Celebrate National Quilting Month by bringing out your favorite charm squares, jelly rolls, and sandwiches! Whether you’re creating for friends and family or your small business, we’ve put together a few fun ideas for projects you can quilt next.
Wall Hanging
Decorating new office spaces or livening up current homes is easy with wall hangings. Projects like these are perfect because you can create smaller designs than quilts and use them for seasonal purposes. With the ability to create on a large or small scale, you can try new techniques like adding embellishments and accents (for example, cording) that you wouldn’t have thought of using before. This project is excellent for when holidays and birthdays come around since it can brighten up any room, from a nursing home to your kid’s college dorm.
Accessories like the Couching Foot are perfect when creating wall hangings. They allow you to add three-dimensional textures to your projects, bringing in an extra element that will make your design pop. Use decorative threads like yarn and cord or other thicker threads that don’t fit your needle.
Pillows
Pillows are great for many reasons:
You can create beautiful personalized décor and treat pillows like a small sample for a quilt idea you have by making that one block you need. A pillow allows you the freedom of creation like a quilt, with less fabric and space required.
You can treat pillows as an add-on to your quilts and create matching or complementary designs.
Creating simple add-ons like pillows is a great way to increase your revenue if you have a small business.
Look into an accessory like theGlide Foot when creating décor like pillows. This foot can help you glide along with applique, and other three-dimensional textures, allowing you to get creative and add more personalization to your projects.
Table Top Décor
Have holidays motivated you to create new table runners? Have the seasons changed, and do you want to brighten up your home for spring? Table décor is a great way to bring color to your home! Create pieces like table toppers, table runners, dresser décor, storage covers, and so much more. Perfect for protecting your furniture while bringing in color and a theme to your rooms, these patterns are great for anyone who wants a touch of color in their home.
If you want to add fun shapes and lines to your designs, look into quilting rulers like our JUKI Ruler Set. You can create different textures from straight lines to circles and waves and bring your designs to life.
Totes, Pouches, and More!
Bring your artwork outside your home by creating beautiful travel gear! Show off your quilting skills by creating pieces that can hold your money, electronics, or clothing. Work in matching sets like wallets and handbags or traveling sets like make-up bags and carrier totes to brighten up your trips. The possibilities are endless when it comes to hitting the road with your creations.
Tools like Grip and Stitch are great to have one hand when you’re quilting those detailed projects. They make free-motion quilting fun and easy and allow you to easily add on fun designs like spirals, feathers, and more.
Quilts and More Quilts
Whether your project was created for comfort and lounging, or décor that can bring in bright colors, quilts will never be out of style. Quilts can be so versatile when we step outside of the box. Decorate your home by placing quilts on racks and ladders, use them to upholster chairs and love seats, toss them on white couches for pops of colors. Whether you’re using them for comfort or because the pattern was just suitable for your aesthetic, you can never go wrong with creating a quilt.
Look into extension poles when quilting more significant projects for a more effortless and more fun experience! By adding extension poles, you can easily design quilts from twin to king-size on your stand-up quilting machine like the Miyabi J-350QVP.
While quilts may have started off as a necessity in the past, they’ve become their own form of artwork for current generation quilters. So branch out and try your skill in new quilting projects like the ones mentioned above the next time you start on a new project! What are your favorite inventive ways to use your quilts?
Have you been dreaming of a quilt idea, but you’re not sure how to bring it to life? At JUKI, we want to help you elevate your quilting skills, which comes with learning how to create your own quilt patterns and designs. So we created a base for you to start with different methods to make a pattern and applications that can assist.
Start from the Beginning
Before we can dive into creating a pattern, let’s touch base on the creative process it takes to get there. One of the best things you can do is begin a design journal, where you can jot down notes, attach scraps of fabrics, place photos, and more that will lead you to create the design you’re imagining.
Learn to upload your ideas into a digital surface. You can redraw and clean up your designs from their sketch versions here. Create a library and label it with a title like ‘New Patterns’ to keep up with your ideas. With this digital organization, you can keep a hold on pattern ideas and add touches as inspiration comes until you have a quilt design you’re ready to work with and bring to life.
If this is your first time designing a quilt, and a blank page seems daunting, lean into the power of self-imposed limitations. Create with quilt size in mind, limit yourself to fabrics already in your arsenal, hold yourself to only using 6 fat quarters. When you start off, creating limits on designs creates a constraint on specific variables, allowing those free variables to make you think outside the box and design quilts you wouldn’t have created otherwise.
