Monkey and I love checklists. We use them all the time.

This is a good one for right now:

• Read this message about checklists.
• Use the checklist at the very end.

Inklingo Print Checklist

We think we need some simple Print Checklists for Inklingoists. A quick reminder makes sense for beginners and experienced Inklingo quilters.

For every quilting project, Inklingo quilters spend very little time printing compared to the time they spend sewing. A few minutes of printing can set up hours and hours of sewing fun, spread out over several days and weeks, so it can be a long time between printing sessions. 

Now you can print one page (PDF) for 3 different checklists to keep in your Inklingo binder, or stick to the front of your ordinary Inkjet printer.

For quilters who are new to Inklingo, there are detailed, illustrated printing instructions in the first Chapter of The Inklingo Handbook.

We think they are so important that we made that chapter free. Free—but it’s 48 pages. Even with Monkey’s smiling face on almost every page, quilters who are familiar with printing on fabric probably skip it.

As a monkey, Monkey says it’s only human nature to skip reading the instructions until you get in trouble. Luckily, with Inklingo, trouble is easy to avoid, and even Big Trouble is clearing a jam—not a big deal.

If you don’t want to read The Inklingo Handbook, here’s a little summary:

1. The fabric
Wash and dry the fabric so the FP will bond well enough to avoid jams in the printer.

If you fold the fabric neatly, there is no need to press until you iron on the freezer paper.

Print tests on the fabrics you will be printing to determine the best ink color. If you are machine piecing, you will probably only be printing some of the fabrics.

2. The freezer paper (FP)
Cut 2 to 5 sheets of FP and label each with the size. Each sheet can be used many times, but by cutting more than one, you can set up an assembly line for ironing and printing, peeling off and reusing sheets of FP when they come out of the printer.

Tips  Print the shapes on the paper side of one sheet of FP to check the size before cutting piles of freezer paper. When you are sure the size is right, you can cut several layers at a time. You can iron scraps of FP together to make new sheets too (details in The Inklingo Handbook, page 41, or page H41 in the downloadable version).

3. Print
Iron one sheet of FP at a time, and trim the fabric to the same size as the FP with scissors.

There are illustrations showing quick tips for preparing fabric sheets in an earlier blog entry, How to Print on Fabric Best Tips.  (17 January 2011).

Insert each fabric/FP sheet in the printer so it will print on the fabric side. Many sheets can be printed in a few minutes.

• ironed on both sides, no loose threads
• current page
• page scaling “none”
• custom size
• a glance at the Preview window before clicking print

New to custom page sizes? There are step by step instructions for entering the numbers in the print dialog box under the Support tab at inklingo.com. You will only need those instructions your first time.

 Click to download 3 Checklists (PDF).

Judging by the fun messages in the Inklingo Yahoo group this week, we may need this one too. (Most of the time we don’t want to print 899 pages, eh Mary?)

Do you think it is still a checklist if there is only one thing on it?

Here’s another checklist!

• Check out the checklists.
• Decide what you would like the Print Checklist to say.
  (Shorter than mine?)
• Decide what photo should be on it.
  (Maybe one of yours?)
• Leave a comment for me, so I know what you want.
• Spend a little time sewing every day.

We’ll use your comments to make more Inklingo Print Checklists, okay? They’ll be ready on Valentine’s Day. I hope there are lots of comments. This should be fun.

Linda & Monkey

New to Inklingo? Order and download free shapes and start sewing in the next few minutes. Quick Start  (Always FREE.) There are triangles, diamonds, and squares  in the free collection—great for dozens of different blocks.

We have some great tips for printing on fabric. If you use them, you will save time, save fabric, and avoid jams!

