Alie Ward

Oh, and change the needle on your sewing machine way more often than you think you need to because it really can cause a lot of issues sewing with a dull needle.

Brittany Chamberlain said, I started quilting last year.

I finally bought starch, and this has been a game changer at keeping the fabric nice and stiff when I cut and piece things together.

And Nina Jacoby said, I like to use a softer fleece for my backing, but it ends up quite slippy for machine quilting.

But starch is your friend.

You can buy quilter starch or, Nina says, mix cheap vodka with water.

Ta-da!

I didn't know that was a thing.

Alicia Noble says, if you use a sewing machine, be familiar with what the different feet and features do.

I was on my seventh quilt, Alicia said, before I realized that not only I had a quarter inch foot, but that my machine had the option of covering the feed dogs so I can free motion quilt.

I don't know what all that means, but Alicia does.

And if you're a sewer, you probably get this.

And Alicia says, up until then, I was rotating the entire quilt through the tiny little yoke every time I wanted to change direction.

I had been quilting on hard mode without even knowing.

So check the feet on your sewing machine.

L Wink says, invest in a good seam ripper.

Get some graph paper and sketch or draw out your design.

The graph paper helps you figure out measurements for pieces.

And remember to add a bit of extra fabric, like a quarter inch or a half centimeter, to all your pieces for seam allowance.

And practice making smaller pieces like placemats, especially if you want to play around or experiment.