Arts, Crafts, Needlework July, '08

[Harriet]

When we're designing or planning a new project to paint, weave, scrap, knit, sculpt, crochet, sew or write, what fun we have to look forward to!

There's also so much satisfaction to be found in going back to an UnFinished Object and completing it to enjoy.

When we can balance our creativity with keeping up with our work (so that there's no guilt, no worry that we "should" be doing something else) we can have the best of both worlds - a calm, well-ordered home AND the chance to create things of beauty to place within it! That's a double blessing to strive for!

Welcome, and please let us know about the project you have at hand, compliments received, struggles to balance work and play, and your creative direction!

[bittersweet]

Just a quick post, since I'm supposed to be getting busy on my "three" ...LOL This month, I've taken up a new craft ...sort of...just in the very beginning stages. I'm going to learn how to quilt!! It's something that's always fascinated me, and I have a sewing machine, a friend who's going to give me some rotary cutters, some books, and a bunch of fabric in exchange for a few lessons on how to groom her dog. Sounds like an awesome deal to me!

[Harriet]

From Nancy

I'm working up a crochet baby blanket for new grand child due this year in Dec.
It's in granny squares.

I'm also working on Christmas in July.
(photos - Nancy had been able to show us 3 great photos but we're not able to post photos yet. )

____________________________


From BookSaver

Here's a neat little tip I heard from a Sewing Guild friend at the meeting Tuesday night. Sometimes you just don't have room for a trash container next to your sewing table or knit/crochet spot.

If you happen to buy a beverage that comes in a plastic glass with a domed lid -- McDonald's uses them for McFlurries; Barnes & Noble uses them for smoothies/lemonade/iced coffee -- wash it out and keep it next to you for a mini trash container for thread clippings.

No need to take off the lid, just drop stuff through the hole in the top where the straw was. The hole is usually large enough to take small corners clipped from quilt block pieces, too.

Then if you bump it with your elbow or a cat decides to knock it off the table -- which she would never do by accident, perish the thought! -- the domed lid keeps the clippings inside the container instead of spilling all over the floor.

The container is usually clear, which makes a pretty design as it fills with multiple colors of thread and yarn. As long as you don't stuff anything wet or messy through the hole, it's easy to pop off the lid to dump out the trash and keep using the container without having to wash it again.

[Harriet]

Hey, bittersweet! That is cool news. I love hearing about all the other types of creativity here, but hearing some quilt chat will be fun! Did you notice that Lisa B. in South Africa posted she is taking up quilt making. Considering a class, I think, but maybe posted that that didn't work out, at least not the first class day. But she's already trying out some patchwork.

I learned from books and magazines. If I had to pick which book helped most (back in the day) - Georgia Bonesteel's Lap Quilting. I did not choose to do her idea of quilt as you go, but she taught a lot of basic, basic things. (Instructions for the "Foolproof Knot" when you ever needed to handstitch anything - priceless. Page 78!) I have only used that trick EVERY time I threaded a hand needle over the last - ohmigosh - 24 years! If I had to pick which magazines helped most - Quiltmaker Magazine used to have, at least from '89 - 2000, the years I bought it, a regular section every month repeating the exact same couple pages of how-tos with drawings, called "Basic Information". I remember grabbing one of those magazines to get a refresher on things like binding, long after I supposedly knew what I was doing! The best recent book I can think of is "Quilts, Quilts, Quilts". Teachers use it to teach basic quilt classes - I used it a little for my class at church.

I love any re-use of nifty containers, BookSaver!

[Lisa B.]

Hello Harriet and Ladies,

This is what I've posted up on the other board:

"Apologies Harriet for not answering your question before, but as I logged on on Tuesday, I was reading a post then was thrown off.....tried to log in again but got the error message. Then tried Yahoo, but couldn't see it properly from my side. We have trouble using the internet sometimes as we use our cell phones as a modem.

Harriet, in answer to your question re: self-taught quilting. There is a website which has basic instructions as well as how to choose fabric, use the rotary cutter, etc. I have done the six square blocks on there following the lady's instructions......I must say that the instructions are really easy to follow. The six squares are 6 and a half inch square......they are as follows:

Rail Fence
Log Cabin
Four Patch
Flying Geese
Pinwheel
Fair and Square

They are done in that order......now I just need to get extra fabric for the sashes, border, batting and backing. I found the Log Cabin,Flying Geese and Pinwheel quite easy to do although I was a bit apprehensive about doing them.....Log Cabin is my favourite....I love seeing these quilts made......I am being astounded at some of the names given to quilt blocks which I had never heard of before but now am intrigued as to how to do them......I need to found out how to do foundation paper piecing.....no easy understandable websites yet (well I haven't found any that explain for a person who has never done that before).

