Checking it Twice?

It all started here, with the Great Granny Squared quilt pattern. Simple enough, right? Everything's cut out at one time and after this one is pieced together (72" X 85") there are enough left over pre-cut squares to piece another, bonus, quilt. Who doesn't love a bonus? 

And here it is! This one measures 54" X 66", a perfect lap or picnic quilt. Easy-peasy, right? Think again! If only it had been as easy a rolling out of bed. I was lucky enough to spend last weekend on a quilting retreat and came home on Sunday with the entire center section of the bonus quilt pieced. It was mindless sewing, I know better than to carry any complicated piecing on retreat; that would interfere with all of the chatting and snacking! So, on Monday morning, I pieced those top and bottom borders only to discover that they were eight inches too long! Huh? Something major was wrong here. So much for mindless sewing! A quick recheck pointed up the error of my ways. Each of these long rows was supposed to have a one inch spacer strip attached so that those blocks could "float" between the pieced columns. I hadn't inserted the spacer rows. There they were, in the bin, all cut and ready to go. Groan. 

Let the ripping begin! Each row needed un-sewing. It took half a day to begin to see some positive results. 

The circled area here highlights the repaired rows and the proper spacing. 

There's a big difference, those cute little blocks now have breathing room!

By dinnertime on Monday I had all but one row repaired. I'd lost an entire day! I wish I could say that this was the first time I'd made a mistake on a retreat weekend, but that wouldn't be truthful. I'm  more than experienced with the seam ripper! It's said that Santa checks his list twice. Had I done that with the directions, I could have saved myself a LOT of time and effort and not had to remake this one. Whew! Anyway, after all that, you might think that it stops here. Great Granny Squared and the Bonus Quilt would be two terrific accomplishments from all those precut squares, right? Well, guess what, it's not over yet! Nope, not by a long shot. I still have enough left over squares in my bin, from these same fabrics, to make a table runner too. Stay tuned. So, I'll be reading the directions completely through on this next project, and then I'll read through them again; to play it safe. Just call me Santa!

Life is Good!

The Ruby Ruse

So, after packing up all the projects that I thought I could manage to work on in one weekend, I found myself still leaving one on the cutting table. That's a good thing, I will have another to work on when I return home and everything else is completed. Notice that brand-new rotary cutter on the table too, it is special; Olfa's 40th anniversary ruby red (supposedly a proprietary color) edition. I saw this cutter displayed with all of the other collector's editions at the Olfa booth at MidAtlantic Quilt Festival a couple of months ago. When I inquired about it from the salesman working at the booth I was told that it was in very short supply. He relayed a tale about miscommunication between someone in purchasing and their manufacturer and, because of that, they were so scarce that they were unable to fill thousands of standing orders with shops. Naturally, this made me want one all the more; well, actually, when I learned of this dilemma I wanted two-- one for myself and one for Quiltkeemosabe! The salesman told me that he might be able to locate two, but he was unsure. He got on his phone and spoke with someone, then told me that if I came back in an hour he would have two to sell, but that was all that he could get. I had to laugh, it all sounded like a back-alley drug deal or some such thing. I shopped around at different vendor booths and returned back in an hour. The deal was finalized and I felt victorious! Score!!

I saved back Quiltkeemosabe's gift for a future occasion. I was in my LQS a few weeks ago and what did I happen to see but a display of these ruby-red Olfa cutters! I was astounded. Quiltkeemosabe works at the shop; I asked her how hard it was to stock that item. "It wasn't" she responded, "why?" The next question I asked her was if she already had one, she assured me that she did not, I winked and told her not to buy one. From there I conducted some market research and found them to be easily available. I had been duped, fallen victim to the great Ruby Ruse; my gullible nature was to blame. I don't know if the guy was misinformed, if he had a sales quota for the event, or if he was simply dishonest; I hope it's not the latter. I have been an Olfa fan for almost the last four decades (began quilting in 1983, and still used cutting shears back then) and this little incident won't steer me away. I just love this cutter, I paid a fair price and red is my favorite color. I hope that Quiltkeemosabe loves hers too. So, back to what I left sitting on the cutting table: that one thing that I will have remaining to work on when I return home when everything else is completed-- if you believe that you're as gullible as I am. If I could convince you that I had all my other projects done I would be qualified to get a job at the Olfa booth! Every time I use my 40th anniversary collector's edition I will smile remembering the story. Do you have yours yet? Time's a wastin', it's only available for a limited time; at least that's what I've been told. 😉

Life is Good!

I Get By...

