I am just itching to make another quilt, in large part because Gracie has taken over the one I've made, so now I want one for me! (I'm only part kidding).I've been pinning up a storm trying to decide on what pattern to tackle next (although after #quiltgate2015, I'm kind of wanting to make a quick and dirty quilt).
Anyway, I learned a few lessons making my first quilt that I'd like to share, both to prevent you from making the same mistakes, and to remind myself for next time.
1. Buy all materials at the same time. I did share this tip in the post about my first quilt, but it's so important, it bears repeating. Buying all your materials at that start will save you the pain of having to put your project on hold if you can't find the fabric you like for the backing when it's time to attach the backing! (Note: this is a lesson learned from experience).
2. Focus on maximising the fabric. I probably bought almost twice as much backing fabric as I needed, but due to some careless cutting, won't be able to use the rest for backing another quilt (unless that quilt is smaller). I didn't take much time to figure out how to maximise my fabric use, and could probably have saved a lot of money on fabric costs if I'd paid a bit more attention.
3. Save quilting for a rainy day. Seriously. It was the middle of summer when I started my first quilt, and steam-pressing fabric on a 40 degree day is not pleasant. The whole experience would have been a lot nicer if I'd waited until the weather cooled down!
4. Vacuum the carpet before piecing the quilt. I may be crafty, but I'm so undomestic that it's embarrassing. I spent ages de-fuzzying my quilt after I did the piecing on an un-vacumed carpet.
They're just simple tips, but I know they will make the next time around much easier. Do you have any tips you want to share? Or better yet, anyone want to join me in a quick and easy no-measure-no-pin quilt?!
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