Walking Foot Comparison: Janome vs Bernina

One of the sewing machine feet that I absolutely have to have is the walking foot. Some people call this a dual fee foot or an even feed foot, but I always use the term "walking foot". 

What is a walking foot and why do I believe it is so important? The walking foot works with the feed dogs to move the top fabric along at the same rate as the bottom fabric. This helps to avoid a situation where the top fabric is being moved along at a quicker rate than the fabric you are sewing it to (the bottom fabric). 

When do I use the walking foot? I use it when I'm stitching borders to the sides of my quilt top. I also use it for quilting. I use it to stitch binding on to my quilt. See? The walking foot has lots of uses!

Some walking feet come with the sewing machine when you purchase it while others are an additional cost. I strongly recommend that you purchase a walking foot if one didn't come with your machine. It is a foot that you will use over and over again.

You will find marks on some walking feet that indicate the 1/4" mark or 1/2" mark. This can be very helpful when you want to stitch a 1/4" seam. It's also helpful when you want to stitch a 1/4" or a 1/2" away from a previously stitched line.

As I have both a Bernina sewing machine and a Janome one, I was able to show you the difference between their walking feet.  The video below or on my YouTube channel shows you these differences.

If you have a walking foot for your sewing machine, take a closer look at it. Does it have markings to indicate a 1/4" or other measurements on it? Leave me a Comment below to tell me about your sewing machine's walking foot and how you like to use it.

Creatively,

P.S. Did you know that Chatterbox Quilts provides FREE content to those on our mailing list? Yes, we do! Sign up here to receive FREE content directly in your email inbox every few weeks from Chatterbox Quilts. You'll be glad you did :)

Learn About the Grip n Press

Christmas is less than a week away! Are you ready? I'm just about ready - there always seems to be last minute baking and wrapping to be done. I'll be taking a break over the holidays to spend time with my family, so there won't be a blogpost or YouTube video next week. 

I hope you have a relaxing and joyful time with your family and friends and I'll see you with new, fresh content on January 2, 2018.

I recently took a look at the Grip n Press by Bear Thread Designs, Inc. As the name implies, this is a product that both grips and allows you to use it as a pressing surface. Let's take a closer look at this helpful item.

One side of the Grip n Press is a black, rubbery surface, while the other is a shiny, silver one. The black surface grips, while the silver one is where the pressing will be happening. Once you've smoothed the Grip n Press down onto a flat surface, you can put your fabric on top of it and then press it. So it's really a portable pressing surface! 

Once you've finished using the Grip n Press, you can roll it up and store it in a cardboard tube (a paper towel tube is great for this). Since it is portable, this makes it perfect for taking to a quilting class or retreat.

NB: I would be cautious using the Grip n Press on a surface that isn't heat resistant, just in case the heat of the iron might damage it.

To see the Grip n Press in action, watch the video below or on my YouTube channel. 

View fullsize

Please leave me a Comment below advising of other uses for the Grip n Press.

Creatively,

P.S. Did you know that Chatterbox Quilts provides FREE content to those on our mailing list? Yes, we do! Sign up here to receive FREE content directly in your email inbox every few weeks from Chatterbox Quilts. You'll be glad you did :)

P.P.S. This post includes affiliate links. If you purchase an item through these links, I will receive a small monetary amount that helps me to continue creating FREE content for you. Thanks!

What is a Grip n Grip?

I recently took a look at the Grip n Grip by Bear Thread Designs, Inc. You may be wondered what the heck is a Grip n Grip? I was wondering too, so let's take a closer look at it.

As the name implies, the Grip n Grip's primary goal is to grip to something. Lucky for us quilters, the Grip n Grip works really well in gripping what we usually work with: fabric!

The Grip n Grip is a rubber-like substance on both sides and both sides grip in the same way. You just need to smooth it down on a flat surface - an ironing board or counter top - and can then put fabric on it and it grips the fabric and stops it from moving around. This is so helpful when you want to mark or draw on fabric, such as when you are making a quilt label.

I've found a few other uses for the Grip n Grip and you can see these in the video below or on my YouTube channel. 

What other uses do you think the Grip n Grip would be helpful for? Please leave me a Comment below if you have other ideas or if you have used the Grip n Grip in your quilting studio.

Creatively,

P.S. Did you know that Chatterbox Quilts provides FREE content to those on our mailing list? Yes, we do! Sign up here to receive FREE content directly in your email inbox every few weeks from Chatterbox Quilts. You'll be glad you did :)

P.P.S. This post includes affiliate links. If you purchase an item through these links, I will receive a small monetary amount that helps me to continue creating FREE content for you. Thanks!

Revised Blogpost: Best Quilting Gift Ideas for Christmas

There was a bit of a problem with the links in the initial blogpost, so I'm resending it to you with everything corrected. Sorry about that!

Ho Ho Ho!

With Christmas fast approaching, I'm sure you are almost done your shopping, right? I'm not hearing a lot of positive responses. I am still at the beginning of my Christmas shopping, but as long as I have a list, that's okay. It's when I haven't a clue what to get anyone that things become stressful. Like this year...

If you're struggling to come up with ideas for the quilter on your list, stress no more. I've come up with a selection of gifts to fit every budget and every quilter. 

If you're looking for a practical stocking stuffer, you can't go wrong with a set of snips or a magnetic pincushion. There never seem to be enough of these around my house.

Maybe your friend loves quilting books. I've included a few of my favourites for the holiday season. Whether they love to paper piece or appliqué or just plain piece, I've got you covered.

For the free motion afficionado in your circle, you can't go wrong with a set of Machingers or a Supreme Slider: both essential to make free motion quilting the easiest technique ever.

Now, maybe you don't need to get a gift for a friend, but want to hint at a gift for yourself. Just direct your favourite quilter enabler to the list.

I hope this helps you with some quilty gifts for Christmas. Happy shopping!

Creatively,

I am an Amazon affiliate and as such will receive a small amount of monetary compensation should you purchase products by clicking through the links in this blogpost. Thanks for helping me to continue to create free content and videos.

Best Quilting Gift Ideas for Christmas

Ho Ho Ho!

With Christmas fast approaching, I'm sure you are almost done your shopping, right? I'm not hearing a lot of positive responses. I am still at the beginning of my Christmas shopping, but as long as I have a list, that's okay. It's when I haven't a clue what to get anyone that things become stressful. Like this year...

If you're struggling to come up with ideas for the quilter on your list, stress no more. I've come up with a selection of gifts to fit every budget and every quilter. 

If you're looking for a practical stocking stuffer, you can't go wrong with a set of snips or a magnetic pincushion. There never seem to be enough of these around my house.

Maybe your friend loves quilting books. I've included a few of my favourites for the holiday season. Whether they love to paper piece or appliqué or just plain piece, I've got you covered.

For the free motion afficionado in your circle, you can't go wrong with a set of Machingers or a Supreme Slider: both essential to make free motion quilting the easiest technique ever.

Now, maybe you don't need to get a gift for a friend, but want to hint at a gift for yourself. Just direct your favourite quilter enabler to the list.

I hope this helps you with some quilty gifts for Christmas. Happy shopping!

Creatively,