If you have a tip you would like to share with other quilters then email it to info@sleepingbearcrafts.com
We can then add it to this page and include it in a future newsletters.

Got Bondaweb on your Iron?
Let the iron cool down completely, and then you can easily clean it off with nail varnish remover.

Organising your Projects / Scraps
This is a useful tip from Sally in Horsham..
Save the polythene wrappers from your junk mail and use them to keep all the pieces for a particular project together, so you can easily see what you've got in each bag.

Also useful for organising your scraps: keep each colour in a separate bag; you can still tidy all the bags away in a single storage box (or several storage boxes - as your stash grows!)

Tonal Value
Here is a good way to check on the tonal value (light/medium/dark contrasts) of your fabric choices or quilt design
before you commit to buying lots of fabric and piecing it together.
Arrange your fabrics as a group or make up one block or your chosen design.
Scan the fabrics or take a digital photo of them.
Using your normal photo viewing software, such as Microsoft Photo Editor, view the image in GreyScale,
(this can usually be done in edit mode or by changing the properties).
Alternatively, simply print the image on a black & white printer.

Tied Quilts
If you want to finish off a project quickly, especially one where the fabric and/or the patchwork design is the main feature
then why not tie your quilt rather than using traditional quilting.

• Thread your needle with a long length of thread.
• Pass the needle through all 3 layers of your quilt and pull the thread far enough through to leave a 2-3 inch tail.
• Pass the needle back to the first side very close to the same point on the quilt.
• With the needle still threaded, tie a reef knot.
• Then pass the needle through the quilt at a point about 4 inches away from that knot.
• Pass the needle back to the first side of the quilt again, and with the needle still threaded
  loop the needle round the thread twice to form a knot.
• Continue in this fashion, re-threading your needle when required, until you have tied the whole quilt.
• Snip the threads between the knots and trim them all to the same length to leave a short tassle at each knot.
• You can choose whether the tassles will be on the front or the back of the quilt - it depends whether you want to make a feature of them.
• Be creative with the placing of your ties - tie in the centre of each patch of fabric, or at the joint between patches.
• Use double or triple thread through the needle to create a more prominent tassle.

Cutting Triangles
When cutting triangles, especially 60° or equilateral triangles, use a fabric marker to mark the grain line on the reverse of each triangle as you cut it.
This will enable you to keep the straight grain of the fabric towards the outside of your blocks when piecing, which in turn will help reduce fabric distortion when joining the finished blocks together.

Don't loose your Swatches
Have you ever taken your latest fabric swatches to a quilt fair or shop only to find halfway through the afternoon that you've mislaid them somewhere?
Well here's a tip from Janet of Bexhill who visited our stall at the Ardingly Show.
She uses a small flip-photo album to keep her fabric samples in.
It keeps the pieces of fabric clean, easy to find and makes it a simple task to find matching fabrics for all those "works in progress".
Once the project is complete you can insert a picture of the finished article and use the album as a record of your work as well.

Kaleidoscope Quilts
When selecting fabric for a kaleidoscope or Stack-n-Whack™* quilt use 2 hinged make-up mirrors opened at 45° or 60°.
Move them around the fabric to get an idea of the finished effect, and to help you decide whether the fabric is suitable.
(* Stack-n-Whack is the trademark of Bethany S. Reynolds)

Basting Your Quilt
Do you have trouble finding somewhere to lay out your quilt sandwich and keep the layers flat and taut whilst pinning and basting?
Why not try doing it on the bed? (if you'll pardon the expression!)

• Put your duvet and pillows to one side and lay a cutting mat (you'll find out why, later) on the mattress.
• Then spread your backing fabric face down over the mat and mattress.
• Insert long Quilting Pins vertically through the backing fabric and straight down into the mattress. Do this all round the edge of the backing fabric to hold it as taut as possible.
• Lay the wadding on top, and then one by one move each of the pins to hold through both the wadding and backing.
• Finally lay your patchwork piece face up on top and, keeping it taut, once again move each of the pins to hold all 3 layers together.
  Now this is where the cutting mat comes in......
• Slide the mat around underneath the quilt sandwich as you pin or baste the layers together; this will prevent you from inadvertently attaching your quilt to the sheet or mattress below.

If you are making a full-size quilt that is larger than your mattress size, then simply work on one section at a time, preferrably starting with the central portion.