QUILTsocial | Issue 07

Q .c
UILTsocial
…eat, sleep, quilt, repeat
Diagram 2
Visit www.QUILTsocial.com to
download a PDF version of this issue.
ISSUE 7
essential TIPS for
* sewing Y seams
* foundation piecing =
perfect points every
time
* quilting fun with
ColorWorks Concepts
fabric
* 2 ways to machine
quilt a binding
* improve your 5 quilt
label essentials
* 7critical questions
before quilting a quilt
* PLUS *
Carefree Quilt
Laughing Flowers
Wall Hanging
French Press Cozy
Wonky Squares Quilt
Q
.com
UILTsocial
| issue 7 1

Artful
evolution
The creative sensation pro II sewing
and embroidery machine is the evolution
of the PFAFF ® brand’s advanced
technology. The result is performance with
superior precision and control.
PFAFF, PERFECTION STARTS HERE, IDT (image), STITCH CREATOR, SHAPE CREATOR and CREATIVE SENSATION are trademarks of Singer Sourcing
Limited LLC or its Affiliates. © 2016 Singer Sourcing Limited LLC or its Affiliates. All rights reserved. All statements valid at time of printing.
NEW!
Exclusive Double
Ribbon Stitches
PFAFF ® Precision Portfolio
Perfect control in each and every stitch.
• ActivStitch Technology
This revolutionary technology delivers gorgeous embroidery
even when using challenging threads like metallic.
• The Original IDT System
Absolutely even fabric feed from both the top and the bottom.
Only from the PFAFF ® brand!
• Precise Positioning feature
Place every embroidery design exactly where you want it.
• Exclusive Stitch Creator feature
Create new 9mm stitches or edit built-in ones with
professional finish.
• Shape Creator feature
Combine decorative stitches or design elements instantly to
create unique borders and designs.
Ask your local dealer for a personal
demonstration!
www.pfaff.com/en-CA
NEW
At participating Canadian dealers
Like us on
58 Summer 2016 NPT Ad_FNL.indd 1 2016-05-06 3:37 PM

editor's letter
If you've been following me on Sunday
QUILTing, a segment on QUILTsocial
blog, you'll remember I started making
quilts with mom earlier this year. We
decided to get together every Sunday
(hence the name..) in the afternoon,
tea included. We have joined forces for
many reasons, one was to spend more
quality time together, and since we
would soon be done with light chit chat
we thought it might be fun to make
things together. Mom has been sewing
clothes for over 50 years and has
dabbled in quilting for the last seven
years. This was my opportunity to get
on with the projects in my stash. As I
mentioned in my first post, 4 ways to
work quilting in your busy lifestyle, it's
a lot easier when you team up with a
quilting friend, you share the work and
it keeps you on a meeting schedule,
like church.
Here's our first quilt, completed in the
spring called I Love to Knit. The fabric
print, with sheep that knit and knitting
jargon all over it, was absolutely
impossible to resist as I happen to
own a knitting obsession as well. The
top and backing are both pieced as
I wanted to make it reversible and
use up all the fabric. I love everything
about it, the way it was pieced and
the way it was quilted - what a team!
Since I bought this fabric, it has taken
me a long time to cut it up, so we
kept the pieces wide and long enough
not to lose the funny knitting sheep
and long script. We added fabric
with text and flowers, and I just had
to embroider the quilt label by hand.
You can see and read more about
this quilt, and the other two baby
quilts we made in the summer, in the
subsequent Sunday QUILTing posts.
I hope you will find the technical
articles and purposeful projects in this
issue of QUILTsocial very helpful in
accomplishing your quilting dreams.
Cheerfully,
follow me on
3

Q
UILTsocial
.com
… for those who gather with thread and fabric to
‘eat, sleep, quilt, repeat’.
PUBLISHER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, ART DIRECTOR
Carla A. Canonico
carla@QUILTsocial.com
PUBLISHER, ADVERTISING SALES
John De Fusco
john@QUILTsocial.com
PHOTOGRAPHERS
John De Fusco, Carla A. Canonico, Alessia De Fusco
BLOGGERS/CONTRIBUTORS
Elaine Theriault
crazyquilteronabike.blogspot.com
Jean Boyd
patternsbyjeanboyd.com
Jennifer Houlden
quiltsbyjen.ca
Nancy Devine
nancywhiskeynancyo.blogspot.com
GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGN
Carla A. Canonico
carla@QUILTsocial.com
Sandra Armas
WEBSITE / BLOG : http://QUILTsocial.com
Like us on Facebook : QUILTsocial
Follow us on Twitter : @QUILTsocial
WHERE TO GET YOUR COPY
QUILTsocial is a quarterly eMagazine published by A Needle
Pulling Thread. It is available free for personal use online at
http://QUILTsocial.com.
A limited number of printed copies of QUILTsocial are available for
purchase at select quilt shops and specialty stores. Ask for it at your
local shop. QUILTsocial is not available by subscription.
QUILT SHOPS
If you are interested in carrying QUILTsocial in your store, please
email john@QUILTsocial.com.
EDITORIAL
Designers and other contributors who would like to be considered
for future issues please email carla@QUILTsocial.com with a
brief description of your work and your proposed project for the
magazine.
©2016 QUILTsocial. All rights reserved. Issue #7. ISSN 2368-5913.
No part of this publication may be reproduced without written
permission from the publisher.
All designs, patterns, and information in this magazine are for private,
non-commercial use only, and are copyrighted material owned by
their respective creators or owners.
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Elaine’s Quilting Tech Tips!
Advertiser Index
55 A Needle Pulling Thread Magazine
63 Brother
62 Business Directory
51 Coats
64 Gütermann Creativ
07 Northcott
2 PFAFF
60 QUILTsocial
Q
4 .com | issue 7
UILTsocial

QUILTsocial issue 7
c o n t e n t s
6
8
14
18
28
34
42
44
48
52
56
Hooked on Books
Summer Berries Table Runner
Summer Apron with a 10° Twist
Laughing Flowers Wall Quilt
The Wonky Squares Quilt
Carefree Quilt
French Press Cozy
2 reasons to use the Dual Feed Foot
2 ways to machine stitch a binding
Tips for sewing Y seams
Tips for using the Free Motion Foot
Q
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UILTsocial
| issue 7 5

hooked on books
Scraps, Inc. (vol.2)
15 Scrap–pieced Designs for the Modern Quilter
Compiled by Susanne Woods Scraps, Inc. (vol.2)
Most quilters present their finished quilts as gifts to friends and loved–ones, but
often these projects leave extra fabric scraps that quiltmakers can't bear to just
throw away. Scrap–based quilting titles are consistently best–sellers as quilters
are always looking for new and innovative patterns to feature these treasured
fabrics. Most often, these are the quilts that get kept by their maker as a reminder
of all of the other quilts they have gifted over the years. Scrap quilts can be
tricky to design due to the variety of color challenges that random scraps can
introduce, but these patterns solve those issues through clearly illustrated color
schematics.
128 Pages, ISBN 978–1–940655–19–2
Lucky Spool
www.thomasallen.ca
Quilting Basics
Michael Caputo
Have you ever thought about creating a patchwork quilt, but decided
it would take too long or be too difficult? If so, Quilting Basics is your
perfect introduction to this popular craft. Beginning with the "Getting
Started" section, quilting teacher Michael Caputo will show the tools and
equipment, and demonstrate the sewing skills you will need, plus the basics
of constructing your quilt. Section two is a series of 12 workshops, each
introducing you to new skills, with a project at the end which enables you
to practice what you have just learned—a great way to get to grips with
the theory. As you progress through the workshops, you'll learn how to join
pre–cut squares, sashing, piecing and paper piecing, using templates, and the
different types of applique.
160 Pages, ISBN 978–1–78249–309–9
www.thomasallen.ca
Sewing Pretty Bags
Debra Valencia & Cheyanne Valencia
Sewing sisters Debra and Cheyanne present 12 quick and easy projects for
sewing boutique handbags, shopping totes, pouches, and more. With step–by–
step instructions and fresh, modern designs, they show how to make beautiful
bags for both fashion and functional uses.
Get inspired to express your unique personality with the stunning prints and
colours of today’s contemporary fabrics. You’ll look stylish carrying your one–
of–a–kind accessory, personalized with fancy trims, pockets, beads, flowers or
embroidery.
128 Pages, ISBN 978–1–57421–951–7
Fox Chapel Publishing
www.thomasallen.ca
Sewing Essentials
Serger Techniques
Pamela Leggett
Learn to operate your serger like a pro. Popular instructor and sewing expert
Pamela Leggett demystifies the serger and makes using it fun with her
invaluable guidance. Through this detailed guidebook and DVD workshop
you will get to know your serger inside and out. Master once–daunting
techniques and learn spool–threading secrets, how to adjust tension and
control the fabric feed, and how to sew basic stitches lickety–split. Clear and
concise instructions throughout the book make it easy to learn how to use
flatlock stitching to secure heavy fabric, embellish with decorative stitching,
or create heirloom–quality pintucks and ruffles. Whether you're a beginner
or have sewing experience, this must–have reference will give you the
confidence to do more with the serger than you ever thought possible.
160 Pages, ISBN 978–1–62710–917–8
Taunton Press
www.thomasallen.ca
Q
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UILTsocial

Join the fun! www.NorthcottFabricCircle.com
Join the fun! www.NorthcottFabricCircle.com
TOSCANA
100% cotton - looks like suede - feels like silk
100% cotton - looks like suede - feels like silk
Toscana captures the subtle tones and elegant textures of an Italian fresco and it
Toscana
looks just
captures
like suede!
the subtle
The kaleidoscope
tones and elegant
of 135 colors
textures
provides
of an Italian
a comprehensive
fresco and it
looks
range
just
in values
like suede!
from
The
rich
kaleidoscope
shades to delicate
of 135
pales,
colors
ideal
provides
for contrast comprehensive
in quilting.
range in values from rich shades to delicate pales, ideal for contrast in quilting.
Toscana is an ongoing blender program that is supported with a
Toscana is an
wide
ongoing
assortment
blender
of
program
patterns and
that
precuts.
is supported with wide assortment of patterns and precuts.
7

Using the right tools and fabrics can make a difference in
the execution of these creative endeavors, but this series of
projects can be accomplished just the same using what you
have at home.
In this installment, we explore a table runner for summer using
fabric with a summer theme; however you can imagine this
runner in another assortment of fabrics with fall, winter and
spring themes. For fall you can tie in more harvest tones, or
cooler winter tones. The idea is to envision this being used in a
multitude of settings. This runner can be used on a picnic table,
kitchen décor, dining room or family room setting. Or even a
fireplace in the season chosen. It can be made to any size, and
with all of the technique blocks shown here, you’ll have no
shortage of creativity for adding more blocks to the runner.
Besides exploring your creativity, you’re using a several
techniques like circular decorative stitches that can be done
in machine embroidery or using a circular attachment in
sewing mode. These make the embellishing part of sewing and
quilting easy and fun.
You’ll also look at embroidery needle felting, vintage decorative
stitching, and surface embellishment using free motion sewing.
Each block of this runner that explores these techniques can
be constructed as separate components to be used for hot
pads, placemats, a focal element displayed in a picture frame or
serving tray. Keep an open mind and adapt this table runner to
your home decorating needs.
Another idea would be to keep each element block separate
and use the circular attachment tool to stitch a circle around
each individual technique ‘block’ with right sides together of
lining and fabric right side. Leave an opening in the seam and
turn the blocks right side out. So there would be a needle
felted embroidery piece, circular stitch piece, decorative
vintage stitched piece in a circular shape and so on. Then using
a bar tack the circles could be placed in an artistic array on your
table. Sew many ideas!
It’s important to remember that a mix of assorted fabrics gives
the surface interest, and in this case linens, cottons, silk Dupioni
and felt have been used to create texture and dimension. I
think having a runner with 2 façades is so cool. I can adapt it to
my mood, include more decorating options in one, and can be
flipped depending on the occasion.
I encourage you to adjust the patterns to your desired sizes,
adjust the shapes if you like, and most of all have fun with it.
Summer Berries
table runner
skill level intermediate
finished measurements 45'' x 10'' [114.5 x 25.5cm]
materials
fabric
• an assortment of cottons, linens, silk Dupioni
• 20” [0.50cm] silk
• 20” [0.50cm] linen
• 2 Printed Cotton fat quarters for texturing
• 2 INSPIRA® Fabric Magic pieces cut to the same size as
each fat quarter
• 6 Jelly Roll Strips 2½” x 45” wide for Vintage pieced blocks
(other fabrics like silk can be substituted)
• Linen for circular stitches and embroideries cut to the
embroidery hoop size
• Dupioni silk for embroidered lettering cut to desired size
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UILTsocial

sewing feet used
• embroidery foot
• general sewing foot
• topstitching foot with guide
• ¼'' seam foot
cutting tools
• rotary cutter
• cutting mat
• INSPIRA® scissors
embroidery requirements
• embroidery software or built in machine
embroidery designs
• HUSQVARNA VIKING® suggested needle felting
designs
• PFAFF® suggested needle felted designs
needles
• INSPIRA® microtex needle size 80 or 90
• INSPIRA® embroidery needles size 90
threads
• assorted colours of Robison- Anton® 40wt Rayon
thread for machine embroidery
• assorted colours of Sulky® 30wt Blendable threads
for construction
• all-purpose thread for construction
stabilizers
• INSPIRA® Tear N Wash with graph for making
pattern
• INSPIRA® Stabilizer Cut Away for machine
embroidery lettering
• INSPIRA® Stabilizer Fast & Easy Tear Away for
decorative stitches – 1 piece
• INSPIRA® Stabilizer Aqua Magic for ornamental
embroidery on tea cozy
other
• circular attachment tool
• needle felting kit for machine embroidery
• craft or wool felt pieces for embroidery felting
• standard hoop 260 x 200
• metal hoop 180 x 130
• extension table for your machine
• quilting gloves
• rick rack trim or assorted trims
• stiletto for point turning
• marking tools
• Singer Steam Press
• assorted buttons
HUSQVARNA VIKING® DESIGNER EPIC sewing and embroidery machine
Husqvarna Viking® provided the following sewing machine
and products to make the sample:
HUSQVARNA VIKING® DESIGNER EPIC sewing and
embroidery machine
HUSQVARNA VIKING® PREMIER+ ULTRA software
The table runner design is one of the built-in signature
designs and fonts on the HUSQVARNA VIKING®
INSPIRA ® Stabilizers
INSPIRA® Machine Needles
INSPIRA® Scissors
Robison-Anton® Embroidery Threads
Sulky Threads
Signature 40wt Cotton Machine Quilting Thread
Hoops
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UILTsocial
| issue 7 9

