UN-learning and RE-learning how to quilt

I've been making all types of quilts for almost twenty years as well as
having taught quilting classes for about 6-7 years in the mid-90s till
our local fabric store went out of business. I've found that I need to
go back to beginner's books periodically and un-learn or re-learn my
techniques. I *know* how to do it, but I find sometimes I wander off
the path and develop bad habits and/or get sloppy (mostly in my cutting
and safety practices with the rotary cutter). If my basic skills
aren't excellent my more advanced skills will suffer since I don't have
a strong foundation to build on. Also, new and better methods and
tools are being developed every day and I need to keep up with the
advances being made in our craft.

Do you find yourself getting in a rut or complacent and needing to
un-learn bad habits and re-learn correct basic techinques?

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

LOL! No - but I have never considered myself an "excellent" quilter. I'm a
Git-r-Done (LARRY THE CABLE GUY) Quilter.

--
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SNIGDIBBLY
~e~
"
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http://www.ebaystores.com/snigdibbly...ox&refid=store
"Leslie & The Furbabies in MO." wrote in message
oups.com...
I've been making all types of quilts for almost twenty years as well as
having taught quilting classes for about 6-7 years in the mid-90s till
our local fabric store went out of business. I've found that I need to
go back to beginner's books periodically and un-learn or re-learn my
techniques. I *know* how to do it, but I find sometimes I wander off
the path and develop bad habits and/or get sloppy (mostly in my cutting
and safety practices with the rotary cutter). If my basic skills
aren't excellent my more advanced skills will suffer since I don't have
a strong foundation to build on. Also, new and better methods and
tools are being developed every day and I need to keep up with the
advances being made in our craft.

Do you find yourself getting in a rut or complacent and needing to
un-learn bad habits and re-learn correct basic techinques?

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

That's just like a musician who will still practise scales even when he
is practising for a concert hall performance.
..
In message .com,
Leslie & The Furbabies in MO. writes
I've been making all types of quilts for almost twenty years as well as
having taught quilting classes for about 6-7 years in the mid-90s till
our local fabric store went out of business. I've found that I need to
go back to beginner's books periodically and un-learn or re-learn my
techniques. I *know* how to do it, but I find sometimes I wander off
the path and develop bad habits and/or get sloppy (mostly in my cutting
and safety practices with the rotary cutter). If my basic skills
aren't excellent my more advanced skills will suffer since I don't have
a strong foundation to build on. Also, new and better methods and
tools are being developed every day and I need to keep up with the
advances being made in our craft.

Do you find yourself getting in a rut or complacent and needing to
un-learn bad habits and re-learn correct basic techinques?

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.


--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting, Sep/Oct 05 has just come in. I thought of
Leslie when I considered Lynette Jensen's block on page 98. For those of you
who have this magazine, have you tossed the instructions around in your head
and do you see a better way to do it? Just wondering. Polly (and yes, I
still practice scales, concert or no. They take the kinks out of my fingers
and brain.)
"Patti" wrote in message
...
That's just like a musician who will still practise scales even when he is
practising for a concert hall performance.

In article t,
"Polly Esther" wrote:

Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting, Sep/Oct 05 has just come in. I thought of
Leslie when I considered Lynette Jensen's block on page 98. For those of you
who have this magazine, have you tossed the instructions around in your head
and do you see a better way to do it? Just wondering. Polly (and yes, I
still practice scales, concert or no. They take the kinks out of my fingers
and brain.)

I haven't gotten my copy yet. Now I'm most curious about how she puts
these blocks together.

Here's a picture for those without the magazine

http://www.fonsandporter.com/storefr...ottagewood.asp

marcella

I have two distinct quilt-making styles. One is for classes when I know I
am being watched, and the other is for me when I am alone. Don't ask me how
but over the years I have developed the habit of switching between the two
without even thinking about it.

On bad habits - as long as someone is not a physical threat to themselve,
other quilters or their quilts - I will let them go at it however they are
comfortable. They are warned about posture, backache, blunting tools, etc
of course, and shown the traditional methods and sometimes my own variation.
But if they really want to do things their own wat why shouldn't they?
That's how new and better methods are developed. They might even teach me a
thing or two. Most of them settle into pretty "normal" habits quickly but
not forcing them seems to work better.

--
Cheryl ^;;^ ^;;^ ^;;^

http://community.webshots.com/user/witchofthewest

catsatararat (YAHOO msgr)

A large number of electrons were
terribly inconvenienced to send this -
at least read it.

"Leslie & The Furbabies in MO." wrote in message
oups.com...
I've been making all types of quilts for almost twenty years as well as
having taught quilting classes for about 6-7 years in the mid-90s till
our local fabric store went out of business. I've found that I need to
go back to beginner's books periodically and un-learn or re-learn my
techniques. I *know* how to do it, but I find sometimes I wander off
the path and develop bad habits and/or get sloppy (mostly in my cutting
and safety practices with the rotary cutter). If my basic skills
aren't excellent my more advanced skills will suffer since I don't have
a strong foundation to build on. Also, new and better methods and
tools are being developed every day and I need to keep up with the
advances being made in our craft.

