March 2015 – Jinny Beyer Studio

Posted on March 25, 2015July 29, 2022 by Jinny Beyer — 7 Comments

The Perfect Piecer is Perfect for Machine Piecers Too!

In Jinny’s class for Craftsy’s 2015 Block of the Month quilt, some of her students have questioned whether or not the Perfect Piecer is useful for those who prefer to piece by machine. Since Jinny does all of her quilts by hand, she decided to let one of us on staff address this.

As a confirmed machine piecer, I made the mistake one day of saying to Jinny, “I think I can be more accurate piecing by machine than by hand.” Jinny, of course, disagreed and I decided to give hand piecing a try. I cut 60-degree diamonds from border print fat quarters and scraps. The Border Blocks quilt became my carry around project for the next year. Loaded with inset seams, I soon found that marking the seam intersection with a ruler to be quite cumbersome. I bought my first Perfect Piecer (after working for Jinny for 4 years!) and couldn’t believe how easy it was to mark the intersections and sewing lines.

And the result…my quilt turned out to be EXACTLY the correct size and, I discovered I missed having that hand piecing project to carry around.

My next hand project came along while on a trip to New York City with fellow staffers to see the famous “Infinite Variety” exhibit of red and white quilts. In addition to being wowed by the display of red and white quilts, we fell in love with this humble Jack’s Chain quilt at the American Folk Art Museum. We soon planned to do our interpretations of this quilt starting with an exchange of red and white nine patches.

With all of the inset seams, it did make a great hand project but I soon found I wanted to work on it at home on my machine. My Perfect Piecer helped me with both.

Check out Jinny’s video of Sewing Inset or Y-Seams here.

Here are the 3 components of the Jack’s Chain quilt. Each needs to be set in so all stitching lines need to stop at the seam intersections. When hand piecing, I mark my sewing lines. For machine piecing, I only need to mark the intersections which can be done very quickly with the Perfect Piecer.

What do you think about how it came out? No points were lost; no fudging had to be done. The top went together like a dream and lies smooth and flat. And I found another use for my Perfect Piecer.

Since I have four sewing machines, I like to make sure I give each attention. Going from one machine to another can wreak havoc on your “perfect” quarter-inch seam allowance. Here’s what I do to be consistent.

The Perfect Piecer makes a great seam guide for finding that perfect quarter-inch on your machine. By hand, lower your needle through one of the holes that run along the 1/4″ mark. Mark your exact 1/4″ along the edge of the Piecer with tape, post-it notes, removable adhesive strips, etc. The will give you the same quarter-inch on each machine.

Check out Jinny’s video and guide on using the Perfect Piecer here.

Posted on March 18, 2015July 29, 2022 by Jinny Beyer — 7 Comments

Thimbles Part II – My Favorite Thimbles

A few weeks ago, my blog focused on choosing a thimble. I had planned to do a follow-up the following week but other topics captured my attention. Let me talk about, finally, my favorite thimbles.

I’ve used a variety of thimbles over the years. I used to use one type for quilting and another for piecing but now use the same for both. My favorites are sterling silver thimbles by Tommie Jane Lane which provide air circulation and accommodate long fingernails.

TJ Lane makes exquisite handmade thimbles which are little works of art. For me, the rims on her thimbles are the perfect midpoint between too straight and too round which makes it just right for both quilting and piecing. They don’t have a rolled edge which will dig into my adjacent finger. The “dimples” go all the way down to the bottom and they are just the right weight without being bulky.

Tommie Jane’s thimbles and sewing tools are made from sterling silver or 18K gold sometimes in combination with special steel components such as needle threader wires, cutter blades and stilettos. While sterling silver is soft and with much use will show wear, TJ does a wonderful job repairing her work, for just the cost of shipping, making it look like new.

If you have been in any of my classes or been into the Studio, you will notice that many of us wear our thimbles and sewing tools as jewelry. Did you know that in the nineteen century it was common to give a thimble instead of an engagement ring? While none of ours were given as betrothal gifts, they are beautiful and can be worn hanging from chatelaines.