Software possibilities
Back of needle felted embroidery
Front of needle felted embroidery
Needle felting components (1)
instructions
Preparation steps
1. Prewash cotton and the other fabrics if
desired.
Note: It’s also important to measure the
intended table, or create a size that can be
used for a multitude of sizes.
2. Create your patterns using INSPIRA
Tear N Wash stabilizer with graph for
making drawing easy. Adjust your
pattern according to the size of your
center table.
3. All of the finished measurements
of the blocks lettered from A-J
are the measurements after the
techniques were completed and cut
to size as a finished block. So the
starting measurements would vary
depending on the size of the selected
embroideries and the size of your table
runner.
Schematic of finished sizes of technique
blocks letters A to J
A B C D E F G H I J
Cutting blocks
A Single felted flower 6” x 11”
B Textured block 6” x 11”
C Triple Felted flower 12” x 11”
D Decorative Vintage Stitch block 13” x 11”
E Textured block 7” x 11”
F Summer Berries Font embroidered
block 13” x 11”
G Textured Block 7” x 11”
H Decorative Vintage Stitch block 13” x 11”
I Circular Decorative Stitches 11” x 11”
J Textured Block 7” x 7”
If you have a sewing advisor on your
sewing machine, set it to woven
medium for this project.
Thread your sewing machine with
cotton thread for construction. Or Rayon
thread for machine embroidery.
Machine embroidery fonts
1. Hoop the INSPIRA® Cut Away stabilizer
and Dupioni silk, and load the built-in
embroidery fonts of choice. In this
case it was a size 40 Swirl. You may
choose to pick a font from your
Premier Software like Marlow 15-40
mm. Always look at your fonts and
decide if it suits the project.
2. Thread the machine with 40 wt
embroidery thread and bobbin
thread.
3. Explore the placement of the fonts,
and preferred embroideries that can
be incorporated at the same time. A
simple theme was kept for Summer
Berries. When the embroidery is
complete cut way excess stabilizer.
4. This embroidered block was cut
larger to have enough room to add a
2½” strip horizontally just below the
letters, and a textured piece which
was left over after all blocks were cut.
These additional embellishments
were each stitched on after the
embroidery was complete using a
straight stitch.
5. Embellish with a piece of trim.
6. Cut this block to desired size and press.
7. Add buttons.
Machine embroidery felting
1. This particular design is a candle
wicking embroidery. This is a great
example of a built-in embroidery
design being crossed over and used
to do embroidery felting.
2. Load your embroidery design, and
install the Embroidery felting kit onto
your machine.
3. Following manufacturer’s instructions
install all of the important items, work
with a felting needle.
4. Always experiment with
embroideries. Candle wicking designs
work beautifully. Try other designs.
Have fun with it.
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UILTsocial
Instruction photos by Cheryl Stranges

5. Hoop the linen fabric and place the
felt piece on top. The felt is visible
as the embroidery design is felting.
Essentially the felting needle will
push the felt through the linen and
the felted design is occurring on the
underside facing your sewing table.
See the design by removing the
hoop from the machine and turning
the hoop over.
6. There are other ideas that can be
incorporated into these felted pieces.
Wool Roving can be used with or
without the craft felt. It’s always a
great idea to use a water soluble
stabilizer on top of the roving to keep
it in place.
7. Also remember that when working
with felting a great way to remove
the excess felt after the embroidery
is complete is with appliqué scissors.
These allow to get in close to
the roving or felt without cutting
through the main piece, which in
this case is the linen. You can go
through the embroidery felting
process more than once, if you
prefer thicker looking designs.
8. Quilting embroidery designs look
beautiful. And can be repeatedly
felted for a more pronounced
finish. If you felt a hat for example
and two pieces of polar fleece are
felted together, use an invisible
stitch outline around the design if
you use invisible thread. Each style
of project will dictate whether it’s
necessary to do this. Most single
layer of felted embroideries don’t
require this extra stitching.
9. Cut each of the felted embroidery
pieces to desired size and press.
Circular motion stitching using machine
embroidery
1. Select embroidery mode. Select
a decorative stitch in the stitch
menu. This could include quilting,
fun, vintage or a multitude of
other stitches.
2. Choose a hoop size to work with.
Include stabilizer in your hoop and
linen fabric. Select a stitch, and select
the shaping feature, shaping will allow
you to place the stitches in many
shapes. Circular shape was selected
for this technique. Duplicate the
stitch to accommodate the desired
shape size and this will fill in the circle.
Repeat these steps selecting another
decorative stitch. Adjust the next circle
size to correspond to the previous
circle but a bit smaller. Repeat for
each circle that will be larger than the
previous circle.
3. Bring decorative stitches into
embroidery mode. Proceed to
embroider the circles. When this is
complete remove excess stabilizer. Cut
this block to desired size.
Circular motion stitching using machine
embroidery
1. Select embroidery mode. Select
a decorative stitch in the stitch
menu. This could include quilting,
fun, vintage or a multitude of
other stitches.
2. Choose a hoop size to work with.
Include stabilizer in your hoop and
linen fabric. Select a stitch, and select
the shaping feature, shaping will allow
you to place the stitches in many
shapes. Circular shape was selected
for this technique. Duplicate the
stitch to accommodate the desired
shape size and this will fill in the circle.
Repeat these steps selecting another
decorative stitch. Adjust the next circle
size to correspond to the previous
circle but a bit smaller. Repeat for
each circle that will be larger than the
previous circle.
3. Bring decorative stitches into
embroidery mode. Proceed to
embroider the circles. When this is
complete remove excess stabilizer. Cut
this block to desired size.
Free motion before Fabric Magic
Free motion after Fabric Magic
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UILTsocial
| issue 7 11

Textured pieces next to strip colours
Pieced strips
Circular motion stitching using the Circular Attachment tool
1. This technique is done in sewing mode. Use manufacturer’s
instructions to install the circular attachment tool to the
machine. Prepare the fabric to be stitched with a piece of
stabilizer on the underside.
2. Select a decorative stitch, there are a variety of thread
weights that work very well with this technique. Choose a
bobbin thread, and use a topstitching needle.
3. The measurements for the circle diameters are the
measurement guides on the tool. So if you choose a 6” circle,
you can stitch this wonderful stitch in a circular motion.
4. Place the fabric with the pin inserted through the fabric and
stabilizer and place into the tool.
5. Exploring a variety of stitches, and diameter measurements,
will yield a multitude of results. Once the stitches are
on one circle, select another beautiful stitch; adjust the
diameter measurement by sliding the measurement
guide to the desired size. Place fabric with the pin inserted
through the fabric and stabilizer again and place into the
tool. Stitch another circle.
6. Create as many as desired in different areas of the fabric.
There are many shapes and templates to work with so enjoy
this wonderful tool.
7. Cut your technique block to desired size. Press.
Creating surface embellishment
1. Use each fat quarter to create an inspiring surface
embellishment. Your INSPIRA® Fabric Magic can be cut the
same size as the fat quarter.
2. Thread the machine with 40wt Rayon thread or use Sulky
Blendable. A topstitching needle is also recommended. But
experiment with needles.
3. Select a free motion setting and install a free motion sewing
foot on the machine. Select a straight stitch. Proceed to
free motion for small circles in a loopy fashion on the fabric.
Having the Fabric Magic on the underside allows the fabric
to slide very well.
4. Use zigzag or other decorative stitches to free motion with.
Fill in the entire area of the fat quarter. If you would prefer
to sew without free motion, leave the sewing machine in a
regular stitching mode.
5. Use a channel quilting foot as a guide, or a multi-line
decorative foot to select a straight or decorative stitch. And
stitch rows first vertically and then horizontally across the
fabric. Diagonal stitches work very well.
6. When all of the stitching is complete, use a very good
steam iron or press to hover above the stitches with a burst
of steam. The fabric will immediately begin to kink up and
create a wonderful texture. When this process is complete,
cut your technique block to desired size.
Jelly Roll blocks
1. Cut the strips to desired length and an assortment of fabric
types can be used. A 2½” x 12” length was used.
2. Use the ¼” piecing foot and place each strip right sides
together and stitch them one after another to create the
block. When this step is complete, press each strip to one
side.
3. Place a piece of Tear Away stabilizer behind this piece and
select Vintage stitches. 40wt Robison Anton thread and a
topstitching needle were used for this project.
4. Install a topstitching foot with guide onto the machine and
stitch each of the vintage stitches down each seam.
5. Remove any excess stabilizer when complete.
6. Press.
7. Cut this technique block to desired size. Press.
Table runner construction
1. Set sewing machine for sewing mode.
2. Audition the table runner blocks in various orders. This is
where a creative design wall is very helpful. You can place
each piece on the design wall and move the order around
until you get what you like.
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Vintage stitching
Textured pieces next to strip colours
3. Once you have decided what works well, prepare to pin each
of the technique blocks right sides together, and join them
to each other until you have a very long strip. The letters A to
J in the schematic of blocks is simply a guide. You can create
whatever you love. Some of your techniques may vary from
ours, just remember to have fun. It’s all about the learning.
4. Press your seams to one side on each panel.
5. When complete fold the strip of creative blocks in half, right
sides together. Stitch the last block on each of this runner
strip short seams together. Leave an opening of about 4” in
the seam. This is going to be used later to turn the runner
right side out.
6. Determine the order of the blocks now, as you have one
big circular tube of blocks. The table runner is going to
be different on the front and back. In this project the
embroidered summer berries became the center focal point
on the front. But any order will be fine.
7. Place fabric right sides together and sew the long edges as it
already has finished side seams. Place it on the sewing table.
8. Cut the rick rack, and place in between the seams and pin
into position between the long edges.
9. Stitch the two long edges. When these are complete turn the
table runner to the right side through the 4” seam opening.
10. Press and close the seam.
Cheryl Stranges
Product & Event Specialist, Husqvarna Viking
husqvarnaviking.com
seecherylsew.blogspot.com
Q
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UILTsocial
| issue 7 13

S
ummer
apron
with a
10 degree
twist
The pattern is
designed for
a serger and
topstitched
with a sewing
machine. It
can be made
completely
with a sewing
machine. The
advantage of
using a serger is
that the exposed
seams in the
skirt are sewn
and finished in
one step.
14
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UILTsocial
| issue 7

skill level easy
finished measurements
top edge to bottom edge 26½” [67cm]
skirt width 50” [127cm]
materials
fabric
• 32” [80cm] Fabric 1 (floral)
• 39” [100cm] Fabric 2 (solid)
• 1yd package or 1yd x 20” Sulky Soft n Sheer extra
required notions
• Sew Easy 10⁰ Wedge Ruler
• quilting ruler 6” x 24”
• 45mm rotary cutter
other
• Kai Scissors 4½”
• Heirloom Glass Head Pins
• 4 spools Gütermann Serger thread
• 30 wt Sulky Cotton Blendables thread
• Topstitch needle size 90/14
• Clever Clips
• Clover Double sided basting tape
• Heirloom Air-erasable marker
• Heirloom Stop Fray
Cutting
Fabric 1
Bib: 2 – 12” x 11” (1 lining and 1 bib front)
Wedges: 2 – 17” x 14”
Binding: 2 – 2½” x 22”
Fabric 2
Ruffle: 2 – 3½”x 40”
Waistband/Ties: 2 – 4½” x 40”
Neck Ties: 2 – 3½” x 40”
Wedges: 2 – 17” x 12”
Soft n Sheer Extra
Bib: 12” x 11”
Waistband: 2¼” x 20”
Serger set up
4–Thread Overlock Stitch
Neck Ties
1. Cut one neck tie strip 20” long. For each tie,
place right sides together, serge the length and
across one end.
2. Put a dab of Fray Stop on the threads at the corners.
3. Turn right-side out. Press and set aside
Bib
1. Fuse Soft n Sheer Extra to the back of the bib front.
2. Place the lining and front right sides together on a cutting
mat with 11” as the width.
3. Line up the Sew Easy 10 degree wedge ruler with the #23
along the bottom edge of the fabric with the edge of the
ruler in the bottom right hand corner. Only trim off the
excess fabric on the right hand side of the ruler and discard.
4. Repeat for the left hand side of the bib.
Inserting the neck ties
1. On the right side of the bib front; place the raw edge end of
each neck tie about ½” in from each side, along the top edge
of the bib.
2. Hold in place with double sided basting tape. Place the
lining and the bib front right sides together.
3. Serge across the top of the bib catching the neck ties in the
seam. Check to make sure the tie ends have been caught.
4. Serge the side seams. Put a dab of Fray Stop on the threads
in the top corners.
Waistband/Ties
Serge the waistband/tie strips together to create one long strip.
To create a firm waist band, place 2¼” x 20” piece of Soft n Sheer
Extra to wrong side of the waistband centering it over the joint
and matching one of the raw edges. Fuse in place.
Skirt
1. Using the Sew Easy 10 degree wedge ruler, place the #6
along the 14” top raw edge of the fabric and the #23 along
the bottom raw edge.
2. Cut along both edges of the ruler. Discard the small wedge
from the side.
3. For second wedge flip the ruler 180 degrees lining up edge
of ruler with cut edge of fabric, #6 along the bottom raw
edge and #23 along the top raw edge.
4. Cut 2nd wedge. Repeat for remaining wedges.
Cut: 7 wedges from the 17” x 14” pieces of Fabric 1
6 wedges from the 17” x 12” pieces of Fabric 2
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| issue 7
15

