Pinetop Star

What type of Thread Should I use?

Most quilters recommend a good quality cotton thread for piecing quilts. How I determine if it's good quality for me is based on how well it works in my machine. How much lint is building up around the bobbin area, does the thread break or shred a lot as I'm sewing. Every machine is different so try a couple different ones to find what works best for you. There are a variety of brands to choose from. We carry Aurifil and Superior. I use both brands, with very little lint and no breaking or shredding. I also like that they are both a 2ply and 50wt threads. The 50wt gives you a slightly thinner seam than a 40wt., and that can add up when you have a lot of pieces to sew together.

Polyester thread is typically used for Machine Embroidery or top quilting. There are a variety of good quality Polyester threads, my preference is Isacord, Glide,

What size rotary cutter should I buy?

To Prewash or not to Prewash?

This is a personal preference. But I suggest if you do prewash, prewash all the fabric for the quilt including borders and backing. Even good quality cotton fabric shrinks anywhere from 3%-5%. If I'm making a king size quilt of 110" for a bed, I know it could shrink 3.5" - 5.5", so I will consider making the quilt a little bigger in order to allow for some shrinkage. If I'm making just making a smaller throw quilt, I'm not concerned if it shrinks a little.

How important is pressing?

Pressing is one of the most important things you can do. Everyone has their preference on pressing. For me, if I don't prewash the fabric I will press my blocks with a dry iron. I find that if I use steam it can cause some of my pieces to shrink and then the block gets distorted. So I prefer a dry iron, then I don't have that problem. I also make sure I get the block flat.

Should I press my seams to the side or open?

I found that if I'm working with larger pieces, I can press to the side. If I'm working on a block with a lot of small pieces that include HST, I will press them open to help reduce bulk.

Why do I have wavy Borders?

If your quilt isn't the same width at the top, center, & bottom you can end up with wavy borders. So many people are in a hurry to finish their quilt, so they don't measure they just sew on the border and cut off the excess. Problem is, for example: If you don't measure and the center is wider than the top and bottom you will likely end up with a wavy border.