@@AnitaSouthall It depends on the doll! Dolls come in lots of sizes. If I'm making them for myself, I usually don't make them any bigger than 20 or 24 inches. And I use very fine thread (Aurifil 80 weight) and I don't machine quilt it very much so it will be more flexible (use a sparser, looser design). If it is a smaller quilt, I often leave out the batting entirely and just quilt the top to the back fabric to make sure it will drape around the doll.
I make my own now. 1T corn starch, 4C water, few drops of essential oil (optional) Boil 1 minutes, stir lots. Thin with more water if necessary. Cool, then transfer to spray bottle or for large pieces of fabric I soak in a bucket then hang to dry.
Thank you Sherri good tips, I like having the stitch length small for small blocks, really made sense . I am sure I will use all of these tips when sewing my next small project.
Thank you very, very much for all these wonderful tips! I am learning quilting and prefer right now to try and do all hand sewing. Starting small works for me!! I will try to make coasters for Christmas gifts. 😊
These are excellent tips. I recently finished a ~45 x 45 pixel quilt with 1/2 in finished squares...and it was my first quilt. I wish I had starched my fabric to assist with the accuracy of cutting 1" squares. The quality of the rulers matters so much and I started using a wooden school ruler 🤦♀️. I didn't back stitch and the blocks did start unraveling at the end of rows until I too serendipitously learned that a shorter stitch length prevents that. The other tip regarding the accuracy of 1/4 seam allowance is important too. I plan on doing another portrait pixel quilt next year and I will watch this video again before I start. I wish I watched it before I started my first quilt. Thanks again.
Thank you, Sherri!! Your 3 inch blocks looked perfect to me!! Two of them looked like they were for experienced quilters. 😃When I first started sewing around 4 years ago, I thought it would be a good idea to to make the smaller quilts which also had small blocks.😩 I wasn’t quite ready for that. I love all of your tips for small and larger blocks! 😍
I hope you enjoyed your time off! Looking at those blocks both way, I like the X pattern best - it is not as common, plus your swimming suits are upright. If it is too small for you, you can do what you've done before & add a narrow aqua sashing. You are amazing! Thank you for all you share and teach us!
Thank you so very much for the video! I love the tips and I am trying to soak everything up like a sponge. I will say it is paying off I am having success!!! Thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart.
All these tips are great. I am doing the Sewcialites in the 6" version. I make my own starch (triple the recipe and use the professional sprayers from the dollar store - search homemade starch on CZcams). As another viewer mentioned, I use leaders and enders (2 1/2" squares right now to make a quilt or other projects). Also a one hole sewing plate on the machine really helps to prevent the fabric from going down into the machine! Cheers from 🇨🇦🍁
Thank you for the tips. I wondered how your blocks were so straight. Mine would turn out a little wavy. I'm going to be sure and try the starch method. Thanks.
Thank you, Sherri. Great tips. In a future video chat with Chelsea, please expand upon the difference between spray starch and finishing spray. I have never used Flatter or any similar product. Plus, I do not understand why I would want to use a finishing spray instead of more Best Press. Thanks again!
Sherri, your hair looks really nice in this video. You have so many tools for quilting. I often hesitate to purchase new rulers, especially the smaller ones, because I can use a bigger one to do the job, and rulers are so expensive. Perhaps this is not the best way to think about it, perhaps accuracy should trump frugality.
Some of the small Creative Grids rulers are less expensive than you might guess. Shop around. Some quilt shops charge more than the suggested retail price. Eyes rolling. My local quilt shop routinely marks rulers up. I stopped buying rulers from them because I got tired of asking them to honor the suggested retail price.
I know this is 3 years old but, I am currently sewing 2 inch blocks together and I even use a leader on my machine. It just will not go into the feed dogs. HELP!!!
Great tips. I’m very chemically sensitive so cannot use unscented starch either. Do you know a good recipe for homemade starch? My Grandma used to use a homemade one with just cornflour/sugar and water but no one knows the recipe she used!
