Quilting the Quilt

Short on time but need a quick quilted gift? Quilt panels to the rescue! A quick internet search for “quilt panels” showed 484 options at one online retailer alone. Comic book heroes, movie stars, chickens, old trucks, aliens, you name it…it’s probably on a quilt panel!

Right or wrong, quilting has been perceived as “women’s work” for centuries. While more and more men are discovering the craft, according to the 2017 “Quilting in America” study conducted by The Quilting Company, in partnership with Quilts, Inc., only one percent of the estimated 7 to 10 million quilters are male.

Mid-arm and longarm quilting machines come with either a small L-style bobbin or a big M-style bobbin. Some companies offer only one bobbin size...

Quilters frequently use stipple and meander interchangeably when describing a quilting design that wanders aimlessly across the fabric...

It’s time for a big celebration in the quilting world—high fives around the guild, please! For the first time in years, according to the Quilting in America 2017 Survey, the average age of a “dedicated quilter” has dropped one full year from 64 to 63 years old!

Every other month, Dawn Cavanaugh, APQS Customer Service & Education Director, writes an article that features simple and actionable tips for your quilting projects. In this article we're sharing this year's top 5 most popular Quiting the Quilt articles here on the APQS blog. Enjoy!

Poor tension is the #1 issue machine quilters struggle to correct. The first critical step in solving it is getting over the fear of actually changing the top or bobbin case tension. Admonishments of “never touch the tension” from a home ec teacher might still sting your ears, but it’s time to silence that inner voice and put on a brave “I can do this” attitude!

Now midarm and longarm machines are available in compact sit-down table versions or small stand-up “hoop frame” models. These can take up as little as 10-15 square feet of space—great for tight quarters.

Longarm rental studios are popping up all over—giving quilters the power to regain control and “own” the quilting process from start to finish.

When you’re faced with choosing the “lesser of two evils,” wouldn’t it be nice to have a third option pop up that suddenly saves you? Invisible thread to the rescue!