Craft: & Make:

Wow a couple of new cool blog/zines things taking about scrap quilts and making stuff. Lots of great crafty tips.

The article that hooked me in is about recycling plastic bags into new objects. They show how to *iron*, yes, iron them together into a thicker material and sew them up. Haven't found the You-Tube on their site but did find it on Whip Up while they demonstrate how to make a messenger bag.

Of course my mind is ticking away thinking, can I put this in a quilt, how can I use this for the stuff I make? I guess it depends on how interesting the ironed pieces of plastic are once I makes.

Make:
Craft:

I think they are related ...anyway, check out their goodies! I sure am

My Weekend Projects 09-23

I cut out and started sewing a new pajama top out of some fun flannel that I bought last spring. Oh, yes, I will be wearing it at retreat in November, 'cus how can I resist such a fun print?

I really liked the bag purse pattern that Joyce has been making so I downloaded the tutorial from Welsh Quilter (her postings are from June 2007) and gave it a go. It is all scraps from my current quilt project (no, not done yet) and I love the fabric. I think the purse is a bit big and am thinking of modifying it and making another one that is more shallow. I do like how the prints work together. It was a fun and easy tutorial to follow and make.

I used a bead I had laying around and the grosgrain ribbon (also laying around) to make a closure.


added in the afternoon:
And it is done and ready for this winter!

Great Crafting Projects

Oh! I don't know when I will ever do any of these but they are just so cool, and there are scadz of links on today's post!

.... so cool.....

Whip Up

My silly quiz

I haven't done one of these in months, this one was fun.

You Are Midnight

You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits. Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle. Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it. You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.

What Time Of Day Are You?

WIP Weekend 9-16

Whew! I did a lot this weekend, including sewing! I really like when I have good energy!

Have I slobbered on enough about Superior Threads Master Piece thread yet? I've been using one spool so far, it is the 600 yard, 50 weight one. I pieced the entire quilt Amy Butler & Friends Modern Quilt including the back (granted the back was only one seam, but hey...). I only needed to fill two bobbins for that one.

And now I am piecing the next one! I love it! That spool is still going strong. I've filled one bobbin and what is left on the spool should finish it off. I have no idea how much I will be able to sew with what I have left.

I am a convert to Master Piece Thread! Wow!

....uhm, about the King Tut quilting thread. Honestly, other than the color being perfect for my quilt I couldn't tell a difference on that one compared to my other quilting threads. Though I do believe that the long staple will reduce the amount of lint. It might also make the quilt stronger. For now I will most likely buy it again only if it is a color I need to complete a quilt top. The other thread I've been using is Coats & Clark mercerized cotton 50 weight 1200 yards, also known as Star Machine Quilting & Craft. And Mettler 40 weight on rare occasions.

This is the pattern I created:

And the results so far:
(I am feeling so smart, because I am using up the fabric left over from the other quilt! So far the green flowers and the purple fruit are all gone)

Design*Sponge

Not exactly quilty, but sure is mighty inspiring! I want my world to look like this web site (and by saying that I am admiting that is doesn't, not even close) The colors, the patterns, oh my! ...my pitter patting heart!
Design*Sponge

Whip Up Dot Net

Cherry House steered me to this great site about all things hand crafted. They talk about business, books, and general craftiness! Check it out.... I know I will be reading that one a lot!
Whip Up

.

Never Forget....

I remember waking up early that day. I sometimes do, just as I am awake early today. My brain was working over on things and events in my life. I wasn't working then and was worried about my job search. I really wanted to continue with my career path but didn't know if I was doing all I could. I was living in Northern California then and got up, made coffee, and switched on the TV....

You know the rest....



I made this quilt in the weeks after 9/11 and still don't fully understand it. I still feel the emotions I felt then when ever I pull it out. It was made purely with my emotion and the image of the wreakage burned into my mind. I really am not sure what I meant by America Awakening. Maybe it was me waking up that day just as some many others did to a regular day, that never was. Or waking up to the realization that there are people that hate us so much that this is the horror they would sink to. And the flowers I think were the hopes that I had that would rise out of the ashes of so much pain. It was all so unthinkable, and unreal. It still is.

I am so grateful nothing like this has happened again. I would like to believe it is because our military and governement is doing what they promised to do and are keeping us safe. I would like to be safe enough that I can continue on with my little life as it is, such as it is.

BTW, the date falls on a Tuesday this year...

Peace to all...

TOPIC: What Tools & Materials work for your Quilting?

- When it comes time to quilt your top, what to you do?
- What have been some your solutions and discoveries?
- What wouldn't you do or use again?

Tamera had this great question for me, so great that I thought I would also share my answer here.

When it is time for me to quilt my tops I have really evolved over the years. My first ones were hand quilted because I didn't trust the old machine that I had. Then I got my current machine, nothing glamorous, a Singer "FM-22 C" (it was sold as "student" model for fashions students so it built very durible, perfect for me since I am so hard on things)

Boy, have I put some miles on that baby....


I use a mini-sandwich made with some extra fabric and batting for my stitch tester and warm up (think of it as doing stretches before playing sports). 40 weight quilting thread is a good place to start. My machine will skip stitches if I use to fine a needle so I have to use a 100 heavy duty. But, I usually piece with a 90 or 80 sharp. I have had to try out different needles and fiddle with my tension too. Again, it depends on the thread and material. I am a huge Mettler cotton thread fan (Google it for mutiple links to web sites), but have now just discovered King Tut cotton quilting thread (by Superior Threads). I am currently quilting my first quilt with it. I used Master Piece by the same company and luuuuved it! I will have to get back to you on what I think of the King Tut.

Although I will use my walking foot for quilting straight lines, free-motion quilting is my current quilting drug (other than fabric). If you want to try out free motion quilting you need to figure out how to drop the feed dogs on your machine. My machine uses a little plate that covers the feed dogs. It takes some practice getting your stitches even (which is where the mini sandwich comes in handy) but once you do, I am telling you that you won't be able to get enough. Meander is my standby and I use it for just about everything.

There all kinds of methods and gizmos you can use to help you, but my current favorite aid is the Machingers gloves. They have grippie finger tips that help to push the quilt around under the needle. (again, please Google the products I mentioned, many do not have specific sites)


The only specific thing I can think about with batting is stay away from high loft batting when machine quilting. I've never been able to quilt with it without it pinching the backing and generally being too fluffy to sew with.

Oh! I baste all my tops by hand. I've had bad luck with safety pins ripping my fabric and am not sure I want to risk using the spray stick. It only takes me a couple of hours for a double or queen size.

I'm pretty easy going about my materials and methods, and am always open to trying new techniques. If there were actual Quilt Police then I would be on America's Most Wanted Quilt Rule Offender. But, I am learning better and better techniques as I go along.

So... what are your quilting stories. How do you get through that necessary step to completing your quilt? I would love to hear your ideas.