An old mouse pad on the floor under your foot control keeps the foot control from slipping away
while sewing.
Every time you use up a spool of thread or a bobbin take the entire bobbin case apart and
thoroughly clean out all of the dust bunnies that hide inside the machine.
Keep an old empty thread spool by your sewing machine and when a bobbin has just a little bit of
thread left on it unroll it onto this spool. Use it for basting and other small hand sewing jobs. Thread is
too expensive to waste and this will eliminate having lots of bobbins with a smidge of thread on them.
At the end of your sewing session use your Swiffer Duster to clean up those little threads from your
work area and even your ironing board. It is also good to dust your machine.
When making strip sets to be sliced into smaller units, it helps keep them from unsewing at the
edges if you use a much smaller stitch.
Become aware of the difference in stretch between the lengthwise grain and the crosswise grain on
fabric. The lengthwise grain runs the length of the fabric from cut edge to cut edge. The crosswise grain
runs from selvage to selvage. The crosswise grain has more stretch. When you cut squares from fabric,
each square will have two crosswise and two lengthwise sides. They will sew together easier if you are
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sewing two crosswise edges together or two lengthwise edges together. Remember there is no give in
lengthwise grain. You will never be able to stretch it to fit, but the crosswise grain has some give.
If there are straight lines in a quilt, for instance sashing, or straight strips in the block, make sure
they line up when the blocks are joined. Nothing shows more when a quilt is hanging than a straight line
that doesn’t match and run straight.
Use those little sticky labels to number each block when your top is laid out, or on a design wall.
Place the block number and row number in the top left corner so that you will know which edge to sew
the seam. You can use just one label for each block. Label them A-1, A-2, B-1, B-2, etc. The letter being
the row and the number being the column.
Use a child’s small toy hammer to fix lumpy seams. One good whack will flatten the fabric lump
when pressing a seam. (Editor’s Note: A wooden mallet used to pound meat will do the same thing.)
Try using a wallpaper seam roller as a “cordless iron” to finger press when you are piecing. It saves
energy and steps and works great.
I set up my ironing board across the room from my sewing machine to force me to get up from
sitting at my sewing machine. I walk across the room to iron and stretch while I am up.
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When making scrap quilts it is a good idea to wash all the scraps by stuffing them in a net lingerie
bag rather tightly so they don’t move too much and fray. Put a color catcher (Rit makes them) into the
washer with it. It is not worth the risk of bleeding color to use them without washing.
When adding narrow accent borders, be especially careful to keep them consistent in width. This
means you have to take your time and make accurate seams. A half inch accent border or piping should
be ½ inch all the way. Better not to add this if you can’t keep it straight and consistent.
When pressing seams on these narrow borders, press the seams into the border from each side. It
will fill the border and make it pop. If you press the seams away from the border and you heavily quilt
that portion of the quilt, the seam will show and make a shadow along the edge of the strip.
Always back-tack at both ends of the seams used to attach the final borders on a quilt. They can be
subjected to some stress in handling and in quilting, particularly when long-arm quilted.
When you are through assembling your quilt top check the back. If there are seams that are turned
one way at one end and the other way at the other end (we all know this happens no matter how
careful we try to be) “fix” this by clipping one end of the seam down to the sewing line and pressing it
the same way as the other end. No one will ever know you did this, but if you don’t fix it a lump will
show from the front after the quilt is sandwiched and quilted.
When piecing a back for a quilt from smaller pieces of fabric, try to have all the grain going in the
same direction, as it will give evenly and allow the quilt back to lay flat and not stretch inconsistently.
This is particularly true when sending the quilt to be long-arm quilted.
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Keep your cotton threads used for quilting and piecing on hanging racks (out in full view) in your
sewing room. It helps to see at a glance what colors you have for projects, instead of looking in boxes or
drawers for threads.
When threading monofilament into your machine, mark the end of it with a Magic Marker so you
can see it to pass it through the needle.
A strip of Glad Press 'n Seal wrapped around a spool of thread will keep the thread from unwinding.
Be sure to turn under about ¼ inch at the end so the Press 'n Seal can be easily removed.
Use a small child’s pony tail holder around your bobbins so the thread does not come undone.
