You can make your own machine quilting gloves. Take take a look in your sewing box to see if you have fabric for the feet of children's PJ's. Use Wonder Under to attach the fabric to an old pair of white gloves, and you will have your own machine quilting gloves. - Joan in Vermont

Want to try the new 'tiltables' but think that they are too expensive? Go to any hardware store and buy two door stops (wedges) in rubber. Push these under your machine to tilt it to any convenient angle. - Shirley in the U.K.

If you feel tense while free motion quilting, try humming! We tend to hold our breath when we concentrate and that makes us tense up. Humming forces us to breath rhythmically and therefore relax. It's a very simple thing that has made a big difference in the quality of my free motion quilting. - Sue in Georgia

When doing machine quilting, A firm, somewhat stiff backing fabric helps to prevent those annoying puckers, so if the backing you have chosen is soft, starch it first. - Kate in Wisconsin

When machine quilting or stitching applique, fill paired bobbins with your thread. Use one of the pair on top, and you can easily see if bobbin is running too low to finish a line of stitching without stopping to reload and start again in the middle. - Barbara in Arizona

Buy a lot of bobbins for your machine and thread all of your bobbins in commonly used colors before you start a project. There is nothing worse than breaking your concentration by having to stop in the middle of a project and thread your bobbin...AGAIN! It is a time and sanity saver! - Karen in California

Tired of stitching in a ditch? Get out your double needle and thread the needle only on the right and leave the left empty for a guide. This will give you a different look if you are a beginner like me. - Virginia in Washington

Whenever I am machine quilting using nylon thread, I put my spool of thread in a baby food jar on the table beside my sewing machine and thread it up through a binder clip that I have clipped on the lift up lid of my Pfaff machine and through the rest of the machine as usual. This provides the proper tension and I never have problems. - Sue in Ontario

Use white tissue paper for machine quilting designs. Cut tissue paper the size of your finished block x as many blocks in your quilt or the size of sashing and borders, trace or draw your own design onto the tissue paper with dark colored pen or pencil. Pin this to your block at each of the four corners and one in the center. The machine quilt right on top of tissue. When finished with each block the tissue paper tears easily off. This method saves time having to wash out pencil marks on finished quilt. - Barbara in Wisconsin

My husband bought a large package of gripper gloves at a surplus/discount store for a very cheap price and I use them to keep control of the material while I'm machine quilting. They are much less costly than at the quilting stores. - Sara in Michigan

When quilting with that nylon thread, the type that is as fine as hair, place a small piece of masking tape on the machine just above the needle. When you cut the thread you have a place to stick it, so that it won't come out of the needle. - Carol in New York

Pins and Needles

If you find the needle hard to thread on your machine put a piece of white paper behind it and the hole seems to pop out for you to see! - Dorene in Oklahoma

When hand quilting, I like to load at least 10 needles to have them ready at hand, to make threading the eye of the needle easier I first run the end of the thread across the top of a candle or soap holding it (the thread) down firmly between my thumb and the candle or soap as I draw the it across the candle or soap, this makes the tip of the thread slightly stiff and therefore makes threading the eye of the needle much, much easier, especially after you have been quilting for awhile and your eyes are tired, and of course for those of us who's eyes are just not that "young" anymore :0), then for easy keeping, I insert each threaded needle side by side into a thread card (like the ones you use with counted cross stitch to wrap your skeins of thread around) and wrap the length of thread around the needle so that nothing gets tangled up and then place it in a zip lock bag. This allows for easy access, saves time so that I don't have to stop and re-thread a needle each time I reach the end of the current thread I am quilting with, helps keep my stitch accuracy going because I don't have to break my momentum, and if I want to take my work with me, I just pop the zip lock bag with the pre-threaded needles and my project in my quilting bag and away I go! I have found that I really do get a lot more handquilting done this way, because it is easy to "find" something else that needs to be done if I have to stop and rethread each needle every time I run out of thread or try and hit that tiny eye 10 times and fail 10 times. Having the pre-threaded needles just makes it so much easier and fun. - Pam in Iowa

