Maria Michaels Designs

This is a fairly new group which was started last summer. It already has over 600 members and is especially for quilters who want to keep up with what is new in quilting, quilt patterns, quilt products, and especially, machine embroidered designs and quilts.

Members are a mixture of quilters, quilt designers, and those in the quilt business. The idea is that those with new products, sales, specials, etc., can notify the group to introduce their new patterns, tools, designs, books, and so on. Questions and answers are also an important part of the exchange.

Questions are answered by our quilting team of Edna, Elaine, Hancey, and Maria. We often turn to well known quilters and experts in their fields, as well.

Q: I am just learning to quilt. What stitch length should I set my machine for and how should I stop and start my quilting lines? - Alice B, New Hampshire

A: Elaine replies: I use the length of stitch the machine is set at unless I am paper piecing, then I shorten the stitch. For piecing, I always put a tiny scrap of material under the needle to start stitching and then add the piece I am going to sew. This keeps the thread from bunching up. I do not back stitch at the end.

For quilting, I also use the machine setting for the length of stitch, but I always bring my thread to the top when starting to stitch and I use the lock stitch feature when starting and stopping.

Edna replies: I set my machine to a normal stitch length which is around 10 stitches per inch when I machine quilt. I also use a "tag" piece of fabric to end and begin my stitching with. I only backstitch when that stitching will not be crossed such as at the edge of the quilt. If it will be cross stitched I don't backstitch. Instead of backstitching, I prefer to sew in place a few stitches to lock it. Some of my sewing machines have the lock stitch feature and I use it when using those particular machines. When using the locking stitch I move the fabric just a little bit so that the needle is not actually going back into the very same hole each time. Without taking that extra step, I find that the stitches will come out.

For piecing, I set my machines to 12 to 15 stitches per inch, because I want the stitches tighter and harder to remove. I like the results better that way. I do not back stitch at all when piecing since all of those seams will sewn across later in the piecing process.

Maria replies: Whenever I am about to quilt, I make up a small sample quilt sandwich from leftover fabric, batting, and backing and experiment with the stitch length until I find the one that works best for that particular quilt. If I am ending a quilting line at the raw edge of the quilt, I backstitch because those stitches will be hidden under the binding. Everywhere else, I still prefer the old-fashioned, time-consuming method of leaving a length of thread, pulling it to the back, knotting it close to the fabric, then using a needle to pull the knot and ends through the inside of the quilt.

Q: What are the best tools and methods for layering and basting a quilt? I have been taping the backing to the floor, adding the batting and quilt top, then pin basting it. However, my knees and back no longer appreciate this method. - M.A. from Idaho

1. I love Sullivans' Basting spray. It makes very quick work of layering a quilt. I still have to tape it down and layer it on the floor, but do not need to spend as much time down there pinning or sewing. I use a large sheet to catch the over spray. I can baste a quilt in about 15 minutes, regardless of the size. I will take a bit of over spray any day compared with not being able to stand up! It is very easy and the basting spray holds very well. There is no thread to remove later, nor pins to run over with my sewing machine - which is a definite plus! - Hancey

2. We use basting spray on everything. We layer on the floor or a bed, then go outside to spray. Very quick and no trouble quilting by machine. Susan Knapp and Mary Jane Mattingly, The Quilt Branch

3. Many longarmers will baste quilts for $35.00 or $40. If I didn't have my own machine, I'd be happy to pay someone to do my basting! - Also, when I baste my own quilts, because I am going to wash them as soon as they're finished, I use water soluble thread. The thread dissolves when I wash the quilt and I do not have to pick out the basting. - Judy Laquidara, Sunshine Quilts

4. Valerie Bonhivert also suggested having a longarm quilter baste quilts. She pointed out that it also saves time when
removing the basting as snipping threads is quicker and easier than removing pins. - Quilters Stitch Together

5. Ask your LQS (Local Quilt Shop) if you can use their classroom tables for basting. At the store where I teach, they have 2 large tables pushed together that will accommodate a large quilt (excess fabric can always hang over the edge and be basted after the center is basted). The store has large binder clips to use to secure the backing to the able. Then all you have to do is hand or machine baste the layers. It is much easier to do standing than kneeling, and if you bring a friend, it goes twice as fast. Plus, if you are lucky, on a slow day, the store employee might even put in a few pins! - Elizabeth Dawson, Elizabeth Anne Quilt Designs

