I don’t think I’ve used pins for patchwork since my very first hand-stitched sampler.

Taking the time to pin does slow me down. Chain piecing, pressing to the dark side and nestling those folds really felt like I didn’t need to pin. Whizzing through and lowering my expectations for precision piecing may have caused my pile of blocks to grow but the blunted points and mismatched seams on my quilt tops really does annoy me.

This year I am going to slow down.

Not only does that mean that my sewing machine speed is slower, but also that I’m taking the time to:

• measure twice and cut once

• pin pieces in as many places as I need to keep my fabric stable

• read the entire pattern before starting

• cut all the fabric before starting

What, you ask, did you used to do that these rules are in place for 2020? I used to:

• make mistakes cutting (because…)

• I didn’t read the pattern properly

• cut as I go

• feel seams at the machine and hope they were close enough

• have my sewing peddle to the metal

The process of making a quilt is so lovely and something to be savoured. While this also means fewer quilts made in a year - it might actually mean that some quilts get finished - which for me, would be a novel idea.

So here’s to a whole year of smelling the quilting roses while using pins to sharpen my points and seams.

Visit cottonandbourbon.com to learn lots of other really wonderful information to improve your quilting.

Photo of pin cushion by Lisa Woakes on Unsplash.