When changing the needle, place a small mirror on the bed of your sewing machine and you will be able to see where the flat side of the needle goes. - Rose in Florida

To keep track of the various types of machine needles I use, I took a pin cushion and divided it into sections using a permanent ink marker. I then put an initial in the divided section (i.e. U for universal, S for Sharps). When I switch needles during projects, I simply stick the needle in the appropriate section on the pin cushion. - Jen in Chicago

If you have a hard time threading a needle from one side, try turning the needle around and thread the other side - every needle has a front and back side - sometimes this helps. - Rose Mary in Washington

If you're having trouble threading the needle on your sewing machine, take the needle out and thread it, then put it back into the machine, being sure that it is installed in the right way. - Mary in New York

If at first you do not succeed in threading a needle...turn it around. Because needles are stamped in their production, one side is easier to thread than the other. - Lois in Illinois

Department stores with makeup counters will often give samples of makeup in little plastic vials that are great for keeping quilting needles in. Wash out the makeup, stick a label on it as to the size of the needle and carry it with you in your on-the-go sewing box! - Amy in Virginia

I use Velcro to keep my machine needles organized. Take the fuzzy and non- fuzzy side and stick together, put the size on the sandwich, in goes the needle and "Ta Da"….Organized! - Connie in Washington

If you trim any type of thread, even for machine threading, to leave a beveled edge with a sharp point to it, it will go through any needle! - Paula in Texas

I use a long barbecue tongs to pick up things from the floor around my sewing machine. I also attached a magnet to it to grab pins, etc. or I can hold my magnetic pin cushion with it and gather them up that way. Saves bending and eyesight. - Marlene in North Dakota

After seeing a used sharps container in my doctors office, I made one for my sewing table. I took an empty white plastic aspirin bottle, drilled a small hole in the cap, and stuck on a bright label that says used sharps. Now I can safely dispose of broken needles and bent pins, right through the hole in the top. For something larger, such as used rotary blades or razor blades, I can unsnap the top. When its full, I can safely throw the whole container away. - Bryn in Massachusetts

When my needles need replacing, I use them to hang pictures. Makes a small hole in the wall and are very strong. - Joyce in Alberta

After every project I throw away my sewing machine needle and I put them into an old prescription bottle. That way nobody can get hurt when you dispose of a needle. - Linda in Wisconsin

I use a grab-it magnetic pin catcher (empty) to glide over the carpet when I happen to break a machine needle or drop a hand needle to the floor. It grabs the piece easily and I know that my family or pets won't get stuck. - Dorothy in Florida

Thread needles with the (leading end) of the thread as it unwinds from the spool. You will be taking advantage of the natural twist of the thread, making the job easier! - Dorene in Oklahoma

I use one of the small white spoons that is given to you at food sample booths to put behind my sewing machine needle. Makes it very easy to thread your machine. - Linda in New York

I've found the best pin cushions in the world to be the magnetic ones. Best of all, if a pin is dropped on the floor one sweep over it with the pin cushion and your feet will thank you next time you walk there." - Eliza in Winnipeg

I keep my needles in those lead containers you get when you buy refills for your mechanical pencil. That way you can carry the needles around without hurting anyone!" - Mary in Texas

I keep my magnetic pin holder right behind my sewing machine. When I pull my pins out of my project, I just gently push them right off my machine base instead of picking them up and placing them on the holder. Very fast & easy! - Susan in Florida

If you have a hard time threading a needle from one side, try turning the needle around and thread the other side - every needle has a front and back side - sometimes this helps. - Rose Mary in Washington

Rather than digging into a pin box or trying to pull one out of a cushion, I took a flat refrigerator magnet and turned it upside down beside my machine. I keep about 20 pins on each one. They come in very handy and move from room to room when you just want a few. - Bettye in Tennessee

A handy tool that I keep close is a magnetic bingo wand! It's
handle is easy to hold and it picks up all those stray needles with
just a swipe of your hand!" - Kay in Virginia