This is NOT my recommended method for preparing fabric sheets:

1. Wash and dry the fabric.
2. Iron the fabric.
3. Cut the freezer paper to size.
4. Cut the fabric the same size or slightly smaller.
5. Heat the iron to Cotton, no steam.
6. Lay the freezer paper down on a bread board, plastic side up.
7. Center the fabric on the freezer paper, inset from the edges on four sides.
8. Press.
9. Flip it over.
10. Press again.
11. Flip and press a few more times.
12. Trim loose threads.

That method will work, but it is not the fastest, easiest way. It is not the method I recommend in the free first chapter of The Inklingo Handbook. (Download it free from a link at the bottom of that page. It is also included in the free shape collection.)

The method I use saves time and effort. It allows me to prepare many, many sheets at a time, and print stacks of fabric without jams. Interested?

This is my recommended method of preparing fabric sheets:

1. Wash and dry the fabric and fold it neatly. Skip the ironing!
2. Cut the FP to size and label it.
3. Heat the iron to Cotton or Linen, no steam.
4. Smooth the fabric out on your ironing board, right side up.
5. Place the FP on the fabric, plastic side down, label up, and press.
6. Trim the fabric along the edges of the FP.
7. Press on both sides again.

I find this method much faster and easier than cutting the fabric and the FP separately and trying to line them up. It also avoids loose threads and makes it easier to re-use sheets of FP.

1. Wash and dry the fabric and fold it neatly. Skip the ironing!

In addition to all the other benefits, washing the fabric avoids jams in the printer.

If you wash the fabric first to remove the sizing, excess dye, and other chemicals, the freezer paper (FP) will stick better. Almost all printer jams are caused by the FP separating from the fabric in the printer. (The other jams are caused by feeding the sheets crooked. Both problems are preventable. Jams should be rare.)

There are many reasons for washing quilt fabric. Even before Inklingo, all my new fabric went into the next regular load of laundry before it went in my stash. (The only exception is the occasional whole bolt, which I keep separate, and just wash a yard or two at a time, as I need it.)

I met someone who worked in a fabric factory, and she told me that if I had ever seen how fabric is made and stored, I wouldn’t even think about it. I would wash everything immediately, if not sooner!

The quilts made in the olden days from old clothing were made with fabric which had been washed many times before it was used in a quilt. I don’t think they liked the puckered look of uneven shrinkage or bleeding any more than I do.

I just throw new fabric in with my regular wash, similar colors. I don’t do anything special, but you can find tips online about cutting the corners, serging the edges, pinking the edges, etc. If a fabric frays excessively, I want to know about it! I sometimes trim wads of thread before I toss it in the dryer. I remove it from the dryer warm and fold it immediately.

I don’t put charms and jelly rolls in the washing machine. I swish them around in water, blot on a towel, and lay flat to dry. Even 5 x 5 inch charms shrink more in one direction than the other, and it is significant.

There are several good online articles which describe the importance of washing fabric. Google “wash quilt fabric” without the quotation marks. I hope we can convince you. Jams are a nuisance, and you can easily avoid them.

2. Cut the FP to size and label it.

Use your rotary cutter and rulers (or a paper cutter), whatever method ensures that the angles are square, so it will feed straight.

Labeling the FP will save you time and confusion when you are ironing it to the fabric and when you are entering custom sizes in the Print Dialog box.

  

Be especially careful to note whether you should print Portrait or Landscape to make the best use of the fabric. I just write P or L.

The freezer paper can be used many, many times. You will be glad you labeled it. Labeling also saves the occasional error of setting the iron down on the plastic coated side of the FP.

3. Heat the iron to Cotton or Linen, no steam.

It takes a hot, dry iron to get a good bond between the FP and the fabric.

As they age, most irons do not get as hot as they do when they are new. On an old iron, you might need to crank it up to the max (Linen setting) to get it as hot as it used to get on the Cotton setting.

Quilters sometimes iron on a hard surface like a wooden bread board, instead of a soft ironing board, if the iron does not get hot enough even on the top setting. A hard surface helps make a good bond. 

