Quilting has taught me patience in spite of my lazier inclinations. I do have to admit that I'm always looking for shortcuts. A great site for easier cutting and piecing can be found on the Quilt in a Day web page. Although there is a cost for some of the patterns, they also offer many free ones which include tips for faster cutting and sewing.
I tend to find a pattern I like in quilting and make several quilts with the basic plan before my husband suggests I (please!) try another one. Last month, it was the rail fence. I made four quilts with that pattern. Even I tired of it! My quilt du jour is an eight-point star. It is comprised mainly of triangles - my least favorite shape, however, About.Com's quilting site showed an easy way to get near-perfect ones every time. It met spouse approval as my husband declared that THIS quilt was staying with us!
I have never taken a quilting class so other people might be totally familiar with this method of piecing. That's okay, I'm still thrilled to have finally found it myself! You take two squares of fabric and line them together, right sides facing. Pin the fabric to stabilize. Using a ruler and a fabric marker, chalk, or pen, draw a line from one corner of the square diagonally to the other. Sew a quarter inch seam on each side of the line. Cut down the line (not either seam!), open up, press, and you have a square with two perfectly sewn together triangles.
I have fifteen squares pieced for my quilt. I probably need ten more to make a reasonably sized quilt for our bed. If it wasn't for the above-mentioned method and my rotary cutting board, my lack of patience might have slowed down the project! My husband once asked me what my favorite tasks were in quilting. I said they were finding a pattern, selecting the fabric, and the last stitch!
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