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6. My favourite tool for making the quilt sandwich is a folding table 30 x 60 inches, available cheap at any office supplies mart. Since I do only machine quilting in the ditch, and don't have a long arm machine, I divide the quilt into sections, full width by 18 to 36 inches, depending on the block size. Then I machine-quilt, stopping 1/2 inch from the edge to be joined, and when all sections are quilted, I join them with a lapped-seam technique that I learned from an old Chilton book which is probably long out of print. For basting, I've found nothing better than the new "scoop-shaped" safety pins. - Marie Cortelyou, Pecos NM

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7. I'm a machine quilter. - First I wall baste. I tape the backing, starched and laundered to a back stairwell wall in the apartment house. Usually a few pieces of tape at the top is sufficient. Gravity and starch keep it flat. Then I lay Fairfield Soft Touch batting over the backing. It's soft, pliable, and clings to the backing without tape or pins. Then I layer the quilt top on the batt and all three cling together. For a small (48" and under) quilt I use 5 straight pins (corners + center) temporarily to hold it together for transport. I carry it to the sewing machine and baste it with water soluble thread (spool and bobbin) per John Flynn's technique.

I baste with the walking foot, using a zig zag stitch, directly from the center of the quilt straight down to the center of the bottom of the quilt. Then I rotate 90 degrees and repeat, moving out from the center. I liken it to rolling out pie dough because I work from the center out. I baste about every 1-1/2".

While basting I commune with the quilt, thinking about quilting patterns etc. The beauty of this is that when I'm done basting (and a queen-sized quilt never takes more than an hour) I can then machine quilt anywhere I wish in no particular order. I could quilt the borders before I get to the centers. No one has to help me get off the ground. Pins don't weigh the sandwich down.

Previously I've used a Q-Snap, tacking guns, fusible batts, pins and sprays. A few days ago I quilted my Ocean Wave for C&T for Market. I couldn't find my cotton batt so I used a cotton-poly blend. It doesn't cling so I used some tape on all three layers. - Anita Grossman Solomon, Make It Simpler

The photo shows Anita's Ocean Waves wall-basted sandwich.

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8. I use a 6 foot long, 3 foot wide trestle table for basting. I start by laying the backing out so the centre third is on the table, with the excess hanging down each side (wrong side up). This is secured with clips to the edges of the table. Then I spread out the batting, again centering it, and the top, right sides up. I pin baste if I am machine quilting, or stitch baste if I am
hand quilting. First I baste the part that is on the table. Then I reach under and remove the clips, and slide the quilt along so that one of the sides that was hanging down in now on the table. The layers are smoothed as before, then basted.

Then I do the other un-basted side. I find the main thing is to use lots of pins or stitches (I use about 500 pins in a large quilt) and to put a very close line of pins, or a line of stitches, around the outside edge. - Christine Abela, Gecko Gully

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9. I too struggled with crawling around on the floor and taping the backing fabric and using the basting sprays. I found that I always had puckers somewhere in my backing ( I make large quilts ). My problem solver was the purchase of the Q-Snap Frame.

It takes two people to load the quilt. First I place my background fabric squarely and straight with the middle in the center of the frame, then the batting. That part is fairly simple but all must be straightened and smoothed. I snap the frame in place to adjust and readjust. I have to make sure the backing is not bowing on the bottom.

Then the quilt top is placed evenly on top of the batting. Once that part is done I do not need another person. The next work is moving the frame around in circles one side at a time, pulling the snap part off (the part that secures a side to the frame over the pipe) and pulling the backing fabric (looking under the frame to see the bottom) making sure the backing fabric is straight and taut. The same then with the batting and then the same with the quilt top. I just work around and around the frame until all three layers are smooth and even. Also, I have to make sure there is plenty of backing fabric and batting beyond the quilt top at the end of each side, top and bottom, so that when I go to sew I will not run out of backing or batting. Once all is in the frame securely, I use a bright color of thread and baste the heck out of it - always basting from the middle out. I sit in an office chair that goes up and down so I am very comfortable, no strain on the neck or back or arms.

