I did it! My first major non-quilting item! There are a few places that need improvement, but over all I am quite happy with it! I’, also doing one with some Americana fabric. I think it will turn out equally as cute! On that one, I will be doing velcro instead of buttons, but I’ll probably throw one on for decoration anyways! I’m so excited to teach a class on this at work!
We all remember my piece I wrote about Hoarding Fabric… I mean Stashing… (Awkward Silence.) Something I recently noticed, is that people are not just hoarding fabric, I’m sorry, stashing, but they are also hoarding machines. I, myself, have been dabbling in it I suppose, as I have collected a few machines, but only two of them, so I don;t think I need to go to rehab yet. Lately I’ve been going to auctions and consignment shops and looking for any antique gems that still run. The only requirement I have is that they need to run properly, because I do plan to sew with them. In fact, just recently, I acquired a Singer 66 from 1947, and I’m in love with it. It’s just gorgeous! (Is it wrong to be more excited about getting a machine than going on a date?) Continue reading
One of my favorite tricks is to use magnetic bowls for m pins and needle threaders, and safety pins. It’s one of my favorite sewing tips!
I have a confession: I have depression.
I was diagnosed with depression about 2 years ago, and up until last year I never really had anything that made me very happy. That was the case until I found quilting. I think there is something therapeutic about watching the sewing needle pierce fabric thousands of times, and not to mention beating down corner seams with a mallet to get them to lie flat. I find the entire project therapeutic. I get to watch something I make go from a pile of fabric to a gorgeous quilt. I think each step of the process really helps me get out of a slump, and even pushes me towards being happier in general. That’s actually part of the reason I started this blog.
Tales of polyester thread have been spun all over the internet. Some of them, are ridiculously false, and some of them, I have no idea if they are true or not.
I was recently reading a book on rotary cutting, and the author says that polyester thread will cut through your quilt and will ruin it. I thought to myself, “that’s bleeding ridiculous”, and I call shenanigans! Think about that for a second. Would polyester thread cut through your cotton quilt? No! I instantly thought about a shirt or blouse. I have plenty of cotton shirts with polyester thread, and I highly doubt that any amount of stress a quilt will be under would be far less than the seam on the sleeve of the one of my work shirts. Think about a silk blouse. This clearly isn’t true! I know there are quite a few people who hate all things polyester. I’m not saying I love the fabric, but the thread is nice in my opinion! Continue reading
Do you pine for perfect quarter inch seems on your projects? I’m sure you do! I do! Well, I did, now I don’t pine any longer! A friend of mine taught me this, and it works amazingly! I know some people probably already know this, but I think someone will find it interesting! It not only helps with perfect seams, but it is one of my many secrets to help quilt faster! That’s right! I said faster!
Follow the jump to find out the secret! Continue reading
I started my next project. After I picked out the fabric, it just kind of hit me what to do with them. I’m not gonna say exactly what I’m doing, but rest assured, it will be epic! The reason I’m not saying, is because it very well may change by the time I finish it! I’m quite fickle like that!
Click below for more photos!
I’m sitting here in my basement fervently tearing up my stash of fabric looking for any fun scrap I can add to this fun quilt top. I decided that I was not going to do the puzzle piece as I did with my other nephew’s quilt. Both of his parents are quite the individuals, and so I imagine he will be quite the individual too! I decided to make his a wave of colors almost. It is going to start out as red, and then fade to green, then to orange then to purple, then to green, and then back to red. I’m not sure how I came up with the idea, but I’m really enjoying it as it starts to come together! I already started piecing scraps together to get fun textures and colors in the quilt, and I already started to pattern then out on my floor.
I’m kind of just rolling with th pattern for now, and it is very apt to change as it gets closer to being done, so we shall see how far it ends up from it’s starting point.
Click below for more Pictures.
Eric The Quilter 