Breaking Down A Quilt
Let’s begin by breaking up the layout.
Look at your design and find the repeating elements. Here is where we’ll start forming the blocks. Figuring out your blocks is usually an easy process; however, working more towards modern or complicated patterns can be more challenging. When you first start creating your patterns, start with repetition and begin building your blocks for the quilt and pattern from there.
As you design your quilt, figure out the arrangement style you plan to work with. While some block designs need to be in even numbers for the quilt to come out right, other times you can create symmetric blocks that allow you to use either odd or even numbers. Remember that patterns can be built with one size in mind or edited for different size options. If you’re someone who plans to sell their patterns, customers look favorably upon having the option to choose sizes.
Once you’ve determined the design and size of your quilt, you can choose between adding borders or not. Borders are an excellent addition for multiple reasons; cleaner finish, more breathing space when creating, or as an addition to the size of your quilt pattern. Depending on your design, you can widen or tighten the border size and allow those who use your pattern the option to decide what best fits them.
Keep in mind that a quilt block size averages 6″ to 18″. You have the option to create other shapes like triangles, rectangles, and more if you want to venture away from traditional squares.
Guidelines for Pattern Creating
Now that we have a design idea, we can begin writing instructions. As you start creating the instructions and erasing and creating some more, you’ll begin to build an instruction guide that others can follow along with. Here are some things to keep in mind when writing out your pattern instructions.
Who is this pattern being marketed to?
Break down your pattern and think about who will be trying to follow along. New quilters will need more instructions than advanced quilters that don’t need much detail. Keep this in mind as you add instructions, tips, and illustrations to your work.
Instructions
Patterns don’t usually have instructions on basic techniques, like baste, quilt, and bind. Still, it usually includes instructions for advanced techniques like binding corners and adding curved piecing. To keep patterns from being overfilled with instructions, you can include links to videos and blogs that dive deeper into specific techniques.
Keep A Pattern Piece Library
Your first pattern creation might be complex, but once you have a few under your belt, you’ll find that it’s easy to re-use previous patterns when creating new ones. If you keep up with past projects and use them as foundations for new ones, you’ll save time, and your patterns will begin advancing.
Be Consistent
If you’re writing patterns to share with others, make sure to be consistent in quilting terms. When it comes time to patent your patterns if you’re choosing to sell, not having the correct terms can cause you to lose the patent. The consistent format also includes focusing on writing your measurements, quilting terminology, and your action and verb tenses. Keep in mind to label your fabric pieces, like Fabric A and Fabric B, so that the instructions are easy to follow.
Breakdown the Quilt Measurements
Now that we’ve moved on to instructions, math is the most crucial factor. Follow along as we go over a quilt example to show you an easy way to calculate your quilt squares and cutting requirements.
Step 1: Quilt block and Cutting instructions
Let’s begin by breaking down the block into its individual components. Our example quilt comprises a 3 x 3 arrangement of components.
Let’s break down these pieces further! Include pieces like HST components here.
You are now at the individual fabric pieces if you’re creating a simple quilt like we’re showing here. However, if your designs are more complex and have more components, keep breaking it down until you’ve hit every piece you need for each block.
Now that we know the individual pieces needed let’s multiply the fabric pieces per block and place that in its own column. Our example quilt will have 12 blocks in a 3×4 block placement, so we will multiply by 12. Once you’ve calculated how many blocks you’ll need, your last column should showcase how many fabric pieces you’ll need for the project in total.
Now that we have the pieces planned for our quilt, let’s move on to creating cutting instructions.
A. Charm Squares: 24 are used as-is for making the HSTs (6” x 6”) and 12 trimmed for the centers of each block (5 ½” x 5 ½”).
B. Minimum background fabric required:
1. Figure out how many pieces can be cut from a single width of fabric (WOF) strip for each of the fabric pieces:
Dividing 50” (our assumed WOF) by 5 ½” you get 9.09 so round down to 9. You can get 9 squares 5 ½” x 5 ½” from each 5 ½” x WOF strip.
Dividing 50” by 6” you get 8.333 so round down to 8. You can get 8 squares 6” x 6” from each 6” x WOF strip.
2. Divide the number of fabric pieces needed by the number of pieces you can get per strip to figure out how many strips are required.
Our example pattern requires 48 background squares (5 ½” x 5 ½”) and you can get 9 squares per strip so 48/9 = 5.333 which rounds out to 5. In this case, to cut 48 squares, you will need 5 strips of 5 ½” x WOF.