I am a digitabulist which means I collect thimbles. (It sounds a little scary but is a wonderful trivia question.) I’ve collected antique thimbles for years and often use them. I am especially fond of Dorcus thimbles. They were created by Charles Horner in 1884 to solve the problem of steel needles piercing soft silver thimbles. Horner used a steel core covered by silver inside and out. The result was a thimble as pretty as the traditional silver thimble but more durable.

As I look at my antique thimbles, I love to think of the many quilters and sewers who collected and cherished them before me. However, for the most part, generations of quilters made do with simple, inexpensive supplies yet created wonderful works of art with them.

While sterling silver and antique thimbles can be costly, there are also many good, very affordable ones on the market. Clover makes a very nice open-sided adjustable thimble with a comfortable smooth edge and is made of brass.

As I have said before, what is most important is to find the one which is just right for you.

Posted on March 11, 2015July 29, 2022 by Jinny Beyer — 10 Comments

To Wash or Not to Wash….That is the Question

The quilting world is definitely made up of the washers and non-washers with very few feeling “wishy-washy” on the topic. We recently posed the do wash/don’t wash question to our Facebook followers and here are the results when we finally stopped counting: 291 don’t wash while 210 do wash with more comments still coming in. Most have definitely chosen one or the other but there were quite a few who only wash certain fabrics.

Let me start by saying there is no right or wrong method. It is a personal choice. So what are the issues?

Those who wash tend to do so for three main reasons. First, they want to find out if any of their fabrics will run and they wish to remove any residual dyes or other chemicals such as formaldehyde. In the 1970’s, new environmental codes put restrictions on the amount of formaldehyde allowed to be added during the dying process but some is still present. This is important to those who could be sensitive to these products. Another reason some wash is that fabric shrinks and they wish to do this before using the fabric.

For the non-washers out there, our favorite reason not to wash is that they can’t wait to use the fabric. Most of today’s quilt manufacturers recognize that the number of quilters who do not prewash is a large number and therefore, make sure that their products do not run or bleed. There is minimal shrinkage when washing and many quilters like the sizing found in fabric which lends a certain “crispness.” Also, many of today’s quilters are making pieces which will be washed little or not at all after completion.

I do not wash my fabrics. Of course, I use only my own fabrics and I know how they will behave. I especially like the feel of fabric right off the bolt. I’m more concerned about the damaging effects of exposure to light, but then, that would be a topic for another blog.

For many of you, though, washing is important. Many years ago, I visited a mill where my fabric was produced. Here are the tips I received from the quality control manager along with my own findings for what I think is the best method to wash your new fabrics and finished quilts:

Unfold all newly purchased fabrics and put them through a cold water rinse. If not unfolded, the color can actually rub off along that crisp fold during the washing process.
Wash the fabrics with a phosphate-free detergent in a short, cold-water cycle. Phosphates can contribute to the bleeding of fabrics.
Watch the wash and rinse waters to see how much color comes out. Dye catchers (such as those under the brand name “Shout”) are a good indicator.
If you notice a lot of color in the water, wash the fabrics again in cold water along with small samples of the light fabrics you plan to use in the quilt. Chances are the second wash will produce no bleeding. If there is bleeding but it has not contaminated the other fabrics, it is safe to use those fabrics together. If the light-colored fabrics have changed color, then I would recommend not using the fabrics together.
For washing quilts, use short cycles in cold water. First put them through a cold water rinse (delicate cycle), then wash them in cold water (delicate cycle) with a phosphate-free detergent. Put them through a cold water rinse and spin out all excess water. Lay down several layers of towels and spread the quilts flat to dry. I want to emphasize that I do not recommend this method for antique quilts where fabric can be extremely fragile. Contact a textile conservationist for instructions for cleaning antique quilts.

Color catchers can be used in the wash to help collect any leftover dye from the fabric.

Note: It is difficult to find a good quality fabric today which will run or bleed. Our tester tried many different reds before she found a hand-dyed one purchased at a quilt show several years ago.

