Dianna Harper, Author at Pine Needle Quilters

Tips On Machine Quilting

Dianna Harper - August 26, 2017 - No Comments

After many days of effort, you are now past sewing the quilt top and are now ready to start the process of quilting. It is essential that you do everything right as you do not want to undo all the effort of sewing the quilt top by messing up now. To ensure that all the time, money and effort that you have put into this project does not go waste, here are a few tips that can come handy when you are machine quilting.

Needle: The needle you use on your machine is very critical to the success of your project. So it is a great idea to start with a new needle, are you asking yourself why. The answer is that first of all an old needle will not last the entire workload of quilting, and it is also seen that as the needle gets old, it starts to miss stitched. So to prevent problems in the future, it is best to start out with a new needle. Also, ensure that the needle is down when you are facing the quilt through at the end of the line. When the needle’s position is down, you are ensuring that the stitch is straight and not crooked.

Walking foot is best: If possible use a walking foot instead of a usual one as that will help to pull the quilt in a straight line through the sewing machine. If you have a standard foot, worry not as you can reduce the dial pressure and that helps in smooth sliding of the quilt.

Use cotton threads: For quilting, it is best to use cotton quilting thread which is of high quality. The thread count should be between 45 to 50. For machine quilting, the weight of the thread does not matter when compared to when you are hand quilting, so you should use a 40 50 cotton thread to get smooth lines.

How To Sell Your Quilts

Dianna Harper - June 22, 2017 - No Comments

If you have decided to sell the quilts that you have made, there are numerous options available. You can start with local shops and then move ahead of the ladder and sell at handicrafts events.Online sale through social media is also another great way to start selling your work.

Social media: A great way to interact with your future customers. You can use your creativity to tell a story of how you started this work; the more inspiring the story is, the better your work sells. Also, you should mention what differentiators you have from others who display their art. A visual representation will work wonders for your sales.

Pictorial representation: You may have the most beautiful, well-designed quilts. Unless these are visually represented, they will not grab the attention of the customers. You should get professional photographers to click high-quality images of your product if you are planning to sell it online. That image should bring out all the qualities that your product has that can lure the customers to buying it.

Showcase your work at shows: If you want the locals to appreciate and buy your work, then you should display them at the local shows. A craft show in your location or any art gallery can be chosen to present your product. Even an apartment clubhouse is also a great starting point.

Learn To Make A T-Shirt Quilt

Dianna Harper - April 20, 2017 - No Comments

If you are among those who are sentimental about throwing away your favorite T-shirts, then one of the ways of keeping it for a longer time is to make a quilt out of it. You need not worry about the patterns or designs they can be done the way you want, complex or straightforward. The technique for sewing a T-shirt quilt is slightly different from the normal one.
But before you start out with this unique designed quilts, there are a few things to consider.
● The number of T-shirts that you have for this project
● Size of the Tshirt and the size of the quilt you want to sew
● Are you planning to sash the quilt and if yes what is the purpose to do it. You can also make the quilt larger by using borders if the goal of uses sashing is to make it big.?
● Are the designs on the T-shirt all of the same size, even they are not, you can make a different pattern out of it.?

Step1: Take a washed and dried T-shirt and using a scissor cut the front panel, remove all the other parts and keep only the panel. Do the same to all the other T-shirts you are using to make this quilt.
Step 2: Keep the panels which are of the same sie side by side on a surface which is flat, check if the pattern looks ok to your eyes and start sewing then in rows.
Step 3: Interfacing should be done so that it fits the panels.
Step 4: It is now time to add some sashing or any patchwork to the panels.
Step 5: Once you are done with the front of the quilt, the rest of the process is the same as other quilts that you do. But one thing to note is that you may find it difficult to sew it by hand, so better to use a sewing machine to do the stitching.