Our example pattern also requires 24 squares for the HSTs (6” x 6”) and you can get 8 squares per strip so 24/8 = 3. To cut 24 squares (6” x 6”), you will need 3 strips of 6” x WOF.
Step 2: Let’s Add a Border!
A finished quilt looks great with a border! Let’s go over how to figure out the strips you’ll need for the border.
Here’s how to figure out your yardage for the side borders:
# of blocks x-height of blocks (unfinished) – ½ times [# of blocks -1]
To create the top and bottom borders, use this equation:
Quilt top width + side border thickness + the side border thickness – 1″ (for seam allowances).
Step 3: Find The Yardage For The Quilt Top
To calculate the yardage of background fabric needed, multiply the number of strips times the thickness of the strips for all of the strip sizes you use.
Step 4: Include Binding Fabric Measurements
Calculate the binding fabric (for a straight grain), by adding up the lengths of the 4 sides and adding 10″ of safe space before dividing by the width of fabric.
Step 5: Don’t forget the Backing!
This is a simple measurement; we recommend adding an 8″ overhang, 4″ on each side, to your quilt top width. This is basic for all quilts and what’s usually required by quilters. The best thing to keep in mind is that programs available on your phone and computer can assist with calculating these measurements. For example, Robert Kaufman has a free mobile app to calculate borders, binding, backing, and more.
Let’s Create Our Pattern Sheet
Once you’ve finalized the sizing needed and the designs you’ll create, we can begin putting together a physical pattern. There are programs available to quilters that can help you create patterns. Whether you choose to use programs you might already have, like Microsoft, or invest in higher-tech ones like EQ7 or EQ8, we broke down a few you can look into.
Design and Pattern Layout Programs
Microsoft PowerPoint: This program can be found in most electronics and is universally used. It’s great for the basics when starting off and is very user-friendly. The only setbacks are aligning blocks can be complex, and vector images aren’t accepted.
Electric Quilt (EQ8): This is an excellent program for editing quilts, and it allows you to break down quilt designs so that you can export portions at a time. However, it is challenging to create HST’s and can result in low-quality images in the export process.
Adobe Illustrator: This program is perfect for those that enjoy advanced artwork. You can create vector images and obtain high-resolution photos, and there’s an extensive resource library available for any learning curve. The cons of this program is that it does come with a fee of around $20 per month.
Adobe Indesign: This program is best for pattern layouts and offers the most professional quality. Like Illustrator, it does come with a monthly fee and learning curve.
Corel Draw: Perfect pattern designing and layouts, Corel Draw allows you to create art, export in vector files for high-quality images, and hit a lower cost point.
Images and Graphics to Include
Illustrations:
Cutting: if you have an efficient way to cut, include how in the instructions
Block Piecing: The majority of your illustrations will show the pieces assembled together. We recommend starting from the finished block and breaking down from there.
Quilt Top Assembly: Showcase how the blocks go together into the quilt top.
Optional: Include how the backing is pieced, bonus tips, and templates.
Text:
Introduction/notes: Describe the pattern, inspiration mentions, and more.
Material requirements: List all material requirements, including sizing.
Cutting: Include the calculations and measurements needed for cutting.
Block assembly: Walkthrough creating the blocks and assembling the quilt.
Quilt top assembly: Walk through the instructions of piecing the blocks together and assembling the quilt.
Finishing: Walk through the backing, binding, batting, and more instructions.
When you’ve completed creating a pattern, creating a PDF file is the last step. This file format is the most commonly sold in pattern networks and is the easiest to access across platforms.
Get To Testing!
Lastly, before selling your pattern creations, it’s time to go through some trial testing. Share this pattern with trusted friends and family members who can review your work and provide feedback. Request that they confirm the measurements were correct, that the pattern was readable and that they’re able to follow, and more. Use this as an opportunity to spruce up your creation for potential buyers. Then, build the pattern yourself and see what could be added or removed in your work.
Time to Publish!
Once you’ve triple-checked your pattern and decided it’s time to publish, take time to determine how you’re going to sell and where. Digital PDFs are the easiest to share and sell online, and printed patterns can be sold at markets, shows/events, and local quilt shops. Look into E-shops like Etsy and Craftsy when starting off your online shop, and if you choose to go physical, contact your local artisan markets and quilt shops for possible sale opportunities.
When was the last time you gave your machine some TLC? Today we’re going to go over some general tips on how to keep your sewing machine maintained and ready to sew! If your machine needs a deep cleaning, take it to a nearby sewing machine technician.
