....and the answers, too!

What is Quiltsmart and how did it get started?

Hi!  My name is Mary Pat "Mattie" Rhoades and I am the President of Quiltsmart, Inc.  I taught quilting for years and was always frustrated with fussy patterns and sewing methods that were tedious.  It is with that feeling that Quiltsmart was born.  One of the first patterns that was printed on interfacing was Quilt in a Day's Sunbonnet Sue.  We still print this for Quilt in a Day.  Many other patterns are also now printed on interfacing...some of our best sellers are Lone Star, and Double Wedding Ring.  My goal is to make quilting fun, leaving behind the tedious work of the past, yet keeping the classic beauty of the quilts we all love.  Though I'm far from a perfectionist, and can be quite content with mismatched seams, a side benefit of making quilting easier using printed interfacing is that it ends up being pretty darned accurate, too!  (Not to mention that Quiltsmart quilts are much more stable for everyday use and washing, though nobody can tell why just by touching or using them!)  So, quilting these traditionally-difficult quilts (like Lone Stars, Mariner Compasses, Dahlias) becomes pretty easy - easy enough for beginners to shine at the quilt guild show-and-tell and for experienced quilters to rejoice at the number of quilts they can produce!

We encourage and support quilting teachers and shops who offer classes in our techniques.

Quiltsmart is located in Chaska, Minnesota - near Minneapolis. 

What do you mean by "no curved piecing" and "no Y-seams"?

Instead of sewing two curved pieces of fabric together or sewing three pieces together at a point (Y-seams), neither of which is a friendly task, an appliqué is created from printed interfacing and fabric.  Just stitch on the line, trim & turn the piece right-side-out.  Now you have a fusible appliqué.  Fuse to a background and zig-zag around the edges. Most patterns that traditionally have curved piecing or Y-seams as the technique can be simplified with this method - which we call "Rough-to-Right Piecing" (placing the rough fusible side of the interfacing to the right side of the fabric).  Those quilt patterns include the Double Wedding Ring, Apple Core, Drunkard's Path, Grandma's Fan, Mary's Flower Garden (traditionally called Grandma's Flower Garden), Tumbling Blocks....and there are bunches more!

How do you make a 58" Lone Star quilt top in 6 - 8 hours?

The Quiltsmart Lone Star uses our "Flip & Stitch" method.  You fuse rectangles to the interfacing, flip, stitch on the line, and repeat.  This goes very fast for each point, is very accurate - intersections match effortlessly points are perfect, too!  Each diamond can be made in about 30 minutes.  There are 8 diamonds, so that part takes about 4 hours.  Then just add the background pieces.  We've taken the "y-seams" out of that, too, by sewing the background to the diamonds before the diamonds are joined. Then, two diamond/background pieces are joined to make a quarter of the quilt.  Then the quarters are sewn together, then the halves.  Very cool! This same method is also available in a 38" Lone Star (Snuggler Pack) and a 19" Lone Star (Bitty Broken Lone Star Snuggler Pack makes 4 stars or one large "broken" star).

click here for the 58" Lone Star and to see a video

Do I need the Instructions or can I just get the interfacing panels?

Definitely - YES!  You want the best experience, right?  Our instructions are filled with great illustrations and/or photos and we are just as careful creating the instructions as we are the interfacing.  If you get a "Pack", the instructions are included, and that is the best value.  Once you have that, you can order just the panels if you want to make more projects, or a bigger project - and most of our customers do make either bigger projects, or more of them!  When I teach a Double Wedding Ring tablerunner class, the projects end up fitting a Queen size bed!  Why....because by making a tablerunner everyone learns how easy it is, and then they want to make a Queen size!  So, get the pack first that comes with the Instructions.  If you have somehow ended up with just the panels of interfacing, we do sell the Instructions Only so you can get all the information you need to finish a project.

click here to order "Instructions Only"

If I want to make a Queen or King Size, but I only see Classic Packs - what should I do?