I've been using a plastic wristband-type pincushion and never seemed able to get as many as I need and hate to have stop to "reload" when working on a watercolor quilt. I was waiting at the car parts store my son works at when I saw the perfect solution! It's a set of gloves where the whole back of the hand portion is magnetized! You can put a lot of pins on it and it'll even hold small scissors for snipping off stray threads, anything that'll stick! It's recommended for holding nuts, bolts, screws, etc but its great for use when pinning on lots of little squares on a design wall. - Phyllis in California

When a pin or needle does not want to go into the fabric, run it through your hair and it will slid right in. - Susan in Kentucky

When machine quilting, be sure to position your chair as close as possible to your machine - and still be comfortable - LEGS UNDER THE TABLE. If your chair is too far away, and you are leaning toward the machine to quilt, your back and arms will get very tired, or you might totally pull your back out.

I have seen people sit on the very edge of their seat, with their chair a foot away from their machine, to quilt.

When your body is not in its most relaxed position, it will show up in your quilting. When you lose control of your body, you lose control of your stitching.

I know this seems very simplistic, but it's the little things that CAN make a big difference in your quilting results. - kiskat in Texas

For the large spools which I can not use on my sewing machine, I use a empty tin can with a plastic lid about the size of the spool. In the middle of the lid I made a hole then I put it beside my machine. It works great, especially for invisible threads. - Lenie in The Netherlands

A product called Butler Gum Floss Threaders (available where dental floss is sold) is great to put the thread through holes in presser feet such as a 1/4 inch foot or one with small multiple holes for embroidery thread. It looks almost like a needle with a big eye but is very narrow and flexible. - Carolyn in California

I have found that the inexpensive gardening gloves with the little dots on the palm make good machine quilting gloves. - Lucy in South Carolina

Disposable latex gloves, like doctors and nurses use, make fabulous machine quilting gloves. They're usually available in a box of 50 for about $5.00 at the local drug store or discount store." - Katherine in Illinois

Whenever I am machine quilting using nylon thread, I put my spool of thread in a baby food jar on the table beside my sewing machine and thread it up through a binder clip that I have clipped on the lift up lid of my Pfaff machine and through the rest of the machine as usual. This provides the proper tension and I never have problems. - Sue in Ontario

I use gripper type garden glove for free motion quilting because they cost so much less, but the fingers are long and clumsy so I just cut off the tips. I can machine quilt and still be able to thread the needle, move a pin etc. The other bonus here is that if the fingertips are cut out, it forces you to use your whole hand to move the material, and reduces your risk for carpal tunnel syndrome which is much greater if you use only the tips of your fingers to move the quilt around. - Kathleen in Wisconsin

Wind serger thread to the bobbin on my sewing machine, I use a long drinking straw cut to just above the top of the cone and placed on the spindle. This works very well for me. - Mary in Colorado

 

 

Quilting Tips
Basting
An alternative to hand basting: A great way to stabilize a quilt while doing decorative quilting is to first use water soluble thread to sew straight basting lines across the quilt surface. Use the water soluble thread for the top thread and in the bobbin. Then, once all the real quilting is done, all you need to do is wash the quilt and the stabilizing lines come out!" - Annie in North Carolina

To get your backing and batting smooth when you are using a spray baste roll your batting onto a dowel (about 1.5" in diameter). Then tape your backing down to a flat surface (I use the floor) spray the backing lightly on the end and place the end of the batting on the backing and spray and roll it onto the backing. No wrinkles to fight with and try and smooth out. - Donna in Scappoose

I've just learned this and wanted to share. I think it is my favorite tip ever. When basting your quilt, leave thread attached to spool after threading your needle, thus eliminating all that cutting and threading. Can't wait to try it myself. - Peggy in Illinois

I had a large quilt to pin baste and after getting all the pins in, started to pin them. Ouch! Never invested the money in one of those nifty tools! It was snowing like crazy and I just didn't want to go out so I tried a crochet hook. Worked like a charm! - Sue in Michigan

It seems really commonsensical as a practice but, here goes... When I'm basting my quilt "sandwich" together, I always make sure to use thread in a contrasting colour so that I can be sure to get all of the basting threads out later. - Nikki in Cyprus

