Have you ever been frustrated because. . .
your quilting stitches are uneven, fibers of batting are popping out between every thread in your quilt top, some of the fabric in the quilt shriveled up while other fabric stayed the same size after you washed the quilt, and besides all of that, when you were quilting it, every stitch felt like the needle was going through a piece of Styrofoam?

Did you know that those problems could be caused by the fabric in your quilt, and can actually prevent your hand quilting from being its very best?

Date:

From: Penny Halgren

Even the most accomplished quilter can be hampered by one of many stumbling blocks. Combine them, and the resulting quilt can look like it was the first quilt made by a 7 year old.

Like they say "A little knowledge can be dangerous. A lot of knowledge can be powerful."

When I was new to quilting, I kept hearing about Pima cotton. It was supposed to be the most fabulous cotton to work with. The colors were rich, the texture of the fabric was luscious, and surely it would make a beautiful quilt.

Then one day, I stumbled upon a hole-in-the-wall fabric store. As I wandered the aisles, you can imagine my delight when I found an entire table full of gorgeous Pima cottons!

There they were - scores of bolts. So many rich colors, I had a difficult time choosing which ones to add to my stash.

At the time, I had just discovered Amish quilts, and these fabrics seemed perfect for an Amish quilt, since they were such vibrant colors and plain fabric. I invested in a few small pieces of this beautiful fabric, at a very high price, and gleefully carried my treasures home.

Quilting through the Pima cotton this quilt is made from was the most challenging quilting task I had taken on to that point.

Those were the days before rotary cutters, strip piecing, and any other kind of short cuts.

So, I spent hours marking the fabric and cutting each little triangle. I was very thankful for my razor-sharp scissors, because just cutting the fabric was a challenge.

That should have been clue enough for me to stop. But I was determined to make a beautiful quilt from Pima cotton, and besides I was a relatively inexperienced quilter, so what did I know about fabric?

Since lots of quilters were raving about Pima cotton, surely the final result will be worth all of the struggle with the fabric.

Weeks later when the quilt top was finished, it was time for layering, basting and quilting.

Frankly I don't remember what kind of batting I used, but it was a very low loft, and should have been easy to quilt through.

But as I poked my needle into the fabric to make a quilting stitch, I vividly remember thinking "This is a real pain. Quilting through this fabric is like quilting through paper."

It was not the wonderful quilting experience I had looked forward to.

Every stitch was a new adventure. In my previous quilts, it seemed like I could just decide where my needle would go through the fabric, and it would follow my lead.

With this Pima cotton, I would poke, and the needle would go through the fabric in a completely different place.

Talk about uneven stitches.

Some were longer than others, yet try as I might, I couldn't control the spacing. While I was able to get some short stitches, they were right next to some much longer stitches.

The back of the Ocean Waves quilt revealed very uneven hand quilting stitches. Plus after I washed it, the quilt became all puckered - not the look I wanted. Click on the image for a large view.

Then when I turned the quilt over, an even more distressing picture showed up.

Not only were the stitches far apart, but some of the stitches were so tiny they were almost not there - maybe catching 1 strand of thread in the fabric.

Little did I know that meant that some of the fabric might tear in time.

And then I washed the quilt. To my amazement, it got all puckered. And only around the quilting stitches.

Oh, it's not a disaster. I still like the colors and think it is an interesting quilt, but it is not the beauty I had hoped it would be.

And it definitely was a learning experience.

Armed with Information from Dierdre,
Your Quilt Can Be the Beauty of Your Dreams -
Whether You Hand Quilt or Machine Quilt

Dierdre McElroy's mother was an accomplished quilter, specializing in beautiful hand appliquéd Tahitian quilts. If you have seen these types of quilts, you know that tiny stitches separate the accomplished quilters from the beginner quilters.

Dierdre's mom was looking for a thimble to make her quilting easier. That simple request sent Dierdre on a years-long study. In the process, Dierdre studied fabric, thread, batting, needles and quilting hoops and frames, in addition to thimbles.

One result was the design of the perfect thimble. At least a few quilters believe it is the perfect thimble design.

Along the way, Dierdre also discovered that there are many hidden things about the materials we use in our quilts that can affect how the finished quilt looks.

Dierdre shared her secrets with us during an Eavesdrop on a Telephone Conversation call. She talked about things like:

I wish I had heard all of this before I bought all the fabric in my stash.

Even so, now I have knowledge and resources to determine which fabrics will be difficult to work with and which I should maybe give away because they will cause my quilt to fall apart in a few years.

Plus now I know how to choose needles and thread. Knowing the results of Dierdre's tests on these quilting resources, I will no longer be tempted to buy the least expensive or something recommended in a magazine without finding out more about it.

This was a fantastic call, jam-packed with information you won't get anywhere else.

Reserve your copy of the CD of the live call

If you missed the call, and want to learn the inside secrets that will make your quilting easier and your quilts last for generations, you'll want to get a copy of this interview.

You get every word of the interview between Penny and Dierdre, just as if you were there.  And you’ll be able to play it whenever you want and as many times as you want to.

You can't afford to pass up the opportunity to have this information on your very own CD to listen to whenever you want to. You will use the information in this interview every day of your quilt making!

And, as always, this purchase comes with our www.How-to-Quilt.com No Hassles, No Weasel Clauses Money Back Guarantee.

Your success in using this information for your quilt making is completely guaranteed. In fact, here’s my 100% Better-Than-Risk-Free-Take-it-To-The-Bank Guarantee:

Is that fair or what?

That means you can check out this quilting information at my risk while you see if it will work for you or not. And if you don’t think this information will make your quilting easier and more fun, I honestly want you to ask for your money back.

There is absolutely no risk, whatsoever on your part. The burden to deliver is entirely on me. After you take a look at the resources, if you decide that it won’t work for you, I’m the loser, not you.

That's right! You can invest in these great quilting resources today, and if you are not completely happy at any time following your purchase – for any reason – just let us know, return the CD to us, and your money will be cheerfully refunded.

This Incredible Information Can be on Its Way to You
in Less Than Five Minutes

Taking the first step couldn't be easier. Using our SECURE SERVER, you can get Eavesdrop on a Telephone Conversation with Dierdre McElroy and as a BONUS, you will receive the Transcript of the Conversation as an electronic download IMMEDIATELY upon completion of your order.

Yes! Please send me the Interview with Dierdre for a tiny $27.97 plus shipping and handling: Click here to invest in the Eavesdrop on a Telephone Conversation with Dierdre McElroy with our SECURE SERVER. This will take you to a form where you can enter your order information and be confident that it is secure. You can also pay with PayPal if you prefer. Just click on the PayPal button when you get to the shopping cart.

Your order is processed by a third party on a SECURE SERVER where your credit card information is kept confidential, and their processing meets the highest security standards in the industry. As a matter of fact, our order processing is checked every day by Dasient Safe Site.

Happy Quilting!

Penny Halgren
Master Quilter

Dierdre revealed secrets of what brands of quilting resources to get, and which you should stay away from.

Reserve your copy of the CD of the live call

Dierdre McElroy, expert quilter