Our Classic Packs generally have one size that is a bed size - either Twin or Full/Queen.  We have "Add-on" packs to complete your Queen or King.  These are great because they have the yardages and cutting charts for Queen and King sized quilts!  Also, the number of panels you will need to finish your Queen or King are included.  These packs come in a nice zipperred, vinyl, reusable bag (a great project bag).  These Add-on packs are even cheaper than buying the panels individually...wow, how much better can it be in this economy!  So, the panels sell for $3.95 msrp but the pack of 10 is only $34.95! You save money and get a Queen/King yardage and cutting chart and a great project bag to boot!

call us to order "Add-on" packs

What other tools do you recommend?

We LOVE the following tools:

Appliqué Pressing Sheets by Bear Thread Designs (great for our Lone Star patterns, Mondo Bag, Mary's Flower Garden!)

Fasturn #6 (for the handles for our Smart Bags, Bottle Bags and for the Double Wedding Ring arcs - perfect!!!!)

Fasturn #3 (for making vines for our ZigZapps! and Carolina Lily!)

Pointer-Creaser - a small plastic white tool with a pointed end (but not too pointed) for smoothing curved edges and gently poking out points.  The Pointer-Creaser is also found in bamboo, which is nice to the touch but tends to be sharper at the end.  We recommend that you take a nail file or sandpaper and file the tip just a bit for use with our projects.

click here to order "Quiltsmart Favorite Tools"

Is using Quiltsmart "cheating"?

Probably one of our most frequently asked questions, it is also one of the most interesting and easiest to answer!  At one time in the history of Quiltsmart, I had thought that I had “invented” the appliquéd Double Wedding Ring.  And, yes, many asked me if it was “cheating”.  I responded with a variety of answers, like, “No, it is progress”, or “Is using that rotary cutter cheating?”, “Do you churn your butter or buy it in a tub?”... and one favorite was....”How did you get to this show – via plane?”  But, there was a nagging thought that it was “cheating”, even though I was adamant in my defense. One day, the bittersweet answer became clear and concrete!  I was standing in a booth at a trade show with antique quilts all around me – a haven of relaxation and tranquility for me....ahh, if I could just sit there all day...., and the antique dealer (not an old dealer; rather a dealer of antiques and vintage quilts) asked me what I did for a living.  Not only was it the first time that I recall being asked that question and feeling secure enough in my field to answer, but it was a time also that I felt a bit sheepish about what I did.  So, I told him that he would probably not like what I did.  He said, “try me”.  I told him that I printed interfacing in an effort to make classic quilts using modern methods to get rid of the tediousness of the traditional processes.  He said he was so happy that I was doing that, and, "What quilts in particular have you been able to make easier with the modern methods?"  So, I told him all about the “pieced by appliqué” Double Wedding Ring block that I thought I had invented.  He offered a sympathetic “good news, bad news” response.  He said he had something to show me that would make me feel good in some ways, and might also be a bit of an ouch.  He then showed me a Double Wedding Ring quilt from the 1880s with the tiniest circles....about 6 inches.  It was a full size quilt and in great condition.  I was enamored, but not sure why this was “good news, bad news”.  He could see my confusion, and said, “look closer”.   I did.  It was appliquéd!  So, I guess I hadn't invented it.  I did feel that whoever made this quilt was some long lost relative in a former life!  I bonded with her, no matter what the circumstance.  Standing there in that booth my self pride of “inventiveness” and ingenuity went pretty much out the window, but I also found the answer to “is it cheating?”  This quilt dealer went on to tell me that the Double Wedding Ring was traditionally appliquéd many years ago.  Apparently it became a pieced pattern sometime in the early 1900s when the appliquéd version was for some reason difficult to publish (Kansas City Star) How can it be “cheating” if that is how it was done long ago!

Does the ink bleed?

We use permanent inks. They will not wash out into your fabrics or your washing machine.  Sometimes, depending on the weather (humiditiy as far as we can tell so far), a bit of ink residue may end up on your sewing machine table.  If this happens - and again, it has been reported very rarely - just wipe it off with a bit of soap and soft towel.  The inks we use are water base, but also permanent....so, no toxic chemicals.

What makes it "smart"?

Quiltsmart Printed Interfacing is smart because we have done all the thinking for you.  We engineer the interfacing to take all the tediousness out of the pattern so that you have just the fun part! Our patterns are known for their accuracy and ease!

Do you have a different question ?

Just call or send an email and we'll gladly get you an answer!