What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

In this episode of WIP Wednesday Vanessa is answering some of your questions about quilting basics!

It’s a new year and if you are ready to learn (or improve!) your quilting skills this episode is for you. Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced quilter, there’s always more quilting tricks to learn!

Tune in LIVE and hear her tips on cutting and piecing more accurately so you start working on amazing quilts this year.

• ASK YOUR QUESTIONS: Submit your own question to be answered on a future WIP Wednesday here: https://forms.gle/D2qMCVJxfAgJHvWb7

What we ...

Perfect tension – it is the #1 skill you should learn when starting your longarm quilting journey. Tension can either make or break your quilting results. It can be scary to think you have to adjust your bobbin tension, especially since most modern sewing machines have automatic tension features. And we’ve been told to NEVER touch the bobbin tension.  Longarm machines are a whole different animal.

Believe me, it is not hard to do, and once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder why you were so scared. If you are just getting started, read the blog post ...

Perfect tension – it is the #1 skill you should learn when starting your longarm quilting journey. Tension can either make or break your quilting results. It can be scary to think you have to adjust your bobbin tension, especially since most modern sewing machines have automatic tension features. And we’ve been told to NEVER touch the bobbin tension.  Longarm machines are a whole different animal.

Believe me, it is not hard to do, and once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder why you were so scared. If you are just getting started, read the blog post ...

We are piecing the blocks for the Seeing Stars Handi Quilter quilt-along this month. There are a lot of half-square triangles in this quilt, which means there are bias edges. You have to be careful when working with bias edges because they stretch very easily.

Last week I told you I make my half square triangles (HST) two at a time. I draw a line from point to point on one square and match it up with another square. Then I stitch 1/4 inch away on both sides of the line. I cut on the line and I end ...

We are piecing the blocks for the Seeing Stars Handi Quilter quilt-along this month. There are a lot of half-square triangles in this quilt, which means there are bias edges. You have to be careful when working with bias edges because they stretch very easily.

Last week I told you I make my half square triangles (HST) two at a time. I draw a line from point to point on one square and match it up with another square. Then I stitch 1/4 inch away on both sides of the line. I cut on the line and I end ...

It’s April, so this month we are piecing the blocks for the Handi Quilter quilt-along, Seeing Stars. Last month we chose fabrics and cut out our pieces. If you are just learning about this quilt-along it’s not too late to join the fun.

Find the pattern here: https://handiquilter.com/product/quilt-top-pattern-seeing-stars/

Find the hints and hacks page here: https://handiquilter.com/download/152247/

Piecing

I have to make a confession here. I’m not so much a “read-the-pattern-and-follow-the-directions” type quilter as I am a “look-at-the-picture-and-sew-the-pieces-to-look-like-the-picture” type quilter.  Can you relate? Let’s take a poll. Tell us ...

It’s April, so this month we are piecing the blocks for the Handi Quilter quilt-along, Seeing Stars. Last month we chose fabrics and cut out our pieces. If you are just learning about this quilt-along it’s not too late to join the fun.

Find the pattern here: https://handiquilter.com/product/quilt-top-pattern-seeing-stars/

Find the hints and hacks page here: https://handiquilter.com/download/152247/

Piecing

I have to make a confession here. I’m not so much a “read-the-pattern-and-follow-the-directions” type quilter as I am a “look-at-the-picture-and-sew-the-pieces-to-look-like-the-picture” type quilter.  Can you relate? Let’s take a poll. Tell us ...

There’s no place like home! The Home Again Quilt Along starts today, April 4, and runs for five weeks, through May 2. We will sew one row each week, until the final week when we add the borders and finish the quilt. With nine different colorway options, your personal palette will fit comfortably inside this color box of a quilt.

The Home Again Quilt is 74.5″ x 94.5″ finished and is beginner-friendly. The cover quilt and Home Again Quilt Kit are Red, but you can choose from any of the eight bonus colorways. Their SKUs are all ...

As long as we are learning about bobbin winders, we might as well get familiar with your bobbin case too. The more you know about your machine, the better you’ll be at using it and getting great quilting results.

There are four types of bobbin cases that are used in various generations of Handi Quilter quilting machines. You can access a PDF with all the detailed information here. Any of these bobbin cases can be used in any HQ longarm machines. And all of them work great! If you find you need to order a part for your case ...

As long as we are learning about bobbin winders, we might as well get familiar with your bobbin case too. The more you know about your machine, the better you’ll be at using it and getting great quilting results.

There are four types of bobbin cases that are used in various generations of Handi Quilter quilting machines. You can access a PDF with all the detailed information here. Any of these bobbin cases can be used in any HQ longarm machines. And all of them work great! If you find you need to order a part for your case ...

