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Frequently Asked Questions


General


How do you ship products?

We use USPS Priority Mail for the US. To keep shipping reasonable for elsewhere, we mostly use First Class service from the US Post Office with tracking. It is a bit slower. Recent increases in postage rates from the US Postal Service have resulted in new rates:

Anywhere in the US $9.50, FREE SHIPPING for US orders over $100.00


Due to increasing taxation and regulations that are difficult for us to stay current with, we no longer ship to anywhere other than the USA. We do however send orders to freight forwarders in the US if you make those arrangements.
We cannot supply information on any duties that your country may charge, nor be responsible for them.

We reserve the right to change our shipping rates, but will never change them mid-order, so you will know what you pay before finalizing an order. While our system doesn't account for every variation in shipping weight/size/distance, what you pay in shipping is usually equal to, or less than what we pay to ship your package.  



Order Notifications
Our system sends out notifications via email at several points in the process; order confirmation, shipping and tracking info, and order delivery confirmation. Please make sure to enter your email correctly and that your email server isn't overly aggressive at blocking automatically generated emails.


Do you take special orders?
Special orders are welcome! Don't see the product you want? Contact us info@AmyQuilts.com or even give us a call at the shop 434-239-6708 during business hours. We are happy to help.

Will any type of ruler work?
No. For ruler work to get the best results, you'll want to use special acrylic rulers or templates with good accurate markings. Additionally there are considerations regarding thickness of the ruler...read on!

What's the deal with ruler thickness?
First it depends on the type of machine and ruler foot. If you have a hopping-style foot (none sold here are hopping type) you need to use thicker rulers, usually 1/4 inch thick, to keep the ruler from hopping over or under the foot.
We prefer rulers and templates that are 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick as they are easier to hold and these thicker rulers work fine for all machines to the front and side of the ruler foot. Low shank sewing machines do need a thinner ruler behind the foot.
Low shank machines have less clearance behind the foot and under the presser foot bar so it is best to use a thinner ruler with these machines. Most long arm rulers are too thick to be safely used behind the foot of a low shank machine. Most basic rulers aren't typically used behind the foot, but certain ruler shapes are made to travel around all sides of a ruler foot. We carry 3mm thick versions of these rulers as well as the 4.5mm thickness.
High shank machines can usually use rulers up to 6mm (1/4 inch) behind the foot but can use as thin as 4.5 mm rulers too. The Janome 6600 and 7700 machines are high shank machines that benefit from the 4.5 mm templates as their accufeed system can interfere with the thicker rulers behind the foot. 
Machines that have an auto presser foot lift can be troublesome when it comes to ruler work. Because of the height of the ruler foot itself, there is reduced clearance between the needle clamp and the foot. Rule #1 for ruler work is to never raise the foot while the needle is down or lower the needle while the foot is up. Because of this, it is important to either wait until there is a ruler foot for these auto lift machines, or make sure the auto lift is turned off/unused. Janome now has a Ruler Work Mode for the 15000, 9450 and 9400 and a new ruler foot for these machines.


Where can I find more information about quilting with rulers?

I'm glad you asked. Visit our blog Amy's Free Motion Quilting Adventures for all kinds of free information primarily about quilting with rulers and free motion quilting in general.

There are quite a few videos on the topic on Amy's YouTube channel and more info on the AmyQuilts Facebook page.

Additionally, Amy teaches two classes on ruler work at Craftsy. The first class, Quilting with Rulers on a Home Machine goes into great detail about ruler feet, rulers and templates, and designs with rulers. The second, Creative Quilting with Rulers, goes into tips for planning and creating ruler work designs.The Craftsy class platform allows you access to a forum to post questions to me and share your projects, plus you can read the questions asked and answers received by previous students. 

Also visit the "About Us" page for links to more information about ruler work.



I've read the suggested information, but still have a question. Will you help me?

You bet! That's what we do best. Email info@AmyQuilts.com or contact us at Sew Simple of Lynchburg, 434-239-6708.