FABRIC CHOICE AND PREPARATION

1. Don't be afraid to use color in your quilts.
2. Pick a print that grabs your attention. Coordinate colors around that print.
3. Always pick a fabric that is a little different from the others to add interest.
4. Choose fabrics from the same collection. They usually blend well and have a variety of lights, mediums, and darks, as well as different scales.
5. Purchase extra fabric (1/4 yd. or more). You might make a mistake or need an extra strip or two. Plans for quilts change!
6. When shopping for fabrics, take the pattern. Also, tack fabric samples to a 3" x 6" index card so you can find just the right fabric by comparing it to what you already have.
7. Wash and press fabric before cutting.
8. When prewashing fabrics, clip the corner of each piece to prevent a big, tangled, spider web mess when the machine stops!
9. To straighten fabric after washing, in preparation for cutting, fold across the bias and pull. Get a friend to help. Pull at the fold and every few inches out to the points.

QUALITY COUNTS

10. Get the right tools
11. Use high-quality, 100% cotton fabrics.

ACCURACY MATTERS

12. Press as you go.
13. Be sure to cut accurate templates.
14. Cut accurately when using the rotary cutter.
15. Do whatever is necessary to achieve accurate 1/4" seams. You'll have fewer headaches!
16. Learn to sew accurate strip sets.
17. Be sure to square up each block before stitching them together. Square up your quilt top before adding borders.
18. "From my dad, a master cabinetmaker, MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE."

WORKSPACE AND ORGANIZATION SUGGESTIONS

19. Use a flannel board or design wall and place fabrics/blocks on it while piecing.
20. Stick a small stack of Post-It Notes beside the presser foot as a 1/4" seam allowance guide.
21. On your sewing machine table, draw two lines, one for the stitching line and the second, 1/4" to the right. These will help with machine piecing accuracy.
22. Use a scrap of fabric for a starter when chain piecing.
23. Speed up your piecing by chain stitching.
24. Always have your seam ripper nearby.

LEARN THE BASICS

25. Choose patterns with clear instructions and useful diagrams.
26. Read through the pattern before you start cutting.
27. Make a practice block.
28. Learn proper pressing techniques!
29. Use diagonal seams when piecing binding to cut down on bulk.
30. Learn how to properly turn corners when stitching binding to your quilt.
31. Learn the difference between half-square triangles and quarter-square triangles. Then learn the calculations for adding seam allowances (finished dimension + 7/8" for half-square triangles and +1 1/4" for quarter-square triangles).
32. Sew the hanging sleeve onto your quilt while attaching the binding.

BE EASY ON YOURSELF

33. Don't feel guilty about starting a new project even though you already have lots in the works.
34. It is OK to have a mistake in your quilt. No quilt is perfect.
35. When learning to hand quilt, focus on making even stitches, not on stitch length. Long stitches look just as good as short ones, provided that they are the same size.
36. Quilt with your friends.
37. Practice. Have patience with yourself.

TRY NEW TECHNIQUES

38. Be open to trying new methods.
39. Take classes at your local quilt shop.
40. Buy a rotary cutter. They have revolutionized quiltmaking.
41. Follow the step by step rotary cutting instructions provided on the McCall's Quilting web site.
42. Learn to use a grid for making half-square triangles.
43. Make flying geese with rectangles and squares, using the corner sew and flip method.
44. Use safety pins to baste your quilts, and close them with the aid of a grapefruit spoon.
45. Learn to make bias binding (see Continuous Bias for a quick lesson).
46. Binding can be done with straight-of-grain strips.
47. Visit your local quilt shop to find out about quilting motifs.
48. Make use of all the quilting links on the Internet! A great place to start is www.mccallsquilting.com, just click on Lessons!
49. Listen to advice from experienced quilters, then listen to your inner self. Don't be afraid to try something different.