Thursday, May 28, 2020

So You Want to Make a Mini Quilt!

Before I draw the name tonight for the winner of two Island Batik Stashbuilder Strip rolls, I wanted to write a short post about what you might want to do before we start.  Luckily, if you already quilt, you most likely have everything you need to make a miniature.  I do have some advice, though before we get started on this crazy mad project!

I recommend putting a new blade in your rotary cutter.  Accuracy is key for miniature blocks, and a fresh sharp blade will help your cuts to be precise.  As far as rulers go, I find that a 6 1/2 inch square ruler works well for cutting.  The smaller rulers are cute, but they are definitely harder to get a grip on when you are cutting.  You will want a longer ruler for cutting some strips.

Put a new needle in your machine.  A size 12 or below is perfect.  Use a good quality 50 wt thread. I happen to love Aurifil, it really does make a nice seam, but use what you have as long as it's a good quality thread.  Did you know that the higher the number of the thread weight is, the thinner it is?

Clean your iron!  They do get dirty, and if you are using white, you don't want any unsightly smudges.  I have a tube of Iron-Off that I use, but I also found these great tips to try out:  How to Clean an Iron.

While you are at it, you can also give your cutting mat a cleaning up, too.  You can just use a damp sponge and wipe it down.  It's always nice to start off a project with everything clean, sharp and ready to go!-

Now...are you ready to find out who won the Island Batik Stashbuilder Rolls?  I had 29 names in the hat - I mean spreadsheet.  The random number generator picked number 13, which is Cecilia!  She loves pinks and reds, so I'll see if I can pull a couple rolls with those colors, or as close as I can get and will send them right off to her.  Cecilia, check your e-mail and get back to me with your address.

Thanks to everyone for your interest in my crazy fun adventure!  I'll be back on Friday and talk about preparing your fabric.  See you then!

Pamela




2 comments:

teachpany said...

Great tips! I'm looking forward to this.

DawnC said...

I'm excited to get started 🤗