Results Are In! Community Quilting Hacks

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Quilting Tips from the Community: Tried and True Hacks to Make Your Quilting Easier

A few weeks ago, we shared some of our favorite tried and true quilting hacks and asked for yours—and wow, did you deliver! From time-saving techniques to clever use of everyday items, our quilting community came through with some wonderful quilting hacks to make quilting smoother and more enjoyable. Here’s a roundup of fantastic advice from fellow quilters. Enjoy these handy tricks and maybe find a few new favorites of your own!

Patricia M. shares:
“I use large straight quilt pins to ‘baste’ my quilts and stick a small piece of cork (cut from wine bottle corks) on the end of the pin. Much faster than safety pins to insert and remove while quilting.”

What a clever quilting hack to make basting a breeze! Those cork pieces are such a smart, simple solution to speed up the process.

Marsha B. said:
“When trying to keep pieces for each block all together, I use a stack of paper plates. I can write the block/row #’s on them, or any other info needed. You can erase the info for next time, or just cross it out as I do. They are easy to stack on top of each other taking up less space, and everything I need is there.”

Using paper plates for organization is a brilliant quilting hack! It’s inexpensive, effective, and saves so much space.

Janine H. writes:
“When I sew long 2.5″ strips together, I always cut the selvedge off one end of all the strips. I then match 2 strips selvedge edge together and sew down.”

A simple but effective quilting hack to keep your strips lined up—thanks, Janine!

Sandra R. shares:
“I love to use glue sticks whenever I can to hold patches or appliqué together!”

Sandra B. adds:
“Glue stick to align seam points.”

Using glue sticks seems to be a fan-favorite hack! They’re perfect for holding everything in place without pins.

Cass G. writes:
“Save empty spice jars with the shaker top for old needles and pins. Keeps you and everyone around safe.”

This is a great safety hack for anyone who wants to keep their workspace hazard-free. Such a clever way to repurpose those spice jars!

Naan H. said:
“Save time when making half square triangles! Assuming that you have a good 1/4″ seam, you don’t need to mark cutting and sewing lines! Put squares RST, slice along the diagonal, and sew the seams.”

This is a great time-saver for anyone making lots of half-square triangles!

Martha K. shares:
“I put a safety pin in the top left corner of the quilt block (that sits in the top left of the quilt) when putting blocks up on the design wall. I also keep it there while sewing rows together so I always know which way the quilt should be oriented, in case the quilt gets turned around while sewing. I then take a picture on my phone of the quilt top once it’s laid out on the design board (not necessarily sewn together) in case I need to take the blocks down, they fall down, or need to be rearranged. This helps me get back to the original design or the one I prefer.”

This is a fantastic way to stay organized, especially for complex quilt layouts.

Jill L. said:
“I like the square-n-square method for piecing. It’s very versatile. Plus, I get perfect half-square triangles and flying geese every time.”

Such a classic technique, Jill! The square-in-square method is indeed a fantastic way to get perfect blocks every time.

Rita C. writes:
“When I stitch the binding onto a quilt, I place it underneath next to the machine bed so I can see the quarter-inch-from-the-corner mark and then stitch to the corner point. I make the usual fold to form the miter, secure it with a pin, and it is easy to see where to start down the next side.”

Thank you, Rita! Perfect for those who want crisp, clean binding and corners.

Aimee J. shares:
“Use a small strip of shelf grip liner under the ruler before cutting. It keeps fabric from slipping.”

Such a great trick! This can be a real game-changer.

Arvilla T. said:
“When sandwiching a quilt on a table smaller than the quilt, do it in quadrants. First, put register marks on the backing for the center of each side; do the same for the quilt top. This will make sure any seams in the backing are straight. Then use spring clamps to hold the backing in place while you place the batting and quilt top on it. Pin that section of the quilt, release the spring clamps, and fold the un-pinned portion of the quilt out of the way while you reposition everything to get to the next quadrant of the quilt. Repeat using spring clamps to hold the backing and position the batting and top. Make sure during all of this you align the marks on the backing and the top.”

This is a lifesaver when working on a small table. Arvilla’s detailed approach will help keep your quilt layers straight and manageable.

Thanks to everyone in our quilting community who shared their expertise! These hacks and tips are sure to make quilting more enjoyable for everyone.

Happy sewing!

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