Traditional Machine Quilters are wanting to finish their UFO's

Today, two traditional machine quilters were in the studio wanting to learn how to machine quilt some of their smaller projects. One of them lamented that she just did not feel she could do a good job without lots of practice and taking many more classes...here was my suggestion.

You can do this. One of the most important things when you start machine quilting I think is the feed dogs. Try leaving them up for more control. Lower the pressure on the pressure foot to almost nothing and set the needle speed a little higher than you are used to. This will all help as you coordinate your foot pedal speed to the movement of your hands. If you have a constant speed control on your machine all the better to use it.

Next, put a small drop of liquid silicone on the needle plate to help your fabric glide.

And finally, learn the 5 Shapes of Quilting, called the "Language of Quilting"™. Remember there are only 5 shapes, an arc, s-curve, straight-line, loop and hook that you will have to make, now that is refreshing isn't. You will not need to master any other moves, and when you get those shapes down, small, medium and large, in  360°,  then you can use all the stencil and patterns you desire....there is no limit, and your UFO's are completed. And that is something to celebrate.

If you want to learn more about the Language of Quilting here is the link...http://www.sallyterry.com/utility/showProduct/index.cfm?productID=15

Hope this helps, yours in the love of quilting, sally

Why So Many Attend A Machine Quilting Show

This year is no exception....the quilts just keep getting better and better. Whether they are on display or on your bed, machine quilters are improving their techniques and skill by attending. Even if you don't take one class, am not sure that is even possible with all the incredible offerings, you will return home inspired.

There are many reasons to attend a show which are very conveniently located across the country. First you may want a specific instructor, or a specific machine quilting class that will be offered there and no where else. Also, you may finally say, this is my year to attend a machine quilting conference to see what is new from all the wonderful vendors. Or, maybe you just want to be inspired...and it will happen.

You can also enter your work and win fabulous prize money in many catagories, which is so generously offered by each event.

Hope this has inspired you to plan to attend a machine quilting show sometime soon. Besides, there are usually a few openings in many classes if you will be registering at the last minute. Sometimes there are classes already purchased and available from an individual, along with free demonstrations, that really helps your budget. And many vendors offer products with event sale pricing. Plus, don't forget there are roommate connections and ride shares available, too.

Listen to all the audios about the shows located on the home page at www.sallyterry.com. Call a fellow machine quilter and make plans. See you there...sally

Tour of NEW American Quilter's Society Show in Lancaster, PA this month.

We could not be more grateful to Bonnie Browning, Show Director of American Quilter's Society NEW show in Lancaster, PA March 24th - 27th for her tour of the AQS Lancaster Show.

Listen and find out why this promises to be an incredible quilting event.

Find out what AQS has in store for you at this historic town....

go to sallyterry.com and scroll down the page...see you there and thank you Bonnie!

Don't Miss The Interview with Linda Hamson VP of IMQA and Show Director of Machine Quilters Showcase

Hi Everyone! Join quilters eavesdrop on Linda Hamson, MQS Show Director 10AM CST Mar 9, just go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Quilting-Radio/348254737308

Just click the link above to listen live on the internet or use your phone line...either way you will not miss a thing. And we are leaving the light on for you...you can go back to that link and listen to the replay anytime, incase you weren't able to make it at 10AM CST on Tuesday. Plus we will keep it posted on our home page.

Linda has lots of events planned for Machine Quilter's Showcase this year March 12th - 15th with classes starting on the 10th. Mark you calendar or print out the page as a reminder. We are really looking forward to hearing our own VP of IMQA share her inspiration and what she has planned to inspire us.

We have made it simple for you by also including a link to sign up as a member of IMQA on the page plus go to the MQS Show page to register for classes....don't miss out, see you Tuesday, sally

Leaders That Are Stretched Can Distort Your Machine Quilted Quilt Tops

Morning everyone, well it is almost done, another quilt for the new book with a working title of "From Quilt Top To Quilted". So far we are on track for early 2011 publication date. It is full of tips quilters love. Thought you may enjoy a gimpse of a trick that you might find helpful that is included in the trouble shooting section.

Do your leaders bow out in the center? Are your leaders starting to stretch in the center where all the pressure is exerted since we pin from the center out and rarely pin the entire length of the leaders? And, if your leaders are bowing out there is a chance it can distort the shape of the quilt top as you machine quilt.

To get your leaders squared to your rollers again take this simple step. Go to the end of your table and look down the entire length of the rollers making sure your leaders are completely wound their respective roller. with the end of the leaders laying directly on the top of the roller. Do the edges ripple, or maybe the edges form waves along the roller and are not in a perfectly straight line from end to end.

Canvas or cotton duck leaders are not supposed to strink, though the fibers will migrate, hense the bowing in the center. It is a quick fix, to help them back to their original square up position with straight edges. First lock your rollers with the dogs or clamps. Let out about three feet of canvas and grab the outer two feet of canvas at each end of the rollers with both hands and tug at a 45 degree angle away from the center of your machine. Do one side first then the other. Keep tugging until the bow disappears.

Finally roll up your leaders again with the end of the leader lying on top of the roller. Coax the outer ends of the canvas by working them with your hands to take up any slack. Your canvas edges should have straigthened out. Do this after every quilt and your leaders will stay straight and your quilts will always be squared up.

Hope this helps, sally

Sometimes we need to remove pencil marks from fabrics before machine quilting.

Ah ha, here it is...found it, safely tucked away in a drawer -- my favorite recipe, "how to remove pencil marks from fabrics". This is the recipe I feared lost. It is tested and true, and have mixed up many a batch. And if I had to go find it on the internet it might not be the same one. But there it is, on the internet at a very interesting site that you may find extremely valuable.

