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When making your own tile inspired quilt Cheryl has a few tips from her book !Quilt Fiesta! that will help you along the way.

• Clear gallon-sized food storage bags from the dollar store are usually free of any printing.  They are perfect to use as placement guides as well as storage for pattern pieces.
• Use a Teflon applique sheet or parchment paper on top of your block before pressing.  This will prevent gunk from adhering to your iron.
• A staple remover is a handy tool for getting rid of the staples after your patterns have been prepared.
• Parchment paper, intended for nonstick backing and cooking, does not have a silicone coating.  It will not melt under an iron.  Use parchment paper as a placement guide when when building an fusible applique block such as a the Pinwheel Pinata Bedrunner block (above) featured in !Quilt Fiesta!

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Making a quilted project using wool requires a few adjustments to your typical 'tool box' of quilting know-how.  Here are a few helpful tips to keep you stitchin' merrily along your way.

• Do not use fuse the wool applique pieces to the background.  Fusing gives the quilt a very flat look, and the fusible will be hard to needle through.
  
• Match your thread color to the wool piece that you are appliquing (not the background). This gives your applique piece a clean edge.
  
• If you have trouble threading the wool thread, try using an embroidery-needle threader.
• Whipstitch the tails of your bulkier yarns to the back of your work to avoid bumps on the front.
• If you choose to machine quilt your piece with wool thread, Sue recommends using a #16 topstitching needle and a 50wt. cotton for the bobbin.

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On Friday night, August 5, attend the event "Modern Stories: Documenting the Modern Quilt Movement" an intimate gathering at a Garment District loft.  The evening includes a panel of in-the-know bloggers, fabric designers and A-list quilters discussing the Modern Quilt movement. Also, witness Victoria Findlay Wolfe, custom quiltmaker and co-founder of the New York City Metro Area Modern Quilt Guild and Bumble Beans Basics charity project getting interviewed for the Alliance's oral history project, Quilters' S.O.S. - Save Our Stories (Q.S.O.S.). Refreshments and door prizes.

The main event is a packed afternoon at F.I.T., the Fashion Institute of Technology, on Saturday, August 6. Headliners include Marianne Fons, her daughter Mary Fons, who just started a TV show called "Quilty" for new quilters on the Internet, and Jay McCarroll, winner of the first season of Project Runway, who is now designing quilt fabric. The afternoon includes door prizes, demos, gift bags, refreshments and much more.

The final event is a fun cocktail party in a quilt shop! Naturally it will be at the City Quilter, Manhattan's biggest and best fabric shop, which just opened the first art gallery devoted to art quilts next to its store. All 3 events are in walking distance from each other and many New York City landmarks. 

The AAQ is encouraging quilters to pick among the three affordable events and add in other exciting Big Apple excursions and shopping to create a personalized weekend getaway: anybody who buys a ticket to at least one of the Alliance "Quilters Take Manhattan" events will get a discount on a room at the brand new Fashion District Hilton.

For more info click here.

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This month you will be making four baskets, along with a portion of the outer pieced swag border.  ext. These baskets will be used in a border of baskets.  It's still not too late to join in the fun of this amazing quilt project.

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Margo sets up her sewing machine and takes a test run to make sure she is achieving 1/4" accuracy when she sews a seam.

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Margo shows you how to press your half-square triangles and how to remove the paper from them in order to prepare them for your quilt.

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Detail of Wrapped in Gentleness by Hiromi Yokata

As the stunned world watched images of the destruction created by the devastating tsunami and earthquake(s) in Japan, it was natural that efforts to help would come to mind. Along with many other groups and organizations offering their services to those who have lost everything, we quilters can do our part by doing what we do best--by making quilts. Recently, the editor of the Japanese quilt magazine Patchwork Quilt Tsushin requested that TQS ask our members for help. If you would like to make and send a quilt to Japan, here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:

• Please use either cotton or poly batting.
• Quilts can be hand-tied, or quilted by machine or hand.
• The overall length and width should measure at least 40 inches (100cm), but should not be as large as a king-size quilt.                                                                       

• Please do not send your quilt before the end of April.
  
•  At this time, the infrastructure is not able to handle a large number of quilts.                                                                                  

When the time comes, please send quilts to the following location:

Patchwork Tsushin Co. Ltd
2-21-2 Yushima
Bunkyo-Ku
Tokyo, Japan

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Mulberry Stars by Jo Morton

Along with her many books, patterns, and fabric lines, Jo Morton is known for her beautifully pieced and amazingly accurate blocks. These excellent results come from her years of experience and from her constant attention to detail as she addresses each step. 

Jo says accuracy in machine piecing is essential if you want your blocks to fit together nicely when the quilt is assembled. The process begins with accurate cutting and continues with accurate sewing.  There are several factors to consider when machine piecing to achieving perfect results. 

1. Scant 1/4" seam allowance.  When you press your seam, the fold of the fabric takes up part of the seam and creates a small amount of "shrinkage."  The more seams you have, the more shrinkage occurs.  By sewing one or two threads less than an exact 1/4" you can compensate for the fold.
2. Use a finer thread.  A finer thread weight will create less bulk for flatter, more accurate seams.  I prefer a 50wt. 100% cotton thread.
3. Set your sewing machine with the dual-feed mechanism.  The dual-feed will keep the seams straight and the layers from shifting.  If you do not have a dual-feed system on your machine you can use a walking foot and receive the same results.  

Visit Jo Morton's website here.

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Belle's Crossing by Jo Morton

Sometimes it can be frustrating to work with many disjointed elements when building a quilt top. For easier handling in the assembly process of a quilt top, Jo suggest breaking the piece into workable units (as in the Belle's Crossing quilt above).

Instead of sewing blocks and squares into long rows that are then sewn to additional long rows, divide the pieces into quadrants.  Sew the rows in each quadrant together.  Then sew the quadrants together.  Much easier, and less room for error.  Look for this quilt and other projects in Jo's book Coming Home here.