FAQ’s

I have been asked the same questions so many times I decided to write answers to the most frequently asked questions here for all to read and learn about how I create my quilts.

What are you wondering?

This space is for you, the visitor to this site. Email me with your requests. If I know what you need to know, what you need help with, I’ll do my best to find a solution and share the answers with others.

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Here is a chance for you to give your review of books and products. Tell me about your successes, places to shop, products you use, and gadgets you may have invented.

Heirloom Machine Quilting is performed on a regular home sewing machine, using advanced free-motion techniques. The scale of the work is refined using straight lines as well as curvilinear motifs to produce a decorative, sculptured quilt surface. This craft was originated about twenty-five years ago by Harriet Hargrave who wanted to “use her home sewing machine to hand quilt”.

With free motion quilting, the feed dogs of the sewing machine are lowered, and the operator controls the stitch length as well as the direction of the stitching line with the movement of the quilt with her hands. The quilting pattern lines are drawn on the quilt top and are followed with lines of stitching.

Quilts with Heirloom Machine Quilting usually include background quilting which fills the negative space around the designs with dense stitching. This creates contrast between the curvilinear shapes and the flattened background space using stippling, echo quilting, repeated patterns, or geometric grids.

If you have been in my classroom, you have heard me speak of my formula for success, the products I use to achieve that play of light and shadow across the surface of my quilts. These are my choices for formal display quilts, and why I use them.

Why do you use sateen, what is the fiber content, are there any special handling instructions, and where can I purchase sateen?

My style is elegant and quite formal. I love using romantic floral fabrics with coordinating solids where I have space to show off intricate images. I use the sateen because of the elegance it adds to my work. Its sheen reflects the light to show off the designs. It is 100% cotton, so I pre-wash it just like any other cotton quilting fabrics. When piecing sateen, I mark the top edge of each cut piece to keep all of the sheen running in the same direction.

The problem with purchasing sateen is the manufacturers have eliminated the great colors from their lines. Sometimes it is available at chain fabric stores, but the quality may not be quite as nice. For the better quality brands, (Robert Kaufman and RJR) try this web link. www.quiltshops.com is a database search site for quilt fabrics at online stores that are registered with them. Search for fabrics by keyword (puppies, peacocks, sateen), and the website will show online stores that carry the fabrics.

Radiance by Robert Kaufman

The good news is that Robert Kaufman is now offering Radiance, a beautiful 45% silk and 55% cotton solid in 27 glorious colors. It is delicate, so choose this for heirloom projects, not dorm quilts. The color does run somewhat, so set the color with a setting agent, dry it and retreat until the water is clear. I handled it just like cotton, prewashed it and marked the designs with a water-soluble marker. You will see the results in my new book, Joanie’s Quilting Elements and as new quilts are added to the site

In Madison, WI, you can get some colors of sateen or Radiance (among many other wonderful treats) at:
Gayfeather Fabrics,
1521 Williamson Street
www.gayfeatherfabrics.com

And, in Waunakee, WI, try:
Mill House Quilts
100 Baker Street
www.millhousequilts.com

American Folk and Fabric, Inc.

At Quilt market we discovered American Folk and Fabric, a source for the most beautiful historically based reproduction fabrics. They have amassed a huge collection of patterns for vintage wallpaper and textiles collected in Europe and the U.S. With them, they are producing high quality fabrics for home dec, AND for quilting if you are a bit adventuresome. The colors are unusual and exquisite, and many are printed on textured cloth. I can hardly wait to have time to include something from their line into a quilt and I dare you to try some of these gorgeous large-scale prints!

J.J. Jenkins exclusively for
American Folk and Fabric, Inc.
www.americanfolkandfabric.com
11818 Clark Street
Arcadia, CA 91006

Thread

Refined free-motion quilting requires lightweight thread; you will need to make choices based on the use of your quilt. To avoid many problems, choose high quality. Suggestions for buying online:

The Bottom Line by Superior Threads.
www.superiorthreads.com
Sign up for their monthly newsletter, it is very informative.

YLI 100 weight silk and lightweight cotton
www.redrockthreads.com

Needles

The needle you choose for machine quilting is an important decision. They are chosen to support the thread choice. For the tiny threads, I use a sharp to penetrate the layers of fabric in size 70 or 75. Start each project with a new needle and change it after eight hours or whenever it shows signs of dulling.

Batting

The only I have used since 2002 is Hobbs Wool Batting. (The Tuscany and Heirloom labels are the same product, so don’t get confused.) It is in almost all of the quilts on this website. With it, I no longer feel trapunto is necessary to get the raised effect I desire for the motifs. I do not prewashed the batting. Expect shrinkage of 1%. Toss your cut pieces into a warm dryer to eliminate folds that occurred in packaging.

A single-hole stitch plate is a great investment for patchwork as well as for Machine quilting. Fabric will not get pushed down into the larger hole as it would with a Zigzag plate.

There are times I like to use a walking foot to stitch straight lines. I often use it in the beginning of the quilting process to anchor the layers together. It helps prevent shifting, which causes puckers on the back.

Fabric Prep

I always pre-wash my 100% cotton fabric; I want to pre-shrink it and to know if it will bleed. I wet it in a white sink, spin in the washer, and partially dry in the dryer. Then I press it completely dry.

Marking

I mark most light to medium colored fabrics with an inexpensive blue water-soluble marker. I use a white water-soluble pencil for dark fabrics. I use tear-away paper for difficult to mark fabrics or for intricate designs.

Tip 1

You will relieve a lot of stress when machine quilting if you understand the quilting design and how to navigate it before you begin stitching. Look at the design and trace it several times with your finger. If possible, try to begin the journey in an area that will be crossed again with more stitching. Does it have areas that require re-stitching? Travel around the design to imprint a roadmap in your brain. The experience will be less stressful if you know where to steer the machine before you begin. Read more about this in Joanie’s Quilting Elements.

Tip 2

A great way to learn free motion quilting is to practice on a yard of fabric with a large scale, all over print. Layer it with batting and a small busy print for backing fabric. Use either lightweight or invisible thread in the top of your machine and lightweight in the bobbin. Just stitch around the printed outlines of the designs until you have evenly distributed the quilting over the entire surface. Relax; no one will see every stitch. In this exercise, you are learning how to maneuver the quilt sandwich and stitching curved patterns! When finished, use your sample to make a large quilted bag to take your stuff to class in or give it to charity for a baby blanket.

OFFICIAL DISCLAIMER

Enter these sights at your own risk. Don’t even think about holding me financially responsible for any credit card debt incurred as a result of these suggestions.

Don’t you just love the wonderful books that are available from the quilting community? I am very proud of the association with my publisher and of the books we have produced. They are not only outstanding in the beauty of the photography, but I feel they will provide much valuable information for beginners and seasoned quilters alike.

Harriet Hargrave is the originator of the art of using a home sewing machine to hand quilt. Harriet, along with her daughter Carrie, has done extensive research and gives comparisons of many needed supplies. Her Heirloom Machine Quilting, fourth edition, C&T, and any of Harriet’s books on other quiltmaking topics are wonderful resources.

My teacher Diane has written two books on the subject that cover the technique with her perspective, Diane Gaudynski’s Guide to Machine Quilting and Quilt Savvy, Machine Quilting Guidebook, AQS.

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