Tips - Donna's Studio


January 2024 – How do you cut bias strips. Bias strips are cut diagonally across the grain of a woven fabric. Strips should be cut on a 45-degree angle to the selvage, the fabric stretches the most in this direction; making the fabric easier to go around round angles. Start with a fabric square or rectangle. You may need to square up the fabric. Make a cut at a 45-degree angle from either corner. Handle the diagonal edges with care, they can easily be distorted. Measure up or down the width you want the strip to be and make a second cut. Cut as many strips as needed to equal the length you want. When strips are cut sew them together with a 45-degree angle.
December 2023 -Why use bias strips. Use bias strips when you need to cover a curved piece of fabric, and you need some give to the fabric. ex: round corners, scallops or steams in applicate. Fabric cut on the bias is often used in skirts with a flair to the skirt.
November 2023 – The Grid If you are interested in designing your own quilts, you need to understand the grid system. The grid system is key to cutting the pieces for any size block you want. Grids are made by the main divisions a block can be divided into. There can be divisions of the main divisions. These are not rotary cut. You will need a template. A Four Patch is divisible by 2 or 4. You will have either two across and down or four across and down. A Nine Patch is divisible by 3. A Five Patch is divisible by 5. A Seven Patch is divisible by 7. A finished block size divided by number of grid divisions along one side equals finished side of square or triangle. ex: A square that is 14″ X 14″ is divisible by two and seven. You would have either seven 2″ squares or two 7″ squares. You can split these squares into half square triangles or break them down even more. The finished side of square or triangle multiplied by number of grid divisions along one side equals finished block size. ex: A 2″ square multiplied by five will be a 10″ square.
October 2023 Numbers to know When you cut squares and rectangles add 1/2″ to the finished size of the shape. ex: To finish a 3″ X 3″ square add 1/2″ to two sides of the square or 1/4″ to each side.
September 2023 – Sewing Rows Together When sewing two rows together sew the first two rows from the left to the right. Pin the third row to the first two rows but sew from the right side to the left side. Keep reversing the side you start sewing the rows together until they are all sewn together. This will help to keep the quilt square.
August 2023 – Color VS Value Color gets all the credit, but value does all the work. Pay attention to where you place light, medium and dark fabric. You can use the same color fabrics but place the light, medium and dark in different places and the block with look very different. Dark colors with make the medium and light fabrics come to the font.
July 2023 – Applique Always place and stitch the bottom layer first. Then place and stitch the next layer repeat until all layers are placed and stitched. Ex: For a floral design place all steams down and stitch in place unless there are some leaves that the edge sits under the steam. Then stitch those leaves first. Flowers that have a center, it may be easier to place and stitch the centers on the flower before you actually sew the flower to the background. Don’t forget to use a stabilize on the wrong side of the fabric. This is so the fabric does not pull when stitched. If you need help come to a class and I’ll be glad to help you with your project.
June 2023 – Spray Glue Spray glue is an easy way to hold layers of a small quilt sandwich together. Spray the glue on the wrong side of the backing. Place your batting on top of the backing. Spray the batting and lay the top wrong side down on top of the batting. Spray starches are removed with washing or dry cleaning. Be careful not to get the glue on the right side of the backing or top.
May 2023 – Batting There are several kinds of batting cotton, polyester, cotton/polyester, wool, bamboo or silk. Some battings are good for hand quilting, and some are not. The thicker the loft (how puffy it is) the harder to hand quilt. Think about how you are going to use the quilt. Silk may not be as durable as a cotton/polyester blend. If you want a certain part of your quilt to stand out, use an extra layer of batting and quilt heavier around those areas. Before you use the batting let it rest. Open the batting up and spread it out so it can get air. Test a small piece of the batting to see if it behaves under heat.
April 2023 – Scraps If you are like most of us you have a lot of scraps. What can you do with them? First organize your scraps by light, medium, dark and label each group. To go a little further cut them unto common sizes. 2 1/2″ strips, 2 1/2″squares, 3″ squares, 5″ squares, 10″ squares. Or any size you use frequently. Don’t forget to use your scraps in other projects beside quilts ex. potholders, bowl cozies, table runners. Keep them out where you can see them so you don’t forget them.
March 2023 Time Some ways to get more time to sew. Make a plan. Plan what you want to accomplish for the week and break it down into what you need to do each day. Gather all your fabric, sewing tools and make sure your machine is in good working order. It is frustrating when your machine decides to misbehave. Read all the directions and be sure you understand each step. Cut all your fabric at one time. If your not sure you understand the directions only cut enough fabric for one block after you successfully make that block, cut the rest. Remember the local fabric stores are always happy to help. Line up the fabric for each step. Get your favorite beverage and sew away.
