Chevron Lines--Quick and Classic

Having taught students how to quilt simple line designs on samplers, the chevron line design is one I've always wanted to use on a full scale quilt. Recently, I was contacted to quilt this top for a man who is a Denver Broncos fan...this is a birthday gift from his wife. For a strip quilt such as this, chevron lines are classic, masculine, and fairly easy to quilt.

Strip quilts can be somewhat challenging to square up because there isn't a corner block to work off of. Measure it through the top, middle, and bottom both vertically and horizontally with a 120" tape measure to get it right. I used my 12" square acrylic ruler and a metal T-square to check the corners.

To mark the top, I used a Clover white chalk wheel and a 6" x 24" acrylic ruler. The chalk does stay on fairly well through the quilting. It's easy to remark when necessary and rubs out when you want it to.

First I chalked a line 1/2" in from the edge around the perimeter of the quilt--this is the quilting edge that will be covered by binding eventually but I use it as a guide to quilt to. I can move beyond this line a few stitches to travel to the next quilting line without having to stop and start a new line of quilting.

Next, line up the 45 degree angle of the acrylic ruler on the chalked quilting line and begin marking a line from the top left corner. Keep the ruler on the line and mark the next line, 1-1/2" away.

It really doesn't matter when you decide to change directions and make a point that meets at the quilting edge, but I found the center and then ended up marking it off-set a bit which looked fine. With that kind of freedom, you really can't go wrong. No need to worry about an exact fit as with some grids, this design works even if you decide on 1" or 2" spaced lines.

Using 1" stainless steel safety pins, keep them horizontal with the chalked lines. The quilting is done with a walking foot so there is room for the foot to clear the pins. A sufficient number of pins will prevent puckering and distortion that can occur when quilting long lines; unfortunately this problem is difficult to hide on solid fabrics so keep the pins in as you quilt.

This quilt has Quilter's Dream 100% cotton batting, which I presoaked and dried in the dryer because the quilt fabric had been prewashed. My client wanted the thread to match--navy on navy and orange on orange. The backing was navy so the tricky part was to balance the thread tension so I didn't get pop-ups from the navy bobbin thread while quilting the orange. I quilted several rows on a practice swatch, made adjustments and the tension was balanced. There were a lot of starts and stops but keeping dedicated to 1/4" of small stitches (8-10) at the beginning and end of a quilting line keeps everything secure. Then bury those threads, rather than snip them at the surface. I used a quality thread, Presencia 50/3.

Copyright ©2009, Sharon Baggs

Washing a quilt

Whether or not I prewash my fabric, and that does depend on the quilt's use and desired 'look', the first bath usually happens directly after the binding goes on. There is a bit of dust and oil from handling and marking the quilt during the construction process that needs to be removed so the quilt will emerge soft, cuddly, and ready for the bed or couch.

The basic soap is Sodium Laurel Sulfate, commonly known as Orvus Paste or Quilt Soap, packaged in 8 oz. bottles. After discovering the same is used to wash livestock, I bought a 7.5 lb. container at a feed store. It's an inexpensive way to dispense some soap and washing instructions to those who own a quilt. I learned my lesson when my niece washed her batik quilt with a commercial detergent which stripped the original color. Fabric has binders to retain the color and detergents go on the attack. Stick with pure, simple ingredients that are biodegradable and won't harm your fabrics. Soak continues to amaze me by successfully removing stubborn stains.

Batiks and hand-dyed fabrics have a greater tendency to bleed color. Prewashing with Synthrapol helps remove excess dye. If a quilt is constructed without this pre-treatment, use Retayne to stop the fabric from bleeding, particularly when a dark fabric is sewn to a light fabric. For future washings, I use Woolite's Dye Magnet or Shout's Color Catcher, both of which resemble dryer sheets to pick up any renegade dyes in both the washing and drying cycles.

Here's my 10-step process to washing quilts:

1. set the washing machine to the delicate cycle.


2. fill the wash tub with warm water (no more than 80 degrees)


3. add 1-2 tablespoons of mild soap. Allow the soap to agitate for a minute.


4. toss in a color-catching sheet to catch renegade dyes.


5. stop the machine from agitating while adding the quilt into the basin.


6. push the quilt into the water until it is saturated.


7. resume the wash, rinse, and spin cycles.


8. remove the quilt carefully from the washing machine.


9. dry on low heat for 20 mins. until slightly damp.


10. complete drying by laying the quilt flat on a clean sheet on the floor.

Older quilts must be handled with care. Use the bath tub to hand wash. Hand press out the extra water, blot with a terry towel and dry flat on a sheet. Set a fan to aid drying. Quilts with some wear and tear should only be aired, not washed.

Copyright ©2009, Sharon Baggs

Single stitch throat plate

Sewing machines come with a standard throat plate with an oval opening to accommodate everyday sewing. A single stitch throat plate is an added accessory worth investing in. It garners excellent stitch quality for both piecing and quilting. Particularly with free motion quilting, there is a noticeable difference using the single stitch throat plate. One stitch at a time through the hole keeps the stitchline straight and even.

With a standard throat plate there is a greater possibility of fabric bunching up, even slightly. Some of the chronic problems with thread knots and skipped stitches can be remedied with the use of a single stitch throat plate. Just don't try to zig zag, satin stitch, decorative stitch, or shift the needle position with the single stitch throat plate on or you will break a needle!

Copyright ©2009, Sharon Baggs

Binding Corners & Joining Ends

Instructions on how to make the binding and begin sewing it on the quilt was covered in the previous post so read that one first if you missed it. This is the conclusion on how to handle the corners and joining the beginning and ending strips.

As you are sewing the binding down using a 3/8" seam allowance, stop 3/8" from the bottom corner and pivot diagonally. Stitch to the corner and back stitch. Remove the quilt from the machine and clip the threads.


Bring your binding strip up to create a diagonal fold.


Fold back down. This creates a mitered fold after it is sewn. Pin to hold the fold in place.

Beginning at the top edge, continue sewing a 3/8" seam down to the next corner. When you push the sewn binding back at the corner, it will fold back into a mitered corner.


When you round the last of the four corners you will approach the beginning of the binding strip. The ends are joined by overlapping one of the ends over the other by 2". Trim the excess fabric from the ends so you just have the 2" of overlap as shown.


You should have 8-10" of 'loose' binding on both ends so you can easily join the ends and sew them together.

Join the ends using the same process described in joining all the binding strips (previous post). Lay the left strip right side up and the right strip right side down. Fold the top strip down and press to create a fold. Lay the corner back in place, pin, and sew along the diagonal fold line.

Trim the seam to 1/4" and press open.

Fold the binding strip in half, right sides out, press and sew into place.

Wrap the binding around to the back of the quilt. Hand sew in place. With the tip of the needle, catch the backing and batting, then point the needle diagonally into the binding edge. Continue sewing small stitches. This method is called 'blind stitching' and you want to use a thread color that will match or blend in with your binding fabric. At the corners, sew the mitered corner closed on both the back and front of the quilt.


Copyright ©2009, Sharon Baggs