Margaret Ashby 
Every rotary cutter needs a surface that will not dull the blade, warp under a nearby hot iron, or leave a permanent scar after the first cut. The best self healing cutting mat for quilting closes back over each blade pass so the surface stays smooth for years of piecing, and picking the wrong size ... Read more
A combo sewing and embroidery machine lets you piece, quilt, and stitch out embroidery designs on one machine instead of owning two separate ones. The best sewing machine for quilting and embroidery balances a hoop big enough for real designs with enough quilting features, drop feed, walking-foot compatibility, and a reasonable working area to finish ... Read more
A walking foot for quilting is the single accessory most likely to fix the puckering, shifting, and uneven stitches you get when machine quilting a layered quilt sandwich on a regular sewing machine. It adds a second set of feed dogs on top of the fabric, so the top layer moves at the same rate ... Read more
Choosing the best sewing machine for free motion quilting is different from choosing a general sewing machine. Free-motion quilting asks more of a machine than piecing does. You drop the feed dogs, guide the fabric by hand in every direction, and run the machine at a steady speed for long stretches, so a machine that ... Read more
Nothing derails a good free-motion quilting session like a needle that stops catching thread. One second you are moving smoothly across the quilt top, and the next you are staring at a row of loose, unlooped stitches that pull apart the moment you touch them. Learning how to fix skipped stitches when free motion quilting ... Read more
Quilting is a dirty business. Every stitch drives thread and needle through three layers of fabric and batting, and that friction constantly throws off lint, much of it settling in the bobbin area where you can not see it building up. Left alone, that lint causes tension problems, skipped stitches, and eventually a jammed hook ... Read more
The best batting for baby quilts is not the same as what works for a queen-size bed quilt. A baby quilt only needs to survive spit-up, a few hundred washes, and a lot of dragging around the house. It doesn't need the same heavy batting you would use in a bed quilt meant to hold ... Read more
Throat space is the spec that decides whether quilting on a home machine feels like fighting the fabric or enjoyable, and the best large throat quilting machine gives you real working room without tipping into longarm territory. This guide covers what throat space buys you, the two machines worth considering first, and what you give ... Read more
Finding the best rotary cutter for quilting starts with avoiding a dull or wobbly blade, since that turns every cutting session into a fight with the fabric, so it's worth getting right before you buy a full ruler set or cutting mat to go with it. It's just as important as picking the right sewing ... Read more
Finding the best longarm quilting machine starts with a bigger question: have you outgrown what a domestic sewing machine can handle? It's a real jump in price and space, so it helps to know what a longarm does that a regular machine can't, and which machines are worth the money at each stage. If you're ... Read more