I taught my daughter like this. She just wanted to sew and did not think that 1/4" seam was important. So I let her try to make one block HER way...after that..she ripped, and ripped and ripped...and NOW...she can make a perfect 1/4" seam in her sleep. I was really proud of her when she phoned one day just to say THANK YOU...because of that perfection on seams, she was able to quickly strip piece a rail fence baby quilt for a friend with NO pattern. She still has her first seam ripper and says she rarely uses it, because she knows her machine and it's 1/4" seam line!
Sometimes...striving for perfect is NOT a bad thing! And if you don't learn that seam early on..while doing the simple seams, then trying to figure out what went wrong on your more complicated blocks later will only be more frustrating!
I teach beginners on paper first..then fabric...and only straight bar blocks..till they get that seam down pretty close to perfect. It really does matter!
I tried teaching a class you all said...all nicey, nice, nothing is wrong, do it as you can..and I got royally pinned to the wall by two ladies who were seriously upset that their projects did NOT meet their standards. SO..no more playing nice. You want to learn a skill with a machine..be it a sewing machine or bandsaw then learn to do it right the first time...even if it means undoing it...at least in sewing you get that 2nd, 3rd of 10th try to get it right..in welding, pottery, woodworking,, you don't get those chances! AND if you are paying to learn this craft, why wouldn't you want to learn to do the BEST?
Last edited by jaciqltznok; 11-06-2011 at 07:44 PM.