Boy howdy. September hasn't been kind to us. Of course with all the stuff going on with mom and our local hospital ardently trying to kill her (not kidding), I'm sick for the second time this month. Hey, September, knock it off! Anyway, my fall table runner is back from the quilter and ready to be bound. I have that leopard print quilt yet to bind, and I'm slowly but steadily piecing all the 312 triangles together for my pumpkin quilt (pictures to follow) and my log cabin/star quilt is looking pretty fancy (also pictures to follow). So even being sick there's no rest for the stitchy.
On to the Tips! Oh, and by the way, if you send in your own tip to thecottonpatch@msn.com and it gets posted in the Tips section in the weekly newsletter, you get a prize! Even if you think everyone knows it, submit it anyway - free stuff is a wonderful thing! Unfortunately this offer applies to local ladies only - we don't do prizes by mail, but we still welcome your tips!
* The cardboard trays that soda packs come in are great for holding projects, because despite their size, they take up very little room when stacked up, and they stack very nicely. Label them as you see fit and there you have it - an inexpensive storage method, plus you're reusing something you might otherwise just throw away/recycle!
* Put an empty tissue box next to your machine to toss threads, paper piecing bits, fusible applique waste and fabric snippings into. It's reusable and its contents are easier to throw away.
* If you're having a hard time gripping the needle as you're hand stitching, try using a finger cot on the fingers you're using to pull the needle through. That little bit of extra grip works wonders. Plus, for this purpose they aren't only good for one use and a $2 pack of finger cots will last you a long, long time.
* If your cutting matting is looking pretty haggard with years of cutting grooves on it, fliip it over and use the underside. If your mat is that translucent plastic, then the lines are still visible and you can trace them in permanent marker on the backside, of course being very careful to trace accurately. If your mat isn't the transluscent plastic, well, measure out lines the old fashioned way, or just use your ruler to get your measurements.
* If you're having a hard time maintaining a good 1/4" as you sew, use a piece of blue painter's tape and tape it to your machine below your pressure foot, in line with the 1/4" marker on the feed dog plate. This will enable you to see that 1/4" farther down and give you a larger guideline to go by.
* This one is one of my tried and trues, and I'm not sure if I've posted it before but what the hey, here it is (again): Those gallon sized ziplock bags (with the movable sipper thing on top) are a godsend. I have a tendency to leave and lose blocks and this keeps them all contained and protects the raw edges from ravelling and anything from stretching or wrinkling. The bags are reusable project to project and a box will last a long time.
* Before each project where you need to be using a particular bobbin thread, fill several bobbins with that color to save you time later. When you'r ein a groove and run out of bobbin thread, it's a groove crusher to spend the additional time away from working to wind another bobbin.
* Need a circle template? Use a sample CD that AOL and other companies send around in junk mail. They're durable and just about the perfect size for most projects.
* For posterity, sew your quilt label onto your backing before quilting your quilt. It makes it more stable and more difficult to remove later on. That way everyone in years to come knows who made the quilt!
* Use muslin or fusible interfacing to stabilize t-shirt blocks before you sew them - it'll prevent the knit from stretching funny when compared to the flannel or cotton you use for sashing.
Showing posts with label Quilt Supply Storage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Quilt Supply Storage. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Tippy Tuesday, only on Wednesday
Well, life has been crazy lately (and not in a fun "Barrel of Monkeys" way). Too much time has been spent in hospitals and at doctors appointments, and I've been triple-timing it at work so my time for anything more than work and sleep has been extremely limited. But we did finally get some good news - Mom doesn't have a heart problem. Her heart attack and related issues were not caused by a faulty ticker, but because of a thyroid disorder called Graves Disease. Don't worry, it's named after the doctor who discovered it in the 1920s, not after where you end up if you have it. Luckily it is easily treated and hopefully life will return back to normal for all of us soon. Needless to say, everyone in the family and at the shop are so very relieved it isn't anything more serious.
So, now to the tips. Since I haven't had a whole lot of time, I haven't gathered that many so I'm gathering while I'm writing. I haven't been able to test any of these out so they mayt or may not work for you but hey, it never hurts to give it a go on scrap or test fabrics/notions. Here we go!:
* Flannel works as a good batting subsitute if the quilt you're making is thick enough on its own (a Minkee quilt, for example) or if you want to keep your quilt really lightweight. Back in the day flannel was often used as "batting" because batting of a good quality wasn't always available where flannel was easier to obtain.
* Dishwasher utensil baskets make a great notion storage device - they are narrow and compact so they stay out of the way on your table, and they are easily hung up on the wall to be out of the way entirely. So if you're getting rid of a dishwasher, save that basket! Or, you can purchase one relatively inexpensively.
* If you're binding a quilt, and it's getting too warm to do while it's draped over you, move your ironing board to where you're seated and lower it to just above your lap. Drape the quilt over it and continue binding. The ironing board prevents the quilt from overheating you, and there is a nice draft between the quilt, board and you.
* While you're working on a project requiring several bobbins, stick a Q-Tip in the spool of thread, and then the bobbin through the Q-Tip. If you run out of thread, you will quickly know whch thread you used for that bobbin in case you forget.
