Back again for another blog challenge post! Today's prompt is "Favorite Tip" and since I have a hard time choosing just one, I'm tossing in a second just for fun! Let's go!
My first tip is a big one, and pretty obvious. Have an iron you love to use, and that works well for you. Because pressing is something you'll do A LOT as a quilter. I'm a huge fan of the Oliso brand. There's even a previous post on it. They're a little more on the expensive side but I find they last a long time under heavy usage. (And a few falls - I'm not exactly the most graceful person in the world.) My pink version latest over 6 years which included 5 moves, near daily usage in the last 3 years, and more than one (or twenty) dives off the ironing board.
That said, find a brand that's in your lifestyle and price range; there are many great irons out there. And you find tons of advice on which brand is best and why. Pick one that feels good to you! And if you find yourself hating your iron, dump it and get a new one. Life is too short to hate any part of the quilting process!
Tip Two - The Simple Beauty of Quarter Inch Tape
I think I go this tip from Krista Moser - an amazing designer out of Washington state; I'll add a link below.
The quarter inch seam is crucial for accurate quilting. And even for those of us who've been quilting of years can use reminders of how big or how small a quarter inch really is. That's where this tape comes in handy. Literally. Put it on your hand! Or more specifically, take a small piece and put it on your thumb nail. I'm right handed, so I put it on my left thumb nail. Now I have a reminder right there with me as I piece my top. I also have piece of tape on all my marking pens/pencils. I just did a bunch of precise pinning for a diamond pattern with lots of bias fabric cuts, and using my thumb nail instead of a bulky ruler to find that perfect quarter inch made the pinning process quick and smooth.
I hope you enjoyed my tips! Contact your local quilt shop to add these items to your quilting tool bag.
What's your favorite quilting tip? Leave a note below!
For now, I gotta get back to my quilt lab!
Cynthia
A few links, in case you're interested:
Check out the Blog Challenge I'm working on; lots of great bloggers here:
Krista Moser's website:
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