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I quilt by two rules:
(1) That's good enough. (2) That'll never be seen from a galloping horse. froggyintexasw
Originally Posted by CookieZenmilk
(Post 5382167)
if my seams don't match up, i color the fabric with a sharpie or magic marker.
i rotary cut towards myself instead of away from myself. i don't always iron the fabric before i cut my fabric. i often see bowed strips but i "make it work" i only change my needle if it breaks. |
If they come for me, I'm ready. I just finished a very simple quilt (6 in squares) for my soon to be born Grandson (my first). I looked at the quilt, the corners matched, it was bound and quilted using the pillowcase method. My stitch in the ditch had pretty much stayed in the ditch and the colors were just what I was trying for. It was as 'perfect' as I could make it ... and I looked at it and it was wrong!!! So I fixed it by running down to joAnnes and buying some baby blue polyester "satin" blanket binding. And I machine sewed it around all four sides using a zigzag stitch and tucking in and top stitching the corner edges. The outside squares now look like rectangles, the quilt police hate it and my son still remembers the satin binding around his favorite blanket when he was a toddler. It's really perfect now. As I told my son and his wife, If it is falling apart in five years I will be thrilled - if it is in perfect condition my feeling will be hurt.
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Originally Posted by MacThayer
(Post 5382825)
Well, so that's what the other side of the fence looks like! Gee, I'd like to be there! I'm one of those "a tad too obsessive compulsive types" who will re-do a whole block if it doesn't turn out perfect, and will rip out a whole set of blocks if they don't line up perfectly, and I drive myself absolutely nuts getting everything in perfect alignment, with perfect points, and everything square, and the binding properly sew on, with the back done by hand, and so on, and so on, ad. nauseum. This is why one person can do 40 - 60 quilts in one year, and I'm lucky to get 12 or more done. I would love to "sew with abandon" and not care if they line up, and just get something finished. I've even taken to making smaller quilts. So if anyone has a magic wand that could fix me up, I'd appreciate it! I did talk to my doctor to see if I should be medicated, and he just laughed at me and told me it was just my personality type, and please let him know if I start anything strange like washing my hands 50 times an hour, or performing rituals prior to each bite of food. I think the word he used was "meticulous". I can tell you that "meticulous" people have very clean and neat homes, awesomely organized sewing rooms, and make very few quilts every year because they spend just as much time with their seam ripper as they do with their sewing machine. So positively revel in what you have ladies! It's a gift! Trust me, it's a very wonderful, very freeing gift, and I envy you!
I admit to being one of those meticulous quilters as well. My seams match, points are pointy and not cut off, and I square up as I go along. I pre-wash always and press the fabric before cutting and I attach the bindings by machine, but finish them on the back by hand. My goal isn't to just finish it in order to make as many quilts as I can, but to do my best to create a beautiful quilt. I make probably less than 10 quilts a year along with a few wallhangings and maybe some smaller projects like candle mats or placemats. I think each of us should follow our inner spirit to create quilts that we love to give to those we love or to keep for ourselves. After all, it doesn't matter that one quilter makes 60 quilts a year and another only makes 5. We all get satisfaction and joy from the process. So the quilt police can just take the day off - don't judge us!! :) |
Sounds like we are all same. Some areas short cuts can be taken and others can't. We do the best we can.
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Ahhhh, it's nice to be normal. My philosophy is that if you can't see any problems at 20 miles an hour the quilt is perfect. As to hammering the bumpy seams to flatten them, I bought a dead-blow hammer just for that use. I nice big mallet type of hammer. Works great. My goal is to finish a quilt, not get obsessive about the matching of seams or points. I have been guilty of using fleece for the backing, it eliminate the batting. Horrors! As to binding by hand, no way! Machine sew baby, machine sew it down.
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Oh my, that's a loaded question!!! LOL... Everything! I don't use all cotton (but I do stay with the same type of fabric in each project, unless it's a crazy quilt); I use serger thread to sew with (mostly in the bobbin); I don't use the colors the patterns show, my bindings are sewn on...customers..if they want hand sewn, ok...but I charge them more to do it by hand.
If there is a mistake that can be done...I've done it...and kept right on going...they are MY quilts & I love them all!
Originally Posted by CookieZenmilk
(Post 5382167)
if my seams don't match up, i color the fabric with a sharpie or magic marker.
i rotary cut towards myself instead of away from myself. i don't always iron the fabric before i cut my fabric. i often see bowed strips but i "make it work" i only change my needle if it breaks. |
Originally Posted by CookieZenmilk
(Post 5382167)
if my seams don't match up, i color the fabric with a sharpie or magic marker.
i rotary cut towards myself instead of away from myself. i don't always iron the fabric before i cut my fabric. i often see bowed strips but i "make it work" i only change my needle if it breaks. cindy gerstl |
Originally Posted by Deborahlees
(Post 5382537)
When all else fails and I can not trim a seam well enough to get it to flatten, I hit it with a hammer, works every time ;)
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Yup Yup yup me too to all of it:p
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Originally Posted by ghostrider
(Post 5384012)
What do I do that would bring the Quilt Police? Easy. I offer them room and board for free...except here they're called the Quality Control Department.
They live in my studio, are strictly barred from the rest of the house, and every so often I bring them something to stamp "Rejected" on. I take those items back, fix them, and all is well. It makes the QC people feel worthwhile and keeps my feet firmly planted in reality. I wouldn't ever want to quilt without them. :) I think WalMart has some very nice fabrics. I also think most garage/yard sale fabric is 'safe' to use. (At least as safe as most 'new' clothing that may have been tried on by how many people) |
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