What to Do With Your Quilt Once You've Made the Top ~ Quilting, Batting, Backing and Binding

  A lot of new quilters think that piecing together the top of their quilt is all there is to quilting, or at least that it's the most difficult part. Depending on what pattern you're using, that may be true, but beginning quilters tend to largely underestimate the steps following the piecing. This post isn't meant to teach you how to do these things; it's just a summary of all the post-piecing jobs, so that you know what you have to do next and what your options are.

  First, I should specify that when I say "quilting," I mean the topstitching, or the attaching of the front, batting and backing together. Piecing refers to sewing or piecing the blocks of the top of the quilt together. Quilting can also be used to refer to everything involved in making a quilt, but in circumstances when you're distinguishing between piecing and quilting, it's important to remember the difference so that you don't get confused.

*Note* These tips generally don't apply to rag quilts. If you're looking for direction on those, ask somebody you know who has done one or consult an internet tutorial aimed at this topic. There may come a day when I will have such a tutorial, but today is not that day.

Quilting

  The first thing you should think about is what method you're going to use to quilt your quilt. You basically have 4 options:
  1. Yarn tying
  2. Hand quilting
  3. Machine quilting with your  sewing machine
  4. & Long-arming
  Keep in mind that if you're using a cotton (or mostly cotton) batting or any other natural-fiber batting, you usually can't have more than a 5" square unquilted, otherwise it'll get lumpy when you wash it or over time. Battings often come with some instructions and they will generally include the maximum area that can be left unquilted.

  1. Yarn tying is also another well-known/traditional quilting technique. It's probably the easiest, but a lot of people don't like the way it looks. This method involves using a needle to thread a thin yarn through the quilt and then back through to the top again. The yarns are then all tied. People generally do this in a more-or-less grid pattern, but you could spice is up a bit if you wanted. Just keep in mind the minimum distance your batting will allow between connectors. You'll want to try to find a yarn that doesn't unravel particularly easily.
  2. Hand quilting is relatively self-explanatory. This is what most people think of when they think of quilting. Like yarn tying, this method is nice for nervous beginner quilters because you're totally in control of what you're doing and again, mistakes are difficult to make, but when they are, they are easily undone. It generally looks better than yarn tying, but it takes a long time. There's a reason people have invented new ways to do this.
  Basically, you're going to use thread a needle and hand sew through all the quilt's layers. You'll want to use a temporary spray adhesive (like 505) or safety pins to keep the top, batting and back connected to each other while you do this. You can use hand quilting thread (a good brand, like Mettler), embroidery floss or a very very thin yarn (like Clea). People generally follow patterns or seams so that the quilting isn't very noticeable, but you do what you want. Do keep in mind whatever the minimum distance allowed between stitches is for your batting.
  This method is manageable for baby quilts, but it can be a bit tedious and difficult for larger quilts.
  3. Machine quilting on your machine. Whether or not this is a good option for you depends mostly on your machine and the size of your quilt. If you have a higher-end quilting machine with a deeper throat (the area between your needle and the "computer" of your machine on the right) and a smaller quilt, this is probably the way you'll want to go.
  Most machines are capable of sewing straight lines through a quilt, which is good if you just want to "stitch in the ditch" (basically, just sew along your seams) which is usually the least noticeable type of machine quilting. You can also do cross-hatching or anything involving straight lines. whatever design you want to go with, you will need a "walking foot." A walking foot is just the foot you use for machine quilting. As with all feet and machine accessories, you need to buy a walking foot that's the same brand as your machine.
  You can also do free-motion quilting on some machines. Your machine will need to be able to drop its feed dogs and most machines that are meant to be used for quilting will have other features like a deeper throat and automatic tension adjustments. You'll need a free-motion quilting foot for this.. This is decently difficult at first for most people, but most people seem to catch on to it after some effort. I would definitely suggest trying it on some scrap fabric before you try it on an actual project. Essentially, you'll be drawing, but with your machine. Instead of the feed dogs pulling your fabric back, your feed dogs will do nothing and you will move the quilt with your hands. You can move it side to side and forward and back. People usually just do some kind of meander/squiggly design. If you're thinking about going down this road, I would suggest looking at pictures and videos of people doing this or projects that have been quilted like this to give you ideas as to what designs you could do. If you know a more experienced quilter, they might be able to help you figure out what you're doing.
4. Long arm quilting is by far the easiest and usually the most aesthetically pleasing option. A long-arm quilting machine is essentially just a giant sewing machine made specifically for quilting. They're very large and expensive, but actually relatively easy to use.
  The best way, in my opinion, is to find somebody who will let you borrow or rent their long-arm. This, however, isn't very likely. Long arm machines are very expensive and the owners usually don't like letting just anybody use theirs.
  The most likely way that you'll be able to get your quilt long-armed is to take it to a professional long-arm quilter who will quilt it for you. You can find long-arm quilters in any business listings your city has. You can also inquire with any quilters you know, do a search on the interweb or ask anybody at a quilting store. Pro long-armers often leave their business cards with quilting stores to hand out and sometimes the quilting store will have a long-arm quilter and somebody who knows how to use it.
  If you're going with this option, it's really important to contact the quilter before you buy your batting or backing or thread, because they may have rules regarding what you can use. You'll be able to talk to them about what sorts of designs they can do and what this would cost. For a meander or something fairly basic, 2 cents/square inch is fairly standard, as far as I'm concerned, but your quilter's rates may vary from that depending on their skill-level and experience and even how soon you want it done. To figure out the cost per square unit just use this formula (width x length x cost/unit). So, if your quilt is 80" x 100" and the rate is 2 cents/square inch, then you would do (80 x 100 x .02) and get $160. Additional costs may apply if you do not supply your own thread or batting.
  Also be sure to ask about the waiting time. A month or two is fairly normal, but the three or so month before Christmas are especially busy and the waiting time may be longer. If you want your quilt done by a certain date, make sure to have it ready to be quilted well in advance. Some long-armers will allow you to reserve a space in the waiting list before your quilt top is even done, so contact long-arm quilters well in advance so you know what to expect. Quilters will sometimes do rush orders, but additional charges may apply. Even if they normally do rush orders, in the month before Christmas or during any other busy time, they simply may not be able to do a rush order for you.
  Longarm quilters usually require about 4" extra on each side for the batting and backing. That means that your batting and backing need to be 8" longer and wider than your top. Your quilter may have different requirements, so be sure to ask. They will also usually require you to have all of the edges of your backing and batting be as straight and even as possible. If these edges are uneven or crooked, your quilt may not turn out well unless they trim it properly for you, which will usually induce additional charges. Quilters also often have preferences as to what batting and thread you use or will provide these for you. Some quilters, for example, won't take the really fluffy polyester batting or won't quilt a quilt with a minky backing.
  Since long-arm quilting machines start at $10 000 and can cost upwards of $50 000, I'll assume that anybody reading this isn't going to be willing to buy one, but, of course, that's an option as well. If you had your own machine, you could quilt your quilts whenever and however you darn-well pleased. You could also rent out your machine or do machine quilting for others.

