After I created my quilted fabric and cut out the purse pattern, I started digging for embellishments that would work. I had decided to use burgundy with the ivory fabric, so I found some sheer burgundy ribbon that would work perfect.

One problem: it was only 1″ wide. Too narrow for the pleated satin I wanted to stitch on top of it. Solution: Stitch two pieces of ribbon together to make it wider. Perfect!

Then stitch the pleated shiny satin trim on top of the ribbon. I found this pleated trim on one of my fabric shopping trips and loved it. It turned out beautifully on the ribbon.

Then this ruffled velvet trim fit perfectly right down the center of the pleats. Stacking trim and ribbon is fun and creates a neat layered effect. I should do more of this to use up the huge stash of ribbon I now own.

I stitched the layered ribbon down the center of the cut-out pattern and then stitched the binding to the outside edge.

After I stitched the bias binding to the edge, I then encased the raw edge in it and tacked it to the inside edge by stitching in the ditch around the edge. Perfect edging!

The last step was to stitch the purse sides together and add the magnetic closure.

Add a ribbon/corded pin I found at the Houston Quilt Market one year and it’s finished! Quite stylish and unique! And every single bit of it used from my collection of stashes!

It’s at times like this that I’m so glad I have those little (or rather large!) stashes!

I pin-basted the layers together with a low-loft batting and was ready to start stitching. I really wanted to stitch with the suede side up since that was a solid and would be easier to see where I was stitching. The minkee fabric would be next to the feed dogs, but that would be ok. I raised my presser foot pressure just a little to accommodate the thicker fabrics.

Issue 1 – When stitching with suede, usually a teflon foot is needed and since I’m freehand quilting, that’s not an option. Even though my feed dogs were lowered and my foot was not exactly close to the fabric, it still tended to stick and not glide smoothly like it should for freehand quilting. Ok, raise the pressure foot pressure a little more so I have more space between the foot and the fabric. Nope! If the presser foot pressure is raised too high, the foot is higher which causes skipped stitches.

Ok, onto plan B…maybe I can sew on the minkee side and still see where I am going?! Maybe? I’ll try it. Now that was a challenge! Not only was it hard to see where I was going because of the print, but also the stitches tend to get lost in the pile of the fabric, which is just the nature of minkee fabric. It just meant I was stitching blindly. Not something I really wanted to do! Plus the suede fabric did want to hang up a little on the bed of the machine. Not too much to be much of an issue; the bigger problem was that I couldn’t see my stitches.

Back to plan A. Insert brand new needle after a 1′ section. Find the perfect balance of presser foot pressure and no skipped stitches. Sew for 10 minutes and then rest my arms/hand for 5 because manipulating those fabrics through the machine really pulls at those muscles. Go slow and keep on stitching! Finally…it was finished!

Minkee printed side

Suede solid side

It isn’t the most beautiful job of quilting I have ever done, but it did turn out fairly nice, considering all the trouble I had with quilting it. And once I finished the quilting, the binding was a breeze! And the most important thing – the little granddaughter for whom it was for and grandmother who brought the fabric to me love it!

Need some tips for sewing with minkee fabric? Look here for some helpful ideas!

Ah, yes – Minkee!!! It’s that luxurious fabric that you just love to rub your hand over and over again! It feels so good that you can’t resist purchasing it! But reality sets in when you start to cut the fabric and stitching with it! Suddenly your great love affair with this fabric is diminishing very quickly! Not only does it create a blizzard of lint and fuzz everywhere when you start chopping it into pieces, but it moves and slides around all over the place the moment it is in your sewing machine.

What do you do with the wonderful-feeling fabric that you are beginning to hate? Here are some tips that might help you keep your sanity and renew your love of the fabric and the reason why you bought it in the first place!!

Pay attention to the nap! Minkee is a napped fabric, so the fibers will lay down in one direction and it will feel and look different. So as you are cutting, be sure your pieces are going the direction that you want them to. Just run your hand across the fabric to feel the direction of the nap.

Add more for seam allowances! If you are using a pattern that is not specifically made for minkee, then you may want to add to the seam allowance. Stitching a 1/4″ seam in minkee fabric is nearly impossible, so add extra for a 1/2″ or 3/4″ seam.

