My Call to “Duty”
One of the things I love about my job as a quilt magazine editor is that I feel it’s my ”duty” to quilt. After all, I have to stay up on the latest techniques, tools, and fabrics so that I can share them with you readers, right? Trust me, it’s a real hardship.
I was sewing some blocks over the weekend and started thinking about my strategy for piecing. I love putting finished blocks up on my design wall so I can watch the quilt come together—it’s such a satisfying feeling!But, I know it’s more efficient to make blocks assembly-line style using chain piecing techniques, leaving me with little piles of finished units, like the ones shown here.
I usually end up somewhere in the middle. I’ll make a block or two first to be sure I’m doing everything correctly, then I’ll make eight or ten blocks assembly-line style, and then I’ll make a few more blocks from start to finish. Those last couple blocks are usually to finish out a row. It may seem silly, but if I’m lining up finished blocks in a layout design on the wall, I can’t stop until I’ve got a full row. It may be 2 a.m. and I know I have to get up at 6:30, but I just have to finish that row. Does anybody else feel that way?
What piecing strategy works for you and why?
About the Author: Lisa Swenson Ruble
I made my first quilt when I graduated from college and realized that I needed a hobby to fill all those hours that used to be dedicated to homework! Eleven years later, I'm completely addicted to quilting and thrilled that my day job as the managing editor for Quilt, Simple Quilts & Sewing and Quilt Almanac allows me to "play" with quilts and the friendly world of quilters!
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