Fifty-eight

What is 58?

Since you asked, I will tell you.  

Every year, for whatever odd reason, I count the number of thread spools that I emptied throughout the year.

Drum roll please......  for 2016, the number of thread spools I emptied is 58!!



This year is a banner year - it is the most since I started counting !!!   I don't feel like I sewing any more but apparently I did!  

Better get busy if I want to beat 58 in the year 2017!!

Pat Sloan's 2016 BOM

I love to create fictional stories for my quilts as I create them.  They just seem to take on a life of their own as I am lulled by the sewing machine's hum.  

As I was searching through my stash of fabrics to use as a focus for Pat Sloan's Vacation Time block-of-the-month for last year, I found a most interesting panel. 

I am not sure how long I have had it but it seemed to "fit" into this quilts evolving story..

It seemed that as I continued to search for fabrics, I would stumble upon  and more fabrics that fit the story.. 

When the smoke cleared, I quickly evaluated the fabrics I had found and determined the story.

I can give a child the world.

It was just that easy once I found my fabrics.  I knew the colors, fabrics, and story.  What more could I ask?

I was rearing to go!


Each block was termed by Pat as something she enjoyed on her vacations and the block names she choose were just FUN!:

 

  Down on the Boardwalk
  Toes in the Sand
  Surf's Up
  The Penny Arcade
  The Beach Bag
  Summer Nights
  The Hot Dog Stand
  Salt Water Taffy
  The Ferris Wheel
  Bathing Beauties and Seashells

Of course, I made up a few extras of some of the blocks so I can make the quilt a bit larger.

 

I haven't decided on a final layout yet as I will have to decide how to work the extra blocks in.  BUT, its coming along and hope to finish it SOON!  After all, we are well into 2016s BOM!

Pat Sloan's quilts....

If you wish to review Pat Sloan's website or free BOM, please click this  LINK.

drum roll PLEASE!!!!

The official count of 2015's emptied thread spools

Another "when I get around to it" project is complete!


I just LOVE those room divider screens and being the 'frugal me' that I am, the prices for the ones I like are more than I am willing to spend. 

I happened to find this black faux wrought iron screen
with a plain neutral fabric on it...  I thought I could make it into something I love....  someday.

With a name like Barb, you are bound to get the "Barbie" moniker attached to you.  Fortunately, my mom, Barb, loves everything Barbie...  not the dolls, mind you, but the name.   Along with that, she is all about the pinkness and fluffiness.

To that end, I wanted to surprise her with something unique so, being a thriftaholic, I looked around my sewing studio to see if I had something to get me started and lo and behold, I SPY something black, and something pink and fluffy!!!

What to do; what to do??

Well, of course, something "Barbie" like!!  And pillow like.  I finally settle on a heart shape for the pillow though a pillow case did cross my mind.  However, I didn't want the pillow either lumpy looking or looking like an overfilled balloon so I knew some adjustments to the standard PILLOWMAKING 101 would be required.

So I develop a "Barbie" like font template and reverse printed it onto a piece of Sharon's Secret Foundation (PurpleDaisiesQuilting.com or SharonSchaumber.com)

I then glue basted and warm iron pressed black felt to the wrong side of the foundation paper and carefully cut the black Barbie and the foundation paper.  Looking at the black felt, it should read correctly at this point.

I cut a piece of pink fluffy fabric, in a heart shape, a couple inches wider than the "Barbie" and backed it with a piece of foundation slightly bigger than the font. 

Thus, I have, from the top, a black felt "Barbie: RSU, a heart shaped pink fluffy pillow fabric RSU, and a foundation attached to the back of the pillow fabric.

As the black felt/foundation piece is fairly stiff, I pin basted it all the way through to the back foundation paper to begin, thinking if it didn't stay put, I would hand baste it to the pillow.

Using a Quilt Halo (SharonSchaumber.com) and black top thread and white bottom thread, even though I knew the bottom MIGHT show through on the top I did the narrowed zig zag on the very edge of the black felt.  Honestly, I decided that the heart fabric was fluffy enough to hold the visible part to a minimum.

Which it did....  but I think I just got lucky!

After picking most of the foundation paper from the back of the heart, I assembled the heart.  Of course, the front and back of the pillow are the same size, but I also (ADJUSTMENT #1) added a 4" "boxing" strip.  