February 2023 – Top-Stitch Why do we top-stitch (some time call edge stitching)? We top-stitch on the outside of a project to finish the seams and to hold the fabric in place. Top stitching is usually done along the edge of the project or along a fold. Place the right side of the project up under the presser foot. Take your time because this will show on the finished product.
Color of the year for 2023 The Pantone color for this year is Viva Magenta. Viva Magenta Pantone’s Color of the Year, Viva Magenta 18-1750, vibrates with vim and vigor. It is a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength. Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative. PANTONE® USA \| Pantone … pantone.com Pantone has spoken. The color that will shape the year ahead is — drum roll, please — Viva Magenta. The global color authority reveals its Color of the Year every December, and its 2023 choice, announced Thursday, is a vibrant relative of the red family.
December 2022 i- Binding Bindings vary in width. The width that you cut depends on how high the loft of the batting. Typical widths are 2, 2 1/4, 2 1/2 inches. Binding provides an attractive covering for the raw edges, as well as protects the edges of the quilt.
November – Blocks A pieced section of fabric when put together with other blocks forms a quilt top.
October 2022 Fussy Cutting Fussy cutting is cutting out a specific area of fabric. You may want a certain color or motif that is not on or close to the edge of the fabric. I have fabric with holes in the middle because I wanted a section in the middle of the fabric for my quilt.
September 2022 – Stitch in the ditch Stitch in the existing seams of a pieced quilt in order to quit the quilt. I personal think this is the hardest type of quilting.
August 2022 – Mitered corner If you want your border to look like a frame, use a mitered corner. It gives a picture look to your quilt. Measure the length of one side. Determine the width of the border and multiply by 2 and add this to the length of the border strip. Do this for the other side and the top and bottom border strips. Find and mark the center of each side and the top and bottom of the quilt. Mark the center of all the border strips. Match the center marks and sew from the center to 1/4″ of the end of the quilt. Repeat for sides and top and bottom. Lay one side border on top of the top border. Match raw edges and the seams. Draw a 45 degree angle from the point where the top seam and the side seam meet and form a point out to the raw edge. Sew on this line. Repeat for all corners. This gives your quilt a very nice finish.
July 2022- Cornerstones- Small pieces of fabric (may be square or a rectangle) that joins strips of sashing around a block or around several blocks (ex: the corners of a border.
June 2022 – Foundation Piecing This method of piecing uses a foundation such as paper but can be sewn on other materials. Small pieces of fabric are sewn to the foundation to make an integrate design. If you use foundation paper shorten your stitch and use a larger needle (90/14).
May 2022 – English paper piecing English paper piecing is hand piecing that uses small paper templates so each piece is the same. The pieces are sewn together by hand before the papers are removed. This is not to be confused with Foundation Paper Piecing. I will cover Foundation Paper Piecing in June.
April 2022 Applique Adding fabric designs to a foundation fabric and stitching it in place by hand or machine. Raw Edge Applique: You can stitch over the raw edge by machine using a straight, satin, blanket, zigzag, blind hem stitch or another decorative stitch. Turned Edge Applique: To achieve a Turned Edge Applique turn the edge of the applique under to the wrong side a 1/4 inch and press. Place where you want the applique and stitch in place using a blind stitch. Use thread to match applique or invisible thread.
Quilt- noun and verb Quilt (noun) A quilt is made up of three layers. This is called a quilt sandwich. The top layer is usually pieced but it could be a whole cloth. The middle layer is called batting or in the UK wadding. This layer is an insulation layer. The bottom layer often is also pieced but not as elaborate. Quilt (verb) This is the process of stitching through all three layers of the quilt sandwich. The stitching keeps the layers from slipping while in use or in washing and drying. It also adds an extra decorative element to the quilt.
Color Tools If you have trouble deciding what colors work in your quilt you might want a color wheel. The color wheel I like is the 3-1 Color Tool. It shows 24 colors with their tints, shades and tones. It also has a red and green acetate value finder. Last year I was struggling with a quilt I designed. It just didn’t look right so I got out my color wheel and my colors where spot on. I make some changes to the design, and it looks lovely. The color wheel helped me solve my problem. You can use the color wheel in other areas, such as garment construction, home decorating or any visual art. You can find color wheels at fabric stores, art stores or online.
Pantone’s color for 2022 Pantone has picked “Very Peri” as the color for 2022. Periwinkle Blue has undertones of violet-red. According to Pantone Periwinkle exhibits” spritely, joyous attitude” that “encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expression.”
Pinning Fabric When pinning two pieces of fabric together put pins in so the tip is facing the raw edge of the fabric. If you happen to sew over a pin you will be sewing over the narrowest part of the shaft. Hopefully, you won’t break a needle or pin or damage the timing on the machine.
Ironing or Pressing? If you are constructing a garment or a quilt: When the pattern says PRESS be sure you lift the iron and then put it down in the next spot. If you don’t lift the iron you are ironing and this could distort the fabric.

