Penny Halgren Solves A Big Quilting Problem, Easily

Image by craftapalooza via Flickr

Greetings Quilter,

Some quilting problems are bigger than others.

And some are more easily solved than others.

I remember quilts I made where the backing and batting ended
up smaller than the quilt top after I finished quilting.

That seems to be just one of the mysteries of quilting.  Kind
of like those accurate 1/4 inch seam allowances.  Maybe some
physicist has an explanation.  But probably none of them are
even looking at the dilemma.

Anyway, early on I learned to make sure that my batting and
backing were 2-3 inches larger than the quilt top all the way
around the quilt.  That way, even when the batting and backing
shrink, they are still larger than the quilt top, and can be
trimmed to even all the edges of the quilt.

Years ago, before I learned that trick, I ended up with quilts
smaller than I planned.  I'd usually cut the border off to get
the sides of the quilt even so I could bind it.

But, a while back, a quilter wrote in saying that the backing
and batting of her quilt were smaller than the front, and she
hadn't started quilting it yet.

Now that is a problem relatively easily solved.  The most
obvious solution, I guess, is to start over – choosing a
different fabric for the backing and using a new piece of
batting.

However, it seemed the quilt was already basted and she didn't
really want to change everything.

So, I developed an alternative solution – add to the backing
and batting.  It's not really a complex solution, but the
explanation includes a description of how to piece the batting
together.

If you've never done that, it is a handy skill to know, and
easier shown than written out in an email.

To get the description of the entire solution, visit:

http://www.how-to-quilt.com/articles/7101-backing-too-small.php

Happy Quilting!

Penny Halgren
www.How-to-Quilt.com
www.TheQuiltingCoach.com

P.S.  I remember one quilt where the back was smaller than
the front, and I added a wider binding just to cover up the
problem.

Tonight is the last night to get in on the special Introductory
Price for the Creative Binding Techniques DVD Quilting Mentor.
This could be the answer to some of your future quilting
dilemmas, too:

http://www.how-to-quilt.com/articles/7101-backing-too-small.php

P.P.S.  For additional resources, check out my blog:

http://quilterpenny.wordpress.com/

You'll find all of the daily emails so you can search for
articles about tons of quilting topics!
www.How-to-Quilt.com
www.TheQuiltingCoach.com
www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com

7925 Pasadena Ave.
La Mesa, CA  91941


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secret message from m. mouse the how-to-quilt.com siamese cat

Image by Princes Milady via Flickr

greetings quilter,

m. mouse here – the official how-to-quilt.com diabetic
siamese birthday cat.

still haven't figured out how to make those capitals on
the computer. maybe i should get one of those programs
where i can talk and it will write what i am saying.

although - - - -

yup, that's right, i'm the birthday boy and i'm just a
little bit miffed at penny.

she said she would have a special birthday surprise for
me this month. and here it is, the month is mostly over
and still no special birthday surprise.

i suppose it's possible that it will show up some time
before the end of the month, but it's looking less likely
every minute.

today she's pretty busy with the fat quarter quilt. it's
getting layered and then basted with basting spray so she
can machine quilt it.

(i'm hiding, since i hate any kind of spray)

as you can imagine, she is completely distracted with
that project, so i thought i'd jump in on her computer
and create some mischief.  i'm really good at that.

last week i heard penny talking to our buddy, cindy in
kansas.

turns out that cindy has a stack of my favorite
how-to-quilt.com dvd resource perched on the shelf just
waiting to take off.

i don't know about you, but i love special deals –
especially when they are connected with a birthday.

so while penny is crawling around the floor working with
that nice fluffy bamboo batting, here i am telling you
about my birthday secret special deal.

the thing is, you have to promise not to tell penny about
this deal, because she might not like it, since it's such
a great deal.

and because it's so secret, i'm only running it for 3 days.

the way i figure it, in that short amount of time, you will
have gotten a great deal, and she won't be the wiser.

besides, i'm just a siamese cat with a birthday, so don't
you think penny wants me to celebrate big time?

so, this is the deal. for the next 3 days, you get all of
the resources she usually includes in the robin's nest
diamond package - - at the price of the basic package.

that means you get lots of extra goodies while you save
money.

maybe you can get your cat a special birthday present
with the money you save in my birthday celebration – it
will buy a lot of special cat food.