I wasn't sure how much of the strip I would need as both the heart and the strip fabrics were stretchy.   I did my best guess on how much to stretch and in the correct spots and sewed the front and strip together, RST.  

I than pinned the back to the strip, lining up the point at the top and bottom of the heart with the same spot on the strip where it was sewn to the pillow front.  I sewed around, leaving about a 6" opening on a flat side near the bottom of the heart.

Time to stuff. (ADJUSTMENT #2).  As I didn't want it lumpy, which is common for this type of item when filled with poly fiberfill. I tried to think outside the box regarding stuffing.

When the lightbulb above my head came on, I was ready.


I cut 4 hearts SLIGHT LARGER than the finished size of the pillow from some leftover, and slightly stiff polyester batting.  I baste sewed around the outside of both sets of batting hearts, leaving about 4" opening on the flat side of each set .

I then stuffed the batting hearts and sewed them closed with a quick running stitch, by hand.  I pushed the batting hearts, one at a time, into the pillow, making sure the top and bottom points were matching up.  Once both batting hearts were inside, I slipstitched the opening closed and VIOLA!!

Of course, I made a companion, but nameless, "Midge" pillow for Barbie.  I seemed only right.

I really loved doing this project.  I learned new techniques and crazy loved the end products.

I needed a diversion from some of the larger projects I have going so I went to a project that is ongoing; headbands tend to be a staple at craft fairs.  The look of headbands change with fads over time but they always remain in vogue as a fashion accessory.

It seems some items must be seen, touched, and even modeled... so I have not previously offered headbands in an online venue.  Plus, the little sparklies do not generally show well with an amateur (me) behind the camera.   We will see how it goes.

 
Each Headband measures approximately 32" long and 4" wide, thus, one size fits most. Soft, comfortable, and easy to wear. Not suitable for small children due to embellishments.



Additional headbands are maintained in stock at all times and there no two will ever be alike.

$10 each or 3/$25, plus shipping and $1 per total order s/h.  Paypal accepted.

In the future, you will find these under the "Offered for sale..." tab above.
The pattern is also available.

Tomorrow is the BIG DAY!!!   FINALLY!!!

The Gammill rep will be stopping by to chat...  and while he is here, he will be setting up my Optimum with Statler Stitch, a 14' table with hydraulics, and a light bar.  The space this monster, who I have fondly named George, is just over 5' deep and 15' in length.



My entire studio had to be flipped from one end to the other....  meaning that every single THING in my 700 square foot room had to be moved.....  every piece of furniture, every scrap of fabric, every pin, and even the wall decorations.  Even the fridge had to be moved to get everything arranged into a layout conducive to George, quilting, AngelGowns, and every thing else I do.

The area shown is, wall to wall, 10' x 19', and it will all be used for George, allowing space for a chair and to walk around it.  The light colored stand will be filled with threads, courtesy of the previous owners of George, once the machine is set up.

I did put my quilting sign back up and one "design wall", along with my cork board and a couple other little things.  I didn't want a bunch of stuff in the way while George is being put back together.  My hubby and son took it apart and they both commented that it was "$#@*#(@$* heavy" and if I was paying by the pound, I got a great deal!!!

After putting up one of my design walls (ok, its a flannel backed table cloth), I decided to de-thread it. I didn't get everything off but Holy Cats!  perhaps I should clean it a bit more often !!!  that's a lot of thread!!

The redo of my studio has managed to take about 2 months....  life, as it often does, got in the way.  

However, its been great as I used the time to do a few things that have been on my list for a long while! 

I collected entertainment centers and bookshelves in a similar style so everything kinda matches.  I repainted several items in the room to follow my long desired RED theme. I covered some of the doors in the entertainment centers with, of course, red fabric.  I added some red knobs to some of the cabinets, just for fun.  I took the time to organize, sort, and get rid of many things that do not fit in my hobby life these days. I may even paint a simple mural on the walls, quilting themed and in red of course....but we shall see.

Once George has taken up residence and the rest of the room gets put back into its assigned space, maybe I will share photos of my glorious studio.....

but I just couldn't WAIT to share my joy about tomorrow.  I may not sleep tonight!! 