...with a little help from my friends. This post contains a few quick, clever tips that I have learned recently from my friends. These are those kind of super smart tips that resonate immediately; at least for me, with a "why didn't I think of that" sort of reaction.  The first tip is for cutting WOF strips (or any strips, really) where you will be using a long ruler. As we have all learned, the ruler is placed in position and held in place by your hand; once you begin rotary cutting you "walk" your hand up the ruler as you cut, spider-style, until you cut clear through the end opposite where you began. A few weeks back I hosted a nap-blanket workshop here. During the course of the evening one of my friends asked if I had a dumb-bell style hand weight. I did. She immediately placed it on the end of the ruler that was in position and cut, cleanly, in one swift motion without moving her hand. Perfection! My weight happens to have flat sides which makes it even better. I am thrilled to have re-purposed this piece of exercise equipment into something extremely useful, it now resides in my ruler drawer!

The second tip, from another friend, has to do with cookies. Fresh-out-of-the-oven-whenever-you-choose type of cookies. One of the reasons that I rarely bake chocolate chip cookies anymore (unless the grandchildren are visiting) is that we don't need batches of cookies sitting around, just for the two of us. (My husband would disagree with this logic, he certainly does his part to keep inventory down). But, he would agree, that the cookies are always best when they are just out of the oven. Now, because I paid attention to my friend's suggestion, I mix up a full batch of chocolate chip cookie dough and scoop it all onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then I stick it into the freezer for several hours until each "cookie" is frozen through. Clean up is done all at once and I don't have to think about that again. 

From there, the "cookies" are placed into a plastic bag (I place that into an additional freezer container) to remain in the freezer until needed. From this point, whenever that cookie-urge strikes, or guests drop by,  you can bake as many or as few as you choose right then and there.

No muss, no fuss! Yum; pour the milk! 

Now, don't you feel smarter? I know that I do, thanks to my friends!

Life is Good!

Cutting Mat Longevity

Oh, my; this cutting area has never looked better! Santa brought me TWO new sets of cutting mats for Christmas, this has caused two straight days of unbridled smiling, spontaneous mat stroking and even some tidying to happen. My cutting table is a drop-leaf style which, when opened, (truth be told: it is never folded down) measures 70" X 46". Mr. Goodneedle designed and built it for me sometime in 1992 from kiln-dried oak salvaged from our woods after a tornado in May, 1989, took out three enormous oak trees.  The top was specially designed to accommodate the cutting mats of those precise dimensions that I had found back then at Mary Jo's Cloth Shop. Over the years the table has moved numerous times, overseas (twice) and back. The mats have endured all of that, plus un-tolled hours of cutting and any other craft you might imagine. Recently, I began to notice a little more than normal wear and tear to the mats-- the type of damage that occurs from being overused, over-loved; they were wearing out, plain and simple.

They had become stained over time, and the edges were split and shaggy.

They even had holes in places. Santa listened to this quilter's wish list. I would say that considering the continued use that these have seen, after almost 25 years, Olfa should be commended for creating such a sturdy and well made product that stands the test of time. The new mats are fancy; they have lots more markings (increments) arcs and angles than their predecessors. If they could only do something about the obnoxious "new mat" rubber aroma. I may try spritzing them with a white vinegar and water solution. I have the essential oil diffuser working overtime right now, I know the Eau-de-mat smell will dissipate over time. I assured Santa Claus that I won't need new mats ever again, or at least before I am 88 years old, if the longevity of the previous mats is any indication! I am certain that the elves were relieved to hear that, I know that these were unwieldy to load in and out of the sleigh. 

Life is Good!

Go, Big Red!

"Go, Big Red"

Two blocks down, four to go, a lap quilt is born. I attended Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton, VA last week; you'd never know that from the number (zero) of photographs I took while away, you'll have to take my word for it. I had my camera with me but had left the memory stick at home in the laptop! The only internal memory the camera has was occupied with photos of the grandchildren and  I was not deleting those. Can you blame me? No way could I erase these all-too-fast fleeting moments in their lives (and mine): 

So, instead, I'm sharing the initial results of the workshop I took from Augusta Cole last Saturday. These blocks are big; measuring 24", they are easy to piece and use up LOTS of scraps, making a really big dent in the red section of my stash! I chose to use all scraps and a consistent white background fabric. Red and white always reminds me of high school, our colors were crimson and white; "Go, Big Red!" was an oft chanted cheer back in those days. In honor of that and the BIG bite this took out of the stash as well as the BIG block size I feel like a cheerleader at a pep rally for this quilt. Before I left home I divided twenty two different red fabrics into three stacks and prewashed them using the method pictured below, it worked great.

Back home now, I've recovered from all the fun and frivolity and put away all of  the treasures that I found in the vendor's mall. Thursday morning we awakend to heavy snow falling in Hampton, VA; the show and merchants area at the Convention Center was nearly deserted, it was eerie in there... those if us who shopped that day felt like we had our own private quilt shops open exclusively for us! I felt bad for the vendors, I know they were anxious, but the attendance did pick up on Friday and by Saturday the crowds appeared back to normal volume. All tolled, I believe nine inches of snow fell and was a record for the area on that date. For me, it was the best of all places to be snowed-in!