We recently learned about the standard Handi Quilter bobbin winder, now it’s time to get to know the Moxie bobbin winder. Some things are the same, but just like Moxie, it’s a little different too.  If you missed the previous post you can read it here. Please note: if you are outside of the US, you probably received a different bobbin winder with your Moxie machine. Please refer to your Handi Quilter retailer where you purchased your machine for help in using your bobbin winder. For my Australian friends, there is a video from Handcrafters House. Watch it ...

We recently learned about the standard Handi Quilter bobbin winder, now it’s time to get to know the Moxie bobbin winder. Some things are the same, but just like Moxie, it’s a little different too.  If you missed the previous post you can read it here. Please note: if you are outside of the US, you probably received a different bobbin winder with your Moxie machine. Please refer to your Handi Quilter retailer where you purchased your machine for help in using your bobbin winder. For my Australian friends, there is a video from Handcrafters House. Watch it ...

Have you started on your Seeing Stars quilt-a-long quilt? It’s not too late! This month (March) we are selecting fabric and cutting. I will share my progress and thoughts as we go. My friend Pam is also going to quilt along and I’ll share her approach as well.

Selecting Fabrics

My Choices

Since this quilt is mostly scrappy, I started with a fat quarter pack from my stash that was very “well-aged”.  It gave me a start on my color palette. Then I added in some additional fat quarters for more variety.

I wanted to follow the hack ...

Have you started on your Seeing Stars quilt-a-long quilt? It’s not too late! This month (March) we are selecting fabric and cutting. I will share my progress and thoughts as we go. My friend Pam is also going to quilt along and I’ll share her approach as well.

Selecting Fabrics

My Choices

Since this quilt is mostly scrappy, I started with a fat quarter pack from my stash that was very “well-aged”.  It gave me a start on my color palette. Then I added in some additional fat quarters for more variety.

I wanted to follow the hack ...

Starting with a well wound bobbin is essential for good results when quilting. That’s why you need to know how to operate your Handi Quilter bobbin winder. It’s a great machine that will provide you with perfect bobbins every time, when you get it set up correctly. Handi Quilter offers 2 types of bobbin winder, one that comes exclusively with the Moxie machine and the other comes with all other HQ longarm machines. We will start with the standard bobbin winder.

First, download and READ the manual. You can find it here. Scroll down til you get to ...

Starting with a well wound bobbin is essential for good results when quilting. That’s why you need to know how to operate your Handi Quilter bobbin winder. It’s a great machine that will provide you with perfect bobbins every time, when you get it set up correctly. Handi Quilter offers 2 types of bobbin winder, one that comes exclusively with the Moxie machine and the other comes with all other HQ longarm machines. We will start with the standard bobbin winder.

First, download and READ the manual. You can find it here. Scroll down til you get to ...

Have you ever joined a quilt-a-long? Now is your chance to try one on for size. Handi Quilter’s first quilt-a-long is just starting and it’s FREE!

The Videos

The last Tuesday of each month we will premier a video with hints, tips and techniques you can use to create your Seeing Stars quilt. Noon Mountain time (11am Pacific time, 1pm Central time, and 2pm Eastern time in the US) is when the videos will premier. If you are outside of those time zones, you can figure out when to watch here.  If you can’t watch live, you ...

Have you ever joined a quilt-a-long? Now is your chance to try one on for size. Handi Quilter’s first quilt-a-long is just starting and it’s FREE!

The Videos

The last Tuesday of each month we will premier a video with hints, tips and techniques you can use to create your Seeing Stars quilt. Noon Mountain time (11am Pacific time, 1pm Central time, and 2pm Eastern time in the US) is when the videos will premier. If you are outside of those time zones, you can figure out when to watch here.  If you can’t watch live, you ...

We have a fabulous new collection in the shop this week.

We received Zen Garden from Stephanie Brandenburg. Stephanie has been designing fabric for years, but recently partnered with Northcott Fabrics for the printing and distribution of her brand Frond Design Studios.

Stephanie is a painter first and all over her fabric collections are inspired by the boldly colored nature-scapes she creates first with paint and brush. Zen Garden is no exception to the bold beauty she is known for and it is a must add to your collection.

We also created new kits for our most popular bag pattern ...

With so many types of quilting fabrics available, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. It’s important to understand their differences so you can choose the best one for your next project. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about quilting fabrics.

Types of Quilt Fabric

Although standard quilting cotton fabric is our hands-down favorite for making quilts, there is a wide variety of fabrics available for sewing quilts, home decor and garments, such as batiks, wovens and flannel. Some are made from natural fibers like cotton and linen, while others are man-made. The base fiber affects ...