Place several spools of thread for hand sewing in a large salt shaker (or one made for parmesan
cheese). Run each thread tail through a hole in the top so it is ready to use. Very useful when doing
appliqué involving several colors of thread.
Plastic double sided containers meant for Matchbox Cars make great mobile thread storage.
Carry a list of the cotton embroidery thread colors in your inventory so you don’t duplicate. Keep
the chart on your computer and edit it as you buy more thread.
Sew buttons on your quilts with dental floss. Just take a marker to the finished product and the
white dental floss disappears.
If you have trouble threading your needle, turn it to the other side and try again. One side of the
eye of the needle is wider than the other. It is not readily noticeable by just looking at the eye of the
needle.
Threading your needle difficult? Wet the eye of the needle instead of the thread. The thread is
attracted to the wet eye.
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Keep a plastic 3-ring binder with plastic sheet protectors in it. Make copies of all the instructions for
your rulers and other tools, along with instructions that come with rotary cutters to change the blades,
etc. and put them in the sheets. Keep the originals in a file in your filing cabinet. Instructions are always
handy when you need them. You can print a label, “RULERS AND TOOLS”, to run up the spine of the
binder to make it easier to find.
Mount a 12” long u-shaped metal rack on the wall beside your sewing machine under the machine
table so you can store all your seldom-used rulers in one convenient location. It keeps them together
and free from tip damage.
Put your address labels on rulers and equipment to help identify what is yours at workshops or
retreat. Be sure to put it in a spot where it will not interfere with measuring. Over the manufacturer’s
name is a good spot.
Run a lint roller over your cutting mat to pick up stray threads and fabric fuzz.
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If you don’t want to spend lots of money on a spinning rotary mat, make your own. Purchase an
inexpensive lazy Susan and glue on a mat cut from an old mat, or purchase a small mat for this purpose.
For an easy, inexpensive portable light table, place an under-the-counter fluorescent light strip
under an inverted clear plastic storage bin.
Cut the top off of a shampoo or lotion plastic tube (the large ones) making it the length of your tool
bag and it will keep scissors and other sharps from wearing a hole in the pocket.
To save space hang an over-the-door shoe organizer on your sewing room door to hold sewing
notions and small pieces of fabric.
Put sewing supplies in a vinyl zippered makeup bag. It works well to see things.
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Use large Bull Clips rather than tape to secure the backing fabric to the table when sandwiching a
quilt.
Store curved safety pins on long stitch holders that knitters use. Leave the pins open, then slip then
onto the holders. These can be hung near the sewing table ready to use.
Glad Press 'n Seal will work as a marking tool. Trace your quilting design on the Press 'n Seal and
stick it to the area to be quilted and use as you would Golden Threads. Do not mark the Press 'n Seal
with a Magic Marker as traces of it may linger under the stitches and show on your quilt top. Use a
washable marking pen, or a vanishing one.
If you use Golden Threads to mark your quilt, rather than pinning it to the quilt, spray the back of
the Golden Threads paper with 404 repositionable adhesive. It will stick nicely.
For a fast alternative to hand finished binding, attach the binding to the back of the quilt. Bring the
folded edge to the front. Machine stitch the binding in place with a decorative stitch on your sewing
machine.
When turning your quilt binding before hand sewing it down, hold it in place with old fashioned
bobby pins or small hair clips available in the hair care section. They work great and are a lot cheaper
than the clips made just for quilters.
If you are binding a quilt that has a border with a definite line in the pattern, such as stripes, sew
the binding to the back side of the quilt first and bring it to the front. Then you have a reference to line
your binding up to – makes for a more pleasing finish.
When mitering the corners of the binding, be certain to sew closed both the front and the back of
the miter. Quilt show judges always check this detail. Clean miters and completely filled, tightly done
binding is a big issue with all of them. After looking at quilts for a while, you realize that the binding
really is important and needs to be well executed. It is worth taking the time to do it right.
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If you are searching online for a specific fabric and do not want to waste time looking in stores that
carry the designer, but not the line you want, try searching by putting the fabric designer and the name
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of the line in quotation marks like this: “Vienna Nights by 3 Sisters”. Only the stores that have that fabric
should appear in your search.
