Quilter's Freezer Paper

If you are looking for a gift for a special quilter, white freezer paper is good choice.  We use it for tracing applique shapes.  Art quilters use it as a stabilizer so they can draw or write directly onto it.  Those who print on fabric and other non-paper media use it as a carrier sheet to run fabric through an inkjet printer.  Do not use it in a laser printer as the heat melts the wax, the fabric detaches and you go shopping for a new printer.
Freezer paper is matte paper with a coating of wax on one side.  Fabric can be ironed to the wax side temporarily.
In our area grocery stores are not carrying boxes of white freezer paper.  We can get some from quilt store suppliers but their wholesale price is the grocery store retail price.  One store in a shop hop said she could get it but would have to get a case of 72. 
So, if you have no other choice we can offer two choices through our supplier, QuiltSource Canada.

 This is Reynolds box of freezer paper.  There are 75 feet in a box.  I can order 12 boxes at a time.  Each would retail for $10.25.  This is still the most economical option. 

Handy, printable freezer paper sheets are the perfect size for printing patterns or templates in an ink-jet printer or all-in-one. • Sheets lie flat - no ironing needed • Reusable 30 reusable 8 1/2" x 11" sheets are perfect for piecing, appliqué, or any freezer-paper technique.
I copied this from the Quiltsource website.  Produced by C&T Publishering this product retails about $10.75 per package.


Anytime you find something on the QuiltSource Canada website I can order it for you.  You usually receive a special order discount if I can combine the shipping with other items we need.

In a Rush Projects

Need a gift in a hurry?!  Today quilters are posting ideas online using YouTube, Facebook and blogs.  But, be careful.  You may end up spending more time looking at the ideas than making the projects.

10 Minute Tablerunner

No batting, no quilting, no binding.  So does it count as a quilt?  If you need a really fast gift and you really need to downsize your stash, close to being a quilt may be good.  Many times I have been asked what prize to put on a tablerunner at a church bazaar.  Non-sewers do not see the value of your time spent on quilting and binding so find items overpriced.  This could be an answer.  One-third of a yard (0.3m) for the centre and one-half of a yard (0.47m) for the backing is all it takes.  Find great instruction videos on YouTube.  Here are our store samples:

Top one is a border print, bottom one is dark in the middle.

Quickest Quilt Top

Some call it 'Mile a Minute' and some call it 'Jelly Roll Race'.  Either way you can sew a jelly roll of 40 strips cut 2 1/2" wide into a 50" by 60" quilt top in an afternoon.  Add a border and longarm quilting machine meander so it is finished in time for the next day....
If you go to Google and enter 'jelly roll race images' you will see a great variety of tops. 
The pattern is simple.  Join the narrow end of one strip to the end of the next strip.  Piece it diagonally to create some visual interest.  Continue adding strips to the narrow tail end until all strips make one 1600 inch strip, give or take an inch or two.  Cut off the first 18".  Bring the last end to meet the first end, right sides together.  Sew about 800".  Cut the fold, and once again bring the bottom end to meet the top narrow end, RST.  Sew 400".  Cut the fold.  Keep sewing until the top is about 50" by 60".  I have seen it done with 2 1/2" squares between the strips for a more contemporary look.  For a better idea, watch a YouTube video. 
Here are some strip sets that work:

Moda jelly rolls, Hoffman Bali batiks and Timeless Treasures Tonga Treats

Stand Up Batting

Here are 2 tote bags made from the same pattern (free online from South Sea Imports or Wilmington Press).  The one on the right is floppy and folding over on itself.  The one on the left has firm foam batting which keeps it standing upright.  As I get older and have a harder time bending down to the floor to reach the floppy one, I really appreciate the people who have brought firm foam batting from the car industry to the quilting world. 

We carry 'inn-control plus' which has fusible web on both sides.  Remember to put parchment paper between the batt and the ironing board if ironing on one side only.  I used the foam in Brenda's pattern, 'My Monster Bag'.  The bag is large enough to carry 2 queen size quilts so it is wonderful that the bag doesn't flop over when empty.

