Dish It Out

In a beginner quilting class, one of the best tips I got was to use paper plates to keep fabrics separate for cutting. Before I start, I put each fabric color on a plate along with a sticky-note label that specifies what will be cut out. Then I stack the plates in the order the directions say to cut the fabrics. Once I've made the cuts for one plate's fabric, I put the cut pieces back on the plate and move that plate to the bottom of the stack. When I'm done cutting all the fabrics, I can lay out the plates and pick up whatever pieces I need to start sewing my blocks. If I'm interrupted in the middle of cutting or sewing, the plates mean everything stays organized. I simply stack them up and secure them with a large rubber band.

-Marilynn Armao

Almond, Wisconsin

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