Ask
the Experts:
Jayne Turner
Question: When I make miniature quilts, my
sewing machine tends to 'eat' tiny pieces. How can I control them? Here's what Jayne says:
First, check your needle size. I've found that the larger
needles tend to grab the fabric and push it into the throat plate. I prefer to stitch with
a Schmetz size 60 microtec sharp needle and use it for my most demanding piecework.
Second, check the throat plate on the machine. The standard
wide-mouthed throat plate is designed to accommodate large zigzag stitches. A
straight-stitch throat plate has a single round hole. The smaller opening leaves less room
for the fabric to get jammed into it. Your machine accessory kit may not include such a
throat plate. Check with your sewing machine dealer. Usually, they will have one available
for sale. If you stitch a lot of miniature quilts, it is worth the investment.
Third, develop the habit of using a lead-on, lead-off scrap. Sew onto a
scrap of fabric before feeding tiny pieces into the machine. Chain-sew all the pieces.
Then sew a lead-off scrap, and clip the threads between the last piece and the lead-off
scrap, leaving the scrap under the needle. Your machine will be ready to begin
chain-piecing the next time you sit down to sew. In addition to keeping from being
'sucked' into the machine, this trick saves thread so you won't have to change the bobbin
as often. (If you wish to be really organized, the lead-on, lead-off scraps could be
squares or triangles for another larger project! After a lot of miniature-quiltmaking,
you'd have the bonus of a lot of pieces ready for use in another quilt.)
Do you bind miniature quilts in a different way than your
full-size ones?
Binding is the finishing touch on any quilt. As much as possible, the size
of the binding should be kept in scale with the size of the quilt, so you might want to
experiment with narrower bindings. On a miniature, you do not have to worry about heavy
use wearing out he edge of the quilt. Avoiding bulk is the main consideration. A
double-fold binding is normally too heavy for a miniature quilt, so I use a single-fold
binding instead. Depending on the size of the quilt, I cut the binding strips 1" to 1
1/2" wide. The smaller the quilt, the narrower the strip. Because the crosswise
straight-of-grain has some 'give' to it which can cause the binding to ripple, I cut my
binding strips on the lengthwise straight-of-grain. If the quilt has curved edges, I use a
bias binding. When sewing lengths of binding strips together, join them with 45º-angled
seams, thus reducing bulk. Stitch the binding to the quilt with a scant 1/4" seam
allowance, carefully folding miters at the corners, and joining the binding ends in the
same manner as for large quilts. Blindstitch the binding to the back of the quilt, turning
the raw edge as you go.
About the experts:
Jayne Turner is a quilt designer, teacher, and author who specializes in quilts.
Patterns for her quilts appeared frequently in
Miniature Quilts. Eighteen original designs are featured in her book,
Little
Traditional Quilts (Chitra Publications, 2000). Contact Jayne about lectures and
classes by writing her at: 328 W. 15th, Ottawa, KS 66067, or e-mail: jtquilts@hotmail.com.
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