* Keep inexpensive makeup brushes (eyeshadow and eyeliner brushes work best) as well as the fuzzy dental picks in your sewing kit. They are great for cleaning your machine when needed, and get into the nooks and crannies better than the brush your machine came with.
* If you have a cat or small dog, fabric scraps (apparently) make good chew toys. Tie a knot in it and let 'em at it. My chihuahuas can hardly wait until I start having scraps falling. I give them the big ones I know I won't use later, with the knot tied in it and believe it or not it gives them literally hours of entertainment gnawing on that thing. Sometimes they'll steal away the smaller ones and chew it to bits after it falls from my cutting board and I don't always catch it until it's been in their slobbery little mouths for a bit. They just shred them up, so it's not really a choking hazard, but it could be - stick with larger pieces.
* Clean your blades, both rotary and scissors, with rubbing alcohol to keep them gunk free and cutting smoothly.
* If you are thrying to thread a clear monofilament through a needle and not having much luck, there are two things you can do: first, thread it against a dark fabric since that makes the thread easier to see. or color the very tip of the thread with permanent marker so you can see it to thread it and then snip it off.
* Making cloth napkins and coasters are a great way to burn through your scraps/stash and they make nice gifts for people.
* Speaking of cloth napkins, if you have a theme decor in your dining room, buy cloth napkins that complement your color scheme or dishes and use them in a table runner. While the fabric quality may not be the same as quilting fabric, it's an inexpensive way to tie your room together. Plus, it's not a piece to be washed regularly so using the napkins is just fine. A heavier weight napkin tends to work a little better than the lightweight cotton ones.
* The edge of the selvedge tells you more than just the line and manufacturer. Those colored dots tell you how many different dye screens were used to make that whole fabric. As such, those are the individual colors that will match and blend nicely with that piece of fabric. So if you're stuck on the color choices with your go-withs, that selvedge is a great place to start looking!
So, now to the tips. Since I haven't had a whole lot of time, I haven't gathered that many so I'm gathering while I'm writing. I haven't been able to test any of these out so they mayt or may not work for you but hey, it never hurts to give it a go on scrap or test fabrics/notions. Here we go!:
* Flannel works as a good batting subsitute if the quilt you're making is thick enough on its own (a Minkee quilt, for example) or if you want to keep your quilt really lightweight. Back in the day flannel was often used as "batting" because batting of a good quality wasn't always available where flannel was easier to obtain.
* Dishwasher utensil baskets make a great notion storage device - they are narrow and compact so they stay out of the way on your table, and they are easily hung up on the wall to be out of the way entirely. So if you're getting rid of a dishwasher, save that basket! Or, you can purchase one relatively inexpensively.
* If you're binding a quilt, and it's getting too warm to do while it's draped over you, move your ironing board to where you're seated and lower it to just above your lap. Drape the quilt over it and continue binding. The ironing board prevents the quilt from overheating you, and there is a nice draft between the quilt, board and you.
* While you're working on a project requiring several bobbins, stick a Q-Tip in the spool of thread, and then the bobbin through the Q-Tip. If you run out of thread, you will quickly know whch thread you used for that bobbin in case you forget.
* Keep inexpensive makeup brushes (eyeshadow and eyeliner brushes work best) as well as the fuzzy dental picks in your sewing kit. They are great for cleaning your machine when needed, and get into the nooks and crannies better than the brush your machine came with.
* If you have a cat or small dog, fabric scraps (apparently) make good chew toys. Tie a knot in it and let 'em at it. My chihuahuas can hardly wait until I start having scraps falling. I give them the big ones I know I won't use later, with the knot tied in it and believe it or not it gives them literally hours of entertainment gnawing on that thing. Sometimes they'll steal away the smaller ones and chew it to bits after it falls from my cutting board and I don't always catch it until it's been in their slobbery little mouths for a bit. They just shred them up, so it's not really a choking hazard, but it could be - stick with larger pieces.
* Clean your blades, both rotary and scissors, with rubbing alcohol to keep them gunk free and cutting smoothly.
* If you are thrying to thread a clear monofilament through a needle and not having much luck, there are two things you can do: first, thread it against a dark fabric since that makes the thread easier to see. or color the very tip of the thread with permanent marker so you can see it to thread it and then snip it off.
* Making cloth napkins and coasters are a great way to burn through your scraps/stash and they make nice gifts for people.
* Speaking of cloth napkins, if you have a theme decor in your dining room, buy cloth napkins that complement your color scheme or dishes and use them in a table runner. While the fabric quality may not be the same as quilting fabric, it's an inexpensive way to tie your room together. Plus, it's not a piece to be washed regularly so using the napkins is just fine. A heavier weight napkin tends to work a little better than the lightweight cotton ones.
* The edge of the selvedge tells you more than just the line and manufacturer. Those colored dots tell you how many different dye screens were used to make that whole fabric. As such, those are the individual colors that will match and blend nicely with that piece of fabric. So if you're stuck on the color choices with your go-withs, that selvedge is a great place to start looking!
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