My friend Melanie recently listed some (quilty) things she learned or re-learned in 2018, and it seemed like a good idea! So here goes…
And while I’m at it, I’ll re-introduce a few of the quilts I finished in 2018.
The center piece is a fabric”jewel” made in the same guild workshop as the block
1. Despite my history of using high-loft batting, I learned that it is much easier to neatly trim, square up, and bind a quilt made with LOW loft batting!
Mini-Quilt for Jill made from an orphan block
2. Deb Tucker’s “Tucker Trimmer” is the bomb for making half square triangles! A friend introduced me to this tool. I have used at least 3 other methods for trimming HSTs, and this is by far the best. Much better than the (considerably more expensive) Bloc Loc tool, more accurate than my slotted square-up ruler, faster and easier than just using a regular ruler.
Small quilt for a challenge with my local MQG
3. After many years of quilting, I have LOTS of small pieces of fabric but not many big pieces. I went to pull blue fabric for a quilt from my blue drawer. I thought I had plenty since the drawer is full, but most pieces were less than half a yard! So…
Donation quilt: The concentric squares are pieced; the other pieces are a print from Michael Miller
4. When I buy fabric for stash now, I often buy 3 yards at a time because that’s likely what will be needed for a single fabric in a planned quilt.
Finished Gypsy Wife; it was made from a couple of FQ bundles but the background required yardage
5. I want to do everything, but I’m going to have to choose and prioritize or nothing gets done. Maybe a little of everything???
Donation quilt from single-color scrap blocks
6. Some projects just need to go in the fizzle drawer!
One for the fizzle drawer, but I have taken it apart and will re-purpose the fabrics in 2019
And a few opinions I haven’t changed my mind about:
- Almost all quilts need some purple in them somewhere!
Block made in a workshop with Rosalie Dace
- Superior So Fine is a great thread for piecing, resulting in very little lint in my machine.
I will be teaching this triangle quilt in March at Studio Stitch in Greensboro
- Almost any day is a good day if I learn something new
As always, these opinions are my own and I have received no compensation for sharing my favorite tools. Your opinions and results may vary 😉
Zippy Quilts 
I share your opinions! A little of everything and almost any day is a good day if I learn something. I have a What-Was-I-Thinking? Bin that is equivalent to your Fizzle Drawer.
It looks like you had a busy and productive year. Looking forward to seeing what 2019 brings.
I’m trying to get one of my guilds to swap fizzles but so far nobody wants anybody else’s fizzle! Still, it’s worth a try–one person’s fizzle MIGHT be another person’s success 🙂
I think it is a great idea! Someone’s fizzle may be another person’s dazzle!
I love your dotted fizzle! Don’t give up on it!
I vote for this! Keep trying! I have frequently wondered why someone didn’t like a quilt that they fussed about. Of course sometimes I have agreed. LOL.
I’m with you on this! Thanks for the shout-out. It was fun seeing your list. I love the mini-quilt for Jill and the donation quilt with the concentric squares. And finding a useful thread? Wow what a difference that can make! I piece with So Fine, too, and have little patience for heavier or cotton thread anymore. Also I mentioned in my list using Microquilter (also from Superior) for quilting, where you don’t want the thread to show, just texture. I’m finishing a quilt now with it and really love it.
I just got some of that microthread and used it to stitch in the ditch. Alas, it still shows when I wander out of the ditch, but otherwise it disappeared very well.
It still shows, yes, but less!! 🙂 And I’m getting less concerned about my mis-steps like that all the time. Just keep going, finish it up, and the texture is what will show the most.
I really enjoyed your post on lessons learned and re-learned. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for visiting and commenting, Isabella!
Such beautiful and cheerful quilts! And I have that Michael Miller print, thanks to you, and I see it every day, and I love it! I may never use it in anything, I love it just the way it is.
Also, I learned several things from this post and I will look up that Tucker Trimmer — again, procrastination has paid off for me because I have meant to research the best ways to make HSTs but haven’t gotten around to it. So now this counts as A Day I Learned Something. 🙂
And I didn’t even mention the two paper pieced HST systems I tried and discarded!
I enjoyed your year recap. I love the term the “fizzle drawer”! You made some beautiful and artful pieces! Someone advised me against making Gypsy Wife but I love your interpretation of it!
I advise against as well. Directions are pitiful. Design your own.
I love that little quilt with the Michael Miller striped fabric. What a great combination. Is that fabric still available? Do you remember it’s name?
This is giving me renewed love if stripes and why straight of the grain can be ignored to great effect. Thanks!
It was Tara’s Fireworks, but came out several years ago. You can always check Etsy or do a web search. It is a great fabric!
I especially like the one made from small pieces, but I am relieved to hear that some of what appeared to be very narrow small pieces was a print!
Yes, it was quite enough to piece those concentric squares without the stripes too!
Ah yes, your ‘fizzle’ drawer from a great-aunt if I remember correctly? It must be getting filled to the brim! HA!
Love these ideas and ‘lessons learned’…the purple center piece (first photo) is it crinkled via the steam iron shrinking trick with that special fusible?
You’re all set to start in on this New Year’s quilty adventures.
🙂
Hi Laura, thanks for reading and commenting even if you aren’t blogging at the moment. The wrinkled fabric was made by pushing damp fabric into a cookie rack, drying it, then removing it and fusing interfacing to the back to hold it. We all did it together as a guild program.
What a feast. Thank you for sharing your tips and tricks. I especially like the block you made at a Rosalie Dace workshop
Thanks! The Rosalie Dace workshop was fun, and I want to get back to some of her ideas in my work.
I will be doing a workshop with her here in South Africa in April and am looking forward to it