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Quilters on one side of the iron insist, “Always press toward the dark fabric!” The other side chants, “Always press to reduce bulk!” As a quilt piecer, I want it all—I don’t want my dark colors showing through my light fabrics; I want my patchwork to be accurate and I want it to be flat. But as a longarm quilter, eliminating bulky intersections that can break needles or distort quilting lines tops the list.

When we saw the pictures of Kathy Plumley’s “Urban Oasis” One-Block Wonder, we fell in love with the colors, quilting and creative design choices. We decided to give Kathy a call to learn more about the quilt and her process of creating it.

As the summer days fade and the sun sinks on the horizon, twilight draws out fireflies and the stars twinkle from above. Spread Sheridan Carter’s “Stars Galore” quilt across your lap as dusk settles into night and star gaze on a cool summer night!

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!

Whereas many companies offer only one bobbin size option, APQS customers can select the bobbin size that best fits their quilting style. In this article, we've outlined the characteristics of each size below to help you decide what’s right for you.

In this APQS video tutorial, APQS Dealer and Educator Angela Huffman, shows you the "Daisy Love" design. It combines a heart motif with a fun little daisy and a swirl.

Whether she’s planting pansies in the dirt or stitching strawflowers on to fabric, it’s clear that Suzan Pons of APQS France is at home in a garden—no matter what the medium!

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.

In this tutorial Angela Huffman, APQS Dealer and Educator, shows you how to create a sweet design we call "Daisy Brambles." It's fun and flowy and would be perfect for a kids quilt.

It only takes a tiny spark to ignite a quilter’s inspiration. Many of us have found a focal fabric we love and designed a quilt top around it. That’s what happened with this quilt, but this time the focal fabric didn’t come from a 44-inch-wide bolt.