Emily Hallman is a shoe lover, bookworm, dog mama, fashion enthusiast, and sewist. She also publishes a capsule wardrobe blog and has over 40K followers on Instagram. Sheryl Belson spent some time chatting with Emily about color, style and the joy of sewing your own wardrobe, one colorful, coordinated collection at a time.
~Sheryl Belson, ASG
You’ve spent hours, days or weeks (OK, maybe years) tediously piecing your quilt top. It’s layered, basted and ready to go. It doesn’t matter if it’s a traditional look or totally mod, the next step toward the finish line—how to quilt it.
You can, of course, hire a longarm quilter to do it for you. You can free-motion quilt it from edge to edge. Or, you can use your walking foot to quilt it. Let’s take a look at a few walking-foot options.
When you constructed your blocks, you probably pressed the seam allowances in one direction, perhaps so they could nest with adjoining seams and because it makes a stronger seam than pressing them open. With the seam allowances pressed in one direction, it creates a “well” in the seam—a small indentation. That’s the perfect location to stitch through the three layers of your quilt (top, batting, backing).
Stitch-in-the-ditch quilting can be done with transparent thread, either smoke or clear, or with a thread color to coordinate with adjacent pieces. Choose a bobbin color that coordinates with the quilt backing. This type of quilting is an ideal way to hold the layers together without creating new design lines and it lets you highlight the piecing itself. Stitch slowly and stay in the ditch.
If you have a machine with an adjustable needle position, try moving the needle to exactly sit in the ditch of the seam for invisible stitching.
If stitching in the ditch seems a bit scary, think about echo quilting. This process uses the presser foot width to keep your quilting lines an even distance from the piecing seams—it’s akin to topstitching on a garment. This simple method allows you to highlight the shapes you’ve intricately pieced, and it’s a great way to hold the layers together.
ANCHORING THREADS: If you’re doing either stitch-in-the-ditch or echo quilting, it’s likely that you won’t be starting and finishing your stitching in a place where you can simply cut the threads. You can start and end your stitching sections by shortening the stitch length to near zero to anchor the threads. If you opt not to do that, then simply pull the top threads to the underside, knot them, thread the ends into a needle and bury them in the quilt layers.
Some designs work well with overall quilting parallel rows of stitches. It’s fun, easy and pretty quick to complete. The channels can be spaced as desired, but a simple way is to use the presser foot width as a guide for the row spacing. Mark the first stitching line in the center of the quilt, then work outward from the center to the left and the right. For a more artsy look, vary the spacing of the stitching rows. If you want them further apart than the presser foot width, use a quilting guide for spacing.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy, no-mark method to prep your quilt, look no further than the paint aisle of your favorite home improvement store. Painter’s tape is designed to mask edges and trim when changing the color of a room, but quilters have taken it to another level. The low-tack tape is available in several widths, and some shapes (scallops, zigzag and waves) and it’s perfect for “marking” quilting lines on your quilt sandwich.
Adhere the tape strips in the pattern you’d like to quilt—parallel lines, diverging lines, crisscross patterning or even diamonds or triangles. Finger-press the tape in place and you’ve got a perfect edge to follow with your stitching. Stitch your first line along the tape edge or a presser foot width away, and subsequent stitching lines using either the presser foot width for spacing, or a quilting guide for wider spacing. You can stitch on either the inside of the tape, outside or both.
When you’re done stitching, simply pull off the tape—there’s no residue. If your lines go edge to edge, there’s no need to secure the threads, as they’ll be caught under the binding. If shapes are within the quilt, tie off the threads as noted above.
~Linda Griepentrog
Linda is the owner of G Wiz Creative Services and she does writing, editing and designing for companies in the sewing, crafting and quilting industries. In addition, she escorts fabric shopping tours to Hong Kong. She lives at the Oregon Coast with her husband Keith, and two dogs, Yohnuh and Abby. Contact her at .
If “art” is work that matters, we know the answer to the question, Is sewing art? is Yes!
When it comes time to cut out your project, which do you choose, scissors or rotary cutters? Ask this question in any online forum or neighborhood group meeting and you will hear strong opinions on both sides. And those opinions often line up by what they sew: quilts or garments.
My mother was a garment sew’r and I was raised to use proper sewing scissors for the project. Scissors were the short blade (less than 8” long) cutting devices used for threads or short clips in fabrics. Shears had longer blades and were used for cutting fabrics. And heaven forbid that I should use the shears to cut threads and dull the tips of the blades! With more experience, I added pinking shears for finished seams, duck bill or applique scissors for maneuvering around small areas, and clippers which worked especially well for cutting threads close to the fabric.
I often see the beginning sew’r try to save money on scissors and shears, not understanding that a good quality cutting tool makes the job go much easier. While a new pair can be purchased from the dollar store, they simply don’t do the job that specially manufactured fabric shears do. Some reputable manufacturers are Fiskars, Gingher, Kai, and Wiss. Prices vary from as $8 to $130 or more.
While most scissors are designed for right hand use, manufacturers have become more accommodating to the left handers among us and have designed ones contoured for the left hand.
