I had so much fun doing this Quilt-Along and at the same time learning so much! I thought I would review it so I can remember everything I learned. Whats the old saying? If you want to remember something, say it aloud, write it down and I am pretty sure there was something else just can’t remember it

• Quilt-Along 1: Materials and Supplies

1. If I should ever do this again I would purchase a little more fabric then called for. It was really close on a couple of them.

2. I will defiantly try Guttermann all-purpose polyester thread next time. I used Coats and Clark, which was fine for the piecing, but not for the free motion quilting. It just kept breaking.

3. She mentioned Binding clips to hold down your binding and they are on my shopping list.

 

• Quilt-Along 2: Color Basics

1. Some of this I already knew from playing around with website design. But the intensity info and what patterns on fabric that can pass as a solid was new to me.

 

• Quilt Along Part 3: Choosing Fabric

1. I ended up doing the two favorite color option.

2. I think I will keep this one and The Color Basics in my favorites so that I can refer to them in the future.

 

• Quilt Along Part 4: Preparing and Cutting Fabric

1. I absolutely loved how she organized her fabrics on the cardboard cards. I really want to do that some time but will have to wait till my kid is older lol.

 

• Quilt-Along 5: Recovering from a Cutting Mishap

1. This post was informative. So in the future if I run out of fabric I can try some of her ideas.

 

• Quilt Along Part 6: Piecing Block A

1. Pressing seams open. I had never done that before and now I will be doing it more often. It really helped me line up my pieces. But, I did find I don’t like it on everything. I tried it on my Dear Jane blocks and found it more trouble then it was worth.

 

• Quilt Along Part 7: Piecing Block B

1. I loved her tip on pinning the ¼ inch seam down so that it will stay down when you sew over it. For some reason I never thought of that myself.

2. She suggested sewing right over the pins. Although that is faster, bent needles are annoying.

 

• Quilt Along Part 8: Piecing Block C

1. This was my absolute favorite block out of the whole quilt!

2. This post was also where she mentioned the freezer paper trick. I did not end up using this trick on my quilt, but most likely will in the future.

 

• Quilt Along Part 9: Piecing Block D

1. Her method for squaring up all the different blocks was very informative and I will be using it on my next quilt for sure.

 

• Quilt Along Part 10: Piecing Blocks E & F

1. Out of these two blocks I liked “E” the best.

2. I found these blocks time consuming and a bit tiring when it came to ironing them.

 

• Quilt Along Part 11: Piecing the Quilt Top

1. This was my first time putting sashing on a quilt and it was interesting seeing how she put it together.

2. I had a hard time lining the blocks up between rows. The next time I make a quilt with sashing I might try the way that has cornerstones.

 

• Quilt Along Part 12: Piecing the Quilt Back

1. Adding blocks to the back was new to me. Now I wonder, why can’t you piece a quilt for the front and back?

 

• Quilt Along Part 13: Making the Quilt Sandwich

1. I have decided I do not like the kind of batting she recommended, % cotton low-loft batting like Warm and White or Warm and Natural. Maybe I am just new to quilting and have not realized the fabulousness of it yet but I thought it was really stiff. Not what I want when I cuddle up in a quilt.

2. The rolling the quilt top out over the backing did not work for me, so I just winged it.

3. Note to self: Use more pins. 

 

• Quilt Along 14: Free-Motion Quilting

1. I will be using Gutermann polyester thread next time for sure.

2. Oh and make sure I have the right pressure foot on, lol. (link to old post!)

3. Her method of quilting in a circle around the quilt was really helpful.

4. Something I read somewhere not in this post but maybe in the flickr discussion group, was to change your needle often. I found every three bobbins is ideal. It is amazing to me how a dull needle affects your tension.

 

• Quilt Along 15: Making and Sewing Binding

1. This is where I deterred from the instructions. I have tried her method of sewing the binding on and it is not my favorite. Not that it is bad, just not my favorite.

2. My favorite way to bind a quilt is from Heather Bailey.  Here is a link to the PDF.