A finished quilt always deserves a post right?
So here is another June 2021 finish. This quilt top started way back when I was still pregnant with my third child. She is now 10 months old. So, the quilt kind of took its time to get to the finish line.
A fun finish to share with you in this post. I shared this table runner in progress in my recent Quilty Tube, so if you’ve watched that, here it is, all done and ready to be used.
Sharing a recent finish in this post. A baby quilt for my daughter.
Another post for the update on my Sewcialites Quilt. This is a FREE quilt along that is running at the moment and you’re never too late to join in (The QAL began on Friday, September 25, 2020 and will be ending on Friday, July 2, 2021)
I’m sharing with you my newly found love, my homemade fabric starch recipe.
Now before I go on, I have heard about starching fabric before, but I was never really convinced enough that it’ll make such a big difference. Besides, to add another step to the quilting process? “Um, I’ll pass.”
(There are affiliate links within this post, find the full disclosure here.)
However, recently I was triggered by the idea again when I started to follow Kimberly of FQShop every Friday sewing the Sewcialites Blocks. She has always starched her fabrics, and by the look of it, the fabrics look pretty stiff and super flat when she handles them. She always mentions starching and I guess, why not give it another try.
But I am not really fond of the store-bought starch (although this one has raving reviews and very popular among quilters). I try to avoid products with lots of synthetic chemicals in them. Starch is one of them.
My favourite 505 Basting spray is also another I am not fond of due to the harm that it may cause.
But… I figured, at least, the basting spray is going to be inside the quilt sandwich and I won’t have to really touch it directly when the basting is done.
However, with spray starch, these residuals that stay on the fabric may linger around as we touch the pieces, sew with them, and press. So, I have been trying my best to avoid it. Not that it is proven to be bad though. I was just uncomfortable with the thought of it.
Hence that lead me to try making and using a homemade starch solution. Together with the new-to-me method of starching fabric, I am now regretting I didn’t try this earlier.
Cutting fabric scraps is never going to be the same for me anymore. This process is now so therapeutic and so efficient at the same time. If you are working on organizing your scraps and maybe starting to clean up your space, this post may just be the inspiration you need.
Springtime is always a good sign for some cleaning. Spring Clean your sewing room with some of these posts I have on the blog:
I often feel like every time I do a major clean-up, I get motivated to do more sewing right after. But then, not long after, the cycle of mess begins AGAIN. But that is all good.
It is good that it goes in a cycle rather than static at being tidy or being in too much mess that you are not able to craft anymore.
So, if you feel like you’re stuck and demotivated to sew, get organizing today. Maybe, you can start small by cleaning up your table and just one small area.
Or organize and sort your scraps!
After a couple of projects, my scrap box is overfilled and I was just waiting for the right time to sort it.
And Accuquilt couldn’t come at a better time. I was so excited to go through my scraps under the roller and that is what I did this 2 weeks.
I did an unboxing of the Accuquilt Ready, set Go! in this post earlier and this is basically my attempt to making the most out of the machine.
Here is one of the overfilled boxes on its way to emptiness… you can also peek at my little one there.
I listed here my top 5 best sewing machines for quilting that I feel would be a great choice if you are looking for one right now.
In this post, I’m sharing an unboxing video and my first impression thoughts about the Accuquilt Go! system.
Just a disclaimer, this is not a sponsored post, I bought the system myself.
There are affiliate links within this post and I may get a small commission from these links. Please find full disclosure here.
It is a die-cutting system for fabric. It’s perfect for quilters who often have to cut many pieces.
It can cut up to 6 layers, without sticking the fabrics to the mat or having fabric to be stabilized prior to cutting.
Basically, just stack your fabrics, roll it through the system and you’ll get the fabric cut into the shape of the die you use.
I was introduced to this system at Quilt Market back in 2012 in Australia and I have always wanted one since then. It is on the pricey side and the thought of having to buy dies for different shapes is off-putting for me at that time.
Back then there were not many reviews yet of the system. And I didn’t have much experience yet quilting too.
As the years progressed, I kept reading all the raving reviews about the system. I have also started to spend on various templates, so the thought of having to buy dies for new shapes isn’t as bad to me anymore.
I even joined in the Facebook group and seeing what quilters are making with Accuquilt has been inspiring.
So, I was ready to jump in. And I’m glad I did. So far, it is holding its raving reviews in check. I’ll update from time to time.
I bought the Ready Set Go Bundle and it was on sale and I got over $100 off, which was a great deal. This bundle comes with a set of Die bundle, the Go! cube 8″ block.
The Go! cube also comes with a storage system and I must say it is super sleek and cute.