Whether using pins or pattern weights, shears are easy to use. Sometimes, however, especially for the new sew’r or in the case of slippery fabrics, shears lift the fabric off the surface and distort the cut. To combat this effect, manufacturers have redesigned the shape of the scissor and have raised and angled the handles so that blades can ride along the table more easily. To further insure a good cut, blades should also be sharpened frequently to prevent the tearing action of a dull blade. There are tools on the market to help with this, but a qualified professional will keep those scissors and shears sharp and smooth and ready to use. And the number one rule: NEVER use fabric scissors or shears on paper, even pattern tissue.
I got my first rotary cutter as a freebie in the mail. At the time, I knew nothing about them and tried cutting on a table. OOPS! I cut right through to the top of the table. First lesson: always put something underneath. I remember trying magazines and even pieces of wood under the fabric before giving up and tucking the cutter away. It may have come with instructions, but I certainly hadn’t read them, so I returned to my scissors. Thinking back, my attitude could be likened to Guy I Am from the Dr. Seuss book, Green Eggs and Ham. I indeed “did not like them, Sam I Am.”
By the time I purchased my first fold-up cutting table that came with a large cutting mat, I understood more about rotary cutters and how they should be used. Helping a friend in her craft business, she suggested using a rotary cutter to produce the long, even-width strips she needed for ruffling. Armed with a tool, mat, and plastic ruler, it was easy to work with the yards and yards of fabric and cut them into 6″ strips. This ease-of-use is the reason that rotary cutters have won the admiration of quilters. Since I often worked with knits, transferring this technique into cutting the ribbing for neck and waist bands was a natural jump.
The first cutters had a straight handle and a 28 mm blade. However, just as scissors have evolved, so too has the rotary cutter. Today they come in various ergonomically designed shapes that help reduce the fatigue and stress on the hand when doing large amounts of cutting.
Rotary cutters now come in 14, 28, 45, and 60 mm sizes. Why so many? Just like scissors, the smaller cutter makes it easier to maneuver around smaller shapes. The larger size is better suited for long, straight edges or thicker fabrics. Specialty cutters even come with blades that can produce a pinked or wavy edges. There is even a rotary cutter with its own mat-like feature attached that allows it to run between rows of stitches on multiple layers of fabric and make the cuts needed to create chenille.
Olfa and Fiskars are the two most common brands of sewing rotary cutters, but others can be found on the market. The lower end models start around $8 and go up from there depending on their size and features. The electric ones come in around $40, and large ones that look like paper cutters used mainly in quilt shops for cutting quantities of fabric can go above $170. Because these cutters can handle up to 10 layers at a time, they make fast work of the tedious job of multiple cuts. And, yes, they are also available for the left hander.
Rotary cutters are not without some down sides. While they work great when cutting straight edges that can be aligned with a quilting ruler, it takes some practice to go around curves in both quilting and garment sewing. With practice and the right size blade, however, this obstacle can be overcome. What is a bit more cumbersome is using the cutter in conjunction with pattern pieces. Putting pins in the pattern creates an uneven surface for the ruler to be placed upon, and weights, if used, always seem to be in the way. I have even seen some brave souls use the rotary cutter instead of a seam ripper for taking out stitches, This requires some practice, but a sharp blade easily snips the threads that a seam ripper might otherwise just pull.
Quilting cottons are a natural for the rotary cutter, but even slippery fabrics can be tamed because the proper use of the ruler holds the fabric in place and allows for an accurate cut. Of course some of this is dependent upon having a sharp blade in the cutter. While there are tools available to sharpen blades, I have found it best to simply change the blade which is easily done with the turn of a screw that holds it in place.
Perhaps the biggest drawback for this tool is the fear of cutting oneself on the blade. Today they are designed with retractable blades or covers to help prevent accidents from occurring; however, most users will admit to being nicked at one time or another by a sharp blade being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
So where do I stand in the great cutting debate? Like Guy I Am, I must say, I like them. I like them both, and “I would use them here and there, I would use them everywhere!”
~Rosemary Fajgier
Q. Item Created
A. Fit For Art Tabula Rasa Jacket
Q. Independent Pattern Designer
A. Rae Cumbie and Carrie Emerson
Q. Fabric Used:
A. Kanthi cloth (from a spread)
Q. Special Embellishments/Notions Used
A. Buttons painted to coordinate
Q. Skill level required?
A. Intermediate
Q. Are the instructions easy to follow?
A. The written instructions are very easy to understand, especially since the unique sleeves seem confusing at first. The instructions eliminate any confusion.
Q. Are you pleased with the finished result? Did it meet your expectations?
A. I was happy with the result and took my time daily to get the fit just right. The more difficult part was a fabric for the band and finding buttons during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Q. Did it look like the picture?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you make any modifications in the pattern?
A. Yes, I did some adjusting as I went and changed from flare to straight to help the fabric hang better. Took in the sides (I’ll choose the one dart front next time). I added a contrasting turn up cuff to match the band. I added in seam pockets.
Q. Are there any changes you would have made?
A. The chosen fabric, though a nice pattern, in places has several layers of patching, etc. and I’d not use that particular fabric in the future for this. I still may remove a bit from the side back seams, but will wear for a while to decide.
Q. Did the pattern teach you any unique or special techniques?
A. I was tempted to make the insertable piping but glad I did not due to the adjustments I made.
Q. Would you make this again?
A. Yes, lovely pattern. I do like the sleeve design.
Q. Would you recommend this pattern to others?
A. Yes
~JoAnne Lowe, Boston Chapter of ASG
