Good Morning, Quilters!
Have YOU been working on the I Love Home Block of the Month with us?
The project is adorable and the instructions are fabulous!
Jacquelynne Steves Art of Home blog is full of great ideas-be sure to check it out. This week Jacquelynne has a round up of Snowman projects -and I will add my Snowman Machine Quilting Tutorial HERE)
BORDER AND FINISHING INSTRUCTIONS
This month we add the borders and finish our quilts. Find the detailed instructions at The Art of Home HERE
MACHINE QUILTING TIPS
Quilt Density–Remember that the density of the quilting should be even across the quilt, but some areas of the quilt may be more densely quilted than others.
For example, I used a very large version of the Sweetheart Border (Tutorial HERE) around the edges to create contrast.
Repeat and Vary-Choose a few motifs and quilt them in different areas of the quilt to unify the quilting design. You only have to learn a few motifs and you will create a more cohesive looking quilt. For example, I repeated spirals, twist and hearts frequently within the quilt.
Choose a Theme-If you have a theme, like Hearts and Homes, use it to choose your motifs.
Add phrases or lettering-I love to add phrases to quilts. It helps to reinforce your theme and keeps the viewer looking.
Be willing to modify your plan -Even when you plan well and create samples, sometimes things don’t work out. In this quilt, I started with light blue thread to stitch the center blocks. After one block, I could see that there wasn’t enough contrast. I changed thread for the other three and will have to tear out the first one (something I rarely do!) It’s better to fix one block than forge ahead with a mistake and hate your quilt forever!
If you like these motifs and tips, be sure to check out my book, Free Motion Machine Quilting 1-2-3 or any of my Craftsy Videos!
THERMOWEB GIVEAWAY
This month’s lucky winner will receive a $25 gift certificate from Thermoweb!
Here at The Inbox Jaunt, we’ve been talking about the “Quilt Police” and breaking quilt rules, for instance, I wrote about the easy machine quilting knot I use.
To ENTER the contest, please leave a comment. Tell us about a quilt “rule” YOU break or one you would like to break! If you don’t break any rules–just say “Hi”
The contest closes on December 9th and please watch your email and check back here to see if you have won!
MORE THIS WEEK:
We have a busy week here at The Inbox Jaunt…invisible thread, quilt backings, holiday motifs, tree doodles and more!!!!
I can’t wait to see what YOU create!
Your Happy Housekeeper,
Lori
PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt. For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com. Thanks!
PS. MORE CHANCES TO WIN
- The Crafty Quilter
- The Inbox Jaunt
- Designs by Sarah J
- Farmhouse Quilts
- Penguin and Fish
- Podunk Pretties
- The Quilting Nook
- The Sewing Loft
POST YOUR PHOTOS ON FACEBOOK
We would love to see your quilts! Join Jacquelynne’s Facebook group HERE
289 comments
swakins
I break a rule when binding and don’t join the final ends, just fold diagonally and overlap, sew onward and hand sew the opening shut after all is done.
Lynne F Williams
I love your “broken rule” about overlapping the binding and sewing shut later. I will adopt that rule too. Even 2 different binding tools, I can wrap my mind around which direction which end goes. Thanks for the tip.
Beverly Sensabaugh
Loved the way to start and stop your quilting. Burying threads is so time consuming, I am going to do it your way! Thanks for the give-a-way!
Michele Ward
I don’t always press my seams to one side — I will press them open to reduce the bulk. The biggest one for me is I have learned to go with the flow and not to use my seam ripper to get a perfect 1/4″ seam.
Jennifer Endres
Hi!
Donna
I hate to mark a quilt so I usually just go for it.
KJ
I really like how fresh your quilt looks. Beautiful finish. I don’t know what rules I break – probably quite a few. 🙂
MissQuilterB
Lori, sometimes I don’t doodle a pattern, I find that I can actually quilt better than I can doodle. So I break the rules, and just…..start quilting….and sometimes I don’t even bother to do it on a sample first. I just begin on my quilt even with a new design. (ps don’t tell on me!) :- )
Mary
I enjoy reading your tips on quilting and those in the comments.
