Misc Week of July 13th Fireside Chat

packyderms_wife

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Wow, it's the second week of July already!

It's finally cooled down enough that I can paint fabric and not have it dry instantly, which causes all sorts of problems.
 
Cardinal

Cardinal

Chickministrator
_______________
Maybe, just for the summer, you could make this a poolside chat.
Then everyone could bring their fav drinks and what they are working on....
Unfortunately, I would have to bring my bonsai trees cause that is all I have going on at the moment.
 
packyderms_wife

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Cardinal said:
Maybe, just for the summer, you could make this a poolside chat.
Then everyone could bring their fav drinks and what they are working on....
Unfortunately, I would have to bring my bonsai trees cause that is all I have going on at the moment.
Click to expand...

Not a bad idea, I was thinking like a campfire for the summer or a bonfire but it's been raining too much here to do such things! Poolside sounds great right about now though. Lot of stitchers I know dye and paint fabric, yarn, fleeces, thread, etc., outside during the warmer months.
 
Melodi

Melodi

Disaster Cat
I went to what was intended as an SCA garb (historical clothing) making day and my German housemate (the engineer) did make a pattern and cut out a new Norse dress for me, but both ended up spending a good deal of time teaching a young women Tablet Weaving 101.

I promised an informal class with her next weekend at the SCA event, I'm also planning on taking some of my new wool stashes and all those drop spindles I found with me for folks who want to practice or learn. It is a Viking Themed event so I will probably leave the spinning wheel at home.
 
packyderms_wife

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Melodi said:
I went to what was intended as an SCA garb (historical clothing) making day and my German housemate (the engineer) did make a pattern and cut out a new Norse dress for me, but both ended up spending a good deal of time teaching a young women Tablet Weaving 101.

I promised an informal class with her next weekend at the SCA event, I'm also planning on taking some of my new wool stashes and all those drop spindles I found with me for folks who want to practice or learn. It is a Viking Themed event so I will probably leave the spinning wheel at home.
Click to expand...

Sounds like fun, post photos if you get a chance to take any!
 
marsh

marsh

On TB every waking moment
I have done quilt piecing for many years. Now I am "into" learning free motion quilting and ruler work on my domestic machine set up. (I have a PQ 1500 Brother and a Juki)

If you are interested in piecing blocks, Bradie Sparrow has a 50 blocks in 50 weeks piecing instruction on now. https://sparrowquiltco.com/blogs/50-blocks-in-50-weeks

I have finished my quilt sandwiches and plotted out squares and have been filling them with ruler work with a block a day with Natalia Bonner on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=natalia+bonner+block+a+day

I have been following Amy Johnson and her quilt-a-long on an Amish style quilt on Fridays on Facebook. She has a blog and here are some of her youtube videos on:
Curving Feathers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfxDe_WLiQ0
MacTavishing https://www.freemotionquiltingadventures.com/2014/03/mctavishing-monday-free-motion-link.html
https://www.freemotionquiltingadventures.com/2014/03/mctavishing-monday-5-free-motion-link.html

I also have finished reviewing Christina Cameli's three quilting classes on Bluprint.com, which are excellent and I am practicing her "Wild Quilting" on blank quilt sandwiches

I have watched the Bluprint classes by Ann Unrein on making two of her bags. This month I plan on making a set for my daughter and if they go well, I will make a set for my grand daughter. She has finishing kits here: https://www.byannie.com/

I want to quilt the bags with a spiral /MacTavishing cross (sort of like what Angela Walters calls a "Swirl chain" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ugYJ6J9bP0
 
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AlaskaSue

AlaskaSue

North to the Future
marsh, how do you like your juki? My step-mom (who I can say I got into quilting - but she's way, way ahead of me nowadays. She's an awesome, prolific quilter) has loved her Bernina for many years (it's pre-computer) and she is now thinking hard about juki. I'd be interested in your take on it.

I have a few quilt projects going as well as dresses and tops for the grandgirls, but tooooo sunny to be indoors so that's all on hold now. These days aren't going to last and the indoor time is coming all too soon. So for now I'm gardening and enjoying the birds and flowers and sunshine (and heat!!). Sewing and knitting time is coming up fast though :) and I do look forward to that too. I'm really happy about the new room here and seeing what everyone is doing!
 
marsh

marsh

On TB every waking moment
I bought the Juki many years ago. I had it on a quilting frame with traveling rails - sort of an ersatz machine quilter. It had handles that you could plug into it that you could use to operate speed. It was on a little cart that ran along the rails. The thread or the needle would always break.

