Book or magazine that shows all the short cut methods of piecing
 

I find regularly I'll come across a pattern I'd like to make. Then as I'm reading the pattern it's all done cutting out individual pieces. Such as two triangles to make a HST. I'd like a book or magazine that shows all the great short cut methods.
There are lots of great tips on this board. But going back and finding them when I'm in the process of making a quilt sometimes gets me out of the mood for it.
Does anyone know of such a thing?
Book, magazine subscription, online source?
Thanks.
Just hate making things the hard way and sometimes not the most accurate.
SVAL

I know what you mean. Didn't read all the way through one particular pattern and just started cutting. Realized after I started piecing that the whole thing could have been done far easier. WHEN I remember that experience, I try to read completely through things and figure out the easy way instead of the way it's written at times!

I don't know of anything that exist but usually where there is a demand, someone will write it. As an advance quilter, I prefer making flying geese my way and continue with the pattern. There are at least four ways to make flying geese and I find that I use Eleanor Burns method works best for me. When I read to cut 4 7/8 squares to make HST, I just ignore it and cut my squares 5". It just starts to become automatic to convert to the easier method. Good Question!

For my personal use, I like to have things on paper.

I think one could get a three ring binder with the clear pockt pages to put ideas in.

Maybe divide it into sections: designs - cutting - triangle trick - color - whatever one has a special interest in

Keep the things that worked especially well - weed out the ones that were tried but did not work so well.

I am thinking of something like one's favorite recipes file or notebook.

I am sure there are books and videos with helpful hints. But sval used the word "all" - don' t think that one will ever happen. Something new is always being discovered and old ways are being revisited.

For me, a whole section on how to make flying geese would be useful.

There are some things I look up over and over - it would be smart of me to copy those pages - mark them with my personal notes - and keep them in one place.

I think eventually we find the method of doing a particular piecing part that works best for us, with the closest to perfect results....sort of like cooking....crock it, bake it, stovetop it, or fry it.....then, someone comes up with even a better way.......never ends...

Another thing to watch out for with patterns which don't offer shortcuts is that the cutting instructions may be wrong for how you want to make them.
If you are making a bajillion HST then why not make them 8 or 12 at a time? Then don't cut strips or buy a jelly roll, cut blocks of fabric.
Every time I learn a new shortcut I put it in a big looseleaf notebook full of instructions for different techniques. DIY quilter's handbook of a sort.

Not a book or magazine but youtube has every quilting method, technique, and shortcut ever used.

Judy Martin's Ultimate Rotary Cutting Reference is a good book to have, but it doesn't show the construction shortcuts. It does have scores of charts giving instructions on strip cutting various shapes. You can get a used copy for just the cost of postage on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listi...qid=1423835069

And that's exactly the way it should be with everything you do from the day you are born. You try the new way and, if it works better for you that way, you adopt it as 'your' way of doing whatever. It's called growing.

Pattern writers are never going to include all the shortcuts for all the procedures in thier quilts. They'll include what works for THEM based on their own experiences. If your way is different, do it your way. If you have to write down your own way, do that in any way that works for you.

It's not reasonable to expect all patterns to be 'custom' written for the exact way you want to do things. If you're experienced enough to make changes, great; if you're not yet at that point, you may just learn something new from doing it the way the pattern says to do it.

Techniques that don't work for me get thrown out fairly quickly (I use the three strikes rule). They'll find their own way back if I'm just not yet ready to master them. There's no need for me to keep them 'on call' in a book, magazine, video, etc.

Jenny Doan is the queen of shortcuts! Her Missouri Star Quilting Company video tutorials show you the quickest ways to do most anything. She also puts our a magazine, called "Block", with NO advertising-- just all quilt technique. All shortcuts, all the time.

Bonnie Hunter's books are all patterns done the quickest and most efficient ways. Look for her many books on Quiltville.com.

For some of us (who live in the middle of nowhere), Internet service is not really up to a standard that allows video uploads. A short YouTube video can take a very very long time with lots of stops and stalls. Book ideas or purchased DVDs would work.

Newfangled Piecing by Cathy Busch has some good techniques in it.

I have also made myself a binder over the years and that way if I find a better way to do something, the old way can be tossed! For me making flying geese this way is best and the go-to way:
http://www.patchpieces.com/files/flyinggeese.pdf

I keep tips in a folder on my computer. I have to make sure the title I give them is clear enough so when I search for something I can find it! I either cut/paste them into my word processing program. If they can't be copied I use the "snip it" tool on my computer (Win7). I also have a program (Gadwin Print Screen) that I use if I want the whole screen. Gadwin can also function the same as the SnipIt tool.

