Tutorials

I have spent the last 10+ years learning more and more about quilting, especially how to use a variety of piecing techniques, plus how to machine quilt my own quilts on my home machine. I have worked with stencils, printed designs on foundation paper to stitch over, and traced designs onto Press and Seal kitchen wrap to be stitched over. I have done my best to document the process and will share here links to some of the posts I have made on various piecing techniques and machine quilting techniques.

Foundation Paper Piecing--my step-by-step journey making paper pieced hearts

Stencils: Using a border stencil to add interesting detail to Autumnal Equinox (scroll down in the post to find the border treatment).

Stencils: Using a large stencil to fill a block with an interesting design to secure each of the seams without having to stitch in the ditch every seam in every block.

Quilting with Foundation Paper: Printing a design from a quilting design program or online image onto foundation paper (similar to newsprint) and stitching over the lines to recreate the image on your quilt top. I used this technique for the feathered heart in Heartfelt Thanks.

Press'n Seal kitchen wrap: Trace designs and motifs onto Glad Press'n Seal, seal it down onto your quilt in proper position to be stitched, and then stitch over the lines. This technique may be easier than the foundation paper since you can see through it while stitching. This is an easy way to add motifs to specific locations on your quilt. (Yet to be blogged, but picture shows eagle placement.)

Wash-away Stabilizer: I traced geometric designs onto Pellon Sol-U-Film Lite, a wash-away embroidery stabilizer, which I then pinned to the quilt top and quilted through. I used this technique on "Coffee Anyone?" after drawing the geometric designs with rulers.

Mastering Y-Seams for machine piecing hexies: I've detailed and illustrated a tutorial on machine piecing Y-seams for a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt top. The same technique is also useful for blocks with odd shaped piecing or setting triangles that require Y-seams.