Sewing Lessons Week 6

Sorry I haven't done one of these in awhile! I canceled my lesson the first week of July because I wasn't quite ready to start my new project. (Last week I just forgot to post...sorry!) My husband and I went to visit his parents over the 4th of July weekend and while I was there I went to their neighbor's house for a little lesson on my sewing machine. She's a Bernina dealer and she's actually the one I got my machine through. I have a little Bernette machine. She showed me all the ins and outs of it and I was surprised to learn it could do so much!
Last week I started my new project! I'm making a table runner quilt and I am so excited! It's coming along quite well and I love how the colors are coming together. I'm hoping to finish in another two weeks (crossing fingers!) but it may take me 3 or 4 more.

Here are some things I have learned in the last few weeks:

1. Whenever you get a new sewing machine take a class on it or find someone who can teach you the specifics of your machine! I learned all about the different stitches I can do, different feet I can attach for different things, how to keep it clean and running smoothly, etc.
2. I love rotary cutters! I'm awful at cutting straight (did I miss a lesson in kindergarten or something? Because I really am so bad!) so rotary cutters are my life saver!
3. When picking out fabric for a quilt find some fabric you like to build off of. A good starting fabric should have 3 colors in it. Then find some fabric that matches one of those colors but for extra flair look for pieces that match the accent colors, not the main one.
3. When laying out your fabric for a quilt there's really not too much rhyme or reason as to which should go where. If you're making hourglass squares (a square made of 4 triangles) you do want to try and match lights with darks, but other than that if you think it looks good, then go with it :)

That's about it :) I'll keep you posted about my progress with this table runner. I got the pattern online at FatQuarterShop.com