Tips to Share From a Half Square Triangle Project

If you're a beginner, take them seriously. I did not for a long time; I'm a slow learner. Now I know, and I will no longer try to take shortcuts! Instead, I will do things methodically and correctly!

Label the fabric pieces according to the directions! "Or don't, I'm sure you can remember what goes where" - said no serious quilter ever.

Organize the parts and pieces as you construct the quilt!

If you're going to pin, place the pins perpendicular to the edge!

I used to think paralell was better, (when I bothered to use pins, that is), because you don't have to worry about running over a pin as you're sewing. Now I place my pins perpendicular to the edge. I think it holds the fabrics in place better.

Also for accurate quarter inch seams, use a seam guide such as the one pictured. It's by Sew Very Smooth.

One more tip I want to add, although there's no picture, is this. You may have noticed in the video that I didn't use a leader before sewing the diagonal lines, and the machine took that corner very easily - no jamming! Why did t at happen? Well, I h d to get my book out during the sewing of this quilt because my sewing machine was making some terrible noises - high-pitched screeching noises. I got the book out to see how to oil it. I found n thing about oiling it, but under troubleshooting, there was a part that began with the heading: Machine is Noisy. That seemed like a good thing to check to see if it would apply to me, and it did. It was all about taking off the plate and using a brush to get out any lint that was building up. This was definitely the cause of my trouble, and after picking out the lint, which was pretty packed in there, it no longer grabbed my fabric when piecing, and the horrendous squeak was gone! It said do this once a month! When did you last take the plate off and look in there? You might want to do it even if it's not to the point of making noise.