some spray basting thoughts

i've got a backing made, and this pink and navy improv quilt is now basted.

have i ever mentioned that i like to keep the paper label scraps from the batting roll and use them to cover the floor and baseboards around the quilt sandwich while i'm spray basting? the warm and white batting roll (i get mine at joann crafts with a 40% off coupon) comes with a thin paper label wound with all the layers of batting, so whenever i unroll some batting for a new quilt, i also get a long strip of paper to rip off.

by putting it down on the perimeter of my quilt when i'm basting, it protects the floor and keeps any sticky mist from settling on what's nearby. currently i have enough paper to go 3 deep around the quilt. i also have two old towels i keep tucked away in my sewing room for this purpose. i usually lay the towels over the carpeted staircase base or at my sewing room doors, depending on where i've positioned the quilt.

when i'm done with all the basting, i put all the paper strips in a stack and roll them up to stow away with the towels. they don't take up much room at all and really help keep things neat and tidy when i'm spraying that adhesive everywhere. i do try to stay very close to where i'm spraying on the quilt layers, just a few inches away, but the mist still floats a bit sometimes, especially on the perimeter of the quilt. i've got plenty of photos of gummy feet or socks to prove it. (if you followed the "socks" link, obviously i got on the spray basting train! thank you, odif 505.)

some people use old sheets for this, which would also work well. i like the convenience and compactness of the batting roll label. plus, i'm upcycling the papers.

when i was pulling the tape off the basted quilt once it was together today, i had another idea to try.

i'm rather notorious for sewing the extra ends of the backing to the quilt body while i'm quilting. that's one of the reasons i don't give myself as much wiggle room as i should when making the batting and backing larger than the quilt top. standard is 3-4" on all sides. my margins are often closer to 1-2". i also hate the waste, so i make my overage a lot smaller than i "should," in most cases.

today i noticed that the excess batting around the quilt top was sticky and i decided to fold the excess backing over to the top of the batting. i think this might help keep it out of the way when i'm quilting! there's certainly less flopping around now. i'll let you know how it works.

a just for fun photo because i noticed my dress was coordinating with the quilt backing.

here's one more color coordinated photo: my backing fabric and new pink steam iron. i'm giving this oliso iron a try. i don't really know much about it, but someone (can't remember who?) recommended it. i saw a discount code at suzyquilts.com, and ordered it direct from the company for 20% off and free shipping (suzyquilts20).

today is my first time using it. the whole smart handle/retractable platform/horizontal resting is quite new to me. i've only used it on the backing today, so i can't really say what i think. but it did do a really nice, tight job on getting my backing seams wide open and flat.

again, i'll report back when i've had more experience with it.

needle notes

sunday afternoon i walked into my sewing room to locate a new needle for handquilting "beauty for ashes" quilt. as i looked around the room i recently (but not completely) rearranged, i realized i was looking in the proverbial haystack for a new needle! i have no idea where the particular orange box containing my tulip betweens was hiding in that vast and convoluted space. so i grabbed some sashiko needles from the same maker and quickly shut the doors behind me.

i've been using the same needle for several of my handwork projects for months now and figured it was a good idea to replace it, like you do with the machine periodically. it wasn't giving me any trouble, but it just seemed long overdue since i've handquilted a few quilts and bound several others all on the same little needle. it's slightly bent after all it's use.

i had the sashiko needles around because last time i was at the sewing store they didn't have the sharps i wanted in stock. sashiko is a handwork tradition so i thought it might be a good bet for my handquilting. i know absolutely nothing about sashiko other than what i just said, so i knew nothing about it's needle's dimensions or properties.

well, the needle is larger and longer. it's easier to get a grip on than my tiny little sharp was. and the eye is more compatible to 12wt thread. but it didn't allow me to make my stitches as small as i was used to doing. and it was difficult to push and pull through the fabrics. i felt like i was punching holes in the fabrics. perhaps this is all my inexperience or because i'm using it in a way not intended. who knows? obviously i need to research that more.

either way, after struggling through one row of stitches, i located my warped old friend and got back to work. despite it's age and extensive use, it still slides through the fabrics quite easily and oh so daintily. yes, the eye is still a challenge to thread, but it's manageable (with my readers on and a little patience) and i feel like it leaves less of a mark behind than the large needle did.

i don't have time to trek over to the fabric store across town, but i did locate more of the needles i want online. until then, this trusty little fella is working for me just fine! i'm curious to see if a new one feels any different at all.

thread minding

keeping thread spools and the matching bobbins together is a concern for me. a few years ago i was excited to find out you could buy a type of pin to lock the two together while not in use.

unfortunately for me, the type i got (clover, i think) didn't fit my aurifil threads, which are the type i use most. i could get the bobbin to stay on the pin, but the pin didn't fit into the aurifil spool. i went ahead and used the ones i had by just placing them in the spools. they could get knocked off easily, but it sort of worked.

this weekend i was putting away fabric and noticed this funny little plastic contraption taped to on online order i received a while back. i wasn't sure what it was at first, then a lightbulb went off in my head and i tried it with my threads.

and hey presto, we have a fit. they hold together so well you can lift both by the end of the pin.

i found more on amazon (here) in a 40 pack. you can get more, but i found that amount to be sufficient. i don't know exactly what brand they are or what they're called as it was hard to identify that on amazon, there seemed to be several that looked the same but had different names, but the link will get you there. or search "bobbin thread holder clip". apparently you an also get them with some little clips that go around the bobbin to stop it from unwinding, but i didn't get those. i'm just really happy to have clips that work with my aurifils!