I use home made starch. 1 tablespoon of corn starch in 2 cups of warm water. Mix it throughly and use in a spray bottle. Works beautifully but you need to shake the bottle every once in a while while using as corn starch has the tendency to settle. People use potato vodka diluted as well.
@@jhwilliams6550 I make homemade starch (recipe on CZcams - I use the Chatterbox quilts recipe) and triple it. I use 3 "professional" sprayer bottles from the dollar store. You can leave them for a long time, and just shake up well before using.
@@jhwilliams6550 I use it for a long time. I use slightly warm water to easily dissolve the corn starch. It doesn’t get cooked. So I use it till it finished and than make a new batch.
Sherri I have problem with the actual sewing of the tiny pieces. Especially where the book is at the seams. Do you have any suggestions to get the actual sewing part nice and neat?
You must have read my mind, I’m making some doll quilts today! I’m sitting down with my cup of tea to enjoy this video!
What finished size would you recommend for doll quilts?
Read my mind too!! I have to make a Barbie quilt!
@@AnitaSouthall It depends on the doll! Dolls come in lots of sizes. If I'm making them for myself, I usually don't make them any bigger than 20 or 24 inches. And I use very fine thread (Aurifil 80 weight) and I don't machine quilt it very much so it will be more flexible (use a sparser, looser design). If it is a smaller quilt, I often leave out the batting entirely and just quilt the top to the back fabric to make sure it will drape around the doll.
Discovered A Quilting Life blog and CZcams videos a few months ago, and am enjoying both.
Great video! One of my biggest tips for piecing smaller blocks is patience. Take a bit more time and you will be less frustrated by mistakes.
I'm a recent convert to heavy pre-starch. My piecing and cutting has improved exponentially, especially the hst. Thank you so much for sharing.
What starch do you use?
I make my own now. 1T corn starch, 4C water, few drops of essential oil (optional) Boil 1 minutes, stir lots. Thin with more water if necessary. Cool, then transfer to spray bottle or for large pieces of fabric I soak in a bucket then hang to dry.
@@categ6394 thank you!
Thank you Sherri good tips, I like having the stitch length small for small blocks, really made sense . I am sure I will use all of these tips when sewing my next small project.
Thank you very, very much for all these wonderful tips! I am learning quilting and prefer right now to try and do all hand sewing. Starting small works for me!! I will try to make coasters for Christmas gifts. 😊
These are really good tips! Thank you for this video you are a good teacher.
These are excellent tips. I recently finished a ~45 x 45 pixel quilt with 1/2 in finished squares...and it was my first quilt. I wish I had starched my fabric to assist with the accuracy of cutting 1" squares. The quality of the rulers matters so much and I started using a wooden school ruler 🤦♀️. I didn't back stitch and the blocks did start unraveling at the end of rows until I too serendipitously learned that a shorter stitch length prevents that. The other tip regarding the accuracy of 1/4 seam allowance is important too. I plan on doing another portrait pixel quilt next year and I will watch this video again before I start. I wish I watched it before I started my first quilt. Thanks again.
Thank you, Sherri!! Your 3 inch blocks looked perfect to me!! Two of them looked like they were for experienced quilters. 😃When I first started sewing around 4 years ago, I thought it would be a good idea to to make the smaller quilts which also had small blocks.😩 I wasn’t quite ready for that. I love all of your tips for small and larger blocks! 😍
Thank you. I want to make a tiny quilt for my friend who makes doll houses. This will really help.
Thanks for these ideas - I had given up on a particular block because the small pieces were not cooperating, but I’m going to give it another try!
Great tips. I may try this smaller block just for the experience.
I hope you enjoyed your time off! Looking at those blocks both way, I like the X pattern best - it is not as common, plus your swimming suits are upright. If it is too small for you, you can do what you've done before & add a narrow aqua sashing. You are amazing! Thank you for all you share and teach us!