Cutting the wedges on fabric.
1. Serge the wedges together to create the skirt.
Ruffle
1. Serge the ruffle strips together to create one long strip.
2. Change the serger settings to a Flat 3 thread or Rolled Hem.
Serge the lower edge of ruffle. For a more decorative edge,
thread the upper looper with Sulky 30wt blendable thread.
3. Change the Serger back to a 4 thread overlock with a long
stitch length and the Differential Feed increased to 2. Gather
the top edge of the ruffle.
4. Change the Serger Differential Feed to N. With right sides
together; center and pin the ruffle to the bottom of the skirt.
Serge in place. The ruffle will be slightly longer than the
bottom skirt edge. Using a quilting ruler and rotary cutter,
trim off excess ruffle.
Binding for skirt sides
1. On the short edge of each binding strip, press up ½”. When
applied this will create a nice finish on the lower edge of the
apron.
2. Fold the binding in half lengthwise with wrong sides
together and press.
3. Starting at the bottom edge of the skirt, match the lower
edge of the skirt with the folded edge of the binding, pin
the binding to the wrong side of the skirt side, raw edges
together. Serge in place. Repeat for the second side. Put
a dab of Fray Stop on the threads at the bottom edge of
binding. Press the binding to the right side of the skirt.
Use double-sided basting tape or Clever Clips to hold the
binding in place, hiding the serged seam. Note: The binding
will be topstitched with the sewing machine.
Assembling the apron
1. Mark the center of the following pieces with an air erasable
marker:
• Lower edge of the bib
• Upper edge of skirt
• Waistband
2. Matching the center marks, pin the bib to the upper edge of
the skirt with the bib lining to wrong side of the skirt.
3. Pin the waistband with the Soft n Sheer Extra to the upper
edge of the skirt; right side of the skirt to right side of the
waistband.
Note: You should have a sandwich with the skirt between the
waistband and the bib.
4. Starting on the tie about 3” from the skirt edge, serge
together.
5. Fold the ties in half right sides together along the length.
Serge across the ends of the ties. Serge the length of the
ties starting at each end working towards the middle of the
apron. Stop when you get to the serging from step 14. Put
a dab of Fray Stop on the threads at the corners of the ties.
Turn the ties inside out and press.
Topstitching with a Sewing Machine
Sewing Machine Set up
Sewing Foot: Regular sewing foot
Top and Bobbin thread: Sulky 30wt Blendable
Needle: Topstitch needle size 90/14
Stitch: Straight stitch
Stitch length: 3 mm
1. Reposition the binding if necessary and topstitch.
2. Topstitch the neck ties.
3. Topstitch the bib.
4. Fold in the seam allowance on the waistband and press.
Hold in place with double sided basting tape. Press the bib
up from the back of the apron. Pin in place. Topstitch the
waistband and ties.
Note: This will hold the bib up.
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Photo courtesy of H.A.Kidd and Company Ltd.
To add texture and movement, use variagated thread to sew seams.
Sew Easy 10° Wedge Ruler
Serge the wedges together to create the skirt.
Donna Housley
www.hakidd.com
& Cathy McClean
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| issue 7 17

Using 3D elements
for your wall quilt
Nancy Devine
Cheerful flowers after a long winter
makes everyone smile.
Tulips are one of my favorite
flowers. They are simply elegant.
Although they are a symbol of
spring, they are often used in
flower arrangements throughout
the year.
I dreamed up the Laughing Flowers
wall quilt, which was inspired by
a line in a Ralph Waldo Emerson
poem.
"The earth laughs in flowers..."
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
It's got some 3D elements, and
high definition fun – what's life
without whimsy?
18

materials
• fat quarter neutral fabric
• fat quarter quilters' muslin
• template plastic
• Firm and Flexible interfacing (the kind
used to create 3D items like vases and
bowls)
• fabric for quilt binding
• quilt batting
• fiber fill
• various fabric scraps
• laces and/or small doilies
• small buttons
• very firm woven fusible interfacing
• Feather Lite HeatnBond
• 505 spray
• small Clever Clips
• spring action thread snips
• air erasable marker
• Flatter pressing spray
• green pipe cleaners
• glue stick
• embroidery floss
• numbered quilting pins
• Heirloom Stop Fray
• ½” diameter wooden dowel
• machine embroidery thread
• Sew Smooth
• Handmaid
The woven heart flower basket is a
traditional Scandinavian decoration.
They're fun to make and quite useful for
all sorts of things, but they are a bit of an
acquired skill.
In this tutorial, the hearts are made with
heavy weight paper (which is traditional).
I wanted to see if I could 'fabricate'
them, employing the technology of
heavy-duty interfacing and Fray Check.
I was not disappointed.
Weaving these hearts takes practice. I
found that using a numbering system
helped to follow the tutorial until I had
the muscle memory to weave a heart
without thinking about it. Those cute
numbered pins helped a lot! Just be
careful that you don't get scratched
while you're weaving.
Print the heart basket template.
Cut two pieces of contrasting fabric, 7"
wide x 18" long, as well as 7" wide x 18"
long heavy duty woven interfacing. Fuse
fabric to interfacing.
Trace with an air erasable marker. Lift the
middle portion of the heart template in
order to trace the pattern.
Weave the heart pieces together, then
pull slightly on the sides to even the
heart shape.
Apply Fray Check to all the cut edges
and allow to dry.
A cardboard template and an air
erasable marker help create the
woven heart flower basket.
These sweet numbered quilting pins help a lot with the
weaving process.
Once you've woven your heart, give it a good (and
fragrant) press with Flatter.
Q
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Photos by Nancy Dervine
| issue 7 19

How making fabric tulips is a meditative process
Nancy Devine
Fill the basket with flowers you've made.
Sew along the traced line of the leaves.
Clip curves along the leaves before turning them.
This will make the seam smoother and reduce
overall bulk.
Wrap pipe cleaner stems in thin strips of fabric.
Let's make some flowers to fill the basket.
I had planned to make about 6 flowers,
but in the end, I made 9 blooms to fill the
heart. Let's see how making fabric tulips is a
meditative process.
For the leaves, fold green fabric scraps
double, right sides facing together. Lay the
doubled fabric on top of a scrap of quilt
batting.
Trace the template onto the fabric side.
Pin the layers together, leaving an opening
for turning at the bottom of the leaf. Sew
along the traced line of the leaves.
Sew around the shape on the drawn line.
Cut out the shape, adding ¼'' as you cut it
out.
Clip curves. Turn leaf right side out and push
out the top of the leaf. Wiggle the seams to
make sure they're smooth. Press well.
Use green embroidery floss to hand quilt
stitches long the outside of the leaf. Tear ¼''
wide strips from the green fabric. Run a glue
stick along the top of the strips. Wind fabric
strips along the length of the pipe cleaner
from top to bottom.
Set aside to dry.
For the tulip buds, sew the three sections,
right sides together, starting at the dot
marked at the top of the bud. Clip curves
and turn right side out.
Turn under ¼'' hem and hand sew it with a
running stitch. Stuff the bud firmly with fiber
fill. Pull up the gathering threads to keep the
filling inside, but don't knot them.
Dip the end of the fabric-wrapped pipe
cleaner into PVC glue and then into the end
of the tulip bud. Pull the gathering threads
tight around the stem, and secure to the
stem with a few stitches and then tie a knot.
Knot tightly.
Run a bead of PVC glue along the bottom
third of the tulip leaf, and wrap the leaf
around the stem, at its mid point. Secure
with a small Clever Clip. When the glue is dry,
join the leaf edges at the bottom with a bit
of hand stitching.
I found making fabric tulips a meditative
process, and I hope you enjoy it too.
Gather the ends of the stuffed flower head, and
secure to the stem.
A bit of hand quilting using embroidery floss on
the leaves creates texture and interest.
Leaves clipped to the stems
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Laughing flowers
wall quilt templates
*
Tulip Bud
Cut 3
¼” Seam
cut 2 of fabric
cut 2 of interfacing
RS
cut along this line
place on
fold
Tulip Bud
Cut 3
*
Tulip Leaf
¼” Seam
RS
cut along this line
Nancy Devine for QUILTsocial.com
Cut 2 of fabric
Cut 1 of batting
Add ¼” seam
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| issue 7
21

Fray Check makes the woven
heart strongerNancy Devine
A lovely basket that elevates our quilt into another dimension.
These next steps for making a cheerful Scandinavian–
inspired quilted wall hanging, will have a lot of help
from Fray Check, a stabilizer, the running and zigzag
stitches.
Now that the cut edges of the basket have been
stabilized by the skillful application of Fray Check, let's
get it ready for placement on center stage of the
Laughing Flowers wall quilt.
Clip any stray threads that have not been contained by
the Fray Check.
Outline each square of the woven heart with
embroidery thread, using a running stitch. This is quite
tricky, but it's necessary to stabilize the weaving.
A stunning pair to create a lovely edge to our woven basket.
Outline each square of the heart weaving with embroidery thread, using a
running stitch.
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Quote for printing on inkjet fabric. in two font styles
Apply Fray Check to the cut edges of the woven basket fingers.
Zigzag the edges of the heart, taking care not to accidentally
sew it closed, I found that marking the start and stop points
of the bottom of the heart with pins was helpful. I used
embroidery thread and a machine embroidery needle to do
the stitching.
You'll find the embroidery needle is both very sharp and has a
larger, stronger eye to accommodate the thicker, more robust
embroidery thread. Using the proper needle will ensure that
the stitches are pretty and the thread won't break.
Iron on another piece of heavyweight woven interfacing
trimmed, about ¼'' smaller than the heart, to the back of the
shape. This will help stabilize it before it's attached to the wall
quilt.
Download the wording for the quilt and print it out on inkjet
printer fabric. If you prefer, you can download this version and
embroider the words onto the wall quilt. If you're doing this,
you'll need to use some stabilizer, and do the embroidery prior
to the quilting.
I like to cut out the wording patch using a wave-edge rotatory
cutter, but pinking shears are also an option.
Now that stabilizer and Fray Check have made the woven heart
stronger, we'll be quilting the substrate for our wall quilt, which
is an artsy fancy way of saying getting the backdrop ready for
the our laughing flowers basket.
Zigzag the edges of the heart basket, making at least two passes to fill in the edge.
Sew the buttons to the heart, and then tie them for a decorative finish.
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| issue 7 23

Sulky's PolyLite thread adds
shimmer to wall quilt
Nancy Devine
Spray baste all the layers of the quilt sandwich.
We wove together and decorated a sweet woven heart basket
for our Laughing Flowers wall quilt. Let's get the background
quilted and ready for the flower–filled basket. The background
will be a little thicker than the usual quilt so it can support
the 3D woven heart basket, let's see how to create a more
solid background for the wall hanging. Then, we'll add some
shimmer to it with Sulky's PolyLite thread.
There's been a lot of hands-on work involved in this little
quilt so far, and there's more to come. When you change your
machine's needle to work on the quilted substrate of this quilt,
take a moment to take care of your hands with a good quality
lotion. I like Handmaid in a scent called Celebration. It smells
like birthday cake, and that's the best smell in the world –
well, next to new fabric...
The quilt sandwich is a bit different:
•18 • x 22 neutral fabric
••
batting
••
ultra firm interfacing
••
batting
••
muslin
A match made in heaven! Hands that sew can use some tender care.
A walking foot and quilting guide makes short work of creating
the diamond quilt pattern.
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Press all the layers together so they're smooth. Spray baste the layers
together, and use safety pins to secure the corners.
I elected to quilt the wall quilt in a diamond pattern, using Sulky's PolyLite
thread in a pale pink because I love the little shimmer it creates.
Install your walking foot according to the manufacturer's instructions. At
this time, I also changed my machine needle because this is a robust quilt
sandwich. A new, sharp quilting needle will go through the layers more
easily and create beautifully formed stitches.
Use a quilting ruler to draw a line on the diagonal, from the top to the
bottom of the quilt sandwich, this will be your quilting guide. Stitch
quilting lines, first in one direction and then the other to create the
diamond pattern.
Once the quilting is finished, embellish your quilt with the wording label
using your stash of lace, buttons, and small doilies.
Spray baste the back of the woven heart and place on the quilted
background.
Stitch to the background, very close the edge of the heart, taking care not
to sew it closed. (see photo)
Sometimes we'll look at a quilt and know it's something wonderful, and
small details like Sulky's PolyLite thread that adds shimmer is a detail that
makes all the difference. We're going to finish up our laughing flowers
wall hanging. It's already making you pretty happy, right?
Embellish the wording label with a lacy edge.
...but don't stitch the heart closed.
Stitch the heart to the quilted substrate...
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| issue 7 25

2 Sewing tools
to make binding a quilt easier
Nancy Devine
The finished details in our Laughing Flowers Wall quilt are revealed today.
We're going to create a hanging system and bind the
quilt using 2 sewing tools to make binding a quilt
easier: Flatter starch free spray and small Clever Clips.
From coordinating fabric, cut two 5" squares. Fold in
half on the diagonal and press with a dry iron. Don't
use steam as it will distort and stretch.
Pin the folded triangles to the top edge of the wall quilt,
matching the raw edges.
Stitch the hanging pocket very close to the edge of
the quilt, and then again, slightly more inward from
the first stitching.
Cut 20 – 4" squares of coordinating fabrics and
join them together, alternating patterns. Cut the
resulting strip of fabric in half, and sew the two
halves together along one short edge. This is the
binding for the quilt. Bind the quilt. For tips on how,
follow Elaine Theriault's excellent QUILTsocial tutorial
on binding a quilt.
Press the binding to the back of the quilt and clip
with Clever Clips. If you do this while the pressed
edge is still warm, the fabric will really hold a crisp
crease. It's a great solution for those corners that
persist in looking a little more loose than desired.
Press pieces Flatter for a charming pieced border.
Sew the hanging corners close to the edges of the top of the quilt.
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Slip stitch the binding to the back.
Raid your stash of mini doilies and pretty
buttons to make this wall quilt shout
hello to spring!
Create a label for your wall quilt, and
iron it on to the back using HeatnBond
Featherlite.
Dip the ends of the blooms in PVC glue,
and place in the basket. Allow the flower
arrangement to dry.
Once the glue has dried, assess which
ones might still be a bit floppy. These can
be tacked to the quilt using tiny hand
stitches. If the edges of the basket are not
secure enough, they can be secured with
hand or machine stitching.
If you like, tack a couple of ribbon or raffia
bows to the edges. Insert wooden dowel
and hang for everyone to enjoy!
That's all from me for now, I hope you've
found these 2 sewing tools to make
binding a quilt easier, useful. This basket
full of fabric tulips is a pretty, hopeful and
happy welcome to the coming spring.
Until we meet again, remember to make
a mess and have some quilting fun!
Mini doilies and pretty buttons make this wall
quilt shout hello!
Add a quilt label to your quilt.
Use small Clever Clips to secure the binding to
the back of the quilt, bonus: zero scratches from
the pins!
Slip stitch the binding to the back of the quilt.
Q
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| issue 7 27

quilting fun with
ColorWorks
Concepts
fabric
Jean Boyd
This was left over from the original "Soho" panel I used
in a project from QUILTsocia Issue 6.
Let’s have some more quilting fun with the new ColorWorks Concepts
fabric from Northcott! In Issue 6 of QUILTsocial, I showed you how to make
placemats, a table topper and a table runner using the Soho Panel and
coordinating fabric from this new, modern collection from Northcott. You
can have a look at all the fabrics here. You can also find out which quilt shops
in the USA and Canada have these fabrics by using the Product Finder link at
the top of the page on the Northcott web site.
Table topper, table runner and placemats using the Northcott "Soho" panel
I started with one Soho panel and some
coordinating solids. After finishing my
table set, I still had fabric left over. The
panel had sections cut out of it, but I
knew I could figure out a way to use the
leftovers to make a small quilt.
I designed this little quilt using the
Electric Quilt program. I’ll show you how
to make your own version of the quilt.
Here’s how I started. I cut the remaining
panel pieces into squares and
rectangles. You need 12 of these pieces
for the quilt. The squares will be about
4½" and the rectangles will be about
3½" x 4½". The measurements don’t
have to be exact as long as they are
approximately this size.
To complete the blocks, I decided to
use these 7 solids from the ColorWorks
collection by Northcott, but you may
choose other colors if you wish. You
need 20" of each of the 7 colors. From
each fabric, cut 3 – 3" strips on the
lengthwise grain. Cut the strips into 7½"
lengths. You'll have 6 strips 3" x 7½" of
each color.
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let's make the
Wonky Squares
quilt
Leftover Panels from the New York Beauty Panel
20" of each of 7 different solids
Cut 6 – 3" x 7½" strips from each solid color fabric
Photos by Jean Boyd
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UILTsocial
| issue 7 29

