Updated: Easter Basket has been added as a Half-Square Triangle example. Still to come: the rest of the pieced blocks (strip, economy, snowball, plus the four-color QST — a spinner cousin of the hourglass), then the Star family, then the Log Cabin family — each working just like this.

Save thread with chain piecing: Sew one seam, then sew a couple of stitches through the air between the first piece and the second piece without cutting the thread. Begin sewing the second piece straight away. This saves thread and time.

Backstitch at the beginning and end: Always backstitch at the beginning and end of each piece. This helps lock the seam so it does not open later. Open seams can be frustrating when you are about to join pieces into a row and discover a seam needs restitching.

Before you start quilting — Retro Clean and Synthrapol: If you are working with an older quilt top, vintage fabric, or fabric with age spots, check whether it needs a gentle clean before quilting. Retro Clean can be used for soaking vintage textiles, following the product directions carefully. Synthrapol can be useful when washing fabric or quilts where loose dye may be a concern, again following the product directions. Let everything dry completely before making the quilt sandwich.

Traditional colour-run tip: Some quilters, including Amish quilters, suggest adding about 3 cups of salt when washing a quilt to help keep colours from running. This is a traditional tip and has not been tested here, so treat it as optional and use caution, especially with precious or vintage quilts.

Walking foot: Use for the actual quilting, especially straight-line quilting, stitch-in-the-ditch, gentle curves, and quilting through the quilt sandwich. It helps feed the quilt top, batting, and backing evenly so the layers do not shift or pucker.

Quilting direction tip: When quilting, start in the middle of the quilt and work your way out toward the edges. This helps push any fullness outward and reduces puckers in the quilt sandwich.

Free-motion quilting tip: If you are new to free-motion quilting, or trying a new FMQ design, practice drawing the design on paper first to build muscle memory. Then practice the same design on a sample quilt sandwich before quilting your project.

Quilt sandwich tip: When preparing your quilt sandwich, you can lightly hand-tack the layers in a few spots to help keep them from shifting. This is not heavy basting all over the quilt — just small tack stitches placed here and there to hold the top, batting, and backing together while you get ready to quilt. For all sandwich-securing methods, start in the center and work your way out toward the edges so any fullness is pushed outward instead of trapped in the middle.

Another sandwich-securing method: You can also hand tack the quilt sandwich in a few places throughout the quilt. These small tacking spots help hold the quilt top, batting, and backing together without needing extensive hand basting across the whole quilt. Place the tacks from the center outward, smoothing the layers as you go.