5 lessons from the second quilt

For the second quilt I ever made, I knew I wanted to make one for my bestie to celebrate her 30th birthday. It was my first attempt in following a pattern when making a quilt and in trying more fancy top stitching. Here's my 5 biggest takeaways from this quilt:

1. Pick A Pattern Within Your Comfort Level

The first quilt I made was comprised of just all triangles, so I felt relatively safe with cutting and sewing triangles. This time, I wanted to up the skill level and follow a pattern and I have always admired quilts by Suzy Quilts. I especially liked the bold geometry in her designs so I bought this Nordic Triangles Pattern off of her site.

2. An Updated Machine Makes a World of Difference.

I had my sewing machine for about 15 years. It was a gift from my grandma one Christmas once upon a time long ago. While it held up over time, it was clear that it was lagging quite a bit. Once I updated the machine I was able to go a lot faster and it didn't pull the fabric around as much.

3. Keep Extra Needles on Hand

I broke 3 needles within the first week of using the new machine. I was probably using the wrong style of needle, I didn't investigate too deep on my shortcomings here. It was terrifying to have a needle snap off while using the machine, but I eventually figured it out.

4. Thread Matters!

Few things are as annoying when making a quilt as the thread snapping in half. This happened a lot, UNTIL I realized I had access to better thread. Thread should be of consistent thickness- the original one had a tendency to clump and get caught in the eye of the needle.

5. Double Check Before Assembly

I made a few mistakes with the pattern assembly and I didn't catch it until I put the border on, which was far too late to correct it. I had two of the pink triangles attached at the wrong angle. If I were to do it again I would take a photo and review it before sewing the pieces together and then check it all again before putting the border on.

This quilt was more rewarding to make in the end because I feel like I learned more from trying to follow a pattern and I added a lot more stitching on the top. Also, my bestie's reaction to it made it all worth it.