Not All Fabric is Created Equal

When I was a new mom in 1983, I was lucky enough to be a-stay-at-home mom for a couple of years.  I took a part-time job at Fabricland.  What a fun job that was...I was my own best customer.  I think I still have some remnants from those days!

Alas, Fabricland is no more. (You will see Fabricland in Canada...different company.)  There was a hostile take over back in the mid '80's.  But, that is how Fabric Depot got started!!  So, something good came of it.

I Love Fabric!  And there are so many talented fabric designers and creative quilt pattern designers and talented quilt-sewers.  It's just fun!

There is only one rule to remember when it comes to fabric....don't buy cheap stuff.

Visiting the Holyland

Yes, I know fabric prices have creeped up over the years.
You can probably expect to pay $12 to $15 dollars a yard for nice fabric (and fabric is more expensive in Canada. Sorry, quilters to the north.)   But it is worth it.  Cheap fabric will not hold its shape, will not hold up over time. And do you really want to put lots of $$ and lots of time into a beautiful quilt just to have it look crummy after a while?  No!  You don't.

Look at the end of the bolt.  You want to see a fabric company name you recognize...

Robert Kaufman
Moda
Red Rooster
Blue Hill
Free Spirit
Riley Blake
Tula Pink
The list is a long one....
And, each designer has their own style; traditional, modern, quirky.

When I started quilting I didn't think I'd remember anything about choosing good fabric.  One way to begin recognizing names is the Fabric Shop Hop.  It is an online shop hop.  It can be time consuming and I don't "hop" much any more.  But hopping accomplished one thing...I started to become familiar with various designers and their style and the many different online shops in cyber space.  It is educational and fun. (And, you can win prizes.)  You should give it a try.

Flat Folds:  A flat fold is fabric not on a bolt.  It could be the end of a fabric run or the last of a bolt or cheap junk.  Unless the designer and/or company is printed on the salvage, there isn't any real way of knowing where the fabric came from since there is no bolt to tell you.  I avoid flat folds UNLESS I see information on the salvage that tells me it is a good fabric.

One last word on buying good fabric....your local quilt "shops" are a pretty safe place.  They will deal with good quality fabrics.  Big Box fabric stores (with the exception of a few; Fabric Depot in Portland, OR and Hancock Fabrics in Peducah, KY) buy what I call "no-name" fabric.  These are the fabrics you want to stay away from.

Came across this article on a blog, National Quilters Circle that explains it very well.

So, get out there and start visiting quilt shops!  Oh, one word of etiquette.  Most shops will let you take pictures of quilts on display...but ask first.  It's just good manners.

Stuff, Stuff and More Stuff

We're coming to an end of the "must-have stuff" list.  Thank Heaven!!!
If you haven't realized it before now, quilting requires a lot of "stuff."  Some stuff is a "must have" and some stuff is a "it would be nice to have" and some stuff is "I MUST HAVE" because it just looks like fun!

And, people are out there thinking up more cool quilt stuff all the time.
That's what makes quilt shows so much fun...all the vendor's booths!

Road To California Quilter's Showcase
January, 2015 Ontario California

I came home from the Road to California Quilters Showcase with a nifty gadget, which I will show you later in this post...

Ok, enough of that rabbit trail.

Quarter Inch foot: Unlike constructing clothing items, quilt seams are 1/4 inch (sometimes a "scant" 1/4 inch.)  Using a quarter-inch foot is very helpful.

Here is a You Tube video on using the Quarter-Inch Foot (everything you ever wanted to know, eh?)


Quarter inch seams are SOOOO Important!  If you are even a smig over or under, your block will not measure accurately. So, check the accuracy of your quarter-in foot.  (Follow this link)

Seam Ripper:  Only God is perfect, you will still need one of these.

The very first quilt block I made was part of a BOM (Block of the Month) I participated in at a GREAT store in Portland, OR,  Cool Cottons. 

They gave us the fabric we'd need and the instructions for that month's block.  I went back to the store 8 times for help!!!  (Absolutely true)  I ripped it out so many times the fabric began to fray...I had to buy more fabric!  (I did eventually catch on.)
So, you will still need a seam ripper...We lovingly refer him as "Jack" (as in Jack the ripper.)

BOM Blocks from Cool Cottons

Here is my one and only gadget I bought at
The Road to California last weekend.
I'll let you know how well it works.

The next big thing is RULERS

We use rulers to cut the fabric that will make up the blocks.  There are hundreds of sizes of rulers.  Ok, I may be exaggerating just a bit.  But there are a lot of sizes of rulers and lots of specialty rulers.

You do need a couple rulers to start.  I have about 12 or 15 rulers.  But I didn't accumulate them all at once.  I started out with a nice, long, wide ruler and a square ruler.

A "good sized" ruler will be 6" wide and 25" long. (Look Here)

A ruler this long can be hard to control.

♫♪♫♪ Slip Slidin Away ♫♪♫♪ 

So I use a handy device called a "Gypsy Gripper" to help hold the ruler in place (and keep my pinkies out of the way.)

Gypsy Gripper

A Gypsy Gripper "suctions" to the ruler.  When using your rotary cutter, using slight pressure on the Gypsy Gripper will hold that ruler just where you want it. Very nifty.

Pick one up at Jo-Ann's-- use your coupon.
(Are you seeing a pattern here?  Jo-Ann's and her coupons are good for quilting "stuff.")





Bobbins and A Bobbin Holder:  Not much to say about these.  You want to have enough bobbins that when you run out of bobbin thread you don't have to stop and wind a bobbin.  I have about 20.  They are not expensive.  If you do need to buy more, take one with you to make sure you get the right kind for your machine.