Thank you so very much for the video! I love the tips and I am trying to soak everything up like a sponge. I will say it is paying off I am having success!!! Thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you, for these tips. These small blocks are a challenge for sure.
All these tips are great. I am doing the Sewcialites in the 6" version. I make my own starch (triple the recipe and use the professional sprayers from the dollar store - search homemade starch on CZcams). As another viewer mentioned, I use leaders and enders (2 1/2" squares right now to make a quilt or other projects). Also a one hole sewing plate on the machine really helps to prevent the fabric from going down into the machine! Cheers from 🇨🇦🍁
Great tips! Thank you as these will certainly help me to be successful in American Patchwork and Quilting 2024 QAL!
Thanks Sherri!! Stay safe. 👍😷👍😷
Thank you for the tips. I wondered how your blocks were so straight. Mine would turn out a little wavy. I'm going to be sure and try the starch method. Thanks.
Thank you, Sherri. Great tips. In a future video chat with Chelsea, please expand upon the difference between spray starch and finishing spray. I have never used Flatter or any similar product. Plus, I do not understand why I would want to use a finishing spray instead of more Best Press. Thanks again!
Thank you! Very useful info & wasn't aware there were such templates! Definitely be looking for them.
Thanks for more great tips! Can’t wait to see your new fabric line!😊
Thank you so much for this set of tips and tricks. I found them really helpful.
Thankyou very helpful info 👍😷🌍🇦🇺☕️
Hello from Geraldton Western Australia
Sherri, your hair looks really nice in this video. You have so many tools for quilting. I often hesitate to purchase new rulers, especially the smaller ones, because I can use a bigger one to do the job, and rulers are so expensive. Perhaps this is not the best way to think about it, perhaps accuracy should trump frugality.
Some of the small Creative Grids rulers are less expensive than you might guess. Shop around. Some quilt shops charge more than the suggested retail price. Eyes rolling. My local quilt shop routinely marks rulers up. I stopped buying rulers from them because I got tired of asking them to honor the suggested retail price.
Great tips. Thank you. You have a tree on one of the quilts behind you. Do you sell the pattern for that quolt?.
I know this is 3 years old but, I am currently sewing 2 inch blocks together and I even use a leader on my machine. It just will not go into the feed dogs. HELP!!!
Great tips. I’m very chemically sensitive so cannot use unscented starch either. Do you know a good recipe for homemade starch? My Grandma used to use a homemade one with just cornflour/sugar and water but no one knows the recipe she used!
I use home made starch. 1 tablespoon of corn starch in 2 cups of warm water. Mix it throughly and use in a spray bottle. Works beautifully but you need to shake the bottle every once in a while while using as corn starch has the tendency to settle. People use potato vodka diluted as well.
@@r64jaqaseem Thank you, will give it a try!
@@r64jaqaseem do you make a new batch every time you are going to sew or does it last for a while? I was just wondering about the warm water part.
@@jhwilliams6550 I make homemade starch (recipe on CZcams - I use the Chatterbox quilts recipe) and triple it. I use 3 "professional" sprayer bottles from the dollar store. You can leave them for a long time, and just shake up well before using.
@@jhwilliams6550 I use it for a long time. I use slightly warm water to easily dissolve the corn starch. It doesn’t get cooked. So I use it till it finished and than make a new batch.
I have a question about starch and precuts. Can you starch the precuts and let them air dry before ironing or will they shrink?
They will shrink.
Sherri I have problem with the actual sewing of the tiny pieces. Especially where the book is at the seams. Do you have any suggestions to get the actual sewing part nice and neat?
Have you tried leaders and enders. They could help.
Bulk not book. LOL Thank you for the suggestion I will try it next time I’m sewing small pieces.
shortened my seam allowance?
I think she meant to say shortened my stitch length, not seam allowance - I noticed she said it twice incorrectly. 🙂
I clicked on the link to the pattern for these mini blocks and I couldn’t find it
Just checked and it's working. You need to scroll down the page to where the block pictures show up and click on each one separately for the patterns.