TIP  Irons are cheap. If you can, get a new, inexpensive one, so it can be as hot as it should be. Bottom-of-the-line is fine, but there is one nice feature I like, and you might like it too. I look for an iron that can press without steam even when there is still water in the tank. I do all of my quilt pressing without steam, but I don’t want to bother going to the sink to empty the tank if I have been using steam on clothing.

With the right amount of heat, the fabric will not jam in the printer, and the freezer paper will peel off neatly to be used over and over and over again.

4. Smooth the fabric out on the ironing board, right side up.

If the fabric was folded neatly, it should not be very wrinkled, but you can run the iron over some of it now, if necessary.

It is ideal to have a straight, cut edge toward you, with excess fabric draped over the far side, out of your way.

5. Place the freezer paper on the fabric, plastic side down, label up, and press.

The FP should be lined up with the straight grain of the fabric, so the threads in the fabric are parallel to the edge of the FP.

Trim (step 6) before placing the next sheet of FP.

6. Trim the fabric along the edges of the FP.

Use big scissors (shears) and gently pull the fabric with your non-scissors hand. Since I am right-handed, I find it easy to get a smooth cut when I cut along the left edge of the FP, gently pulling the fabric away from the FP with my left hand. I can cut on the right side of the FP when necessary, but it is not as fast as it is when I can control the fabric.

For the first sheet of FP, I usually have to trim all four sides.

After a few sheets, there are straight cut edges on two sides of the fabric. I can place the FP so I only have to trim the other two sides. The fabric is slightly inset from the edge of the FP (above).

(The Suggested Custom Page Sizes in the Inklingo Catalogue of Shapes allow margins of 0.25 inch on the top and sides, and 0.5 inch on the bottom. That is what is required by most Inkjet printers, so you get all of each shape even if the fabric is slightly smaller than the FP.)

7. Press on both sides again.

Press on the paper side and the fabric side again, until you are sure you have a good bond with no bubbles or loose spots. With the right amount of heat, the FP will stick well enough to go through the printer but peel off easily to be used again many times.

Repeat steps 4 to 7 as many times as necessary.

There are more illustrations in The Inklingo Handbook, and some great tips, like these:

Print the custom size once before cutting piles of FP to size.

Consider moving the ironing board so it is near the computer. If it is, you can set up a routine so you are ironing the next sheets while other sheets are printing. Print, peel off the FP, press, trim, press both sides, print, peel. . . and so on. With this method I can print many, many sheets during a one hour TV show.

You can put your first sheet of fabric through the printer right now because there is a test page PDF in an earlier blog message.

I hope these tips will save you time and help you avoid jams. 

Have I forgotten anything? Please leave a comment with your best tips too!

Thank you for visiting.

Linda & Monkey

PS  Do you receive an email every time there is a new message here? You do if you subscribe (right sidebar).

“Printing with Inklingo” (the first chapter of the handbook) is so important that it is included in the free shape collection for Diamonds, Triangles, and Squares, and several other places on the web site. Print the 48 pages yourself, or order the handbook and have all 128 pages professionally printed on beautiful glossy paper (bound or loose-leaf).

Every branch in the woods was painted white overnight. We finally have some snow! Until now, we have only had a few flurries, but this is the real thing. Doesn’t it look pretty?

Unfortunately there are flash freeze warnings and major traffic problems. We are lucky to be able to stay cosy at home, at least until this afternoon.

Monkey jumped into his snowsuit and scarf, but I don’t think he’s going anywhere.

He’s going to have to admire the scene from inside.

Silent protest.

I’ll distract him with chocolate and some Inklingo shapes, and by reminding you to enter Maria Peagler’s Facebook draw for wonderful prizes.

The prizes are great! Even if you stay inside, like us, you can enter. If you’ve already entered, you can enter again and again. All the details are in my previous message.

If you haven’t tried Inklingo yet, download free triangles, diamonds, and squares  here!

If I can catch a photo of the cardinals on the bird feeders, I’ll let you know.

