Tuesday Tip #2 - Needle Down

Hello Again!

Tuesday has come back around, so it's time for me to share a little tidbit I have learned over time.

I find that when I am helping my family and friends learn to sew, one thing I have to constantly tell them is to put the needle in the down position when turning a corner or adjusting the fabric.  This  is especially true during the quilting process.  Working those big heavy quilts require an adjustment here and there, and putting the needle down, will keep your lines straight instead of zigzagged.

If you are lucky enough to have a machine with a needle down function, just enable this function.  If not, you will have to manually turn the wheel and put the needle into the fabric before adjusting/turning.

This may seem like a very insignificant thing, but it really does make a big difference in the overall quality of your finished product.  If you can get in the habit of putting that needle down, it is something that you won't even have to think about.

Have a great day!
~Corrie

Friday Finish #2

The Girlfriends print reminds me of the innocence of girlhood.

Happy Friday everyone!  The weather here was beautiful this week, and it was really kind of tough to keep my nose to the grindstone!  

I am sure you all have felt that feeling at one time or another.  

I have a lot of work to get done in my garden.  It's almost time to start getting serious about planting.  Which means I should be doing prep work.

This is a vintage cherry print, who doesn't love cherries!

I was able to pull off these three aprons this week.  As well as the top of a baby quilt (that I will show when it gets finished).  I would love to see what everyone accomplished this week as well.  

The blue roses are my favorite!  I absolutely love this fabric, I keep looking at it and running my hand over it.  I know I am silly, but some fabrics just really capture me.

Linking up with:
Fort Worth Fabric Studio
My Quilt Infatuation
Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Tuesday Tip #1

Happy Tuesday Everyone, 

I have decided to start sharing a weekly tip every Tuesday.  

Today I am sharing a tip to help shave a little time off of your quilting.  While putting blocks together, cut your strips, but do not cut them down to the size of your square.  Instead, leave it in a strip and attach square after square, leaving a small space in between. 

Next, you will press your seams, and cut your pieces down to size.  

I hope this helps!  Happy Sewing!

~Corrie

Friday Finish - Heart Quilt

I started this quilt back in January at one of my family quilting weekends.  Got all the hearts made, and then set them aside for a really long time!  I finally pulled it out and wrapped it up.  I have a baby on the radar, so I needed to get moving on it!  The pattern came from Cluck Cluck Sew.   You can find the tutorial here. Thanks so much for sharing this cute quilt with me!

Now that I have the girl blanket done, I have to make a boy one too, just in case!  My brother and sister-in-law are like I was, and do not find out what they are having, so I have to be ready for anything!  

I tried out a little free motion quilting on the side borders, I have just been testing this out a little here and there, and I must say it is harder than I thought it was going to be.  But I will pursue on!  

I absolutely love the minky fabric I put on the back, it looks like little roses, and is oh so soft!  Can't wait to see if baby loves it.  

Happy Friday!  Enjoy your weekend.

~Corrie

How To Turn a Corner When Binding

Happy Wednesday everyone!    

As I was putting the binding on my last quilt, I was thinking to myself how so many of us struggle with corners.  So today, I am sharing with you a simple tutorial on turning, as you attach your binding to the front of your quilt.  

The first thing you will do when approaching a corner is to stitch right up to 1/4 inch from the edge.

Next, you will fold the strip completely back so that it is in a straight line with the edge of your quilt, and perpendicular with the edge you have just stitched down.

Now, fold it back down and in line with the edge you are getting ready to stitch down, lining the fold up with the edge you've already stitched.

(I pinned it so I could take my hands away and snap a picture, but I would not usually do so.)

And Finally, begin stitching right along the edge and continue on to the next corner.

 This will create a great corner for you when you flip it around to the back. 

I hope that this helps!

Remember to keep smiling, spring is only two days away!

~Corrie