Aloha Quilts

Aloha, today we are going to start out by asking the question….. “when do you need to change your sewing machine needle?” One of the obvious answers is that you would change your sewing machine needle when you change the type of sewing you are going to be doing, or you break a needle…. now that is absolutely correct, but NOT a complete answer. What if you are doing the same type of sewing day in and day out, using the same type of fabric, doing nothing different, and sewing several hours each day? The answer to that question would be that you need to change your machine needle after “8 Hours of Sewing”…..that may sound like frequent needle changing, but the 8 hours refers to ACTUAL sewing time, not the time the machine is on. In fact, whenever I find I’m having some glitch showing up in my stitches (sewing, QUILTING, or embroidery) the first thing I do is to change my machine needle, and 9 out of 10 times this fixes the problem. Yes, the needle can make that big of a difference in your finished QUILTS, clothing and embroidery projects. Of course, you also need to make sure that you use the correct needle for your type of machine and also make sure you use the proper style of needle for the task that you are working on at the time. Yes, it may take a bit more time to change needles between differing projects, but using the right needle for the type of fabric or stitching you are doing will give you the best possible end product.
Now, when it comes to straight pins, I find that spending a little bit more for them is well worth it since they usually have a smoother shaft and sharper points so that they won’t snag your fabric when being inserted or removed. We should try to use the straight pins most suited to the job at hand….. for very fine fabrics, we want to use a very fine pin, for heavier fabric a thicker pin will work just fine. I also find that when I am pinning a QUILT together I really prefer using a longer, sturdier pin with a fairly large, flat head which makes sewing the QUILT pieces together much easier. A large head is also much easier to see and therefore remove when my piecing is done as well as when I am QUILTING on my home sewing machine rather than using my longarm machine.
Rotary cutters are an absolute necessity for any QUILTER who wishes to get the straightest cutting line and doing it in a timely fashion. So, which rotary cutter is best? The answer for me is to use the rotary cutter that feels the best in my hand, so if possible take a look at various sewing or QUILTING shops and ask if they have any rotary cutters that you could try out to find the one that fits your needs the best. When you purchase the blades for your cutter, don’t scrimp on those, since they are the most important part of the cutter.  Oh yes, and don’t forget to retract the blade each and every time you finish a cut and lay the cutter down…..rotary cutter blades are extremely sharp and hurt like heck if you cut yourself with them, so ALWAYS make sure the blade is retracted or covered everytime.
If you are looking to reduce your need for cutting your fabric, you might consider buying our “PRE-CUT QUILT KITS” which will totally eliminate the need for cutting your fabric prior to starting to sew your QUILT.  Our beginner or easy kits are totally pre-cut and ready to sew, some of the more advanced kits may require some rotary trimming during or after the piecing process of your QUILT KIT.  So, you see, the choice will be up to you as to how much or how little cutting you feel like doing.

Aloha, and welcome to the premier issue of our fun and informative “BLOG” which will feature our very own “Pre-cut, ready to sew together, quilt kits” as well as finished quilts, placemats and table runners which will have an Hawaiian or Aisian theme.  We will also feature “Pre-cut, ready to sew, Applique’ pillow and wall hanging kits” for your sewing pleasure….(with no pre-cutting on your part to do)

We are planning on exploring the history of Hawaiian Quilting and sharing the stories that we uncover with you, our loyal readers and we hope you will give us your feedback so that we may share that knowledge with others.

We hope you will have as much enjoyment reading our ramblings as we are having writing them. Don’t forget, we will always welcome your comments and questions related to quilting and sewing, and we will do our absolute best to find the answers you seek.

Aloha for now, happy  quilting and Mahalo for your loyalty!

LuAnne & Luana

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