Blog | National Quilters Circle

How to Choose a Machine Quilting Service

June 8, 2017 By Editor & filed under Blog, Tips & Ideas.

Love piecing and appliquéing quilt tops, but hate the actual work of quilting? Or are you in a hurry to finish a gift for a special occasion? A long arm quilting service can help, provided you pick the right one. You put plenty of effort into creating your quilt, so the person you choose to…

NQC LIVE! June 2017

May 25, 2017 By Editor & filed under Blog, NQC LIVE Videos.

During the June NQC LIVE, Heather Thomas discussed how to pre-wash pre-cut fabrics like charm packs and jelly rolls, shared ideas for how to quilt redwork quilts and other blocks with embroidery and provided tips for making better fabric selection choices when it comes to planning out a quilt.

Organizing Your Sewing Room Part 2: Fabric

May 7, 2017 By Kelly Hanson & filed under Blog, Quilt Supplies.

Have you ever looked around your sewing area and thought, “There has to be a better way!” Personally, I’ve been struggling with a bit of fabric disorganization as of late. I’m always so busy finishing a quilt or cutting out the next project that I often start piling up fabric on the side of my…

Tips for Half-Square Triangle Piecing

May 2, 2017 By Editor & filed under Blog, Tips & Ideas.

If you’re tired of following someone else’s patterns and are ready to get creative with your quilt designs, half-square triangles are the perfect way to start. Using these simple two-piece blocks, you can create hundreds of different quilt top designs, from simple pinwheels to intricate portraits. Half-square triangles are the most versatile of all the…

NQC LIVE! May 2017

April 26, 2017 By Editor & filed under Blog, NQC LIVE Videos.

During the May NQC LIVE, Heather Thomas discussed what’s important to include on a quilt label, how to keep your stitch lengths consistent when free motion quilting and what to get a quilter for Mother’s Day.

Add Excitement to Your Quilt Top by Breaking the Rules

March 31, 2017 By Victoria Benson & filed under Blog, Tips & Ideas.

Have you ever looked through a quilt magazine and wondered why your quilts don’t have that extra something like the ones on the magazine pages? The odds are pretty good that the quilter broke one of the hard-and-fast rules of quilt design. We’re taught to follow the rules while we’re growing up, so our eye…

NQC LIVE! April 2017

March 29, 2017 By Editor & filed under Blog, NQC LIVE Videos.

During the April NQC LIVE, Heather Thomas discussed the different types of batting and when to use each one, how to store your thread and what needle size and type to use when piecing and quilting.

Exploring Decorative Stitches on Your Sewing Machine

March 20, 2017 By Carole Fure & filed under Blog, Quilt Supplies.

My sewing machine was almost twenty years old before I looked at any of the other stitches it offered besides the straight stitch which I used for piecing and the zigzag stitch which I used for mending. What a waste, yet at the same time, what an opportunity. I decided to explore this neglected resource.…

15 Reasons to Buy More Fabric

March 16, 2017 By Editor & filed under Blog, Just for Fun.

“I don’t think I need any more fabric; I’ve got all that I need”… said no one ever! In case you need any motivation to go out and buy more fabric for your next quilting project (though we highly doubt that you do!), here are 15 reasons to help you support your case! Special thanks…

Quilting Fabric Quality: Is More Expensive Always Better?

March 2, 2017 By Victoria Benson & filed under Blog, Quilt Supplies.

Photo by Hank Hession Most beginning quilters have one of two competing mindsets about fabric: either they want to be frugal (like our quilting ancestors) and plan to use the least expensive fabric they can find, or they want to create something that lasts centuries (like our quilting ancestors) so they use the most expensive…