Keep a printed list of the quilting reference books you have in your library in your purse to avoid
buying a book you already have.
Ever wonder just how much you really spend on a project? Create a Quilting Project Book by using a
small photo album for receipts, shopping list, and samples of fabric for your current project. When you
shop, take the album along so you will have the information you need with you.
Whether it’s for a purse or a quilt, store any left over fabric together with a picture of the finished
project. That way if something is ever damaged , you may be able to repair it.
When making purses with fabric handles, make a padded sleeve, fastened with a strip of Velcro for
each strap. When the handle looks worn, just slip this into place and the purse looks like new again. Be
sure that you wash the sleeve each time you wash the bag so both articles fade at the same rate.
If you use plastic handles when making a purse for someone, whether they pay for it or not, ask
them to save the handles when they discard the purse. If they bought the purse from you, offer a
discount on a new bag if the handles can be re-used.
When using magnetic snaps on purses, etc. hide a piece of Timtex between the layers. It gives
stability to the project. Some of the snaps are very strong, especially on a purse that is opened many
times during the course of a day. It makes less wear and tear on the fabric. You can use fabric glue to
help it stay in place.
When attaching small pieces of Velcro to fabric, sometimes a pin is just in the way. Secure the
Velcro with tape. Sew right over the tape and it’s easy to remove.
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Use the front of a man’s button-up shirt for the back of a pillow. Size the shirt to the correct
measurement, remove the pocket, and join to the pillow front so the buttons face out. The button
placket will make it easy to insert a pillow form. You can find men’s shirts at the thrift store that will
work just great if you don’t have a man in residence.
When organizing quilt retreats or group trips for quilters it is a good idea to have everyone fill out
an index card with their emergency information on it, and also any medical issues such as diabetes, etc.
and any allergies and medication they are taking. Have them put their card under their sewing machine.
No privacy is violated because on one looks at the cards unless there is an emergency and then the
information can be life-saving.
If you hate to throw away your old needles you can use them to hang pictures. When removing, you
can break It off at the wall and thus leaving no hole in the wall.
The Itty Bitty Reading Light will clip to your seat belt while traveling (not when you are driving!) and
can easily be adjusted to light up your handwork.
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For storage of large quilts that you don’t want to fold, use one or two swimming pool “noodles”.
You will need to duct tape two together for a large quilt. Cover them with washed muslin and then roll
the quilt onto it.
A big help in removing fuzz and thread from quilts is a Pet Hair Remover made by Pledge. These are
sold at Wal-Mart and other big box stores and some supermarkets. The device can be cleaned and
reused forever. It is particularly good for removing fuzz and lint from rag quilts after washing and drying
them to make them “rag”.
Pricked your finger with a needle or pin? Got some blood on your project? Use your saliva by
putting it on the blood spot and it will remove the blood. The enzymes in your saliva reacts to your
blood to do this. Your saliva works only with your blood, not with someone else’s blood.
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Before going out to look for a pattern, Google the item and the word pattern. You will be surprised
how many wonderful patterns are on line free for the use.
Use Post-It flags in your magazines and quilt books to mark patterns you plan to make “someday”.
If you find a pattern in a book or magazine that you want to make in the future, make two copies of
the entire pattern. One copy to mark up with color samples, changes, etc. and the other to store in a
separate box. It is easier to keep track of instead of having to go through your whole library of books.
Try using a portion of one quilt out of a pattern and add it to a portion of a different pattern to
make a quilt that is more personally appealing than either one of them. You are only limited by your
own imagination.
If you recycle your quilt magazines to your guild magazine table, make your fellow guild members
happy---don’t tear out pages or remove the pattern sheet. If there is a pattern you want to make
someday, make a copy of the pages and of that portion of the pattern sheet. There is nothing more
upsetting than to find a pattern you love, buy the magazine and find that a page or a pattern is missing.
Those annoying magazine subscription cards that fall out of magazines work great for English paper
piecing and they are free! Your needle will go through with no difficulty and they can be used several
times.
