Quilts and More Spring 2021

Thank goodness it’s 2021! The start of a new year always fills me with optimism, and after the crazy year that was 2020, I am ready for a fresh start. With each new year changes come to Quilts & More™ magazine. Last year, we conducted a reader survey about topics you want to learn more about. The results are in, and we immediately used them to develop new features for this year’s issues. How to machine-quilt your own quilts came up often. To help with that, we are adding a Quilt as Desired page showcasing two designs for quilting a common block. The first design is beginner-friendly; the second builds upon the first so that as you feel more confident, you can expand your skills. The first block is the Nine-Patch;…

On Sale Feb. 12 Find your inspiration with the April 2021 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting¨ magazine. • Make one or more of 10 exclusive projects• Get organized with tips for decluttering your sewing space• Learn how to host a virtual quilt retreat. Find us online: AllPeopleQuilt.com search: AllPeopleQuilt Retailers: To order American Patchwork & Quilting®, Quilt Sampler®, Quilts & More™, and other quilting magazines, email apq2@meredith.com or call 866/378-1064. Letters & Comments: Share your thoughts with us at apq@meredith.com Note to readers: It is permissible to make and publicly display a single finished product of any project in this issue, including for purposes of competitive winnings up to $1,000, so long as visible credit is given to the designer and Quilts & More magazine.…

DOUBLE-SIDED SATCHEL Store small supplies in a carrier that has more than 20 compartments of various sizes. The sturdy plastic tote has clear lids on both sides, so you can easily find the tools you need. A handle makes it ideal for transporting supplies to a work space or a retreat. $29.99; caboodles.com QUILT BLOCK HAND SOAP Treat yourself or your sewing friends to bars of soap made to look like quilt blocks. Sold in sets of two bars; each set comes in various colors, scents, and block designs. Starting at $8; etsy.com/shop/soapescape CF HANDY GUIDE This seam guide may be tiny, but it’ll have a big impact in your sewing room. Designer Carolyn Friedlander created this tool to mark seam allowances, corners, and hems for both machine and hand piecing, appliqué, and garments. Lines…

1. PINKING BLADE Best for cutting a pinking or decorative edge. Pinking edges keeps fabric from fraying or unraveling. The zigzag edge also can be used as a decorative element. 2. 45 MM BLADE Best for all-purpose cutting. This is the most common blade size and is recommended for most quilt projects. 3. 28 MM BLADE Best for cutting small pieces. One of the smallest blades, it cuts tiny pieces safely and with fewer miscuts. It requires a small size cutter. 4. 60 MM BLADE Best for cutting large pieces and heavyweight fabrics. The largest blade cuts heavier fabrics like wool and multiple layers of fabric with ease. It requires a large size cutter. 5. ADJUSTABLE HANDLE Best for ergonomic sewing. Having the blade angled below the handle relieves wrist pressure when cutting. 6. STICK HANDLE Best for all-purpose cutting. The…

DESIGN #1: Use free-motion quilting to stitch a continuous curve from corner to corner of each square in the Nine-Patch block. The design is fairly forgiving, and the arcs can be formed by sight without the aid of rulers or drawing the lines in advance. Just connect the corners! A secondary pattern of circles will develop between the squares. PRO TIP FROM HANDI QUILTER: Look ahead as you quilt! Visualize the shape of the arc you want to make and look where you want to go next in the design (not where you currently are). DESIGN #2: Double the fun with two arcs in each square! Here a quilting ruler was used to quilt the continuous curves and keep the arcs spaced consistently throughout each square of the Nine-Patch. Quilt the inner arcs first, then…

SKILLS YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT MITERING CORNERS TOPSTITCHING HEMMING MATERIALS FOR TWO NAPKINS Yardages and cutting instructions are based on 42" of usable fabric width. ▪ 18×21" piece (fat quarter) each black print and yellow print▪ Air-soluble fabric pen▪ Binding clips (optional) FABRICS are from the Squeeze collection by Dana Willard for Figo Fabrics (figofabrics.com). CUT FABRICS From each black and yellow print, cut: ▪ 1—18" square ASSEMBLE NAPKINS 1) Lay black print 18" square right side down. Measure 1" in from each corner and mark a dot (Photo 1). Measure and mark lines ½" in from each edge of square. Be sure to use an air-soluble fabric pen or other disappearing-ink-fabric marking tool so dots aren’t visible on the wrong side of finished napkin. 2) Fold in one corner to dot; press (Photo 2). Unfold resulting triangle and trim ¼" away from…