Happy Pumpkin Day

Happy Pumpkin Day!

I miss you, Cathey.

Posted in remembrance of our beloved Pumpkin, taken too soon. 

 .)\ 

.....' `--` '.. 

. / .. ^ ^ .. \ 

. \ . \/\/\/ . / 

....'---------' 

If you don't know what this is, I was never able to bring myself to remove the Pumpkins for Cathey link in the top left sidebar, read about it there.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Totally Useless September

It's that Totally Useless time again! 

Don't mind me...I've been busy quilting and a few cross stitches here and there. Not much new in the quilt ORT bowl but there are a few new threads in the stitchy jar!

I'm to the actual "quilting" point on my quilt. Exciting and nerve wracking at the same time! Am I doing this right? Is this going to show? How exactly do you sew on binding? (quick visit to YouTube) Binding looks easy enough, no problem! Hmmm, that is not how I sewed these borders on...they might be a little wavy when this is done. I will know next time around. I keep telling myself, "This is a practice quilt!"

Have you tried anything new lately?

=^..^=

We want to see your ORTs! Leave a comment on this post with a link to your September TUSAL post so we can come visit! If I hold a Totally Useless giveaway your comment will earn you an extra entry.

Wondering what a TUSAL is and why all these people are posting pictures of rubbish? Click here to learn more and join the fun!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

I Basted My Quilt With Sticky Plasters...

...and other random/ridiculous thoughts by a new quilter.

It takes 45 35 minutes to open 600 597 safety pins and if one is OCD you spend another 10 looking for the 3 pins you dropped into the box before opening them. I ended up buying another box of 300.

OMG I own 900 safety pins.

The person that invented this Kwik Klip tool is my hero.

One obviously needs a few different projects on the go, in different phases...it's impossible to close *that many* safety pins while bent over, even if you are pinning your quilt on a table. My back is killing me! My fingers are sore! I'm having a blast!

Here my quilt is about half-pinned. I clamped it to a big table in the basement instead of taping it to the floor. My knees were very happy about that. Note: that table is 8 foot long by 3 foot wide! Quite a bit of the sides is tucked up under the clamps.

I know you are thinking, "She said she used sticky plasters to baste her quilt...those are just quilting pins, liar!" 

No, seriously, they truly helped me finish pin basting this sucker. My finger got so sore in the spot I use to push the pins with I could not pin for days. But I was anxious to finish basting. I tried using a rubber thimble but it made it too clumsy. Ha! A sticky plaster to the rescue! Those little dot bandages worked like a charm. I could still feel the pins but I had a little cushion to help with the initial push.

Now, I am American. In real life I call these band-aids, like everyone else here. But Brits call them sticky plasters. I thought that was so much fun I had to buy a box when I was in London.

Now my quilt is basted. I can start quilting it! I've adjusted Fern's tension, put on her walking foot and loaded up a few bobbins. Then I had to run to Walmart to buy a card table to put behind Fern to support that ginormous wad of fabric & batting. 

I have discovered quilters "see" quilt patterns. Walking through the hallway of our hotel I explained to Dash the carpet was a rail fence...

Irons that shut off automatically are a pain.

Speaking of irons, Molly spent a week flatly refusing to enter my craft room after I set up the ironing board. She didn't even want to go down the hallway it made her so nervous. Border Collie theology prevailed, "If you can't beat 'em - herd 'em!" Now, I have to lock her out of the room when I iron as she tries to "herd" the spray starch.

Nothing is so frightening as being charged by a snarling sheepdog while holding a flaming hot iron. One of us will get hurt! Idiot dog also wants to herd the salad dressing bottle. Have I ever told you how bored Border Collies invent stupid games? Oh, just did.

There are stray threads everywhere. On the floor, glued to the ironing board cover with spray starch, in pockets, in the dryer, the shower and I've even found one in my dinner. Stitching ORTs are much more containable.

If I would quit blathering more stitching could be done!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!!!

xox

Please meet Fern

When I conceived the idea of learning to quilt my thoughts were along the lines of, "I have a sewing machine, what else would I need?" I mean people have quilted since before sewing machines were even invented, right? I have carpel tunnel so extensive hand sewing is not an option but I have a sewing machine ~ I'm set!

Not.

As I got farther into each step on my quilt, I knew I had better buy a walking foot for my machine before I got to that point. So I sit down and start searching. Oh NO! My machine is not made to use a walking foot!

Now, I had options...hand-quilting - out, as explained above...Have it quilted by someone else - I kinda had my heart set on actually learning to quilt, not just piece...Buy another sewing machine - sooo expensive! Drats...what to do?

I had already dealt with quite a few "problems" with my inexpensive, basic machine, an off the shelf Singer. It's always "needle up" and no way to change it. It has tension problems with the bobbin thread and no way to fix it. It's sewing speed is strictly based on how hard you push the foot control and I could really use a slower "top" speed until I get better.

Dash talked me into buying a new sewing machine when he learned of the problems I was facing. In fact...he searched the internet for the best possible price on the machine I was interested in and then insisted we buy it. She was delivered last week.

I'd like you to meet Fern. 

Fern, as I've named her is a Juki HZL-F600.

I think we are going to become very good friends!

I also got this nifty sewing desk for Fern to live on.

This all sits directly behind my stitching desk. All I have to do is turn my chair around to sew! I will need to buy a table to go behind the sewing desk when I'm actually quilting to support the quilt.

I've been practicing on some small pieces, while getting my big quilt ready for quilting. I'm looking forward to the finish!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox