Quilting Tips and Tricks

Instructions provided courtesy of quilt designer Mark Lipinski.

Organizing Your Sewing Room

Thread Spool Storage: Store thread spools in clear plastic egg cartons. These are also great for stacking.

Burn Test: To identify fabric content, burn a corner of a piece of scrap fabric and extinguish it in a bowl of water. Cotton will feather with a light ash as it's burned; poly blend will feel like plastic when it is burned.

Paint Chip Tip: Create your own color library with complementary paint chips available at home decorating stores. Paint chips are easy to take along when shopping for fabric.

Cutting Mat Cleanup: Clean your rotary cutting mat with a napped lint-removal brush. This prevents dark or light lint from depositing on your next cut of fabric.

Stop Unraveling Threads: Cut strips from inexpensive vinyl/cling wrap and wrap it around the spool and bobbin to secure the thread.

Rotary Care: To keep your rotary cutter sharp, mark the date of the blade change with masking tape on the flat part of the cutter. When your rotary cutter starts skipping, take it apart and turn the blade, add a drop of sewing machine oil and you get double the life on your blades.

Fabric Flags: To shop for fabric economically and efficiently, determine your fabric color scheme beforehand. Write down the colors and yardage required on individual sticky notes; i.e., border=3 yards, house=2 yards, grass=1/4 yard. As you choose a fabric bolt, stick the note on the end of the bolt and take it to the cutting table; after the fabric is cut, transfer the sticky notes to the cut fabric.

Washing Small Pieces: Place fat quarters of fabric in a mesh lingerie bag to launder. Wash your fabric with other clothing items without losing the fabric and with minimal fraying.

Organize Blocks: Purchase medium and large pizza boxes to store quilt blocks. They are easy to stack and your blocks are organized. This works especially well if fabric is cut on the bias and handling it repeatedly can cause distortion.