In the "old" days, I would print out the info and keep it in a binder. I kept an index page that I'd record the topic and page number I gave it in so that I could locate it easily.

I see them in Fon's and Porter Love of Quilting and Quilters News letter and cut them out and make a binder of them.

When I find them, I post them to a board on pinterest, so I can go back and look as needed. But I do agree, the more quilts you make, the more you find what works for you. There are many quilts I see where I would have pieced them differently. But I'm pretty good at figuring out my own pattern, strip and block sizes based on a picture for most quilts.

If you go McCallsquilting.com you will find headings called lessons and videos that have many helpful short cuts and just information if you look through them. I just save the ones I need to my Favorites or bookmark. Lots of good info, IMHO. Sorry, just looked again and see that you are looking for books or magazines.

The old carpenters rule. Measure twice, cut once applies here. Getting comfortable with the pattern is an important step . Read , read and read again.

I go through a pattern and lay out my fabrics with a post it marked with the cutting info. I most always do a sample block with scraps if it is one I am not familiar with. Fabric is very expensive and I surely don't want to make a mistake just because I didn't read all my directions.

You can choose so many ways to make a HST and it doesn't matter as long as the measurement is right in the end.

You might want to start a notebook with tips and methods you would like to try or use. I literally cut up my magazines and file tips, patterns, quilting motifs, etc., in separate books. There is always a reference to go to.

Good luck on your quest, I would also like to know of any info book like this.
peace

I'm not sure what exactly you are looking for, but if you want a great reference book, try this one: All-In-One Quilter's Reference Tool written by Harriet Hargrave, Sharyn Craig, Alex Anderson and Liz Aneloski.

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Besides those shortcuts you are seeking, it has lots of information on tools and how-to's. I really like it and refer to it often. I think Connecting Threads has it on sale now.

http://www.connectingthreads.com/cfS...%27s+reference

Like many others, I have a quilting/sewing notebook. I clip articles or tips from magazines, or print outs from the computer and put them in clear sleeves in a looseleaf notebook. Once I try them, either keep or discard, so that the info is tried-and-true. I like the paper version (I'm old!!) rather than the computer storage, because it is right at my fingertips when I need it. My notebook has become a treasured volume of what works for me!

There is a class on Craftsy called "Cut To It: Strategies for Smarter Quilting". I haven't taken it, but sounded like it gave shortcuts for different quilting objects. It's on sale now for a couple more days for 50% off and has a 5 out of 5 star rating. I've taken several Craftsy classes and really like them.

Donna Poster has written a great book on rotary cutting. She used to appear on Alex Anderson's Simply Quilts.

This is what have done. I've created my own "how-to" book on methods. It's a 3-ring binder with dividers. Just yesterday I looked up "binding" in it. I've bound many quilts but it helps to have those pictures and hints ready, just in case.

But, of course, I realize the suggestion to make your own doesn't help you at the moment. A good all purpose short cuts book is a great idea and I can't believe there aren't some out there.

Just ordered a copy. Thanks for the link! The book sounds really good.

I keep a large section in my document files that is labeled Quilting and Sewing. In that section is a folder labeled How To. In this folder I keep all the directions for shortcuts and easier ways to do things. When I decide what I am going to make, I first write down what I have to cut on a piece of note paper. For example: 32 HST fabrics 1 and 3; 14 HST fabric 2 and BG, etc. Then seeing I will need a lot of HSTs, I go to how to, and find the file for making 8 at a time, because 4x8 is 32, and 8x2 is 16. I will have 2 extra for my scrap HSTs.
If there are other special cuts I need, I also look that up at the same time. I print those sheets for reference and then start my cutting. I add a P to the title of the file so I know I have printed it. If the file already has a P, then I can go to my desk and pull that paper from the printed files rather than print it again.

Bonnie Hunters books have excellent instructions. If something can be strip pieced and then cut to units she says.

I don't know if this is what you are looking for but I have two soft cover books (approx. 5" x 7") called Quick Tricks Squared and More Quick Tricks by Billie Lauder. They are published by Easymade Publications ([email protected] or www.easymade.com. Between those two books and the one mentioned previously by Harriet Hargrave, Alex Anderson etc., they are my GO TO resources.

I have these too, and they have all the tricks with easy to do instructions. They are as good any out there, and better than some others.

As experiment, I went to http://quilting.about.com and entered "short-cut piecing methods" into the search box; got a list of various ways to make flying geese, various triangle squares and others from About Quilting (Janet Wickell) (also some irrelevant stuff). I like Rodales' "Rotary Cutting & Speed Piecing" and "Perfect Piecing" but don't know if these are still available. It's a good project for a would-be author...