Do I need to prewash the fabrics?

No, we do not recommend pre-washing the fabrics. If you want to prewash your fabrics it is best if you starch and iron the fabric for stiffness and ease of use.

What is fusible appliqué?

Fusible appliqué is the crafting technique of using a man made fiber (fusible web) that will melt two pieces of fabric together when heat is applied to it.

Briefly described, the entire process is tracing the pattern piece onto the fusible web, laying out the design according to the layout guide and fusing the fabrics together. Stitching around the raw edges complete the quilt top.

What brand of fusible do you recommend?

Pellon Wonder Under – this is a heat responsive web that allows the pieces to be moved because you can steam the pieces free and reposition them.

Steam-A-Seam Lite – this is a double-sided stick that finger presses in place, bonds when ironed. So you can reposition the pieces before you iron which makes it easy to move pieces. Once bonded, repositioning is difficult.

Do I cut on the dashed lines?

Sometimes. If the dashed lines are along the outer edge of the pattern piece then you cut along them. If they are within the pattern piece it is an indication that another piece will lay on top of it. All of the solid lines indicate that area lays over another piece and all of the dashed lines indicate that area lies under another piece.

What is The Appliqué Pressing Sheet™ Bear Thread Designs and do I need one?

The appliqué pressing sheet is a double-sided sheet is made from an ultra high temperature fabric and is coated with non-stick Polylon –- a Teflon like coating.

The transparent construction of the appliqué pressing sheet allows you to see your pattern through the sheet to use as a placement guide while you fuse your overlapping design together into one unit. The pattern pieces will not stick to the sheet so they can be peeled off and set aside when you are finished creating a specific section

We recommend The Appliqué Pressing Sheet because it makes creating our designs easier and you can obtain more accurate results.

It is available in three sizes: 13”x17”, 18”x 20” and the largest 27”x30”

It is guaranteed by the manufacturer for 5 years but could last a lifetime.

If you ever give up quilting (I know that isn’t realistic) you can use the The Appliqué Pressing Sheet for baking!

How do I use The Appliqué Pressing Sheet?

1. Lay down your layout guide
2. Lay The Appliqué Pressing Sheet on top of the layout guide.
3. Selection a section to create (refer to the numbering and instructions in the pattern) and lay down each piece starting with the highest number in the section and working backwards slide the next lower number under the previous piece. Continue working with each consecutive lower number matching the solid line edges with the layout guide.
4. When satisfied with the placement lightly tap with the iron to hold together. Do not fuse.
5. Peel off and set aside, once cool so that you do not stretch the fabric.
6. Begin with another section.
7. Once all sections are complete, assemble them together on The Appliqué Pressing Sheet overlapping as indicated on the layout guide and according to pattern instructions. Fuse down.

What batting do you recommend?

For our all cotton patterns we recommend all cotton batting such as Quilters Dream Select.

What size needle do you recommend?

A 75/11 quilting needle is recommended. If the needle holes seem to show, you can spray them lightly with water and iron them, this will shrink the holes.

What weight thread do you recommend?

40wt thread is our preferred weight because it is a nice balance of having the stitching show without taking away from the artwork.

Some quilters prefer the lighter 50wt so that the quilting is less visible.

What is so special about Aurifil Thread?

Aurifil is a long stable Egyptian cotton that strong and virtually lint free. Aurifil is mercerized which gives it a beautiful sheen.

It comes in over 200 colors to match your fabrics.

Why do you use batik fabrics?

Batik fabrics are a high thread count to minimize fraying which makes them ideal for raw edge appliqué.

Additionally the dye is saturated throughout the fabric so that the color is true even in the cut edges.

How do I know what fabrics to use?

Our fabric lists contain the original fabrics used on the patterns as well as suggested replacements if the fabric is discontinued in production.

Do your fabric kits match the pattern covers?

We make every effort to use original fabrics and in most cases do. Some fabrics are discontinued by the manufacturer which is beyond our control. We make every effort to provide an accurate and artistically close replacement. Those kits with replacement fabrics are labeled as such.

Why doesn’t my kit match the cover?

We sell patterns to shops and catalog companies. They often make up their own kits, and  we have no control over what fabrics are used. Unless the fabric kit is bought directly from us, we  cannot guarantee that the fabrics used in the kit will resemble the pattern cover.  By the way, we do have fabric lists on our website that gives the exact fabrics we have used in each of our kits.

How do I use the vinyl recommended on the back cover?

Trace the layout guide onto the vinyl. Assemble your pattern according to the instructions and verify your placement by laying the vinyl onto your quilt top. Make sure the outer edges match up.

What kind of scissors do you recommend?

For the small and intricate cutting on some of our more advanced patterns we recommend the Famore  711,  4” Large Ring Microtip Scissors.

How do you quilt these quilts?

We quilt along the edges of each exposed pattern piece after building the quilt sandwich (top, binding, backing).

Quilting defines the pattern pieces and gives depth and dimension to your quilt.

How do you finish the edges?

The edges are finished in the quilting process, with a free motion, straight stitch along each exposed pattern edge.

Free motion quilting is you feed the quilt through your sewing machine and control the size of the stitch length by the speed of the foot control and your hand speed. The slower you go the more control you have!

Use a freehand embroidery foot or a darning foot on your machine. Lower the feed-dogs and free motion (straight stitch) on the edges of each appliqué.

Match your thread to your fabric as close as you can.

What is the key to free motion quilting?

Stitch slowly, take your time and move the quilt around carefully. Also lock the quilt sandwich by securing the layers with an abundance of quilting pins or spray adhesive.

Can I purchase additional fabric that is found in the kits?

Yes if the fabric is available and we have enough inventory. Please call us at 406-837-2399 or 866-245-5718 to inquire and place your order.

Can I wash my quilt?

No, we do not recommend washing the art quilts. They are designed to hang on the wall and to be cleaned with vacuuming on the lowest suction setting. Washing can fray even the finest fabrics when they are raw edge appliqué.

Can I hand appliqué these quilts?

Yes but you must allow for the extra fabric when you cut out the pattern pieces to turn under your edges.  Our pattern pieces have been reversed for fusible applique, so you will need to reverse them (return them to a nonreversed state).

Can I hand quilt these quilts?

Yes but quilting through multiple layers that have been fused together may be difficult.

Can I make these quilts to sell?

Yes, but you will need to have a ‘Licensing Agreement for Use of BBCC Designs’ contract approved, signed and in place before you sell.  This is necessary to fulfill our obligations to our licensed artists.

Can I enlarge these designs?

Yes for personal use there is no problem with changing our patterns. Some businesses that do enlargement require approval verification from us. Please contact us and we will send you approval of enlargement.  We also have a large format printer and can enlarge layout guides and pattern pieces for you.  If you are interested, please call for an estimate.

Can I buy a completed quilt?

Yes sometimes we have them available to sell or we have people that we work with that make them to sell.

How do you pick the artists you work with?

We have a design team that reviews and chooses artwork for production. It is group decision with many eyes and opinions weighing in on the decision.