Cut out all the pieces at once! Cut out everything you need to and then wipe down your cutting mat, rotary cutter, scissors and anything else you used with the minkee with a wet paper towel to catch the extra lint. Oh, btw…this is NOT a time to have a ceiling fan on. Trust me on this – previous experience (not a good one!).

Use pins, pins and more pins! That’s right – what would we do without good ol’ straight pins?! This is where you need to use them! Pin your fabrics together so your pins are 1-2 inches apart. Yes, it does take a little more work, but it is worth it when you are stitching that seam.

Sew next to the feed dogs! If you are mixing minkee fabric with cotton fabrics, sew your seam with the minkee fabric next to the feed dogs. This will help the minkee to feed through along with the cotton.

Wash the cotton fabric! If you are using cottons and minkee, be sure to pre-wash your cotton fabrics. Minkee does not shrink, but cotton will, so if you wash the entire project after it’s complete, your cotton pieces could end up smaller than the minkee ones.

Lengthen your stitch length! Since this is a napped fabric with some bulk to it, it’s a good idea to lengthen your stitch. I usually sew with a stitch length of 3-4 mm. If I’m top stitching on Hankie Blankie Pets, I use a stitch length of 4. Make a test stitch to see what works on the minkee fabric you are using.

Use a walking foot! Put on that walking foot and put it to good use! This will be your greatest help in sewing minkee fabric. The walking foot will help to feed the top layer while the feed dogs feed the bottom layer through the machine, creating an easy-to-stitch seam.

Serge the edges! If the minkee lint is seemingly out of control, serge the edges or stitch a zigzag stitch on your machine. This will help to control the lint and fuzz that flies around as you are working with the fabric.

Stabilizer topping is a must! If you are embroidering on minkee fabric (Yes, you can do that!), you need to use a clear water soluble or heat soluble topping to keep the stitches from sinking into the pile fabric. Lightly pin a piece of clear topping to the right side of the fabric after it is in the hoop.

Do not hoop minkee fabric! You will create a hoop mark or burn if you try hooping minkee fabric to embroider on it. Hoop the stabilizer (tearaway if the design is not too dense or cutaway for dense designs), spray it with 505 Spray Adhesive and the stick the minkee fabric to the stabilizer.

Make your binding wider! If you are using a binding with minkee fabric, make it wider to account for the lush fabric pile. Instead of 2″ or 2 1/2″ wide, try a 3″ wide binding.

Only use steam! You do not want to press or iron minkee fabric to compact the lush pile it holds. Either use steam or gently press with a press cloth over the minkee.

What can you do with minkee fabric? The options are limitless, but I love to create Hankie Blankie Pets with this luxurious fabric! They are so sweet and perfect to give as gifts and little ones love the feel of these little animals. I usually personalize it with a name on the front corner. Here’s just a few I’ve stitched:

Just look at those floppy puppy ears!

Cute little pink kitty whiskers!

These are so soft and cuddly!

On the three pets above, I used the original pet pattern here, but also take a peek at the New Friends pattern and At the Zoo pattern for other cute pet variations!

Can’t find minkee fabric in your local area? Try here!

Quality fabric is a must in your quilting and embroidery projects! It will stitch better, be easier to handle and cut and wear much longer than cheap, inexpensive, quality-lacking fabrics. But is there ever a time or project to use cheap fabric that lacks the quality you desire in your quilts?

In my opinion, yes. It’s rare that I use a lesser quality fabric, but in some cases I do think there is a place for it. In almost all of my projects I use quality fabrics, whether it’s a small wall hanging or a large quilt. If I am spending my time in cutting, stitching and finishing it, I want it to last and be the best that I can make it.

I do make two exceptions where I may use a lesser quality fabric: costumes and craft projects.

Costumes – For kid’s or even adult costumes that will be worn once or twice, if I find something in a lesser quality fabric that will work for what I need it for, many times I will use it. In my mind, it is a costume. It will be worn once or quite possibly twice, then tossed or given away. Most of the costumes that are created (unless it’s for a professional production) are ones that are put together to hold in place for that event.

Craft projects - Some craft projects that are more crafty in nature than garments, quilts or wall hangings, I may use a fabric that lacks the quality I like to use in my quilting projects. For example, with my Sunday School class kids, I cut up strips of fabric to glue onto paper to create objects and I really don’t care what that quality of fabric is (although any scraps work great for this!). The fabric is going to be cut up and glued to paper for a paper craft project. Or I may be draping fabric for a lesson or play I’m producing and that fabric is just there to see. It’s not going to be worn and washed repeatedly.

