Hater no more

I've always loved making quilts -- picking patterns, colors, fabrics. There is nothing more fun than seeing 2 fabrics joined together with stitching! Then laying out the units to make the whole -- pure joy! But in my long history of quilt-making, different phases of the process have come & gone as my least favorite part.

I think when I started out, I liked least/hated cutting out of the quilt. I suspect the reason may have been that I was using scissors & sand paper templates. Rotary cutters, rulers & mats were brand new when I began getting serious about quilting (does that make me sound ancient!?). Once I got my "whizzy whacker", I was faster & (usually) more accurate, but I still did not love it. Over the years, I've learned tips & techniques that make me better at it. Now, I get on cutting jags & just cut & cut & cut.

Even when I was young & limber, basting used to kill me. I'd clear a space on the floor & crawl & stretch & reach -- it makes my muscles ache just thinking about it! Now I have Shug set a tabletop on a couple of saw horses; clamps & spray baste are a great help, too. I still have to reach a bit & if I baste more than one top my back gets tired, but there is no more up & down to the floor. I do a better job & even look forward to making my quilt sandwiches.

It was not all that long ago that quilting was my bête noir. I nearly always machine quilt & I used to dread it. Again, I think better techniques have helped. Early on, I was taught to 'put my pedal to the metal' when doing free-motion. My shoulders hunched, I didn't breath & I ended up with jagged, uneven stitches. Slowing down & relaxing has done wonders -- I'm no pro mind you, but not that bad. I also experiment more with my walking foot quilting & like the results I'm getting.

Another part of quilt-making that I did not like was anything that involved handwork. Projects flying forwards would come to a screeching halt when I needed to get out needle, thread & thimble. With hand-sewing, it is not better skills that have made me more appreciative, but learning to slow down & to like slowing down. I don't think I would ever do much hand piecing & I'm not particularly good at hand-quilting, but sometimes I wish for some handwork to curl up with.

Easter Sunday was beautiful down here on the Gulf Coast. I was able to indulge in a bit of all aspects of quilting. I hope you & yours had a wonderful day as well.

A very bad day -- and trying to learn from it

I think I've mentioned before that my Mother taught me to sew.

I don't really remember any details of being taught, mostly I remember the products: Pepper's skirt & blouse (I remember learning the lazy daisy embroidery stitch, being fascinated by the name), a dirndl skirt made with Black Watch plaid (another intriguing name). It feels like I've always sewn, the lessons were so easy & effortless that they didn't feel like learning.



I do recall the times I was sewing on my own, when I would hit some "tragic" snag -- a badly done zipper, an eased seam that wouldn't fit, an accidentally snipped hole. I would be ready to ball it up & put it in the trash, probably did this more than once. But my Mom would gather up my project & patiently, methodically fix my failure & return it to me as good as new or nearly so.

She was never a quilter, so I don't know that she would have been able to fix my latest failure.
I finally finished my Denyse Schmit's Florence top, pieced together a back & was ready to sandwich & baste. I usually do this outside but it had threatened rain all day. I usually do this early in the day but by the time I had gotten the top & back ready it was evening. I usually have Shug help me but he was busy with his own stuff so I didn't ask. So I did it on my own, a little tired, in a cramped space & ended up with a bubble-y, pleat-y mess. I wadded it up & walked away. 

 

Had it not been 8:00 Sunday evening, I would have called Goodwill to come get all my fabric & machines because I was FINISHED with quilting.

A new day brought a clearer head. I not-so-patiently (patience: not my strong suit),  methodically & with Shug's help fixed my failure. ('Good as new' remains to be seen.)

 

I miss her like crazy but my Mom is still teaching me.