So you may want to bookmark this page and pass it on.... http://www.quilthistory.com/stain.htm

1/4 cup water
3/4 cup rubbing alcohol
1 drop clear dishwashing liquid

Mix and apply with a soft toothbrush

It has also been suggested to use the new clear Windex...untested in my studio.

Because we work with fabrics we already know that if we are to complete a quilt top, no matter how old it is...we must machine quilt it the way we receive it, dirty or not. There was one quilt that actually made me ill for several days. What ever dirt was deeply embedded in the fabric, even an occassional spritz of soapy water would not remove. How can you launder the fabric without having the seam margins shred away and thread break from the agitation? Have heard you can put it in a pillow case and wash it that way, but have not dared to try. Also you can soak it in a bath tub with a sheet under it, removing without putting any stress on the seams and fabric from the weight of the water draining away, by pulling it up by the four corners of the sheet. This also works for washing old completed quilts by supporting the batting as well.

Hope this helps, sally

What Is So Important About A Simple Book On How To Quilt Feathers?

Now that all the hoopla is gone, thought I would share what may be the most important thing about Hooked On Feathers being the No. 1 Book for 2009 with AQS which is quite humbling to say the least. It is not because I wrote it, could easily been written by another machine quilting instructor. It is not because it is published by a fine publisher, American Quilter's Society with extensive catalogs, blogs, shows and website, though that certainly helped a great deal.

The importance of this book is that it is an instructional book about machine quilting. Imagine, a how to book on machine quilting feathers, rather than piecing or other sewing techniques. That is the importance of this little book with over 80 pages of easy to understand step-by-step directions on feather quilting, for the traditional to the professional longarmer.

Now that make's us all able to quilt incredibly beautiful feathers whether we sit down or stand up and machine quilt...let the feathering begin!!!

It is official, Sally Terry No. 1 Quilting Author 2009 with Hooked On Feathers

Hooked On Feathers is the No. 1 Quilting Book

from American Quilter's Society for 2009.

...words escape me!

Thank you to everyone for making it happen.

It is my hope that all of you are enjoying your new machine quilting feathering technique. The photos of your creativity have been amazing and many of them are posted on the Hooked On Feathers gallery page. For those of you who would like to share your originality and imagination at work, please send pictures with your name and state of residence to sally@sallyterry.com and I will post them in the gallery.

If you are wondering about the Hooked On Feathers technique, it is a non-marking, non-backtracking machine quilted feather for traditional sewing machine to longarm, that actually turns corners easier free-motion than marked. Now HOF has become the most popular way to machine quilt feathers, because it requires stitching only one shape, the hook, which is so, so easy to master. Newby's love it and many have told me they are not even going to learn the traditional and heirloom feather because their Hooked On Feathers look so good. Plus they are a joy to stitch.

The feed back from my machine quilting classes is that beginners love the machine quilting technique and can start right out with feathers rather than waiting months to develop the cell memory. What could be better when we expect so much of ourselves in the beginning anyway.

So Let The Feathering Begin!!!

Hooked On Feathers Book

You may want the CD to watch Sally machine quilt the Hooked On Feathers
technique on the longarm. You will quickly learn how to move your machine and
set up the feathers for fills, edge-to-edge, borders, sashings, blocks and more... 
Hooked On Feathers How To CD

Machine Quilting Classes May Be Just What You Need

Hi everyone, we all want to take machine quilting classes...but time, scheduling, travel expenses add up quickly. And often times we plan for something and life gets in the way. And we are so sequestered and alone in our machine quilting that we need a little time to let our Quilted Muse inspire us again.

Well let not your heart be troubled. There are more and more classes available to you today than ever before. Many of the states' machine quilting guilds offer annual and bi-annual workshops for their members and non-members alike, with fabulous instructors.

Late registrations are common if you discover you want to go at the last minute.

More and more large regional shows are popping up as well. Most have contact information and they may be able to help you find a roommate to share some of the expenses. Many are held on college campuses making the lodging even less.

And if all else fails I truly recommend staying at a B & B, Bed & Breakfasts. They can be very economical and may just be half of what a big hotel charges. Plus they are so charming and you feel oh so pampered. Just query bed and breakfast denver or what ever city you need and there they all are, in a nice tidy little list. You will always get a great homemade breakfast and may only need a short shuttle ride to the venue. Often times they will shuttle you for a small fee.

So make plans to get inspired and mark you calendars....

Yours in the love of quilting, sally

Doing What People Love...Machine Quilting Their Quilt Top

Seems we all get excited when there is a wonderful top to load...ah the patterns to play with, the thread to audition and the first stitch is taken. Machine quilting is a passion and is reinforced everytime your customer picks up their finish quilt top.

It is because we are doing what we love. So if we are doing what we love why not do what the customer loves too. It was once said by Laura Cutler "You do not want everyone to like what you do. You want 10 percent to love it."

Unconditional love for your machine quilting work...and if the 80/20 rule is true, then consider this. About 80% of your revenue will come from approximately 20% of your customers, the habituals. They are the ones that bring you three and four quilt tops at a time. You know who they are.

So if you do what they love, keep them in a loving mode by taking pictures of their complete quilts and store them under their name in a clients file. Refer to them when they bring you more. Take note of their love for sashings being ditched, scalloped borders, feathers, variegated threads, specific machine quilting designs etc. You will start to see a pattern.

As the trust grows you will be able to select the patterns and machine quilting techniques that they adore, and in that way may be able to "bump" up the number of services increasing profitability.

Post their beloved piece on your internet site...if they love it so will others.

To your love of quilting, sally