If it’s a project that will not be used repeatedly, washed over and over again, worn as a garment other than a costume or used for wall hanging or quilt, I will consider using a lesser quality fabric. I admit that I am picky and selective in my fabrics. I like the way quality fabric feels, stitches, washes and so forth. When I’m stitching something and putting time into it, I do the best that I am able to do and use quality fabrics to create it. But in certain cases, there is a place for using a lower end piece of fabric.

But keep in mind that even though a fabric lacking quality can be used, for those things that are important to you be sure to stick with quality pieces that will give you a beautiful finished result!

How should you press or iron the fabric after it has been washed? First of all, note that pressing and ironing are two different things. Pressing is lifting the iron and setting it down in various areas on the fabric to press out the wrinkles. No sideway motion is used with the iron. Ironing is moving the iron back and forth while the iron is sitting on the fabric. Many times it is best to press the fabric rather than iron it as ironing can cause distortion of the grainlines.

The easiest time to press the wrinkles out of a piece of fabric is right after you take it out of the dryer. It’s still slightly warm and the wrinkles are not set in yet. Or while the fabric is slightly damp, take it out of the dryer and press it. Be careful that it is not too wet as pressing or ironing a wet piece of fabric can distort it and cause grainline problems later on.

Use steam. Especially on cotton fabrics. If your iron allows you to insert water in it, that is the best way to use steam. If not, then slightly mist the fabric with water and press. Steam is essential to pressing out wrinkles and maintaining crisp, beautiful looking fabric.

Pressing and ironing is key to create looking fabrics and professional looking projects, so be sure not to skip the pressing because it will make your finished projects look so much better!

There are many benefits to pre-washing your fabrics before using them, but I have several reasons why I don’t like to pre-wash my quilt cotton fabrics if I can get away with it. As sometime pre-washing is necessary, I have come up with some solutions that are helpful in the following disadvantages of pre-washing.

(1) Once a cotton fabric has been pre-washed, it loses the sizing in it – that crisp shape and body. Fabric that has not been washed is easier to cut and stitch because it still has some crispness to it. The solution I have found to this is starch. Starch gives it additional body and stiffness to make cutting and stitching even easier than non-washed fabric. I use both spray starch and liquid starch; you can see here for some tips on using starch.

(2) I hate dealing with those raveling edges and twisted yardages. This is not such a problem with smaller pieces of fabrics, but numerous yards of once piece tend to ravel and twist on itself which can be a real headache to untwist and press out the set-in wrinkles from the dryer. To help with the fraying edges, I either cut a triangle from the corners of the fabric or I serge the edges. Serging the edges is a sure-cut way to prevent raveling. As for the fabric twisting on itself, if I can I try to cut a large piece of fabric in to smaller sections. If I am unable to do that, I will take the fabric out several times as it is drying and fan it out in the air so it is flat and wrinkle free and then continue drying. Or another solution is to hang it flat outside to dry to prevent the rumbling around in the dryer.

(3) Let’s face it, when I’m picking out fabric from a quilt shop or my stash, I want to get started right NOW, not wait until it’s been washed and dried. The solution to this: plan ahead. Simple. Easy. Sure…easier said than done! But- I can speed the process along by rinsing in a sink of warm water if it is a yard of fabric or less. By pre-washing fabrics as you purchase them and then putting them in your stash of fabric, they are ready to use the moment your fingers touch them.

Even though there are disadvantages to pre-washing fabrics, they are outnumbered by the advantages of pre-washed fabrics. So even if it takes a bit more time and effort to serge the edges, wash and dry the fabric and starch each piece, it is well worth it in the end!

Everyone has a different opinion about pre-washing fabrics before using them. Some will not even think of putting any fabric into a quilt or project without pre-washing it first and others prefer to use the fabric right off the bolt. Which is correct? There’s not really a right or wrong and for most people it depends on what the fabric content is, what colors are being put together and how the finished project will be used.

Perhaps the better question to ask is not, “How do I build up a stash of fabric?”, but “How do I build up a stash of fabric I will use in the future?” After all, your ultimate goal is to use that fabric in a project, whether it’s now or in 5 years time (or yes, sometime even later than that!). Unless of course you live in a state with snow and ice year around and that fabric pile acts as added weight in your vehicle!

