 Home » Books & Patterns » Patchwork » Mastering Precision Piecing: 7 Spectacular Quilts with Techniques for Success |
Sally shows you how to bring accuracy to every step: pinning, cutting, sewing, and pressing. Seven pieced projects range from a miniature quilt to a large wallhanging. The projects use intermediate to advanced skills; two include appliqué.
- The must-have book to take your quilting to the expert level
- 7 new projects
- Tips to improve your skills at every step of the quilting process
- Learn to create the perfect 1/4" seam, sew straight, and chain piece for efficiency
- Hundreds of illustrations and photos for clear direction
- Use color like Sally for exquisite results
I took my first quiltmaking class in 1978, and after being required to take a prerequisite class (I had never sewn before), I made my first real quilt. It was a queen-size sampler and I was so proud and excited I could barely contain myself.
Early in my quiltmaking journey I can remember taking as many classes as I could and making as many quilts as I could. I wanted to make them all. It didn't take long for me to realize that in my enthusiasm to create the projects, the process (how I was making them) fell through the cracks. I began to notice all the discrepancies, errors, and mistakes in my work. I began to feel disappointed in the results after investing so much time, effort, and expense.So, I decided to commit myself to improving my workmanship through careful examination of how I was accomplishing the fundamental technical tasks of making a quilt. I detached myself from the outcome and focused on the process. I learned that mistakes are stepping-stones to improvement and success. I learned that good sewing has less to do with sewing perfectly than with knowing how to solve problems and how to get out of trouble. I learned to carefully examine my own work, identify common mistakes, determine why they occurred, and develop solutions to correct them - and now I'm sharing those solutions with everyone who reads this book.
The art of quiltmaking can be divided into three major components: design, color, and workmanship. Each has its own process. When I make quilts I start with design and color. I initially choose my design by sketching - using an existing design, graphing out my own, or combining the two. Then I choose my colors and fabrics. At this point I begin working with instant-camera photos, mirrors, and mock-ups to "see" the design and create a map or plan. I have an overall conceptual picture of the quilt in my head, but I specifically compose it in stages, always remaining open and flexible to change in order to create the best possible quilt.
Once I see my quilt emerge through this process, I begin to cut and sew. I separate design and color from workmanship because this approach enables me to design and color freely without being encumbered by thinking about how I will sew it all together. Working this way also allows for serendipity to occur. My attitude is that I will get it sewn somehow.
As a traditional quiltmaker, my technical skills have always been the primary focus of my attention. As I have become more confident in and comfortable with those skills, I have come to understand that there is much more to quiltmaking than techniques and sewing.
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