Here's what I'm doing today: quilting! I'm working on a quilt for someone special, and I'm here, at my grandmother's house making a really big mess of her family room. I've been quilting for years, it's my therapy, my art, my craft. There's something magical to me about taking a pile of different fabrics and creating one piece with them. I don't have much time to quilt during the school year, so when summer comes around, I ferociously jump into my sewing machine and let my quilter's mind run wild. Full disclosure: my name on Match.com was Rockstarquilter...it was one of the things Eric thought was so different about me! Quilting can be easy and fun, but it can also be frustrating, as with any art. Here's some tips I've learned over the years to make sure even the newest quilters can enjoy the art of quilting:
- A good iron: I can't emphasis this enough! If your patches or fabric aren't flat, it's going to be nearly impossible to cut or sew them straight. I didn't use an iron for years, and when I got a good one, it was like my quilting jumped to a new level!
- Sturdy scissors: If you can't cut without moving the fabric or if you need to cut the same line twice, you need new scissors. Fabric scissors can be expensive, but I've gotten great ones for under $5 at Michael's. And most importantly, don't let anyone use your fabric scissors for paper!
- Strong lighting: Having good lighting in your sewing room of choice makes all the difference!
- A good chair to sit on: If you don't have a chair that can support your back correctly while on the sewing machine, you're going to not enjoy the process of quilting. I've spent nights up sewing and couldn't move for days after (it's romantically called, "Quilter's Back").
- And something I always forgot growing up, oil your machine! Oil makes your machine run smoother and last longer. It's so cheap, so indulge in some good oil and save your machine!
