Improvements At The Strawberry Patch

I received an early (1 month +) birthday present yesterday, compliments of my super-talented husband!  Here it is, mounted on the wall in the studio; a solid oak, hand crafted cabinet.  I've wanted one for years, but the one that he made for me is even better than what I thought I wanted. Originally I had a floor-standing cabinet in  mind, he improved on my idea by making it a much slimmer profile (only 4.5" off the wall) and hanging it so that I didn't lose the electrical outlet underneath or have one more thing standing on the floor collecting dust beneath it where the vacuum won't reach.  In case you haven't guessed what this custom cabinet was built to contain...

...yep, cones of longarm thread; releasing them from an over-crowded drawer where they were all jumbled up together! 

Now, at a glance, I know exactly what I have on hand; and even have plenty of room to expand inventory.

Luckily, we had four of these cabinet door pulls leftover from the original cabinetry that he made; aren't they just perfect for The Strawberry Patch?

As if the cabinet improvement wasn't enough... we re-did the design wall on Saturday. After 13 years on the wall the outer fabric surface had pulled away from the backing and was stretched out and sagging badly. We took it all down, peeled the fabric off and restretched, remounted and rehung the new, improved, face-lifted design wall back into position.

Life is Good!

Everything Old...

Blueberry Tea ~  60" X  76"

...is new again! There's a revival going on at Chez Goodneedle; a renewed interest in long-ago abandoned projects, and it's all good. While documenting all of my UFO's that were boxed, in various stages of completion, I decided that it was hypocritical to prioritize those while ignoring those that were hiding in plain sight! Namely this almost-already-vintage quilt that needs nothing more than hand quilting attention and another neatly-folded-on-the-shelf, partially hand-quilted beauty, in need of the same thing. I'm not focusing on how long they've been in this stage of undone-ness; not at all, only on seeing them become the finished quilts they were meant to be!

Every evening, while watching television, I have been quilting one of the basket blocks. It feels good to get back into the rhythm of handwork. I've always believed that in order to know where we're going (quilt-wise) it's important to understand not only where we are but how we got there, based on foundation and history. This is how I got to where I am now: hand quilting; one, single, stitch at a time! I brew up a cup of Blueberry Tea (this old quilt gained a new name!) and settle in for my new, again,  favorite pastime!

I hand quilt with a miniscule size 12 'Between' needle. A renewed enthusiasm for hand quilting is no match for the eyes of my youth though, I'm lucky Mr. Goodneedle saw to it that a new needle threader was under the Christmas tree this year. This threader is worth its weight in gold! I assure you that I receive no compensation from Clover, but I do believe that this needle threader is a must-have. It threads those size 12 needle eyes with 40 wt. cotton thread in a split second, I am amazed every time! These aging eyes had their annual check up today. I ordered new glasses; but just lenses this time. I'm having them put into my old (time before last) frames; I just loved the way those fit: it's a theme... eveything old truly is new again!

Life is Good!

Gliding Along!

I've been eager to try out some Glide thread, I had read a lot about it on the quilting blogs, it all sounded good, but I hadn't quilted with it... until yesterday. Oh. My. GOODNESS! Need I say more? I threaded up Sundance and loaded on a small quilt that my Bee put together a while ago, this one is to be a donation to the Neuroscience Unit at a local hospital. I added a small "hitchhiker" in the outer margin (a mock-up sample on which to try out the stitching  and perfect the tension before I moved onto the quilt itself). I loosened the top tension just a small amount to get the right set-up with a Magna-glide Delights pre-wound bobbin underneath, from there is was smooth sailing; or, rather GLIDING! The stitch quality is magnificent and the thread really does seem to melt right into the fabric! Glide is a trilobal polyester thread, 40 weight, ultra-strong and with a very pretty sheen! Glide is advertised as being virtually lint-free and able to maintain consistent tension throughout each and every spool; my experience with this product is excellent in every regard. The prewound bobbins performed perfectly too; the secret to that success is a magnetic core that prevents bobbin backlash or overspin and continues to deliver superior stitches even as the bobbin gets close to empty! I'll be placing an order for more thread (their colors are SEW pretty) and matching bobbins soon.

Using a pantograph called "Around Corners" Sundance and I stitched edge to edge in record time.
There were no thread breaks or tension readjustment, the quilting was nothing but  fast and fun!

Ready for binding!
Life is Good!

Glow!

I mentioned glow-in-the dark thread in yesterday's post and thought you might like to see how it shows up on a quilt once it's stitched in, after the lights are switched off. The dark photo on the left is a glowing example of not only the glowing thread but also glowing "eyes" from that white fabric patch that has phosphorescent  properties too! The thread glows for several hours after dark and recharges by being exposed to any light source during the day; it's a fun addition to any child's quilt!

Life is Good!

Backing Preview

I wanted to share this photo today so that you could smile along with me; the backing fabric won't be visible again for a while. I got this Picture Play quilt  loaded onto Sundance yesterday and now I'll have to wait to begin quilting until the package with the bobbin thread (that I ordered) arrives. I'm really in love with this large scale print, how can you not be happy when you look at it?

