Tiffany

We went through how to cut fabric without elbows, how to correctly use the ruler to cut. I know that sounds funny but many people put the line on the outside of the fabric and the black lines of the ruler should line up exactly on the edge of the fabric to get a perfect cut. Never use your mat to measure as they are not accurate. I learned that one the hard way. :roll: When setting each piece together to sew, the bottom piece should NOT show. I used to leave a thread of the bottom just peeking out to help me line things up but learned that was a no no & in fact can really make a difference in the final measurements of the quilt. Once I started laying each piece exactly on top of the other I got better, more accurate results.

One of the main keys to making things perfect is the quarter inch seam. It always pays to measure the seam line when using a new foot or machine. I had a quarter inch foot once that did not sew a quarter inch, which was extremely frustrating, especially since I didn't think to check my foot & was pulling out my hair! If my girlfriend had not suggested measuring the accuracy of my foot I would have never thought about it. I just assumed they were correct. I mean come on, they're Quarter Inch Feet. Duh. Except the duh was on me. If your machine does not sew an accurate quarter inch you have to make adjustments, either by moving the needle (if your machine allows for this) or by drawing a line (permanent marker) or putting some kind of pad where the quarter inch is to guide your fabric by. I've used post-it notes in a stack and I've used the Dr. Shoal's inserts cut in a straight line and stuck to my machine. Thankfully my new machine and quarter inch foot actually work so I no longer have to resort to such tricks.

And for getting those perfect points, you have to be aware of where your sewing line is and not let it drift when you are sewing the end of your piece. You know that time I'm talking about, when you are almost finished with one piece and are reaching for another to continue sewing. You (generic 'you') should always finish sewing one piece and then reach for the next set your are going to sew. It makes a big difference though it does slow things down a bit. Does that make sense? I sure hope so.

All in all, it's just basically little tips like that which work the best. Most people don't make huge mistakes when they piece. It's the little things that trip us up and get us all in trouble. And I definitely include myself in there! :lol:
~Tiffany