Linda & Monkey

If you are looking for the 80 second video with everything you need to know about Inklingo (yes, everything, and it will make you laugh if you turn on the sound), click here or search the archives (above the header).

Maria Peagler’s Quilters Favorite Things of 2010 is Just In Time for Christmas! She made a video about 4 favorites (including Inklingo), and if you are on Facebook, you will want to enter to win them!

5 FABULOUS PRIZES!

Sarah Ann Smith’s Thread Work Unraveled is a great book for the artist in you.

Sarah describes it here but I think you will get more out of an online review:

“I just received my copy and am amazed at how much information it contains. This book is NOT going on the shelf with all my other quilting books. It will be kept handy so I can refer to it often. Sarah Ann Smith is very generous with her expertise, experience, and knowledge. This is going to become one of those “must have” books for quilters of all levels.”

Maria Peagler’s Color Mastery: 10 Projects for Creating Stunning Quilts

There is a description on Maria’s site and I found this online review:

“I’ve attended several lectures on the color wheel, but none of them made me start thinking about color the way that Maria Peagler’s Color Mastery did. All of a sudden I had fresh eyes, and looked at everything around me with greater understanding. This book is an instant classic. Although the subject is not new, Peagler’s writing style makes it so nonthreatening and easy to understand that it actually seems new.”

Clothworks’ Laurel Burch Quilt Kit

Who can resist? It’s fabric! By Laurel Burch!

The Inkingo Handbook

Five Star Review from the Inklingo web site:

“I just love the Inklingo Handbook, there are so many tips that I reread it and continue to hone my skills. Your way of teaching, with so many detailed pics, is great. And the title is deceiving as it just doesn’t apply to using Inklingo–although I can’t think why anyone would use anything else anymore.”

$25 Inklingo Gift Certificate

Maria describes each one in her new video (previous post). You could win!

ENTER TO WIN!

1. You must be on Facebook. Maria loves Facebook, and that is why she put the draw there.

2. You must go to Maria’s Color Master page and “like” it first. LOL (Of course, you will.) This is a Facebook thing. Before you “Like” it, you won’t see the place to leave a comment.

3. Next, go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=233114&id=104924927573  but do not leave your comment there! Maria’s rule is that you must click on one of the four images and leave the comment on the next page, not this one.

4. Enter as often as you like, for as many of the items as you like!
(More comments = more chances to win.)

5. Enter before December 17th.

If you already have The Inklingo Handbook, we can negotiate.  LOL  ALL of the prizes are fantastic. I would like Maria’s Color Master CD and Sarah’s beautiful Thread Works book myself—and Laurel Burch fabric is always irresistible!

All of Maria’s favorite quilt products of 2010 are perfect to unleash the creative power of Inklingoists.

EVERYONE WINS

I hope you enter and win one of Maria’s “Favorite Quilters Things,” but even if you don’t, Inklingo gives you a great selection of Inklingo Diamonds, Triangles, and Squares. Don’t you love free?  Everyone wins. If you haven’t ordered and downloaded them yet, this is a good place to start: Click here.

Thank you for visiting. Good luck!

Linda & Monkey

If you are looking for the 80 second video with everything you need to know about Inklingo (yes, everything, and it will make you laugh if you turn on the sound), click here or search the archives (above the header).

QUILTERS FAVORITE THINGS—INKLINGO!

Maria Peagler, author of the award winning book Color Mastery, chose four products for her “Quilters’ Favorite Things” video, and Inklingo is one of them!

WIN A PRIZE

If you vote for your favorite product by December 17, Maria will enter you in the draw. 

There are several prizes, including two from Inklingo—
   • a copy of The Inklingo Handbook ($29.95 plus shipping)
   • a $25 Gift Certificate

How cool is that?! We are thrilled that Maria tried Inklingo and recommends it.

HOW TO VOTE

There is a little twist to the voting, so please make sure your vote counts!