Let’s start with the basics: cleaning, oiling, and changing the needle.
External Cleaning
The best place to start cleaning is the outside of your machine. Turn all power off and unplug your machine before removing the needle and presser foot. This is a safety precaution to save you from being pricked.
Grab a microfiber cloth and dampen just a little and get to work! Stay away from using any harsh chemicals on your machine or solvents. We recommend a small amount of dissolved detergent or dish soap if you find a stain that won’t come out.
For those hard-to-reach spaces, we recommend using your craft pipe cleaner. It’s best to do this at a slow pace to avoid unnecessary damage to your machine, especially near a spot with wires. This way, you can avoid bending or wrongly adjusting anything.
Internal Cleaning
Once the outside of your machine is looking clean, let’s move on to the needle plate area. While each machine is different, your manuals will display how to remove your needle plate. If you find yourself without a physical manual, remember JUKI places digital manuals on our websites.
Begin by removing the screws from your needle plate using a T-shape screwdriver. Next, place the screws somewhere safe and secure. We don’t want to lose any!
Once you have removed the needle plate and secured your screws, it’s time to dust! Here we recommend using the brush your machine comes with or grabbing that craft pipe cleaner to remove the lint and dust. If you find any loose threads, use your tweezer to capture those stray strands slowly.
*Never use canned air on your machine. This will cause dirt and lint to be pushed further into your machine rather than clean it.*
Once you’ve dusted the general area, it’s time to focus on your bobbin area. Your first step is to remove the bobbin case and shuttle hook. Once that’s removed, you’ll be able to clean the space behind it where lint and dust fall. Remember to be gentle in the process, your machine has many parts and tricks, and it’s best to go slow and easy when cleaning.
Our best recommendation is to service your machine regularly. A professional sewing machine technician will safely clean out those spots you might have missed and access parts we wouldn’t recommend doing yourself.
Needle Plate & Bobbin Area for DX-4000QVP
Oiling
The first thing to know about oiling is not all machines will need it. The best place to find your answer is in your manual. Remember, if you find yourself with a lost manual, JUKI uploads our machine manuals on our website!
Something to keep in mind is that non-computerized machines, like our TL series, need regular oiling. However, our machines like the DX series are computerized and self-lubricating, so you do not need oil.
We recommend checking out our video here for maintenance and lubrication knowledge for our TL series.
If your machine requires oiling, your JUKI machine will come with a plastic container of sewing machine oil. You can also purchase this from your local sewing machine shops. Remember, your manual is your best friend! Requirements on where and how can be found there when it comes time to oil. We recommend applying one drop of oil to each arrow point shown above for every 4 to 8 hours of sewing. Use machine oil (New Defrix Oil No. 1) or similar supplied with the machine.
Changing the Needle
One of the most important things you can do is change your needle. Needles can dull, get bent, and become damaged, and it’s one of the most significant factors in your machine performance. We recommend changing your needle every 8 hours of usage or starting a new project.
A tip to keep in mind is that the flat side of the needle will usually face away from you on our DX series machines and face towards the right on our TL machines. Recommend checking your manual. Always confirm that your needle is pushed up and that your screw is tightened to secure the needle in place.
Remember, depending on your project and fabrics is how you choose your needle. You want to make sure you’re using the right one for the job between different types of needles and sizes. This will lower the chances of needle breakage and machine error. Things to consider when choosing your needle are the fabric type, project idea, and thread.
When it comes to maintaining your machines, it’s best to take your time and go slow. If you’re ever in doubt about how to clean your machine, visit us on our JUKI Home Sewing Youtube page here.
You’ll be able to find maintenance videos on many of our machines and more! Don’t forget to stay tuned as we continue to launch new videos on JUKI machines and more.
Where do you start when you find yourself interested in a new hobby? You start looking up everything that has to do with it. You scroll through blogs, watch videos on YouTube to learn techniques and projects, and Pinterest becomes an obsession. Now, what do you do when it’s time to start? We have the answers for that!
Explore your options
The world of sewing and quilting is not singular. There are so many ways to immerse yourself; exploring different genres of sewing is something we recommend people should think about first.
Are you someone who thrives off fashion? Look into learning clothing construction! From creating one-of-a-kind swimsuits to beautiful dresses, the world of sewists who focus on creating personalized looks is a niche in itself. Make adding details easy with presser feet that are versatile for projects that require zippers or piping. Look into machines for fashion like the JUKI HZL-F600, which helps you create garments from start to finish. Fashion has no rules, and its purpose is to make you feel great in what you wear.