When I'm attempting to pin or baste a very large quilt I will go to my husband's work shop and borrow his saw horses and set them up in my shop. I then use my cardboard cutting boards and lay across these sawhorses and I have a nice flat and large enough table to properly lay out my quilt for basting or pins. When I am finished I return these items back to his work shop and I now have my space back. These sawhorses are cheap enough to buy at your locate hardware store and they are adjustable to almost any height, so it makes it a little easier on your back. I hope this idea helps other who have space problems when attempting to pin or baste that quilt they have so pains taking stitched together. - Brenda in North Carolina

Binding

After I sew on my binding, I fold it to the back and fasten it with quilt clips. They look like hair clips and hold it in place while I'm handsewing the binding. - Hanna in Indiana

Binding is one of those areas I struggle with. I am still experimenting with the width I cut the strips of fabric. I think I will cut my next batch 2.75 inches wide and see how I like that. To join the strips end-to-end I thought up a new trick (to me at least). Instead of putting one strip on top right side down and the second strip on the bottom at a right-angle right side up and drawing a line from the upper left corner of the top strip where the two pieces meet to the lower right corner where the two pieces meet I use a square-up ruler that has a 45 degree line that runs from corner to corner of the square. I put my first strip on a piece of fine sanding paper (makes it easier to draw lines and helps prevent distorting the fabric) right side down. I line up the 45 degree line with the bottom edge (lengthwise) and the right corner of the square-up with the lower right corner of my strip and draw a line (I use a mechanical pencil because I do not have to worry about sharpening them). I draw this line at the end of every strip of fabric I am going to join. Next I pin my first two strips right sides together at a right angle (like an upside down L). I line up the top and the right hand sides of the two strips of fabric. I pin a short distance away from the beginning and end of my drawn line so the fabric does not shift on me. [If I am joining several strips, I pin all of them so I can speed piece.] I sew directly on the line [if I am speed piecing at this point I lift the presser foot and pull the first section about a half an inch out of the way then I put the next joint under the presser foot and sew that, etc.] Clip the threads, press the seam to set it, flip the top piece of fabric back and press. Next flip the top fabric back again and line up the 1/4" line on your ruler with the sewing line and trim off the excess fabric. The result is two strips of fabric joined together which line up very nicely.

The next step is to iron the fabric in half lengthwise. To achieve this, insert two very long needles into the ironing board cover. Insert the point of the first needle and come back up thru the cover then back down thru the cover far enough away to be just a little over the width of the folded strip. Insert the second needle in the same manner the width of the iron away from the first needle. Now fold the strip in half and insert it under the two needles. Pull enough of the fabric out of from under the right hand needle so there is something to grab on to and press that section of fabric. Next lay the iron down on top of the fabric between the two needles. Align the raw edges of your strip to the left, grab the edge of the strip on the right while you are holding your aligned and folded fabric in the left hand and pull the strip through the needles under the iron. Be sure you pick up the iron every other time you do this so the ironing surface can cool a few seconds or you will wind up with a really scorched surface!

Step-by-step photos of how I join my strips and press the binding are in my Quilts-Binding folder at http://photos.yahoo.com/whitesl2000 - Sandy in New York

To hold my binding in place while hand stitching I use some of my daughter's small butterfly hair clips. They hold wonderfully and look nice, too! - Trisha in Wisconsin

I have started using hand quilting thread for turning my bindings. It is made for the repeated trips through the fabric and doesn't seem to fray, knot or break the way other threads do. - Mary in Texas

I use paper towel tubes for storing my left over pieces of bindings. It keeps then nice and flat. no need to re-iron. - Bessie in Michigan

Ever have a hard time setting up for binding? Why not use your Serger on the edges? I find that, by serging the edges first, it allows my binding to go on evenly, thus preventing the fabric from "clumping" up on me... makes a nice cleaner appearance. - Melanie in New Hampshire

Hand Piecing

When you're hand-piecing a project, organize your pieces so they'll be ready to go when you are. Knot a long piece of thread, and stick it through one set of pieces, tie a knot, then bring it through the next set and so on. You'll have a continuous strand of sets! - Amy in Virginia

When doing hand piecing and you need to do a quick press of a seam, use a clothespin. Take the clothespin apart and do a gentle press with the slanted end of the wood pin half." - Myrtle in California