Backing

  I generally do not suggest buying your backing until your top is finished. I say this because sometimes you'll want to make your quilt larger once you actually get it made up and see how big it is.
  Always make your backing a little bit bigger than your top. Just do it. Don't be stingy or you'll regret it later when you have to trim part of your top so it's the same size as your back. Again, if you're having your quilt long-arm quilted, make sure you know how much they want the back to be larger than the front. 4" on each side (for a total of 8 extra inches) is usually good enough.
  The easiest way to get a backing for a larger quilt is to buy double-wide backing which is usually about 108" wide. This is generally also more cost-effective. Most quilt stores will have some of this, but the selection won't be nearly as good as in the 44" wide fabric. Sometimes you'll find something that will work and sometimes you won't.
  If you have a quilt that has at least one side smaller than 58", you may want to consider any 60" wide fabric the stores have. You'll mostly find minky, but some stores have some 60" quilter's cotton. Minky is soft and great for baby blankets and lap quilts. I generally don't suggest using minky for quilts above a lap size though because it does stretch quite a bit. Some long-arm quilters also won't accept minky, especially for larger quilts.
  If you're stuck using 44" wide fabric, don't worry, that's what most people typically use, even though it's not as easy or cost effective. If you're worried about cost, check out discount sections. If you can find something there, it'll help a lot. If at least one side of your quilt is 40" or smaller, then you only need one strip, but if it's larger, you'll have to piece your backing, which isn't a big deal because you pieced your front and it turned out just fine. You'll have to use basic math skills to figure out how much fabric you need. Drawing a diagram usually helps me. If you really just can't figure it out, ask a quilter or mathematically gifted person you know to help you. Workers at a quilt store can often help you figure that out, but not always.
  Some people use a 1/2" seam when piecing their backs because all the stress put on the back is put on one or two seams instead of on a bunch like on the front. I've never seen somebody's backing come undone, but it never hurts to be safe and it usually won't make a difference size-wise.

Batting

  For batting, the most common is 85% cotton/15% polyester mix, or something along those lines. This mix is what quilting stores generally carry and they will often be called cotton batting, since they are mostly cotton. A misconception many customers and even quilting store workers have is that quilts should use 100% cotton batting. This is completely untrue. The only time you should use 100% cotton batting is if you're making microwavable potato bags or some such thing. The reason you want a bit of polyester in there is that 100% cotton batting falls apart incredibly easily. If you used 100% cotton batting, you couldn't have any more than 2” square unquilted, which would a huge pain on most quilting projects.
  As for brands, Warm and Natural is very popular and I like it. I usually use Hobbs though, because I like it just as much and it's usually cheaper. Warm and Natural is good for table runners and other small projects because it's thinner and will lie much flatter. Your local quilting stores will probably have their own brands. Just let the store worker know what you're doing and that you'd prefer a "cotton batting" or if you want to be specific, you can say 80/20 or 85/15 cotton/poly batting and they'll be able to help you. It really comes down to what you want. The only thing I really caution you against is using 100" polyester battings, simply because they don't breath as well and if it every catches on fire or heats up too much for whatever reason, it'll melt, which is way more dangerous than just catching on fire because it can get stuck to your skin.

