FAQ

What kind of sewing machine do you use?

I have a Kenmore 18221. I do all my piecing, quilting, and any other sewing project on this machine. I don't have a longarm or a quilting frame, and I don't send my quilts out to be quilted for me. It's all done on this baby. I call him Channing Tatum (you know, the actor?) because my husband thinks I'm having an affair with my sewing machine :). I would highly recommend this machine to any beginner learning how to quilt, and also to the advanced quilter looking for a good machine at a low price. It's made by the same people who make Janome (the highest rated machine in the U.S.) so that should give you some indication of how much of a great value it is.

EDIT - As of March of this year, I acquired a Janome Memory Craft 6300. It's really amazing, and I'm so glad I made this investment. Don't get me wrong, I loved my Kenmore, but I feel like I wasn't challenging myself enough and rising to my full potential. The MC 6300 gives me so many options with applique, binding, and decorative stitching, plus little features like the auto-thread cutter, which saves me so much time!  

What kind of batting do you use?

Warm and White and Warm and Natural from the Warm company. I use warm and white for smaller projects (i.e. table runners, wall hangings, etc.) and Warm and Natural for baby quilts, lap quilts, etc. It's a great, low loft batting, easy to piece together, plus the Warm and Natural has no dyes, fillers, or perfumes which I LOVE. I buy it at Joann's with a coupon, and have been considering buying it by the roll (40 yards). It would be a much better value and would save me trips across town to the store.

EDIT - I recently just bought my first 40-yard roll of batting, and I love it! It saves me so much time, having it right on hand, and I don't have to drive 20 minutes one way to buy packaged batting, and I'm saving a ton of $$$ by buying it in bulk! Love it!

How much fabric do you buy for your stash at a time?

I buy A LOT of pre-cuts. Charm packs, jelly rolls, layer cakes, etc. They give me a great color selection and are a lot cheaper than buying it by the yard. But I do buy some fabrics by the yard - background fabrics like muslin, Moda marble fabrics, or if there is a great sale on something I'll buy a yard or two of the fabric.

Where do you get your thread?

I buy the majority of my thread from Connecting Threads. I love their product! At only 2.49 a spool it is a GREAT value, and it's the big 1200 yard spools! I have also bought hand quilting thread from Joann's, and some multi-color thread from Heavenly Stitches, LLC.

What fabric do you use for the backrounds in your quilts?

Normally, I use muslin or Moda Bella Solids, or Moda Marble fabrics. I usually buy a lot of it at a time. The bella solids and the marble fabrics can be found in the pre-cut fabrics from Ebay, and muslin tends to be pretty cost-effective.

Do you pre-wash?

I only pre-wash flannel. I don't pre-wash 100% cotton, and I really don't want to debate it :) lol!

What do you do with your quilts?

I have never made one for myself. Although I've been meaning to for awhile, I make quilts for family, friends, and I've been attempting to sell some on Etsy.

EDIT - I just recently made my first quilt that I will be keeping! I'm so glad I decided to keep it, and it now rests on my quilt rack at home :).

How do you wash/dry your quilts?

I have a front loading washer, which makes washing my quilts a lot easier. I wash them in cold water with Gain detergent. I then dry them on high heat with a fabric softener sheet.

Have you taken any quilting classes?

Not yet, but I would love to. I'm mostly self-taught through YouTube, other blogs, and books.

I want to start quilting, but I don't know where to begin. What do you suggest?

These are two books I would recommend if you've never quilted before. The Quilting Answer book as an answer for every question you could ever think of, and a solution for every problem you could ever have. I bought it from Half.com. 1-2-3 Quilt offers some really easy beginner projects, and some great tutorials on binding, piecing, and quilting your quilt. I bought this book from Jo-ann Fabrics, and it can be found on their website.

Do you have any tips for stippling?

Yes. If you plan to stipple, use a darning foot, and make sure you have a straight stitch plate on top of your feed dogs. I don't do a lot of stippling, mostly because I like the structure of the straight lines, but it's nice to do on baby quilts. Another thing to remember is to practice, practice, practice. I'm still practicing, and I'm sure once I perfect it I'll do it more often.

EDIT - I recently discovered the new-fangled invention called a longarm quilting machine! I LOVE it! I'm so glad I started quilting this way, and I will be quilting all my projects this way from now on! I highly recommend using this method!

How do you find so much time to quilt?

Well, I'm a student at the community college, and I don't work, so whenever I have a free moment, I do a little here and a little there. Although I have been trying to cut back on the weekends to give some much needed attention to my wonderful hubby :).

Where do you buy your fabric?

I buy all of my quilter's cotton from a local quilt shop. I also buy all my pre-cuts from Ebay. I don't buy any quilter's cotton from Jo-ann's. I've found that either the fabric is so cheap and it falls apart, or it's so over-priced and not worth what they're selling it for. I highly recommend going to a local shop and I try to buy Moda and other high quality fabric.


I think that pretty much covers everything. If you have any questions just leave a comment, send me a message, or email me at skippitydodahquilts@yahoo.com

Happy quilting!