Photocopy fabrics that you want to audition for a particular quilt block. Then cut up the paper
copies of the fabrics to place them in your block formation. In that way you have not wasted any of your
precious fabric and you get to see how the various colored fabrics work together in your block.
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Before going out to look for a pattern, Google the item and the word pattern. You will be surprised
how many wonderful patterns are on line free for the use.
Use Post-It flags in your magazines and quilt books to mark patterns you plan to make “someday”.
If you find a pattern in a book or magazine that you want to make in the future, make two copies of
the entire pattern. One copy to mark up with color samples, changes, etc. and the other to store in a
separate box. It is easier to keep track of instead of having to go through your whole library of books.
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Try using a portion of one quilt out of a pattern and add it to a portion of a different pattern to
make a quilt that is more personally appealing than either one of them. You are only limited by your
own imagination.
If you recycle your quilt magazines to your guild magazine table, make your fellow guild members
happy---don’t tear out pages or remove the pattern sheet. If there is a pattern you want to make
someday, make a copy of the pages and of that portion of the pattern sheet. There is nothing more
upsetting than to find a pattern you love, buy the magazine and find that a page or a pattern is missing.
Those annoying magazine subscription cards that fall out of magazines work great for English paper
piecing and they are free! Your needle will go through with no difficulty and they can be used several
times.
Photocopy fabrics that you want to audition for a particular quilt block. Then cut up the paper
copies of the fabrics to place them in your block formation. In that way you have not wasted any of your
precious fabric and you get to see how the various colored fabrics work together in your block.
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Create a great design wall by taking a sheet of foam insulation, available at a big box home
improvement stores for a pittance, and stabilizing it with a wooden frame made with 1 X 2’s. Attach the
rollers from a closet door rolling assembly to the top and attach the track to the ceiling in front of your
closet. You may want to remove the closet doors and store them away to be reinstalled at a later date.
Cover the foam board with Warm and White batting by spraying the foam board with spray fixative and
smoothing the batting on it. Overlap and staple the edges to the wood frame. This slides nicely to cover
the closet, or slides off the closet to allow access to the closet. It utilizes space that was wasted before.
For a portable flannel board, purchase a flannel-backed tablecloth from a dollar store or buy
flannel-backed vinyl at a fabric store. Hang the portable flannel wall near the ceiling with grommets and
small finishing nails. Or better yet, cut a large piece from a flannel-backed tablecloth, lay your blocks
out, roll it up when you need to transport or put it away until the next time you are ready to sew. This is
a great way to transport class projects.
Be sure to photograph everything you make. It gives you ideas for future projects. The digital
cameras are great for this as you can replay everything at a touch of a button, even if you don’t get
around to actually printing the photo for your scrap book.
When you go to quilt shows take your digital camera to photograph the quilts. If you see a
technique you particularly like and think you might use, photograph it close up, along with a full view.
Save these to a folder on your computer and even if you never print them, you can always go back and
look.
It is important that you remember that the only person who has to like/approve of your quilt is
YOU. Use your favorite colors and fabrics in it even if the rest of the quilt world would never put those
fabrics/colors together.
Remember there are no quilt police!
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MARKING YOUR QUILT:
Pilot makes a pen called Frixion that is great for marking your quilt. Putting the quilt in the dryer on
normal for a few minutes will take all the marks off the quilt, or you can remove the marks with the iron.
If you put the quilt in the freezer for a few minutes the marks will come back.
The purple marking pens with the disappearing ink work well and remove by themselves. Ironing the
marks will make them come back if you take too long to finish the project and the marks disappear.
Crayola Fine Line Washable Markers will work to mark a quilt as well as the blue washable markers that
are so costly. Around the beginning of the school year these are available in packs of 8 colors ridiculously
cheap at Wal-Mart and other discount stores. They require mild soap to wash out. (Editor’s Note: I
tested them and all colors washed out of white Kona cotton.)
The little slivers of left over simple soap (no cold cream added, etc.) makes a wonderful marker on dark
fabrics. Allow them to dry out before using. They remove with the iron or, of course, they wash out
easily. The marks stay in well when working with the fabric.
