Rob Appell talks fast – really fast.
He can share a lot of quick quilt tips in a single quilt class!!
Here are a few of the quick quilt tips Rob Appell gave in his classes at Road to California 2019:
Don’t Over Complicate
Are you ever overwhelmed by making fabric choices for your quilt projects? You’re not alone. Rob Appell shared that, “We all over complicate.” He suggested the next time you don’t know where to start in making fabric choices, ask yourself, “If there was a fire, what would I take?” Line up your choices and always start with your favorite fabric and have that be at the center of your quilt. Next pick your favorite light fabric, then your favorite dark fabric and continue until you have all the fabric you need. Your least liked fabrics can be used for the borders as borders aren’t the focus of your quilt. Trust your favorites to guide your fabric choices.
Straight Stitching
Rob is the first to admit that he is a “dude who makes a lot of quilts and breaks a lot of rules” For one, he sews his quilts from the top down.
Regarding his best quick quilt tips for perfecting straight stitching when sewing strips, is to simply Go Slow. When he first started quilting, Rob did the opposite and sewed fast and learned his lesson. How does Rob put together strip quilts?
Why use a stiletto? It allows you to let go of your work and make the last 3-5 stitches count, keeping a quarter inch seam. Did you know that Rob also makes handmade tools like his stiletto/seam ripper duo?
Another quick quilt tip is to put the heaviest fabric strip on the feed dogs as it will carry the lighter fabrics through.
Iron Piece by Piece
Lay your fabric flat on your ironing surface. Set the seam first by holding the iron for a few seconds on the seam. Hold fabric up in the air to flatten the seam. Replace fabric on surface and press down one side and up the next, pressing each seam allowance in the same direction.
Thanks, Rob Appell, for giving away some of your best quick quilt tips.
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