The AccuQuilt GO! Fabric Cutter is a lightweight, portable fabric cutter quilters can transport easily to classes, guild meetings, retreats and quilting bees. Its design was inspired by the ideas and suggestions of quilters throughout the world and features an easy-lift handle, comfortable roller handle grip, magnetic seal and a neutral, light-colored work surface. Fabric cutting dies for the AccuQuilt GO! are light and made exclusively to ft the portable GO!fabric cutter. Designed for time-saving accuracy, these dies ensure all cuts are quick and precise so your shapes piece together perfectly every time. A GO!

My friend, neighbor and co-worker Jan and I bought the AccuQuilt about a month ago. We have been experimenting with the different templates.  Jan just loves the 2 1/2″ Strip cutter for borders and binding. She continues to comment on how straight her borders are now.

I started with the cutting die that has three different shapes on it.  I designed a table runner using the 2 1/2″ Square ; 2″ Finished Half Square Triangle.  I love the exactness of this product.  Cutting half square triangles was never my strength and they would bob and weave all over my quilt.  But with the AccuQuilt, I did not have that problem.

I have only loaded 15 of the MANY dies that the AccuQuilt uses on the web tonight.  Look for the rest of them on the web in the next week or so.  If you are going to order some dies, and want other ones not listed, just include a note in the comments section of your checkout form and we will have it for you so you can save on postage. You can check out all the dies that Accuquilt offers at The AccuQuilt Website.

Before to long, we will be offering to cut your fabric with the new AccuQuilt and hope to be able to set up a rental option for you at the shop. I will be doing several demo’s at the shop on the AccuQuilt in April so check the class schedule and drop by the shop to test it out!

Happy Day!

Wendy

I love this article from Quilting Arts:

“The whites, grays, and browns of winter have their appeal—but after a while they can become monotonous, even depressing. Fortunately, you have the tools to revive your spirits and your artwork with some color therapy. Here are some ideas:

Get out your toys. Take out your brightest, cheeriest fabrics and look for interesting combinations. Try pairings you never thought of before (a good way to do this is to mess up a pile of fabrics on a table and look for juxtapositions that catch your eye). If you find an inspiring match, cut a snippet of each and glue or staple them into your sketchbook.

Organize your stash. Just folding and stacking your fabrics or sorting embroidery threads by color will stimulate your senses. A great mood lifter!

Over-dye. Tired of black-and-white designs? Got a vintage piece that could use some pizzazz? Over-dye it with Procion® dyes or diluted fluid acrylic paints. It’s so much fun to see how color changes the character of the fabric.

Color your mood. See if you can change your mood by making a fabric or mixed-media self-portrait in shades of one color.

Experiment in your sketchbook. Now is the perfect time to try coloring with paints, oil sticks, or colored pencils. Just sit by a sunny window and doodle the day away. ”

What great ideas!  Thanks for sharing Quilting Arts Staff!

See Color Therapy in Action

Here are some tools that will help you put your color therapy into action.

Color from the Heart: Seven Great Ways to Make Quilts with Colors You Love

Happy Day!

Wendy

There are several ways to transfer photos to fabric for photo quilts or journal quilts. The short video below talks about one way using Bubble Jet.  I strongly encourage you to use fabrics that are 100% cotton, a very fine texture or fabric no texture at all.  Finally, opt for pale colors for the background of your photos.  This way the pictures will show up easily.  Despite the fact that I do not pre-wash any of my fabrics for sewing, I do recommend that you prewash all your fabrics for you photo fabric projects. The author of this video prints on flannel, and personally I do not like printing on napped fabric, however, it does have its place if you do not mind that the clarity of the picture is not real sharp.

Any ink jet printer will transfer photos to fabric.  Laser printers will not.  For best quality prints, using the technique described in this video, Make sure that your picture has a moderate to high resolution, preferably of around 300 dots per inch (dpi) or more.

Happy Day!

Fat Quarters, Jelly Rolls, Charms, Sweet Sixteen’s and Layer Cakes are all examples of specialty cuts of fabric that fabric manufacturers are coming out with lately. I have talked about fat quarters, charms, and jelly rolls before so I thought I would look at layer cakes today.  Layer Cakes, in the fabric world are 10”x 10” squares of fabrics.  Usually from all the same collection of fabrics, and typically have 40 swatches per pack.

With this great handout from Moda, called: How to Cut a Layer Cake, you can figure out wonderful ways to use your fabrics.  To download this great cutting guide, click here: layer-cake-cutting.