I had it cleaned and was using it on a table and it was a good machine, but I didn't use it much. I used my trusty Singer for piecing. All I needed was to go forward and backward. Hated that my Singer and the Juki didn't have an automatic needle down position.

I really got into pieced work with log cabins and paper piecing. They took so long, I could send them out to be professionally quilted.

When I retired, I bought the Brother PQ 1500 with automatic needle threader and needle down. It was a nightmare finding a needle that would give me proper tension. I have found if I don't put the needle all the way in, (Superior titanium top stitch,) I can get the right tension. I can not use the automatic needle threader though. When I have it serviced, I'll see if they can adjust it.

It is a damned good little machine once I figured it out. I love quilting on it - no thread breaking forward backward side to side. (The needle threads from left to right.) I have it set down in a big cabinet with two of those white fold picnic tables around it. One on the side and one behind. I have rigged some clothes racks between the tables and the cabinet and have hung plastic clamps with bungie cords to keep the quilt weight light for free motion. I covered the seams where the tables meet with one of those slick flat plastic winter toboggan sheets, then a supreme slider. I have been able to do king sized quilts quite easily with the set up. (I have some old quilt tops. I am trying to stick with twin or full at largest with new ones.)

I bought one of those flexible strip led lights and put it under the throat over the harp space.

I have always wanted a Bernina but I really don't need a computer - just a fast heavy duty machine that goes up and down, forward and backward.
 
Melodi

Melodi

Disaster Cat
I am having kind of one of "those" days (my body does not like the antibiotics it needs to take right now)so after discovering my sewing machine has gone AWOL and that we didn't mark all the pieces of my gown (though housemate sent me an e-mail cheat sheet - she is an engineer and works away from home during the week) I have given up on sewing for the day (or doing much else) and:

Cast on a Baby Surprise Sweater for friends that are expecting a baby (actually several people in that extended family are expecting babies).

I haven't made one in years, but I wanted to do some small ones again before maybe making an adult one for me this Winter after I finish the "sweater O Cat pee" which is still not washed because (of course) it started to rain every day as soon as I got serious about washing it.

I will try to get some photos at the event on Saturday, we are "day-tripping" so hopefully I won't be too worn out afterward (also course of antibiotics should be over).
 
F

Faroe

Un-spun
Been filling in empty surface space on the old quilt while waiting for my yarn to arrive.

Was listening to some some quilting videos while stitching, and ended up on a series of Sue Daley English Paper Piecing videos. I have experimented in this technique before, but didn't have the proper glue stick, nor the pre-cut paper shapes earlier. This is one technique where the right supplies/tools really make a difference. Amazon had the fabric glue sticks and refills, as well as Dritz hexies, which had good reviews. Amazon's other paper shapes are made by some place that isn't doing a good job - can be seen from both the product photos, and the poor reviews. PaperPieces.com seems to be having tech. difficulties with their site, or I would have ordered everything from that place. I still want some triangles for 8-pointed stars, and 2" and 4" squares from them. Eventually, I'd like to do a Mariner's Compass pattern, but I may need to find a hand-sewing technique that is foundation paper pieced, NOT English paper pieced ( I expect that the very long points of the Mariner's are too narrow for the cardstock to support in EPP ). Still don't know if I'll enjoy the process. Figured about $20 in initial tools was a good risk to see if this is a method I'll want to pursue.

There is a new book coming out later in the month on Welsh quilts, focused on how to draft/make them. Love the Welsh style. I have Jen Jone's book, but that is more of a documentation of her collection, although she does provide some diagramming. My quilt-in-progress isn't Welsh, the quilting isn't really any style at all, except..."beginner." I knew exactly what I wanted for the block pattern and borders when I pieced it, but had NO idea whatsoever on how to proceed with the surface stitching. I did my best - I'd say the design choices look a bit clumsy, and the needle work itself isn't perfect, despite my best attempts. BF didn't understand why I've been spending so much time sewing quilting lines in thread that wouldn't "show." "The marking lines are going away?" Sigh....we live in two different worlds. I tried to explain, it still doesn't make sense to him.
 
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packyderms_wife

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Faroe said:
Been filling in empty surface space on the old quilt while waiting for my yarn to arrive.

