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    Old 05-20-2013, 05:35 AM
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    Default quilting blind spots

    Hi y'all,

    I'm wondering if any of you have "quilting blind spots". There are several things that I do the same way every time, even though each time I say to myself (usually when I am halfway done) "Wow, this would have been much easier if I had done it this other way!" My current example is SITD around some stars: I carefully thought it out beforehand so that I could approximate continuous line quilting...but once I started quilting I reverted immediately to the (laborious) way I always do it, with a gazillion threads to bury. It's as if my brain will only allow me to do certain things one way.

    Anyone else have examples of this?

    Alison
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    Old 05-20-2013, 06:16 AM
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    I think I know what you mean. I have had those same thoughts myself. Guess that's why we have the phrase "creature of habit".
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    Old 05-20-2013, 06:39 AM
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    I know what you mean ... need to think as to what mine are.

    Creating a new habit is hard!

    Here's an old one ... when I was learning to use the knee lift ... I kept reverting back to the memory of using the knee pedal on the sewing machine when I was a kid! I finally conquered that, by moving the foot pedal to my left foot, and let my right have nothing to do with the gas!

    Another ... when PPing I learned to press after I stitched then trim the seam. And then press again
    A great aha moment came ... there was no need to press first ... trim then press after.
    That took a long time to get in the habit ... and guess what? when I don't PP for awhile, I revert to the first method and have to re-train myself! UGH!
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    Old 05-20-2013, 07:16 AM
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    I still draw lines on flying geese. My friend said I'm wasting too much time and that I can sew a straight line and i know she's right, but I can't help myself, so I waste a lot of time drawing the lines on each one. I do the same when binding. I draw a line on each piece of binding. It does take a lot of extra time. I'm just too chicken to just sew straight across. I'm sure I can sew a straight line, but I don't dare try it.

    And I use pins all the time. I know I don't need to, but I always pin everything. Wasting time pinning and drawing lines!!
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    Old 05-20-2013, 07:23 AM
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    No comment!!! LOL.
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    Old 05-20-2013, 07:26 AM
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    Originally Posted by QuiltE
    ...That took a long time to get in the habit ... and guess what? when I don't PP for awhile, I revert to the first method and have to re-train myself! UGH!
    This is exactly what I mean! You recognize there is a better way, teach yourself the better way...and then revert as soon as you stop actively thinking about it.

    Originally Posted by jcrow
    I still draw lines on flying geese. My friend said I'm wasting too much time and that I can sew a straight line and i know she's right, but I can't help myself, so I waste a lot of time drawing the lines on each one. I do the same when binding. I draw a line on each piece of binding. It does take a lot of extra time. I'm just too chicken to just sew straight across. I'm sure I can sew a straight line, but I don't dare try it.

    And I use pins all the time. I know I don't need to, but I always pin everything. Wasting time pinning and drawing lines!!
    I haven't done enough flying geese to really know the tricks, and whether drawing lines is a necessity or a crutch. I do think pins are wonderful....

    Another of my blind spots is always ironing my (washed) fabric before folding it up and stuffing it into my fabric bins. I don't have a dryer so all of my fabric is dried on a line, and is therefore not very wrinkly. Even as I am ironing it I say to myself "You KNOW you are going to have to iron this again before you cut/use it...why are you spending time ironing it now?!" And yet I press on...

    Alison
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    Old 05-20-2013, 07:35 AM
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    Originally Posted by jcrow
    I still draw lines on flying geese. My friend said I'm wasting too much time and that I can sew a straight line and i know she's right, but I can't help myself, so I waste a lot of time drawing the lines on each one. I do the same when binding. I draw a line on each piece of binding. It does take a lot of extra time. I'm just too chicken to just sew straight across. I'm sure I can sew a straight line, but I don't dare try it.

    And I use pins all the time. I know I don't need to, but I always pin everything. Wasting time pinning and drawing lines!!
    Well, I dunno if it's time wasted if you get the results you like. Pinning (and drawing lines) saves me a lot of ripping!
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    Old 05-20-2013, 07:46 AM
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    "Another of my blind spots is always ironing my (washed) fabric before folding it up and stuffing it into my fabric bins. I don't have a dryer so all of my fabric is dried on a line, and is therefore not very wrinkly. Even as I am ironing it I say to myself "You KNOW you are going to have to iron this again before you cut/use it...why are you spending time ironing it now?!" And yet I press on...:

    Hey, by ironing the fabric stays nicer and feels better when I pet it. Also it takes up less room. At least that is what I tell myself.
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    Old 05-21-2013, 03:41 AM
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    Originally Posted by AliKat
    Hey, by ironing the fabric stays nicer and feels better when I pet it. Also it takes up less room. At least that is what I tell myself.
    Ha! I agree the fabric feels nicer...and I sometimes think I do the extra ironing just to play with the fabric more!

    Alison
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    Old 05-21-2013, 01:39 PM
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    I iron the fabric after washing (before putting it away) if it's really rumpled.

    Otherwise, I just fold the fabric after taking it off the line or out of the dryer until I'm ready to cut it. Then I will iron/press it. I'm not THAT fond of ironing to do it twice!
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