I also found a pattern that uses Layer Cakes, or simply your own scraps, cut in 10” Squares.  Try: Pincushions.

There are also several layer cake books out there with patterns made exclusively for use with layer cakes.

Happy Day!

CLINICAL STUDY REVEALS THE

STRESS-REDUCING BENEFITS OF SEWING

Surprise! Sewing May Be Good For Your Heart!

A clinical study commissioned by the Home Sewing Association (HSA) reveals that women who sew – both skilled as well as novice sewers — experience a significant drop in heart rate, blood pressure, and perspiration rate when compared to women who participate in other leisure-time activities. Heart rate, blood pressure, and perspiration rate are three key factors in the measurement of stress. The study’s results appear to indicate that sewing helps women to relax while they focus on a creative activity.

Thirty women participated in the study, which was designed by New York psychologist and biofeedback expert, Robert H. Reiner, Ph.D., who is on the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at New York University Medical Center. The study was conducted in a controlled laboratory environment at Dr. Reiner’s outpatient institute, which specializes in cognitive-behavior therapy.

Two groups of women — fifteen experienced sewers and fifteen non-sewers — were measured for blood pressure, heart rate, epidural skin response (perspiration) and peripheral skin temperature. Biofeedback methodology was used to monitor each woman both before and after she engaged in five different home-centered leisure-time activities that required similar eye-hand movements. The sequence was randomly rotated to ensure that participants would not be positively or negatively affected by the order in which they performed each activity.

The five pastimes included playing a card game, painting at an easel, reading a newspaper, playing a hand-held video game, and sewing a simple project. Biofeedback technology measures physiological changes such as heart rate, blood pressure, perspiration rate, and skin temperature, which are key indicators of the level of stress a person is experiencing at any given moment. According to Dr. Reiner, because our bodies are constantly changing in relation to the environment, biofeedback can instantly indicate an increase or decrease in these physiological indicators. In this sewing study, women underwent biofeedback monitoring through the placement of special fingertip electrodes, which were connected to a computer. Blood pressure was taken with a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope.

Study Results Indicate that Sewing is the Most Relaxing Activity. “The study appears to indicate that sewing is the most relaxing of the five activities reviewed due to the statistically significant drops observed in heart rate, blood pressure and perspiration rate after women sewed,” says Dr. Reiner. “While sewing was the most relaxing activity, we were quite surprised to discover that heart rate actually increased for all participants while they were engaged in the other four activities, including reading the newspaper,” Dr. Reiner explains.

The study revealed that the mean (or average) heart rate for experienced sewers dropped by about 11 beats per minute after sewing. For novice sewers, the mean heart rate dropped by about 7 beats per minute. The mean heart rate for all the other activities actually increased for all participants anywhere from 4 to 8 beats per minute.

“The importance of a hobby or creative pursuit cannot be over-emphasized,” claims Dr. Reiner. “If we don’t allow our bodies to rest from the pressures of everyday life, we are placing ourselves at risk for heart disease or other illnesses. Creative activities and hobbies — like sewing — can help a person focus on something productive and get away from their worries for a while,” says Dr. Reiner.

While prior research has identified meditation, deep breathing, and observing fish in a tank as anxiety reducers, this is the first time an attempt has been made to investigate the efficacy of sewing as a “stress buster.” Further research would be necessary to determine whether there are any long-term health benefits of sewing, but the subjects in this study did experience short-term reductions in heart rate, blood pressure and perspiration.

The month of September is designated as National Sewing Month. The Home Sewing Association, founded in 1928, represents many facets of home sewing and craft related industries. One of the Association’s primary functions is to be a resource information center and to encourage a positive attitude about, and an awareness of, sewing as a creative, fun, easy and stress-reducing pastime.

Home Sewing Association

PO Box 1312

Monroeville PA 15146

http://www.sewing.org

Documenting Your Quilt

Guest Author: Maria Elkins

• Document your quilt while it is being made

Use a manila folder, a large envelope or Ziploc© bag to keep the receipts for supplies and fabrics purchased for this quilt, sketches made during the design process, notes from your journal, fabric swatches, and photos of you and your quilt while it is being made. Use a separate folder for each quilt. On the outside of your folder or envelope, record any or all of the following:

Project name

Pattern

Size

Start and finish dates

Project purpose

Current owner

Materials used

Finishing touches (embellishments)

Awards

Story behind the quilt

Miscellaneous information

Or, use the quilt documentation form found on The Cozy Quilt Patch website.

