Hi , 

Do you have favorite quilting habits? Habits are routines we run through so often and so easily we don't have to think about it. Brushing your teeth? Putting on shoes? The order you apply makeup? All of these activities are habits because we just do them so often we don't have to think about it.

In quilting I've developed a lot of habits over the years like:

• Quilting this simple design on any new machine just to check in on the stitches.
• Washing fabric the second it comes in the house so I'm sure it's color safe and will play nicely with my other fabrics.
• Finishing the edges of a quilt with a victory lap before binding to make the binding process easier.

All of these methods involve a lot of steps, but I don't have to think about any of them anymore because they are all part of my quilting habits. 

But my very favorite patchwork piecing habit is the simplest...PRESSING!

I press after every seam I stitch. If I'm chain piecing, I'll take the whole chain to my pressing board and press them all one by one. But right next to my sewing machine I keep a pressing board so I can finger press, then press with a hot, dry iron. See how this works in this short video:

I bought the leaf quilt top on Ebay and it was clearly a learning quilt for a new quilter. There are a few blocks with beautiful pressed seams and nicely matching seamlines. 

But a few blocks had so many pleating challenges, the fabric just won't lay flat. The main difference between the flat blocks and the D-Cups? Pressing!

Keep reading to learn how to build a firm pressing board that will fit nicely next to your sewing machine and help you build this habit of pressing between seams.

Only Two More Days to Save Big on X Elite Longarms

Grace Company is offering a great sale on their X Elite model of longarms, featuring the Qnique 16X Elite, 19X Elite, and the big daddy 21X Elite.

Save up to $1450 starting with the baseline Elite model, the Qnique 16X Elite which boasts 16 inches of quilting space and is perfect for a longarm beginner.

Click Here to check out the Qnique X Elite series.

Additionally, you'll receive a nice accessory bundle included with purchase of any Qnique longarm machine:

This accessory kit includes over $1300 of quilting tools and accessories:

• Luminess Light Bar (small for Hoop Frames, Large (10-foot) size for rolling rail frames)
• 2 packs of 2-inch Mini Quilt Clips
• Ultimate Cutting Collection - this kit includes a 45mm Comfort Cutter, 5-pack of 45mm Blades, 24 x 36” Cutting Mat, 24 x 36” Non-Slip Pad, 360 Circle Cutter, Equilateral Triangle Ruler, Right Angle Triangle Ruler, Kite Triangle Ruler, 3 x 18” Ruler, 6½ x 24½” Ruler, 6½ x 12½” Ruler, 6½” Square Ruler, 9½” Square Ruler, 12½” Square Ruler, TrueGrips x5
• 2 packs of Circle Cutter Blades
• TrueSharp 2 Power Blade Sharpener
• Linear Blade Sharpener
• 4 additional packs of TrueGrips

Grace Company will definitely help you piece and quilt your quilts this holiday season! Click Here to check out the Qnique X Elite series.

Build a Pressing Board to Fit Your Sewing Table

If you'd like to build the habit of piecing after each seam you stitch, all you need is a firm pressing board set up conveniently next to your sewing machine. Yes, you could try hunting down the right sized board, but why not build one yourself and ensure it's firm and exactly the shape you need?

See how to build a firm pressing board in this tutorial:

Would you prefer to read the instructions? Click Here to find our written Pressing Board Tutorial

That's it for this week, . Do you struggle with consistent seams or just hate the process? I wrote a book on patchwork piecing a few years ago that explains quilt-math, how to increase the odds of your seams matching, and how to build lots of good patchwork piecing habits. You'll also find a few different baby quilt patterns like this Drunkard's Path Block quilt:

Click Here to find the ebook How to Piece Perfect Quilts.  This is the download edition which is perfect if you're outside of the US or just want the book immediately. 

We are currently only down to one physical book on the shelf, but we do have the book available here on Amazon too.

Let's go quilt,
 

Leah Day