Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Lessons Learned Linky #5

It's that time again--your chance to share what you have learned over the past month. If you didn't catch the linky last month, here are some highlights:
Katy at Katy Quilts shared how she uses a skateboard product to help with ruler work. While I suspect there may be a large overlap of cat people and quilters, I'm not so sure there are very many skateboarding quilters. How many of you are cat people? What about skateboarders? Therefore, I suspect she may have discovered a little-known solution to a common quilting problem.
KatyQuilts
Chris at Made by ChrissieD shared pointers for how to conquer y-seams and broken quilting stitches.
Made by ChrissieD
Made by ChrissieD
Sandra at The Bias Edge has a great system for organizing specialty acrylic rulers. I have employed her technique, so please remind me to check my binder when I forget where I put them.

 Before you take Lizzy House's Meadow class, Renee's tutorial for fixing the Meadow Quilt template is a must-read post.
Renee at Quilts of a Feather
Andree at Learning and Design: What a Combo shared her thoughts about placing art quilts together.
Andree at Learning and Design
This month brought about several new lessons for me too. First of all, keep your foot of the pedal when you are fishing around for threads. I knew better; I really did. But I put the needle through the tip of my finger anyway. Besides the grisly hassle of pulling a broken metal spike out of my finger, a  I'll refrain from posting a picture, as I don't appreciate gruesome photos personally. teeny hole in my fingernail, and the damage to my pride, I came away unscathed.

I also learned that some forms of contrast are more prominent than color, scale and value for example. I wish I had used something other than the Peal Bracelets and the less-than-subtle blue Hoffman print in the background of the seahorse I tested for Juliet of Tartan Kiwi.
My pressing board looks like I've screen-printed it with an odd pink shark head due to the combination of ironing badges on a red vest, and my abysmal level of focus. Any tips of getting badges to quit peeling off would be welcome.
In another less-than-brilliant move, I pinned an entire quilt before realizing that my backing came up short on one end.  I really should have peeked behind the batting much, much sooner.
Also, I think hoarding collecting may be hereditary. This photo captures the contents of my son's coat pocket. 

Here's the details for the link-up:
  • By sharing here, you give me permission to feature your post on Quilting Mod (including a photo) with proper attribution and a link to the original.
  • Spread the comment love.
  • Link back to this post. I have a button you can grab below.
  • Multiple posts are fine so long as they are from this month.
At the end of the month, one lucky linker will win a super EPP hexy prize pack. Update: Carol McDowell of Quilted Fabric Art won the prize pack.

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5 comments:

  1. I love your alphabet quilt!! (what pattern is it? Thanks!!) and the seahorse is still awfully cute, even with your unhappiness of the pearl bracelets fabric in it! And I love your shark on the ironing board: I can see why you're not happy with it, but I love your humor!! :-) And yep, I think hoarding is hereditary: my mom collected rocks, etc. I've gone through the rocks phase, but this fabric phase is lasting wayyyy longer!! :-D If I have enough time to sew this month I'll try and share what I've learned!! Thanks for the fun things you've shared today! Hugs, H

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  2. Hi Afton, thanks for your Lessons Learned Linky Party. I've done the backing thing too! It's my least favourite part of the quilting process.I also love your alphabet quilt and would like to know more about it.

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  3. Thanks for sharing your own lessons learned! I love that little seahorse, though I see what you mean about the pearl bracelets. Just added my fabric bleeding tips!

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  4. Thanks for featuring my tips Afton, I've given you a shout out here on my facebook page - Chris :D

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  5. Pearl bracelets is great fabric but it is REALLY difficult to use in pictorial paper piecing blocks. It can be far too distracting.
    I have totally ruined a block in the past by using pearl bracelets. In fact I sometimes wonder whether I would have released the block if I hadn't used pearl bracelets when sewing it for the first time! It is definitely a print which I will think twice before using...

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