 

Brenda uses this batting in many of her bag patterns.  'The Elipse Bag' above has the batting in the main body of the purse.  When open, the bag stays out of your way as you search inside.

We also have some of a similar product called 'Annie's Soft and Stable'.  This product is not fusible, comes in black or white and is more expensive. 
Either type is easy to sew through and makes a wonderful addition to your bag batting choices.



Needle Case and Threader

This is a needle case and needle threader in a 4 1/2" case.  You could wear it as a piece of jewelry by adding a chain or ribbon through the ring on the top.  The top section unscrews to hold needles in the upper area.  You won't get many in but you will always have them close by.  Pull off the bottom section and you will find a needle threader. 

The wire of the threader is heavier than many you may have seen.  At $7.99, it is a great idea for gift exchanges for quilting friends or for a hostess gift at a holiday get together.  Binding seems to go so  much faster when chatting with friends over tea.

Washing Quilts Part 2

For some reason I couldn't continue in the last post so read it first, please.


If you do not prewash the fabric you can always test for colour fastness when you are done. Take the scraps and wash them. Check the water for colour or lay the wet fabric on paper towels and see if there is any colour on the paper towel. It is not too late to treat the quilt with Retayne after it is quilted.
I always prewashed stash fabric because, if I never got around to using it, at least I had spent some time enjoying the colours and design as I ironed it.
I tell people to consider who will have the quilt and how will they take care of it.  The answer to these questions will help you decide what batt to use and what quilting design to use. 
Are you making a family heirloom?  Use the best quality fabric, batt and thread. 
Will the quilt be washed once a month?  Consider batt with some polyester and quilt closely together.  Take a deep breath, let the quilt go and enjoy the fact the receipts will be using your gift so well they will love it to pieces.

I could go on and on except breakfast calls.  But, it occurs to me that a quilter puts alot of effort into creating a quilt.  Quite literally, she or he puts in blood, sweat and tears at times.  There is always a piece of your heart that goes with the quilt to its receipent.  The hardest part is letting go. 

Washing Quilts Part 1

One of the most controversial topics in quilting concerns washing quilts.  There are many right and correct ways to approach washing quilts.  It boils down to what works for you and it doesn't have to be the same all the time.  So here are some thoughts to consider and maybe a few points to contemplate.

Do you prewash fabric?  That's easy.  Yes and no!  There are different qualities of cotton made for quilting.  Independent quilt shops order from manufacturers and distributors using top grade base fabric most of the time.  You can tell by the feel of the fabric, the number of threads and the quality of the dyes/printing colours.  Chain stores often carry lesser quality fabrics that are thinner, stretchier and not as well printed. 
Most fabric dyes on quality fabrics are stable and do not bleed when washed.  There is sizing on the fabric taken from the bolt unless it is marked 'prepared for dyeing'.  If you are concerned, then prewash the fabric to see if it runs and to remove the sizing that may irritate a baby's delicate skin.  If a colour runs or bleeds, you can treat the fabric with a fixative like Retayne.  I use it when dyeing fabric to set the colour and it works excellently.  Soak the fabric in it for several minutes and no more colour comes out.

Sitting Pretty Using Heat Moldable

In October I posted about my iPad holder.  The pattern is "Sitting Pretty" by Brenda of 'Among Brenda's Quilts'.  The firm stabilizer that makes it start up is an interesting one to work with.  There are 2 brands I have worked with:

 

 



Both are similar.  You heat them with an iron or hair dryer to soften.  Then you are able to mold them into different shapes for bowls, boxes or whatever you imagination can conceive.  For 'Sitting Pretty' you are not molding the boardlike pieces but are using the strong stiffness to support the iPad in open positions.  I used the 'inn-spire plus' which is fusible on both sides because that is what I had at the time. 
Even though the products are firm they are easy enough to sew through with pieceing or quilting thread.  You can have a hostess present candy dish stitched, molded and ready to take in about half an hour.