20 Advanced Quilting Hacks for Expert Quilters

Who doesn’t love a time-saving advanced quilting hack!? If you’re an expert quilter, you may think you already know every trick in the book, but after gathering up 20 of the most advanced quilting hacks we could find, we think you may be surprised! This curated list of ingenious advanced quilting hacks has something for everyone, so what are you waiting for? Read on to learn 20 ways you can make your quilting easier than ever before.

 

Needle Threaders 

Needle threaders make getting thread through that tiny needle eye easy, but if you don’t have yours nearby, try this advanced quilting hack: instead of getting the thread wet, get the needle wet instead! The water’s capillarity will draw the thread right through.

 

Quilting Gloves 

If you’re an expert quilter, then you’ve got to try quilting gloves! These accessories made just for quilters give you a better grip, prevent slippage, and ensure greater precision while you work. Once you try them, you’ll wonder how you ever got by without a pair!

 

Erasable Marker 

Take your quilt to the next level by adding some embroidery! It’s easy with a water erasable marker or an air erasable marker. Draw your design on a piece of fabric with the marker, put the fabric in an embroidery hoop, then embroider the design. Now add that fabric piece into your quilt. The water erasable marker will wash out, and the air marker will simply disappear in 4-14 days.

 

Starch

Wrinkles get in the way of precise quilting. For an easy fix, use starch on your fabric pieces. Your pieces will stay crisp and wrinkle-free! The starch washes out in the laundry so this advanced quilting hack is foolproof. 

 

Clover Point-2-Point Ruler 

If you’ve ever struggled to turn a corner inside out, then you should know that there’s an easier way! Just use a chopstick or pencil to poke out those corners in a flash. Looking for a tool that looks a little more professional in your sewing kit? Try a Clover Point-2-Point Ruler, which can poke out corners, press seams, and even mark fabric.

 

Binding Clips

If you’ve ever been creating your quilt binding and felt like you could use an extra hand, then you need to try using binding clips. Made especially for quilting, these handy tools hold your binding in place without leaving holes in your fabric, like pins. And here’s a bonus advanced quilting hack: you can also use these to clip multiple fabric pieces together to keep them organized!

 

Quilt Pattern Hack

If you want to be able to use your quilt pattern more than once, trace the pattern onto a cereal box, then cut it out. Cereal box cardboard is thin and easy to cut through, but strong enough to keep your new template in good shape for multiple uses.

 

Wearable Pincushion & Scissors

One of our favorite advanced quilting hacks: keep your most important tools always within reach by making them into jewelry! Create a scissors or spool of thread “necklace” by placing them on a long piece of string or ribbon, then tying it around your neck. Similarly, you can also use a pin cushion ring to make sure your pins are always on hand (literally!).

 

Household Tools

Misplaced your curves ruler? There are plenty of household items you can use in a pinch! Try tracing around cups, bowls, or container lids to get that perfect curve shape.

 

Cookie Cutter Shapes

For a really creative advanced quilting hack, try using cookie cutters to mark hand quilting designs! You can dip the cookie cutters in flour and press them onto your fabric to leave a flour outline. Hand quilt the design, then wipe the powder right off.

 

Thread Gloss

Are you tired of your thread getting tangled or static-y when you’re hand stitching a quilt? An advanced quilting hack you may not know is that you can condition your thread with thread gloss to make those problems a thing of the past! 

 

Press rather than Iron

An important tip for expert quilters: know the difference between ironing and pressing.  Ironing your fabric means pushing your clothing iron back and forth, while pressing is simply pressing down with the iron, then lifting it up and placing it on a new spot. For best results: press your quilt seams, don’t iron them.

 

Ruler No-Slip Grips 

There’s nothing more frustrating than taking the time to perfectly line up your ruler, only to have it slip. Thankfully, there’s an advanced quilting hack for that! Just add no slip grip dots to the bottom of your favorite measuring tool. They help your ruler glide over fabric, but stay in place when you apply pressure.

 

Pre-made Bundles

Coordinating fabric patterns for your quilt can feel like a bit of a guessing game, but here’s an easy way to make sure all your fabrics look great together. Find one multi-color fabric pattern that you love, then only use fabrics that use the same colors found in that pattern., Vary the scale and style of your patterns, and you’re all set! Still not feeling up to the task? Feel free to let pre-cut fabric bundles do the coordinating work for you.

 

Pin Storage

If you’re not a fan of sharpening your pins one-by-one with a pin sharpener, don’t worry, there’s an advanced quilting hack for that! Find any pincushion pattern you love, but instead of filling the cushion with stuffing, fill it with steel wool. Every time you stick your pins away in your handmade pin cushion, the steel wool will sharpen them up for you. 

 

Fabric Organization

Is your fabric stash getting out of hand? A clever way to organize your numerous fabric pieces is to use a filing cabinet! All you have to do is drape a piece of fabric over each hanging file and voila! Your entire fabric collection is now easily viewed at a glance.

 

Spool Stand 

Machine quilting uses up a lot of thread, fast. Tired of replacing your spool so often? Try using a serger thread spool instead! You can use a spool stand if it doesn’t fit on your sewing machine’s spool pin.

 

Masking Tape

We get it--you’re an expert quilter, so you want your quilt to look absolutely perfect. If you want to take the guesswork out of making straight quilting lines, use masking tape to mark exactly where the lines should be. Perfection guaranteed.

 

Keep Those Blades & Scissors Sharp

Did you know that you can sharpen a rotary cutter or fabric shears with aluminum foil? Of course, this advanced quilting hack shouldn’t be a replacement for a real sharpener, but if your rotary cutter has gotten dull and your blade refills are still in the mail, then this trick can get you by. Simply cut through several layers of tin foil with your cutting tool for a quick refresh!

 

Keep Tools Close at Hand

Keep your measuring tape where you need it most--right at your sewing table. By attaching your retractable tape measure directly to the table (using velcro or other attachment methods), you’ll never have to search for your trusty tape again!

 

We hope you found some new ways to make your quilting more effective and efficient than ever! Which was your favorite advanced quilting hack? For more hacks and helpful gadgets, keep visiting The Little Fabric Shop.