It’s easy to build fabric stashes; just start buying pieces of fabric you see and like. But over time, you can end up with lots of fabric you may or may not use in the future. You want to buy versatile solids, prints and marbles, keeping in mind that if you don’t use this for the project you have in mind, could it be easily used for something else? And everyone once in a while buy a piece of fabric just because you love it!

For example: I love cute baby cotton prints. At this point I have no use for them, but I love to look, feel and of course add some to my stash of fabric. Will I buy a few here and there? Yes, but not much. I can only use those pieces for a baby/children themed quilt, tote bag, wall hanging, etc. It is not as versatile as a floral print or marble that I might be able to use a hundred different ways.

I try to buy pieces that I know could be used for more than one project. More and more I am drawn to marbles and tone on tone pieces that can easily be used as a background for embroidery designs in addition to being able to incorporate those into quilt blocks, tote bags, pillows, home dec items, quilt backing, etc.

Do keep in mind that solids, marbles and tone on tone pieces need to dominate your stash of fabric. Those pieces can be used for anything compared to prints which can have limited uses. You will use much more of your solid stash of fabric than you will prints. Most of the time a quilt or project will use a print or a couple of prints as the focal point and then multiple solids, marbles or small prints to coordinate with it.

Just think. How would it look for a quilt to have 10 different large floral fabrics cut into squares, diamonds and triangles and stitched together? It might be busy, cluttered and overwhelming. But if you pieced together a couple of florals and wove in some marbles and solids, your quilt would have a more appealing appearance.

No matter if you are just starting a stash of fabric or adding to a current one, be a wise shopper as you are browsing through the fabric aisles. Sure, there will be pieces you love and will purchase, but also take note if it can only be used a couple of ways or many ways. With that thought in mind, you are sure to add pieces that will eventually make their way into projects.

Anyone have any ideas you would like to share on what prints or solids you buy? How do you determine what pieces of fabric to buy to add to your stash and how much do you purchase?

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Be sure to check out these links for other great fabric information:

Unwanted Fabric: How do you get rid of it?

Fabric Buying: How many yards should I buy?

Last week I was stitching some ruffles and needed a little more body to the fabric as I was stitching. And suddenly I had the perfect idea – starch! After I sprayed those fabric strips with starch and pressed them dry, the result was perfect! They now had the body I needed to stitch and ruffle them to the fabric.

See how starch can be a huge benefit in your quilting by checking out this article!

Do ruffles have you baffled Take a look at these ideas here and here that might help!

But alas, that is not to be! After searching high and low, you finally admit to yourself that you are going to have to be brave and select your own fabrics. Yikes!!! Doesn’t that just scare you down to your toes?!?! What if this doesn’t blend with that? What if the blue in this print clashes with the blue in that print? Do all my fabrics have to be the same color or all prints? There’s so many choices; I don’t know what to do!

Never fear; it’s not nearly as difficult as you have imagined it to be!

Start by allowing yourself some time to look at fabrics and consider your choices. Don’t say to yourself I should be able to pick out my fabrics in 15 minutes, because it will take longer than that. The more fabric choosing you do, that faster you will be able to say at a glance, “That’s perfect!” But for now, allow yourself time to browse and consider all possibilities.

Choose your dominate piece of fabric that has the colors in it you want first of all. Look at the colors in that print and decide what colors you want to bring out. Lay out your dominate print and begin pulling other fabrics in various colors to lay with it to see what it looks like. You may have a color scheme in mind when you see the print, but when you start putting those colors with it, it may not turn out to look like what you are thinking.

If you are wanting to keep a dominate color theme, pick various shades of the same color that blend with the dominate print. You may still need to bring in another color to accent the others and create some variety in the quilt, but you can still stick to that color. Or bring in multiple colors into the quilt from the dominate fabric. Create variety with solids, marbles, small prints and stripes.

Keep in mind that picking out fabrics for a project is not something you learn overnight. The more you do it, the easier it will become. Remember that the first time you pick out your own colors of fabric, what you pick out may not be perfect. But the more you do it, the easier it will get.

Just think back to the first 1/4″ seam you stitched or the first block you created. And then think of what you can do now! The more you do it, the easier and quicker it gets! And the best thing of all is that there is no wrong choice, just many different ones!

Have fun picking out fabrics for your next project!