Trimming

  After your quilt has been quilted, you need to trim it. This just means cutting away the excess backing and batting using your rotary cutter. The straighter the better, but the binding will cover up minor imperfections.

Binding

  Binding is the thin strip around the edge that covers up the raw edges of the quilt. To figure out how much binding you need, you need to find the perimeter of your quilt (width + width + length + length) and divide it by 40" (or whatever the width of the fabric you're using is), round that number up to the next largest whole number and times that number by 2.5" (or however wide you want your binding to be). For example,if your quilt is 80" x 100", you need 22.5", so you should get .6 metres or 2/3 yards. It's a good idea to get a little bit extra.
  If you have 2.5" extra on each side (which you probably should have) then you can get your binding from your excess backing once you've trimmed it off.
  This is how to figure out binding if you're using quilter's cotton. This is usually what you'll want to do. I would never suggest using any sort of bias tape or poly/cotton pre-cut binding because poly/cottons generally are not nearly as good of a quality as quilter's cotton. Binding takes the most wear of any of the parts of your quilt, so you may as well make it out of good quality fabric.
  You can also bind the quilt by folding over the backing, but you can only do this on quilts if they haven't been long-arm quilted.
  You can also use pre-cut satin binding. It's usually good quality and is already creased down the middle for you.

  For instructions on creating and attaching binding, check out an internet tutorial, ask a quilter you know or take a class.

And THEN, your quilt will finally be finished.

  If you have any additional questions or comments or think I missed anything or said something wrong or like my blog or hate it or quodlibet, just leave a comment.
  Or if you just wanted to comment anyways, that'd be nice, too. You know, so that it looks like my blog is super popular or whatever.

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How to Shop at a Fabric Store

  This might seem like a dumb blog post, but I really feel like it's necessary. I've been working at a fabric store for 4 years and I see the same mistakes made over and over. I'd say that most instances of people not leaving with everything they need could have been avoided by following these guidelines.
  Of course, every shopper and every shop is different, so not everything in this list will necessarily apply to you and your local fabric stores, but a large majority of it is bound to help you.
  This is mostly meant for newer sewers/quilters, but I've included some tips that would apply to both beginners and novices as well as a few notes that probably only apply to more experienced sewers/quilters.
  I've also included some rules of common fabric store courtesy near the end, just so that you don't infringe upon them unintentionally and accidentally get on the bad side of any fabric store workers.
  So, here's my list. I'll probably add to this as time goes on:

-Just remember that there's nothing wrong with being new at something. Anybody who makes fun of you or looks down on you because you're less knowledgeable than them is just being pretentious and you should ignore them. I, for one, congratulate you on your decision to enter a fabric store and try out the world of sewing/crafting/quilting.

-Keep in mind that the people serving you are people too and they're generally just trying to do their jobs. We have bad days, rules, and limitations and often, especially if you come in while it's busy, we can't give you as much time as we'd like or word our answers in the most ideal fashion.

 -Fabric and quilting shops generally close earlier than places like Wal-Mart and Best Buy. Make sure you check out the hours of any places you want to visit before going there. It's frustrating for you to not have as much time as you thought you had or to get there after they've closed. It's also super frustrating for the workers if you come in ten minutes before closing and tell us you want to make a quilt. We have two options, to stay an hour after closing for you (an hour more than we were scheduled for) or to kindly-as-possible ask you to come back when there's time for such an endeavour.

 -Try not to go in with a specific fabric in mind (unless you've seen that fabric at that store before) because you probably won't find it. I'm talking mostly about fabrics you've seen on couch cushions or that you've simply imagined. There's essentially no chance you'll find that exact fabric. If you saw a fabric on the internet that you want, don't just try to describe it to us. Pictures on phones of what it looks like are the most helpful, but designer and line names are also useful. Keep in mind that it's fairly likely that the store won't have it, especially if it's a smaller store. Don't get hung up on that one fabric. Fabric stores have tons of gorgeous stuff. It's hard not to find something that will work or that you will like.

-Always buy extra! For example, if you need 5 2.5" strips, don't request exactly 12.5," especially if you're a beginner. This is partially in case you make mistakes in your cutting or made mistakes in your measuring, but also in case the fabric store worker has cut your fabric crooked. If it's a quilting store, they probably use a rotary cutter to cut the fabric and it'll usually be pretty straight, but especially if they use scissors, your edges aren't always going to be straight. If you realize later that you don't have enough fabric, the store might not have more when you go back.

