After quilting, my next love is collecting tips and bits of information relating to quilting. Just any type of little tip that may help in the smallest way, sometimes turns out to be a "big" time saver, or makes the light come on for someone like me, very slow at times. I would love to have any of your tips you are willing to share.
Thanks, Pam in WV

No tips that I can think of, just wanted to welcome you to the board.

Rose Hall
Lynchburg, VA

Hello and Welcome :D :D :D There are loads of tips sprinkled throughout this board :wink:

*Waves from Iowa* :)

Tips? hmm tidbits? hmm
nope nothing comes to mind right off the bat but I'll get back to you if something pops up :)

Hi Pam Welcome from Iowa

I like to use the little blue seam ripper( I get them at Walmart) because the tip is smaller than most and I do miniatures. Well they were always rolling off onto the floor or they were hard to hold so I taped one onto an emory board. Works great. I now have a larger handle with a small tip to get into those seams and rip them out! And it doesn't roll anymore! The handle that is on them(the blue part) is only 1 1/2" long. You are supposed to stick that part into the cap but I never liked how that felt in my hand. This works so much better for me and I used a hole punch and punched a hole in the end of the emory board to hang it with.

Greetings from Sacramento CA.

Do you already have a boat load of tips, or are you starting fresh?

I like the fine/narrow bladed nail scissors - they really work better than the seam rippers for me.

Hi and Welcome from southern Indiana! Lots of info here!

I am wondering do you use EQ to design your quilts? I have EQ and noticed a lot of your designs look like theirs.
Just wondering.

Hi, and Welcome from SW Michigan!! :D

Excellent tip, Loretta!! I'm going to start one! I write things, or print them off, then have no idea where I put them! lol!!

Hi and welcome. No tips come to mind right now.

Thanks Rhonda for the seam ripper tip.
Here is something else for you to think about. Since my hands are older than I am, I got a woodworking friend of mine to remove the plastic handle form my ripper and he made me a wooden handle.
It's bigger around and a bit longer, and with a hole in the handle, a little ribbon on it and I can wear it around my neck.
Of course quilters never rip, just unsew a bit.
Pam

Hi Loretta,
No tip book, but it is because I hadn't thought of it. Wonderful idea and maybe some of the older, no more experienced, quilters can get something from new ideas and tips.
Thanks, Pam

Madquilter
I have quite a few tips, but can always use more. I have even gotten tips on how to improve and old tip.
Thanks, Pam in WV

Welcome.

If you've been collecting tips and tidbits, maybe you have some to share with us!

yes, I use EQ5. am thinking about upgrading to EQ6. maybe this summer when I am not in school and have more time to play on the computer.
Rose Hall

Pam in WV, this board is GREAT for tips and tidbits!! That's one of the things that keep me coming back. I've learned lots of wonderful "little" pointers that don't turn out to be so little. Enjoy.

Welcome!

I'm not sure if this qualifies as a tip as opposed to a favorite tool, but I am just loving the mechanical chalk pencil I bought. The brand is Bohin and it cost $11.50 and is worth every penny!!! I was able to mark the entire outside of a lap size quilt without a single broken tip! I could never get a point to stay on the chalk pencil for more than a few minutes of marking.

http://www.clotilde.com/tipoftheweek/?tip_id=74

There are tip on the Clotilde site. I just found them at the about site. There is a great one for baby quilts and more. Go check them out for your book.

Connie

Hi Katier825
I'm always looking for something that will make my life easier. I would love to know where you got your making pencil.
Thanks.

Welcome from Pine Grove, CA.

I am a relative newby to quilting starting only 1 1/2 years ago.

Most of the quilts I've made become gifts for those special
people in my life. I decided initially that I would start a
scrapbook of sorts to keep track of my projects. I include:
a picture of the finished product, a pic of the label,
swatches of all the fabric used and finally a picture of the
recipient with their quilt. It is fun to look back and see
those "smiles".

I found the mechanical chalk pencil at:

http://www.quilterswarehouse.com/P-7...-by-bohin.aspx

It's $10.92 if it's the same thing.

