Lessons Learned in Year One - Sewing Tips

As I mentioned in one of my first posts, I have been sewing since I was a youngster, but until recently just clothing and home dec. projects.  In my first year quilting I have learned some valuable sewing lessons that cause me to slap my forehead with the palm of my hand and exclaim "DUH."  For example:

1.  Never, ever complain about how narrow a 5/8" or 1/2" seam allowance is.
Right?  I used to fuss about the difficulty of sewing a precise "little" 5/8" seam.  Yikes!  I got over this on my first quilt where I pieced about 1,000 pieces while estimating a 1/4" seam allowance!

2.  Seam ripping in one-third the time
Somewhere in this wonderful quilting blog world, I found a tutorial on how to rip out a seam.  I thought: "Really, there is more than one way?"

Yes, there is!!  Instead of taking out each stitch one by one, I now cut every third or fourth stitch on one side and pull the thread off on the other side, easy peasy.

3.  Perpendicular Pinning
I have always been a "parallel to the seam" pinner.

No more!  This perpendicular pinning is so much easier for keeping the pins in until the last minute and quickly sliding them out.

And these are just a few of the little gems I have learned in Year One.