Quilt Tip Tuesday - #8

This Week

Take A Picture

Rita Nau, Owner of Rita's Racques Ruler Rack

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!

Small quilt with stars

This is what I saw when I just looked at the quilt. The colors were right, the block correct, looked pretty good.

Miniature quilt

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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.

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Miniature Quilt that needs fixing

I spent a little time with my seam ripper and made the necessary changes.

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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

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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.

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Be Happy. It Drives People Crazy.