No substitute available for - - -
 

There really is no substitute available for experience and practice.

When someone asks "Is it better to ___ or not?"
or
"How to _______?"

and receives different answers - all of which are valid to the responder -

Which answer does he/she choose to follow?


I know that there are things that I think are "essential" to my process that others blow off.
(Washing everything washable before cutting is one of mine.)

I also know that there are things that others think are "essential" that I don't do.
(Starching everything before cutting is something that I rarely do.)

How did you learn and/or decide how to do things?

From sad experience....cut off points, block size creep or shrink, coming apart in the wash, wavy borders, toe catcher quilting stitches...
we've mostly all been there

When I get options on something I am having issues with I will try them, usually starting with the one that makes the most sense to me. Then when I hit on one that works I usually stick with it. However I am one that if I take a class and someone has a different technique I will normally try it just to see if it is easier or I get better results. Unfortunately what works for me doesn't always or may not be the best for someone else. I always say do what works for you. Not all of our brains, hands, etc work the same way - all you need is to find what works for you and gives you the best results.

I agree with Kalmaquilts. Experience will tell me which method works best for me. There is no ONE right answer to most quilt questions!

I forgot to mention that I quit washing (unless it looks like a bleeder or is something like a red or blue and white quilt) fabric before using it. Why did I make that decision? My husband asked why the washer seemed to always be going but he didn't have that many clean clothes LOL So I tried it the other way and so far no issues - I am sure once I have one I will rethink this process

No substitute for trying. I like to try a new way to see if my old way is still the best. Same with new tools and rulers. How will I know if I don't try? I rarely take someone's opinion if they haven't tried the new tool or method. How do they know?

I learned by trial and error. It works for me, if I try to change anything, it just messes me up.

I tried all suggested options, then continued with the one that gave me the best result.

I like to try new things, but not always with good results (sometimes operator error). I was using pins to baste my quilt sandwich when I first started quilting, but tried the spray basting after discovery. I was less than thrilled with the results, but it was my fault for overspraying. After getting the spraying process down pat, I was sure that there was nothing else I would use. WRONG! Then I discovered glue basting and quickly decided that it was fast, easy, and super cheap....all while doing the job of keeping the layers together. But...spray still has its' own benefits of being very fast and no drying required.

Soooo, I guess my point is that lots of techniques, tools, battings and fabrics each have their own benefits and spot in my quilting life....but maybe not in the quilter down the street....to each his own! But I do love all the quilters here on the board who share their ideas and skills.

While I agree that experience and practice are key elements to success in just about everything we do in life, there is also seldom any reason to reinvent the wheel every time you want to do something new. You can easily learn from the experience of others and make your own modifications along the way. Even those of us that quilt alone, didn't get where we are today all by ourselves.

When I have questions, and after 45+ years I do still have questions, I ask someone whose work I admire what they would do under similar circumstances. I don't throw the question out to the general public. It narrows the answers down to the ones I'm more apt to try for myself and are most apt to work, saving time and my sanity.

Long ago I was an apprentice printmaker. It's a wonderful way to learn a skill without having to rediscover everything for yourself and when the skill becomes solid, your own style takes over.

I'm a trial-and-error person too. That's why I call my room 'the quilting lab'!

I also think it depends on who's the responder to the question I'm asking. Bearisgrey, I generally heed well your expert advice on this Board, but one place we diverge is pre-washing. Did it once, horrified by the result, killed myself getting the fabric ready to cut, just can't face doing it again! :)

What happened that was horrifying? I really am interested in the answer!


I have - once in a while - come across a piece that did look like (what is an acceptable word to use on this board for "totally unsuitable for any type of quilting use"?) after it was washed. I now try to avoid things that I think might turn out like that.



After measuring hundreds (really!) of fabrics before and after washing - I did find that:

Rarely did a fabric stretch - but once in a very occasional while, it would.
Most fabrics did shrink "some" - about an inch per yard or an inch per width (42-45" wide off the bolt)
Some fabrics shrank "a lot" - over two inches in width (42-45" off the bolt) or per yard

Sometimes a fabric that looks like it is off-grain off the bolt will straighten out by itself. If it's still off after washing - now I just leave it and don't even bother trying to straighten it.

I also like to know how the fabric is "au naturel" - is it limp, stiff, scratchy, rumpled, wrinkled - or does it still have a nice hand all by itself?

There seem to be many people that have not had problems with skipping this step. I just don't want to deal with any possible problems later. Been there. Done that. Did not enjoy the process.

Besides, I truly enjoy handling the fabric - especially if I don't have any immediate plans for the piece.

I will confess, though - I inherited some fabric from my Mom - and it is still in the unwashed pile!

Sign on my frig:
Good decisions come from experience.
Experience comes from bad decisions.

You said exactly what I was thinking!

Trial and error a lot of times however I research a lot on line, other quilters and in books by quilters I trust.

I'm a 'try it first' kind of person. If it works, I'll do it again later. Trial and error is the best teacher, when so many personal opinions are out there, choose the one that fits your personality trust.

There are many ways to cook or clean and it is really all that counts in quilting is what works FOR YOU. You should try different techniques to see what is easier for you to use. I don't pre-wash my fabrics especially with the invention of color catchers. I also do NOT have a W/D in my apt. I have started to cut backwards with my acrylic rulers because it is easier for me being disable. There are many ways to make HSTs. I use EB method but F&P have come out with a new different method. As long as your HST come out to be the accurate size, I don't think it really matters the method you used.