A combination of Lemon Joy, alcohol and water will remove pencil markings. Wet a Q-Tip and rub very
lightly on the markings. This can be mixed up ahead and stored in a jar. The alcohol will preserve it. Add
a couple of drops of Lemon Joy and about a tablespoon of alcohol to a cup or two of water.
REMEMBER TO TEST THESE AND ALL MARKERS ON A SCRAP OF FABRIC BEFORE
USING THEM ON YOUR QUILT. DIFFERENT FABRICS REACT DIFFERENTLY TO
MARKERS, AND IT IS REALLY A WHOLE LOT BETTER TO FIND OUT BEFORE YOU
PUT IT ON YOUR QUILT!
BORDERS:
When attaching borders, don’t just cut out strips slightly longer than needed, sew them on and then
trim them down to fit. This is what makes those wavy borders you see on quilts hanging in a quilt show.
If you want your borders to hang straight, press your quilt very carefully and completely and then lay it
out on a large cutting board. Using a large square ruler with a diagonal line running from corner to
corner, square your corners. Trim all four corners first and then use a long straight ruler to trim the
sides.
Now measure from top to bottom through the center of the quilt. Cut two borders to this measured
length. Mark the center of the vertical sides of the quilt and also the center of the border strips. Match
these centers and the ends and pin with right sides together. Distribute the border along the edge of the
quilt making certain it is even. Do this laying flat and be careful not to stretch either the quilt or the
border. The border should fit perfectly. Attach with an accurate quarter inch seam. Be careful not to pull
or stretch the fabric while sewing. Press these seams.
Lay your quilt on a flat surface again and measure the quilt through the center from side to side. Cut the
two horizontal borders to this measurement. Proceed as above. If you follow these steps your borders
should fit perfectly and your quilt should hang straight.
In a vertical quilt longer than it is wide, attaching the vertical borders first and the horizontal borders
second requires less length of fabric than doing it the other way. In a rectangular quilt wider than it is
long, of course, the opposite is true. Sometimes this is good to know when short on fabric. Square up
your quilt at each stage of the work. Square the individual block units, square the blocks, square the top
before adding the bind-ing and square the top after the binding. This seems obvious, but many neglect
this process. If you keep it right all along the way you can’t get too far off course. You will like the
results.
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MITERED BORDERS:
I miter most of my borders unless there is a design choice reason not to do so, and I have good luck with
this method. The reason most mitered borders are wavy and don’t lay flat is that the border was not cut
to fit the quilt, but sewn on and then cut to fit. When you sew borders on in this way, they never lay flat.
If you have a series of borders, sew them together and treat them as one border. For instance if you are
adding a 2-inch border followed by a 4-inch border, sew them together and attach one 6-inch border.
Measure the width of the quilt and add two times the width of the border to that measurement. QW + 2
X BW You must start with a border strip at least this long. No need to cut it to that length, but it must be
at least that long. Now subtract ¼ inch from the width of the quilt (this allows for the angle of the miter
seam).
Locate the exact lengthwise center of the border strip and place a mark there at the bottom edge (the
inside edge of the border). Divide the altered quilt width by 2, and measure that distance from the
center mark and make another mark. Do the same thing in the opposite direction. If you measure from
one outside mark to the opposite mark it should measure the same as your altered quilt width. Check
your measurements carefully. Each mark should be at least the width of the border strip from the end of
the fabric.
Lay out the border strip on a cutting surface with the outside of the border at the top. Cut a 45 degree
angle from the mark angling upward toward the top outer edge of the border. Repeat on the other side.
This is your top border. Make another border for the bottom of the quilt.
Now measure the length of the quilt, subtract ¼ inch from this measurement and proceed as above and
make the other two borders. They will fit perfectly. Sew them on leaving ¼ inch at the beginning and
end of the border. Then match your miter seams and sew them.
If you have a border with a large distinct motif you can center the first mark either in the center of the
motif or exactly center between two motifs to have a balanced effect. You will need to start with a
longer border strip to do this.
HOW TO WASH A COMPLETED QUILT:
Use the same detergent that was used for pre-washing/pre-testing the fabrics. Different detergents can
have different effects on the dyes in fabrics.
Fill the washer with cool to tepid water, add your chosen
washing agent and allow the washer to run a moment to mix in the detergent. Turn off the washing
machine. Unfold the quilt and distribute it evenly in the machine.