You can click on the Color Mastery Facebook Page  or use this link:

http://www.facebook.com/colormaster#!/album.php?aid=233114&id=104924927573

If you leave a comment under the general photo album, it won’t count in the draw. Maria says you must select one of the products and vote for it under its photo. Your comment is your vote, and you can vote as many times as you like.

WHAT’S TO LIKE, UPDATE!!!  The comment box does not appear until you click to “like” Maria’s colormaster page.

This is the Color Mastery Facebook Page link.
http://www.facebook.com/colormaster 

WHO WINS?   YOU DO!

In addition to the prizes in the draw, Inklingo has made sure that everyone wins, because everyone can order and download a free shape collection with Diamonds, Triangles, and Squares ($20 value). Start here!  

There are also Gift Certificates and Free Design Books under the Shop tab.

Inklingo is easy. . . . Facebook? Not so much.

I have been on Facebook for over a year, but I have been so busy introducing new Inklingo Design Books and shapes that I have not learned much about it, or “friended” anyone. I approve all quilters who ask, but I don’t know how to send an invitation yet. That’s how little I know, and unfortunately, that means I cannot answer questions about how to use Facebook. 

On the other hand, Monkey and I are really, really good at answering questions about Inklingo. There is great stuff under the ”Support & Goodies” tab on the web site, but if you have other questions, Monkey and I hope you will ask. 

COMING SOON!

Now, it’s back to work for me. There will be three new Inklingo Feathered Star Shape Collections and a FREE Feathered Star Design Book in the next week or so.

Please stay tuned. We think Inklingo Feathered Star will amaze you!

Linda & Monkey

PS  If you are looking for something else, there is a Search feature at the top (above the header), so you can find other messages in the archives of All About Inklingo. There is a ton of great info here.

My friend, Anneke of Stof Genoeg, has translated the first chapter of The Inklingo Handbook into Dutch! Isn’t that Fantastisch?

It makes me happy that many Dutch quilters are quilting with Inklingo. When Anneke translated some pages for the web site, she offered to translate the free chapter of the handbook too.

I am always impressed that so many Dutch quilters speak excellent English, but I wanted to make it even easier for them to print shapes on fabric with Inklingo. So now, when they go to the Inklingo Snelle Start  (Quick Start Guide), thanks to Anneke, they can also download the free PDF of Chapter 1 with all of the instructions for printing on fabric—in Dutch!

The translation looks exactly the same as the English version, except that it is designed for A4 paper, and I rearranged the photos a little bit to make the translation fit. In most cases, translations from English to another language are longer than the English version.

Holland has a very long tradition of quilting. An Moonen’s ‘t is al Beddegoet is full of wonderful photos of quilts made by Dutch quilters between 1650 and 1900. Many of them are inklingoable!

It is one of my favorite quilt books, even though I do not read Dutch. It was a gift from a dear friend from The Netherlands ten years ago. I treasure it. She also gave Monkey his wooden shoes.

Monkey’s wooden shoes are just about the same size as a computer mouse.

I wonder what Dutch quilters from hundreds of years ago would think of us printing our patches with a computer and Inklingo! Wouldn’t they be amazed that Anneke and I can share our love of quilts and become friends through cyberspace?

Anneke started blogging this summer. She has already written some detailed, illustrated posts on ”Stof Genoeg“ about using Inklingo and using EQ. Every message is in Dutch and in English. It is already one of my favorite blogs.

Thank you, Anneke, for translating Chapter 1 for us. Jij bent een goede Vriendin!

Linda & Monkey

PS  What are you looking for? Use the Search feature (at the top) or write to me and tell me what you would like to see on the blog, okay?

PPS  Please write a review for Inklingo!

Most of the Inklingo downloads are “unrated” because the review feature is brand new. What is your favorite shape collection? Look for the button on the left side of any product page to share your thoughts. Thank you!