Do you find yourself getting in a rut or complacent and needing to
un-learn bad habits and re-learn correct basic techinques?

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

On 18 Aug 2005 08:49:40 -0700, "Leslie & The Furbabies in MO."
wrote:

I've been making all types of quilts for almost twenty years as well as
having taught quilting classes for about 6-7 years in the mid-90s till
our local fabric store went out of business. I've found that I need to
go back to beginner's books periodically and un-learn or re-learn my
techniques. I *know* how to do it, but I find sometimes I wander off
the path and develop bad habits and/or get sloppy (mostly in my cutting
and safety practices with the rotary cutter). If my basic skills
aren't excellent my more advanced skills will suffer since I don't have
a strong foundation to build on. Also, new and better methods and
tools are being developed every day and I need to keep up with the
advances being made in our craft.

Do you find yourself getting in a rut or complacent and needing to
un-learn bad habits and re-learn correct basic techinques?

Yes Ma'am!

I do a lot of sewing, and if I don't keep myself in order I swap over
techniques inappropriately.
For example I have gone and sewn entire blocks with a 3/8 or a 5/8
seam allowance. Now there would be nothing wrong with that, except I
cut most blocks with a quarter inch allowance. If it is a block with
curves things can get really ugly when you do a dumb like that!

So if I have done a fair bit of garment sewing I will sit myself down
and run over the simplest things about putting together a quilt before
I so much as take the cover off the machine. Vice-versa if I am
sitting down to make clothes after a long stretch of quilting.

Sometimes I will sit down and put myself in the right mindframe by
sketching out a design and doing the math for it. Sometimes I will
pick up a book or three and read through basic techniques. Though I
do that mostly for garment sewing as I have reletively few quilting
books. Sometimes I just rattle off a mini project that takes a
specific skill I have to focus on.

Since I mostly do Really Big Quilts I want to be in the right sewing
mode and proceeding with confidence. Otherwise I will end up ripping
a whole great lot. Having the basics in order and done well are what
make the quilt IMHO.

NightMist
--
"To repeat what others have said, requires education; to challenge
it, requires brains." -Mary Pettibone Poole

In message ,
Marcella Peek writes
In article t,
"Polly Esther" wrote:

Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting, Sep/Oct 05 has just come in. I thought of
Leslie when I considered Lynette Jensen's block on page 98. For those of you
who have this magazine, have you tossed the instructions around in your head
and do you see a better way to do it? Just wondering. Polly (and yes, I
still practice scales, concert or no. They take the kinks out of my fingers
and brain.)

I haven't gotten my copy yet. Now I'm most curious about how she puts
these blocks together.

Here's a picture for those without the magazine

http://www.fonsandporter.com/storefr...ottagewood.asp

marcella

--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

Thanks for the picture, Marcella. No magazine here!

I see what you mean, Polly, about the possibilities of different ways of
putting the block together. Of course, I don't know what they suggested
g So, I only have my own ideas.
..
In message ,
Marcella Peek writes
I haven't gotten my copy yet. Now I'm most curious about how she puts
these blocks together.

Here's a picture for those without the magazine

http://www.fonsandporter.com/storefr...ottagewood.asp

marcella

--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

Hi Leslie,
Good question. When I've not done some thing in a while, I start
off by doing some practice bits. Some exercises I do include
making lone blocks. Lately I've found it advantageous to make a
few Hug Blocks, in assorted colors. I set those aside for Hug
requests. Pot holders are fun ways to practice. Sometimes I make
a house block or two, then quilt and bind them singly. House
blocks have straight and angled parts, so are good practice
blocks. A good way to practice MQ is to use some cheater fabric
to make quilts for teddy bears and dolls. I've made a few this
year and plan to donate them to the teddy bear project my local
service club does in December.
PAT in VA/USA

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO. wrote:
I've been making all types of quilts for almost twenty years as well as
having taught quilting classes for about 6-7 years in the mid-90s till
our local fabric store went out of business. I've found that I need to
go back to beginner's books periodically and un-learn or re-learn my
techniques. I *know* how to do it, but I find sometimes I wander off
the path and develop bad habits and/or get sloppy (mostly in my cutting
and safety practices with the rotary cutter). If my basic skills
aren't excellent my more advanced skills will suffer since I don't have
a strong foundation to build on. Also, new and better methods and
tools are being developed every day and I need to keep up with the
advances being made in our craft.

Do you find yourself getting in a rut or complacent and needing to
un-learn bad habits and re-learn correct basic techinques?

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.