Confessing is the online quilty theme at the moment so I decided that I will share too. We can all blame Amy from 13 Spools for this bit of fun and airing of our quilting dirty laundry.
2. As a continuation of #1 , I just don't get the appeal of the EPP blocks like the hexies. All those tiny bits sewn by hand....no way baby.
3. Another thing I don't get into much is appliqué. Yes I will use it sparingly in a project here and there but you will never see me making a Baltimore Album Quilt. Ever!
4. Squaring up my quilts. Nope. I don't do that. Unless I'm making a show quilt to be judged I can't be bothered. And when have you seen me working on a show quilt? Not yet at least. Maybe never.
5. I echo the sentiments of others.....what's up with all the fabric featuring the critters? Deer, fox and the like? You can keep it, thank you very much.
6. I like working with solids but I hate, hate, hate the way some of them unravel like there's no tomorrow. And some of them are the big name brands. I don't understand how most non-solids ravel so much less but they can't make the solid fabrics behave the same. Someone needs to solve this problem.
7. 99% of the time I don't bother with squaring up my HST. Over time I've gotten much better at making them so that if they needed trimming, it is so minor that I'd rather make it work than spend all that time cutting miniscule bits off my blocks.
8. Why do some designers churn out fabric line after fabric line with the exact same motifs and in the exact same color way? Yes it is good IF you have an older line and need something to coordinate with a project that you are currently making BUT if I already bought a pre-cut bundle or yardage of the older line and have all I need, I'm certainly not going to buy more of the same with just a different name on it.
9. Pin baste? Not! Either I spray baste or it goes on my longarm frame. I can't be bothered having to remove those pins as I go along.
10. I can't get excited about Civil War or other similar Reproduction prints. They just do nothing for me. Bring on the bright and full of color ones please.
11. What about cutesy prints? Nada to these too unless I'm specifically making a baby quilt. Then they are totally appropriate.
12. I refuse to spend my hard earned money on specialty tools that I see no reason for like the log cabin ruler. I have a regular 6' x 24" ruler and I can cut strips perfectly fine with that. The less I spend on useless things like that the more I have to actually buy fabric with.
13. Ditto for things like needle threaders (I can see perfectly well to thread a needle) and thread cutters/cutting gizmo (isn't that what my scissors are for) and triangles on a roll paper (I prefer to learn the way to make these things without specialty items involved that I'd just have to buy over and over and over again. I know that is their point with the papers at least, but this hobby is expensive enough already.
14. I simply can't spend upwards of $12 for a spool of thread. You know what brand I'm referring to. Yes it is thinner and it probably does produce less lint but cleaning out my bobbin case more often just doesn't justify the added expense. The thread I typically use has the same amount of yardage on spool at a fraction of the cost and it performs perfectly fine.
15. For the most part I'm not going to buy any Cotton + Steel fabrics either. I might use a coordinating print for some other project but the vast majority of them don't appeal.
16. I also skip over some other big name designer's stuff like KF and AMH and TP.
17. I don't prewash anymore either unless it is a Red or Brown that I worry might bleed. As others have stated, life is too short as it is.
I probably could add a few more confessions here if I thought about it some more but for today I'll leave my list as is. So how many of these items would be on your list too?
7. 99% of the time I don't bother with squaring up my HST. Over time I've gotten much better at making them so that if they needed trimming, it is so minor that I'd rather make it work than spend all that time cutting miniscule bits off my blocks.
8. Why do some designers churn out fabric line after fabric line with the exact same motifs and in the exact same color way? Yes it is good IF you have an older line and need something to coordinate with a project that you are currently making BUT if I already bought a pre-cut bundle or yardage of the older line and have all I need, I'm certainly not going to buy more of the same with just a different name on it.
9. Pin baste? Not! Either I spray baste or it goes on my longarm frame. I can't be bothered having to remove those pins as I go along.
10. I can't get excited about Civil War or other similar Reproduction prints. They just do nothing for me. Bring on the bright and full of color ones please.
11. What about cutesy prints? Nada to these too unless I'm specifically making a baby quilt. Then they are totally appropriate.
