Sites we recommend:
www.distillery-yeast.com Great sites about yeast and fermentations for distilleries.
www.distillery-yeast.com Great sites about yeast and fermentations for distilleries.
The simplest sewing machine can attach two fabric squares together. While the same kind of sewing is done on the entire quilt, the job becomes more difficult as the project becomes larger. Sewing together two strips is quite different than adding the same seam allowance on the border of a completed, full size quilt. The weight of the project can pull against the machine tension and cause uneven or crooked stitching. Quilting tables for your sewing machine can help distribute the weight of the quilt and keep your stitching true.
Machine Attachments
Quilting tables may be available for the model of sewing machine that you have. They are attachments for the area next to the presser foot to take up the weight of the project while you guide the seam being done at the time. It creates a small table to hold the fabric that doesn’t require your attention. An alternative to the quilting tables is a sewing machine cabinet with a large area to the left of the machine.
Although this type of table is not on a level with the presser foot, it will still take some of the weight of the project. You will be tempted to use this area for keeping some tools and supplies. Fight this temptation. Having the quilt snag on a pair of scissors or knocking over a box of pins will destroy your concentration. Maintaining concentration is, after all the very reason for having quilting tables in the first place.
Some quilting machines have a long arm to sew quilts mounted on a quilting frame. This makes quilting tables a quaint little notion rather than a break through technology. While the long arm quilting machine with the quilting frame is a dream for us all, the reality is that few hobbyists can afford the price or the space that it requires.
Planning is the key to using quilting tables. Design the room you use for quilting so that you can give the same attention to the smallest pieces as you can to the big, thick, nearly-finished quilt. This means a good table with good light, accurate tools and good supplies. Make sure that all surfaces are at the best height for your work. A tired back usually results in badly cut or sewn panels. The key is to make your tools do their share of the work so that you stay fresh to do your best work. Among those tools are quilting tables.
Quilts are used for many different purposes from keeping warm to decorating the bed, sofa and long ago it was even used for wall decoration. Quilts come in many different fabrics as they are intended for many different purposes. However, whatever its use one thing must be taken in consideration right from the beginning and that is the durability of the material.
Different Types of Fabrics and Their Purposes
Fabric is probably the most important factor in a quilt as it ensures durability and protection. Babies however have a much sensitive skin and sometimes adults do as well and for this reason you must be careful when choosing quilting fabric for babies. Here are a few things you can look up and consider before purchasing quilting fabric for babies, which hopefully will help you make the right decision.
Usually cotton is the best quilting fabric for babies and adults alike as it has no allergic factors to irritate the skin or react with other factors such as the baby cream and so on. The best way to make sure the cotton is the fabric used as the quilting fabric you must check the attached tag to the quilt or if you cannot find one must enquire about the fabric composition with the sales person in the store or the manufacturer.
Sometimes you can even feel the difference in fabrics by the simple touch of hand, as cotton is much smoother than any other material. Yet another factor to consider when choosing quilting fabric for babies is the thread count; anything below 300-thread count will make even 100% cotton fabrics harsh to the skin.
Besides cotton, satin, silk and velvet are also used as quilting fabric for babies for their smooth feel and comforting nature however, these fabric are not as resistant as cotton and that is one thing one must consider when making a quilt for a baby.
Make Your Own Quilt
Many choose today to make their own quilt, this way they can ensure it is done according to their desire besides it is much more personal especially when you are making a quilt for a new born baby. First and foremost it is a real small quilt therefore it will take you no time to put it together and you can choose which ever pattern and design you find right.
Many mothers and grandmothers choose to decorate the quilt with pictures of their children, grandchildren or even pets. The sky is the limit as far as the pattern and design is concerned.
Just because you come across a great quilting fabric collection, doesn’t mean it will make your work any more beautiful or treasured than a quilt made of remnants from old scrap material. The reason for this is simple; it’s not about the materials you use that make a quilt great, it’s about the time, effort and vision you put into the work.
With that being said, there aren’t even particular kinds of material that will or can make up a great quilting fabric collection. In fact, the most profound quilting fabric collections owned by quilters are simply old pieces left over from projects, or even old scrap material from clothes that their children have outgrown.
What Exactly Does Make a Good Quilting Fabric Collection?
As mentioned before, there are no particulars here. Reality is that a great quilting fabric collection is in the eye of the beholder. However, it never hurts to gain a few ideas of what you should look for when trying to stock a quilting fabric collection.
For starters, you should be adding anything to your collection that won’t be used around your house. For example, clothes children have outgrown or ruined and are sitting in the back of a closet waiting to go to Goodwill is a good place to start. There is nothing better than using material for quilting that isn’t only free, but has some kind of meaning behind it.
Making a jean quilt out of years worth of old jeans is another idea, and it’s easy to do while being able to incorporate your very own memories into it. Using old kitchen towels, aprons, curtains, baby items such as blankets and bibs, virtually anything you can get your hands on are all things that can net you a tremendous quilting fabric collection that is one of a kind.
You may be thinking that just because you have some kind of connection to these old materials, it won’t make the finished product anymore beautiful to someone else that you are making a quilt for. But in the end, because of your connection to these materials, your vision and outlook on the project becomes personal, resulting in a magnificent piece of work that you put a lot of heart and soul into.
And this very thing is what makes a quilt such a treasure in the first place! Quilts give you a chance to tell a story and there is no better way to do it than to use old material that you know the story behind.
All quilts, if you ask me, are supposed to be the result of patchwork quilting. What charm would there be to the quilt if it is not done with patchwork? Today, though quilting is at the height of its popularity, you will find that patchwork quilting is a dying art. This is because this method is very meticulous, requires monstrous patience and consumes a lot of time.
Today, people are used to get things at the press of a button and a click of the mouse. They are in no mood to wait for 2-3 months for anyone to finish a quilt. Can you imagine anyone ordering a quilt in August because they needed in November-December? This is why the introduction of computerized machines for quilt making has met with such a tremendous success. This has become a leading cottage industry in many places in the world.
Why Patchwork Quilting Should Not be Allowed to Die
There is something extremely touching is a handmade quit. The patchwork quilting somehow becomes warmer, cozier, and more attractive – almost like a companion, not just a cover. Maybe I belong to the sentimental class of people (this is a dieing breed, too) but I would any day pay double to get myself a handmade quilt, than accept a product of a patchwork quilting machine.
It is true that the patchwork quilting machine produces excellent quilts, faster and sometimes even better than the hand-made ones. However, there is no way that you will ever be able to compare a hand-made quilt with a machine made one and not see the difference. One is warm, soft and inviting; the other is cold, beautiful and aloof. It is like Snow White and her step mother. Both were exceptionally beautiful, but everybody loved Snow White because her beauty was warm as was her character.
There are very few quilt masters who still prefer to work by hand. They will not last long however, because they cannot compete with the machines, in terms of high turnover, better designs and what matters the most today – faster. Though handicrafts are still highly valued the world over, the turnover is not sufficient to make sufficient profit for the artisan.
Hence, only those who are indulging in this art as a hobby will, in the end, stick to it. Those who make a living out of this art will be forced to shift lanes, and adopt the present technology, if they want to survive in the market.