Fatherly Wisdom - if you had time to do it twice, you had time to do it right the first time

I follow a lot of blogs from fabric manufacturers and notions to see what’s coming, and to track color and design trends.  Besides being a lot of fun (and sometimes I get lost in it like hours on Pinterest), they share lots of useful tips to improve my skills.  I like learning if there is an easier or better way to do things. 

Today MODA’s blog post TIPS and TIDBITS had some wonderful refresher tips for seasoned and novice quilters alike.  Now that fall is here and the days cooler our thoughts naturally draw us to our quilting so I thought I’d share a few.  No doubt we can find one or two good reminders.

Measure twice, cut once – pretty basic tip even woodworkers use, but it can make all the difference in our results, which translates to our happiness factor.  I need to be more vigilant on this one even when doing intuitive piecing.

Know your seam allowance – I posted about this recently, how a quarter inch seam is not always a quarter inch seam, with lots of contributing factors.  Most of us only see this problem with block exchanges.  But it’s still wise to verify this from time to time.  The blog states “a wonderful teacher showed me my seam allowance was actually a thread or two bigger than ¼” which resulted in some of my piecing being just a bit off (those 1/16” variations can really add up in a big quilt)! So measure your seam allowance periodically to make sure you’re on track.  You can adjust your needle to the right of left if necessary, obtain a ¼” seam guide, or use painters tape to mark the true ¼” line on your machine.”  Amen sister!  I’m rechecking as soon as this post is done.

Keep it together: Pin and Mark – no, these aren’t my two brothers.  They are smart tips that have received bad press over time.  Pinning isn’t always necessary, but we quilters instinctively know where we should pin to improve our quality.  And don’t be afraid to mark, whether a pencil or chalk or disappearing quilting pen.  I’d rather take the time now than rip out a seam that doesn’t match.  As my dear father always use to say….”if you had time to do it twice, you had time to do it right the first time”.  Who knew he was talking about quilting?!

Fabric Prep – always a hotly debated topic, to wash or not to wash; if I don’t wash do I need to press; and if I press should I steam or starch?  I struggle with this since I just want to get busy sewing.  Knock on wood….I use color catchers with success. I guess I’m not always one that ‘enjoys the journey’…..I’m the ‘prefer the destination’ kind of gal and I know I need to work on that so I’m listening to MODA.  According to MODA steam can help avoid shrinkage later, especially important when using lots of pieces, especially small ones……so this will improve accuracy….again.  Are we hearing a reoccurring theme here?!

Handle with care – whether bias or on grain, loose weave or tight, too much tugging and pulling can stretch and distort our seams and cause our quilts not to lay flat.  Most of us have experienced wavy quilts at one time.  We should press, not iron (yes, there is a difference folks!).  As our local quilt shop so aptly named says “Pressing Matters”. Just handle with care for better results.

And this one final tip is probably the most important……. “Enjoy yourself while you are sewing and quilting”.  The time we spend doing this is a gift we give ourselves, it’s like a mini vacation. It nourishes our souls.  It’s about the doing something with our hands, the crafting of something from nothing, so enjoy!  Remember….the reason for this blog?

I hope you found a tip or two that may help you today! And remember…..the worst day quilting is better than the best day at the office!  J