There are plenty of other sets to choose from and you can choose one that suits your budget and needs. You can also wait for a sale as that is the best time to snag one as I did. Check out this page for any sales they’re currently having.
I’ll be sharing more videos about the Accuquilt,
Future post:
If you want to follow along and be updated with this future post, make sure you subscribe to the YouTube Channel and the newsletter!
I would very much appreciate any tips…..
Till next time, Happy Quilting.
I have just started to quilt one of my UFO, the Aviatrix Medallion quilt. Hence, in this post, I’ll sprinkle some tips and my thoughts on how I’m about to tackle quilting this king quilt on my domestic machine.
Taking it slow and enjoying the process so far. This time I decided to be more intentional with the quilting process. Rather than chasing it to the finish line, I wanted to take it slow and embrace the process as I go. Besides, that was the point of me diving into this craft anyway. To enjoy the process of making.
I have learned that not all quilts need to be done quickly, some may take longer than the other and that is okay. When I need quilts to be done quickly, those are usually the last-minute gifts like these quilts here, here, and here.
And I do love that I can choose a quilting design that suits the need to be quick like the one I shared in this particular post here : 3 all-over FMQ design for a quick finish.
However, with this Aviatrix Medallion quilt, I wanted to play around with the free motion quilting designs. I wanted to practice more designs while quilting a large quilt. Hence, I am very aware that I’ll be diving into long hours of quilting. With lots of breaks, of course.
This Aviatrix Medallion is a king-size quilt and since we have just upgraded to a new king-size bed, I find that this is the perfect timing. My double wedding ring quilt no longer lays nicely covering our bed and that left us with only one quilt to spread the bed with which is the the Swoon quilt I made before.
I can’t wait to have this Aviatrix Medallion on the bed. But in saying that, I am letting go of the pressure to get it done quickly. I am just excited and can already imagine it being on the bed. Being loved as with all my other quilts.
This medallion quilt is going to be custom quilted, meaning that I am not just going over it with the same design all over but instead, each of the blocks/ rounds is going to be quilted differently.
I am thankful that my domestic machine has a large throat (~8 inches) and I highly recommend this machine to anyone thinking of upgrading their machine cause I love mine so much.
Obviously, I am starting from the center out.
When doing large quilt, do it this way has been the best way for me.
I do teach this when I teach free motion quilting on a domestic machine, but for allover quilting, this is done by filling the whole quarter of the quilt before the need to turn the quilt around to fill the next quarter.
By doing this, it saves so much struggle with tugging the quilt in your machine and the hardest part is only the center part. By tackling it first, you’ll be on your way to an easier process afterward. I talk about this process in this post and thoroughly explain it in my signature course Free Motion Quilting Bootcamp.
With the custom quilting, I have to turn the quilt every round of design. This is the hardest in the center part as there is a lot of bulk in the throat of the machine. But I am just taking the time to slowly turn, flatten the area that I’m quilting on. Then, focus on just quilting that area for a bit before I need to turn the quilt and flatten it again.
So the tip here is just to take it slow. Take the time to prepare the area you’re going to quilt. Once prepared, enjoy some quilting time before you need to take a break again. When you are out of the space to quilt properly, take it as a sign to take a break.
Quilting on a domestic machine can be tiring and be hard on your shoulders and body. You need lots of breaks.
Especially when quilting king size quilt, you will need to plan ahead or time yourself to take lots of breaks. Maybe 15 minutes of quilting and a short break before continuing again.
Stretch every now and then too.
Want more tips?
Watch this video as I explained
So, does it answer the question of
YES, for sure. You just need lots of patience and learn the basics first by practicing small projects and small quilts.
So far, I am loving the process. On the weekend, I am working on this in between the naps of my little one and house chores. My weekdays are pretty busy these days with a high workload at my Uni. Hence, I feel like taking a slow weekend is just the perfect break for me. I take the time to enjoy housework and some quilting time.
Blogging is also something I enjoyed very much and find it relaxing. It slows me down as it requires me to evaluate my quilting process. But I am planning to take it easy and let it flow as it will. There is no pressure for me to get new things done every single week. Sometimes I will post a work in progress post like this one and maybe sometimes just tips for my readers like last week’s post.
I do hope you enjoy this little snippet of my work in progress.
Till next time, Happy Quilting.
In this post, I’m gonna be sharing with you 3 essential mindset tips on how to start free motion quilting on your home sewing machine.
These tips are not exactly the practical tips that get you onto the machine but these are the tips that are oftentimes missed but in my opinion, are very important tips for all beginner free-motion quilters.
So if you’ve been wanting to free motion quilt, or on your way to getting better at it, you don’t want to miss these tips.