Life is Good!

Quilting... What's New And What's Not

I got the quilting finished and the binding on this baby quilt for our nephew's new addition this week. My husband and I spent the day in the car yesterday, a day trip to Weaverville, I managed to get all the handwork completed. Now with the binding whipped into place it is ready for mailing. Quiltkeemosabe gave me a tip a few years ago regarding binding... she hand bastes hers into place before the final step! Ever since she made this suggestion I have been basting my binding, it is such a pleasure to work on finishing a quilt that has no pins or clips to deal with, especially in the car! 

Quilt binding basted into place and ready for finishing by hand.

What's new? Superior's MonoPoly on a 10,000 yard cone. Joy!

What else is new? This book, at least it's new to me. More self-imposed homework!
How old is this quilter/author anyway? Twelve??  The book and instructions are simply wonderful.

What's NOT new? This Crumb Baskets quilt. While demonstrating hand quilting last week to one of my students I heard myself telling her how relaxing hand quilting is; I'd forgotten that. This quilt, basted for hand quilting since 1998, was easily accessible and has become the object of my own relaxation sessions!


Life is Good!

Thread "Magnet"

I've been doing a considerable amount of machine embroidery lately. There is always a veritable mountain of threads after a day at the machine, usually they collect each other and roll around the studio like so much tumbleweed. Not anymore. I have found that a microfiber cloth* sitting beside the machine attracts and holds all those clipped threads! A quick shake-out into the trash can at the end of the day and it's ready to go again. Another indispensable item? A small, travel size, tape roller; it fits inside the hoop to clean up any snipping fragments during the appliqué step when trimming is required, works like a charm!

*This is not my own original idea, I found it on a blog somewhere but for the life of me can't find it now to give credit where it's due. Think of me as an information distributor.

Life is Good!

Thread Tip

What's more frustrating than sitting down to do some hand sewing and having your thread spool roll off the arm of the chair and under a table? Keep your thread contained in a simple, easy way... in a baby food container! I have a few babies in the family, the raw materials were mine for the asking. This is not an original idea, you may have seen it already; but this tip was simply too good not to pass along! I used a small hole punch in the corner of the lid, popped the spool inside, et voilà ; an instant thread dispenser! One that is FREE; and stays put, too.

Life is Good!

Fun In The Sun

You know me, I LOVE thread; all kinds. My greatest love affair with thread has been with the glow-in-the-dark variety for stitching swirls and squiggles onto quilts for children. Move over NiteLite and make room for SunBurst! I first saw this thread at the Superior Threads booth at MidAtlantic Quilt festival last month. Naturally, I had to purchase a spool; the biggest dilemma was which color to choose. They are all white on the spool indoors, it's when sunlight is added that the magic happens... presto, change-o! I chose blue and you can see the difference between the top photo and the bottom photo after one minute of exposure to the sun. You'll have to believe me on this one... the thread on the spool is completely white. The moment that I placed it down to photograph it yesterday (top) it began to turn blue! I think a picnic quilt or patio placemats would be so much fun quilted up with SunBurst thread. Click on the link to see the other colors available. Shine on!!

Life is Good!

All Too Human, Quirks And All...

foible (n.) [foi.buhl]
1. a minor weakness or failing of character; slight flaw or defect, an all-too-human quirk or weakness. From the French (faible) for feeble.

That's me, full of foibles, I'll admit it. The greatest of these? I only listen half as much as I should. That was the case this past week with my Bernina Stitch Regulator. It's a great little invention that senses the all-too-human movements of the fabric beneath it's foot and makes a quilt stitch length accordingly. (In a perfect world with a foible-free operator!) I have used this accessory many times with stellar results. Not this time. I had journal covers to quilt for my recent blog giveaway. I could quilt, oh... maybe two inches, and the thread would snap and break. I changed needles, I altered the tension, I traded bobbin cases, I swapped out bobbin thread, I even lubricated the top thread with silicone. Nothing changed the result. The stitches were AWFUL, and that was when I had any line of them measuring more than an inch or two. I was frustrated beyond belief. My husband reminded me that this had happened to me before. It had? I didn't remember that. (Another foible perhaps, forgetfulness? I was blaming that on hormones!) I decided to take both of these pieces, back them together and load them on Sundance for quilting, I knew I could do that! But then I decided that I couldn't let this get the best of me, I should be able to quilt a small piece using the BSR. I stopped by my LQS last Thursday on my way home from a meeting and talked with the shop's owner, she immediately suggested that I switch from a 80/12 quilting needle to a 90/14 to accommodate the larger diameter thread (30 wt. Sulky) that I was determined to use. It was that simple! After I made that adjustment the quilting progressed like a Nascar race under a green flag. I had forgotten all about the larger eye and scarf for a heavier thread, or had I ever heard all that I needed to? I guess I just don't listen to all the information that I need; but rather, think that I've gleaned enough and rush head-long into whatever needs doing. Yep, it's my all-too-human quirk, I'm foibled. But, the quilting's done!

Life is Good!