Making
tilted
quilt blocks
with Soho
fabric panels
Jean Boyd
Now that you have everything cut out, let’s start making the
tilted quilt blocks for the Wonky Squares quilt using the colorful
Soho fabric panels. Choose 4 different solid color strips to go
around a center square or rectangle. Sew the first strip to the
center square using a partial seam. Press seam toward strip.
Sew the next strip on the left side of
the block. Press seam toward strip. Trim
excess fabric.
Sew the next strip across the top of the
block. Press seam toward strip. Trim
excess fabric.
Sew the last strip across the bottom.
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Finish sewing the partial seam on the
first strip. Press the block carefully. Trim
excess fabric.
Place a 7½" plastic ruler square or a 7½" square of
template plastic on the block on an angle.
Trimming the Block
Place a 7½" plastic ruler square or a 7½"
square of template plastic on the right side
of the block, lining up the center with the
center of the fabric square. Place the ruler on
an angle, tilting to the right.
If you're using a plastic ruler square as shown
in the picture above, you can rotary-cut
around all 4 sides to make a 7½" block. Using
a revolving cutting mat is helpful.
If you're using a square of template plastic,
use a fabric marking pencil to trace around
the plastic. Then rotary-cut on the drawn
lines to make a 7½" block. Handle carefully
because all the outside edges are on the bias.
Make 11 more 7½" blocks like this. The ruler
can be placed at a different angle on each
square to give more variety to the blocks.
You can also tilt the ruler to the left on 6 of
the squares for even more visual appeal. You
may have to cut a few more 3" x 7½" strips to
complete all the blocks.
Next, we need to put these titled quilt blocks
together to make the Wonky Squares quilt top.
Rotary-cut the block.
Handle carefully to avoid stretching the outside bias
edges.
Q
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UILTsocial
| issue 7 31

SEWING the
tilted
quilt
blocks
& sashing
Jean Boyd
ColorWorks Concepts fabric for the sashing
Now it’s time to start sewing the tilted
quilt blocks and sashing. At this stage
of construction, it’s a good idea to place
the blocks on a design wall or on the
floor, so you can arrange them to create
good color balance.
For the sashing, I used another of the
ColorWorks Concepts coordinates. This
print is a little more neutral so it tones
down the bright colors in the blocks. You
will need 20" of fabric.
Cut 31 strips 2" x 7½" on the lengthwise
grain of the fabric. The edges of the
blocks are all on the bias, so cutting the
sashing on the lengthwise (less stretchy)
grain will help to stabilize the blocks.
Place the sashing strips between the
blocks on your design wall.
Cut 20 – 2" squares from scraps of the
solids for the sashing squares. Place
them on your design wall along with
the rest of the quilt pieces, arranging the
colors as desired.
Sew the 3 blocks and 4 sashing strips
from Row 1 together like this. Press
seams toward sashing.
Sew the remaining 3 rows of blocks and
sashing in the same way.
Sew blocks and sashing strips together.
Sew 4 – 2" squares and three sashing
strips together like this.
Press seams toward sashing strips.
Make a total of 5 sashing rows.
Sew the sashing strips with squares to
the completed rows.
Sew the sashing strips with squares to the
completed rows.
Now that you've finished sewing the
tilted quilt blocks and the sashing, it’s
time to add the border. I’ll be using
the leftover solids from the ColorWorks
Premium solids collection by Northcott.
ColorWorks Premium Solids
Arrange the blocks as in diagram
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Place sashing strips and 2" squares on the
design wall.

a clever
way
to make a
more
interesting
quilt
border
Sew the first side
border with a
partial seam.
From each solid color, cut 1 or 2 – 5½" strips on the
lengthwise grain. My strips measure between 10" and 14"
in length. It makes a more interesting border if the strips
are different lengths.
Put the completed blocks on a design wall or the floor.
Start placing the strips around the outside of the blocks
until you have an arrangement you like. You may have to
cut a few extra 5½" strips.
You need to have 2 side borders that measure about 43"
and top and bottom borders that measure about 34".
Sew the border strips together, end to end, to make the
length you need for each side. Press seams open.
Sew on the first side border with a partial seam. The
bottom of the border should be even with the bottom of
the quilt. Press seam toward border.
Sew on the bottom border next. Press seam toward border.
Trim excess fabric.
Sew on the next 2 borders, trimming excess fabric as
needed. Then complete the seam in the first border.
After making the borders, you'll probably have enough
solid color fabrics left to make a pieced backing. Another
opportunity to get creative!
Press the quilt top carefully and you're all ready for quilting!
I hope you enjoyed making the borders this way, it cuts
from the monotony.
Borders are sewn on
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| issue 7 33

Carefree Quilt
4 tips for keeping your quilt pieces in order
Jennifer Houlden
The new layout
You might recall that in Issue 6 of QUILTsocial
I started a piece that had lots of 4½'' squares
with ¼ circles added to them, I was having
fun playing with the Carefree Curves circle
templates. Now it’s time to put these squares
together but keeping track of them could
be a challenge. So here are 4 tips for keeping
your quilt pieces in order as you sew them
together – no reverse sewing today!
When I pulled out the project to continue
working on it I realized I still had a lot of work
to do. My original layout has gone and I have
come up with a new layout that I like better
and it uses up more of the shapes I made last
month. I tend to like symmetry in my designs
and this one will be no exception.
First things first I need to finish putting bias
strips around all of the ¼ circles before I can
sew the squares together.
Here the bias strips are all sewn in place.
Doesn’t that Sulky rayon thread just shine on
the dark teal fabric? I'm very happy with how
the light thread contrasts with the dark fabric.
TIP 1 – Design Wall
Lay out all the pieces on a design wall.
Working off a design wall means that you
can work on sections at a time but still see
the whole project and keep track of where
everything goes.
At one time I used a bed to lay everything out
on but it's hard to see the whole picture on a
bed. The design wall that you stand back from
and look at from a distance works a whole lot
better to see the whole picture at once.
TIP 2 – Camera
Take a picture. A picture is worth a thousand
words and it tells you where each piece is
suppose to be when you can’t remember.
More times than not I have mixed up the pieces
and since I took a picture it was easy to see
what I had done wrong so the fix was quick.
Without a picture it takes a lot longer to see
where the piece was turned the wrong way.
Project pieces laid out on the design wall
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Photos by Jennifer Houlden

Labels HeatnBond bias tape maker and bias strip Laid out 9 patch block
TIP 3 – Labels
Label your pieces. Use numbers, letters or a combination of
each.
Use small sticky labels to write the row number and position
letter on. Masking tape works but I found that if ironed too
much it's hard to peel off the fabric and leaves a sticky residue
whereas the sticky labels don't.
Or use flower head pins with numbers and letters written on in
marker. You can also purchase already numbered pins from your
LQS – I unfortunately, do not have any so I made my own.
TIP 4 – Arrange by machine
Lay out the block you're working on in order by your sewing
machine when sewing it together, this will ensure that each
piece is placed in the appropriate spot when sewn together -
well unless the little gremlins who hide in the closet come and
mess them up when you aren’t looking.
Note I have sticky notes on mine as well. I tend to use all 4
methods to keep track of my pieces that way I shouldn’t have to
do any reverse sewing because nothing gets mixed up.
All those 4½'' squares are sewn into either 9 patch or 12 patch
blocks waiting for the center to be decided upon. I’m going to
put one of the wagon wheel designs in the center. But oh no, I
ran out of the pre-made fusible tape that goes with the Clover
fusible bias tape maker. What to do?
No worries, I’ll use the bias tape maker to press the strip of fabric
into the right shape and size. Then cut a piece of HeatNBond
Lite and iron it to the back side of the bias tape.
It worked like a charm and I'm back in business.
The center of this quilt is done and isn’t the symmetry of the
design wonderful. As you can see I added the circles which are
going to flow into the border but that’s for tomorrow along
with some tips on quilting.
I had an easy time sewing all the 4½'' squares together with
no reverse sewing and no mix ups thanks to using those 4 tips
for keeping your quilt pieces in order.
Quilt center complete
HeatnBond strip fused to back of bias tape
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| issue 7 35

7
Jennifer Houlden
critical questions before quilting a quilt
I kept track of everything and was able
to put all those squares together without
any reverse sewing thanks to those great
organization tips I used. They sure made
life much easier. I've put the borders on
and now it's time to think about quilting
this masterpiece. There are 7 questions
to ask yourself before quilting a quilt.
Borders on the quilt – just need to outline the
circles in dark teal
When I first decided to outline the pieces
with the dark teal bias tape I wasn't so
sure about it and really wasn't sure I
would like it but I love it. It adds to the
quilt and makes the fabrics and shapes
pop. Now just to add it to the circles in
the border.
As you can see I have an uneven border.
I've always wanted to make an uneven
quilt but this one is still symmetrical. It
could result in issues with binding but I'll
leave that conundrum for another day.
Now it's time to get on with the quilting
and answer those 7 questions.
Question 1 – Will the quilt be washed?
If the quilt is an art quilt then more
than likely it will never see the inside
of a washing machine but if it's a kid's
quilt then it may see the inside of the
washing machine many, many times. If
the fabrics were not pre-washed then it's
a really good idea to add a dye catcher
to the first couple of washes to catch any
excess dyes and prevent dye running
into lighter colored fabrics.
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Pink tinged dye capture sheet that captured red dye
I have had great success with the Dylon
Dye Capture sheets which I picked up
at my LQS. Here's one that has turned
pink as it caught the red dye circulating
through the wash water.
Also if you're going to be washing the
quilt this will determine the amount of
quilting being done on the piece. For
overall even shrinkage you don't want
the quilting lines to be any further apart
than 6" – 10". This is also dependent on
the type of batting being used. I tend
to stick with closer quilting lines when I
know it's going to be washed.
Question 2 – What type of thread?
Cotton, rayon, polyester? Thread that
matches or contrasts? I tend to use a
variety of threads. For this piece I picked
out a few spools in teals and browns,
cotton and rayon.
Array of Sulky thread in cotton and rayon
I decided to use one of the lighter brown
Gütermann rayon threads in 30 wt as
I want the background to lighten up
slightly as I find it very dark. By using
a lighter colored thread I'll get a high
contrast which will take away from
the dark background and show off the
quilting lines. The rayon thread will add a
shine to the background as well.
A great way to test the color on the fabric
other than just lying a piece on the quilt is
to put a little sandwich together and sew
a few lines. This will give you an idea of
whether you like it or not and whether it
provides the contrast you're looking for.
My favorites are the two darkest. And
here I thought I was going to go with a
lighter thread for contrast. Now I'll have
to rethink what look I want.
Auditioning threads on the brown fabric
The bobbin thread I tend to match to the
top thread – it may or may not match
the backing fabric. I also tend to use a 50
wt cotton thread such as Gütermann in
the bobbin no matter what is on top.
I like to use backing that goes with the
front of the quilt and the thread may
or may not blend in with the backing.
If a busy background is used then the
stitches on the back of the quilt will
blend in with the fabric more. If a plain
backing is used the stitches will stand
out more. It all depends on the look you
want and whether you want to hide
your stitching.

Question 3 – What type of batting?
There are many different battings on
the market. There are cotton, blends of
cotton with either bamboo, polyester
or wool, pure wool (one of my favorite),
bamboo, silk and polyester to name a
few. Batting is very much a personal
preference and can be project specific.
For this project I'm using a 100% cotton
because I don't want it to have much
loft. If I wanted loft I could use one that
is a blend 80% cotton and 20% polyester.
Loft is puffiness. Children's quilts look
great with some loft as do bed quilts.
Wall hangings and art quilts tend to look
best with a very low loft or thin batting
such as cotton, silk or bamboo.
Question 4 – How should it be basted?
Basting is a very personal thing. There are
3 different ways to baste a quilt – safety
pins, 505 adhesive spray or stitched with
a basting stitch. My favorite is safety pins.
The key with all three is to make sure
the quilt layers are not going to move
when quilted. There is nothing worse
than finding puckers and folds in the
backing after going to all that hard work
of quilting a quilt.
Follow the directions on the spray
adhesive – some need to be ironed to
set the layers while others don't. And
some don't work very well with polyester
fabrics such as Minkee fabric.
With pins, my rule of thumb is to have
them a fist width apart. This ensures
nothing moves as it gets sewn and
manipulated through the sewing machine.
Quilt sandwich basted with pins
Question 5 – Walking foot or free
motion quilting?
This depends on what you're most
comfortable with, what the quilt is for
and what most suits the quilt design.
For this piece I'm going to do echo
quilting with the walking foot to fill in
the large open spaces. I could do the
echo quilting with the free motion foot
but I have much more control with the
walking foot and the stitches remain
perfect and even. With echo quilting it's
important to have control in maintaining
even spacing for the result to look good.
Quilting feet
Question 6 – What marking tool to use?
Oh there are so many different marking
tools on the market. My favorite are 3
from Clover.
The Clover Chaco Liner which comes
in several different colors and has a
wheel that dispenses a chalk line as it
moves along the fabric. The chalk usually
disappears when sewn over but if not it
can be wiped away with your hand.
The Clover White Marking Pen which is
awesome on dark fabrics. Just remember
that it takes time for it to show up after
you draw the line. To get rid of the line
just iron over it. This will work perfect on
the dark brown background fabric.
The Clover Blue Water Erasable works on
medium and light fabrics and can be
erased with the eraser pen or with water.
It's important that all marking tools
be tested on a scrap piece of fabric to
ensure that they'll come off once the
lines are no longer needed especially on
the lighter colored fabrics.
Assortment of marking pens
Question 7 – Is there going to be
embellishing?
Embellishing should be added after
the quilting is done if it's in the form of
buttons or beads as they are hard to quilt
around. If the embellishing is in the form
of couching then it may be part of the
quilting and can be added along with
the other quilting. I've got some cording
and yarn that may do the trick.
I haven't decided if I will embellish
this piece or not. I see that I took out
part of the design from my new layout
yesterday which I wish I had kept in the
open areas between the corners and the
wagon wheel center so I may put some
couching or applique in there once the
piece is quilted.
Assortment of items to use as
embellishments
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| issue 7 37