- Try to make time for your project. Especially if you're not practiced at picking things out or you know you have a more particular taste or project, try to make lots of time. You save yourself a lot of time and stress if you can just get it done in one trip. You're also less likely to be confident in your decisions and your cutting instructions when you're in a rush. If you're taking the time and spending the money to make your project from scratch, you can take the time to make sure you're alert and focused when you're picking the fabric.

-Come with as few distractions as possible. I'm talking about being in the middle of planning a family gathering over the phone, bringing your whiny husband along and, probably the most common, bringing your kids along. Every kid is different and some of them are fine, but some kids are completely counterproductive to your project. Not only are they often stressful and distracting for you, but you also run the risk of having to pay for things that they destroy or having to help us clean up their messes. This also depends on your project. If you're just looking for one fabric and you don't expect it to be terribly difficult, you can get away with more distractions. If you have a cranky baby and 2-year-old twins, however, you're probably not going to be able to compile the fabric for a queen-size quilt, especially if you're new or you've never been to the store before. I'd say about half the women who come in with small children and no other adults go home empty handed. Of course, I'm not the boss of you and you know your limitations and your children better than I do, but just from what I see, a lot of mothers over-estimate their fabric-picking capabilities when they're holding a crying child.

-Try not to over-think things. You need to find a balance between not thinking your purchase through and spending twenty minutes trying to decide which shade of lavender you should use for the lilacs in your applique wall hanger for which you only need .1 metres. So, be careful, but don't insist on looking for another hour after you've found something that works. You have no idea how often I've helped a customer put together fabrics that went together really well only to have them try switching out half the store into the project only to end up with the exact same thing in the end or to just stress themselves out and leave with nothing. This is super annoying for the workers, who have spent an hour with you and have to put away the huge mess you've made, but it's also not productive for you. Try to have an open mind and think objectively. Don't get caught up in little details about the fabrics, because in my experience, most of them don't actually end up interfering with the end product. The only quilts I have ever seen that turn out poorly are ones that were improperly put together or in which the quilter really did just pick random fabrics and put them together and usually, those are just scrappy quilts and that's kind of the point.

-Go ahead and ask for help. Don't get frustrated  if nobody asks you if you need help. There are plenty of innocent reasons for a worker not to ask you if you need anything. Ideally, we like to talk, however briefly, with everybody that walks into the store, but it just doesn't happen sometimes for whatever reason. Some stores just don't pressure their staff to talk to customers that much or sometimes a staff member is new, shy or (in my case) has terrible facial recognition and all middle-aged ladies and hipster moms look the same to me and I'm scared to ask the same person twice if they need help. If you have a question or need help, go ahead and ask. However dumb you think your question is, I will bet you there have been far dumber. And regardless of whether your question is "dumb" or not, it's bothering you or impeding your ability to proceed with your project, so you need to get it sorted out one way or another. The more educated you are about sewing, the better your project will turn out. Also, I generally don't judge people for "dumb" questions because, as stated in my first point, I think it's pretentious to look down on somebody for not knowing something you know when it comes to non-common knowledge stuff like quilting or sewing. Maybe I know more about sewing than you, but maybe you didn't have regular mental breakdowns in physics 20 because you suck at physics. We all have our areas of ignorance and expertise and I think it's great whenever anybody tries to learn more about something.

 -Know the difference between a cash register and a cutting table. Some stores will have them right next to each other, but some will have a central register and cutting tables throughout the store. If you bring fabric to be cut to the cash register, you run the risk of us not noticing you or just thinking that you're still looking around. If you want your fabric cut, go to the cutting table or ask a worker what to do. Cutting tables require quite a bit of room and are pretty noticeable. Unlike a register table, they'll be quite large and will have a ruler/tape measure on the side.

-Ask about minimum cut requirements. A minimum cut refers to the smallest amount of fabric you can buy. Some stores will have rules about the amounts of fabric you can buy. The store I work at will let you buy pretty much whatever you want with a minimum cut of .1 metres (about 4"), but we're pretty unique in that department. It's not uncommon for a store to only let you buy in increments of .25, .5 or even 1 metres/yards. It's good to know this ahead of time because it might impact the amounts you're getting. For example, if you know that you need 23 inches, the worker may not be able to cut you 23 inches, or know exactly what that is in metres or yards. They can however cut you 2/3 yards or .6 metres (which is 24 inches).