Wigglin'

I mentioned earlier this week about doing some wiggling in and out of the zig-zaggy sashes on this little quilt with red thread. I love the effect, this one is turning out just like I had hoped. I plan to do a similar, but larger scale, "wiggle" with glow-in-the-dark thread in the outer border. I had asked my husband a while back if he could make a horizontal spool holder for Sundance, I showed him what I had in mind and he whipped one up for me in short order. It's perfect for smaller, stacked threads such as the clear Mono Poly that I'm using here. I placed the spool onto the holder and we knew right away that we were going to have to find a way to stabilize it on the post. A recycled wine cork did the trick, perfectly; the spool sits nice and still now. Sometimes a little wigglin' is a good thing and sometimes (if you're a spool of thread) it's not!

Cheers!

Life is Good!

A Productive Weekend

It was a productive weekend at the Strawberry Patch, too rainy for any outdoor activities; yippee! I loaded a Picture Play quilt onto Sundance, and have had some nice results combining Superior thread's "Mono Poly" on the top with "So Fine" in the bobbin. I am meandering over all the novelties and couldn't use a thread with any color that would show and possibly obscure the images. I love the way it's turning out so far, I plan to come back in with a red thread and wiggle in and out of those zig-zaggy sashes. I found the cutest fabric in my stash for the backing, it has a family of bears at the beach, it's at least fifteen years old, (I can "date" it by remembering where we lived at the time I bought it) but, apparently, this was meant to be all along, as I had exactly enough! How about that? I finished the quilting on "Leo and Friends" earlier on Saturday before I loaded this one. I will get it bound and show a full photo soon, this one will be sold at the end of April to help raise money for the youth of our church who will be attending the National Lutheran Youth Gathering in New Orleans this summer. I quilted this one with a pantograph, Plumage, and Signature 100% cotton thread, top and bobbin.

Don't you just love rainy weekends?

Life is Good!

Troubleshooting

I had the weirdest thing occur the other day while machine quilting, it might be more accurate to say while "attempting" to machine quilt. I couldn't quilt farther than 6" before my upper thread would snap and break. This became completely frustrating fast! I had constructed a small quilt sandwich and "warmed up" there with my BSR engaged before stitching on the baby quilt I was free-motion machine quilting. As soon as I switched to the actual quilt, of course, the trouble began! I had paired a 30 weight sulky Blendable thread on top with a 60 weight Superior "Bottom Line" in the bobbin. I was using a Schmetz quilting needle, a new one. The batting was Quilter's Dream Blend, I had flannel on the back. I started trouble shooting each item, one by one. Removing each "variable" like we did food items when my son was being tested for allergies 27 years ago. I changed the needle. That wasn't it. I adjusted the tension. Nope. I rethreaded the machine, twice. No change. I moved my top thread from a vertical spool pin to the horizontal one. No change. Finally, deciding it was the Bottom Line thread, I switched to a 6o weight cotton thread, Mettler, in the bobbin; I've used this thread combination successfully many times. If possible, it snapped and broke even faster! I turned off the machine and walked away. I later took the machine apart and cleaned out each bit of fluff and lint I could find, I oiled above the bobbin case and rethreaded, I couldn't even take ten stitches on the practice sandwich now! I returned the top thread to the vertical spool pin. Worse. By this time hours had been wasted and I was becoming unglued. My husband suggested checking the troubleshooting check list in the owner's manual. Since my machine had been retro-fit upgraded to the BSR feature there's nothing in my book about that but I did find a list for general thread breakage. I ticked through the list... I checked the placement of the spool pin holder and decided to turn the spool around, end over end. Instead of the thread spooling off under it was now spooling off over the spool, placed horizontally. That was it! I was a little skeptical at first, I quilted for a short time now expecting an all too familiar tug, snap and break... it didn't happen; at all! I finished the central portion of the quilt in record time, making up for the hours lost. I hope to post a picture of the quilt soon, the baby shower is at 4 PM on Sunday. When all else fails for you, when you're having one of "those" days with your machine, try turning the spool over! It's the very first thing I'll check next time. In the meantime, I have binding to apply...

Life is Good!

Thread--Out Of Sight

Ever since my sewing table has been installed I've been looking for a way to store my thread spools. They used to occupy two large thread "trees" which sat on a long, narrow table behind my sewing chair. When the larger sewing table entered The Studio the narrow table migrated to
the attic to make more room for maneuvering the chair between the two installed machines. The physical set-up is ideal but my thread supply was relegated, temporarily, to trays placed under the cutting table where the spools were hard to reach (except for Hannes who nibbled on the ends of a few~) and time consuming to retrieve. Solution: shallow drawers mounted directly beneath the cutting surface that accommodate the thread trays. These allow the thread to be easily accessed (by me!) and quickly referenced by color and type. All this and a bonus, too: the drawers close tightly to prevent dust and light from ruining the thread! My husband has been working on the drawers in his workshop and they're even more wonderful than I had imagined. There will be two for thread, another one directly under this one, and one identical drawer beside this one that will eventually hold my rotary cutters and acrylic rulers, freeing up more valuable space. I'm already feeling much more organized and efficient!

Life is Good!