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 the McCall's Quilting web site, www.mccallsquilting.com, to find quilting motifs and tips for using them.
48. Make use of all the quilting links on the Internet! A great place to start is www.mccallsquilting.com!
49. Listen to advice from experienced quilters, then listen to your inner self. Don't be afraid to try something different.