FAQs and Tips

Stains and how to remove them

This link was sent by a Girl Scout who found it while earning her Textile Artist Badge .  Very useful.

Wonder Clips for putting on binding

a great tool that you can use more than one way.  Wonder Clips for binding for Cindy’s method for using them for putting on binding.

Top Notch Ten

Use TNT, the “Top Notch Ten” or “Ten Nifty Tips” to play around with your quilt pattern.
#10 – adjust the number of rows or blocks
#9 – add borders
#8 – use sashing
#7 – use framing
#6 – add a header/footer row
#5 – use only part of a quilt pattern
#4 – use diagonal layout and setting squares
#3 – add spacers
#2 – adjust block size.
#1 – adjust the pattern layout.

Why would you use TNT?
… You could use one or more TNT techniques to adjust the top to fit your desired sizing.
… You could use TNT to give a pattern a twist and make it your own.
… By using TNT techniques, you bestessayes.com/ can be adventurous helpful site and design your own quilt. Take an idea and then play around with the square sizing, layout and borders. The end result may surprise you. Have fun playing with TNT, the quilter’s dynamite.

Alva’s Links

Check out these links for more information on Continuous Prairie Pointswww.freespiritquiltguild.com and www.patchworkunderground.com

 Making flying geese – for more information visit Eleanor Burns Quilt in a Day site

 Tessellating Blocks – visit the blog www.redpepperquilts.com to view a sample tessellated quilt

www.allpeoplequilt.com

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Questions about Borders – read on

BORDER WIDTHS
Do you ever wonder what width your borders should be? I had a friend call me a few weeks ago and ask me the question. She was finishing a UFO from a Patchworks class and couldn’t remember what size the borders should be. So I suggested what sizes to use. Then the other day I got a Jinny Beyer newsletter and she was talking about it (mainly to sell a new tool). So I thought it might be of interest to some of our newer quilters. There is a Golden Ratio that exists in nature and that is used in quilting to determine proportions. When things are in these proportions they are very pleasing to the eye. Also known as the Fibonacci Scale (or phi). Google either term and you’ll come up with some fascinating info and pictures and the math behind all of this.

In simple terms you can remember 3, 5, 8 as the width of borders on a full size quilt. A lot of times we make our first border 1″ – 1 ½” as well. The numbers are 1.6 times the previously border (rounded up). So 3″ x 1.6 = 4.8 so 5″. 5″ x 1.6 = 8″. (technically it’s 1.618). Or if you go the other way from big to small just multiply the larger number by 60% so 8″ x .6 = 4.8 or 5″.

The other way to figure it out is to choose the 1st and 2nd border. Add those 2 widths to get the width of the 3rd. Add the 2nd + 3rd to get the width of the 4th, etc. So check out some quilts you like and see if they follow this rule within their borders.

The same principle applies to the width and height of a quilt. Width x 1.618 = height or height / 0.6 = width. FYI – your credit card follows the Golden Ratio.

Jinny’s blog has some examples of things that follow the rule and don’t. I found the mariner’s compass comparison interesting.

While both are identical in pieces, the one that follows the Golden Ratio has far more interest and appeal (the one on the right). check out these 2 sites:

http://www.jinnybeyer.com/blog/the-magical-golden-ratio/
http://scientificquilter.com/2010/01/03/3-3-podcast-7-fun-with-fibonacci/

Cindy Cockell

How do I …

Make a hanging sleeve with no hand sewing – read here

Bind a quilt with a lumpless binding – instructions here

Quickly make a mitered border – a quick way

Which thread should I use – a whole article on specialty threads

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