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It was a hot day here yesterday.
I already know how I want to quilt it...I just hope all those seams don't give me trouble. Time will tell, and if it works out the way I want, I'll have to give Big Bertha extra treats at the end of the day.
Oh yes, and I almost forgot. It's time again to link up to:
You can see the original post right here.
So that's it from me today. Getting my toesies done today, so I'd better get a move-on.
The weather was predicted to be hot, and I've heard temperatures as high as 99°F. in the valley. That would make sense because it's always about ten degrees cooler here on our ridge. In any case, it was hot, and I turned on the A/C around 1:00 p.m. when the temperature in the house was up to 77°F. We don't often use our A/C, but it sure is nice to have. Our bedroom is on the upper floor where it gets the hottest in the house, and so I turned it on early to keep things cool in the bedroom.
Of course, that meant the basement (where my sewing room is) started feeling like a refrigerator fairly early on too. We always close off the vents in the basement in summer so that we don't have to keep coats at the top of the stairs, but a taller person than I needed to be here to do that. (I don't climb up on chairs when I don't have to...which is to say that I don't do it except to take pictures of quilts I've just finished.) Yesterday, I put the final finishes on the "We are the World" quilt, which meant quilting the section of sashing that I missed (doh!), and making a label.
It's not the best label I've ever made, but I'm hoping Frankie won't care. I wish I could find a marker that would write on fabric a little easier. This one was from a book of iron-on labels I have. I used my Sharpie oil pens to color in the rainbow and then I switched to Pigma Micron pens to do the rest. I'm just not so happy with the printing, but oh well. It'll probably fade out in the wash soon enough. Anyway...done. I'm going to hang onto it until my guild meeting mid-month, and then I'll send it off to Frankie who lives a few hours north of me.
And I keep forgetting to tell you that I learned something new the other day...something that has cured the most confounding problem I have when I'm doing hand-sewing. Do you have a problem with your thread sort of catching on itself and tying itself in a knot for no apparent reason? (Insert swear words here.) Well. I watched a video recently that absolutely cured my problem (when I remember to do it, that is...and when I don't...well, let the swearing resume).
After I took a hand-applique class during May, several of you sent me helpful tutorials and links showing me a different (and easier) way to get the job done. I'm sorry, I can' recall who put me onto the series of videos from the Fat Quarter shop, but THANK YOU!!!!!, whoever you were. Here's the thing: Did you know that thread has a nap? GET OUT OF TOWN! Me neither! But it does! So here's the thing...you need to thread your needle from the leading end of the thread; in other words, the end farthest from the spool...not the end that you just cut. Do that, and your tangling problems are over. (Insert applause here.) So here's the video I watched:
The video is about 6 minutes long, and the part I'm talking about begins at 2:30. And, sorry you hand-held people, because I know that you can't see the video. Just click here to see it. And try to ignore the chirpy, annoying music.
Also, yesterday, I got a pretty package in the mail from my partner in the doll quilt swap.
This is the little quilt I received from my partner, Tena. The optional theme for June was "In the Garden". Tena and I decided to surprise one another, and look at this thread-painted little lady!
She has a very jazzy back and binding.
Here's a close-up of the thread-painting and quilting. Didn't she do a great job?
It's very sweet, Tena. I love it. Thank you!
So, hm, what else is going on? I'm chipping away at my housework, but not doing much sewing. I hope to finish up a little project I'm making as a gift, but I can't show it to you just yet. That shouldn't take long, and then I'm going to get started on free motion quilting my Blooming Sunflower.
Oh yes, and I almost forgot. It's time again to link up to:
The categories this week are "Easter" and "Echo Quilting". I don't really have anything for Easter, but I do have a favorite among the echo quilting I've done...the "Perfect Harmony" quilt I made for my son Matthew last year.
So that's it from me today. Getting my toesies done today, so I'd better get a move-on.
10 comments:
Your Sunflower quilt is just beautiful .
Guess we're never to old to learn, I didn't know thread had nap! I usually thread my needle before cutting the length I need. Must have been doing it right without knowing there was a right or wrong way!
This I already knew and we try to remind our students (when they start swearing). I sometimes use Thread Heaven (thread conditioner)- there are those spools that just love to tease us.
Interesting about the thread, no clue why that would make a difference but I will try it! :)
It is too hot for me to get into anything and the air is not helping, lol. Love your swap quilt, that is a really fun piece.
Debbie
I did know that you needed to thread from one end, not the other, but not why. I had also forgotten which end! So thank you for reminding me. Love the little thread painted lady. She is very cute.
Have you tried printing your labels? If you look on line there are a lot of tutorials on how to do that. I found a fairly easy-to-read one here: http://lrstitched.com/2011/06/09/tutorial-print-your-own-quilt-labels/
Well, it makes sense but I would never have thought about a nap in thread. It's hot here, but we're used to it, that darn storm is blowing mosquitoes out of the Everglades and we are swarming with them.
You have hot temps, now we have cooler temps. Lots of skeeters, too. Thanks for the advice on the thread. Didn't know about the nap.
Oh the humidity! We had that the last several days, but today seemed a bit dryer when I drove into work. There were some pop-up thunderstorms Thursday & Friday, with hail even. Not where I was, but when you're used to 10% humidity, anything more is nasty with the heat!
The little flower girl is so cute! That was a fun trade.
One thing that might help with your writing on labels is to iron it onto some freezer paper first. That helps stabilize it. I know sometimes the Pigma pens tend to sort of catch in the fabric too. It does still look OK tho'. Don't be so hard on yourself!
It was good to see the guitar quilt again!
What a sweet doll quilt, it's very cute.
Thanks for the tip on threading the needled, I could certainly do with less tangling.
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