Today I've got my work all cut out for me, this one should go together quickly; so much so that I feel a cheer coming on: "Go, Big Red!"

Life is Good!

Sharp Advice!

Your sewing space is fraught with dangerous, sharp, objects; you already know that. We always think that we're exercising caution around our tools; but, as quilters, we're so accustomed to picking up and handling the rotary cutter that it's almost like an extension of our own hand. We use them without always thinking about the risk, we become mindless to the fact that we really are handling a rolling razor blade...herein lies the potential problem; believe me, I am just as guilty of this lack of respect for the rotary cutter as anyone else. I've learned something this week that has changed my thinking however, a lesson that will haunt me (and you, too) for a long time to come.

A friend dropped her rotary cutter last week, it innocently bumped (blade exposed) on the edge of  a table, causing her to lose her grasp on the handle, and ended up blade-side-down in the top of her foot, her bare foot.  What she thought was a superficial laceration has turned out to be much more. She has suffered a cut to a tendon; at this point she's not even sure if the tendon is severed, there's too much swelling to know that yet. In the meantime she is sidelined; immobilized and awaiting surgery with her foot elevated.  She's out of work while this waiting happens; adding insult to injury, quite literally.

I'm posting these three rules today as a warning. Why? Because this could happen to any one of us!
1.  Pay attention to your rotary cutter, only expose that cutting blade when you have your cutter poised over your fabric to make that one cut and then slide the guard back into position. Every. Single. Time.
2.  Wear shoes in your sewing space, real shoes... no more bare feet, sandals or flip-flops; it's not worth the risk.
3.  Clean up your sewing/cutting area frequently: you'd be amazed at how quickly those piles of accumulating scraps can obscure your workspace and cause you to lose sight of your rotary cutter or other sharp objects... if you can't see them you don't have control of them.

Develop a heightened awareness and exercise caution around all of your tools; remember: they stay sharp, especially when we don't!  Please join me in a prayer for complete and speedy healing for my friend; she is eager to get up on her feet and back to work soon.

Life is Good!

Her First Quilt!

This is my neighbor, she wanted to make a quilt. She had lots and lots of worn-out blue jeans at her disposal. I loaned her a rotary cutter and a mat (after a quick safety lesson) a few months ago. She dropped by for show and tell yesterday afternoon! She's nine years old and sleeps under this warm and wonderful work of art every night. She's talking about making herself a matching pillow sham. Something tells me that her first quilt won't be her last.

Life is Good!

The Cutting Edge

Attention gadget geeks: Santa's on the cutting edge! Just look at what he put in my stocking for Christmas. I hadn't seen one of these before, hadn't read about it , didn't know such a thing existed! This Fiskars fingertip rotary cutter is cute and clever but it won't replace your regular cutter for normal tasks. I leave it out on my cutting table and have been using it for trimming threads and neatening up edges; it is comfortable, easy to use, and provides excellent control. I have also used it with a straight edge, and it performed well. If you get one, and it certainly has it's place in my sewing room, I will caution you about three things:
1. Be careful with the blade cover it's awkward to remove and replace, which could be dangerous.
2. The blade is permanent, making the tool a disposable one when it gets dull.
3. Don't forget you have it on and scratch your nose or adjust your glasses while it is on your finger, YIKES! (I didn't DO this, I'm just saying... it's that comfortable, you could forget that you're wearing it.)

Life is Good!

Off The Frame...

The 'Relay For Life' quilt is off the frame and has been delivered back to my Bee group for binding. Here it is in it's entirety, with a detail shot of the quilting. I'm packing today for a weekend quilting retreat that begins tomorrow. I can't wait! I'm taking along two projects, they should keep me busy enough for one weekend. The first one is a leader/ender quilt that I've been itching to set together for a long time and the second will be a play quilt for my grandson using scraps that I've tamed into strips. The cutting and prep time that I've put in this week should pay off nicely when I can simply sit and sew without interruption. Stay tuned for a full report...

Life is Good!

How Will You Spend...

...National Quilting Day today? I have solid plans, concrete; unmovable. Do you detect a certain rigidness on this subject? Good. That's the intention. I'm cutting today; all day if that's what it takes. I'll cut every single piece that remains for the wedding signature quilt and piece blocks if there's any left-over time. I'll keep piecing from today on, until all the blocks are done. The sewing part is mindless once I get them all laid out beside the machine.

Sundance II arrived yesterday. My husband installed her and called me just before church council meeting began last evening to inform me that the stitch-regulator function was working: A-OK! I will ship the original Sundance back to Iowa on Monday. I took "No Gray Areas" off the rails and will trim it up and bind it ASAP. I'll be loading "Kaleidoscope Stars" onto Sundance II next week, stay tuned. My first long arm attempts weren't all that bad, I'm settling into the groove. All things in their own time. Enjoy your Quilting Day today, however you choose to spend it.

10. Take one day at a time.
Life is Good!