- I would like to thank Skillshare for sponsoring this video. Are you less than happy with your free motion quilting results? Do you have creases and
puckers in your quilt and you just want to rip it all out? Here are 8 common mistakes
that quilters make when quilting on their
domestic sewing machine and some tips to help you prevent them. So, stick with me and I'll
show you how to do it. (upbeat music) Hi, I'm Karen Brown of
Just Get it Done Quilts. I give you tips, tricks and strategies to help you make the quilt
that you want to make. And if you like what you see please hit that subscribe button. The quilting part of making
a quilt is challenging not just in physically managing the quilt but in managing our expectations
on how much to prepare, how much time to take and
what results are acceptable? So, let's go through 8
foundational mistakes and how to fix them. (upbeat music) We finished the quilt top and now we have this burst of momentum from our sense of accomplishment only to realise that
we're only halfway done. Not only is making the
quilt sandwich a huge pivot in skills from piecing the top, it's also fiddly and fussy but it's the foundation for your quilting. You can have the best piecing and free motion quilting
skills in the world, but if you don't make the effort to make a good quilt sandwich
so the 3 layers are flat and move evenly through your machine, you'll have creases in your quilt. There are several ways
to make a quilt sandwich and I've already made a video about them. If you haven't watched my video on six ways to make a quilt sandwich, I'll leave a link in notes below. (upbeat music) It might seem like a time-waster, but take the time to plan your quilting so that it compliments your quilt top. This clear shower curtain is from my dollar store hacks part two. Through taking the time to plan, not only will you think of ideas that you may not have
originally thought of to highlight your PC, but you might also discover that you have a specialty block or two that you want to draw attention to or a place for secondary designs, or you might discover
that your original idea is too difficult for your skill level or it will demand way more
time than you want to take. I have also made a video on 10 fast and easy quilting designs and I'll leave a link in
the notes to that as well. You also want to plan
the way that your quilt is going to move through
your sewing machine harp so that you can minimise the times that you need to turn your quilt. Less turning, less hard on your quilt, less hard on your body. (upbeat music) To avoid puckers in your quilt, you want to move from one side
of your quilt to the other or from the middle out towards the edges. Your quilt sandwich has three layers. And even if you've made
a perfect quilt sandwich, these three layers like to move
through your sewing machine at different rates, which
can create a surge in bulk. And you want to control that bulk by flowing it out towards the edges. So, initially it may seem easier
to do all the borders first or get to the end and
just spin the quilt around and quilt back, but you'll
end up with an excess of your quilt top in the middle or these kinds of ridges as you quilt back and forth. (upbeat music) Again, practising can
seem like a waste of time. You might think that you
know what you're going to do or that you've done it before, or you're just doing straight lines, how hard could that be? It's amazing what you discover
on your practise pieces. Not only does it warm up
those muscle memory skills you'll see if you have tension issues, see how your thread colour works, you'll find out if you need
a new needle or a larger size plus it can remind you to do things like change to your walking
foot or your embroidery foot, put on your quilting gloves, get more lighting, adjust your machine, clear items out of your
work area and more. (upbeat music) Not sitting properly
takes a toll on your body, which means you tire easily and that will affect the
quality of your quilting. Not only should your seat be adjusted so that there's a 90 degree
angle at your elbows, hips and knees, your core
muscles should be engaged, which means your neck is long, your collarbones are broad
and your ribs are knitted. We think that quilting
is all about the arms but if you can engage
your core while you quilt not only will it be easier on your body but you'll have finer
control over your movements, which means your accuracy will improve. And definitely use gloves, they provide this friction so the quilt top is so
much easier to handle. These are official quilting gloves and they have tacky fingers. But I also use these ones which
I bought from the dollar store. See my Dollar Store Sewing Hacks Part 1. (upbeat music) Quilting videos that you see on YouTube are most often sped up. I do it on my own channel because it's just not that interesting to watch quilting at a regular speed. So, when we sit down to quilt our brains are trained to think that times 8 or times 20 is normal and we rushed to match what we see online. So, slow down. When you are practising, find that rate that you are comfortable at and your hand placement can move easily. When straight line quilting there's also a tendency to push your quilt through the machine, that can lead to the
ridges between the rows. I know it gets tedious to stop and reset your quilt all the time so that it can feed through evenly. But that leads to the next mistake. (upbeat music) End of your quilt project
is so near you can taste it. If you just burn the midnight oil it will all be done and you
can check it off the list. Sound familiar? I personally have been
guilty of this many times and I am currently ripping out some less than stellar results of that. Quilting while tired leads to
mistakes and uneven results. And if you're not maintaining good posture quite likely a trip to the
chiropractor when you're done. So, take your time. Not just slow down, pace
yourself, take breaks, reset your quilt, take breaks to adjust your posture and have a drink of water, take breaks to stand up and stretch. It might take 2 to 3 times which you first initially thought it would but the results will be worth it. Before we get to the last point, let me tell you about Skillshare. Skillshare is an online learning community that offers membership with meaning. Skillshare offers thousands
of inspiring classes for creative and curious people on topics including illustration,
design, photography, video freelancing and more. Skillshare classes include a
combination of video lessons and a class project and best of all, Skillshare has
classes to fit your schedule and skill level. You can learn and grow with short classes that fit the short blocks
of time in your busy day, whether you watch on your morning commute, your lunch hour or in a waiting room. Skillshare is also extremely affordable especially when compared to
in-person classes and workshops and annual subscription
is less than $10 a month. Members get unlimited access to thousands of inspiring
classes with hands-on projects and feedback from a community of millions. The first 1000 of my subscribers to click on the link in
the description below will get a free trial
of Skillshare premium. (upbeat music) It is so easy to see the flaws and the less than perfect curves and points as you look at
them from six inches away or when you're working on a
high contrast practise piece. The quilting is judged on the whole quilt from five pieces back or across the room. Look at this mistake, can you see it now? Or how about this mistake? It disappears. And did you notice that these
two patterns don't even match? Once you get your binding
on so much is forgiven. So, it's important to
be patient with yourself as you practise and your skills improve. Some of you might know that I recently purchased a long arm and you might be thinking
that I no longer need to worry about making these mistakes, though handling the quilt
is easier with a long arm you still need a flat quilt sandwich, you still need to plan,
prepare and practise, have good posture,
progress through the quilt, pace not race and be
patient with your progress. How's that for alliteration? And one more, I promise that these
foundational steps yield results, it just takes time. On Karen's Quilt Circle this week, I have Wendy Chow of The Weekend Quilter and we are speaking about
finding your quilting community. It's a great interview, so I'll leave a link
down in the notes below. If you liked this video,
please give it a thumbs up, don't forget to subscribe and hit that bell beside
the subscribe button so that YouTube will notify
you when I make new videos. You can also find me on
Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest at Just Get it Done Quilts. And of course, sign up for my newsletter at justgetitdonequilts.com. So, take care and I'll see you next time. (bright music)