Was listening to some some quilting videos while stitching, and ended up on a series of Sue Daley English Paper Piecing videos. I have experimented in this technique before, but didn't have the proper glue stick, nor the pre-cut paper shapes earlier. This is one technique where the right supplies/tools really make a difference. Amazon had the fabric glue sticks and refills, as well as Dritz hexies which had good reviews. Amazon's other paper shapes are made by some place that isn't doing a good job - can be seen from both the product photos, and the poor reviews. PaperPieces.com seems to be having tech. difficulties with their site, or I would have ordered everything from that place. I still want some triangles for 8-pointed stars, and 2" and 4" squares from them. Eventually, I'd like to do a Mariner's Compass pattern, but I may need to find a hand-sewing technique that in foundation paper pieced, NOT English paper pieced ( I expect that the very long points are of the Mariner's too narrow to accommodate the seam allowances in EPP). Still don't know if I'll enjoy the process. Figured about $20 in initial tools was a good risk to see if this is a method I'll want to pursue.
Click to expand...

If you're on FB there's a quilting group there for paper piecing, they may know more for the mariner's compass.
 
marsh

marsh

On TB every waking moment
Faroe said:
Been filling in empty surface space on the old quilt while waiting for my yarn to arrive.

Was listening to some some quilting videos while stitching, and ended up on a series of Sue Daley English Paper Piecing videos. I have experimented in this technique before, but didn't have the proper glue stick, nor the pre-cut paper shapes earlier. This is one technique where the right supplies/tools really make a difference. Amazon had the fabric glue sticks and refills, as well as Dritz hexies, which had good reviews. Amazon's other paper shapes are made by some place that isn't doing a good job - can be seen from both the product photos, and the poor reviews. PaperPieces.com seems to be having tech. difficulties with their site, or I would have ordered everything from that place. I still want some triangles for 8-pointed stars, and 2" and 4" squares from them. Eventually, I'd like to do a Mariner's Compass pattern, but I may need to find a hand-sewing technique that is foundation paper pieced, NOT English paper pieced ( I expect that the very long points of the Mariner's are too narrow for the cardstock to support in EPP ). Still don't know if I'll enjoy the process. Figured about $20 in initial tools was a good risk to see if this is a method I'll want to pursue.

There is a new book coming out later in the month on Welsh quilts, focused on how to draft/make them. Love the Welsh style. I have Jen Jone's book, but that is more of a documentation of her collection, although she does provide some diagramming. My quilt-in-progress isn't Welsh, the quilting isn't really any style at all, except..."beginner." I knew exactly what I wanted for the block pattern and borders when I pieced it, but had NO idea whatsoever on how to proceed with the surface stitching. I did my best - I'd say the design choices look a bit clumsy, and the needle work itself isn't perfect, despite my best attempts. BF didn't understand why I've been spending so much time sewing quilting lines in thread that wouldn't "show." "The marking lines are going away?" Sigh....we live in two different worlds. I tried to explain, it still doesn't make sense to him.
Click to expand...

I used to do a foundation paper piecing technique that involved the freezer paper you buy in the grocery. You would use an old needle and sew the pattern into stacked layers of it. This would allow it to be torn away as you sewed. The freezer paper can be ironed on the under side of the fabric. I think I learned it from Fons and Porter. It worked for me and I did some very complex archs, New York Beauty points and mosaic rosettes using it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf_5JpiTk-k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KVsUsRZ5ZU

On your glue purchase, in the future water soluable Elmer's school glue sticks are much cheaper and do a good job.

I believe Carol Doak is supposed to be one of the best with paper piecing.

This one uses Doak's piecing papers and an add a quarter ruler
youtube.com/watch?v=qBHvzITS9fw
 
F

Faroe

Un-spun
Not on FB, but have considered making an account to substitute for Rav.

I have the purple school glue sticks, but they are so wide, and I end up with sticky purple glue all over my fingers, and everything BUT the 1/4" seam allowance. Haven't run across Carol Doak yet...will look her up. Thanks for the links.

Not even 8 am yet, and already feels like a hundred degrees outside. Ugh. Hate summer heat.
 
AlaskaSue

AlaskaSue

North to the Future
Faroe said:
Ok, so...Boutis. I've always admired whole cloth quilts, but, Oh My! Here is a commercial piece dated to the 18th century. Now, I know where the machine quilters get many of their ideas. This one of course, was done by hand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvMHl10Tl5k
4:33
Click to expand...

Faroe, THANK YOU for posting that video...that quilt is breath-taking. I'm so glad to have seen it and have to show my step-mom :)

Meanwhile, our short summer will be over in a few weeks so I'm outdoors all the livelong day trying to get all the warm sunshine that I can. But evenings I am getting to cut girls dress and top patterns to sew up if it ever rains again - and trying to decide which fun hat patterns I want to start knitting for Christmas gifts. That'll be here all-too-soon I know!
 
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