 -The more prepared you are, the better. If you're matching to a certain fabric or unfinished project, bring it. We can't help you if you just say "I'm looking for something to match my quilt that's at home" because we don't know what your quilt looks like. Describing it to us doesn't help much because language is extremely subjective. Words like "modern" or "turquoise" probably mean slightly different things to you than they do to me and again something totally different to the next customer who uses the same words. Generally, people seem to overestimate their ability to remember colours. You'll think you know the shade of yellow in your quilt like the back of your hand, but as soon as you look at the yellow section of the store, that shade is out the window. I can't even remember the exact shade of a colour walking from one side of the store to another. I usually need the fabric I'm matching it to with me the whole time, or at least having it helps a lot.
  If you have a pattern, bring it. If you just say "I'm making a dress. How much fabric do I need?" we won't be able to help you because dresses can take anywhere from 1-15 metres of fabric. That's like going into a hardware store and saying "I'm dry walling a room. How much dry wall do I need?" If you don't have the requirements, we'll just be making educated guesses and (sorry, but...) it's your own problem if you don't get the right amount of fabric.
  It has become very popular lately to not buy patterns and instead come up with your own, just go off of a picture you saw somewhere or use internet tutorials. If you're doing this, please figure out as much of the math as you can beforehand and bring it with you. If it's a really simple project, we can sometimes figure out how much you need, but often we simply can't know. It's not because we're incompetent or because we don't feel like it; it's because it would potentially take hours or a whole day to do so and we just don't have time for that.
  Do not just show us pictures and ask "how do I make that?" Most fabric store workers actually aren't allowed to spend time trying to teach you how to sew/quilt or to spend excessive time figuring out fabric requirements. Even if there isn't a policy, it's often not possible for us to know how much fabric you need just from a picture or a description. And even if it is possible, we ain't got time for that, on the account that designing a quilt/garment require excessive amounts of know-how and sometimes several days of work. If you aren't going to spend the money on a pattern, you're risking having to figure it out on your own and/or not getting the right amount of fabric. It's unfortunate, but it's just the way it is; we can't do anything about it.
  Every store and worker is different, but you can sometimes get help figuring out some fabric requirements. Personally, I'll gladly figure out things like backing and binding (provided you know the dimensions of your quilt) or will answer questions like "How many 5 inch squares can I get out of a metre?" I will not, however, be able to give you a good answer to the question "How much fabric do I need for a queen-sized quilt top?" or "Does this match my wallpaper that I don't have with me, not even a picture?"

-Remember that we can't read your mind. If you're looking for a specific fabric, designer and line names are useful, but swatches and pictures are the best. Do not ask questions like "Where's something that I'll like" or "where's your pretty fabric." We don't know what you like, nor what you mean by "pretty." We generally don't buy "ugly" fabric, so we'll just gesture to the whole store and tell you to knock yourself out. We can direct you to different store sections and we can help you match fabric to fabric you've already picked out. You're much better at knowing what you'll like and what you want to make your project out of.

-Remember that we cannot fabricate things from sheer will. If we tell you that we don't have something, telling us about why you need it or how much you want it won't change anything. Even if it's for your dying grandmother, we can't do anything if we simply don't have the fabric/product. If you're open to using something that's not exactly what you asked for, then tell us that. In that situation, explaining your project may help us direct you to a fabric that might work. This is mostly helpful for special projects requiring unusual fabrics, like laminated cotton or canvas or some such thing. Sometimes instead of canvas you can use denim, for example.

-Especially if you're new to the game, you might not be using the right terminology, so don't get discouraged if we aren't sure what you're talking about. If you walk into a store and ask for "wool" and you actually mean wool fabric or felt, they might say no because they think you're talking about yarn. Generally, referring to a product by it's fiber content isn't preferable because it's vague. Lots of things can be made out of wool and cotton and polyester. Try learning the terminology for materials and products you need or writing them down if you think you might not remember. If you aren't sure what something is called, just try describing it to us or looking it up on the internet beforehand. We can't read your mind, but we can usually figure out what you mean.
  Reading my post of beginner tips and tid-bits might help you know some terminology.
  Even if you are using the right terminology, sometimes there are lots of different words for what you're talking about and the worker might not be familiar with the terminology you're using. Don't just use brand names unless you know from experience that that store carries that brand. For example, if you walk into a quilting store right now and ask for Steam a Seam, they're going to tell you they don't have any because that brand has been discontinued for the foreseeable future, but they will generally have other brands of applique paper (double-sided interfacing, double-stick applique paper, etc...) that will work just fine. It's helpful to know what brand you want as well as the generic name for what you're purchasing. 505 spray, for example is just a wash-away spray adhesive. A store might have wash-away spray adhesive but not have any 505. On the other hand, a worker, especially if she/he is new, might not know exactly what 505 spray is, but they'll know that they have it. Do remember that just because we might not use the same terminology as you, that we very well still may be very competent workers who know a lot about sewing and quilting.

-Don't bring food. This is just common fabric store courtesy. In fact, just avoid making messes of any kind. I think we can safely assume that no food or drink is allowed in any fabric store, so just don't bring any. If you really don't have any other option, you can ask a staff member if there's a safe place you can put your beverage/food. But be warned that even if somebody else, including a staff member, knocks it over onto fabric, you'll have to pay for it. Generally, there isn't a "no spilling food" rule, there's a "no food" rule, so it's the fault of whoever brought the food, not whoever knocked it over.

-Don't un-package things. By this, I mean that you can't take pieces of fabrics or patterns from kits. Don't unroll things that are tied up. Taking the pattern or a piece of fabric from a kit essentially makes the whole kit useless, so you may as well have stolen the amount the kit is worth from the store's register. It's not okay to do, ever.

