Which step in the Process is Your Favorite
#11
Can I say buying fabric? That seems an obvious one, heh. After that, I think design is next. I bought EQ8, and while much of the program is still a mystery to me (not super intuitive?), I have a dozen projects -with alternate possible layouts- waiting for me to make real.
I don't think I'll *ever* love the actual quilting part. I haven't tried hand quilting yet though so there's hope!
I don't think I'll *ever* love the actual quilting part. I haven't tried hand quilting yet though so there's hope!
#12
Super Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Ballwin, MO
Posts: 4,256
While I enjoy all aspects of quilting (other than snipping frayed threads on the back of a completed top, ugh), I think my favorite might be organizing fabric into groups and finding a suitable pattern or idea for the project.
#15
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Va.
Posts: 5,753
I like just about everything, including sandwiching the quilt. My favorite part is a tie between sticking stuff up on the design wall to see what will happen (I do a lot of improvisational piecing) and the actual quilting (for me, FMQ is relaxing). My least favorite parts are hand stitching the binding to the back of the quilt, hand stitching the label on and hand stitching the hanging sleeve on. See a theme there???
Rob
Rob
#16
My favourite part of quilting, or at least the part I do the most of it seems, is staring. I do a lot of art quilts, so I'll put the pieces up on the wall and just stare at them. Eventually they tell me where they belong.
I enjoy chain piecing, if I'm doing a pattern quilt and I really like to string quilt.
Once I can get myself to sit down to it, I enjoy quilting on my midarm, it just seems that I don't get to it enough.
Watson
I enjoy chain piecing, if I'm doing a pattern quilt and I really like to string quilt.
Once I can get myself to sit down to it, I enjoy quilting on my midarm, it just seems that I don't get to it enough.
Watson
#18
You asked a really good question
I do like the design process, but since I use EQ5 and have a limited stash of fabric, sometimes that process can be frustrating because I can see it in my head, but getting out into the software is another matter entirely. It was by chance when designing my sister's quilt that I came across the kind of fabric I really wanted to use, then it seemed like the clouds parted and the angels started to sing.
Truthfully, I'd have to say the troubleshooting aspect is what I like the most. I know that sounds weird, but when you're working on a block and it's not coming together correctly, so you work on it again, and maybe this time, it still doesn't come out. So then you work it a third time and suddenly, there's a light that comes on and you see what you've been doing, so you tear the block down, sew it again and it's perfect, that's when I feel the most accomplished. That's when I can start to whiz-bang blocks out like a factory and I'm grinning from ear to ear while I'm doing it.
I do like the design process, but since I use EQ5 and have a limited stash of fabric, sometimes that process can be frustrating because I can see it in my head, but getting out into the software is another matter entirely. It was by chance when designing my sister's quilt that I came across the kind of fabric I really wanted to use, then it seemed like the clouds parted and the angels started to sing.
Truthfully, I'd have to say the troubleshooting aspect is what I like the most. I know that sounds weird, but when you're working on a block and it's not coming together correctly, so you work on it again, and maybe this time, it still doesn't come out. So then you work it a third time and suddenly, there's a light that comes on and you see what you've been doing, so you tear the block down, sew it again and it's perfect, that's when I feel the most accomplished. That's when I can start to whiz-bang blocks out like a factory and I'm grinning from ear to ear while I'm doing it.
#19
I think my favorite part is still trimming. Love to get the quilting done so I can lay it out with a big ruler and cut away the unevenness in the edges, and square up the corners. That's so much fun for me.
#20
I have to say the planning. Even though I have EQ7, I love to sit with my pad of graph paper and draw out the plan. And then I love going through my stash to find the right fabrics. Been trying to shop my stash lately and only buy backgrounds and some fill-ins and I'm actually coming up with combinations I love. I realized I haven't been hoarding fabric - I was planning for quarantine.
My second favorite part is hand sewing the binding. It gives me something to do when watching TV or a movie because I hate being idle. But I hate doing the machine sewing to attach the binding to the quilt top so I've taken to doing that part on the longarm.
My second favorite part is hand sewing the binding. It gives me something to do when watching TV or a movie because I hate being idle. But I hate doing the machine sewing to attach the binding to the quilt top so I've taken to doing that part on the longarm.