By Diane Harris, HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador In the last post, we looked at how skillful longarm quilters use quilting as a design element. There were some over-the-top quilts with over-the-top quilting. Clamshell, pieced by Rhonda Adams, Grasonville, Maryland. Quilted by Jane Hauprich. But if you're more of a regular quilter like I [...]
By Mary Beth Krapil, Handi Quilter National Educator The top is finished and the backing has been pulled together. Now we’re ready for the best part, the quilting. But we have to have something in the middle to make it into a quilt. I have some thoughts on batting that I’d like to share. It’s [...]
By Diane Harris, HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador I started the quilting on a decades-old UFO yesterday, and as I was stitching along in the ditch, it occurred to me that every quilt I make has a purpose. Even if I fail to think about the purpose, it's always there. As I mulled it over, I [...]
Recently I needed new samples for a class I'm teaching in June about improvisational curved piecing. I didn't have anything specific in mind and started with easy cutting and sewing. I used the HQ Stitch 510. I used big, bold prints with plenty of contrast. When you have contrast, you can clearly see the difference [...]
By Diane Harris, HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador I finished piecing a large quilt top over the weekend and made two receiving blankets for a newborn. I used a walking foot for both tasks which made things go smoothly. This post is to help you understand what a walking foot is and when you should use [...]
By Diane Harris, HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador I came across a wonderful scrap quilt recently. It's called Pink/Orange/Yellow Try-Angles and it was designed and made by Johnny Barfuss. Pink/Orange/Yellow Try-Angles by Johnny Barfuss Johnny works as a Studio Educator for Handi Quilter in North Salt Lake, Utah. Johnny told me the story of Try-angles. Johnny [...]
A Useful Trick! By Diane Harris, HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador I've been practicing a new type of binding recently and this morning I added it to a new Christmas quilt. The method is surprisingly simple. It takes a little longer to prepare this binding over a traditional one but I think the results are worth [...]
By Diane Harris, HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador My current project is a sampler quilt called Halloween Figs from Joanna Figueroa at Fig Tree & Co. I'm making mine more scrappy than the original, which means there's a new decision at every turn. Yesterday I came to the point I always reach in a scrap quilt, [...]
By Diane Harris, HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador When I started quilting 35 years ago, it was recommended (by whom I can't recall) that people prewash their fabrics before making a quilt. So I did. When I came home with a fabric purchase, I dutifully clipped off a corner as instructed by the Quilting Gods and [...]
By Diane Harris, HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador I'm continuing to get ready for the arrival of my twin granddaughters in Hong Kong sometime soon. A few weeks back, I wrote about making blankets for newborns. This week I tried something a little different. I've had sample swatches of 100% cotton voile for ages. Several fabric [...]
