Tip #1 - change the thread colour whenever you start to feel bored with the quilting. The thread sits in (or near) the ditch/seam line so you can barely see it anyway, so why not use up those almost empty thread spools.
Tip #2 - as you are quilting, visit with the fabrics as you pass by.
I like to remember when and where I bought special fabrics, and who was with me at the time. Not all fabrics have a memory for me. Some were given to me in scrap bags or were purchased here and there on days that have no lasting significance.
But some are very special...
See that fabric to the left of the needle? It says "www.hancocks-paducah".
Guess where I bought that?!? It was purchased during my first big trip to the USA to see a quilt show in 2009. Click here for some blog memories.
I bought it at Keepsake Quilting in New Hampshire.
It's one of my favourite fabrics of all time... blah, blah, blah. I have it in green, and in black on white, and it always makes me smile.
See that purple fabric to the left of the needle? That was one of the guild challenge fabrics around 2006 or so.
See how fun this is?!? You get some quilting done, and remind yourself of fun adventures from the past. It's a win-win and a definite antidote to boredom!
I play I spy a memory with my quilts too..
ReplyDeleteWhat a great trip down fabric memory lane! It's already a stunning quilt!
ReplyDeleteThis was a cute post going down your memory lane :)
ReplyDeleteI do the same thing with the fabrics. So nice to have a trip down memory lane as you are quilting.
ReplyDeleteI think this is my attraction to making scrappy quilts, also, like visiting with old friends, lol
ReplyDeleteI love what you said about fabric memories. I love it when I am quilting and I find a bit that has fond thoughts attached!!
ReplyDeleteI like to play a movie in the background that I've seen a million times. I don't need to watch it but I enjoy listening to something while I quilt. It helps with the boredom of a repetitive motif.
ReplyDeleteI love a good opera playing when I quilt. And since I do scrappy and fabrics are mostly gifted, I do try to remember where they came from and what other projects they might have also been used in.
ReplyDeleteHow fun to share your fabric memories. I have a quilt basted and ready to go, but it is not scrappy and the fabrics were purchased just for this quilt. How boring will this quilting be!!
ReplyDeleteScrap Quilting is NEVER Boring. You have a great memory! Love that you shared your thoughts today.
ReplyDeleteI like using up odds and ends of thread too! Who says only one color is required? Fun memories:)
ReplyDeleteTip #2 saw me through cutting the hundreds of squares needed for the Tokyo Subway Map Quilt. It also made me see how our scrap quilts are a snapshot of us, as quilters. They contain our favorite fabrics and the ones we really just want to "hide" in a scrap quilt and get them out of our stash, they remind us of places we have travelled, the quilt shops and quilt shows where they were acquired ... and also are a picture of our taste--colors, patterns, designers--at the moment. Good luck quilting that great big beautiful quilt.
ReplyDeleteI'm fighting boredom today so this is a perfect post for me. I *love* that blah blah blah fabric!
ReplyDeleteThese are all great tips! I will be trying some of these soon.
ReplyDeleteI love looking at all of my fabric the same way. I call them memory quilts.
ReplyDeleteLooks you are making good progress and exercising those memory cells too.
ReplyDeleteDear Kathy,
ReplyDeletewhat wonderful tipps, just one problem.....I am way to slow to be passing by my fabrics. Good to see your fast progress, speeds me up a little too.
Greetings,
Sylvia
looking at all your fabric has certainly brought back memories for you. I like the idea of different cottons but have for now given up on the quilting of all my flimsies as I cannot seem to master machine quilting and had to unpick what I had done last week, not sure what I will do now but time will tell!
ReplyDeleteThere are still Stedmen's??? WOW. You sure do find fun ways to get those boring jobs done...way to go!!
ReplyDeleteThere are still Stedmen's??? WOW. You sure do find fun ways to get those boring jobs done...way to go!!
ReplyDeleteGreat post!!! Good ideas - and fun memories.
ReplyDelete