Agitate gently by hand, then allow the quilt to soak for about 10-15 minutes.
Turn the washer dial to the spin cycle and spin out the soapy water. If the quilt is soiled a second wash
cycle may be needed.
Repeat the above procedure without the detergent two times to rinse.
Quilts should be allowed to air dry flat if at all possible.
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Recommended washing agents:
Orvus Paste (available in feed and grain stores by the gallon), or Quilt Soap from Quilter’s Rule, which is
Orvus Paste repackaged for a smaller container. One tablespoon of Orvus Paste is enough to wash a
quilt.
You can also use the pearly kind of Ivory dishwashing liquid. This is not a detergent and is mild. Ivory
soap flakes can also be used.
You can also add 2 tablespoons of Clorox II color-safe bleach (NOT REGULAR CLOROX!!!!) If you have any
doubts about color-fastness, add a color catcher (made by Rit).
CARE LABEL FOR REPRINTING TO GIVE WITH A QUILT GIFT Copy it, either on fabric to sew on back of
quilt with the label, or laminate it and make your label a pocket to enclose it. It would be a nice gesture
to also give a small amount of Orvus with use instructions, and a color catching cloth to help them care
for their beautiful new quilt.
CARING FOR YOUR NEW QUILT
This quilt was made with love to be used. Please use it, love it, and care for it as follows:
Machine wash in cool/tepid water (cold or hot water is not good) with a mild detergent. Orvis, Dreft,
Ivory are mild soaps which are good for washing 100% cotton quilts. Use a liquid detergent, or if your
soap is powder, make sure it is dissolved before you put it in with the quilt. Don't use the soaps which are
intended for delicate fabrics. They tend to make the colors run in 100% cotton fabrics. Don't use bleach.
Put a little white vinegar in the wash water the first time you wash the quilt to help if there should be a
bleeding situation. Use the gentle/delicate cycle and remove the quilt as soon as it is done washing.
If there has been any bleeding of the fabrics DON'T put in the dryer. Keep rinsing with cool water until
the bleeding comes out. There are products at your local quilt shop to help if the bleeding is intense.
The quilt can be put in the dryer at LOW temperature to get most of the moisture out. Take it out of the
dryer and lay flat to complete the drying process. Don't hang over a line to dry. Don't iron.
Quilted wall hangings only get dusty, they don't get dirty. To clean just lay flat on a sheet and vacuum.
Put a nylon stocking over the nozzle of the vacuum to protect any loose threads or fabrics from being
pulled or stretched.
CARE OF YOUR SEWING MACHINE:
If you sit down to sew and your sewing machine is not sewing properly, tension is off, etc., rethread the
entire machine, top thread and bobbin and then try again. If it still is not sewing right, insert a new
needle, making certain the needle is inserted facing the right way. Read your book if you are not sure.
(Editor’s Note: I work in a shop that does sewing machine repairs and 80 percent of all service on
machines turns out to be operator error. Your machine may sew with the needle in the wrong way, but
it will skip stitches and act up. It may throw the timing off requiring service to reset the timing.)
Also, remember that the presser foot must be up when you thread a machine. The thread will not fall
into the tension mechanism when the presser foot is down. It is easy to forget that the presser foot is
down, especially if you have a knee lift, and tend to keep it down.
When you adjust your sewing machine tension, the presser foot must be in the up position. Tension will
not change no matter what you do to the dial if the presser foot is down.
Become familiar with cleaning and oiling your machine. Read your manual and learn to remove your
hook race and clean the lint and thread bits, etc. from it often. Oil as your manufacturer suggests.
Remember there are wicks inside the machine that are oiled at the factory and need to be refilled every
year to year and a half. Service your machine often at home and professionally every year or two. It will
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thank you! Do not dump oil indiscriminately in a computerized machine. It will damage the computer
chips if it gets on them.
If you have a Janome machine, do not use Singer needles. They are just the tiniest bit longer than
Schmetz and Janome needles and will pit the bobbin case over time making burrs that may catch your
thread. Not to disparage Singer needles. They work wonderfully well in a Singer machine!
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