Trying something new
I find it easy to be come almost, but not quite complacent, with my quilting skills. I am always trying new designs or becoming more skilled with PP or foundation piecing or even with patchwork of modern designs.
However once I find a particular way of doing things that works well for me I don't really vary in any direction. I do applique the same way all the time and don't really look for a different way of doing things. I have pin basted or use a spray basting with additional pins for 20+ years with good success. I am pretty good at stippling so I don't do much else anymore and so on. I rarely venture into a new technique of doing something that is different or new. It may not be new to some or even many but outside of my comfort zone.
Well this morning I decided that I would try a couple things new or not tried in a very long time. First I made my blocks using strip blocks on a foundation paper. Something I have not tried before. Second I used Elmer's School Glue to baste a small quilt with. The whole idea with this little quilt project is to try something new as much as I can. Third I am trying to freehand a design onto each of the 8" blocks in the quilt. I am a bit shaky on this part more related to health issues that make my hands jerk than anything else. So I stopped to give my body a chance to settle in for the morning. Lastly, when I get to the binding I want to try a different binding technique. I have a long way to go to get there but I figure if I stay at this little quilt I should have it finished within a couple weeks.
Like I said in the beginning, how complacent, or comfortable with what we do that we do not stretch our skills. I know I have stayed safe in my quilting for a long time, making the more accurate quilt than the learning kind of quilts.