How to face a QUILT in
12 easy stepsJennifer Houlden
Once the quilting is done the next step
is to finish the edges. I could use the
traditional method of binding a quilt to
finish this piece but I have run out of
the brown fabric. I could use one of the
printed fabrics but I don’t really want to
frame the piece, I just want it to run off
the page so to say and it needs either
brown binding to do that or another
method of finishing. Instead of binding
I'm going to face my quilt which will give
me that run off the page look I want.
And the other reason I'm facing this quilt
is because I have 'jut outs' on the border.
I couldn’t just do the quilt with simple
straight borders, oh no they had to be
fancy and artistic. Makes life interesting.
If I did want to bind this quilt I would
definitely have to use bias binding to get
around all the corners.
For the purpose of this post I'm facing
a small piece so you can see the steps
and finished project easily. This piece
was originally on a frame which I took it
off of and now need to finish the edges.
Aren't the colors wonderful – spring has
sprung in my studio!
Facing complete on pink dahlia quilt – a dash of
spring color
Facing a quilt
I do suggest using a fabric close to the
same color as the edge of the quilt so
that the facing blends in with the front
of the quilt. I usually try and have a
backing that matches the front as well
but not this time.
Step 1 Square off all edges of excess
batting and backing.
Step 2 Measure all the vertical sides
of the quilt. Cut each piece 4" by the
vertical measurement.
Measuring the vertical edge before cutting
Step 3 Measure all the horizontal sides
of the quilt. Cut each piece 4" by the
horizontal measurement plus 3". The
reason this piece is cut longer is because
the ends are tucked under for the final
finishing and stitching on the back.
Press in half – wrong sides together
Facing pieces pinned to front of quilt
Step 4 Fold all pieces in half with the
wrong sides together and press. I use
steam when pressing these pieces to get
a nice crisp fold line. By the way, this mini
travel GO IRON is deceivingly powerful!
Facing pieces attached with a ¼'' seam in
matching thread
Step 5 Place the vertical pieces along
the vertical edges of the front side of the
quilt with the raw edges meeting. I pin
these in place with flower head pins.
Step 6 Sew the strips in place with a
¼'' seam allowance. Make sure to use
matching thread to the fabric in the top
and bobbin. You'll see why in Step 8.
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Press facing pieces over edge of quilt
Sewing the stay stitch
Press facing to back of quilt
Step 7 Press the facing strips towards the
edge of the quilt so that they hang over.
Step 8 Turn the quilt over and from the
back sew an ¹∕₈'' seam between the edge
of the quilt and the ¼'' seam just sewn.
This is the stay stitching and will help
create an edge to the quilt as the facing
is pressed to the back of the quilt. The
stitching will be seen on the back of the
quilt so this is why you want the thread to
match the fabric.
Step 9 Press the facing to the back of
the quilt. Use a hot steam iron for a nice
smooth edge.
Step 10 Hand sew the facing to the back
of the quilt. The vertical facing needs to
be sewn down prior to the horizontal
facing being attached.
Step 11 Repeat steps 5 – 9 for the
horizontal facing strips. Make sure to
center the facing strip on the horizontal
edges so there is equal amounts hanging
over each end.
Step 12 Hand sew the facing in place
and fold the extra fabric under to create a
finished edge with no raw edges showing.
If the piece is small I don’t sew this folded
edge to the quilt rather I leave it open so
I can put a hanging rod in through the
opening. But if it's a larger quilt I'll put a
proper hanging sleeve on with a pleat.
My piece is going to take a little bit
longer to do the facing than this one did
because I have a few more edges with
all the jut outs but at least those jut out
pieces are small so won't take long to sew
in place. All in all, my piece will have 10
vertical facings and 10 horizontal facings.
This piece will definitely need a hanging
sleeve if it's to go on a wall. I think it
would make a nice table cloth.
There you have it, facing a quilt in 12 easy
steps which is just as easy as binding
but the facing gives the piece a totally
different finish and look.
Horizontal pieces pinned to quilt
Hand sew facing to back of quilt
Facing sewn in place on back
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| issue 7 39

FABRIC FUN MARKERS
improve your 5 quilt label essentials
Jennifer Houlden
Leftover circle block
Your quilt has been pieced, quilted and
bound and now it's time to add the
finishing touch - a label. Some labels are
hand written, some are embroidered,
some are computer generated but they
all have something in common and
that's the 5 essential details to include
on every label.
It's important for all quilts to be labeled
so that future generations can see
where these pieces of art came from,
who they were made by and when. As
well as what they were made for.
I’ve decided to use one of my left over
circle blocks for my label for the quilt
I've been working on earlier this week.
Although there might be specifics
about the size of a quilt label when a
quilt is entered in a juried show, there's
no rule as to what size the label has to
be or should be for personal quilts.
My label is going to be 12" x 12" and
I'm going to hand write the details
pertaining to this quilt in marker. I
have a whole array of Fabric Fun fabric
markers that I picked up at my LQS and
have just been itching to use them. I
suspect they'll be perfect for writing my
5 essential details.
First I had best read the instructions on
what I need to do to use the markers – if
there's any special prep for the fabric
or not. These markers are non-toxic,
odorless and permanent.
There's no special prep for the fabric
but I ironed a piece of freezer paper to
the back of my block just to add some
stability to the fabric for writing on it.
The markers have 2 tips – a thick tip and
a fine tip. I'm using the fine tip for this
project.
Everything is ready and I’ve picked the
ink color to use on the label. I tested
each color on a piece of scrap before
making my choice.
Freezer paper on back of block for stability
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Every label should include the following 5 essential details.
1. the title of the work or name of the quilt – mine is Wagon Wheel
2. pieced, designed and quilted by – my piece is quilted and pieced by me as well
as an original design
3. date made – I put the date finished as sometimes the piece can take several
months to make
4. where was the quilt made – name of studio, town and province or state – can
even put in country if you wish
5. who was the quilt made for or what was the quilt made for – mine was made for QUILTsocial
Fabric markers
Test piece – blue marker wins
If the quilt is going to be in a
show then I strongly suggest
putting your address, telephone
number and e-mail on the label
as well. There are many quilts that
go missing every year and if these
details are on the label then just
maybe it will find it’s way home.
So the ink has dried on my label
and now it's time to set it. To set the
ink turn the piece over and iron on
the wrong side of the fabric at the
hottest temperature that the fabric
will tolerate.
Once the ink has been set it's
washable at temperatures up to 60
degrees Celsius.
After pressing edges of a label to the
back hand sew it to the back of the
quilt – do not fuse it with a fusible
web as it will eventually come off
especially if washed. Hand sewing
is the best way to affix the label to
ensure it stays on for years and years
and years.
Your quilt is now complete and
ready to be loved as all quilts should
be. The lucky owner and their family
will always know the story of their
quilt thanks to the 5 essential details
to be included on every label.
Completed label
Label ready for hand sewing onto back of quilt
Double tipped marker
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| issue 7 41

French Press Cozy
Foundation piecing = perfect points every time
Template drawn on foundation paper
First 2 pieces ready to sew
It has been a beautiful summer at the
cottage despite that occasionally we
had no power. Since there's no power it
means coffee is made in a French press
which tends to get chilled very quickly
when the air around is cool. I thought it
would be a great idea to make a cozy for
my French press. I want to have triangles
in my design and of course they need to
be perfect so using foundation piecing
method will make perfect points.
I've gathered my tools for this project
– lots of embellishments which may
or may not get used along with basic
quilting tools, thread, fabric in nice bright
cheerful colors and Stitch n Sew EZ-print
quilt block sheets for foundation piecing
from HeatnBond.
These sheets can be used in a printer
which is wonderful if you have your
template on your computer. As well they
are transparent enough that it's easy
to trace the design directly onto the
sheet. They are made from a non-woven
specially constructed 100% polyester
making removal simple by just tearing
away in any direction and no distortion
of project.
Also a perfect product as a machine
embroidery stabilizer plus they are
machine washable and dry-able.
I've not used this product before so I'm
keen to give it a go to do my foundation
piecing for my coffee cozy.
First of all I drew out a pattern on a
piece of letter sized paper to fit my
french press. Then I traced it onto the
foundation paper with a fine marker.
I used red but any color will work. The
sheets are definitely easy to see through
for tracing and I didn't need a light box
or window.
Foundation piecing
With my fabric pieces cut I placed the
first two pieces on the foundation paper
with right sides together. Pinning the
two pieces to the foundation paper
ensures that they won't move and that
the ¼'' seam allowance remains.
Sewing on the line
Finger press seams
Trim off excess fabric
Jennifer Houlden
¼'' of fabric over the line
Piece 2 trimmed with a ¼'' seam allowance
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Piece 3 in position
Foundation piecing complete with perfect points
Piece squared up
Removing the paper
Point turner on back of sandwiched piece
Photos by Jennifer Houlden
There should be a ¼" of fabric beyond
the sewing line. In order to make sure
placement is correct I held the fabric
and paper up to a light like Stella or a
window to ensure the fabric was in the
right place.
Sewing from the backside I used a bit
shorter stitch and followed the red line.
Even though the red line was drawn
on the front it was very easy to see and
follow from the backside with the paper
being so transparent. The shorter stitch
makes removal of the paper easier.
Finger pressing works very well for
foundation piecing and it means you
can stay sitting at the sewing machine
and not have to get up after each seam
is sewn. Definitely allows for more
efficient work flow.
After pressing the fabric, the excess fabric
needs to be trimmed off. Fold over the
foundation paper on the line next to be
sewn on the backside, place a ruler on
the fold at the ¼'' mark and use a rotary
cutter to trim off the excess fabric.
The piece is then ready for the next piece
to be sewn in place with a ¼'' seam
allowance already in place.
Place the next piece on the trimmed
piece with raw edges meeting.
Continue the process until the
foundation piecing is finished.
Square up the piece leaving a ¼" seam
allowance all the way around.
The final step is to remove the paper
from the back. I placed a straight edge
along the stitch line which made
removal of the paper a cinch.
I'm thrilled with this product, loved how
it sewed with no distortion, was easy
to remove and I'll definitely be using it
again for more foundation piecing in the
future. I do own 4 French presses so of
course each one will need it's own cozy.
The top of the coffee cozy is pieced
together with 2 bands of black – one
on either side of the perfectly pieced
triangles. For layering the top, batting
and backing I'm going to use the
envelope method. With this method
I don't have to put a binding on to
finish it. I'm also going to use 2 layers of
batting for extra insulation on those cool
spring and autumn mornings.
Once the layers are sewn together and
the layers are turned right side out the
corners will need to be poked out. I
used this handy dandy point turner and
the pointed end turned those points
perfectly.
Here's the piece quilted using Sulky
Blendables 30 wt cotton thread. I
switched to 90/14 Topstitch needle to
do the quilting as I was using a thicker
thread and going through 4 layers since
I used 2 layers of batting. I had a few
threads to pull through to the back with
my self-threading needles. I do love selfthreading
needles.
After trying to sew a buttonhole on my
machine which I have to say I have never
done because I never sew anything
that requires a buttonhole, I was rather
unsuccessful. So rather than try and figure
it out, I used velcro to secure the tab to the
body of the cozy and called it done.
Quilted coffee cozy
French Press Cozy
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| issue 7 43

2 reasons to use the
Dual Feed Foot
(Walking Foot)
Welcome to another
awesome QUILTsocial issue!
I've had the opportunity to
test drive the Husqvarna
Viking Sapphire 960Q and I
can't get enough of it.
This time, I'm going to
explore some techniques that
use different presser feet and
how each, along with the
features of Sapphire 960Q,
make some sewing tasks that
much easier to do.
Organizing your presser feet
Like everything else in our sewing
rooms, we need to keep our presser
feet organized. We start off small with
only the presser feet that come with our
sewing machines and they fit nicely into
the sewing machine accessory box.
At some point when you start buying
more presser feet (and trust me – you
will), you'll no longer have enough room
to keep them in that accessory box and
you'll end up with a mess like this.
I found this little plastic container which
has worked wonders for keeping all
my presser feet contained in one spot.
Notice that I even have a screwdriver
that fits in the box so when I need it, I
don't have to hunt for one.
This box has served me well. While
there's no room in the box to keep the
labels that come with the various feet,
I keep them in that messy drawer. I've
used these feet so often, that I know
what each one is called and what each
one supposed to be used for. Well for the
most part!
You must take very good care of a little
box like this because it's worth a lot of
money. I can't imagine what it would
cost to replace the contents! Like all
of my tools, I make sure that I return
the presser feet to the box so when
I'm looking for a particular foot, I know
where to find it.
And then, very importantly, this box
ALWAYS goes in a special place so I know
where the box is at all times. I can't say
that enough – there's nothing like trying
to find a particular presser foot to do the
job and you can't find the box, so you
substitute (or buy a new foot) and then
realize how much easier the job is if you
have the correct presser foot.
Storage box for sewing machine presser feet
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Photos by Elaine Therault