I know I read this somewhere so just passing this on. If you handquilt or handpiece, thread a package of needles onto your spool of thread-- one right after the other, then knot the end. All of your needles will stay on the spool. As you need one, pull one needle with the length of thread needed and cut and tie another knot on the thread still attached to the spool. You will get fewer knots and tangles in your thread and will not have to stop for a while to thread a needle. - Beverley in Mississippi

Hand Quilting

I cut a small piece of jar opener rubber and keep it next to me when I am hand quilting so I can use it to grab ahold of the needle. It helps pull it through several thickness of fabric. Quick and easy. - Juanita in Arizona

When hand quilting, I always had a problem with the needle slipping off the thimble when pulling the needle through the fabric. To eliminate this frustration, I wrapped 1/4" quilters masking tape around my thimble and no more slipping and sliding off the thimble! - Patricia in Arizona

For hand piecing or hand quilting: Before threading your hand needle, weave the tip into your fabric. If you "drop" your needle, it does not fall to the floor. - kiskat in Texas

Buy two 'thumb picks' from a music shop. Roughen one and use on the finger underneath the quilt to save it getting pricked continuely. Glue a piece of leather on the other (to 'grab' the needle) and use instead of a conventional thimble. This makes hand quilting more of a joy than a chore. - Shirley in the United Kingdom

Glad Press `N Seal has little grabbers on it that make it work well in quilting. Do not iron it on as it probably would leave more of them on the fabric then you want. I checked it out with a mirror and it might leave a couple of grabbers, but it wipes right off with a damp cloth. It presses in place easily with your hands. It is great for using those stencils you have for designs on your borders and eliminates the math. Make a copy of the design you want and take it to a copy machine and enlarge or decrease your copy to different sizes. Some of those have a corner on it too, or you may have a corner design like a star or heart you want to use. Copy the design on the Press 'N Seal. Press it to the corners of your quilt. The cut the design for borders in sections and copy and press on your quilt a even distance apart and start sewing. Sharpies come in different colors now so the design is easy to follow. You can put it on from the front or back, suit yourself if you are worried. I think it is easier then paper piecing and the wrap comes off very easy. - Virginia in Washington

When I hand quilt (nearly everyday) I protect the underneath finger with a leather finger stall that I make easily by machine. Use a piece of soft, pliable but strong leather cut in a rectangle of about 1-1/4 by 3 inches. Fold in half and sew close to the edge down both sides stopping about 1/8 of an inch from the folded edge. Trim away the corners at the folded edge. Trim very close to the sewn edge to eliminate bulk. Place this on the "picking" finger. You can feel the needle picking into the leather but your finger is free from pain etc. I usually sew a narrower piece of leather to the strip on the inside before I fold it to double the area of attack. Use one also on your other hand on your pushing finger. Better than a thimble - flexible and it breathes. One wears out; make another. - Gloria in Ontario

Have you ever wondered what you can do with those used sheets of Bounce? Well here one way to use them. If you take a threaded needle and run it through the sheet of bounce it will keep you threaded needle from getting tangled while sewing. It really works well. No more headaches for me!! - Suzie in Texas

When I'm hand quilting the outer borders of a quilt, I baste a strip of requited fabric to the sides, so the border will fit in my hoop. This keeps the border straight and smooth for quilting. - Judy in Ohio

When hand quilting, I ensure that my cotton thread slides easily through all layers by running the thread through bees wax before beginning a new line of quilting. - Wendy in Australia

Glad has come out with a new product called Press 'n Seal which is like a clear wrap with little grabbers on it. It works great to draw your design on and put in the blank spot on your quilt where you want to place a rosette or something. You can see through it and sew on your drawn lines. When you are done, make a little hole in the center and tear it away on both sides of your stitching. It's wonderful. - Virginia in Washington

