What I Have Learned About Quilting In 48 Hours!
Well, I started my reintroduction into the world of quilting yesterday, cutting my 5" charms into 2 1/2" squares to make a Christmas Stocking.. I learned:
1. It is much cheaper doing it this way than buying a 2 1/2" mini charm pack.
2. Cutting fabric with a scissors instead of a rotary cutter is slow and highly inaccurate. (Of course my new SHARP rotary cutter blades came TODAY.)
Today I arranged my stocking pieces and sewed the horozontal rows together. I learned:
1.Getting the pieces arranged to look right is not nearly as easy as I thought it would be when working with 32 different prints.
2. It is very easy to sew a 1 way design the wrong way.
3. A seam ripper is as indispensable as a toothbrush.
4. A button that works like a foot peddle is the greatest invention since the electric lightbulb! No more chasing the darn thing half way across the room!
5. An automatic needle threader is a Godsend for 67 year old eyes.
6. A $9 1/4" piecing foot w/guide is worth a million bucks.
7. A magnetic pin holder is the only way to go.
8. Yorkies and cats want to help you quilt.
9. A MODERN computerized sewing machine is PRICELESS!
Tomorrow I iron my pieces and join my rows together so they look like a Christmas Stocking. Monday it's a trip to Hobby Lobby for backing fabric (I have some batting left from quilting a few years ago) and putting it all together including the quilting except for the cuff. Later Monday or perhaps Tuesday I try out the embroidery part of my machine and hopefully embroider "MOM" on the cuff. If I can master the embroidery part, Wednesday the stocking will be filled with Christmas candy and on its way to my DH'S Mother in Pennsylvania.
I am totally amazed how much fun and easy this is compared to just a few short years ago. If I had known, my machine would not have sat in the box for 3 years! If I learn anything else on my adventure I will post it here.
A happy,
Louise