RIPPITT!

There are four basics to making quilts:  Cutting, sewing, pressing and the fourth (and not to be overlooked), ripping.   Each is an art unto itself. 

It takes a bit of experience to make accurate cuts with a rotary cutter.  I am still using my original Dritz stick cutter, which I know to be about 35 years old or so.  The blade is only exposed when pressure is put on it during cutting and that frees me from having to click it open and closed constantly.   Yes, I have purchased several other cutters over the years but I always go back to my old friend.

It also takes time and patience to master the 1/4" seam.  There are 1/4" feet, magnetic guides and numerous methods of affixing Moleskin or sticky notes to the plate of your machine to use as a guide to get that perfect seam width.   Find the helper that works best for you.  Practice makes perfect here.  This is my Janome 9500 that I love to distraction most days.  When I have issues with it, it's usually my error.  She's one smart machine.  I use a 1/4" foot most of the time to sew seams.

I'm rather attached to the Seam-Fix rippers that have a nice rubber end to help you gather up the snipped threads.  They come in two sizes and I'm especially fond of the small ones right now.  Besides being cute, the top fits over the end.

I mention the basics today because I'm working on a Plus Sign quilt and it's been a slow go for such a simple quilt.  I've been spending a bit of time with my ripper collection.  Here's a sneak peek ~~~

The bottom two rows aren't sewn on yet, but you can see the +'s beginning to come together.  This is a simple quilt that requires you to lay the whole thing out to make sure the pattern is correct and then you must pick it up in the correct order for sewing.  This is going to be a small quilt that we will keep in the truck.

Thanks for joining me for this ramble of what's going on in my head this morning. 

Wishing you a blessed day.   Barb