Christine Mann's Blog

Posted by Christine Mann

Here's how to determine how much binding fabric you need cut for your quilt binding.

1. Decide on a Binding Width

If your quilt is made of blocks with no borders, you should use a binding with ¼” finished width. That way, the binding will match the ¼” seam allowance on the blocks. Anything wider would cover up part of the quilt blocks. If your quilt has borders, you can use a wider binding that makes a bigger visual impact. Here’s how wide the binding strips need to be for finished binding widths from ¼” to ¾”:

• ¼” finished width: cut fabric strips 1½ wide
• ½” finished width: cut fabric strips 2½” wide
• ¾” finished width: cut fabric strips 3½” wide

These widths are based on the following formula:

(Finished binding width x 2 + ¼” seam allowance) x 2

2. Figure How Many Binding Strips to Cut

You can calculate how much yardage you will need to cut for the quilt binding with this formula:

(Quilt perimeter + 12”)/42 = Number of binding strips to cut

Calculating the correct amount is easier than it sounds. Here’s how to do it:

1. Measure all 4 sides of the quilt.
2. Add up the measurements, then add 12” (31 cm) for making mitered corners and starting and ending the binding.
3. Divide the total number by 42 (107 cm), which represents the number of usable inches in a strip of quilt fabric cut from selvage to selvage. If the fabric you're using is wider or narrower, adjust your measurements accordingly.
4. Round up the result to the nearest whole number. This is the number of strips you need to cut.
5. See the chart at the bottom of the article to see how much yardage you need for that many fabric strips. The chart provides yardage for 1½”, 2½”, and 3½” strips.

Posted by Christine Mann

Here are some tips on ruler storage from members of the Your Sewing Room Yahoo group.

• Hang rulers on a melamine board
• Hang rulers on peg board behind the sewing room door.
• Hang them from a ring hanger made for hanging belts.
• Take an unfinished wood shelf (Michael's craft stores have these), or 2x4 piece of wood, and cut channels in the top so the rulers can stand up in the grooves. Add cup hooks under the shelf for scissors and rotary cutters, then mount the shelf on the wall.
• Stand rulers upright in a standing file folder organizer found at office supply stores
• Keep smaller rulers lying flat in a drawer.
• Store them in an artist’s portfolio that has a handle and zipper closure. This is a good solution for people who need to take rulers to classes or retreats. The portfolio can also hold patterns or quilt blocks.

You'll find more tips on organizing your sewing room in these articles:

Choose the right chair for sewing or quilting

How to organize your quilting fabric

Setting up your quilting space.

Posted by Christine Mann

Supplies needed

• Iron-on transfer pencil. This is a specially formulated pencil that will leave a line on the fabric when ironed with a medium-hot iron. General, Dritz, or Aunt Martha’s Hot Iron Transfer brands are available at fabric and crafts stores.
• Tracing paper
• Iron

Step by Step Instructions

1. Lay a piece of tracing paper over the image. Trace the image with the transfer pencil, pressing firmly to make solid marks.
2. Lay the tracing paper over the fabric with the pencil side down.
3. Press the paper with a medium-hot iron. The lines of the drawing will transfer onto the fabric.

Two Important Notes

1. The lines you trace will be permanently visible on the fabric.

2. The image ironed onto the fabric will be the reverse (mirror image) of the original image. To transfer images with words or images which need to be oriented in a certain direction, you will need to use a printer to print a reverse copy of the image before you trace it. Many printers have printing reverse images as an option on the printer settings menu. If your printer doesn’t have that setting, you can use an image editing program to flip the image before printing it. That way, the image transferred to fabric will be oriented in the right direction.

Posted by Christine Mann

This recipe comes from Bonnie on the Stashbuster Yahoo quilting group. She calls it Sisters Brew in honor of the friend who developed it with her. Compare it to commercial solutions that cost much, much more!

Sisters Brew Pressing Solution

• 2 cups distilled water
• 2 ounces cheap vodka
• 6-12 drops of essential oil (choose a scent you like, or eliminate if you want an unscented solution)
• 1/3 cup liquid starch.

Shake well before using.

Posted by Christine Mann

1. Put the batting in the dryer with a damp washcloth and run it on low heat for 10 minutes.

2. Unfold the batting and lay it on a large flat surface such as a dining room table for a couple of days. Then put it in the dryer on air fluff (no heat) for about 10 minutes.

Remember not to use heat or dampness on wool or alpca batting, because it could felt the batting and distort its shape.

To join the Stashuster quilting group, visit www.groups.yahoo.com and search for the term Stashbuster.

Learn more about quilt batting and the pros and cons of the types of batting available today.