Know Your Notions

How to Use the Creative Grids Hunter's Star Trim Tool: Accurate Blocks in Three Sizes The Hunter's Star is one of those classic blocks that looks far more complicated than it really is.

How to Use a Seam Fix Seam Ripper: Cleanly Remove Stitches Without Damaging Fabric Mistakes are part of sewing and quilting.

How to Use the Clover Point 2 Point Turner: Tips for Crisp Corners and Clean Seams Every quilter knows the frustration of a collar, pillow corner, or bag flap that will not quite turn out.

A fresh rotary blade makes a big difference in your sewing room. If your cuts have started to skip, fray, or need extra pressure, the blade is often the culprit.

Some patterns earn their place in your sewing room because they turn a pile of leftover fabric into something gift-worthy in a weekend.

If you sew or quilt with Jumbo M size bobbins, you already know the problem: a drawer, tin, or zip pouch full of wound bobbins quickly turns into a tangled nest.

If you quilt on a longarm, the sides of a loaded quilt can make or break the finish. Too little tension and a tuck can hide on the back until the quilt comes off the frame.

If you have ever wished you could wear your quilting instead of just folding it over the back of a sofa, a patchwork jacket is the project that makes that happen.

Every quilter knows the bobbin drawer problem: loose bobbins rolling around, thread tails unwinding and tangling together, and never finding the one bobbin that matches the project on your machine.

Some quilt blocks are almost impossible to piece accurately with traditional cut-and-sew methods — tiny pieces, sharp points, and odd angles that refuse to line up.

Small blocks are where accuracy shows. A quarter-inch error on a big block might hide in a seam, but on a 5-inch square it throws off points, sashing, and everything that joins to it.

Every quilt is only as accurate as the blocks inside it, and blocks rarely come off the machine perfectly square.