Piecing Efficiency | Episode 92

In this episode, The Opinionated Quilter shows different ways of piecing efficiency. Also she demonstrates how to hem with a mitered corner.

[@rosiewesterhold9340]

When I machine-quilted on my DSM, I NEVER closed my pins when I took them out. I had a friend borrow lots of my safety pins so she could machine-quilt something. She CLOSED all of my pins when she returned them😱😱!! I made her open them all before she left. She did NOT get it🙄🙄. I about efficiency, too. Some small changes really help you get a little bit more done every time you sit down to stitch👍.

[@beverlyjames2850]

I was always getting pieces turned wrong until I made design boards. A big help keeping me organized. Love all your helpful tips.

[@terryannglandon3853]

I've made the mitered corners on napkins before. Your method is so much simpler! Thanks.

[@abeullah03]

Another great tutorial. Always look forward to seeing you on Mondays

[@jpendot]

Thank you , I hadn’t thought of doing it wider!

[@bethkoch11]

Organization is so important. Especially if I have a couple of projects going at the same time, I can really get in a mess if I don't keep things organized.

[@yvonnephillips4680]

Thanks Maureen, I too leave my pins open. I lay my blocks out next to my machine. Too many times they have magically turned even from there to being stitched. Piecing is one of my favourite parts of quilting. ❤️🇭🇲

[@franpatzcraig6713]

I made napkins recently with similar mitered corners to yours, but I trimmed a bit off the corners from outer fold line to outer fold line to reduce bulk.

[@GeminiPeg]

Thank you, I love efficient piecing. Also, I struggled with the self-binding corners just recently and you made it look so simple!😉

[@ccreel64]

Thank you Maureen! I never considered not closing my safety pins. It’s a tiny thing, but so smart! ❤ Efficiency is my mantra too!

[@suesweeney5952]

Love the mitered corner tip. And consistency is the key to effective piecing. Love it.

[@michele6708]

I use a variation of your second method. I lay out a block on a design board and then stack the blocks that are the same block design. If there are a lot of subunits I usually piece them first using a version of your first method, then when I have the subunits pieced, I lay them out in blocks on a design board. I chain piece all of the first two upper left units and press, keeping them in the starting order, then the next two units and so on. The only thing I have to pay attention to, if the blocks aren’t all the same fabrics in the same places, is keeping the units in order when I press. Because I press from the bottom of the piece, I simply stack them upside down rather than flipping them back over, which keeps the stack from being in reverse order from where I started. I never lose my place and virtually never get a piece turned using this efficient batch method and it only takes up the space of a design board. (If there are multiple block patterns in the quilt, I just stack boards.) This is super efficient and works with my brain, because I do all of one thing before moving on to the next.

[@dcatweaver]

I like your method of stacking right to left and stack. I'm doing a 16 square block. This helps a lot.

[@tinaross6009]

Thanks for sharing. I like the way you are organized before you go to the sewing machine.

[@C123abc]

Thank you. Can't believe I never knew how to do this mitered corner! I do need to be more efficient and am always working at ways to do so. Thanks!

[@valeriebigley8759]

Lol. I use old envelopes for notes too.❤

[@koalasez1200]

This is great for napkins…I learned that method from Zazu Stitch Art a few years back 😊