Hi Pam,

Welcome from Kansas. This is a wonderful group.

cyniree

who makes this pen - i'm always on the lookout for marking things

The link that conblond2005 posted is similar to item I bought. I got mine at my local quilt shop, but I have also seen them on line. I've looked at so many sites the last couple of days, I don't remember where. I did a quick google search and came up with the right one.

http://www.thebestkeptsecret.com/cgi...cking5=froogle

I like having the chalk because I don't have to worry that it won't come out of the fabric like some of the markers do. I can just see myself being in a hurry and using it without testing every fabric I'm using first, then having a problem.

These pens are wonderful!!! I bought mine at my local LQS and it was less than $10. And it washes out/rubs off like magic -- but not before you want it too!

My best tip is to make sure your fingers aren't hanging off the ruler when you use your rotary cutter. That will definitely put a halt to your quilting for a few days.

I too, keep tips, etc, in notebooks...many notebooks, lol. should have took a pic of those on my cave thread.
When learning how to quilt, and struggling for accuracy, don't be in a hurry. Cut your block as accurately as possible, and make a cardboard unit 1/2" smaller, all the way around, (it is the finished size of the square, etc.), and use this to lightly...I said, lightly, trace onto the back of your piece to use as a seam line.
You have to be careful of using pens, that show thru and hard to get ink out...and graphite pencils, bc the thread picks up the graphite at times.
I use the lead pencils, sometimes, bc the line is so thin, or I use a pen, but go ever so lightly, or a chalk pencil.
It's very encouraging to get accurate blocks, when just learning. :D

This may help me. I can cut OK, but my 1/4" seams are sometimes not.
Thanks.

Welcome Pam!

I was raised in Gilmer Co WV, just got back from a trip home!

There is always great info on this board and I learn something new everyday!


Ninnie

Hi Ninnie
We live in Preston Co., home of the Buckwheat Festivel in early Sept.
You're right, this is a great place to learn new things and I really enjoy it.

Welcome from WA :D

Kluedesigns posted a great tip recently involving a marble to help you pin bast a quilt, try the search engine.

I found it. What a great idea.

I would think that the best tip I can offer is that visiting with this lovely group is great, but the quilting doesn't get done while you're here. So I would say to use you housecleaning time to do the QB and you will still have time for quilting.

Oh, and I can't wait to try out the marble idea.

I have been "keeping house" for more than 45 years. I've had lots of practice and I never seem to get any better at it, so I do just as you suggested. There is no longer any of that time left.
Someday someone will clean that window so I can see what I'm doing and turn out these lights.

I have a sign in my kitchen that reads: Housework won't kill me, but I'm not taking any chances! :lol:

I just got a new sewing machine and am thinking about making a sample swatch for the different fancy stitches. They look much different in real life than on the paper chart and it would be so much easier to pick the stitch based on a sample.

I do not like to prewash my quilts when I give them as gifts, but occasionally they have been rattling around the house for a while. So I throw the quilt in the dryer with 2 washed bath towels and a dryer sheet. The dampness of the towels helps pull the threads off the quilt and the dryer sheet freshens it up.

How wonderful, a new machine. I'm turnig green with en....well, you know.
I made a chart of the stiches on my machine when it was new, and I did 2 or 3, came back and did a couple more and then the light came on.
I took 2 sheets of graph paper, the 1/4-inch paper, put them together and
started to sew the stiches right on the paper. It gave me the "real" look and I could also see what the scale was.
That paper is old, winkled, like me, and turning yellow, but it really did help a lot.
Good luck with your new machine.

Oh, if you use graph paper, goooooo slooooooow.

Hi, Gail! know you been very busy with cakes and all! good to see you, yes, sometimes, i just let stuff pile, to get some quilty time! :wink:

Hi and Welcome I take my soft cover quilt books to Kinko's They cut off the binding and put 3 ring holes in it I then put the cover in a see through page on the front of a Notebook and then at a glance I can see what book it is and have easy access to scan a template or pattern and it stays open better Happy Quilting!