Sewing Machine Needles:  I use two kinds: Schmetz or Klasse (Just depends on what store I am in when I decide I need them.)  The main thing to remember is the size; 80/12 Sharps and don't buy the cheapest brand.

A lot of quilters I know use "Universal" needles.  They are OK...they are not as sharp as "Sharps."  Sharps will glide through your fabric better (I was told by a published quilter, Lauren Smith.)



Marking Pens:  You need two kinds; one for marking light fabrics and one for marking dark fabrics.  Here are the two I like:


For marking light fabrics nothing beats FriXion Pens.
 I have black, blue and red.  The touch of a warm iron will magically "erase" the markings.  I can't say enough good  about these pens.

For marking dark fabrics I use a Bohin mechanical pencil, white.  I just like  the feel of it in my hand. (And, the Bohin man in his booth at the Road to California gave me a free pen because I mentioned in passing the one I had was broken... how nice was that!)

Straight Pins and a Pin Cushion:  You probably already have these.  Long-ish pins are great.  I pin my pieces together before sewing.  It is so frustrating to get everything situated under the presser foot and right at the last minute the pieces shift...arrrrrggggg!!!!
 

Ginghers

  Thread Snips:  I should have posted this with the Scissors.

  While not a "must have" these really make quilting life sweet!

  These are my favorite.  They are spendy, but you are worth it!!!  I have two pair; one pair at my sewing machine and one pair at my ironing station.


 

And, finally, you need some place to store all this junk...ah... I mean "important stuff."
You know that old tackle box from Uncle Mel?  There ya go.... (as long as it doesn't smell like fish bait...just sayin.)

Any storage box will do

That's it!  Whew!  It is not everything you will acquire in your quilting life, but these are the items I really like and tend to use the most (keeping in mind I am still a "baby" quilter by most standards..)

See ya next time...

Assembling Cutting Tools

We're on a roll.  We've started clearing out  a space to call our own;  dug the sewing machine out from the attic, the basement, the garage (multiple choice here) and taken it to be cleaned and oiled.

We're signed up for Pinterest, Jo-Ann's coupons (and downloaded the App) and All People Quilt (oh, and don't forget The Quilt Bear's Thread Club.)

What else do we need..... yes, we actually do need more...

One thing you will learn; there are many methods for quilting  and many types of tools and supplies.  You don't need EVERYTHING to start but there are a few tools you need to even get started.  

Rotary Cutter and Self-Healing Mat 

Olfa 45mm Rotary Cutter

You will ABSOLUTELY need these.  You don’t cut quilt block fabric with scissors (for the most part.)

This is the rotary cutter I use because it is “ergonomic” and when you release the handle, the blade automatically retracts.  They are VERY sharp...they are basically a round razor blade. 

About $30 at Jo-Ann's.  But, check Amazon.  You’ll be surprised what you find. This same rotary cutter is just under $16 on Amazon AND if you are a “Prime” member, NO SHIPPING! (I actually get my batting from Amazon.  More about that in a later blog.)

Olfa Self-Healing cutting mat

You need a mat as big as the cutting surface you will use. The table I use for cutting, piecing, etc is 30” X 50”  My cutting mat is
25.5”  X 38”  It pretty much fits my needs.  

I have a couple other mats as well (a smaller one for taking to classes, one that rotates that I use when trimming blocks) but you don't need to buy additional mats in the beginning.

 I won’t lie, cutting mats are expensive.  This mat is $45 on Amazon.  Closer to $60 at Jo-Ann’s.  Quilt shows will often have “show specials” where you can pick up these types of items less expensively.  (And some items will be more expensive...gotta be careful.)

There was a vendor at the Desert Lily's quilt show in Yuma, AZ earlier this month.  His mats were on sale at 40% to 50% off.  This mat was around $36.  I should have purchased it, but cutting mats must lie flat and I had to drive 4 hours back to "the O.C."  So, I'll use my 50% off coupon at Jo-Ann's.

A Couple Things to Mention

Rotary Blades:  They get dull.  They must be changed.  They are not cheap.  Be careful about buying "deals."  I bought rotary blades at Harbor Freight once.  O my gosh, the deal!  O my gosh, how terrible they were!  Sometimes you get what you pay for. (I think they were meant for a different purpose than cutting quilt fabric.)

I have a method for when to change sewing machine needles and rotary blades.  It goes like this:

I wind 12 to 18 bobbins all at once.  Let's face it, winding bobbins is a pretty boring job. So, I just sit there and wind as many as I have empty bobbins to wind.  I keep them in a plastic bobbin holder ring, separated in groups of three.

When I reach for that third bobbin in a group, I change my rotary cutter and I change my sewing machine needle and I "sweep" out my sewing machine bobbin case and surrounding area of lent and thread.  (I admit, I do fudge on the rotary cutter a bit.)   You want to always use a sharp rotary cutter.  Dull blades are DANGEROUS!

What do you do with the dull blades?  I do keep a few around for cutting paper.  Rotary cutters follow the same rules as scissors...one for fabric, one for paper.  Some people have had good luck re-sharpening the blades...me, not so much.  If I'm feeling particularly broke, I do have a sharpener and I do give it a whirl from time to time.  The result is a blade not quite as sharp as a new blade.

Mostly I dispose of all sharp objects (blades, needles, pins) in a specific container, which I picked up at the pharmacy.  By the time this puppy is full I'll be long in my grave...let the heirs deal with it.

PS:  I just this minute came across a blog post on U Create.  It is a short-term fix to dull rotary blades.

One more post about supplies and then I think we are actually ready to discuss my favorite subject,
FABRIC !!!!!!!  Yeah, Baby!