5/8/14

Bring on the Year

All the May birthdays are over for another year, and we can all get on with being another year older. Yesterday I spent a good part of the day preparing Mike's birthday dinner, including these little Apricot Cherry Upside-down Mini Cakes. So yummy. There are two more for us to eat tonight.


In between everything else, I've been plugging away quilting the blocks for the We are the World quilt. Just before sitting down here, I finished pulling off the little bits of paper for the sixth block. The two middle rows are quilted now. This is going much faster than I thought when I first started. I think next...just for some change...I'll quilt the sashings and cornerstones above, below, and in the middle of the quilted blocks. After that, I'll finish up the remaining blocks in the top and bottom rows. I wonder if it's overly optimistic to hope I'll have it all quilted by the end of the day on Sunday.


No matter how careful or precise I am, I still end up with the tiniest bits of paper stuck to the block. That coupled with muddy Smitty footprints means that I'll need to wash this quilt before I can give it to its intended recipient. Since it's going to a child, that's probably a good idea anyway, but I'm always apprehensive that something will happen to it. I guess if something's going to happen to it, it would be better to know it before giving it away. 

Also today, I spent some time making a label for the Intel Underneath quilt. Since this is a graduation quilt, I chose this mortarboard from a quilt label database I have and added the wording to it. I have grown so frustrated with the difficulty pulling the paper backing from the Printed Treasures product I've always used for quilt labels. Today, my frustration reached the breaking point. I've always doused my labels in lighter fluid to pull them free of the paper and then, I have to rinse them with water to get rid of the lighter fluid. It's always worked fine until today when the ink decided to run near the tassel. Why today and never before? Nothing has changed. And why only near the tassel and nowhere else? 


So that was clearly ruined. It worked out okay, however, because it gave me a chance to try a new-to-me technique of printing on fabric using freezer paper. I cut a piece of white fabric to 8 1/2 x 11 inches (the size of a standard sheet of computer paper), and then cut a sheet of freezer paper the same size. Then I ironed the freezer paper to the back of the fabric sheet, and then I ran it through my inkjet printer just like a sheet of paper. I'll admit to holding my breath, hoping it wasn't going to ruin my printer. It turned out great!


The Kona solid white fabric is a lot nicer than the crappy fabric used by Printed Treasures. I'm happy to say that I've fought with Printed Treasures for the last time.

And since I've finished the hand-sewing for the binding on Intel Underneath, I was able to get started on my Retro Camper stitchery.


And that's all I've done for the past two days.

Just now Mike called to say he's on his way home. Guess I'd better get dinner started. It was a rainy, nasty day here. I hope things were nicer at your end.

13 comments:

Vroomans' Quilts said...

I don't think I would use anything I had to use lighter fluid with - that's a little scarey. I've used the freezer paper method with success. I do love the retro camper.

Christine M said...

Those little cakes look yummy, Barbara. I love your caravan!

Marei said...

Will you PLEASE stop showing pictures of yummy, delicious, desserts that you aren't sharing? I've found that licking the computer screen is not really the 'smart' thing to do..... LOVE your satin stitch on the retro camper. You're doing a beautiful job. And what's better on a college graduation label than Dr. Seuss? Nothing......

ipatchandquilt said...

Goodmorning Barbara,
Oh my those cakes are just too good to look at... And I have not had my breakfast yet! :-) The camper is super cute!!!
Esther

ipatchandquilt said...

Goodmorning Barbara,
Oh my those cakes are just too good to look at... And I have not had my breakfast yet! :-) The camper is super cute!!!
Esther

Dana Gaffney said...

Lighter fluid? Just thinking about that scares me, I would have burned the house down by now, I'm so glad the other method worked.

Diane Wild said...

Never heard of using lighter fluid. Yikes, the very thought spells disaster. The freezer paper technique is safer. Like you, I envisioned the paper and/or fabric getting jammed in the printer but it works beautifully. Sew on.

Anonymous said...

That freezer paper method is the way I do my labels. A helpful hint....after cutting the fused fabric/paper to the correct size (yes, I fuse a larger than needed piece of fabric to a larger than needed freezer paper sheet), I snip the corners of the leading/pick-up edge to prevent the chance that the printer would snag or separate the fabric/paper and jam. No jams since I started doing this. I cut several printer sized sheets at one time for future use and store them in a vinyl sleeve in a loose-leaf ring binder. Handy to have ready!!!!!

Brown Family said...

I have never heard of using lighter fluid to get the paper off. It has always come off for me.

We had wonderful hard rain most of yesterday. Since we are in a severe drought, we all wanted to go play in the rain!

Lee said...

Sometimes I just see the picture and miss the words - my wondering eyes and mind were saying "how do bake eggs and grapes into a muffin?". Then I decided I'd better see if there was something written above the photo! Sure glad there was, lol!

Junebug613 said...

Wow, Lighter fluid? Really.... Never heard of that before. I'm glad your freezer paper technique worked out! The camper is going to be fabulous!!!

quiltzyx said...

There you go, making my mouth water again. sigh.

I haven't used a lot of the printable fabric, but what I have used there was no problem peeling the paper off. Hmmm. Never would have thought to try lighter fluid! Glad that's over with! I have used the freezer paper trick though - much better!

Looking forward to seeing more of the vintage trailer too. :)

Kate said...

I always use Electric Quilt printable fabric for my labels and it works great. Though I'll store the freezer paper method away for reference.