A very good friend of my cousin Colleen is CRAY-CRAY about the Iowa State Cyclones....  and because I love my cousin and her friend, I decided to do something a little unusual.

My cousin and I went shopping for a dark red bath towel, hand towel, and washcloth......   and I just happened to have some fabric I thought would interest the friend, Kathy.

A little creative cutting, gathering, and sewing.....   and VIOLA!!

A one of a kind Clone towel set....   and a happy Kathy!!

I think I will call her George....

I can not, in any way, express to you the excitement I have felt since early last week. 

Story goes...   I have a 10' quilting table and a MegaQuilter with a 9" throat.  I bought it to see if I
liked "longarm quilting".  I do. 

Sewing a large quilt on this machine (aka a midarm quilter) rather than a regular domestic sewing machine (aka DSM) is that you don't have to worry about wrestling the fabric around.  But I had outgrown this set up and wanted a bigger sewing machine...  a real longarm.

However, buying a real longarm is a substantial purchase and was just not in the cards...  but I did have a house listed to sell in Iowa.  A couple nibbles on it but no buyers so I take it off the market during last winter....  fast forward to spring, relist it, and sold it in two days.

So now I had the approval of the hubby and some $ to buy a longarm quilter. 

But I was frozen with indecision...  should I spend the $?  what should I buy?  how many bells and whistles do I want....   and am willing to pay for?    So my decision was apparently to do nothing because that's what I did...  for a while.

Then I finished hubby's quilt top.  I had made it as large as we wanted it....

but there was a problem....  my quilting table was 10'...  which left no room for the mechanics of "longarming".   I guess I needed a bigger table....   and if I am buying a bigger table, perhaps I should buy a bigger machine....

So many had suggested attending quilt expos and trying all the machines but I really believe that its like buying a fridge.  Even if you love it in the store, when you get it home and real use begins, you always find something you do not love as much as you thought.

I know the name of the "good" machines...  so if I bought a good machine, I would love what it offered and I would not wish for something I saw or used on another machine.  With PTSD, its easy for me to get overwhelmed...  so I went about it backwards.  I will buy a machine; the best machine I can get for the $ I have, and I will love it...  and perhaps hug it and call it George.

Add to the mix that I am frugal at heart....   so I started shopping on craigslist.  

I found several Avantes, which were totally acceptable.   They are definitely a huge step up from my set up and affordable - all well under the $10,000 I allowed to get this thing going.  Several friends have them and have very few bad things to say about them...  I contact the sellers with what I felt are appropriate questions... I researched, I asked, and I considered, and I felt I was ready to go try the machines and check their condition...  and make a decision.

Then I find this ad:

Gammill Optimum with Statler Stitcher, with hundreds of pre-installed patterns. The 14 foot table can easily handle king sized quilts. This is a great machine for home quilting business or just a quilter. Tuns of thread and bobbins and fabric. to much to list. Purchaser is responsible for dis-assembly, pickup, transportation and set up costs.

My mouth dropped open... at first glance of the ad, this machine would be...  well, like EVERYTHING anybody could EVER want in a longarm.  It is located in Tucson, which is perfect as my son is there and his neighbor is a guy that sets up longarms.  Was it Karma?

But wow... it was just a little more (ok A LOT) than I had planned to spend.  But, BUT, BUT... its a Gammill with a 30" throat, 14' hydraulic table, light bar, Statler Stitcher....  I was having heart palpitations.  I had the $ and I had room for it...  but I wasn't planning on spending THAT much.   But here it was... and I would NEVER EVER have the money to buy a new one as this one was listed for about 1/3 of what it would cost new.

I did nothing.   I thought about it.   I slept (ok TRIED to sleep) on it.   I fought with myself...  buy a bigger machine and someday want more (computer guided, deeper throat, etc, etc) or buy it all...  go for the gold....  live the dream.... and do it now.



stock photo

After a day or two of fighting with myself, I talked to the hubby.  I talked to my mom.  I talked to a cherished quilter friend.  I even talked to a quilt shop owner.  They all basically asked me what was I waiting for...

So I called the number attached to the ad.  She was a lovely woman; she answered my questions, but said that someone was coming for it on the 19th and she would call me if it fell through.   I was not sad as I had already decided that it was just too good to be true.

I continued to peruse the Avantes, staying in touch with the sellers, but decided to buy nothing until after the 19th....  just in case.

