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…So, Christina and I are hard at work on our book. We’re finalizing our chapter on basic tips and techniques.
And this got us thinking about all the craft books on our respective shelves, and all the “basics” chapters in them, and how often they seem to cover a lot of the same ground. So, we thought we’d ask you: in a quilting book specifically, what tips and techniques would you like to see? What stuff have you already seen too much of? And what’s been missing from the books you already own?
Feel free to comment on Christina’s post (where there are already some awesome suggestions), or here. We really appreciate your input!
As one who has done 3 small patchwork projects (but is scared of ‘big’ patchwork projects), here are my thoughts:
* When is it OK to fudge a little, if ever? I feel like sewing books tend to say what MUST happen, but there’s no grace anywhere for those of us who like to bend the rules and are OK with less-than-perfect MStewart results. Maybe just a simple “if you don’t do this, this will happen” so I can decide if I really need to get so worked up over a certain step.
* In the same vein: are there shortcuts that are perhaps not as orthodox, but still get the job done? I’m thinking of hand tying as opposed to paying for a quilting machine or special foot for my sewing machine, or ‘cheater’s quilt binding’, etc.
* How do you get the seams and the points to chill out and be flat?
* Are there tricks to matching up edges, etc.?
* Must I buy quilting pins and other special equipment? or are there substitutes that suffice for beginners who aren’t sure if they’re ready to invest in all the quilting gear?
* I like to break the rules with crafting/creating, but it’s still nice to know them. What are some general rules of thumb in terms of picking fabrics (cotton/poly/silk/etc., pattern repeat sizes, colorways, and so on)?
Thanks for the opportunity to share Qs! Looking forward to seeing the end product!
My mom was an incredibly talented quilter, and sadly, I’d didn’t learn as much from her as I should have when she was still around. My quilting skills are elementary at best, but I’d love to learn:
– How to properly put the front on the back of a quilt while keeping it all straight. I do this haphazardly and end up with uneven quilts. (I see Juliette has the same suggestion.)
– I mostly make tie quilts. I know there’s a technique where you can do French knots instead and keep the string ends inside the quilt. I’ve had a difficult time finding instructions on doing this.
– How to applique the good ol’ fashioned way (without the use of adhesives or cheesy short-cuts).
Looking forward to the book!
How about a tutorial on how to use a seam ripper? Acknowledging that we all make mistakes and showing how to fix them! I don’t think I have ever seen a seam ripper lesson and it is not totally intuitive how it is best to use it. It is easy to distort carefully cut quilt pieces by pulling on them as you seam rip.
Good lord, I’d kill for decent images + words of how to do a freakin mitred corner!!
When I saw your post on twitter, I immediately thought thread. It is funny that you have a photo of thread on this post. I am a picky, you know that. But your choice of thread can really determine the longevity of the quilt.
In my beginner days I would skip steps or not follow the directions (a good way to learn the hard way and ruin things), because there was never an explanation as to the why of certain steps. It doesn’t have to be super lengthy, but some sort of why is a good idea. I suppose the thread is a good example: in addition to giving a good smooth seamline, having thread with relatively similar strength to the fabric, it won’t saw through the fibres of the fabric.
As a rule, with any craft book or cook book, there should be a decent reference section that will make me want to keep the book after I have done all of the projects in the book. I like a book to have somethings for the beginner, but also pushes me a bit out of my comfort zone with some more advanced techniques.
I often skip the basic how-to section unless I’m looking for a beginner-friendly gift. But, like many commenting on Christina’s post, when I made my first quilt I searched high and low for more information on how to square up my blocks. Particularly my blocks that turned out to be slight rhombuses – while each side was the correct measurement they were not square.
The pros and cons of various methods to get something done would also be nice (ex. tying versus quilting or bias binding versus straight-grain versus fold-over).
Creative friends and I recently had a conversation about how irritating it is to come across what looks like a great project/DIY book only to find that sometimes the entire first third of it is just covering the very, very basics (“this is a spool of thread….thread is used to sew…” argh!?). If a book is billed as a beginner’s how-to, then this might work, but otherwise it really feels like dumbing down. This is why we have moved more and more away from the U.S. books and over to the Japanese ones. Those are slim books but have lots of great photos and illustrations so understandable that one not need to know the language. They seem to assume a certain level of skill/understanding and don’t fill up so much of the book with what amounts to a course in sewing 101. Just my two cents. Thanks for thinking about this and asking for input.
I couldn’t agree with you more there, Elizabeth! In fact, we had some conversation about the merits of Japanese craft books over U.S. ones here a while back: http://www.craftypod.com/2010/01/11/japanese-craft-books-vs-us-craft-books-your-thoughts/
I agree that, with the web, there’s plenty of 101 information out there. It’s time for craft books to do what they can do well, which is go deeper into techniques and design ideas.
I never read “basics” sections of books. I think it’s much more helpful to do a tip box with the project that give “basics” information. Skip the basics and add a couple of extra projects.
Diane, What a fantabulous question and what thorough responses. I will simply add my vote to skipping the “intro 101 stuff” from a book – I will actually NOT purchase a craft book that has too large an intro section, because I feel like I am wasting money. Even if I really want the second half of the book, which is sad. Every craft book tries to re-invent the wheel.
Crisp photos and well-labeled diagrams are crucial.
I’d love tips and tricks on how to cut fabric, stitch together, and what cuts can then be made to create various sorts of patterns. Like sewing strips, then cutting in a certain fashion, and then sewing together again.
I have the most trouble with getting pieces to “line up” evenly.
I’d also like some tips on cutting large pieces of fabric.
Thank you for asking!!!
I have to disagree with suggestions to not include the basics, but that really depends on who your audience is for the book. Are you hoping that it will be relevant for everyone who ever picked up a needle and thread? in which case the basics should be there; or is it more geared towards people who know what they’re doing and now need more indepth techniques or patterns?
Personally, I know my way around the basics but if I come across a really well-written book, with plenty of illustrations, I’ll give myself a refresh course. And that’s key – well written basics can be interesting all over again. But I’m sure you guys will have no problem with writing style!
For me the most interesting part of any quilting book is the techniques and it took me AGES to find one that properly illustrated the techniques I was lacking. I love to work freehand from the patterns in my head so I’m never interested in patterns in books and tend to skip over them, only glancing at them to look for more techniques within the pattern.
But yeah, it depends on who your eventual audience is for the book!
Hi – I hope its okay to mention something here that isn’t about quilting tips or techniques but is a hopeful suggestion for the book. I do hope you will consider offering it in both print and ebook format. When it comes to books about sewing, painting, decor, etc. I find I like to purchase a print version for home (expecially if it contains patterns or templats) but also an ebook for when I’m commuting on the bus and so forth. I really like to have my virtual library of goodies like these with me so during a commute or wait for an appointment I have easy access to inspiration!
Thanks for the suggestion, Elizabeth! I’d bet that Potter Craft does plan to release our book in digital form eventually. It’s taken a few years for Kanzashi in Bloom to come out in ebook form (next month!), but hopefully it won’t take that long with this book.