Once the middle is basted firmly, I move the quilt around so that I repeat the same steps until all of the quilt, to each corner and side, are firmly basted in place (Be sure to smooth and straighten each of the three layers as you go around while readjusting). Once the entire quilt is firmly basted, I remove it from the snap frame and do not use it again for marking or machine quilting. I then mark my quilt for machine quilting (in my lap, on my cutting table, anywhere because I can work with small or large parts of it then). Also, I use a thin cotton batting. I can lay it or take it anywhere and it never stretches or moves.

This system has really worked, gives me plenty of time, and keeps the cats off of my quilt (until it is finished anyway). When I have a quilt that is smaller than the frame, I just baste extensions onto the outside edges of my backing fabric so that it will reach each side of the frame. Then I make sure it is taut. It is very easy to lay the batting and top down on that, then smooth it and baste away. That is a tip I saw on Simply Quilts . Thanks Alex Anderson, it works! Margo in Fort Worth

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11. Here in my rather small, congested, geodesic dome house, basting a queen size quilt proves to be a challenge - one I overcame last year in a moment of desperation. I have a Hinterberg Frame for hand quilting. It is a "No Basting" setup. I use the same concept - a piece of PVC pipe 3 inches in diameter and 7 feet long. I lay my fabrics out on the bed and roll them on the pipe. When I get to the end, I started pinning, and just unroll and pin as I go along - no wrinkles or anything.

12. I go to my local church and use their large buffet tables (which are large rectangles) and use them just as I would the floor. That way my knees don't get the workout and I can either bend over, or sit in a chair, or alternate. - Tara Kos, Quilts by Kos

13. I only machine quilt twin-sized or smaller quilts and I layer them on my work table. With quilts larger than the table, which is 42 x 72 inches, I do the quilt in sections. I tape the back to the table and use large binder clips on the parts hanging over the edges. Then the batting gets smoothed out, then the top. I pin baste the twins and for smaller projects I spray baste or use the Hobbs Fusible Batting. When one section is done, I unclip and untape, move everything over, then re-tape and re-clip, making sure all is smooth. No knee or back issues. I don't do floors since I gave up housework ;-). - Celine Perkins, Perkins Dry Goods

14. For machine quilting I've quite fallen in love with Hobbs Fusible Batting. Unfortunately it only comes in crib and queen size. I wish they had the twin size as well! I like using it better than the basting spray because you can reposition it and press it again, and it will stick.

15. I suffer from back problems from many years as an RN, so I can understand this question completely! I also dread the knee pressure so I keep a gardening pad that is used for weeding to kneel on, and open all my pins ahead of time to speed the process while basting a large quilt that truly needs the floor/tape method (still my favorite for smoothing). I move rather quickly because I have 2 cats that insist on chasing the pins that I've just secured so it becomes a race to get it done before they notice what I'm doing! :o)

In the case of a smaller quilt, I use my husband's carpentry horses and a large piece of plywood he is banned from cutting, to keep me from ground level. You can tape to that pretty securely also. - Kat Martin, Windy Star Creations

16. I'll tell you the way I do it, although it's not 'proper' at all!!! :) I don't have the knees and back to crawl around on the floor either and so this is 'my' method. I do hand quilting for people and so far no one has complained about anything with the quilts they receive back and even send me more, so I'm guessing its working! :)

If you use 100% cotton batting, the layers will stick to each other all by themselves. Poly batting won't stick of course, but its not that hard to manage. I do this with wall hanging to king-size quilts and its always worked out fine. The only time I do the 'tape the back to the floor thang' is when I'm machine quilting. THEN I pin baste! - Karen Murphy, Idaho Quilt Company

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17. I have a large 4 x 8 foot sheet of thin insulation board which some quilters use for design walls. I lay that on the top of my queen-sized bed, tape the backing down, and proceed as usual. - Stephanie Stargell, Sweet Petunias

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18. I spray baste. I know I am adding chemicals to the air and that the spray baste can gum up my needle, but I quilt for other people and need to get the quilts done. I prefer 505 basting spray because it is not as sticky as other brands. It works beautifully.

