19.
Use a flannel board or design wall and place fabrics/blocks on it
while piecing. 20. Stick a small stack
of Post-It Notes beside the presser foot as a 1/4" seam allowance
guide. 21. On your sewing
machine table, draw two lines, one for the stitching line and the
second, 1/4" to the right. These will help with machine piecing
accuracy. 22. Use a scrap of
fabric for a starter when chain piecing. 23. Speed up your piecing
by chain stitching. 24. Always have your
seam ripper nearby.
LEARN THE BASICS
25.
Choose patterns with clear instructions and useful diagrams. 26. Read through the
pattern before you start cutting. 27. Make a practice
block. 28. Learn proper pressing
techniques! 29. Use diagonal seams
when piecing binding to cut down on bulk. 30. Learn how to properly
turn corners when stitching binding to your quilt. 31. Learn the difference
between half-square triangles and quarter-square triangles. Then
learn the calculations for adding seam allowances (finished dimension
+ 7/8" for half-square triangles and +1 1/4" for quarter-square
triangles). 32. Sew the hanging
sleeve onto your quilt while attaching the binding.
BE EASY ON YOURSELF
33. Don't
feel guilty about starting a new project even though you already
have lots in the works. 34. It is OK
to have a mistake in your quilt. No quilt is perfect. 35. When learning to
hand quilt, focus on making even stitches, not on stitch length.
Long stitches look just as good as short ones, provided that they
are the same size. 36. Quilt with your
friends. 37. Practice. Have
patience with yourself.
TRY NEW TECHNIQUES
38.
Be open to trying new methods. 39. Take classes at
your local quilt shop. 40. Buy a rotary cutter.
They have revolutionized quiltmaking. 41. Follow the step
by step rotary cutting
instructions provided on the McCall's Quilting web site. 42. Learn to use a
grid for making half-square triangles. 43. Make flying geese
with rectangles and squares, using the corner sew and flip method. 44. Use safety pins
to baste your quilts, and close them with the aid of a grapefruit
spoon. 45. Learn to make bias
binding (see Continuous
Bias for a quick lesson). 46. Binding can be
done with straight-of-grain strips. 47. Visit the McCall's
Quilting web site, www.mccallsquilting.com, to find quilting
motifs and tips
for using them. 48. Make use of all
the quilting links on the Internet! A great place to start is www.mccallsquilting.com! 49. Listen to advice
from experienced quilters, then listen to your inner self. Don't
be afraid to try something different.
50.Remember
that each quilt is different, each quilter is different, and all have
value.