Posted on March 4, 2015July 29, 2022 by Jinny Beyer — 15 Comments

A Common Mistake – How Not to Let it Happen

I am so pleased with the excitement about the 2015 Block of the Month class with Craftsy and the number of you who have already enrolled! While I will not be answering questions directly or be participating in the class discussions, so many wonderful questions have been raised which can apply to more than just this class that I am going to address them in my blog. The first one I want to look at is why your finished block might be too small.

First of all, the pattern for the Craftsy BOM is correct. The finished size of all the blocks in the quilt is 9″. That means that with the seam allowance your blocks should measure 9 1/2″.

If your block does not measure 9 1/2″ when you finish it, don’t panic. Once all the blocks are finished, I will explain in a later lesson the technique of adding additional strips to the blocks that allows them all to be floating on the background. In that lesson, I will tell you what to do if your blocks do not all measure the correct size. I will explain how to adjust those strips to accommodate blocks that are too small or too large.

So then, there is the question of why sometimes blocks do not come out the correct size.

1. First and foremost it could be the set up of your printer. As you set up the printing, make sure that it is set to print the actual size (100%, no scaling) not “fit to page.” Once you have printed it out, please note the gauge on the template page of your pattern and make sure to use an accurate ruler to see that the pattern has printed in the correct size. I downloaded the pattern and printed it and found that it did not print to the correct scale. It was a bit too small. When there is a pattern with so many seams, even a small deviation can cause the finished block to be off by as must as half an inch. All printers are different and while most do a fine job, not all print accurately. In my computer, I went to “page set-up” and fiddled with the numbers and found when I printed the pattern I had to scale the printing up to 101%. Your printer will be different from mine and if your pattern is off you will have to play around with the scaling until you get the correct size.

2. If your block came out the wrong size with the proper scaling, did you rotary cut the pieces or use the templates for the lesson? The blocks in the quilt are drafted from a variety of different “grids.” May Basket uses a grid with five equal divisions. For a 9″ block, each of those divisions should be 1.8″. This means that the “finished” size of the short sides of the half square triangles in May Basket should measure 1.8″. It is pretty difficult to accurately rotary cut 1.8″ which is why templates are used for this particular lesson. Other lessons have blocks that are drafted with grids that are friendlier to rotary cutting. If your ruler does not measure these divisions accurately, your templates/foundations will not be the correct size.

The various blocks for the 2015 BOM are drafted on a variety of grids. For instance the first block "May Basket" is drafted in a 5 x 5 grid. If the block finished at 5, 7.5 or 10 inches, each division would be 1, 1.5 or 2 inches, respectively. However, since the blocks in the quilt finish at 9 inches, each division is 1.8 inches. Once seam allowances are added, this is not an easy cut using a rotary cutter. This block will be much more accurate if templates are used to cut the pieces. — The various blocks for the 2015 BOM are drafted on a variety of grids. For instance the first block “May Basket” is drafted in a 5 x 5 grid. If the block finished at 5, 7.5 or 10 inches, each division would be 1, 1.5 or 2 inches, respectively. However, since the blocks in the quilt finish at 9 inches, each division is 1.8 inches. Once seam allowances are added, this is not an easy cut using a rotary cutter. This block will be much more accurate if templates are used to cut the pieces.

Basket of fruit is drafted from a grid of 6 x 6. Therefore the pieces in this block could be accurately cut using either template or rotary cutting techniques.

Ash Basket is drafted on a grid of 20 x 20 squares. It will be much more accurate to cut using templates.

Like "Basket of Fruit", "Cherry Basket" is also drafted from a 6 x 6 grid, so either rotary cutting or using templates will work. — Like “Basket of Fruit”, “Cherry Basket” is also drafted from a 6 x 6 grid, so either rotary cutting or using templates will work.

For more information on how to determine the grids that are used for drafting blocks, see my book “The Quilter’s Album of Patchwork Patterns.”

3. Make sure the pieces are cut accurately and that you take the exact quarter inch seam allowance when you sew.

I have loved seeing all the blocks which have already been finished…..keep them coming!