I've just started using the new product (no affiliation) Glad Press 'n Seal for hand quilting. I rip off a piece, the size of my template, use a narrow Sharpie pen to trace the template onto the non-sticky side of the product. Let the ink dry for a few minutes, then press the new sew-through template onto my block, using my fingers to ensure that the template is correctly placed. It sticks to the block (I'm currently using a lap hoop) until you are all finished quilting, then easily tears away. Especially good for those high-contrast blocks where you would ordinarily have to use both light and dark markers! - Helen Marie in Pennsylvania

I save bar soap and old candles. I use them to pass a threaded needle through to make the needle and thread go through fabric easier. - Joanne in Massachusetts

I use "fingercots" on the tips of my fingers for pulling the thread through the quilt when I am quilting. This makes even the hardest to pull, come through with ease. I purchase them at the medical supply store for about $5.00 per box. A box can last up to 2-3 years. - Wanda in Kentucky

A good way to practice making consistent quilting stitches is to make a practice project out of a backing, batting and gingham material. You can choose the size of the little squares - maybe start out with the 1/4" squares and then go on to the 1/8" squares. This way you will get used to the "rhythm" needed to perfect your quilting stitch. - Bonita in Wisconsin

When doing hand quilting and traveling take a bobbin fill with the thread you will be using and place it in a empty dental floss container. Pull thread around the cutter. Glue a double piece of flannel to the inside of the lid to carry a needle. - Judith in North Carolina

Try placing a fingercot on your index finger to help pull needle through while hand quilting. Finger cots are inexpensive and available at any drug store. - Pat in Pennsylvannia

Place a small piece of contrasting fabric onto a safety pin. When you're done quilting for the day, attach the safety pin to your quilt where you stopped. When you go back to work on it, look for the little piece of fabric sticking up, remove the safety pin, and begin quilting again. - Rhonda http://www.acornhillquilts.com

Needle getting dull? Rub the point of the needle lightly (don't hurt yourself!) along your scalp. The oils in your hair & scalp will help the point of the needle slide right through your fabric again. ~Rae Cooper in Arizona

To clean the needle you are quilting with (oils from your fingers, etc) save a sliver of bath soap. Thread your needle, & using your thimble, push it through the soap, then use the thread to pull it back out. Leave the soap on the needle & begin to stitch as is. You have no idea how much easier it quilts! - Elaine in Texas

When hand quilting, I have tried sooo many different thimbles and not found my perfect one yet. One problem I seem to have with all of them is fit & they are constantly slipping off, very frustrating. I have found a solution to this problem by cutting and wearing the fingertips off the thin, re-usable latex household gloves. They come 10 pairs in a package at the dollor store. Now my thimbles don't come off until I tell them to. They also help grip your tiny needle. Now if only they could make me satisfied with my hand quilting skill! - Kathleen in Indiana

When quilting in a big frame a block of wood 2 x4 or what ever is comfortable under your right foot helps a lot. - Daisy in North Carolina

I have thimbles upon thimbles, none I'm really happy with...but I got some sculpy polymer clay, fashioned over my quilting finger made the dimples with the HEAD of a pin. Deep too because I control the amount of clay over the needle area of the thimble...bake in the oven...cool and I have a custom made, individually fitted thimble..love it. - Diana in MN

When a pin or needle does not want to go into the fabric run it through your hair, and it will slide right in. - Susan in Kentucky

I made my own quilt and go lap frame after my old one broke by using 1/2 inch PVC pipe and old hair roller clips. The good thing is I could make it any size I wanted. I needed more clips so I found curlers with clips at our local dollar store - they work great. - Denise in Arizona

Machine Quilting

When machine quilting on my home sewing machine, I sit well above my machine. I sit on a step stool - the kind that every 1950's kitchen had. It looks a bit like a baby highchair, but without the tray. The two steps fold up under the chair when not in use.

This higher chair forces your arms and shoulders down into a more relaxed position when you are manipulating your quilt. In a normal chair, the tendency is to shrug your shoulders up to your ears. It's very fatiguing on the body.

The first time I quilted on the step stool, I quilted for 2.5 hours before stopping. I was so relaxed that I forgot to take a break!

When I quilt with the higher chair, I tilt my machine BACK slightly by placing a tiny one-half-inch book underneath the front edge of the machine. Without this, the machine head blocks my vision from this higher vantage point. - kiskat in Texas