-Don't put stuff on the cutting mat. If the fabric store has a cutting mat (and most quilting stores do) don't put fabric, your purse, your children, etc... on it. We need that for cutting. Put your fabric on the cutting table, but not on the mat. Anything put on the mat is subject to movement as well as being cut.

-Don't talk to the worker while they're do math or counting. I can either measure your 5 metres of fabric or I can figure out how much you need for binding. I can't do both at the same time. If you want coherent answers and accurate math and measuring, let us concentrate on one thing at a time and don't get mad if we don't answer your questions while we're measuring.

-Don't flip fabric up-side-down. Okay, this probably won't benefit you at all; it's just a pet peeve of mine. The selvage goes down and the end with the price on it goes up, or out or wherever it was before, which we can generally assume is where the price is most visible.

- Ask about taking pictures. Taking pictures can be helpful in a lot of ways. You can go home and refer to them later or you can send them to friends and family for second opinions. But make sure you ask a staff member! Some stores have policies about taking pictures. Just remember that the exact colour/hue in the picture may not match perfectly the fabric in real life. Also remember that it is 100% completely illegal to take pictures of patterns, even if it's just the cover or the fabric requirements or a page in a magazine, without the permission of the writer of the pattern. It's also illegal to write down fabric requirements or anything from a pattern other than it's name or designer when you haven't purchased said pattern. You also aren't allowed to open patterns, generally. You'd be amazed how many people do this, but it is actually a form of stealing, similar to illegally downloading music except instead of hurting a big record-labeling company or iTunes, you're often hurting small independent store owners and pattern designers, who are often pretty regular people who probably don't make any more money than you. If you do take a picture of fabric and you post it online, be sure to mention who designed the fabric, just to be safe. I don't know of many people getting in trouble for this sort of thing, but regardless, the designers deserve credit; they're real artists and real people.

 -Don't pre-judge the workers! I frequently run into problems with people not wanting me to help them because they think I don't know what I'm talking about because I'm young. My father, co-owner of the store, also runs into the same problem because he's a (large) man. Customers will often walk right past us and go to another worker and then be upset when that worker just comes back and asks us what you've asked them. At our store, for example, I've been working there for 4+ years and I think everybody else (other than the owners) hasn't been there for more than a year. But I'm also, by far, the youngest one there. Generally, people who work at fabric stores were hired for a reason. Even if they aren't expert sewers or quilters, they'll know about the store and more-or-less where everything is. Often though, they are very good sewers and they can help you with most issues you'll have and they might not fit your expected stereotype of an expert sewer (they might be an eighteen-year-old or a 6'3" man, for example). Just assume that any worker is at least somewhat competent. They might be new or they might not know much about your particular project, but, given that they work at a fabric store, they're likely to be able to help you. Don't disregard a worker until you've seen first-hand that they're an idiot (it happens) and even then, remember that everybody has bad days as well as strengths and weaknesses and that it's impossible for everybody to know everything.

 -Don't make comments about things being cheaper online. Firstly, things online are usually in US dollars, don't include sales taxes and are per yard ( a yard is smaller than a metre), so right off the bat, they're not actually as cheap as they look. You also have to pay for shipping and any across-the-border fees and you don't have the security of seeing and feeling exactly what the fabric is like. Obviously, if you're in a store, you understand the appeal of shopping there versus online. Additionally, we can't do anything about our prices. Generally, stores, especially the small ones, actually price very fairly. If you prefer shopping online, that's fine, but there's no need to needlessly criticize innocent staff about it.

 -Don't fall for sleazy sales tricks! If a store regularly offers its fabric at 50% off, you know they're at least doubling the suggested retail price. Don't look at the percentage off when comparing prices between fabrics and stores, look at the actual price. Some stores (like mine) just have everything at a fair price all the time while some stores will have ridiculously high prices most of the time but put on ridiculously appealing sales every once in a while. Don't be tricked by this and don't complain to a worker if their store doesn't have regular half-off sales, because that probably means that their products are just priced fairly on a regular basis. Also, if you're in our store, you're generally not legitimately there to just let us know that that "other" shop is superior. You're here because that other shop didn't do it for you and there's something that makes our store worth visiting.

  Well, that's all I can think of for now. I'm likely to think of more and add to this list as time goes on. If you have any questions or comments, leave a comment!

 If you're a beginner sewing or quilter, read my post on things beginner sewers and quilters should know.

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Things to Know if You're a Beginner Sewer/Quilter

  This post covers some FAQ's I get from beginning sewers and quilters as well as clarification on common misconceptions and not-so-great practices I know people have/do. I'll probably be adding to this as I think of more things or get questions.

General Must-Knows for Sewing and Quilting

Seams
  Generally, seams for quilting are 1/4" and seams for pretty much everything else are 1/2". Patterns and tutorials will usually specify what size seams to use, but if yours doesn't, assume this rule.

