Quilting Tip of the Month
As you can see by the photo I attached to this post, I'm wishing for spring here in north Iowa. It seems like it's taking a long time for it to get here. It's going to be May 1st in a few days and it's 46 degrees and raining! Oh well. More time for sewing. 
Quilting Tip of the Month
The best quilting tip I think I can share is using an accurate 1/4" seam allowance when piecing a quilt block and assembling a quilt. Unless otherwise mentioned, most patterns require a 1/4" seam allowance when piecing. If your seams are off even by a fraction of that, the error will become magnified by the time you complete your block and it will not measure the size it should be.
To make sure you are sewing with an accurate 1/4" seam, get some scrap fabric and do a test seam. Measure the seam. If it measure 1/4", good job! If not, you can create a guidline on your machine throatplate (if it doesn't have one already) by placing a fabric tape measure on the bed of the machine with the "0" line at the point where your needle comes down. Stick a piece of masking tape to the throat plate under the tape measure at the 1/4" mark. When piecing, you will line up the raw edges of your fabric with the tape line. Measure the resulting test seam to make sure it is 1/4".
Many machines come with a 1/4" sewing foot (or you can purchase one) and other machines have adjustable needle positions. Check your owners manual to see if you have this option for your machine.
Okay...now that you have that accurate seam allowance down...Let's get sewing!