January 2024 – How do you cut bias strips.

Bias strips are cut diagonally across the grain of a woven fabric. Strips should be cut on a 45-degree angle to the selvage, the fabric stretches the most in this direction; making the fabric easier to go around round angles.

Start with a fabric square or rectangle. You may need to square up the fabric. Make a cut at a 45-degree angle from either corner. Handle the diagonal edges with care, they can easily be distorted. Measure up or down the width you want the strip to be and make a second cut. Cut as many strips as needed to equal the length you want. When strips are cut sew them together with a 45-degree angle.

December 2023 -Why use bias strips.

Use bias strips when you need to cover a curved piece of fabric, and you need some give to the fabric. ex: round corners, scallops or steams in applicate. Fabric cut on the bias is often used in skirts with a flair to the skirt.

November 2023 – The Grid

If you are interested in designing your own quilts, you need to understand the grid system. The grid system is key to cutting the pieces for any size block you want. Grids are made by the main divisions a block can be divided into. There can be divisions of the main divisions. These are not rotary cut. You will need a template.

A Four Patch is divisible by 2 or 4. You will have either two across and down or four across and down.

A Nine Patch is divisible by 3. A Five Patch is divisible by 5. A Seven Patch is divisible by 7.

A finished block size divided by number of grid divisions along one side equals finished side of square or triangle. ex: A square that is 14″ X 14″ is divisible by two and seven. You would have either seven 2″ squares or two 7″ squares. You can split these squares into half square triangles or break them down even more.

The finished side of square or triangle multiplied by number of grid divisions along one side equals finished block size. ex: A 2″ square multiplied by five will be a 10″ square.

October 2023 Numbers to know

When you cut squares and rectangles add 1/2″ to the finished size of the shape. ex: To finish a 3″ X 3″ square add 1/2″ to two sides of the square or 1/4″ to each side.

September 2023 – Sewing Rows Together

When sewing two rows together sew the first two rows from the left to the right. Pin the third row to the first two rows but sew from the right side to the left side. Keep reversing the side you start sewing the rows together until they are all sewn together. This will help to keep the quilt square.