12. I refuse to spend my hard earned money on specialty tools that I see no reason for like the log cabin ruler. I have a regular 6' x 24" ruler and I can cut strips perfectly fine with that. The less I spend on useless things like that the more I have to actually buy fabric with.
13. Ditto for things like needle threaders (I can see perfectly well to thread a needle) and thread cutters/cutting gizmo (isn't that what my scissors are for) and triangles on a roll paper (I prefer to learn the way to make these things without specialty items involved that I'd just have to buy over and over and over again. I know that is their point with the papers at least, but this hobby is expensive enough already.
14. I simply can't spend upwards of $12 for a spool of thread. You know what brand I'm referring to. Yes it is thinner and it probably does produce less lint but cleaning out my bobbin case more often just doesn't justify the added expense. The thread I typically use has the same amount of yardage on spool at a fraction of the cost and it performs perfectly fine.
15. For the most part I'm not going to buy any Cotton + Steel fabrics either. I might use a coordinating print for some other project but the vast majority of them don't appeal.
16. I also skip over some other big name designer's stuff like KF and AMH and TP.
17. I don't prewash anymore either unless it is a Red or Brown that I worry might bleed. As others have stated, life is too short as it is.
I probably could add a few more confessions here if I thought about it some more but for today I'll leave my list as is. So how many of these items would be on your list too?
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14 Comments:
I agree with you on so many points!
Specialty this and gotta have that!
I don't have the extra $ for all those toys and just don't see the reason for them either!
Agreed on most.. I am however drawn to the cutsey prints of foxes and critters for kids. I guess it is my inner Grandma (who isn't yet)...trying to get out! ; ).
You had me with you on most of these -- I do like some of the cutsie prints and novelties but I think that they have a time and place. I'm also not rushing out to buy a line simply because of who made it but I do like some designers specifically and eagerly await the new line.
I rely on just my basic rulers - if they have a 45 and 60 degree mark on them, you can do anything those fancies do. There is a fabric, print, color to offer all quilters - that's what makes the craft fun. I am a firm believer of squaring up though - every unit gets trimmed. Once you load a wonky, wompy quilt on your frame and can't quilt it - you will change your mind. Must be the teacher in me - just because it's not a show quilt doesn't mean you skip corners. Learning and using proper techniques produce a much cleaner and pleasing finish that will last longer.
I totally agree with you on almost all your points. I do square up my HST's and quilt simply because my quilt would be a wreck if I didn't but everything else is spot on.
Thanks for sharing your confessions - these were fun to read!!
I, also, share most of your "confession" points. I have gotten to the point of not even pre=washing my red fabrics. I use a ton of "Shout" Color Catchers and call it a day. Has worked so far. The 2 red/white quilts I'm doing right now will be treated the same....I'll let you know if I have regrets...LOL!
Interesting comments - only one did I have a concern about and that was the needle threaders . I'm sure I agreed totally until last year when suddenly my eyesight just isn't the same as it used to be. Now I have glasses and I use a needle threader some of the time. I consider myself blessed that I'm 60+ before my eyes changed.
MOst of them would be on my ist. I do have a needle threader though as my eyes were't what they were. As for thread I tend to go for colour first and brand second. My machine doesn't like the expensive ones luckily xxx
Like the others, I am with you on most of the points. I guess the perfectionist in me will make sure that I keep trimming my HSTs.
Very interesting list! I do use a needle threader as my eyesight is limited and getting worse. The only thing I use cute prints for is making pillowcases for my grandchildren or a baby quilt. There are many designers I don't like but thankfully there are more that I do. But I confess I love civil war prints and reproductions....I'm a primitive lover so those appeal to me. blessings, marlene
the designers churn out new lines to make money... a lot of modern quilters will buy precuts of one of each fabrics in a line instead of choosing their own so it's profitable. Can't relate to most but it was interesting to read your list. Seems like you are a no nonsense kind of quilter! Why wouldn't you square up a hst?? Don't you want them to go back together well?? You must be very exact in your sewing not to need to square up, awesome!
LeeAnna at not afraid of color
Right there with you on many of these, especially 11-13!
Totally agree with 6. Why do they ravel so much? I have found one is not quite as bad as some of the others but still. What is with the freaking fraying!
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