How about a fun survey....

As you all know by now.... I'm always begging for advice from the wonderful quilters here. Maybe you can answer my questions ..... before I ask them ... with this:

What are your favorite quilting tips.... what do you do or what have you learned... that makes you a better quilter, or at least a 'not so frustrated' quilter??

I'm really curious to read your advice.
Thanks in advance...


My answer: I have learned .... the hard way.... through many, many mistakes and countless seam ripping sessions..... to try very hard to slow down as I sew. When I do that, I find my seams are much more consistently a scant 1/4".

Good question Mia, I will be looking forward to the other responses.
I think I became a better when I slowed down alittle and paid attention to the 1/4" seams myself. Also, pressing and sometimes using starch helped me alot. Another tip is I stopped striving for something perfect with everything step of the way and putting so much pressure on myself that it was no longer fun. Anyone other than another quilter won't even notice as they are so busy being amazed at what you have created!

When something doesn't come together the way it should, I just walk away from it. Let it sit and when I come back it usually goes OK. I've come too close to ruining something trying"one more time".

I have 2!
When sewing triangles (which I have found that I usually avoid quilts with triangles in them anymore) - I used to start at the tip of the triangle when sewing it and they would invariably get all bunched up in the presser foot area. Now, I start in the middle and sew down to the end. Take it off, flip it around and sew from the middle out to the other end - (I do start a few stitches back to sew over the first couple of stitches from the first stitches I put in so the stitches overlap in the middle so they don't come out). That way, those rascally triangles don't get all chewed up anymore.
Also, don't put off a quilt project because the directions sound like there is no way the block or project will turn out the way it tells you. I put off my sisters 4 Patch Posey quilt and those really easy pillowcases for awhile because of that. If the pattern really does through you for a loop - grab some scrap fabric and practice on that first. If it doesn't turn out - nothing lost. If it does turn out, you have an extra pillowcase or block for someone else!
Good question Mia!
Hugs,

I love the previous tips on slowing down and pressing. I always use a "gentle hand" when I press and try to think about how the seams are going to butt up when I press.

Here are a couple of other tips I've found useful: #1: measure twice, cut once! I can't tell you how many times I've miss cut my fabric and had to start over again. So now I always double check before I actually cut. #2: when I'm looking for a really accurate block (which is what I want), I oversize my triangle squares and then size them down.

What have I learned here? Everything! And still learning. But mostly, slow down and be brave. Just because it looks like a hard block give it a look anyway. It may not be that difficult once to actually read the directions/pattern.

Great survey question, Mia and great responses! You all offer so much to learn. In addition to some of the things already mentioned, one thing I have learned is to 'just dive in" (as in no procrastinating) with a particular project. Sometimes I spend too much time 'researching' that I don't get the time to quilt! Another biggie is there is no such thing as perfection. DH always says "if you want perfection, go to a store and buy a factory made quilt...with tons of others exactly like it". Have fallen back on that advice often when I pick out my quilting flaws. For me it is important to enjoy the process as well as being excited about the end result.

What I have learned the hard way, besides all of the above is, if you buy fabric for a project that you aren't getting to right away, put all the fabric together with the pattern or something to indicate what you had in mind. I sometimes can't remember what I was thinking by the time I get home.

i dont know much because i am so new/ out of date so i feel brand new. i quilted 35 years ago and hadnt done any more till a few months ago. So.......... i have learned everything but mostly......to trust myself! That is my best tip. It may not look right, might not look possible, may not be believable but then suddenly when this has been put to that and that has been put to this... good lord it does work!

And do you know what..... if it doesnt look EXACTLY like the pattern or the tutorial (thats unusal) i have found that mistakes can become something lovely quite by accident. The other day i did something and i sooooooooooo liked what had happened that i went with what i had done wrong lol

So thats my tip................trust yourself, there are no mistakes, only variations Hey that sounds dead profound, i must write that down somewhere.......

Oh! one more tip. when all else fails there is always chocolate cake and a rest. Even 'variations' arent the end of the world after chocolate cake.

Read your instructions carefully, even twice, then cut and sew. Take your time, even one night sleep helps and then there is always your friend "Jack the Ripper".

Quilting and patchworking should be fun and stay fun!! As well as all the other crafts.

You are all so ..... so creative and so smart. These are excellent tips and thanks for participating. I hope we'll get lots more replies.

I am still making mistakes because of rushing .... especially when cutting.... that just won't work. Slow down.... take your time...... read your instructions..... don't expect total perfection and enjoy the product of your imagination.... and eat chocolate cake. What great advice!!!!

I found that when I sew triangles or HST, if I lay the tip of the fabric on a small scrap of paper (coffee filters work great!) before I slip it under the needle, the tip doesnt get sucked into the machine and the paper tears away easily without pulling on the threads and distorting the piece.

I have learned to be very VERY careful with a stitch ripper. They easily and unnoticably go through the back of the fabric and cut the fabric too.

Also, replace your seam ripper when it gets dull. You are more likely to rip your fabric due to frustration when using a dull ripper. Have a sharp one, and be careful when you use it.

Also, press gently. I have been know a time or two to IRON my fabric right out of shape rather than just pressing the seam. It's really hard to break the IRONING habit, but you really need to.

Heather

My Tip: use good quality cotton fabric. It is so much easier to work with..plus it keeps it's shape better. 2. Keep your scissors/roller blades sharp. 3. Clean your machine daily. It makes alot of difference when you start off with a clean, well oiled machine. So at the end of a days worth of sewing, I will clean!!

Oh Heather...... me tooo. I've had to really be careful when pressing so that I don't distort the square with too much pressure or too much tugging.

One step at a time. I learned that when I participated in the Christmas block swap. I almost let the block overwhelm me, but took it one step at a time, Jenny's video played endlessly too, and soon I was doing them in big batches. Starch really is a quilter's friend, non-aerosol Niagara is my fave. No more 'cheap' fabric for me, once you sew with the best--Moda and such--you will never like the
lesser quality stuff, I have to save longer to buy it, but it's so worth it. Changing needles often is another great tip, it makes an amazing difference in your stitching.

Very good question Mia.My biggest thing is learning to slow down!!! I am very impatient but the more I make the better I get at slowing down and if I start making mistakes I have learned to just walk away because I am probably either not in the mood to sew or I am getting tired and trying to rush through. My favorite tip is using a scrap of paper to keep my machine from eating my fabric,love love love this tip!!!But the best thing I like about sewing is getting to share projects with all of you wonderful people.I have always said people who sew are just down right good people and you all have proved what I have said all along!! Yea MSQC you have brought all of us together. Thank you sewwwwww much.Hugs

One thing I have learned is to never, ever sew when you are tired...too many mistakes and too much frustration. It is better to get some rest and have lots of energy for all your creativity :)

Great survey. What I have learned the hard way is this. I have purchased several quilt kits from a local quilt shop where all the fabric is pre cut by how much yardage you need. The only trouble is they cut it and pack it but don't mark it and sometimes, if they run out of the fabric that is called for by the pattern, they substitute it with something else. It's just such a puzzle to put the right fabric with the right pattern piece. Frankly, since I have found MSQC, I only use pre-cuts. Life is so much easier and quilting is so much more fun. Thanks Jenny.