If you’re someone who enjoys interior decorating, look into sewing for home décor! Creating custom curtains, table runners, ottomans, and fabric ornament is easy with the TL-2010Q! This machine can handle thicker, heavier materials. Accessories like a piping foot and gathering foot can bring a sense of personalization to pieces like curtains or pillows! Learn about textiles and fabrics like velvet or leather that are durable for home use but still handle beautifully and bring comfort to your space.
One category that is a beloved hobby is quilting! A family tradition, quilting is perfect for those that want to create art on a different type of canvas. It’s a magnificent way to immerse yourself in various fabrics and textures and allows you to have free range in what you can create. A machine like the Haruka TL-18QVP is perfect for beginners. Built like our industrial machines, it can handle heavy fabrics well and has settings for regular sewing as well when you decide to venture out from quilts. Since traditional quilts are made with three layers, you’ll need to learn about pieced tops, insulation fabrics, and backing fabrics. Look into wadding fabrics for your insulation layer like polyester wadding or cotton/poly to keep the warmth. For backing fabric, look into a popular option, such as quilting cotton.
Upcycle
Personalization and recycling old clothing is something that everyone loves to do. If you’re someone who enjoys embroidery and personalization look into machines like the Ricoh Ri 100 or Tajima Sai. They’re easy to use for beginners who want to add graphics to pre-loved garments. Whether you’re printing images you’ve created onto clothing or embroidering your brand logo onto hats, anyone can feel welcomed to the world of sewing through the vast options of what you can do.
Take a class!
Once you have an idea of what kind of sewing you want to go into, look around for sewing classes and expos in your area! The best way to learn is to dive into the community of people that have been doing this for centuries. Check out your local sewing machine shop for classes near you! Also, check out JUKI’s page for training and in-store classes.
Fashion Designer In Studio
Visit your local dealers!
When it’s time to take your place in the sewing world, visit your local shops that sell sewing machines, accessories, fabrics, and more. Those in the community who work in these shops are a great resource when you’re learning. They offer information on the best sewing machine for you and your projects. Also, these experts can provide you with options on fabrics for your projects and can set you up with the tools for success. Don’t forget! Many locations that sell sewing and quilting machines offer classes as well, and there’s no better way to learn than to hang out with the professionals.
If you’re interested in sewing or quilting, take the time today to figure out what you want to create! It’ll bring you one step closer to the fun part: bringing your vision to life!
Welcome JUKI Lovers to a new book we enjoy! The “Urban Quilting: Quilt patterns for the Modern-Day Home” by Wendy Chow is one of our new book recommendations for beginners and experts alike. Each of the 10 quilt patterns has detailed instructions for making quilts in different sizes. The book is beginner-friendly and has everything you need to know to get started in creating beautiful quilts.
Wendy Chow, an Aussie modern quilter and pattern designer based in New York, focuses on bold, unique color combinations and geometric shapes inspired by architecture, interior design, and nature. From the age of four, Wendy was transfixed by sewing, but it was not until high school where she began her quilting journey. Using quilting as an escape from the real world, Wendy created quilts and designs that helped her through her days at her corporate job.
Wendy’s love for quilting brought her to a dream opportunity when her publishers found her on social media and offered a publishing deal. “Never in my wildest dreams, I’d envision myself writing a book one day. The opportunity randomly presented itself when my publisher, Blue Star Press, contacted me after they saw my work on Instagram. At the time I was still trying to figure out whether to continue to pursue this new creative career path or to go back to my daily grind in the corporate world. But we all know what happens at the end,” Wendy stated when asked what brought her to venture out to the publishing world.
Urban Quilting: Quilt patterns for the Modern-Day Home – photographed by Rachel Kuzma
It was hard to choose, but one of the designs we loved most at JUKI is found on page 34. The bold design is perfect for those wanting to learn a new skill in quilting since it features Half-Square Triangles; a common motif in designs perfect for those still learning. Wendy teaches you how to create this design by constructing multiple Half-Square Triangles in record time with one of her favorite tricks. You won’t want to miss this! All of Wendy’s designs also have levels from “beginner” to “advanced beginner” written under each design, making this book great for those just starting or wanting to expand their quilting horizons.
Find your own “Urban Quilting: Quilt Patterns for the Modern-Day Home” by Wendy Chow at the following locations below to begin your quilting journey today.
sewinwithjuki.com 