Techniques/Tricks I was excited to learn how to do - - -
 

The partial seam trick/technique - opened up so many block patterns -

That "tails/dog-ears/triangles 'sticking out' from one piece that I want to sew to another piece"- are "normal" and that marking the seam lines until I catch on to where and how the pieces join was worth the effort.

Do you have any techniques/tricks that were "a-hA" events for you?

Popping the block joining seams to make the intersection 'twirl'.

Learning the quilter's knot for hand sewing.

Using my thumbnail for popping the end of thread knot into the fabric for no thread breakage or pulled fabric.

99% of all the a-ha moments I have experienced has come from classes and workshops.

Learning to paper piece was definitely the technique that was most exciting for me...maybe because it was also the most frustrating.

Watson

Exactly Bear!

I mark seam lines all the time especially on triangles. You can also trim those ears off the pieces too before stitching.

chain piecing!! A million years I saw a friend putting four patches through one right after another and said "thats all wrong" :)

leaders and enders for the boring parts of a quilt

Partial seams; the quilter’s knot; fmq; inserting piping into a binding and then sewing both the front and back by machine in a way that looks good enough for shows (thank you Susan Cleveland!); basting areas where points need to match up with my machine before joining the whole row (can’t remember who I got that one from, it was either Carol Doak or Marti Michelle); joining the ends of binding with no math (thanks Tim Lattimer); thtere’s probably more...

Rob

Wow! I’m reading this and have no idea what you guys are talking about. I have so much to learn.

an ah-ha for me was seeing spun seams in the center of blocks. I’ve done it on a few blocks and am still working on mastering it. Reduces so much bulk.

Can you give the link for that technique please, Bear?
The partial seams I mean!

Using glue and an iron for tricky seams and basting