Skip to main content
Our most popular blog articles of 2017 … so far
Who says you have to wait until the end of the year for a “most popular” feature? The blog articles below are the ones that have been most popular among our readers this year. From easy-to-follow tutorials to free patterns and tips, it’s no surprise you’ve found them useful!
Bookmark the articles, and start quilting!
How do you properly use rulers when you quilt?
Ruler work is a quick way to make a quilt spectacular but it can be intimidating. The most important thing to remember is safety. The last thing you want is to hear the heart sickening sound of the hopping foot crunching on Plexiglas while using your APQS longarm quilting machine. The first step to properly using rulers is to make sure you have an extended base mounted to your quilting machine…
How to make great binding corners
You’ve heard the phrase “it’s not a quilt until it’s quilted…”. This saying is very true, but it also is not a very usable quilt until it is bound! Adding the binding means you’re in the home stretch. Unfortunately, when we see home plate before us we tend rush through that last step, whipping around corners and ending in a sloppy finish. Or maybe the problem isn’t speed at all, but rather a lack of knowledge on how to make binding corners look neat and tidy without lots of fuss. We can help with the knowledge part! Here are some easy steps for making your binding corners square and professional…
2 common backing troubles
When it comes to quilts, piecers and quilters focus most of their attention on the quilt top. Some quilters go the extra mile to create a back that is as interesting as the front (sometimes to the frustration of machine quilters, who must fight quadruple seams, centered designs, or even thread color and tension concerns). Those scenarios are perfect topics for future columns! In this blog post we are focusing on some of the backing troubles that can derail an otherwise wonderful quilt…
Quilt pattern: Stay Centered (free download)
If you are looking for a “dull moment” you will never find it at Sparrow Quilt Company! Between raising a big family, running a successful longarm business and serving as the National Canadian Sales Manager for APQS, Matt and Bradie Sparrow have mastered the delicate art of maintaining “balance” in their lives. So it seems very appropriate that Sparrow Quilt Company employee Sheila Van Der Linden named this quilt “Stay Centered!”
How to quilt feathers – 2 methods
When delving into the world of custom quilting there is one design element that virtually all quilters want to learn to create – feathers! Feathers can take a simple quilt and send it soaring over the top with texture and visual interest. The best part is, with a little practice anyone can create beautiful flowing feathers. There are two common methods of creating feathers. Neither is right or wrong, but often one method seems to feel more comfortable to some people than the other…
