21 Types Of Sewing Machines Every Quilter And Sewer Should Know

As you move deeper into the quilting hobby, you'll discover many kinds of specialized equipment.

Sewing machines are certainly no exception. 

Different types of sewing machines are suited to various tasks.

Like most people, you probably started quilting with a standard domestic-use sewing machine model. 

As you develop your skills, though, you may wish to invest in more advanced equipment.

To spend your money wisely, you'll need to understand everything about different sewing machine models. 

This knowledge helps you know what you need to get the results that you want. 

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The 19 Best Fabric Shops On Etsy

Best Fabric Shops On Etsy

Esty has a reputation for being “your grandma’s basement,” or a crafty, clever, cross between eBay and Amazon.

Whatever vision you have of Esty, or whatever way you want to describe this online site, one thing is certain.

You’ll find some of the best fabric stores on the planet on this popular site, as well as vintage fabrics you may not find anywhere else.

Can You Buy Fabric on Etsy for Quilting and Sewing?

Yes, you can. And here's why you should.

Quilters and sewers didn’t have the luxury of buying their fabrics online twenty years ago. Some vintage quilters still shop for fabrics in brick-and-mortar stores that have rows and rows of stacked fabrics.

The main reason they take the time to get in the car, brave the 21st-century traffic, and endure the crowds, is quilters like to feel, caress, and smell fabrics before they buy them.

Some of these stores may not have the fabric you need, or they don’t have enough to complete your creative project. So that means jumping back into the car and finding another giant fabric store with an endless supply of fabrics.

It takes time and money to make the fabric store rounds, and some quilters say that practice is a bit archaic.

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13 Free Jelly Roll Quilt Patterns

featured image of jelly roll quilt patterns

We love jelly rolls !!

They make quilting fast, easy, and fun. The jelly roll has become the standard for pre-cut fabric. It has helped new quilters learn to quilt and challenged seasoned quilters to redesign their blocks.

Hundreds of jelly roll quilt patterns and books have been written since they came on the quilt scene in 2006.

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15 Of The Best Sewing Scissors For Quilters

Quilting is a hobby that involves a great deal of fabric cutting.

For that reason, you'll want to have the best fabric scissors in your tool kit.

When shopping for quilting scissors, hand comfort and blade sharpness are of the utmost importance.

Keep in mind that stainless steel blades offer good rust resistance, but they will not keep a sharp edge for as long as high-carbon steel blades.

High-carbon steel, however, will be at risk of rusting.

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11 Of The Best Seam Rippers For Quilters

best seam rippers for quilters

The image of the perfect quilt is in your mind when you start a project. 

However, reality will inevitably strike when you're creating it.

A seam might turn out crooked. You might sew the wrong pieces together

Whatever the mistake is, ripping out the seam is the only real solution.

Seam rippers, or stitch rippers as they're also known, are the tool for this job.

You'll want a good one.

Otherwise, you'll strain your hand, tear fabric by mistake, or have the tool break in your hand.

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The Ultimate Guide To Machine Quilting For Beginners

Machine Quilting

Congratulations!

You have completed piecing a quilt top.

Now we must decide how you are going to quilt it. You have several options to choose from including hand tying, hand quilting or machine quilting.

Machine quilting is the fastest of these three methods but does require special feet.

Most beginner quilters are hesitant to use their home sewing machine because they believe that the quilt will not look nice once it is complete. New products like spray adhesives and marking tools have made it much easier to complete the quilt at home.

A word of caution here: if you've made a quilt top that's queen size or larger, the space to the right of the throat plate may not allow you to quilt the machine at home.

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