As a mostly self taught quilter I have learned so much from this board. I have also had some wonderful suggestions from sales people in the quilt shops. In the beginning I didn't wash my material and then I had a bleeder and I thought I need to wash and iron my material before I use it. If I am going to applique or have really small pieces I starch them. it is a hassle to iron. I try not to iron anything but my material is special. I usually wash and iron my material right away because I love whatever I have bought and I want to admire it. After I get it ironed I put it away waiting in line for the desired project. I try not to keep a "stash". I try to buy with the knowledge of a quilt in mind. I have found that I am getting ahead of myself in the buying department so I am going to try and get a couple of projects done before buying more material.

I need that on my fridge!

Here is an idea for you. Spread a few towels on a table at least two thick. Lay your backing over it, spread the batting. Then as you get the top evenly spread, lift half, apply glue in skinny swirls and iron it on medium to speed drying time. Works great for me. When it is all glue basted on the first side, I let it sit for 1 hour, then flip it over, smooth the backing again, and glue baste the backing half at a time. Iron one more time, allow to sit for another hour. By this time I am pretty wore out, so I let it sit folded until the next day. Everything is dry and ready to quilt. When glue basting, it is easier to sew through, if you use skinny lines of glue. I aim for getting the glue approx. every four inches.

I did a lot of try and see how it would work.

I am also mostly self-taught - I have learned of many variations of how-to from board members.

I will also admit that I am unwilling to try some things - even after hearing about how well they work out. (Glue basting, for example.)


I really wonder how those that have had no background at all with sewing manage to learn.

All the women around me as I grew up sewed - so it was just something one did - some better than others!

Many words of wisdom here! I will just say, some of all of the above. Basically, try it all and choose what works best for me and my fibro fogged brain. LOL

One thing for me is that I do NOT drop my feed dogs when fmq. Gasp!:shock: I know. One of the classes I took when starting out the instructor was emphatic you cannot under any circumstances fmq unless you drop your feed dogs. Wrong! After forgetting one time to drop them, then experimenting, I found if I leave them up and lower the presser foot tension, it really helps my stitch length be more regular. I go much slower than most people do when fmq but, it's what works for me.

I like to try new things. Some I adopt and others not. I do think that there is no substitute for ongoing measuring, squaring, pressing accurately, etc. Sometimes short cut methods make these standards difficult. If some pieces are miscut or not accurately stitched the problem will only be magnified as the process continues. Everyone has to develop their own standard as to what is acceptable to him or her.

I totally agree...everything I've ever done, I've taught myself to do. I've tried tearing fabric (oh, no!)...and still tear to straighten the ends.
I do prewash & then starch to return some of the body to the fabric...especially using the Go cutter...seems to prevent the fabric from being just a hair off ( I think it is pushed sometimes when going through the cutter).

There are as many ways to do something, as there are folks to do them. No one way is set in stone...I do what works for me, and others do what works for them.

I have learned a bushel of Information from the board and all you fabulous quilters. I was a seamstress for many years before going in to the quilting. I have really come a long way in this hobby. I sure love it and make many items besides quilts. i do try the new thing and love the glue and spray basting. I do wash some fabric first and I starch a bunch before cutting. All of this helps.

I always pre-wash and never starch. I have tried many different ways. I find doing things the way I always have, works the best.

Trial and error. Usually stick to what has worked in the past but always open to new ideas. For example, next time I need a lot of HST's I will try the method that produces 8 at once to see if the bias edges really pose a problem or not.

So true and well spoken.

The above was in response to ghostriders comment

all boils down to see what works best for you and that particular situation. I prewash everything because of allergies to the dyes in the fabric and fragrances. Same goes for when I baste. I must admit, I like the thread basting (Sharon Schamberg Houndstooth method. It is time consuming but basting is time consuming and spray basting is out of the question. Fragrances involved in that. Eventually, what works for you is what matters!

You will always find a variety of "answers" to our quilt questions, some will work and others will not. Also what works for one person will not work for you. I say listen to what people say, try it if it's feasible, if it works fine - if not, it's also fine. Whenever I take a quilt class I can usually learn something new that will make quilting easier. I once took a quilting class from a well known quilt teacher, when something needed to be "unsewn" she took out her rotary cutter to cut the stitches. When I asked about it she said that she used the rotary cutter because she didn't have her seam ripper available. It's crazy, but I've used it many times and it works. Always be open to doing something differently and if it works, fine, if not, go back to what you are comfortable with.

I have also learned to repeat what I am hearing someone suggest to me. There are times when I even put pencil to paper. Sometimes quilters assume a particular technique is obvious (a minor detail everyone knows needs to be done) and that part is left out. If you write it down, more often than not, that oversight will come out.

by trial and error

Lots of times I read instructions for speeding up a process and sometimes that doesn't pan out. For example there are ways to make HSTs where you do many at a time BUT the outside edge puts in on the bias. While I agree with the speed part, I HATE working with those biased edges, even when they are starched well.

Most of my "experiences" usually come from an attempt to speed things up (read: find short cuts) and I pay for them every time. Fortunately for me, I don't repeat the same thing twice, so it is always a NEW joy. lol

One thing amazes me, and ghostrider has already talked about it: As many years as I've been doing this hobby, I still have questions, still learn new skills, still get excited about new methods or new color combinations.

A few truths had to be learned the hard way. I used to think that ironing/pressing was overrated - after all, I hate ironing clothes. After a few pathetic results in the quilting world, I am now a presser. Even if I finger=press, but press I will.