• Sign and label your quilt

A label should be firmly attached to the lower right corner of the back of your quilt. Many quilters recommend attaching the label before the quilt is quilted so the label can not be easily removed without damaging the quilt. Another suggestion is to write directly onto the quilt with a permanent marker. If you like, this could be back-up identification under your regular label. For more ideas on making labels read Labeling Your Quilts

• Hide a signature

Many quilters like to sign their quilts in a hidden place so that if their label is removed they can still positively identify their quilt. Some suggest signing the quilt in the seam allowance that will be covered by the binding. If you will be attaching a hanging sleeve to the back of your quilt, consider signing underneath or inside the sleeve. Put your hidden signature in the same place on every quilt or write down where it is and put that information with your other documentation.

• Piece the backing

Piece your backing and then take a photograph of the back of your quilt when you are done. If your quilt becomes lost and someone finds it, this is an additional way to identify it. You will know how the back is pieced and you will have a photo of it. Someone else may be able to describe the front of your quilt in an attempt to wrongfully claim it, but they probably won’t know what the back looks like.

• Document your quilt after it is made

This includes good photos of the completed quilt. Hire a professional photographer, if necessary. Also, keep a record of the shows where you displayed the quilt and any awards it won. You may also want to copyright your quilt

• Check the quality of your pictures

Be sure you have good pictures before you send your quilt to a show. Make sure the pictures are developed successfully and give a true representation of your quilt. If you are only an amateur, point-and-press photographer, read Photographing Your Quilts for tips for successful quilt photography.

• Get a professional appraisal

This will be very important to establish the value of your quilt. You can get a list of AQS Certified Appraisers by contacting:
     American Quilter’s Society

     PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290, Phone: 270-898-7903
     or you can find an appraiser in your area on the internet through:
     Professional Association of Appraisers

• 

The newest technology allows you to embed a microchip in your quilt. The microchip can be scanned to identify who the owner is. Visit the Chipped Quilts website for more information.

• Sources for more information

Internet:

Documenting Family Quilts

Books and Periodicals:

Brackman, Barbara, “Documentation Projects: Uncovering Heritage Quilts,” Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine, No. 200, (March 1988), pp. 36-37.

McDonald, Ann, “Lost and Found: Recovering Your Missing Quilts,” Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine, No. 294, (July/August 1997), pp. 46-47.

Shirer, Marie, “Writing a Record of Your Quilt,” Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine, No. 185, (September 1986), p. 48.

Wagner, Carol, “Label & Document Your Quilts,” American Quilter, Vol. V, No. 1, (Spring 1989), pp. 54-55.

Copyright © 1999 - 2006, Maria Elkins

Reprinted with permission.  Please visit the Lost Quilt Come Home Page, which displays lost and stolen quilts and provides information on protecting quilts

While I am off on a short sewing retreat, I asked Beth to share some of her long-arm quilting experience with you.  Enjoy!

Preparing your Quilt to go to the Quilter

First, trim the threads, especially those that might show through to the front on the quilt from the inside.  This is particularly noticeable with a light fabric and dark thread.  I prefer that the backing seams be pressed open, with the selvages trimmed off.  The reason for this is that there will be less bulk in the seam than if you press them to one side.  Also, please be sure to leave at least 3 inches extra backing and batting on all 4 sides of the quilt.  This allows the quilter space to pin it to the canvas leaders on the machine.  Without this extra fabric, your quilter may be unable to quilt your quilt, or may even have to trim the quilt top.

When you drop your quilt off to the quilter, the two of you should discuss options for quilting, as well as thread choices and colors.  Each of these can affect the finished quilt, as well as the cost.  If this is a quilt that will be loved by a child, a simple edge to edge design would be much more appropriate than an heirloom design at approximately twice the cost. 

Once your quilt is ready to be quilted, the quilter will press both backing and top before loading it on the machine.  You may have pressed them as well before they left your home, but they may have been folded up for some time waiting their turn to be quilted. 

The quilt top, backing and batting are then loaded onto the machine, and the design is stitched out.  This might be done by following a printed design such as a pantograph, or a free hand design that the quilter “draws”.   Soon you’ll have a new treasure to keep for yourself, to give away, possibly to enter into a show.    Regardless of the final purpose for the quilt, I think that you’ll find that quilting really does make the quilt.

Guest Author: Beth Durand

Happy Day!