I have a 1994 Elna 2006 basic sewing machine with 24 embroidery stitches on. In SA, I find that Elna is one of the better make sewing machines. They also have a quilting range and so do Bernina.

I will try and take front and back photo's of what I've done, then you can see that I have done the seams, pressing (as instructed) correctly and neatly, if I do say so myself.

Please advise whether I can post the link up here to the website so that you can see for yourself why I say that this lady's instructions are very clear, easy to understand and precise.

I would appreciate any help that you can give me on quilting......I don't have a book yet, maybe in the near future I might get one but they are extremely expensive over here.....I do have an issue of Quiltmaker magazine (the spring 2008 special issue) which cost me R97.50, US price on cover is $5.99 & Canadian $7.99. As you can see, the magazine is not too bad a price considering the exchange rates. The R is for SA Rand."

[bittersweet]

I have a book here called Quilting for Dummies that I bought nearly two years ago and have opened all of maybe once Checking an online currency converter tells me that I paid all of R114 for it, which sounds a lot until you consider that one South African Rand is worth about $0.13 Canadian

My friend down the road has several quilting books that she's going to give me next week.... I can't wait to see them! If I end up really enjoying quilting, I may eventually even treat myself to a new (or at least newER) sewing machine. The one I have now was bought by Mum in March, 1972!!

[Harriet]

Lisa, to make a link, click on the button "URL" right above the posting screen. It will put two bracketed url code onto the screen and your cursor will be between them. Paste the link address in between and it should give us a clickable address.

As far as I know, we do not yet have our capability for photos ready yet. But when it is, I will be so interested to see - and yes, the back of the piece shows the work, lol. Nancy had 3 photos in her above post, too.

I sure do wish Lisa and bittersweet could just open a magic door and come see if there is anything in my stash
that they'd like to borrow!

bittersweet, that's one pretty terrific thing about quilt making - all you really need is a straight stitch. Some of the old machines were built so well. You never know. You may be quite happy with how it goes.

I need to be binding the baby quilt. I can't let baby niece get born before her quilt is finished!

[Lisa B.]

Hi Ladies,

This is the site I used for the instructions for the quilt making:

http://www.sewaquilt.com/

I really found it helpful.

If any of you ladies can give me some pointers, it would be helpful.

[Harriet]

That site is really extensive and every time I would think I saw something taught in a way I might not have, with further reading I'd see that she was just explaining everything in a good order and hadn't gotten to what I was thinking about yet. She has done an excellent job and since the site is a 2008 one, I don't think I would have seen it if you hadn't linked it, Lisa. I was so glad to see the many line drawings to show rotary cutting. Most of the time I was just thinking, "yes that's what a beginner needs to know". So I was impressed. I want to read more there!

Really the only thing I saw that I disagreed with was putting on a binding completely by machine. It's faster, but the quilt edges don't hang straight after being machined at the same place twice through so many layers at the edge. Every one I've ever seen done that way looks wobbly-edged or "wavy" against the wall or bed. Traditional binding will make you so much happier, and that would be doing it her way until the last step, but when you turn binding over to the back, hand sew those final stitches. Even if you didn't like the look of your first hand stitching back there, so what because it would barely show with similar colored thread, but the front of the quilt would look so much better. Once you get into the rhythm of sewing the binding it is pleasant work. It's the project I'm doing now.

Also I'd say make the binding a contrasting fabric, because you deserve to get "credit" for the design element of it - you did the work! But again, this lady is teaching beginners and she may be thinking if there were mistakes, it would be a more forgiving look to just use the same fabric for border and the binding beside it.

If ever you get to a finished quilt top and but are not inspired by finishing it yourself, you can give yourself permission to move on to another quilt and send that one off to a pro quilter. Quilting of any kind always takes somewhat longer than making the top did, and hand quilting can take much longer, so just be aware you have options. One thing you don't want to do is start a bunch of different projects, leaving a lot of UnFinished Objects!! Ask me how I know that is not wise!!! LOL! Also, you can finish small quilts by "birthing" them inside-out which saves the binding steps. That's what my class at church did for the baby quilt we made together. Not beautiful edges against a wall, but looks perfectly okay and great for a child or anyone who will give it a lot of use.

Lisa, for pointers you'd probably need to let us know what it is that gives you any trouble. The accurate quarter-inch seam EVERY TIME is the golden rule, but you already know that.

[SuzLew]

Loved the quilting "talk! Bought reproduction small child like print fat quarters for Harriets "heart" quilt now can't wait to start cutting squares! Like the idea of gift ready for "new" baby!