What do you enjoy most about making a quilt?

12 years ago

I enjoy each step used to make a quilt but I think I enjoy cutting it out the most. I like handling the fabric and studying the pattern to make sure I cut pieces the correct size.

The step I least enjoy is loading the quilt on the frame. When I began quilting I did not like to hand stitch the binding but with practice it became one of my favorite things to do.

Which step do you most prefer to do?

Linda OH

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Comments (15)

mary_c_gw
12 years ago
Let's see -

I enjoy researching blocks and playing with my graph paper and crayons.

I enjoy the cutting and sewing, as long as I can alternate them. I would never cut out all the fabric for a quilt at once!

I love the final pressing of the quilt top.

I do not enjoy loading the quilt on the frame - it's necessary, but tedious.

I love the quilting.

I enjoy sewing the binding onto one side of the quilt. I moderately like folding it over and finishing by machine, but I always feel it's a bit of a cheat, LOL. But that brings me to...

I absolutely HATE hand-sewing the binding.

So I love most.
toolgranny
12 years ago
I think I enjoy the design and color choices best. Once I see the blocks together to complete the image in my mind, finishing it all up is just work. I need to find a good friend who doesn't like that step and just likes to finish things up so we can swap! LOL
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geezerfolks_SharonG_FL
12 years ago
I like every step of making the top. @:)

SharonG/FL
anitastitch
12 years ago
I love when I decide to start a new quilt and get to sit on my couch and look through all my books and magazines and/or make sketches of my own for ideas.

I love/hate figuring out fabric amounts for my own designs--then to take the hate part out, I just say--what the heck--buy extra if in doubt!

I love shopping for the fabric. It takes forever, but I LOVE when I get the fabric home and get to feel it and sniff it and all that stuff (sounds sick--only a fabric junkie would understand)

I like cutting and LOVE being finished cutting and seeing all those nice neat plastic bags of fabric--I can be soooooo organized when I want to be!

But I hate when after I'm finished cutting, I discover that I may have cut something wrong--I haven't done that for a while so we won't go there! :)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE when it's time to start piecing!

While I love having all the pieces in place, I don't love putting on borders--I don't know why, but I just don't love that.

I like and am really learning to love the machine quilting end of it.

I love putting on the binding, whether I go with the traditional method or bind from the back--it's all lovable to me.

I love testing out the quilt with a nice nap!
fran1523
12 years ago
I love finishing the first complete block so I can see whether it fits my vision of what it was supposed to look like. I also love draping the finished quilt over the LR couch and admiring my finished work. I enjoy the piecing but don't really like sewing the finished blocks together. I also don't like measuring and cutting fabric for borders because it has to be just the right length.
msmeow
12 years ago
I think cutting is my LEAST favorite part! LOL Depending on the project, sometimes I cut, cut, cut till I'm done and other times I cut some then sew some.

I love all the rest of the process, including sewing binding. I guess my favorite part is picking a pattern and fabrics...the thrill of starting a new project!

Donna
hallngarden
12 years ago
Love reading the post, guess my very favorite is choosing the fabrics. I spend many hours feeling the fabric, and looking at the combinations. Just started a new quilt this week, after several years of not quilting. Didn't realize how very much I love quilting until I started this project. I love watching the excitement of a child looking at our blocks we are making. She is only three but she is right there helping me and the memories we are making brings a smile to my face when I look at the blocks. My quilting days go back to when I was a child and Aunt Maggie letting me help quilt. I'm sure some of my stitches were not perfect, but those little ladies made me feel so special as they let me work on their projects. I love everything about the whole process. I admit that I sometimes want to rush when I get to the end, but have learned that is no time to rush , that has caused me some mistakes.
User
12 years ago
I think my favorite part is visualizing something in my head and then trying to find just the right fabrics to make it happen. When I do find that exact fit, it's almost as though I'm done with it. So, I have about 6 baskets/bins of projects ahead of me. And instead of working on them, I spend a lot of time and get so much pleasure just from looking at the color combinations and imagining everything all put together. It takes forever to actually start. So I guess I enjoy shopping for and staring at my fabric the most.
teresa_nc7
12 years ago
I love the planning stages, looking for the pattern or design I want to use, picking out fabrics (either buying or combing through my stash), and deciding on the size, borders, backing, and binding.

The cutting out????....hmmmm.....not so much! So I tend to cut as I go, cutting enough for only a few blocks.

What I enjoy the most is piecing blocks. I just love to see the seams match up and the block pieces go together just so. I love to put the blocks up on my design wall as I make them, that way I can see if I need to add or dilute any one color. If I cut out all the blocks at once, I'm afraid I would end up wasting blocks that didn't fit in.

I do my own quilting most of the time, but the quilting is not my favorite thing to do. I usually end up with back and shoulder strain.

And I love to sew my bindings on by hand!

But you know what? When you are sewing with friends, none of the tedious parts of quilting seem so bad!

Teresa
Carol_from_ny
12 years ago
I think I enjoy assembling the top the best. I'm not thrilled about all the cutting, I'd prefer to spend my time stitching and seeing the design take shape which might be why I have so many quilt tops that haven't been finished into quilts as yet.
jennifer_in_va
12 years ago
This makes me wonder if different personalities consistently like the same steps of the process. Interesting to contemplate!

I like the fabric/color selection process the most..guess because it comes easily for me.

I also like the mathematical steps of figuring yardage and cutting. (I cut everything at once)

There's not much I don't like about quilting because it's all part of the quilt. And quilting is what I love to do!
User
12 years ago
I like the planning and LOVE the preparation.

My very, most favorite part is handling the fabric after it's washed but before it's cut. I love smoothing it out on the ironing board and pressing out the wrinkles. Then I love running my hands over the smooth warm surface.

In general, I like to fix things, make them better.

Paging Dr. Freud, paging Dr. Freud
nanajayne
12 years ago
I like most everything about the process of quilting but I believe my most satisfaction comes when I see that what was put together "works". My cutting was ok, the 1/4" was correct and the colors fit.
I like trying new techniques and patterns.
The thing I like the least is sandwiching the things together. I don't have a good setup to do it the why I would like. I enjoy hand quilting/binding but it is time comsuming so alternatives have to be used sometimes.
I guess what I enjoy most is giveing them away and knowing someone appreciates them.
Jayne
magothyrivergirl
12 years ago
I enjoy any time I can sew --almost anything, but I especially love this world of quilting and the freedom it offers to create and express and do my own thing.
I especially like trying new techniques.

I dislike (or get bored) making the same block over & over.

I need more time to sew.
User
12 years ago
I enjoy picking out the fabrics at the start of the project. And then my favorite part is hand stitching all the layers of the quilt together. The repetition of rocking the needle is very relaxing for me.

Best to you,
Sandra

What do you enjoy most about making a quilt?

Comments (15)

mary_c_gw

toolgranny

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