and if you have a dog, feel free to celebrate my birthday
savings with him or her, too.

this robin's nest dvd mentor is just the best.

in it, penny walks you through making a 9 patch wall
hanging or quilt – from start to finish, in dvd format.

you get to see everything, including the mistakes she
made; and how she fixed them!

what i like about it is that the block is one she
designed, and it looks like a little robin sitting on a
nest.

i do love birds, you know – especially when they are
just sitting there.

you'll get tons of great information about how to make
this quilt or wall hanging. plus it will give you a great
foundation for making every other quilt in your quilting
future.

just imagine, you could make a special small quilt for
your cat. (or dog)

you can get all of the information here:

www.robinquilt.com

happy quilting!

m. mouse
the official how-to-quilt.com diabetic siamese birthday cat


p.s. remember, you have just 3 days – until september 30 –
to get in on this birthday celebration:

www.robinquilt.com

www.How-to-Quilt.com
www.TheQuiltingCoach.com
www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com

7925 Pasadena Ave.
La Mesa, CA  91941


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Making a Quilt Sandwich

Image by Jalsoli via Flickr

PENNY HAS THE ANSWERS TO ALL THE QUESTIONS NEWBIES LIKE I HAVE:
Greetings Quilter

Lunch time?  No, not really!

Making a quilt sandwich has nothing to do with putting a tasty
treat between slices of bread.

It has everything to do with making progress on your quilt and
getting it ready to sew beautiful quilting stitches.

Whether you are machine quilting or quilting by hand, layering
your quilt correctly can make the difference between smooth
layers and sewing puckers and tucks into your quilt.

Many quilters freeze when it comes time to layering a quilt.
But knowing just a few techniques will make it easy to
accomplish and ensure that your finished quilt will be
beautiful and pucker-free.

One of the most important things is to make sure that all of
the wrinkles are removed before you add the next layer.

As I quilted my first quilt, I discovered that the batting and
backing layers tend to shrink.  I'll probably never understand
why that happens, but it does.  As a result, I make sure that
the backing and batting extend at least 2 inches beyond the
quilt top.

Once all of the layers are smooth and centered, it's time to
baste them together.  This step is very important and will help
keep the puckers and tucks out of the back of your quilt as you
sew your quilting stitches.

You'll find tips for layering and basting, including a video,
here:

http://www.how-to-quilt.com/articles/5105-quilt-sandwich.php

Happy Quilting!

Penny Halgren
http://www.how-to-quilt.com/
http://www.thequiltingcoach.com/

P.S.  You'll also see what happens when your basting isn't
quite good enough:

http://www.how-to-quilt.com/articles/5105-quilt-sandwich.php
http://www.how-to-quilt.com/
http://www.thequiltingcoach.com/
http://www.quiltblocklibrary.com/

7925 Pasadena Ave.
La Mesa, CA  91941


If you no longer wish to receive communication from us:
http://autocontactor.com/app/r.asp?ID=1064051587&ARID=0&D=

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Border Designs for Your Quilt

When you get to a particular point in making your first quilt,

you realize there are four corners that you must do something
with.

Many people let their first experience with corners keep them
from ever attempting another quilt project.

Do not get cornered by quilt corners.  You have options and
solutions that are easy enough with a little practice.

We want our quilts to look good, obviously.  A lot of work goes
into your quilt and a final step like corner work shouldn't be
a big dilemma.

One of the choices is to leave the corners as strips that bump
up to each other or to miter the corners.

There are a couple of ways to add simple strips to the sides of
your quilt without mitering the corners or complicating the
borders with cornerstones.

Rather than explain it, you'll get pictures and a description
when you visit:

http://www.how-to-quilt.com/articles/2509-adding-quilt-borders.php

Happy Quilting!

Penny Halgren
http://www.how-to-quilt.com/
http://www.thequiltingcoach.com/

P.S.  One other key is to make sure that the measurements for
your borders are correct. You'll find a link for a video
showing how to measure for your borders:

http://www.how-to-quilt.com/articles/2509-adding-quilt-borders.php
http://www.how-to-quilt.com/
http://www.thequiltingcoach.com/
http://www.quiltblocklibrary.com/

7925 Pasadena Ave.
La Mesa, CA  91941


If you no longer wish to receive communication from us:
http://autocontactor.com/app/r.asp?ID=1064051587&ARID=0&D=

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