Philippa says...

Sewing machines are such a tricky thing to advise on. Getting a cheaper machine will not be the nicest sewing experience and may put you off. But then getting a more costly machine when you are new...

There are actually quite a lot of reasons why your rotary cutter might not be working very well:

1. It's an old blade (unlikely if you are a new quilter) so not very sharp any more. Treat yourself...

The question of which batting/wadding to use is quite complex as the choices are many. Here are some of the considerations you might want to think about.

Consider the look you will get, and the...

What colour threads should I choose for quilting a whole-cloth quilt?

I audition threads in the same way that I audition fabrics - and make a colour story. I take the end usage and where the quilt...

It can be hard to know where to go with this as everyone is an individual and has personal preferences. As with all things you often have to try it to know.

Let's begin by looking at thread colour....

Philippa’s suggested starter kit for quilting:

Cutting mat
A medium sized, good quality cutting mat (e.g. 17” x 22” approx)

Rotary cutter
A 45mm Olfa rotary cutter RTY-2/G (just the...