Then the call came...  She said they were not coming after all.  The Gammill was mine if I wanted it.   I said I would talk to my husband and let her know tomorrow if that was ok...  she was fine with it.

Then I had a heart attack.  So much $.  But so much machine.  There was no question in my mind that it was well worth what she was asking.  The question was, did I want to spend that much...  did I need that much machine....  and would I live through this! :)

Hubby said DO IT.  I called her back.  We discussed a day to "get acquainted" and if all was well, a day to dis-assemble.  We reserved a hotel room.  We reserved a truck.  I talked to son and longarm neighbor.  It was a go and I think I had all the bases covered.  Well, aside from the heart palpitations.

Chain Stitch Machine

We had travel plans over the weekend so Tuesday, we left for Tucson.  Todie and Dean spend several hours with me, walking through the table, the machine, the Statler, the tips and tricks, and what all went with the set up.  They were lovely and amazing people.  So kind, caring, and truly invested in me being happy with the machine.

And I truly felt ill...  but in a good way.   I agreed to buy it.  I teared up. Todie teared up.  Dean and my hubby laughed.

We started dismantling the machine.   WOW.  Heavy is the first word that comes to mind.

The dismantling took several hours but we got 'er done.
 

Boxes of manuals, pantos, quilting tools, lights, and backing.


Thank GOD for my husband, my son, Uhaul coming through after a small screw up (another long story but they made it right), and for the wonderful couple that sold me their machine.


Computer and parts

And thank you to Mia for helping with the carrying and holding of doors.

 

3 boxes and bins of thread

We left Tucson with a 20' Uhaul truck bed completely covered with long, big, heavy table parts, batting, thread, a chair, a thread stand, and various other items. 


2 full boxes of  batting

Our Avalanche was full of machine heads, backing fabric, computer parts, about 10 quilt tops, and other miscellany.

We were hot, sweaty, and tired.  

I was happy beyond words.

And all this started because I made a quilt top too big.

Her name is George.   Because I will forever love her and squeeze her and call her George.  I told Todie to come up any time to quilt her remaining UFOs.  After all, I owe her big for this incredible gift.

May your dreams come true...  but when the time is right.  Remember that Karma knows best.  Listen to your gut and trust that it will all work out the way its suppose to  :)


8 Things All People Who Sew Wish You Knew About Them

I found this on Melly Sews and just had to share...  I laughed out loud several times because it was ALL TOO TRUE.  http://mellysews.com/2015/04/8-things-people-who-sew-wish-everyone-else-knew.html

1. Don’t Use Our Fabric Scissors - EVER.

It is true - sewists are a little crazy about their scissors.  Why?  Because we use them to cut fabric...


and when you use them to cut other things, they don’t cut fabric well. This is why we will go to extreme measures to hide our sewing scissors and why we FREAK.OUT. when they get used on something else.

True story: I remember being about 5 years old with hair to my waist. On the day I’m thinking of, my mom had styled it in two very long pony tails. I had been asking for short hair for a while, but that day I decided to take matters into my own hands when I saw my mom’s sewing scissors (which I wasn’t allowed to use).

And I cut off one entire ponytail.

I’m not sure if my mom was madder that I cut my hair, or that I used her sewing scissors to do it.

Moral of the story: Don’t touch the sewing scissors. Just don’t.

2. Sewing is not a dying art

All sewists have had this happen – we’ve met a new acquaintance, and somehow the fact that we sew gets mentioned.

And then we get THE LOOK. Like we have 3 heads.

Sewing used to be a skill that was taught in public school, and every girl knew how to do it. In my grandmother’s time, most homes had a sewing machine. But then ready wear clothing became more affordable, women started to work outside the home, and sewing fell by the wayside. It kind of skipped a generation.

But it’s NOT a dying art!  In fact, sewing as a creative hobby is currently experiencing a resurgence.

Younger sewists got interested and took to the internet to learn since it’s often not a school subject or something every mom taught their kids anymore. It’s not hard to find the vibrant and active sewing community online now.

There are bloggers, Instagrammers, Facebook groups – so many ways to interact. And industry market research backs this up as well – the sewing machine market is growing and is projected to continue to grow.

So next time you meet someone who sews, don’t act so surprised.