If you want to keep the little labels that
come with the presser feet, I found
this different type of storage container
which I purchased from my Husqvarna
Viking dealer. It's called the Deluxe
Presser Foot Case. There's a pouch for
each type of presser foot and room to
store the little label that comes with
it. That packaging label also shows
the instructions for using the foot. For
some feet, you probably don't need the
instructions, especially if it's one that you
use often, but there are others that get
used less frequently and it's nice to have
a reminder how to use them.
There's also a spot if you're handy with
making labels or you can print labels
on the computer, where you can insert
the name of the foot. What I like about
this storage system, is that it's easy to
store the duplicate feet in the same spot.
Yes – I have duplicate feet – some of the
purchases were intentional and some
were not! It's also easy to flip through
the pages to see what you have. Now to
get rid of the mess in that drawer and
put those feet in my new Deluxe Presser
Foot Case.
The Interchangeable Dual Feed Foot
The Interchangeable Dual Feed Foot is
often called the walking foot. And most
people associate it with stitch in the
ditch quilting. Wait – there's a sample in
a minute!
Our sewing machines have a set of feed
teeth in the bed of the sewing machine
that helps to feed the fabric evenly
under the presser foot. This works well
for the bottom layer, but there's nothing
to help the top layer move along. The
Dual Feed Foot has a set of feed teeth
on the underside of the foot that helps
move the top layer along as the same
rate as the bottom layer of fabric.
Now, you may be asking, "Why don't I
use a foot that helps move that top
layer along for all seams?". Unless you're
working with multiple layers such as
quilting a quilt or stitching long stretches
of fabric that you're not pinning, like
stitching two parts of a quilt backing
together, there isn't really a need to use
the Dual Feed Foot. When it comes to
the long seams for a border, I always pin
that seam so I'm controlling both layers
with the pins. The shorter seams that we
stitch are short enough that they don't
get out of whack like the longer ones do
and so it isn't necessary to use the Dual
Feed Foot.
Using the Dual Feed Foot to piece a
quilt backing
Before we sew that quilt backing
together, let's look at how to prep those
backing pieces.
The first thing to do when prepping a
quilt backing is to remove the selvages
from the edges we're going to sew.
The easiest way to remove the selvages
is to open up the backing fabric and
then refold it so that one selvage is
now parallel to itself. Depending on the
length, you may have to fold the fabric
twice so you now have four layers of
fabric with one selvage parallel to itself
on all layers. I don't like to cut through
more than four layers at a time, so if the
quilt backing is big, you may have to
slide that ruler along the edge to cut all
the selvage off.
Then very carefully and with my large
rotary cutter and a ruler, I cut through all
layers and remove that selvage. (Yes – I
need to get a new cutting mat!)
Removing the selvage using a large rotary cutter
and a ruler
Storage binder for presser feet
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| issue 7 45

Depending on how I'm piecing the
backing, I'll only remove ONE selvage
from this first piece as the second
selvage will be along the outside of the
quilt backing.
Then I must remove one selvage from
the second piece of backing and I
usually remove the opposite selvage
from the first one I removed. So if I
removed the selvage with the writing on
the first piece, then I remove the selvage
without the writing on the second piece.
If there's any kind of nap or direction to the
print, you will now have them going in the
same direction when they're sewn together.
Many people don't realize that the
selvages are there for manufacturing
purposes only. The weave on those
selvages is quite a bit tighter and it
doesn't sew or wash the same as the rest
of the fabric. It's best to remove it.
Next up is to put the Interchangeable
Dual Feed Foot on the Sapphire 960Q.
It's easy to put the Dual Feed Foot on,
but I do need my screwdriver as I have
to remove the presser foot ankle. Since
I'm organized and I know where the
screwdriver and the Dual Feed Foot is,
this is an easy task.
TIP Make sure that the U-Shaped arm on
the Dual Feed Foot is around the needle
clamp (the screw that holds the needle
in place). If the U-Shaped arm isn't
properly fitted, you'll have a mess.
Line up the two quilt backing pieces so
the two edges you're sewing together
are the ones that you removed the
selvedges from. I like to sew the quilt
backing with a very generous seam and
I can use the guide on the stitch plate to
keep the seam even.
Is there a reason for making an extra
wide seam? I'm not sure – it's just habit.
And by the way, I press that seam to one
side rather than open. I usually press all
my seams to one side on the top, so why
not on the back as well.
I'm a creature of habit, I like consistency
in what I do. Then I don't have to think as
I'm working. My hands automatically do
the same thing and that makes me happy!
Removing the second selvedge
The Interchangeable Dual Feed Foot
I love the fact that this Dual Feed Foot
has interchangeable presser feet. I can
pick the one that's most appropriate for
the job at hand. I'm going to show you
the difference in a few minutes.
For stitching my quilt backing together,
I'm working with the Changeable
Straight Stitch Foot and for the purpose of
sewing my backing, that works just fine.
Changeable Straight Stitch Foot
Sewing the quilt backing together using the seam
guide on the stitch plate
Why do I use the Dual Feed Foot to sew
the backing together?
This is a very long seam and since I don't
pin those two backing pieces together
(although they have been cut to the
same length), there's the possibility that
the top piece will shift since there are
no feed teeth to control what happens
to it. Using the Dual Feed Foot allows
both layers to be fed evenly and the two
backing pieces will remain the same
length as you can see in the photo above.
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Did you notice that my backing has a
diagonal stripe on it? Now you're asking
yourself, "Did she match up that stripe?"
The answer is NO. Life is too short to
be worried about joining up a stripe,
especially on the backing of an everyday
quilt. Now if that quilt were going to
be entered into a competition, I would
definitely take the time to match it up.
But for an everyday quilt – I don't see the
reason to frustrate myself on a detail that
no one is going to notice. I don't have
the patience, and I don't want to waste
the time. I want to get onto the next
project.
However, if it's going to bother you that
the stripe doesn't match – then I'd pick a
different fabric for the backing. Like I said,
life is too short to worry about this kind
of detail! Before you start to fuss, think
about two things – who is the recipient
and what will the quilt be used for. And
then you can make a decision if you
need to fuss.
I know my friends would be shocked. At
least, those that I started to quilt with
many years ago. I used to fuss over every
little detail and every point had to match.
While I aim for accuracy, I don't fuss
nearly as much and quilting is a whole lot
more enjoyable because of that!
Stitch in the Ditch quilting
The most common use for the Dual Feed
Foot is "stitch in the ditch" quilting. Yes –
there's a picture coming up!
I started out by using the Changeable
Straight Stitch Foot on the Dual Feed
Foot. I know – too lazy to change the
foot and I wanted to see how it worked
for this task. Yikes – that was a little hard
to see exactly where I was supposed
to be stitching. Let's try something
different.
Very difficult to see where the ditch is for quilting
By putting the Changeable Zigzag Foot
on the Dual Feed Foot, I now get a clear
view of where the ditch is for quilting. It's
fabulous to have these two options.
If you're not familiar with what stitch
in the ditch quilting is – you can see
an example in the picture below, I've
stitched in the vertical seam between
the black and yellow fabric. When the
stitching is done well, you can't see it.
If you look at the left-hand side of the
horizontal seam, you can see where my
stitching didn't quite make the ditch. I
was using invisible thread so it doesn't
really show except when I'm pointing it
out to you in an enlarged photo!
Much easier to see where the ditch is for quilting
Stitch in the ditch quilting
Stripe on the backing doesn't match and that's OK
There you have it – a very valuable tip on
protecting your presser feet investment
and how you can save money by not
purchasing duplicates.
Also, two different ways to use your
Interchangeable Dual Feed Foot. Of
course, using the features on the
Husqvarna Viking Sapphire 960Q made
these jobs very easy.
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2 ways to machine stitch
a binding on a quilt
Did you organize your presser
feet? At the very minimum, I
hope you put all your presser
feet in one safe place!
In this installment, I'm going
to use the Husqvarna Viking
Sapphire 960Q to stitch the
binding on a quilt. There are
several different ways to do
this. I'll tell you what I like and
what I don't like!
Which method to choose?
There are two different ways to stitch
the binding on a quilt. The first is the
traditional way of machine stitching the
binding to the front of the quilt and then
hand stitching the binding on the back.
I love this method. The front of the
quilt looks amazing and the back looks
equally amazing as all the stitches are
well hidden. I did mention yesterday
that I don't fuss with some details, but
binding is one area where I like the
workmanship to be top notch.
The binding is one part of the quilt that
people almost always handle and I
want that binding to look and feel nice.
I also want it to be durable so I use tiny
stitches to stitch the binding in place.
When I first started to quilt many years
ago, the owner of the store that I worked
at, told me that a quilt wasn't finished
until that binding was hand stitched
down. And I've lived by that philosophy
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for years. I enjoy the hand stitching part
although it used to take me forever. I'm
much faster now and I love the process.
I've even been known to hand stitch
bindings in meetings at work, but I work
for a fabric company, so that's OK.
However, I've noticed over the past
decade that many people are sewing
their bindings to the back of the quilt
and then pulling the binding to the front
and stitching it in place with the sewing
machine. Even the store owner that told
me that the quilt wasn't finished until
the binding was hand stitched down, is
sewing her bindings on by machine.
It appears that people don't have time to
do the hand stitching anymore. I make
the time since I love the process and the
finished look! OK – that's not always true
and I'll tell you about that in a minute.
I'm going to give you a brief overview of
both methods so you can judge which
one you prefer.
Method 1: Machine stitching the
binding to the front of the quilt
I start out by prepping my binding. I like
to use 2½" binding strips which have
been joined on the diagonal and folded
in half with wrong sides together. You
can check out this post to get all the
details of making double fold binding.
I like to sew the binding to my quilt
using the Interchangeable Dual Feed
Foot. The feed teeth on the foot and on
the sewing machine help to feed those
thick layers through more evenly than if I
don't use the Dual Feed Foot.
You can decide if you prefer the
Interchangeable Straight Stitch Foot or
the Interchangeable Zigzag Foot for the
job. It doesn't really matter and I tend
to use whichever one happens to be on
the Dual Feed Foot.
Photos by Elaine Therault

The biggest beef I have about binding
is that most people stitch their binding
to the quilt top with a quarter inch seam.
If you use 2½" binding strips, this means
you're going to have "empty" binding
that feels limp and thin or your binding
will not be even on the front and the
back.
You can see in the picture below, I use
the edge of that opening in the Straight
Stitch Foot as my guide for the seam
allowance. This ends up giving me about
a ³∕₈" seam allowance and when I pull
that binding to the back of the quilt and
hand stitch it in place, that binding is
completely full of quilt and feels nice
and firm.
Don't tell anyone I told you this, but I
always check out the binding to see how
it was sewn on! Again – there's nothing
wrong if you use a ¼" seam, but find a
quilt that is done in both styles and then
ask yourself – which one do you like the
best? Then you decide if you want to do
this for your quilts.
Sewing the binding to the front of the quilt using
the Dual Feed Foot
There are also guides on the Changeable
Straight Stitch Foot that help me know
where to stop at the corner. Very handy if
you need it!
I used the Interchangeable Dual
Feed Foot but this time, I used the
Changeable Zigzag Foot. I didn't
find a difference in using either of the
interchangeable feet for this first part.
You can see in the picture, that I'm
using the edge of that opening in the
Changeable Zigzag Foot as the guide for
the seam.
Sewing the binding to the BACK of the quilt
Let's talk about thread color!
Reluctantly, I had to learn how to sew
bindings this way because at work we
often have very tight deadlines to get
quilts ready and there's no time for hand
stitching. Since that first quilt, I've done
several more (including one of mine-
ACK!). I'm still perfecting this technique
but I'll share with you what I have
discovered so far.
Thread color is extremely important.
When initially sewing the binding the
first time, I find it helpful to use a bobbin
thread that matches the color of the
quilt top. It doesn't matter what color
you use on top.
When I sew the binding on the front of
the quilt, I use invisible thread on the top
and use thread that matches the binding
in the bobbin.
In this case, I use my size 80/12 needle
that I use for piecing. That needle has to
go through a lot of layers and the smaller
needle may end up breaking or bending.
While I've seen people use a lot of
different decorative stitches for this step,
I like to use a blanket stitch (D:3) which
is found in the D Menu – Quilt Stitches
on the Sapphire 960Q.
You'll notice in the first picture below
that the default setting of this stitch
has the zags to the left. I want the zags
to go to the right. That's an easy fix on
the Sapphire 960Q when I hit the Mirror
Side-to-Side function. Then I change
the stitch width to 1.5 and the length
to 3.5. You can see in the second photo
the changes I made from the default
settings.
I love being able to see the way the
stitch will stitch out on the screen.
Default settings for Stitch D:3
Using the red guidelines on the Straight Stitch
Foot at the corner
Method 2: Machine stitching the
binding to the back of the quilt
The first step is to prep the binding
the same way you would to stitch the
binding down by hand.
This time, when you machine stitch the
binding to the quilt, you're going to
stitch the binding to the BACK of the
quilt. Turn the corners, do the final join –
everything is the same.
Invisible thread for the top and thread that
matches the binding in the bobbin
Setting up the sewing machine
Normally when I use invisible thread,
I change the needle to a small size
because the invisible thread is very fine.
The modified settings for Stitch D:3
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And now it's crucial that I use the
Changeable Zigzag Foot on the Dual
Feed Foot. If I don't, I won't be able to
see where to stitch. It's important to
use the Dual Feed Foot for this process
as we do not want that binding to
stretch. The Dual Feed Foot helps to
keep the top layer feeding at the same
rate as the quilt.
Let's start stitching
I'm going to turn the quilt so the quilt
top is face up and I'll pull that binding
to the front and very carefully stitch it
in place. I want to make sure that the
binding covers the row of stitching that
I used to secure the binding to the back
of the quilt. Because I used a bobbin
thread that matches the quilt top to
initially sew the binding on, if I mess up
a bit, it won't be that obvious.
Once I'm even closer to the corner, I
position the next side of the binding to
create the mitered corner and hold it in
place using the quilter's awl.
Making the mitered corner and holding the layers
in place with the quilter's awl
Now here's the reason why I don't like
this method. Yes – it's faster than hand
stitching but I find it very stressful to do.
Probably because I'm not happy with
the results. Yes – I know – should I be so
fussy? But have a look at the quilt back. I
do not find this neat.
Sometimes you're right on the line and
sometimes you're not. I like things to be
neat and this isn't neat according to me!
Old habits die hard and I always stitched
that mitered corner when I hand stitch
the binding. You can't do that by sewing
machine. However I have to say that this
mitered corner does look very neat and
I could always go back and hand stitch
that corner down.
Machine stitched binding on the front of the quilt
I'm the kind of person who, when
presented with a problem, likes to find
a solution. The fact that the stitches
don't always line up on the back is a
problem to me.
Stitching the final binding seam on the front of
the quilt by machine
When I get to a corner, I use my quilter's
awl or stiletto to hold the binding in
place. You can see the long pointy
thing in the picture below. If you don't
have one of these metal tools, I highly
recommend you get one. I've heard
of all kinds of tools that people use
instead of the metal quilter's awl, but
you need something that will withstand
a lot of pressure and this quilter's awl is
a must have!
Using the quilter's awl to hold the binding fabric
in place near the corner
The quilt back – sometimes you hit the line and
sometimes you don't
From the front of the quilt, the binding
looks pretty good. I don't feel it has that
smooth edge that you get by stitching it to
the front and hand stitching on the back.
However, this is a perfectly acceptable
way to put the binding on a quilt. I
either need to make sure that I allow
enough time to get all my quilts bound
in the way that I prefer, or I have to
perfect this technique or I just learn to
live with it!
The mitered corner with machine stitched
binding
Here's what I propose to help solve
the issue. The binding and the backing
need to be the same fabric. Then if that
stitching goes off, it won't show. Or
you could use a very busy backing and
a matching thread.
There are ways to make this work and
I'm going to try and perfect it since it's
a technique I know I'll have to use for
future quilts with very tight deadlines.
As luck would have it, I had a personal
quilt that had a very tight deadline that
could not be missed. I had no choice
but to stitch the binding down with
the sewing machine. While I'm not a
fan of a white binding on a quilt, the
quilt binding and the light colored back
concealed any errant stitches!
Q
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Designed
for the details.
Featuring Dual Duty Plus ®
Hand Quilting Thread.
For more information visit:
makeitcoats.com
Pattern “Modern Traditional” courtesy of Cheryl A. Adam
15-023 © 2015 Coats. Coats is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.
51 51