August 2023 – Color VS Value

Color gets all the credit, but value does all the work. Pay attention to where you place light, medium and dark fabric. You can use the same color fabrics but place the light, medium and dark in different places and the block with look very different. Dark colors with make the medium and light fabrics come to the font.

July 2023 – Applique

Always place and stitch the bottom layer first. Then place and stitch the next layer repeat until all layers are placed and stitched. Ex: For a floral design place all steams down and stitch in place unless there are some leaves that the edge sits under the steam. Then stitch those leaves first. Flowers that have a center, it may be easier to place and stitch the centers on the flower before you actually sew the flower to the background. Don’t forget to use a stabilize on the wrong side of the fabric. This is so the fabric does not pull when stitched. If you need help come to a class and I’ll be glad to help you with your project.

June 2023 – Spray Glue

Spray glue is an easy way to hold layers of a small quilt sandwich together. Spray the glue on the wrong side of the backing. Place your batting on top of the backing. Spray the batting and lay the top wrong side down on top of the batting. Spray starches are removed with washing or dry cleaning. Be careful not to get the glue on the right side of the backing or top.

May 2023 – Batting

There are several kinds of batting cotton, polyester, cotton/polyester, wool, bamboo or silk. Some battings are good for hand quilting, and some are not. The thicker the loft (how puffy it is) the harder to hand quilt. Think about how you are going to use the quilt. Silk may not be as durable as a cotton/polyester blend. If you want a certain part of your quilt to stand out, use an extra layer of batting and quilt heavier around those areas.

Before you use the batting let it rest. Open the batting up and spread it out so it can get air. Test a small piece of the batting to see if it behaves under heat.

April 2023 – Scraps

If you are like most of us you have a lot of scraps. What can you do with them? First organize your scraps by light, medium, dark and label each group. To go a little further cut them unto common sizes. 2 1/2″ strips, 2 1/2″squares, 3″ squares, 5″ squares, 10″ squares. Or any size you use frequently. Don’t forget to use your scraps in other projects beside quilts ex. potholders, bowl cozies, table runners. Keep them out where you can see them so you don’t forget them.

March 2023 Time

Some ways to get more time to sew.

Make a plan. Plan what you want to accomplish for the week and break it down into what you need to do each day.
Gather all your fabric, sewing tools and make sure your machine is in good working order. It is frustrating when your machine decides to misbehave.
Read all the directions and be sure you understand each step.
Cut all your fabric at one time. If your not sure you understand the directions only cut enough fabric for one block after you successfully make that block, cut the rest. Remember the local fabric stores are always happy to help.
Line up the fabric for each step.
Get your favorite beverage and sew away.

February 2023 – Top-Stitch

Why do we top-stitch (some time call edge stitching)? We top-stitch on the outside of a project to finish the seams and to hold the fabric in place. Top stitching is usually done along the edge of the project or along a fold. Place the right side of the project up under the presser foot. Take your time because this will show on the finished product.

Color of the year for 2023

The Pantone color for this year is Viva Magenta.

Viva Magenta

Pantone’s Color of the Year, Viva Magenta 18-1750, vibrates with vim and vigor. It is a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength. Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative.

PANTONE® USA | Pantone …
pantone.com

Pantone has spoken. The color that will shape the year ahead is — drum roll, please — Viva Magenta. The global color authority reveals its Color of the Year every December, and its 2023 choice, announced Thursday, is a vibrant relative of the red family.

December 2022 i- Binding

Bindings vary in width. The width that you cut depends on how high the loft of the batting. Typical widths are 2, 2 1/4, 2 1/2 inches. Binding provides an attractive covering for the raw edges, as well as protects the edges of the quilt.

November – Blocks

A pieced section of fabric when put together with other blocks forms a quilt top.

