***Instead of drawing a diagonal line on your half-square triangle blocks, press a crease from corner to corner diagonally and use that as your guide for stitching.Be sure to use an up and down pressing motion vs a gliding motion when ironing.***
***The exam table paper that your doctor uses is perfect for paper piecing patterns! You can easily see through it and it tears away from your stitches cleanly. If you dampen the paper at the seam lines it comes away even easier. You can find this at medical supply stores.***
***Save all of the leftover strips of binding and sew together to make a great scrappy finish for another quilt.***
***Add a little liquid starch to water in a spray bottle to use when ironing a block before your final "squaring up" cut. The sizing will help keep the blocks shape and it will help it to lay flat. It also adds a nice crisp finish to your block.***
***When hand appliqueing, try pinning your pieces through the back instead of the front of the block. This will prevent your thread from getting tangled in your pins.If you must use pins from the front, try sequin pins. They are short and minimize the possiblilty of thread tangle***
***A design wall is very useful for seeing your design options. It can be as simple as pinning a flannel sheet or the back side of a flannel backed tablecloth to the wall.Your quilt pieces will stick to the flannel allowing you to step back to study your pattern.You can move them around and experiment to your hearts content! Stepping away and looking at your quilt from a distance will give you the perspective that you need to fine tune pattern,color and composition.***
***Do you have "orphan blocks" laying around? Try using them to make tote bags or book covers. You will feel great about having used them and will have a useful and unique product to boot! Just be prepared to make more when everyone sees your beautiful creations!***
***Use a larger needle(90/14) and a smaller stitch length(18-20 stitches per inch) when paper piecing.This will make removing the paper much easier. A pair of tweezers is an inexpensive and invaluable tool for removing any paper that might remain***
***Having trouble getting nice straight stitching even if you're using a walking foot? Try replacing your zig-zag throat plate with a straight stitch throat plate. The extra opening in your zig-zag throat plate is enough to allow the fabric to jiggle ever so slightly but that is just enough to effect your straight stitches. Make sure you replace the straight stitch plate however, when you do anything other than a straight stitch or you will break your needles. Also try using a Denim/jeans needle(size 80/12) instead of a universal one. They are sharper and punch through your fabrics and batting with ease. ***