Thread
  Poor quality threads are pretty much a waste of your money. Do not be tempted by the 50 cent spools at Walmart! The only time you should be using cheap thread is if you're serging. Never use serger thread for regular sewing; it's not actually made to keep things together very well. The most common good-quality brands are Guetermann and Mettler for cotton and polyester. Wonderfil is less common, but still good as far as I can tell. Robinson-Anton and Sulky are the most common good-quality brands for machine embroidery (which I don't do, but I thought you still might like to know) but are not good for general-purpose sewing as they're decorative threads.
  If you've acquired some thread from somewhere and you don't know what brand it is or what fiber content it has, don't use it, especially if it's old. If you're going to spend all that time making something yourself, you don't want the seams falling apart and the cost for a good spool of thread really is minimal.

The Selvage
  I probably mention this in any of my tutorials, but it's very important not to include the selvage in your sewing, even in the seams. Not only does it look ugly, but it's actually made of a different fabric and will usually shrink at a significantly different rate. If you've included selvages in your seams, your seams will pucker and your project might not look good if you wash it.

Pins
Never sew over pins! If you do, you can throw off your machine's tension and break and dull your needles. If you do ever break a needle, be 100% sure that you have all the pieces before you throw it out and continue sewing. If a needle segment is unaccounted for, it may be in the hole you put your needle in (huge pain to get out sometimes) or in the lower section of your machine. This is especially troublesome if it's stuck in the bobbin and bobbin case area, which is often where it ends up. Countless times I've seen machine not working properly because a needle segment has gotten caught somewhere. If you can't find a needle segment or your machine isn't working right or is making sounds it wasn't before once you continue sewing, bring your machine in to be serviced ASAP. A piece of metal stuck in your machine can cause huge problems.

Flannel and Flanelette
  We're one of the few quilting stores I know that carries both flannelette and quilter's flannel, so obviously, we get asked about the difference a lot. Flanelette is significantly cheaper. It will shrink, pill, fade, wear out and stretch much more than quilter's flannel. Quilter's flannel also tends to have cuter prints and complete lines because all the good designers make the quilter's flannel. If you're making a quilt, unless it's a rag quilt, I would seriously suggest Quilter's flannel. Flanellette really is made for pyjamas pants and the sorts of things that you don't need to last more than a couple years.
  A lot of cotton flannels/flannelettes will say something like "not intended for children's sleepwear" on the selvage, especially if they're from the U.S.. This is honestly the dumbest thing and it causes so many problems because flannelette is what you use to make pyjamas. The reason this is there is so that you can't sue the fabric company if your child catches on fire while they're wearing something made from this fabric. Cotton is perfectly safe to wear. Yes, it catches on fire if exposed to flame, but at least you can put fire out. If the pyjamas were made out of polyester, it would melt and then your child would have molten polyester all over his/her skin, which is much worse.

Scissors
  Yes, there's a difference between fabric scissors and paper scissors. Fabric scissors are essentially just much nicer scissors. If you try to cut through fabric with paper scissors, you'll know what I mean. Get your scissors from a fabric store. I don't know about in the States (where everything seems to be half the cost) but generally, if you're not paying at least $20, they're not good scissors. I have a pair of Fiskars and I like them a lot. Ginger is, of course the most reputable brand. They're really good and if they ever get chinked or dull, they sharpen really well and I think they all have lifetime warranties. Naturally, they're quite expensive, though.

Bobbins and Other Machine Parts
  Most machine parts need to be bought from the brand your machine is. The exception is needles, which fit any machine, unless you have an older Singer, then they might not. Most of the time light bulbs are also just standard sizes, but sometimes they're odd sizes and you might still need to order them in.
  That means that bobbins and feet need to be the brand of your machine. When I got my machine second hand, half the bobbins were just generic ones and I had to throw them all out because the bobbins would rattle around in the bobbin case and sometimes jam my machine and chew up my fabric. Sometimes generic bobbins or bobbins from a different brand will happen to fit, but they'll never fit properly. The problems the wrong bobbins cause vary from skipped stitches to tension issues to the machine simply refusing to work or jamming.
  Feet also need to be the same brand as your machine.

Must-Knows for Quilting

Fabric Width (WoF)
Unless otherwise specified, all fabric amounts and instructions assume a fabric width of 42”. This is the basic 45/44" wide fabric with the selvages taken away. If you're using a different width, you'll need to adjust your fabric requirements and such accordingly.

Binding
  Unless otherwise specified, most quilt patterns and tutorials assume you're using 2 1/2" strips for binding. If you prefer a different size, you'll probably have to figure out how much fabric you need for binding instead of using the amount they give you. I intend to have a binding tutorial on here at some point.

