Tips from a seasoned quilter…
Just a few tips from someone who has been quilting for years:
• No matter how new you are to quilting, your work is a piece of ART. Enjoy it.
• Always, always square your blocks before putting the top together even when you are going to use sashing (the strips between the blocks).
• Press and then measure twice before cutting. You will save a lot of seam ripping!
• Quilting is more about the process than the giving. Enjoy the process and think of the giving as an added bonus.
• When putting together pieces smaller than 4 inches across and matching seams, match the seam on both sides for more accurate piecing.
• When possible, waste a little fabric to save a LOT of stress. Add a ¼ inch to blocks that can be squared to size before finishing the block. If it’s a 4 square block, add a ¼ inch to the pattern piece cut size and square after piecing. If it’s a 9 patch, square a pair before adding the 3rd row and square again before putting the blocks together. It’s easier to have a little more fabric to work with when squaring than to be off by 1/8 of an inch and try to work with it.
• The flaws we see in our own work are rarely ever noticed by those who admire our work. It’s best not to show off the flaws but just think of them as your own twist on the Art Work. (see bullet #1)
• And my personal favorite! There NEVER needs to be a reason to purchase or acquire more fabric any more than there needs to be a reason to eat chocolate.
Feel free to add more!

:)

Love your tips. Right on the money!

Starch is your friend... your very best friend when it comes to quilting!

Thanks so much for those tips... I think the first one is my favorite since I'm a 'newbie'

Thanks for the tips...

Awesome tips! I will add them to my notebook! Thank you!

You will ALWAYS be able to find help, answers, encouragement, and inspiration...right here on the QB...from all your new friends.

Thanks everyone for all the help you have given me thus far!

I have been quilting for a long time, as well. I find a large part of the joy of quilting is in the 'journey'! Just relax and enjoy what you are doing while you are doing it. It is a great feeling to finish a quilt, but have fun in the making of it.

My best wishes to all you quilters, old and new!!

Great tips!:)

Amen to that GemState! I always say the same thing - enjoy the journey whether it's in quilting or in life. We always seem to be speeding towards one finsih line or another, but the journey is where we spend most of our time so it should be savored and enjoyed. :-)

Starch often during the construction process. Don't worry about starch flakes on dark fabric -- wash the quilt after it is completed, and that will solve the problem.

Excellent tips.

Fantastic tips that I'm going to save!!

From a newbie, I value any words of wisdom..Thank you...

Thanks, good tips! I've never used starch but I'm going to the store this morning to get some.

Thank for the tips, Excellent!

Don't be in a hurry to get perfect-looking quilts. Realize that each aspect of quilting takes practice. Even those 1/4 inch seams don't come easy. Quilting is like playing the harp: it takes a lot of practice, and you have to stay at home to do it.

Thank you Patticake,
Great advice T thoughtful of you - from a newbie

Excellent tips!

The most important thing I've learned is that if you encounter a problem, it's much easier and less stressful to fix it now than to try to fix it later. Examples: If a partial block is not correct, fix the partial block before you add more patches to it. If a block does not have the correct shape and size, fix the block before you sew it to another block.

Excellent tips.

My #1 tip and sometime mantra: NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING is perfect and my quilt won't be either. So do the best I can at the moment and (try to) quit stressing over seams that don't match!!!!!

Thanks for the tips!

tips r great, and I am going to buy some starch!

Patticake,

Do you mind if I print this off to share it with my guild tomorrrow. We sometimes forget quilting is an enjoyable process and not an job.

Many thanks for the excellent tips.

How nice of you to share these tips.
Thanks

How nice of you to share these tips.
Thanks

Love the tips...what is the purpose of starch during the construction process?

Tips I can use. Thank you.

Wonderful reminders of the joy of quilting.
Thanks Patticake.
Hope your life is blessed with many more stitches.

Thanks so much for those awesome words of wisdom! It helps to be reminded to enjoy the process.

Thank you for sharing your pearls of wisdom!

Great tips!! The only one I would add is: Don't be afraid to ask questions!!! Especially from the wonderful quilters here...
Happy Quilting!

Great tips !!

Do you wash your fabric before use each time?
How is the starch applied?
I so need a quilters for dummies book for my self. ha ha ha

I needed every one of those tips plus. Grateful

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!

Why?

I use a sizing spray.... I also think having a very very pointed scissors on hand to clip threads is important... thanks so much for your tips...

You mentioned Quilters for Dummies! I thought...wow...I've got to get that book...then...thank goodness I have a brain...I thought, I think I've got that book...sure enough...It's right on my quilting shelf. It's kind of like buying that beautiful piece of fabric 3 or 4 or 5 times...'cause you love it so much and you didn't realize that you already had it in your STASH!