Quilting How To
This Quilting How To page really covers a lot of general ideas connected with different aspects of quilting. These articles include specific sections like making binding strips or ideas for quilt borders, but also general interest quilting articles. I have grouped these articles as best I can but sometimes I get carried away and write articles that are related to quilting and sewing but don’t fit into any particular section. Please just indulge me on this!
Quilting terminology – a good place to start
Quilting humour – never far away
Basic Sewing – Slipstitch sewing
4 ways to make half square triangles
How to make half rectangle triangles
Quilt as you go
Quilt as you go without sashing
Try Quilt as you go with sashing front and back
Quilt as you go – quilting between blocks
Quilt Binding
Quilt borders
First method of mitring quilt border corners
Second method of mitring quilt border corners
Newsletters
Types of fabric
Speed piecing
Basic sewing stitches
Natural dyes
Dear Rose, I have not received your email for the last 2/3 weeks? Hope you are OK and not snowed in or frozen. Wish I could send you some of our excess Australian heat. Love seeing your photos around Brum.I lived there for about 5 years some 40+ years ago and still have family there. Cheers, Janice
Hi Janice. So sorry to hear that my emails to you haven’t been arriving. I’ve checked and for some reason the system has unsubscribed you. I have added your email address back to the list and you may receive an email asking you to confirm by clicking on the link. Let me know if you don’t hear from me next Friday.
Hi Rose
could you please let me know the colours that you used in the hour glass block from April 7 2014, I know this is a long time ago but any suggestions would be great, it is the perfect colours to do for a quilt for my son and his new wife for their bedroom
Hi Tracy. They are lovely fabrics, aren’t they. I would describe them as cerise and purple, and they are from the Tonal Vineyard range. I have a couple of yards of the purple and about 50″ (just short of 1.1/2 yards) of the cerise. You can see them in my shop: http://shop.ludlowquiltandsew.co.uk/quilt-fabric-16-c.asp
Hi Rose: I have enjoyed making your stained glass quilt. I enlarged it to be queen-sized. A couple of questions: When attaching the sashing to the 2nd row, will the sashing be attached to the left hand block, (as it will be turned around)? Do the blocks need to be squared up first? Thank you very much. Joan Spiller
Hi Joan. My apologies for the delay in replying. You need to have sashing between all the blocks – the safest option is probably to lay them out in the way that you’ll be sewing them together and then check where you need sashing. It’s always a good idea to square the blocks up before you sew them together.
Hey hi- I just came across you website and it is really awesome. Your instructions are very clear and easy to follow. You are very generous in sharing your vast knowledge of quilting and quilt blocs. I’m going to be recommending your website to my quilting friends and at our local guild. Your information is great for both experienced and beginner quilters. Kudos to you!!
Many thanks, Debbie, for your kind comments and for spreading the word. Always good to hear from new readers.
Hi Rose, I have been following you for long time and I love all that you do on your quilts, I don’t think there is one I don’t like, lol, but I have a question for you plz? I just purchased a Santa Clause panel, (which has 6 sqs) I am having a hard time how to get the measurements to make the attic window look, I have left messages for 3 different quilt subscriber that I belong to and NO such luck with either of them, so I am trying with you, can you help me plz;)
Oh well, I suppose it’s better to be last resort than not at all! Nobody can give you any help without being told the size of the squares in your panel. If you let me know that, then I can suggest measurements for the attic windows.
Hi Rose, Just to let you know I’ve really enjoyed your patterns in the Online Quilt magazine. I’ve made your charm pack quilt with 3 part sashing, which inspired me to make a second floral sashed quilt. I’ve also just completed your Batik charm quilt for my nephew for Christmas. Thanks sew much!. Alison
Thanks, Alison. Good to hear from you. I’m glad you’ve found my quilt patterns helpful.
Hi Rose, I find your website very interesting and informative and look forward to your emails so,thank you for that. I wondered if there was a simple method of calculating the amount of fabric required for a project? I have made quite a few smallish things, cushion covers, place mats and a table cloth but would like to move on to bigger things and want to be sure that I get enough fabric to finish the projects. Kind regards, keep quilting! Jan
Hi Jan. Yes, it is annoying to run out of fabric, isn’t it? I do have an article on calculating fabric: https://ludlowquiltandsew.co.uk/beginner-quilting/calculating-quilt-fabric/. Basically you need to work out the number of squares that you need, then the number of squares that you will get from each strip cut across the width of fabric, but the article goes into this in more detail.
Brilliant! Thank you so much for your help, I don’t know how you find time to make your lovely quilts and support us all on here but I am very glad you do. Kind regards Jan
Thank you, Jan. Kind of you to say so. I consider that I’m lucky to be able to quilt all day!
Please remove my email address as I won’t be able to recieve anything from this website. I’m going to be travelling and will not have access. Thank you!
I hope you have a great time travelling, Carol. I have removed your email address from the list.
I came across your website while cruising a web page of a mag I think; doing so much cruising I can’t remember which one. I wanted to tell you how very helpful your site & news letter is going to be for me; I’m new to quilting. Your videos are the best part for me; as I learn best by watching the process first. I have marked you on my fav page & will use you constantly; i also signed up for your news letter; keep those videos coming you are brillant! Your Canadian Fan!!
Thank you, Linda, for your very kind comments. Pleasure to have you on board. I’m pleased you like the videos – sometimes it’s easier to demonstrate something rather than describe it with words only.
Hi Rose, I think your website is brilliant and so helpful. I am quite new to quilting and have just finished some cushion covers which I am really proud of although there are a few mistakes on them. I am going to attempt a single sampler quilt in different shades of blue and white. Could you tell me please should I wash all the fabric first as I would like the quilt to be washable after its finished. Thanks, regards Chris
Thanks for your kind comment, Chris. Good luck with the sampler quilt. Whether to prewash: many quilters recommend prewashing always. I don’t because I feel that good quality fabrics don’t shrink these days, but it is very much a matter of personal choice. I always wash my quilts when I have finished them.
Hello Rose,
Thank you for your wonderful breakdown on the quilt blocks. I was looking for a “Contact Us” option to inquire about copyright and printing off block info or using your direct link. I am taking on the Block-of-the-Month for our quilt guild next fiscal year and wondered if it would be okay to either print out / use you link for that purpose for our participating members? I am going with a 12″ block theme – “Sew Many Choices” using blocks with “Choice” in the name. I was surprised to see that Mrs. Bryan’s Choice popped right up – much less in the right size.
Thanks,
Kay
Foothill Quilters Guild, Auburn, CA, USA.
Hi Kay. You are more than welcome to use my quilt block pattern – as long as you credit my website for it. I’m glad that my pattern was the right size. I’ll have a think and see if I can come up with any other quilt blocks with ‘choice’ in the name. Good luck with your block of the month.
Love your tutorials am in sunny Queensland Australia. you have been a great help in my learning to make quilts
Thanks, Irena. I’m glad the patterns have helped. rose
Dear Rose,
Easter greetings and blessings to you and all your family. It will be so nice to have them all home at once.
Hope you weather has improved slightly, we are not quite so hot any more as we are now well into autumn and so far this weekend has been very wet – hooray. We are desperate for the rain as all the farm dams have started to drop fast and will not see the local farmers [well by our standards ranches really] through the winter to come.
Fond wishes
Joan
Hi Joan. Thanks for your kind wishes. We are having sunny but cold days at the moment, which suit me fine. Have a lovely Easter. Rose