Tips for sewing
Y seams
Let's take a look at a different presser
foot and features of the Husqvarna
Viking Sapphire 960Q that will make
sewing those Y seams a snap.
People shy away from Y seams and yet,
there's nothing to them when you know
what you're doing.
Husqvarna Viking Sapphire 960Q
I recently made some cube cushions and
I thought I would share them with you
as I show you how to sew a Y seam.
I recently made some cube cushions and
I thought I would share them with you
as I show you how to sew a Y seam.
••
Some of my blocks were made with
3¾" cut squares (16 squares per side),
some were made with 4¾" cut squares
(9 squares per side), some were made
with 6¾" squares (4 per side). The
fabrics I used are from Northcott's
ColorWorks Premium Solids and
ColorWorks Concepts (prints)
collections.
•13" • squares of batting (six in total –
one for each side)
•13" • squares of muslin (six in total – one
of each side)
•12" • x 12" x 6" foam pieces (two in total)
Variety of fabric squares to make quilt blocks
Make SIX different quilt blocks that
measure roughly 12½" square. If you
used the measurements above, the
squares should all be slightly larger than
12½". That's OK as you need to quilt them
and there might be some shrinkage.
I used the Interchangeable Dual Feed
Foot on the Sapphire 960Q to stitch in
the ditch on all of the 6 blocks. You can
see a picture of the stitch in the ditch
quilting if you check out this post from
earlier this week.I used a cream colored
thread in the bobbin and invisible thread
on the top. Make sure that you use the
Changeable Zigzag Foot on the Dual
Feed Foot so you can see where you
need to stitch. Or quilt them however
you wish.
Then you want to trim the blocks to 12½".
I didn't get too fussy with this process
and certainly didn't worry if the squares
were evenly spaced in the trimmed
block. It's a cube cushion that's going to
be thrown around. No need to get too
fussy with the details!
Once the blocks are trimmed to 12½", I
sewed a basting seam around the edge
of each block using a ¹∕₈" seam allowance.
This will hold the loose edges together
which will make it easier to sew the
Y seams. I must have been in a hurry
the day I basted those edges together
because I didn't use a longer stitch
length – just in case you're wondering
when you see the picture!
And now we're ready to sew those Y seams.
Colorful scraps from trimming the blocks
Cube cushions – couldn't just make one!
materials
I made my cube cushions 12" square so
you need a variety of fabric to make SIX
12½" blocks.
I made my blocks slightly larger than
12½" and once I was done quilting them,
I trimmed them down to 12½".
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One of the 6 quilt blocks needed to make a cube
cushion
Quilt the blocks
I layered each of the blocks with batting
and the muslin backing. I didn't bother
with basting – these blocks are small
enough that they don't need basting.
But you could always put in a couple of
pins if you feel the need to make them
more secure.
Baste all three layers together after the blocks are
trimmed.

Sewing the Y seam
Before we get started, let me show
you a picture of a Y seam so you can
understand what I'm talking about.
You can see in the picture below that
there are three different seams that
come together and they look like the
letter Y, hence the name – Y seams.
A Y seam
Setting up the sewing machine
This time, I'm going to use the Quilter's
¼" Piecing Foot. This foot has red lines
on it that mark the pivot points and in
the case of the Y seams, the start and
end of each seam. I love this foot. No
guesswork is needed. I can easily snap
that foot onto the presser foot ankle of
the Sapphire 960Q.
I'm going to choose a straight stitch and
make sure that my stitch length is set to 2.0.
I don't want those seams coming apart.
The FIX function makes it easy to stitch
these Y seams. A normal seam runs right
off the edge of our quilt blocks and in
most cases, another row of stitching will
close off the end securing that line of
stitching. When sewing a Y seam, you
start ¼" in from the edge of the fabric
and no other seam will touch it to lock
the end of the seam in place. Using
the FIX function will essentially tie off
the ends of the stitching, both at the
beginning and the end of the seam. A
very useful function!
The FIX function will tie off the beginning and the
end of each seam to secure the ends
In the photo below, I'm about to start
the first seam. I've taken two of the
blocks and placed them right sides
together. Keep in mind that the line of
stitching you see in the photo is the
basting to secure the three layers of
the block.
I'll use the red lines on the presser foot as
a guide so I can start my seam ¼" in from
the top of the fabric and using the edge
of the foot as my ¼" guide, I'll be sewing a
¼" seam. I hit FIX and the Sapphire 960Q
will tie off the beginning of the seam.
I'll then sew the remainder of the ¼"
seam until I get to within ¼" at the end
of the seam. Again, I can use the red
lines on the presser foot to guide me. I'll
use the FIX function once more to tie off
the end of that seam.
I now have the first seam for the cube
cushion that starts and stops ¼" away
from the top and bottom of the blocks.
Use the FIX function and the red lines as a guide
to start the seam ¼" from the top of the block.
Use the FIX function and the red lines as a guide
to end the seam ¼" from the bottom of the block.
Sew four blocks together in a row using
the same technique as outlined above.
Then join the first and last block together
using the same technique to get a
square with your blocks. Now we have to
add the top and the bottom.
Adding the top and bottom of the
cube cushion
For this next part, I found it easier if I
removed the extension table from the
Sapphire 960Q. It just gave me more
room to maneuver the project. I'm
going to place the right side of one of
the remaining two blocks right sides
together with any one of the blocks in
my loop of four blocks.
Match up the corners. I'm going to sew
the exact same seam (beginning and
ending ¼" from the edge of the block)
as I did to join the first set of four blocks.
Because the seams don't extend all the
way to the edge of the blocks, this is an
easy task.
Adding the top of the cube
You can see below that the ends of each
seam are just touching, but they're not
overlapping each other. Remember that
that line of stitching right at the edge is
the basting stitch which holds the three
layers of each block together. Without
that basting stitch, it would be very
difficult to stitch these cube cushions.
Ends of the seams are touching, but not overlapping
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Start and stop on each of the four sides
of the bottom of the cube cushion and
then repeat with the last block for the
top of the cushion. This time, you're
going to sew one complete side and
then two half seams leaving half of the
top open so you can insert the foam.
If you buy the 2" slab of foam, you can
use an electric knife to cut it. Works like
a charm!
I used the same process with the thicker
pieces of foam. I placed the first piece in
the cushion. Then I placed the rulers on
top of that foam piece so I could slide
the second piece of 6" foam into the
cushion. I pulled the rulers out and the
foam was in the cushion.
Last step was to hand stitch the
opening closed.
Leave half of the top open so you can insert the foam.
You can now turn the cushion inside
out and admire those Y seams from the
outside. There's no need to push them
out too far. There's a lot of bulk at the
corner and these are fun cushions. They
don't need to be perfect.
Y seam from the outside of the cube cushion
Cube cushion is almost finished
It's time to insert the foam. I happened
to have 2" thick foam that I was going
to use for another project that never
happened. It just so happened that I
had already cut it into 12" squares so
I decided to use the foam to fill the
cube cushions. I had enough foam for 2
cushions. Then I found foam at a mattress
store that was 6" thick. They cut the foam
for me and I only needed two pieces that
measured 12" x 12" x 6". I used the 6" foam
on the remaining three cushions.
Foam cut and ready for inserting into the cushion
form
It was easy to get the first 5 pieces
of the 2" thick foam into the cushion
form. Notice that I started by filling the
"bottom" or the sewn part of the cushion.
I knew that last piece was going to be
tricky as the foam wasn't going to slide
very well on itself.
Inserting the 2" pieces of foam
I decided to try my rotary cutting rulers
to help slide that last piece of foam
into the cushion and they worked like
a charm. I ended up using two rulers so
the piece of foam that I was inserting
wouldn't touch the foam already inside
the cushion and I had no problem to get
that last piece in the cushion.
Use your rotary cutting rulers to allow the foam to
slip into the cushion
Hand stitch the opening to complete the
cushion
You could use any fabric to make the
cubes. Why not use a children's fabric
book, photos that have been transferred
to fabric, embroidery images or anything
that works for you. You just have to
adjust the sizes accordingly.
Despite the fact that all the seams were
Y seams, these cube cushions were a
snap to sew together. And let me say
that we've been having a blast playing
with them in the office.
The features of the Husqvarna Viking
Sapphire 960Q and the Quilter's ¼"
Piecing Foot made it so easy to sew
them together. I couldn't stop with
just one!
Q
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UILTsocial

Get more quilting fun in
A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD
Fall 2016
Visit www.ANPTmag.com to order!
55

Tips for using the
free motion foot
We start a new project. It's a rag quilt
and a perfect opportunity to practice
free motion quilting. Here are tips for
using the free motion foot you don't
want to miss.
The Husqvarna Viking Sapphire 960Q
is a fabulous sewing machine for free
motion quilting. If you want to learn
more about this sewing machine, you
can check out this QUILTsocial post
when I first introduced the Sapphire
960Q.
This is a great project to use up scraps. I
used up a lot of batting scraps by joining
them together. If you'd like to learn
how to do that, you can check out this
QUILTsocial post.
I didn't have enough of the backing
fabric to make complete squares, so
I pieced some of them. Same thing
for some of the squares for the top
– I simply pieced a couple of pieces
together and then trimmed to the
correct size. No one will care and no one
will likely notice either!
Choose the Free Motion Technique icon (bottom left)
Husqvarna Viking Sapphire 960Q
Supplies for the rag quilt
You can make the rag quilt as big or as
small as you'd like. I made mine 7 x 9
blocks for a total of 63 blocks.
For each block, you need a 7" square of
backing, a 7" square of fabric for the front
and a 6" square of batting.
I used flannel for my backing and my
top. Flannel is very forgiving when it
comes to free motion. The nap and the
slightly extra thickness help to conceal a
multitude of sins.
Supplies for one block of the rag quilt - backing,
front of block and batting
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Backing squares and batting squares were joined
when necessary
Setting up the Sapphire 960Q for free
motion
There are a number of features on the
Sapphires 960Q that will make free
motion quilting very easy and it only
takes a minute or two to set it up.
To set the sewing machine for free
motion quilting, I simply touch the Free
Motion Technique icon (the bottom left
button with the squiggly line).
A pop-up screen appears allowing you
to choose between Free Motion Floating
and Free Motion Spring Action. I've
explained the difference between these
two in this QUILTsocial post.
I chose the Free Motion Spring Action
mode because the thread that I'm using
is heavier and the spring action works
best for that kind of thread. The feed
dogs are lowered automatically. I love that!
Choose the Free Motion Spring Action for heavier
thread
This is how the screen looks once you
have chosen the Free Motion Technique.
The presser foot diagram changes and
the Free Motion Technique icon is
highlighted in green. The tension is also
automatically adjusted and the stitch
length remains at the default setting
of 2.5 because once the feed teeth
are dropped, the stitch length has no
bearing on the actual stitch length.
Photos by Elaine Therault

Stitch length is determined by how fast
you move your piece of fabric and how
fast the sewing machine is sewing.
Settings for the Free Motion Spring Action technique
The Free Motion Technique remains
selected even when you turn the sewing
machine off and back on again. The
Sapphire 960Q will remain in this mode
until you turn the Free Motion Technique
feature off which is easy to do, just hit
the Free Motion Technique icon and
deselect the free motion techniques.
only go as fast as you have set it for. It's
a good idea to mess around with the
speed to find one that you're the most
comfortable with.
It's amazing how many people are
afraid to mess around with their
sewing machines. Even worse is they
think they should know all this stuff.
The more I play with different techniques,
the more I learn and I can use that
knowledge base to take things to the
next step. I just recently read somewhere
that if you don't make mistakes and try
new things, you're not learning. So get
some scrap fabric and batting and check
out the various speeds. Which one do
you like best?
Needle Stop Up/Down function IS selected (on
the right)
You also want to make sure that you
attach the Free Motion Spring Foot to
the sewing machine. I prefer the one
with the wide open toe so I see my
work clearly.
Choosing Thread
One of the things I love about the
Sapphire 960Q is that no matter what
thread I put on it, I got excellent tension
and very nicely formed stitches. I can't
stress how important this is. While you
can mess with the tension control on all
sewing machines, I would much prefer
to not have to.
I usually choose thread based on the
color, not on the weight or the brand.
In this case, all my backing fabric was
the same, so I used the same 50 weight
thread in the bobbin for the entire
project. That's the thread on the left.
Then I chose heavier weight threads for
the top – but only because that was
what thread I had in the colors I wanted.
Pop up message to remind you the Sapphire
960Q is set for free motion
Taking as many variables out of the
picture as possible is one way to
achieve great success with free motion
quilting. The next variable we're going
to remove is speed. Adjust the speed
of the Sapphire 960Q so when you
start quilting, the sewing machine will
Adjust the speed
Another good tip is to always use your
Needle Stop Up/Down feature. If you
need to stop for whatever reason, the
needle will stop in your quilt sandwich
which prevents it from moving when
you take your hands off and you won't
end up with a big giant stitch.
Needle Stop Up/Down function is NOT selected
(on the right)
Two different weight threads were used for the
bobbin and the top
I decided to be very adventuresome
and use the same bobbin thread for all
the blocks, but I changed the top thread
depending on the color of my top fabric.
I used three different brands of thread
on the top with three different thread
weights: a 30 weight, a 35 weight and
a 40 weight. Only one of the threads
required that I make a slight adjustment to
the tension which I'll show you in a minute.
Q
.com
UILTsocial
| issue 7 57

