Welcome to our Tuesday Tutorial, where our experts give you a free quilting lesson each week!

Over the last few weeks we’ve gone over pressing basics, an accurate 1/4″ seam allowance, rotary cutting basics, and basic quiltmaking supplies. Today, we’ll review a commonly debated question: whether or not to prewash our quilting fabrics.

Note: please click image to go directly to the video lesson.

In this free McCall’s Quilting University video lesson, Kathy Hannah discusses the pros and cons of washing fabric before use in quilting. She’ll show you an easy way to test color fastness of fabric, and tips for preparing fabric for the washing machine. Did you know there are specific times when you’ll want to be sure to prewash your fabrics, as well as times when you’ll want to be sure not to prewash your fabrics?

You’ll learn lots of valuable tips from Kathy, and you may wish to print out the summary web page for easy reference.

Increase your quilting skills one video at a time…click here to watch this week’s FREE Tuesday Tutorial video lesson on fabric preparation.

You can watch any of our free MQU how-to-quilt video library lessons 24-7—click here to see the full selection.

Don’t miss any of our Tuesday Tutorials – click here to see them all.

1. Pressing Basics
2. Accurate 1/4″ Seam Allowances
3. Rotary Cutting Basics
4. Basic Quiltmaking Supplies

Enjoy!

I don’t know about you, but I just love quilting goodies…of course I love food goodies, too, but I’m talking about quilting tools and supplies right now! Our free video review of basic quiltmaking supplies is great for beginners, but a nice refresher for more experienced quilters, too. You just might see a tool or two that could revitalize your quilting space.

In this free McCall’s Quilting University (MQU) video, Kathy Hannah goes over basic quilting supplies that make quilting easier, as well as more efficient.

You’ll learn:

• Which tools are essential for cutting, ironing, marking, and more
• Great tips on what to look for when shopping for a sewing machine
• What supplies will help you get the most out of your sewing machine
• Which tools are necessary for hand piecing, hand appliqué, and hand quilting

Note: please click image to go directly to the video lesson.

Take a few minutes to relax and watch our free Basic Quiltmaking Supplies video at McCallsQuilting.com—click here.

You can watch any of our free MQU how-to-quilt video library lessons 24-7—click here to see the full selection.

Don’t miss any of our Tuesday Tutorials – click here to see them all.

1. Pressing Basics
2. Accurate 1/4″ Seam Allowances
3. Rotary Cutting Basics

Enjoy!

Were you a quilter before the invention of the ubiquitous rotary cutter? Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine cutting out fabric for a quilt without one!

Whether you’re already familiar with this wonderfully handy quilting gadget, or are just about to explore its usefulness, you’ll learn lots of useful tips in our free video. For this Tuesday Tutorial, I am pleased to present another one of our free McCall’s Quilting University (MQU) video lessons, Rotary Cutting Basics, Safety, & Maintenance. Your host for this video lesson is Ellie Brown, art director for McCall’s Quilting.

You’ll learn:

• How to make sure your first fabric cut is straight (no v-shaped strips!)
• How to choose a rotary cutter
• Important safety and cutting-comfort considerations
• Why you need a ruler specially designed for use with a rotary cutter
• How to tell when your blade needs replacement
• Tips for dis-assembly, re-assembly, and safe used-blade disposal

Note: please click image to go directly to the video lesson.

After you watch the video, be sure to download the free PDF as a handy guide to keep near your cutting table—you’ll find the link on the video page.

Improve your rotary cutting skills by taking a few minutes to watch the free Rotary Cutting Basics, Safety, & Maintenance video at McCallsQuilting.com – click here. Remember, this is just one of the FREE quilting video lessons available 24-7 from our library of FREE quilting lessons and videos at McCallsQuilting.com.

Don’t miss any of the Tuesday Tutorials – click here to see them all.

Enjoy!

Ah, the elusive 1/4″ quilting seam! For this Tuesday Tutorial, I am pleased to present another one of our free McCall’s Quilting University (MQU) video lessons, An Accurate 1/4″ Seam Allowance. Your host for this video lesson is Kathy Patterson, senior editor of McCall’s Quilting.

Note: please click any image to go directly to the video lesson.

Take a few minutes to learn some great tips from Kathy for this essential quilting skill! Think a 1/4″ quilting foot is enough? Kathy will show you why it’s not. Have you ever had a suspicion that the thread you use might make a difference? Kathy will give you a great tip about what thread is best used for your piecing.

After Kathy walks you through the steps for setting up your accurate 1/4″ seam allowance, she’ll show you how to test its accuracy, as well as how to correct it if it turns out a bit too small or too large.

If your feed dogs would be partially covered with tape or post-its, try moving your machine needle as far to the right as it will go first , if your machine has that capability, then proceed with the accuracy test. Note: make sure you’re not using a straight-stitch needle plate if you need to move your needle to the right!

After you watch the video, be sure to download the free PDF as a handy guide to keep with your sewing machine—you’ll find the link on the video page.

Improve your quilting skills by taking a few minutes to watch the free Accurate 1/4″ Seam Allowance video lesson at McCallsQuilting.com – click here. Remember, this is just one of the FREE quilting video lessons available 24-7 from our library of FREE quilting lessons and videos at McCallsQuilting.com.

Don’t miss any of the Tuesday Tutorials – click here to see them all.

Enjoy!

For our first Tuesday Tutorial, I am pleased to present one of our free McCall’s Quilting University (MQU) video lessons, Pressing Basics. Your host for this video lesson is Beth Hayes, editor-in-chief of McCall’s Quilting.

Note: please click any image to go directly to the video lesson.

For new or experienced quilters, pressing techniques can often be overlooked. But as you’ll learn in this video, you should always plan your pressing for best results. Beth will tell you plainly that she prefers to use steam while pressing, but whether you prefer to press with or without steam, you will certainly benefit from Beth’s tips and demonstrations!

Beth will teach you the best approach for pressing half-square triangles for perfectly flat seams with no puckers or stretched bias seams.

She’ll show you more tips for pressing opposing seams, and getting perfectly aligned star points to lie flat. You just might learn a new technique you haven’t yet tried!

We all enjoy strip piecing, but have you ever ended up with arcing strips that “smile” (or “frown”!) at you? Beth shows you how to avoid this with tips for both sewing and pressing strip sets.

Beth will show you a few special blocks, like these sampler and hexagon star blocks, that don’t really follow the pressing “rules”, and will give you tips and examples of how to deal with them.

Improve your quilting skills by taking a few minutes to watch our free Pressing Basics Quilting lesson video at McCallsQuilting.com – click here. Remember, this is just one of the FREE quilting video lessons available 24-7 from our library of FREE quilting lessons and videos at McCallsQuilting.com.

Don’t miss any of the Tuesday Tutorials – click here to see them all.

Please tell us what you learned from the video, and share your own tips by commenting below – we love to hear from our readers!