Thread: "I was taught to . . . . "

How much of what you first learned in quilting still works for you?

How far off that original track have you been willing to go?

Does what your first teacher/instructor said tend to be what you automatically do?

I did know how to do some sewing when I took my first quilting class - which was mainly learning how to piece by hand.

Overall, I think think the instructor did a good job. I still do a lot of the things the way she taught them. We ran out of time before we got to the quilting and binding part. I learned that from a book.

Some of the things I do remember: (This was probably early 1990's - don't remember exactly when)

How to tie a quilter's knot - very handy -
We used template plastic for our patterns - or we used hers.
Coats & Clark Dual Duty (cotton covered polyester) was what she recommended for sewing
How to hand piece - technique very similar to Jinny Beyer's -

I find it useful to hand-piece a tricky block - especially when I don't know how I might want to press it after it is finished.

I don't remember rotary cutters. i do remember tracing her templates to use for our blocks. Trace ON the line - not around the line!

Originally Posted by Gramie bj

My Mom an grandmothers taught me to sew and quilt from a very young age. I still use all they taught me. The only real change for me has been the rotary cutter, quilting rulers, and plastic templates. I shudder to think of going back to scissors, a yard stick and old newspaper. LOL

I am basically a self taught quilter and for the most part sewer. I did my first sewing on doll clothes. Ironically my mother was a Home Economics major in the college she never completed. She let me have scraps of fabric that I used to make my doll clothes. I got my "formal" training in sewing in Home Eco in what was then junior high. I taught myself to sew and quilt. I am mostly a "hand quilter". I didn't even try machine quilting until I started making Linus quilts and other charity stuff. All of the quilting I have done for my personal use and items for those I know who will appreciate "hand" work is done by hand. I make a lot of use of my rotary cutter and use stencils to mark my items for quilting when necessary. I don't piece any more than I absolutely have to. My favorite is whole cloth quilting. I like to use pre marked fabrics or quilt around designs or images already printed on fabric. I am so good at it that I have several finished projects using preprinted designs that many assume are appliqued. I have an opposition to cutting up perfectly good fabric into little pieces and then sewing it back together before quilting it. I get twice as much done by not cutting up fabric only to sew it back together again.

I still put the end of thread in my mouth to moisten it before putting it through the eye of a hand needle. The " esperts" say moisture cases the thread to swell but it always works for me.

I learned to wet the eye of the needle instead of the thread. It does seem to help.

For the sewing machine, though - it's still easier to dampen the thread.

Originally Posted by bearisgray

I learned to wet the eye of the needle instead of the thread. It does seem to help.

This is something I have recently learnt and now I find it much easier to thread my needles.