Originally Posted by mommafank

Also wondering why the starch? When do you use the starch and how? Need all the tips I can get...esp about sore fingers. Tried tape but not working well for me. Thimbles seem to get in the way!

Originally Posted by Boise Madhatter

thanks for those quilting tips Patticake & MomtoBostonTerriers: I printed out those tips!

I am a newbie quilter but I have been creating art for many years.
Here are a few tips from me. Patticake is so correct it is the journey that counts. This is the same no matter what medium you are working in.

I find sometimes that giving the finished art piece is a tad anticlimactic.
I find I feel like a new mother showing off her new born baby.
Hearing people say oh wow isn’t she beautiful.
When you know they are really saying wow I could have made that better ;).
No one will ever appreciate your art piece as much as you do.
You are the one that was there at it's conception, you created it piece by piece.
Fretting over every little detail.
If you wait and expect others to give you that pat on the back, with the same enthusiasm in which you created the art piece in the first place? you will be somewhat disappointed.

I create art for me first:
If someone finds some pleasure over my art piece, that is a bonus.

Here is to creating art that makes our souls sing!

Originally Posted by Jacqué

wonderful advice................I do the newsletter for our newsletter for our guild. Could I get your permission to use your message in our newsletter?

Originally Posted by GemState

My seam ripper is named Jack.........(Jack the Ripper, get it?)

Originally Posted by dglvr

Great tips. I wish I had some to add but I don't right off.
Well okay. Instead of sitting and looking at something and wondering how hard it will be "just begin" the rest easy.
I'm a beginner so I say that to myself alot. :thumbup:

Originally Posted by Missysgottohelp

The mole skin is great stuff. I use it on my machine. I can't sew a straight line to save my soul and I have trouble sewing 1/4" seams so I measured from my needle and then marked it with a black marker and I cut strips of the mole skin and place it on the lines and now I have straight seams that are 1/4" and when it gets bad looking I just replace it with new. Since I'm a new quilter this has really helped me.