Well here is Martha Stewart again!  As you know, she knocks my socks off some of the time, and this is one of those times.  She has a great quilting idea this week and it is all about recycling too.  It is the shirt pocket quilt shown here.  Made from recycled shirts, this would be a great gift for any child.  I could even see it in a student’s dorm room or what about turning it into a locker quilt?  Where it hangs on the wall of a locker to keep things organized?  Oh and what about the craft, quilting or sewing room?  I could go on and one.  I see so many potentials for this type of project.

If you do not have a husband or a partner whose shirts you can recycle, remember to check out some from Goodwill or the Salvation Army.  Or you could take pockets from some of your old clothes and sew them on Shirting Fabric.  You will find the original directions from 1998, here. 

There are a few recommendations I would suggest if you are making this project.  It was clearly written before Martha and company got into quilting projects.  One of the big tells on this is the directions say to “fill the quilt”.  No, do not “fill the quilt”.  Make a quilt sandwich (see below if you need a refresher on what that is) use regular batting and do some machine quilting on the quilt.  Even if you stitch in the ditch it will be sturdier and last longer than making it like a pillowcase and “filling” it with batting.   Then put a binding on it.  This will make your project look professional and finished. Also, I do not use a lot of fusible batting, just because I do not like it.  The directions suggest it, but I would use your choice.

How to make a Quilt Sandwich: Depending on the size of your project you can do this on your floor or a dining room table.  First, lay down the backing and smooth it out. Tape (painters tape) the backing down.  Then lay the batting, making sure you center it. Finally add the quilt top, face up, once again being careful to get it in the center. Find the centre of the quilt and a safety pin to hold the three layers together.  Then every 6 -8 inches pin the next spot and so on.  If you start in the middle and work out from the center, you straighten out any bubbles or excess fabric.

Happy Day!

I recently received this note from a customer: “Last night I broke down and bought myself a new cutting mat.  I was hoping to hold out until a sale, but finally decided it wasn’t worth the wait.  Granted, mine had 2 cracks in it, perpendicular to one another, but the difference in the texture of the surface to the new vs. the old is amazing!    Suddenly, the fabric isn’t getting stuck in the mat when I cut; it takes less pressure to cut and just generally works better.”

Have you taken a look at your rotary cutting mats lately?  I know most of us have self healing mats that are supposed to heal themselves, but I think all of us should all take a good look at our mats.  I think we have to realize that they don’t last forever. If you are cutting other fabrics on your mats, besides cotton, this will speed up the deterioration of your mat. Cutting fleece on your quilting mat is especially difficult.  I want to encourage you, if you cut a lot of fleece, to have a separate mat for simply cutting fleece. 

Another thing to consider in the care and feeding of your mat is that those mat smoothers you see in the stores quickly and easily erase any trace of leftover fiber, stain or other fabric strands from the mat and also help to erase the nicks and crevices of self healing mats thereby prolonging the use of the mat.

Finally, when it comes time to retire your mat; remember that sometimes the larger ones can be cut down once the center section is used up and made into smaller mats.  If it is time to pick out a new mat, take a look at the options we have available for you here.

Happy Day!

I thought I would talk a little more about quilting notions today. I just left the sewing room where I was straightening up my sewing area and putting away the tools from my last project so I can get ready and start on a new project.  I have this thing where I feel I have to reorganize all my tools and clean up the fabrics before I can start a new project.  I am glad I do, because it lets me find tools that I have misplaced or lost along the last quilting journey. So let me tell you about some of my personal favorite notions, this comes from personal experience of the products and NOT from any endorsement.

1.  Clover White Seam Ripper: Perhaps my all time favorite tool is this ripper has the best handle that I have found.  Made of white ABS Resin, the handle just sits in the hand wonderfully and makes gripping a breeze.  It has some body, rather than those tiny dinky ones that can disappear in a minute.  Stitch cutting is fantastic when your ripper handle is so very easy to hold. Sharp blade slips easily under the tiniest stitches; small ballpoint protects is helpful in preventing damage to your fabrics. Ripping out seams, basting threads, and cutting thread under buttons has never been easier.  I love this so much I actually have two in my drawer in case I temporarily loose one.

2.  Clover: Straight Tailor’s Awl: Need a third hand?  This is really what I use.  When working at the machine guiding fabric and wanting to be really exact with my stitching, I use this Tailor’s Awl to guide my fabric underneath the presser foot.  Like the Clover White Seam Ripper, I also like it because of the handle.  Both of these pieces also have a nice rubberized grip right at the handle area for making the product even easier to hold on to! Both these Clover products come with a plastic sleeve for storage.

That is all for today but I will be back in the future to give you more suggestions and ideas about wonderful notions you need to have and use.

Happy Day!