Before I go on any rants, I should explain how I make my quilts.
I wrote a computer program in Excel to generate the quilt patterns. It takes 3D shapes, rotates them, calculates the shading, and breaks them out into patterns. I should also confess that I have no life and enjoy math a bit more than I should.
I then stiffen fabric with freezer paper, and print the pattern onto the fabric using my inkjet printer. I cut the pieces out, and sew them together using a combination of machine and hand piecing depending on my travel schedule, the difficulty of the pattern, and what kind of mood I'm in.
I always quilt by machine. I can't make a quilter's knot, no matter how hard I try.
Some Notes on Patterns
I spend a lot of time thinking about the best way to generate a pattern (note that I have never claimed to have a life...). This is the system that I have come up with:the bias: I have read a lot of opinions about how to deal with the bias of the fabric, and the conclusion seems to be "don't". Obviously that doesn't actually work. Hence, I rotate my pieces so that the longest side is along the grain.
cross-hairs: I don't know if I can call my corners cross-hairs. I mark the corners and the mid-point of every side with a line that is perpendicular to its side. That makes it easier to check that the sides line up properly.
sewing lines: I like sewing lines. I think mine are a bit thick as it stands, and I am testing out how thin I can make them before I miss them...
numbering: The piece number is repeated in each corner. The neighbouring piece is indicated on the mid-point line. This system makes it really easy to put everything together. I can't bring myself to use any other system any more.
Admittedly, my algorithm for finding adjacent pieces still has a couple of bugs, so sometimes it doesn't find the neighbours. Work is ongoing.
corners: Obviously, my pieces are irregular sizes. Sometimes I end up with sharp corners. They can be really annoying when adding 1/4" edge, so I cut them off.
wasted fabric: it happens. I am never going to be as efficient as Linda Franz, due to the nature of the shapes I make.
wasted ink: considering all the money I spend on fabric, gadgets, books, etc, I refuse to worry about spending some money on inkjet ink. That said, I get my cartridges refilled, which saves a lot of money.
Soon I will get together a pattern that I am brave enough to share.
Kirsten
