Every time I make a quilt, I pay attention to my process.  And every step is integral to creating a perfect quilt.  Some steps are automatic now.  Others I have to remember (and sometimes forget).  While others – I’ve just heard about and need to remember when I get to that step next.  I make bed quilts for my family and friends.  They’re not perfect – none of them are.  But that doesn’t mean I’m not trying.  I learn something every time I make a quilt.  I’ve never ripped up something that wasn’t perfect.  That doesn’t mean I never will.  I rip when it’s wrong – like when a piece is upside down.  But not if my points didn’t match perfectly.

I feel like I’ve pretty much got the basics of quilting down.  But now I’m looking to improve upon that.  One of the things I’m looking to pay attention to in my process is cutting.  I’m not always accurate when I cut.  Some times I cut when I’m tired and that causes some cuts to be slightly off.  And when I’m tired, I do not care as much to be accurate.  When I’m cutting when I’m tired – my mood is to just get it done.  I do it all the time and when my piecing is a little off it’s usually because my cutting was a little off.

Another thing I want to look at is basting.  I have never basted a quilt very well.  I wing it – almost every single quilt I’ve made was done that way.  I didn’t secure the backing.  The batting wasn’t all smoothed out.  And I pinned or sprayed depending on how big the quilt was and where I was basting it.  I learned about Leah Day’s basting method on her FMQ class on Craftsy and I’m excited to try that out when I have to baste next.  With my mid arm I don’t have to do that anymore but I’m sure there will be a time when I want to quilt on my Bernina.  And if I do that, I’ll have to try her method.  I have quite a few folding tables that will work so all I will need is the elastics she used.

There are so many little things that I’ve learned to improve my process and my technique.  As I think about them, I’ll try to post about it.