Picket Fence Fabrics

Tips

These tips are from staff and customers at Picket Fence Fabrics. If you have an original quilting tip you would like to share send us an email. If we post the tip here we’ll send you a fat quarter.

Appliqué Tips

I brought my copy of Hearts and Tulips to a stationary supply store and had the spine replaced with a sure-lock binding. The book lays flat which makes tracing and copying easier. I included a few page protectors at the back of the book to hold any templates I want to keep. JLH

Scrap Quilt Tips

Control your scraps by having a few projects planned ahead. Pick a few scrappy projects from books or magazines and copy the cutting list and a picture of the quilt. Tape the picture and cutting list to the lid of an inexpensive storage container. Whenever you finish a quilting project take a few minutes to cut up the scraps to the sizes required for your scrap projects. In no time you will have a scrap project cut and ready to sew together.

Tips Using Fusible Web

Using fusible web on a bed quilt can make the quilt feel stiff. Cutting away the fusible web from the middle of the appliqué piece before fusing it to the background will reduce the stiffness.

Time Management

Use an inexpensive Kitchen timer and give yourself the gift of quilting time. If you can’t seem to find time to sew or quilt because of busy family schedule, have a kitchen timer handy in your sewing space and set it for however much time you think you can spare. Cut, sew, plan, baste, or whatever needs doing until the timer goes off. You will soon discover these little bits of time add up and you will be more productive. JLH 2003

Learn machine basics

Take a machine basics class to familiarize yourself with your machine. Follow up by practicing the techniques on a set of placemats.