Quiltmaking 101

I was a self-taught quiltmaker to begin with, which means I figured most things out by trial and error. Fortunately, over the years I've learned a lot more from reading books, taking workshops and hanging out with other quiltmakers.  Almost always, when I hear about a new technique or approach I'll try it out to see how it works, and whether it could be improved upon. And I've changed my own ways of working to reflect these improvements and new ideas.

I've concluded that some of the things they tell you in the books and workshops are not important at all, while others are critical.  And I'm happy to share my methods with you, perhaps saving you a decade or two of your own trial and error.

I've chopped this info into many small tutorials on almost every aspect of sewing, quilting and finishing.  Feel free to try them out, evaluate them, and make your own adaptations and improvements.  And after you do, please pass them along to another quiltmaker.  We learn from each other, and in so doing we all find our work improved and our lives much richer.

Rotary cutting

Seam allowances and sewing precision
Freehand and curved seams 1
Freehand and curved seams 2
Freehand and curved seams 3

Pressing -- the non-negotiable essential
     pressing curved seams

Trimming your blocks to size

The quilt production line

Sandwiching your quilt

Quilting your quilt

Straight-line quilting

Free-motion quilting and free-motion designs

Sinking thread ends

Blocking your quilt

Trimming your quilt

Binding your quilt
    cutting the binding
    sewing the binding
    folding and stitching the binding

Facing your quilt
    straight-edged quilts
    curved-edge quilts

Adding a sleeve

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A few of these tutorials haven't been published yet; stay tuned.  As soon as they're up, you'll see an underline when you mouse over and be able to click to the post.

Leave a comment on the post if you want to share how it worked for you; I'd love to hear your experiences.