Scissors for Quilting and
Free Quilt Block Patterns

From: Penny Halgren

Date:

Dear Friend,

Thanks to the thousands of quilters who responded to our recent survey. We received some great ideas for topics to cover in the upcoming months.

In addition, it looks like the online class schedule will include: Fat Quarter Quilts, Stack and Whack, and Jelly Roll quilts for the upcoming quarter.

Look for more information about the Fat Quarter Quilt class – which should be available in July.

If you missed the survey, it's not too late to let us know what your think. Click here:

5th annual How-to-Quilt Survey

Fat quarter quilts are fun to make and will be the subject of an online class later this month.

This month, the featured book is Fat Quarter Quilts by M’Liss Rae Hawley

Get the inside track on choosing fabrics, techniques and quilting designs unique to fat quarter quilts.

This book is full of quilts designed just for fat quarters. M’Liss spells out her techniques for choosing fat quarter fabrics, and matching border and background fabrics.

With packets of color coordinated fat quarters available in most quilt shops now, it’s easy to choose the fabrics for your basic quilt.

But, how do you know which colors will make your quilt top go beyond the ordinary and become extraordinary?

M’Liss has an extensive discussion about borders and background fabric in addition to how to choose colors for your quilt – whether you use pre-packaged fat quarters or make your own fat quarters.

As a matter of fact, she tells how you can create your own fat quarters and share them with a friend.

And for the machine embroiderers in our midst, M’Liss includes a section in this book about how to set up your fabric for embroidery and embellishments.

This resource includes 8 great projects and more than 40 quilts for inspiration—great for beginners and all skill levels or fat-quarter enthusiasts.

This is the Penny’s Inner Circle Book of the Month for July. If you are not a Penny’s Inner Circle Member, you can reserve your copy: Fat Quarter Quilts

Reserve your copy before Sunday, July 12. Our order goes in bright and early Monday morning. Get in on this fabulous resource to ensure success in the making of your fat quarter quilt.

And now - the News!

Happy Quilting!

penny halgren

Penny Halgren

Tools - Good Scissors for Quilting

Everything about quilting should be fun and easy!

Gingher 8 inch shears

Maybe because my grandfather was an excellent carpenter, I was raised understanding the value of quality tools – especially tools that cut.

From the time I was a kid, I remember my mom talking about sharp knives and scissors, and I enjoyed the benefits of them every time I picked up a knife to cut a tomato or a pair of scissors to cut even a piece of paper.

But I didn’t fully appreciate how much difference that quality made until I began to quilt. Mom had given me pinking shears for cutting fabric for clothes, and until I started quilting, I really hadn’t seen a need for a good pair of straight edge shears or scissors.

So when I started making quilts, the first thing I needed was a pair of scissors to cut my fabric. Remember, those were the days before rotary cutters!

At the fabric shop, I picked up a pair of name brand but relatively inexpensive scissors and happily took them home, looking forward to cutting my fabric squares.

After I marked the fabric for cutting, I started chewing through one layer of fabric. Since each piece was marked, it didn’t ever occur to me that I could cut more than 1 layer. But, the key word here is “chew.”

Since I had never cut fabric using straight-edge shears before, I didn’t really know what to expect. Try as I might, the edges I cut were not straight. They weren’t as bad as if I used my pinking shears, but they were wavy. I guess I figured it didn’t matter since I had a sewing line, but it was pretty annoying.

I didn’t get the full picture until I tried to cut through 2 layers of fabric. Then I realized that I needed to upgrade my scissors. There was no way I could cut through those layers evenly, and sometimes I couldn’t cut through the fabric at all – it just slid between the blades of the scissors. I’m sure you’ve had that experience!

So, I started asking around about scissors and shears, and discovered that many quilters used Gingher brand scissors. Your investment in these scissors and shears will be more than other brands, however, once you use them, you’ll never go back.

Plus, these will last at least one lifetime. Although she has her own selection, quilting daughter, Stephanie, or her heirs will inherit my usable Ginghers.

So, which size to invest in first?

Since there were no rotary cutters when I began quilting, my first investment was in a pair of 8 inch shears for cutting fabric.

Gingher 5 inch scissors

Several years later, I got a pair of 5 inch scissors. These are very handy for next to the sewing machine.

They are convenient for cutting threads as well as some fabric-cutting tasks – tips off of triangles, or trimming seam allowances. They easily cut through 2-3 layers of fabric

The last pair I invested in was embroidery scissors.

These little 3 inch scissors have very sharp points and are perfect for ripping seams as well as cutting threads.

Usually I keep these with my hand quilting supplies, but I grab them when I have a machine stitched seam to rip. I cut about every 4-5 stitches, and then pull the seam allowances apart – the stitches just fly out.

Gingher embroidery scissors

Postcard Quilts for the Troops

Birthday Roundup Next - Deadline August 10!


Birthday Cake Fabric Postcard	Centennial Quilt Block Fabric Postcard

Penny's Postcard Posse has sent more than 15,000 fabric postcards to our troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and the hospital in Germany.

As quilters, we know what those postcards mean to the men and women who receive them. Some who get them receive no other mail from home. And for all of them, it's a reminder of the wonderful freedoms they are fighting for and the comforts they will enjoy when they return home.

The Birthday Roundup is in full swing - the deadline is August 10

Diane had a great idea to send over a package of Birthday postcards that can be handed to soldiers the day of their birthday! What a great idea.

So, we've set up a deadline of August 10, and there is plenty of time to get some postcards made by then. She will send over a big box and the soldier "in charge" can hand them out as birthdays arrive. I will be adding birthday-themed postcard designs to www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com, so keep on checkin'

To make the Birthday Roundup deadline, get your cards to Diane by August 10.

Please send your cards to:
Diane Malaznik
14215 Westmore St.
Livonia, MI 48154-4149

Diane is doing a fabulous job keeping the pictures updated, and if you have sent cards in, let your friends and family know that they can see pictures of them here: www.Fabric-Postcards.com

Remember you can get FREE postcard patterns at: www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com

New Jersey Quilt Block