October 2022 Fussy Cutting

Fussy cutting is cutting out a specific area of fabric. You may want a certain color or motif that is not on or close to the edge of the fabric. I have fabric with holes in the middle because I wanted a section in the middle of the fabric for my quilt.

September 2022 – Stitch in the ditch

Stitch in the existing seams of a pieced quilt in order to quit the quilt. I personal think this is the hardest type of quilting.

August 2022 – Mitered corner

If you want your border to look like a frame, use a mitered corner. It gives a picture look to your quilt. Measure the length of one side. Determine the width of the border and multiply by 2 and add this to the length of the border strip. Do this for the other side and the top and bottom border strips. Find and mark the center of each side and the top and bottom of the quilt. Mark the center of all the border strips. Match the center marks and sew from the center to 1/4″ of the end of the quilt. Repeat for sides and top and bottom. Lay one side border on top of the top border. Match raw edges and the seams. Draw a 45 degree angle from the point where the top seam and the side seam meet and form a point out to the raw edge. Sew on this line. Repeat for all corners. This gives your quilt a very nice finish.

July 2022- Cornerstones-

Small pieces of fabric (may be square or a rectangle) that joins strips of sashing around a block or around several blocks (ex: the corners of a border.

June 2022 – Foundation Piecing

This method of piecing uses a foundation such as paper but can be sewn on other materials. Small pieces of fabric are sewn to the foundation to make an integrate design. If you use foundation paper shorten your stitch and use a larger needle (90/14).

May 2022 – English paper piecing

English paper piecing is hand piecing that uses small paper templates so each piece is the same. The pieces are sewn together by hand before the papers are removed. This is not to be confused with Foundation Paper Piecing. I will cover Foundation Paper Piecing in June.

April 2022 Applique

Adding fabric designs to a foundation fabric and stitching it in place by hand or machine. Raw Edge Applique: You can stitch over the raw edge by machine using a straight, satin, blanket, zigzag, blind hem stitch or another decorative stitch. Turned Edge Applique: To achieve a Turned Edge Applique turn the edge of the applique under to the wrong side a 1/4 inch and press. Place where you want the applique and stitch in place using a blind stitch. Use thread to match applique or invisible thread.

Quilt- noun and verb

Quilt (noun) A quilt is made up of three layers. This is called a quilt sandwich. The top layer is usually pieced but it could be a whole cloth. The middle layer is called batting or in the UK wadding. This layer is an insulation layer. The bottom layer often is also pieced but not as elaborate.

Quilt (verb) This is the process of stitching through all three layers of the quilt sandwich. The stitching keeps the layers from slipping while in use or in washing and drying. It also adds an extra decorative element to the quilt.

Color Tools

If you have trouble deciding what colors work in your quilt you might want a color wheel. The color wheel I like is the 3-1 Color Tool. It shows 24 colors with their tints, shades and tones. It also has a red and green acetate value finder. Last year I was struggling with a quilt I designed. It just didn’t look right so I got out my color wheel and my colors where spot on. I make some changes to the design, and it looks lovely. The color wheel helped me solve my problem. You can use the color wheel in other areas, such as garment construction, home decorating or any visual art. You can find color wheels at fabric stores, art stores or online.

Pantone’s color for 2022

Pantone has picked “Very Peri” as the color for 2022. Periwinkle Blue has undertones of violet-red.

According to Pantone Periwinkle exhibits” spritely, joyous attitude” that “encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expression.”

Pinning Fabric

When pinning two pieces of fabric together put pins in so the tip is facing the raw edge of the fabric. If you happen to sew over a pin you will be sewing over the narrowest part of the shaft. Hopefully, you won’t break a needle or pin or damage the timing on the machine.

Ironing or Pressing?

If you are constructing a garment or a quilt: When the pattern says PRESS be sure you lift the iron and then put it down in the next spot. If you don’t lift the iron you are ironing and this could distort the fabric.