Darlene B
I don’t bury my threads, either. I just use a locking stitch and then start quilting! I love your hearts and houses in the border quilting.
Sarah Eheart
I don’t always use the knots to stop and start seams. Seems to me that when the quilt is all finished the edges have been caught in another piece of fabric.
Carolyn Sefkow
I don’t know that I know enough to know which rules I’m breaking!!
Lori Hope
I’m sure I break a lot of rules that I don’t know about….but I’m definitely going to use YOUR rule-breaker from here on out! 🙂
Judy Chastain
I don’t always doodle first, especially if I’m rushing to finish a gift! So far, so good. I have done some ripping, though… Love your tutorials, thanks, Lori.
Peta
I’ve never really believed a pattern means to followed, rather that it is a suggestion. When I discovered “modern quilting”, I realized what I was doing was “improvisational “ and totally OK. Right now, my two obsessions with breaking the rules are: mixing techniques in a quilt, traditional Piecing with appliqué, “piecelique “, etc, and mixing machine quilting with hand quilting.
Dawnie
I just started long arm quilting. Your tips have been very helpful.
DJ
I too probably break more than a few rules. I know the way I do my bindings isn’t what most people do just don’t want to say exactly what that is Okay.
Ramona
I’m sure I break tons of rules. I quilt for fun and some of the rules just intimidate me.
Marty
Having just returned to quilting last year (after over 32 years away from sewing), I probably break most “quilt rules” because I don’t know them! LOVE your The Art of Home quilting designs as I’ve been looking at “house” blocks to make a “town” quilt.
Kim from Calgary
When doing appliqué, instead of knotting at the beginning I draw my threads up and hold them in front of the needle to be caught under the first few stitches of the satin stitching, snip them and continue sewing. 🙂
cathy morrison
I break the “bias” binding rule all the time–I just hate cutting and wasting that way, so it’s straight binding for this gal–almost always. Can I get quilt police parole instead of having to serve time in quilt jail being forced to cut all my fabric into bias strips?
Barbara Frank (@Barbara_Frank)
You’re not alone. I only do bias binding if there’s a curved edge. Otherwise, I prefer to keep as much fabric for future projects as possible, plus cutting straight strips is easier and faster.
Debbie Brewster
I am guilty of not burying the threads – just stitch in place a couple of times. Tried burying but very time consuming. I prefer to never do any hand sewing ????
Connie
Hi, from Orange Park FL. I finished a quilt top yesterday! Yes, I am excited about it. I have never quilted a top myself but I may attempt my first with the top I just finished!
Dee Wilson
Hi.Lori.Merry Christmas to you and your family.I always go to the class I bought from your Craftsy and I doodle with you .I might not run to the machine and practice but I I doddle till i get it.I will love to earn to draw Mc tavish .Seems simple but when i doodle seems that comes to wide and my brain lost the rhythm but i keep practicing I don’t know if you have a practice on that. You have a great week…
Sue Thompson
I am sure I also break some quilting rules. I hesitate to enter any quilts in show because of that.
Carolyn S
I recently learned a “new” rule that I’ve always broken and see no reason to change. The rule being the one about bindings needing to measure the same depth on both sides of the quilt. Love your blog, book and classes.
Elaine B
I’m sure I break a few rules, but I am learning to enjoy free motion quilting more all the time.
Rita
I often break rules, sometimes even on purpose! My stippling does sometimes cross itself.
Pat Evans
I don’t bury my thread tails, either. But I’m not doing show quilts. I also don’t pre-wash my fabrics, but at least the jury is pretty evenly spilt on that one.
Glad to see you use a different method on Jacqueline’s designs. Not sure I could do any better using free motion quilting than applique, but it does give us an alternative.
Marti Morgan
I usually break the rules – because I don’t know the rules – but I get the job done! And I am USUALLy happy with the results.