 3. Don’t bring us your mending

Look – you’re not doing us a favor. While sewing in the past was mostly a practical household skill, now there are fewer household with a machine, and those that do have one are usually hobbyists. And hobbyists don’t get their creative buzz from fixing your old clothes.

Mending and alterations are such common requests that I actually wrote a post about how to say no to these sewing requests. And let me tell you – the sewing community loves that post.

So unless your sewing friend has SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED that they are happy to do mending or alterations, do us all favor and take them to your local tailor.


4. Anyone who wants to learn to sew, can.

This is similar to number 2. And it is often the follow up statement to the 3-headed look. “That’s amazing! That must take so much skill!”

Yes, sewing is a skill. But it’s like cooking or car repair or any other skill – ANYONE can learn to do it, and ANYONE can get better with practice.

If it’s something you’re interested in, go for it! Many sewists give in person lessons, or there is a wealth of internet information if you prefer an independent learning style. For example – I have a FREE learn to sew course right here.












5. Sewing is not just for women and girls.

This shouldn’t be something that needs to be said, but there is often an assumption that only women sew.

While the sewing community is slanted toward women, I’m noticing a trend myself – something I heard another blogger call “secret man sewists”. They’re out there – men who have discovered the creative art of sewing.

For examples, look to the sewing soldier from The Great British Sewing Bee, Taylor Tailor, Man Sewing, Male Pattern Boldness, and men in sewing Facebook groups or commenting on Facebook pages and sharing their posts on Instagram.

Sewing is an equal opportunity hobby.

6. There are different types of sewing.

I love to sew clothing.

Others love to quilt.

Others love to sew for their homes.

All of these types of sewing require slightly different skill sets, and just because a sewist can do one doesn’t mean they can (or want to) do any of the other types.




7. Not everyone who sews wants to have an Etsy shop.

We realize that this is mostly a compliment when people say, “Oh, that’s so good, you should open your own Etsy shop!”

And that’s fine, and most of us have the manners to say, “Oh, thank you.”

But when you keep pushing it, or make more than that one comment, it gets old. There’s a lot more to having an Etsy shop than just being able to sew. And some of us have no desire to tackle all that other side of things. Not to mention – sewing multiples of the same item is the definition of torture for some of us.

So we’ll take the compliment. Once. After that, please don’t bring it up again!

8. Some of our fabric will never be cut or sewn.

Some sewists are very good at only buying fabric for a current project and not having a stash. But for the majority of us, at some point we’ll see some beautiful fabric and we’ll succumb to buying it without a project in mind.

And then it will probably happen again.

We will occasionally pet that beautiful fabric, and dream of the perfect project, but sometimes it never happens. Sometimes that fabric is fulfilling it’s purpose for us without being cut or sewn. And that’s OK, so unless our stash has grown to "fire hazard/call the Hoarders producers/can’t find the sewing machine under all that fabric" status, don’t mention it.

We’ll love you more for letting us love our fabric.

Baby burps everywhere!

I needed to finish an order of baby burps pads....   while I love making them, they DO make a big mess....    flannel....  terry....  its not a "neat" project.

So when I finally got to it, I decided to do it BIG!  I pulled what flannel I needed for the order, then a few more pieces that were ready to give their space in the stash pile up to go live with a baby.  I dug out the terry, went thru it, and pulled out the pieces and parts that were large enough for my needs. 

I did some preliminary cutting and pinning....  and still ended up with this sample of what was to come. 

Seriously, I think if you just IMAGINE a project with terry, these little thingies will show up, just so they know you are considering, carefully, what you are about to embark upon.

Since I went BIG, I decided to do it outside, but not too close to the pool.   The little terry thingies said they did NOT want to swim today.

I set myself up on the patio and started sewing...

and sewing...

Until I finished all that I had prepared.  Aren't they pretty?

I ran them through a fluff cycle in the dryer with a couple tennis balls to remove the last of the terry thingies....

  I swept up the patio, gathered up the trash.....

 
And sat back to enjoy the fruits of my labors...    I love this style...  not too big, not too small, shaped for the neck, long enough to cover the all important "over the shoulder" area, absorbent, and durable!

Now to ship the order of baby burp pads.  The rest will be offered at this year's craft shows.

What did you do today?