Seams
  Unless otherwise specified, any quilt tutorials on my blog and most quilt patterns use a 1/4” seam. The easiest way to get this size of seam is to attach a 1/4” foot. Some newer machines (like most higher-end Husqvarnas) have a 1/4” seam setting, which is super handy.
If you don't have a 1/4” seam setting and you're not willing to get a 1/4” foot yet. You can measure 1/4” away from where your needle goes down (put your needle in the down position and raise your foot for best measurement) and put a piece of tape there. Naturally, this isn't terrible accurate and if you plan on doing much quilting in the future, you should invest in a 1/4” foot, but if you're just beginning or on a budget, this will usually suffice. Most beginner quilts (ones that only have larger strips or blocks) will turn out fine even if your seams aren't exactly 1/4”. What matters in such quilts is that you're consistent.

Fabric
  Always use good-quality 100% quilter's cotton fabric. Most quilting stores will only carry this sort of fabric, but some will have other kinds as well. If you're not sure, ask. After you've been around it for a while, quilter's cotton is generally very easy to distinguish from other fabric types and qualities.

Thread
  If you're piecing your quilting (sewing the blocks together) I highly suggest 100% cotton thread. The reasons for this are that if the seams are put under strain for long periods of time, polyester can wear through the cotton. It can also stretch a little bit, which you don't want in quilting where accuracy and consistency are everything. You also can't have your iron on the cotton setting when you're using polyester; you instead need to have it on the much lower synthetic fiber setting, which will make it harder to really firmly press any seams and get out any wrinkles.
  For the actual quilting or topstiching, you can use polyester or cotton. A lot of people say that you should use cotton, but as far as I can tell, it doesn't matter. I actually prefer using polyester because I do the majority of my quilting on a longarm quilting machine and polyester leaves way less lint and breaks less.

Batting
  For batting, I generally suggest a 85% cotton/15% polyester mix, or something along those lines. This mix is what quilting stores generally carry and they will often be called cotton batting, since they are mostly cotton. A misconception many customers and even quilting store workers have is that quilts should use 100% cotton batting. This is completely untrue. The only time you should use 100% cotton batting is if you're making microwavable potato bags or some such thing. The reason you want a bit of polyester in there is that 100% cotton batting falls apart incredibly easily. If you used 100% cotton batting, you couldn't have any more than 2” square unquilted, which would a huge pain on most quilting projects.
  As for brands, Warm and Natural is very popular and I like it. I usually use Hobbs though, because I like it just as much and it's usually cheaper. Warm and Natural is good for table runners and other small projects because it's thinner and will lie much flatter. Your local quilting stores will probably have their own brands. Just let the store worker know what you're doing and that you'd prefer a "cotton batting" or if you want to be specific, you can say 80/20 or 85/15 cotton/poly batting and they'll be able to help you. It really comes down to what you want. The only thing I really caution you against is using 100" polyester battings, simply because they don't breath as well and if it every catches on fire or heats up too much for whatever reason, it'll melt, which is way more dangerous than just catching on fire because it can get stuck to your skin.

Rotary Cutters
  If you're quilting, the rotary cutter, cutting mat and ruler combo are a must-have. You can get away without rulers if you're just making large squares, but even then a cutter makes that so much easier. Instead of cutting one square at a time, you can cut ten much more quickly. If you're doing anything that requires any accuracy, I'd say triangle or small square and up, you absolutely require a rotary cutter or else your pieces just won't line up.
  Because the whole combo is so expensive and a bit intimidating for beginner quilters, a lot of people who come in will only buy one piece of the ensemble, despite my warnings against it. If you don't have all three, you may as well not have any. Sometimes rulers are useful for tracing squares, but that's about it. A rotary cutter without a mat and a ruler is actually really dangerous. If you're not sure you want to commit to paying that much money up front, trying seeing if you can borrow some supplies from somebody or take a class that lets you use theirs. To be honest, I don't have my own set because I do most of my quilting at the fabric store I work at. There's way more room there and they like us to use the demo machines anyways so that we can sell them better.
  I've heard the most ridiculous stories about rotary cutters. One woman came into the store and bought a rule and told me that it was for her daughter who was in the hospital because she had tried to use a rotary cutter with just a regular school ruler. I didn't know the details,but it sounded pretty bad. Another woman came into the store upset that her rotary blade was bending around the edges and wouldn't cut anything anymore. Turns out she was using planks of wood instead of a mat. *face palm* We offered her a free blade if she bought a mat and she accepted the offer.
  Anyways, don't try to get around it; it's not worth it. Just find a way to use the whole combo. Your life will be so much easier.
  I also hear about people cutting themselves sometimes, but I've never cut myself. I think the difference is the rotary cutter. There are two types that I've seen and if you want to avoid cutting yourself, I would suggest the ones on which the blade automatically retracts if you're not squeezing the handle. I know Olfa has these, but I'm not sure who else does.
  For quilting, it's really useful if your mat and ruler are at least 22" long so that you can cut the width of the fabric. My favourite ruler is the 8 1/2" x 22" because it cuts most squares you'll need cut.
  Olfa is a good brand; probably the most well known and generally the easiest to find replacements blades for.
  If you want to know more about rotary cutting, check out my tutorial for beginner rotary cutters here.

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