Jayne P
Mostly I press my seams open, not to one side, just depends on how much I need to reduce bulk
Kimberly Anne Brandt
Thanks for the chance to win :0) I just like to sew and make quilts and table runners, ornaments…..the heck with the rules everything comes out fine if not perfect! And I don’t prewash my fabrics…..shhhh don’t tell. Happy Sewing and thanks for the tutorials,
Robbie Carpenter
I don’t always do a warmup sample. If I’ve been quilting on something for a couple days I will just wade right in!! Doesn’t seem to make a difference!!
Lynne F Williams
When I make a mistake piecing or longarm quilting, I used to have to pick everything out to make it right. I quilt for my family and charity quilts so now I stop my work and really look at it. Is someone else’s eye going to see this or just me because I know where it is? If I leave it a few minutes and come back to it, it looks better and on I go, no unpicking about 2/3 of the time.
Rita Long
I don’t usually prewash my fabrics. I like the look when it washed after it is done. I think it looks vintage.
Sharon
I’m sure I break a few rules but the only one I can think of right now is that I don’t wear protective gloves when using my rotary cutter.
sunnysewsit
Well, I hardly ever sew a binding on the back by hand (rule breaker #1), and I also press seams open most of the time (breaker #2). I’m sure I also break more, such as not burying my knots in the quilt — I just use very small stitches when I start and stop.
Deborah A Herold
I don’t know if this is a ” rule ” or not, but more stupidity than anything. I have a tendency when finishing any hand sewing, putting the needle with leftover thread in my shirt or pants. Then I find it later by scraping my arm or hand across it. I need to get a “needle nanny” and wear whenever I am doing hand sewing, but haven’t done that yet!
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Lol!!
Susan Stanton
I don’t always follow the rules, I just want to end up with a nice quilt top!
Anne Godwin
Thanks for all the time you take to share your creative process. It’s amazing how much you have to PAY ATTENTION when you quilt. I made a small piece last week, trying to use a ruler. I left the booboo in, just to remind myself to pay attention.
Barbara Johnson
Actually, there is a lady in my quilt guild who I think IS the quilt police! She is always pointing out things that she feels are done ‘incorrectly’! I just smile and thank her, then do it the way that I want to!
nettiecrain
I do not bury my threads either! Most of the time I take time and care to do things properly though…..Quilting is a learning process……and I am still learning!
Happy Holidays to you and yours. nettiecrain@live.com
Willow
Creative rules were meant to be broken 😉 as I’m constantly attempting to stretch my boundaries. You have a wonderful finish on your I Love Home Quilt, thanks for sharing.
Kristin
Hi all! I have been quilting for a looonnnggg time, and recently have begun putting my binding on by machine. It is wider on the back , who cares! Doing so means more time to make quilts for others as I have TOO many! Even my sons and friends don’t need any more. Donations quilts to a good cause has been something I’ve done before, now it will be an almost full time occupation!!????
Susan
Rules were made to be broken. It is not to say the rules are bad, but progress doesn’t happen without breaking some rules. If everyone followed all the rules all the time, we would still be cutting out individual pieces, sewing all by hand, etc.
Lana's Lark
I simply backstitch to start and stop my stitching. And sometimes I press seams open to reduce bulk and don’t always press toward the dark when pressing to the side for the same reason. I let the fabric tell me what it wants to do.
Linda C in TN
I can not think of any quilt rules I break. I use Heatbond. I use only cotton thread. I bury my knots. I mark my quilt before quilting. I make bias binding. I can not bring my self to machine quilt something I have worked so hard on. 🙁 I do hate to pin when I sew.
Aileen Kline
Break the rules? Are there rules? I go with what is easiest on the project I am quilting. If it for a child, I sew the binding completely by machine. If it is a swap, I do my best work but may still machine sew binding.
Lucy
I don’t bury my threads either. I just back stitch a couple stitch and cut the thread. Also, if I’m in a hurry to finish a quilt I’ll machine stitch the binding on!!
Suzette
I try to use my seam ripper as little as possible when quilting. It takes the fun out of the process to redo everything that is not perfect. I get better as I go, and when I finish the quilt, I can rarely find those wobbly lines that I thought should be redone.
Lydia
I ONLY machine stitch my bindings…I am a bit allergic to any hand sewing!
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