to make at least one test block before starting any others (including all the cutting) and to trim up all the units of the block as I'm putting them together! My first Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt taught me that!

And to keep the pattern with the fabric when I stash it away for later.
Right now I'm trying to work on my pressing to increase my accuracy.

I'm one of those people who knew nothing about quilting when I started. (Thank goodness for youtube.com.) Had my first adventure been that difficult, I doubt I would have tried again. However, the first book I bought after my difficult 1st quilt was Rotary Magic. Boy, my cutting improved immensely. Would you believe the second quilt fit together pretty well? (Of course, I did a little bit of "easing" to match those seams, too.)

JJ, I guess that says a lot about your tenacity.

bkay

Been there. Done that. A lot of fabric has collected in my "scraps" because of measuring mistakes.

I learned (or re-learned) to always double-check the block layout in the quilt top -- The most recent top I finished I made the same (really, really, stupid) mistake twice. However, I did luck out in that the blocks turned the wrong way were on the final row of the quilt top assembly! Woooo Hoooo, did I ever luck out on that!

Christine, I know what you mean -- I made a bag for my cousin (now deceased) several years ago. I broke three (Yes, Three) needles just on the final row of stitching (which was decorative in nature).

I find taking pictures of my blocks really helps. Found all my boo-boos before
sewing the blocks together.

Just today I learned that just because someone compiled it, made it into an information sheet, made copies and handed them out at a meeting doesn't mean that the information is accurate on said sheet!

I used a handout on how to make 8 HSTs at a time and it gave the sizes of squares to start with to make finished HSTs of certain sizes.
Can you guess that the sizes of starting squares given were not accurate and that I made 3, yes 3 sets before I cut them and pressed them open to measure them? Luckily I had enough fabric for do overs!

This is sooooo true, thanks for the reminder. :)

Wow, nice!

After 20-something years of sitting in one bin affter another, last month I finally pulled it out and ripped out all of my "quilting", thinking I might cut it in half and make two matching large lap quilts. Two nights ago, I basted a piece as a backing for one of my scrappies, so, hopefully, in another week or so, I might actually finish my "first" quilt, lol!

I have learned that what I think is easy is hard for someone else. This to say, that most of my backs are the leftovers + some other yardage. That rarely do I plan borders ahead, it's back to the stash to find something that will work, surely there's something in the thousands of yards of fabric I already have. Cutting something wrong is usually an opportunity to try something new-get creative. Now, on the other hand, I'll never learn Spanish even after working with it for 14 yrs, nope, never happen, still need an interpreter.