I smooth the batting on the floor, though the carpet is better because I don't have to tape it down. I smooth the backing on top of the batting then fold back half the backing, spray the batting and then gently smooth the backing back onto the batting. I then flip everything over and repeat with the quilt top. There are no wrinkles, ripples, or tucks. I recently pulled out a quilt of my own that had sat for over a year and the 505 was still holding the layers together. If I don't separate the layers, they stay together. - Alli in Calgary, Needleworks

Free Pattern Winners!

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Please email me to claim your free pattern. Include your full name and the name of the pattern you have chosen. Prizes can be claimed up to the time the next issue is published.

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Humour

RESIGNATION

I am hereby officially tendering my resignation as an adult. I have decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of an 8 year-old again.

I want to go to McDonald's and think that it is a four star restaurant.

I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make a sidewalk with rocks.

I want to think M & Ms are better than money because you can eat them.

I want to lie under a big oak tree and run a lemonade stand with my friends on a hot summer's day.

I want to return to a time when life was simple, when all you knew were colours, multiplication tables, and nursery rhymes, but that didn't bother you, because you didn't know what you didn't know and you didn't care. All you knew was to be happy because you were blissfully unaware of all the things that should make you worried or upset.

I want to think the world is fair - that everyone is honest and good.

I want to believe that anything is possible. I want to be oblivious to the complexities of life and be overly excited by the little things again. I want to live simply again.

I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to survive more days in the month than there is money in the bank, doctor bills, gossip, illness, and loss of loved ones.

I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind, and making angels in the snow.

So . . . here's my checkbook and my car keys, my credit card bills and my 401K statements. I am officially resigning from adulthood And if you want to discuss this further, you'll have to catch me first, cause........

"Tag! You're it!"

Thoughts

To require perfection is to invite paralysis.

- from the book Thinking Outside the Block by Sandi Cummings (C & T Publishing)
- sent in by Sherry Reynolds, Miss Meow's Quilts

Newsletter Archives
This is a partial list of past newsletters. If you have missed them, click on the links to read about other featured quilters, book reviews, tools, and more.

July-August 2004
May-June 2004April 2004 March 2004 January-February 2004 December 2003 November 2003 September 2003

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Maria Michaels Designs

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Wyndhaven Designs

A Canadian pattern company offers two of its latest patterns:

Nine to Five - .Another Sew 'n' Slice design - Beginner friendly - A " must" follow-up to any beginners quilting class.
Bellflower Blues - Why blue? Blue conveys delicacy, consistency and love. - Advanced piecing using Curved piecing,
Half-square triangles (Thangles is recommended for accuracy) and paper-piecing.

Look for these patterns and others at our site, or at Quilters Warehouse, Eagle Pattern Depot, or Quilt Source .

Quiltin' Bee-cuz

Unique quilt patterns designed using various traditional quilting techniques. Create dramatic, stunning quilts that look difficult but are simple to make!

My Hobby Quilts

Rhonda has designed Quilt Bookmarks that are 2 x 7 inches, aqueous coated, with a photo and supply list on the front and
complete instructions on back. Choose from 3 patterns - just $3.95 each. Cozy up with a Book & Quilt!. Wholesale inquires welcomed.

Look for her book Quilts in the Kitchen which is coming soon. It features 18 "quilt recipes" complete with diagrams and instructions and 145 family and friends' recipes, in cookbook form. Nice, and for only $13.95.

Rhonda has designed quilts for McCall's QQ, The Quilter Magazine, and Quilters World.

Children's Books

Sunny's Grand Adventure - by Val Falconer, The Elf and Toadstool

This is the story of a daisy who wants to fly. With help from her friends she finds herself in the middle of a grand adventure that she will always remember and so will you! Sunny is a story/colouring book with which your children and grandchildren will have great fun. Perfect for Christmas. One dollar from the sale of each book being donated to children's charities.

When ordering, please add the #366 to the information area on Paypal or your cheque.

Maria Michaels Designs Newsletter is written by Maria and edited by Cathy Perlmutter of JudaiQuilt.com .
Any errors which may remain are Maria's.

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