One of the things I love most about longarm quilting is learning from my quilters. I learn so much from them! Through the years they have taught me tips and tricks that have helped me level up my own quilting. Here are my favorite tips and tricks I've used on my own quilts.
Minky quilt backs are so snuggly and not so intimidating!
For a longtime I was intimidated to use Minky for a quilt back. But my fearless sister-in-law not-so-gently nudged me to quilt her Minky-backed quilt when I first got my longarm. I dove in head first with lots of great support from the longarm quilter who worked on my quilts previously, Nancy from Queen Bee Quilts, who coached me through these first Minky-backed quilts. Thanks to her great coaching and my sister-in-law's help, we completed that first quilt (pictured above).
Learning how to quilt with Minky has been quite the journey! I’ve learned a lot through trial and error and now really enjoying working with the fabric. Minky is a popular choice for my quilt customers, too. I estimate 25% of the quilts I work have Minky fabric backings and it's the go-to backing fabric for most of my personal quilts. Earlier this year, I had the chance to share what I learned in the Winter 2025 Fons and Porter issue in their “Quilting the Quilt” column. Check that out for more Minky quilting tips here!
Variegated thread can make your quilt “sparkle.”
Kathleen, one of my quilters, introduced me to variegated thread when first brought her quilts to me. I didn't have any on hand, but I ordered the first spools to coordinate with her quilts. Steadily my variegated thread supplies increased and more customers as well as myself started adding more variegated threads to our quilts.
I've learned that variegated threads can really highlight the fabrics in your quilt. Variegated threads really "shine" when you use very colorful fabrics - think Kaffe Fassett, Tula Pink. As the thread is woven throughout the quilt,I think it tends to “sparkle” a bit with the lighter thread highlighting the quilt top colors. I've found it works best to pick the dominant color in your quilt top and use that as the base of your variegated thread. Variegated thread is one of the first things I consider when I want to level up a quilt.
Make your flannel quilts extra cozy with 6 oz bamboo batting.
Kathy, another quilter of mine, taught me how to make a flannel quilt even cozier. We used 6 oz bamboo on a couple of her flannel quilts (flannel quilt top, flannel backing) and I loved how thick and cozy the quilts were! I often thought you needed thinner batting because of the thick flannel. But it seems that going thicker is the coziest option!
My favorite bamboo batting is Winline Textile's thick 6 oz bamboo. My understanding is that it’s one of the thickest battings on the market, but the bamboo breathes nicely so it’s warm in the winter and but not too hot in the summer, too. You can find it here or reach out as I always have it on hand.
Quilting fabrics other than cotton or Minky.
There have been a few specialty quilts made of non-traditional quilting fabrics on my frame. The most memorable quilt is Billy’s Italian Silk Brocade Quilt. This was a challenge because the delicate silk brocade kept shattering with threads running as I quilted the samples. After consulting other longarmers and more practice, I settled on using a size 14 needle and 50 weight DecoBob thread, instead of the size 18 needle and 40 weight thread I typically work with, and it worked great. Billy was great to work with as well, encouraging me every step of the way!
Another memorable non-traditional quilt was Tim’s hockey jersey quilt, a gift for his son. Some jerseys were thicker than others and I wasn’t certain how my machine would handle that. But my Innova longarm stitched through those like a champ! The only adjustments I made was slowing down the machine and masking around one particularly thick patch. Tim and his son were thrilled with the outcome and I had learned just how durable my longarm is!
Quilters usually know their quilts best.
There are times when a quilter will bring in their quilt and suggest a design or thread that seems outside the norm. For example, I had someone request a frog quilting design for a lovely wedding ring quilt made with vibrant Kaffe Fassett fabrics. The recipient of the quilt loved frogs, and the stitch design would be a fun and personal touch. The outcome was great! We used variegated thread which highlighted the quilts colors, and the frog stitch design seemed like it was made for them.
Experiences like this have taught me to ask my quilters what their vision is for their quilt. I have a series of questions I ask to help me zero in on what they want. Through these questions, I’m able to better understand their vision for their quilt and how I can make this happen. I love it, too, when the quilting is done and the quilt is fully representative of its creator in a unique way!
I love as a quilter how I am always learning from other quilters and how I can use that to become a better quilter. It’s one of the best parts of the quilting community. Let me know what you’ve learned from other quilters that has helped you level up your quilts. I’d love to know!