quilting blind spots
 

Hi y'all,

I'm wondering if any of you have "quilting blind spots". There are several things that I do the same way every time, even though each time I say to myself (usually when I am halfway done) "Wow, this would have been much easier if I had done it this other way!" My current example is SITD around some stars: I carefully thought it out beforehand so that I could approximate continuous line quilting...but once I started quilting I reverted immediately to the (laborious) way I always do it, with a gazillion threads to bury. It's as if my brain will only allow me to do certain things one way.

Anyone else have examples of this?

Alison

I think I know what you mean. I have had those same thoughts myself. Guess that's why we have the phrase "creature of habit".

I know what you mean ... need to think as to what mine are.

Creating a new habit is hard!

Here's an old one ... when I was learning to use the knee lift ... I kept reverting back to the memory of using the knee pedal on the sewing machine when I was a kid! I finally conquered that, by moving the foot pedal to my left foot, and let my right have nothing to do with the gas! :D

Another ... when PPing I learned to press after I stitched then trim the seam. And then press again
A great aha moment came ... there was no need to press first ... trim then press after.
That took a long time to get in the habit ... and guess what? when I don't PP for awhile, I revert to the first method and have to re-train myself! UGH!

I still draw lines on flying geese. My friend said I'm wasting too much time and that I can sew a straight line and i know she's right, but I can't help myself, so I waste a lot of time drawing the lines on each one. I do the same when binding. I draw a line on each piece of binding. It does take a lot of extra time. I'm just too chicken to just sew straight across. I'm sure I can sew a straight line, but I don't dare try it.

And I use pins all the time. I know I don't need to, but I always pin everything. Wasting time pinning and drawing lines!!

No comment!!! LOL.

This is exactly what I mean! You recognize there is a better way, teach yourself the better way...and then revert as soon as you stop actively thinking about it.

I haven't done enough flying geese to really know the tricks, and whether drawing lines is a necessity or a crutch. I do think pins are wonderful....

Another of my blind spots is always ironing my (washed) fabric before folding it up and stuffing it into my fabric bins. I don't have a dryer so all of my fabric is dried on a line, and is therefore not very wrinkly. Even as I am ironing it I say to myself "You KNOW you are going to have to iron this again before you cut/use it...why are you spending time ironing it now?!" And yet I press on...

Alison

Well, I dunno if it's time wasted if you get the results you like. Pinning (and drawing lines) saves me a lot of ripping!

"Another of my blind spots is always ironing my (washed) fabric before folding it up and stuffing it into my fabric bins. I don't have a dryer so all of my fabric is dried on a line, and is therefore not very wrinkly. Even as I am ironing it I say to myself "You KNOW you are going to have to iron this again before you cut/use it...why are you spending time ironing it now?!" And yet I press on...:

Hey, by ironing the fabric stays nicer and feels better when I pet it. Also it takes up less room. At least that is what I tell myself.

Ha! I agree the fabric feels nicer...and I sometimes think I do the extra ironing just to play with the fabric more!

Alison

I iron the fabric after washing (before putting it away) if it's really rumpled.

Otherwise, I just fold the fabric after taking it off the line or out of the dryer until I'm ready to cut it. Then I will iron/press it. I'm not THAT fond of ironing to do it twice!