Being able to use this variety of thread
brand and thread weight is very exciting
and so stress-free. The less I have to mess
around with tension, the more quilting I
do and the happier I am!
Let's have a quick peek at that slight
tension issue that I had. It occurred when
I was using the yellow thread on the top.
Keep in mind that in this sample below,
I used PINK thread in the bobbin. I don't
see any pink thread – do you? This is the
sign of an excellent sewing machine that
is able to handle different weight threads
(35 weight in the top and 50 weight in
the bobbin for this example) and gave
me absolutely no thread pops on top.
Starting and stopping
When you start free motion quilting, you
must bring up that bobbin thread to the
top of your work. If not, you're going to
get a mess on the underside that is nasty
to get rid of. If you have no idea how to
bring up that bobbin thread to the top
of the work, check out this QUILTsocial
post where I've explained it.
50 weight thread was used consistently for the
bobbin, top threads varied from 30 to 40 weight
Top threads were all used in the horizontal
position
I also love the fact that the stitches are
very nicely formed and well defined. That
makes the project look awesome even
if the stitches aren't super consistent.
We really need to get over that fear that
everything has to be perfect!
No sign of the pink bobbin thread
In the example below, you can see
that some of the yellow thread came
through to the back of the blocks. Mostly
when I went around the corners. I could
probably have left it like that as it only
occurred in one or two spots, but I knew
that I could make a slight adjustment
and get the tension correct. In this case, I
tightened the top tension slightly and it
worked like a charm.
Always bring the bobbin thread to the top of the
work
I'm using the Open Toe Free Motion
Spring Action Foot so I can easily tuck
those two threads to the back of my work.
Use Needle Stop Up/Down and tuck the threads
to the back of your work
Nicely formed stitches on the front
A little bit of a tension issue
Ugly thread nest
Nicely formed stitches on the back
Corrected by slightly tightening the top tension
An even uglier thread nest
Q
58 .com | issue 7
UILTsocial

Start by anchoring the beginning of
the line of stitching with a few very tiny
stitches. This is very easy to do since
you're completely in control over the
length of the stitch. Slowly start the
sewing machine and move your fabric
slightly while you take a couple of stitches.
Once you have your anchoring stitches,
you can bring the machine up to the
speed you're comfortable with and stitch
to the end.
Just before you get to the end of your
line of stitching, slow the sewing
machine down and take a couple of
small stitches to anchor the end of
the line of stitching. Then use manual
scissors to clip the top and bottom
threads. Scissors can be used on the
sewing machine, but I really like to
control the length of those threads
and I'll always have a long tail on the
bobbin to bring to the top if I cut
those threads manually.
After filling the bobbin and placing it
back in the bobbin case, I again bring
that bobbin thread up to the top
(sometimes this is hard if you've cut the
bobbin thread short when inserting it
into the bobbin case). I often leave that
bobbin thread long so I'm in control of
the length at all times.
I start about ½'' over the previous
stitches. I take one or two tiny stitches
to anchor the end, then go into
my previous stitches to secure the
beginning of the new line. This is best
done manually to get the new stitches
to follow the same stitch length as
the old stitches. Then finish the line of
stitching.
Using the Needle Stop Up/Down, the
needle would stop in the fabric block at
each corner, making it very easy to pivot.
Once I had that first row of stitching, I
just moved the block around without
pivoting to get the quilting design.
That's a lot of information to digest,
but the bottom line is that using the
Husqvarna Viking Sapphire 960Q to quilt
these rag quilt blocks was so easy that I
was kind of disappointed when I ran out
of squares.
Not to worry as I have a couple of other
projects in the wings that I can pull out.
But quilting these small squares is a great
way to try a new design or perfect your
stitch length and it's a rag quilt. These
quilts are meant to be loved, used as a
car quilt, used for the dog. It's a super
quilt to practice on and uses up a lot of
scraps. Have a great day! Ciao!
Elaine Therault
The end of the line of stitching is anchored with a
couple of small stitches
What to do when the bobbin runs out
You know it's going to happen. The
bobbin will run out at some point and it
won't be at the end of a line of stitching.
The question is 'What to do?'.
The first step to clip all the loose thread
ends on the top and bobbin of your
work as you don't want to have loose
threads that cause unsightly messes.
Restarting after the bobbin ran out
One last piece of advice
To quilt the rag quilt squares, I started
at the outside of blocks and worked
my way to the center in a squarish/
roundish spiral depending on how I
felt. No two blocks look alike – the more
consistently inconsistent you are with
your quilting, no one can tell which one
is the right one! You'll see the quilting
motif tomorrow. Since there wasn't a lot
to hold onto, I did pivot my block for the
first row. Normally this is a NO-NO when
free motion quilting, but these blocks
are small enough that it's OK to pivot
and easier to maneuver. I also used the
guidelines on the stitch plate to keep the
lines of stitching the same distance from
the edge of the block.
Trim any loose stitches on the top and bobbin side
Use the Needle Stop Up/Down to pivot on the
outside stitching line for these small blocks
Q
.com
UILTsocial
| issue 7 59

don't miss these
projects & tutorials online!
Q
UILTsocial
.com
READ NOW
essential steps for
sewing borders with
setting triangles
READ NOW
READ NOW
making a THANKSGIVING
table runner
how to make needle turn
applique easier
and there's so much more!
Q
60 .com | issue 7
UILTsocial

QUILTsocial bloggers
Jennifer Houlden
quiltsbyjen.ca
Jennifer runs Quilts by Jen, a
fantastic educational resource
for quilters with many great free
tutorials ranging from how to
choose fabrics, understanding
the value of fabrics, pressing,
building Bargello runs,
pinning, binding, sandwiching,
couching, quilting, and
much more. Check them out!
Nancy Devine
nancywhiskeynancyo.blogspot.com
Nancy Devine is a devoted user
and collector of remnants, scraps,
and vintage buttons. She lives in
Aurora, Ontario, and can often
be found working on her latest
project, and playing around with
her vintage (and much loved)
Bernina machine. Find more of
her work and musings on her blog.
Elaine Theriault
crazyquilteronabike.blogspot.ca
Elaine made her first quilt at
the tender age of 13. The urge
to quilt resurfaced when her
daughter moved from a crib. The
rest is history – she now teaches
several days a week, makes
quilts on commission and quilts
for others on the long-arm.
Jean Boyd
patternsbyjeanboyd.com
Jean has been designing and
publishing patterns since 1997.
Her work has been published
in several magazines across
North America. Jean holds a
Fiber Arts Certificate in quilting
and has taught extensively
throughout Canada, including
six national Quilt Canada
conferences. She was named
"Canadian Teacher of the Year" in
2003 by the Canadian Quilters
Association and has won
numerous awards for her quilts.
Q
.com
UILTsocial
| issue 7 61

BUSINESS DIRECTORY To list your business in this space please call 1.866.969.2678.
Art of Fabric
955 Brock Rd Unit 1B, Pickering, ON L1W 2X9
905.420.1101
artoffabric.ca shop@artoffabric.ca
A creative shop offering quality fabrics, specializing
in Canadian designed batiks. Large selection of
art supplies for textile arts & the latest notions.
Authorized Bernina dealer providing quality
service&support. Classroom rental space available.
Brenda Franklin Designs
7570 Mapleton SR 18 RR 1, Alma, ON N0B 1A0
519.638.9958 bfdesigns.on.ca
help@bfdesigns.on.ca
More than 500 charts available for counted
needlework, latch hook rugs, beadwork, beaded
knits and knitting patterns. Mail/fax order or ask
for our products at your local shop. Contact us for
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Brampton Sew & Serge
289 Rutherford Rd S, Unit 7, Brampton, ON L6W 3R9
905.874.1564 bramptonsewnserge.com
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Welcome to Your One Stop Sewing Centre! We are
authorized dealers of Baby Lock, Husqvarna Viking,
and Singer sewing machines and sergers. We also
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Bytowne Threads - Ottawa, ON
1.888.831.4095 bytownethreads.com
mlj@bytownethreads.com
Featuring AURIfil® thread from Italy. Extra-long
staple Egyptian cotton threads: 12wt, 28wt, 40wt &
50wt - 252 colours. Bobbin threads, black & white:
60 and 80wt. Polyester threads 240 high-sheen
colours. Wool threads 180 colours.
Country Concessions
1 Dufferin St, Cookstown, ON L0L 1L0
705.458.4546 or toll-free 1.888.834.4407
countryconcessions.com
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Visit our lovely and unique quilt shop in the quaint
village of Cookstown. We have over 7000 bolts of
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& notions. You will be so glad you came for a visit.
Evelyn's Sewing Centre / The Quilt Store
17817 Leslie St, Unit 40, Newmarket, ON L3Y 8C6
905.853.7001 or toll-free 1.888.853.7001
thequiltstore.ca
Evelyn's Sewing Centre in Newmarket is your Quilt
Store Destination! The staff here at Evelyn's is always
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and most of all we pride ourselves as the place to
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Gitta's
271 Lakeshore Rd E, Mississauga, ON L5G 1G8
905.274.7198 gittas.com
questions@gittas.com
Gitta's, named after owner Gitta Al-Basi, nestled in
the east village of Port Credit, is the place where
stitchers meet with their stitching friends, shop for
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from Europe and the United States.
Hardanger House
4708 52 St, PO Box 1223, Stettler, AB T0C 2L0
403.742.2749 or toll-free 1.866.742.2749
tnplisting.com/hardanger-house.html
Patterns from Canadian, American and European
designers, linen and evenweave fabrics from Zweigart,
DMC pearl Cottons, Caron Collection threads, and
all the related stitching accessories are kept in stock.
Many additional items can be special ordered.
Haus of Stitches
626 Main Street, Humboldt, SK S0K 2A0
306.682.0772 or toll-free 1.800.344.6024
hausofstitches.ca
Our one of a kind store offers everything you need
for sewing, quilting, knitting, rug hooking and
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Impressions Embroidery & Engraving
#8-449 Mayor Magrath Dr S, Lethbridge, AB T1J 3L8
403.942.3934 impressionslethbridge.ca
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Our shop does embroidery and laser engraving.
Laser engraving is a beautiful process for fabric,
as nothing cuts cleaner and more precisely than a
laser. We now carry a nice array of fabric as well to
compliment the abilities of the laser.
Joyce's Sewing Shop
325 Wortley Rd, London, ON N6C 3R8
519.433.5344 joycessewingshop.com
joycesewingshop@bellnet.ca
Our mission is to make sewing fun by providing
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to make your sewing easier and to provide friendly
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My Sewing Room
148-8228 MacLeod Trl SE, Calgary, AB T2H 2B8
403.252.3711 mysewingroom.ca
Queenofeverything@mysewingroom.ca
Canada's Largest Independently Owned Quilting
Store with fabric, patterns, kits, notions, sewing
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Needles & Knits
15040 Yonge St, Aurora, ON L4G 1M4
905.713.2066 needlesandknits.com
Fabulous selection of yarns. Extremely
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Pine Ridge Knit & Sew
17477 Hwy 2 PO Box 68, Trenton, ON K8V 5R1
613.392.1422 pineridgeknitsew.com
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We have knitting machines by Artisan and Silver
Reed, embroidery machines by Husqvarna/Viking
& White. Sewing notions and supplies, books and
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variety of yarns, threads, dress and pant zippers.
Ruby Pearl Quilts
500 King St W, Suite 8, Oshawa, ON L1J 2K9
905.436.3535 rubypearlquilts.com
joy@rubypearlquilts.com
We are your full service source of professional quilting
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Ruti's Needlebed
10 Thomas St, Mississauga, ON L5M 1Y5
905.821.9370 ruti.ca
Mississauga's Finest Quilting and Knitting
Store!! Come see our huge selection of yarn,
fabric, supplies, sewing machines and knitting
machines…a local store for all your quilting, sewing,
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The Yarn Guy
15 Gower St, Toronto, ON M4B 1E3
416.752.1828 or toll-free 1.800.836.6536
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Knitting machines, sewing machines, repairs, parts
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Sew Fancy Inc.
Guelph, ON
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Supplies including Smocking, Heirloom Sewing,
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Stitch-It Central
189 Thames Street S, Ingersoll, ON N5C 2T6
519.303.1563
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Stitch-It Central is a store to satisfy all your cross
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notions, books & magazines, project kits, charts,
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That Sewing Place
16610 Bayview Ave #10, Newmarket, ON L3X 1X3
905.715.7725 thatsewingplace.ca
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Introducing That Sewing Place as your sewing
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Brother machines. Jaret & Liana focus on placing
your sewing needs first, providing outstanding
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The Stitching Corner
#2, 185 First St E, Cochrane, AB T4C 2E9
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The Stitcher's Muse
4 - 70 Church St, Nanaimo, BC V9R 5H4
250.591.6873 thestitchersmuse.com
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A divine little shop with supplies for all your hand
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Ultimate Sewing Centre
191 Bloor St East, Oshawa, ON L1H 3M3
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For all your sewing needs be sure to call Durham’s
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Machines, Sergers, & Embroidery machines,
over 3000 bolts of first quality cottons, Floriani
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Upper Canada Quiltworks
PO Box 64, Brockville, ON K6V 5T7
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Visit us online for a wide selection quilt patterns
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Q
62 .com | issue 7
UILTsocial

Get your game on!
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INSPIRING CREATIVITY FOR GENERATIONS
Brother and its logo are trademarks of Brother Industries Ltd., Japan. All specifications are subject to change without notice. © 2016 Brother International Corporation (Canada) Ltd.
63

cr eativ
100% cotton thread
A fine, strong, high quality sewing thread
for hand or machine sewing, no matter
the stitch type or fabric.
Gütermann 50 wt. Cotton Quilting thread
is made of long staple 100% Egyptian
mercerized cotton; it’s versatile and gives
seams a natural character.
•
Suitable
Suitable
for
for
hand
hand
or
or
machine
machine
sewing;
sewing;
the
the
perfect
perfect
thread
thread
for
for
your
your
quilting
quilting
projects
projects
•
Larger
Larger
cone
cone
sizes
sizes
are
are
excellent
excellent
for
for
long
long
arm
arm
quilting
quilting
machines
machines
•
Available
Available
in
in
100m,
100m,
250m,
250m,
400m,
400m,
800m,
800m,
3000m
3000m
and
and
5000m
5000m
spool
spool
lengths
lengths
•
186
186
stunning
stunning
solid
solid
and
and
variegated
variegated
shades
shades
•
Ideal
Ideal
for
for
ornamental
ornamental
stitches,
stitches,
decorative
decorative
seams
seams
and
and
embroidery
embroidery
•
Soft
Soft
and
and
supple
supple
with
with
tear
tear
and
and
abrasion
abrasion
resistance
resistance
•
Colorfast:
Colorfast:
fade
fade
resistant
resistant
to
to
UV
UV
rays
rays
and
and
multiple
multiple
washings
washings
Look for Gütermann threads at your favourite
fabric, sewing and quilting store!