This Week
Take A Picture
Hello!
I have been busy with quilt shows and retreats for the past month and a half. This week I had some time for myself and was able to do some of my own quilting and was reminded of an important tip that I use often. I had a different topic all picked out for this week. It was supposed to be on double binding. Then I took a picture of my work! I felt this was more important this week.
Now that we have the ability to take a picture anytime, anywhere remember that it is a useful quilting tool. I lay out my blocks on my flannel board and I never seem to notice that I have a block upside down or whatever. If I stop and take a picture and look at what I have taken it is amazing how that wonky block or mistake shows up.
An example: Susan Brown of TQM Products was nice enough to have a 1 1/2" Triangle Tool template made for me because I like making miniatures and her Triangle Tool Templates work amazingly well. I was hurrying to complete a little quilt as a sample for her. I got it done and thought it look ok. THEN I TOOK A PICTURE!
This is what I saw when I just looked at the quilt. The colors were right, the block correct, looked pretty good.
This is what the quilt really looks like. It didn't look that bad to me when I just looked at it. Then I looked at the picture and thought. Wow! How could I have missed that terrible corner and the obvious place where I pieced the binding? I'm a better quilter than this. It makes me wonder what other things I miss.
I spent a little time with my seam ripper and made the necessary changes.
The lesson here is we don't really see what we think we see. So take a little bit of extra time and use that camera that you have at your side. You might be just as amazed as I was.
I wish you my Irish goodbye,
Rita
I will be in Santa Clara this weekend at the Pacific International Quilt Fest. If you are in the area drop by and visit our booth #835. Mention that you subscribe to my Quilt Tips and get a free Mini Rack.
Be Happy. It Drives People Crazy.