cutting edge

aren't all the itty bitty chained pieced bits of my "kitty in the corner" (my modernized name for "puss in the corner" block) just darling? it's like a mini bunting this way and may have inspired a project idea. but in the meantime i am once again full speed ahead on the gypsy wife quilt. i've been tackling lots of the intricate main blocks, one at a time, and doing so much cutting. which has inspired me to talk about my cutting tools, some of which are recent acquisitions.

most quilt teachers or books for beginners will tell you that you only need a few quilt rulers to get by. and this is very true. i did just fine with a 6"x24", 9.5"sq, and 12.5" sq ruler for my first several quilts. these are enough for squaring off fabric, cutting strips, trimming blocks. they're quite versatile. you can even successfully cut triangles with those rulers.

but over time i found myself thinking a few other sizes would be more manageable for different jobs. so whenever i had a coupon or rulers went on sale, i would pick up one that seemed handy. when discounted, they are only a few dollars each. given enough sales and enough time, i've amassed a good pile of rulers.

when it comes to square rulers, which are fantastic for trimming blocks precisely or fussy cutting certain sizes of fabric, i now have each graduated size, by the 1/2", from 2.5" to 6.5", minus the 3", which was out of stock at the last sale. (but two of the 4" because they both came with some sets i bought. i suppose i have a spare. one for upstairs and one for down?)

the 2.5"sq came with a mini cutting mat i bought for travel purposes. at the time i thought it was too ridiculously small to use but have since been proven wrong. even that tiny fella gets a turn at the mat periodically. like when i'm trimming up mini hsts.

my gypsy wife quilt, which features a great variety of block sizes, is the type of project that makes all these different rulers quite handy. i'm continually needing to either fussy cut or trim up blocks. so i find myself frequently reaching for those square rulers.

my rotary cutter is a gingher i got on sale from joann crafts. i love my gingher shears and snips, and i thought it looked really nice, so i picked this instead of an olfa when i started quilting. they routinely go on sale and so do the replacement blades. for my cutting surface i have a 36"x24" fiskars self-healing mat. i really like the soft green color (it's butter yellow on the other side). i find it to be very accurately marked and no longer use two rulers for squaring up or cutting strips. rather, i use the mat-and-ruler method.

my cutting area lies at the end of the table so i can work off the three edges easily, which is quite helpful when cutting as it allows me to move myself rather than the fabric or block at least half the time. however, the fabric inevitably has to be moved at some point. here enters the genius called "rotating cutting mat." i had heard of these wonders a time or two but didn't think they were for me. until i was elbow deep in gypsy's blocks and always having to shift everything. so i looked on amazon and found the olfa 17" rotating self-healing rotary cutting mat. there are smaller mats, too, but i had the space so i wanted as much rotating space as possible. i can see how it would be convenient to cut small blocks on a smaller mat, but i'm good with this one.

there is the black under-mat, which stays put, and the top green cutting surface rotates a full 360 degrees in either direction for cutting. its perfectly smooth and wonderfully flat.  just look at the following photos to see it move.

spinning to the right

and all the way back around again

i was a little skeptical of just how useful this might be but i can sing it's praises now that i've given it a go a few dozen times. i'm certain my trimming accuracy has increased and it definitely saves me time. i'm doing a ton of trimming for the gypsy wife as i am working on my accuracy with all the points involved.  each block is a mini project and i trim most every bit accordingly.

one nice thing i just discovered is that since the diagonal of this mat measure 24" across, i can still trim strips longer than 17" if i just put the fabric on the diagonal. very handy. otherwise i have to move the rotating mat off the big one. maybe someday i'll have a dedicated sewing room with both these mats in their own spaces.

as for my other rulers, i have two 6"x24", a 3.5"x24", and a 3"x18"rectangles. the two long ones are for squaring up fabric, making large cuts, and trimming quilts. the long skinny one is for when i am making skinny but long cuts and don't want to deal with the width of the wider one. like when i am cutting strips. and the short skinny one is for shorter strips or smaller cuts when i don't want all the length of the other two. this mostly goes by feel. if i find i have too much width or too much length for what i'm cutting i'll switch to another ruler. i store these on a recipe book stand.

the stand is also good for holding up quilting books or patterns i'm working from and it houses my quilting notebook, which is for keeping track of projects, working out maths, and sketching out ideas.

then there are the triangle rulers! you can definitely cut triangles without special rulers, but i've found it simpler to use them for cutting rather than trying to use the lines on the straight rulers. also, the fons and porter rulers have some of your math already worked out for you right on the ruler. i have been using the 60degree pyramid ruler for my indian blanket quilt and epp cutting. i liked it so much i picked up the flying geese ruler at the last sale. i've heard it highly recommended by others, too.

so that's the scoop on my cutting gear.
i used to despise cutting when i first began quilting. it was one of the most difficult parts for me. but over time, with practice, i've gotten better at it and actually enjoy it in doses now. having a variety of tools on hand to help makes it that much easier and more enjoyable for me.

happy cutting and sewing all!

***i should probably put some sort of disclaimer on here that no one asked or paid me to say any of this, that i purchased all these tools myself for my own use. i'm just sharing what i use and why i like it.

spray basting - not a fan

yesterday i pieced two quilt backs: "paris daydreams" and "bandwidth."  i found out why my girls had such a hard time holding the flimsy up for the photograph - this fella is huge! i wanted it to be around 72" x 80ish", but didn't measure how the length was coming out as i added in the solid blue panels. turns out my top is more like 71" x 99"! it's long and skinny, like my son. i had to crack open a queen sized batting to accommodate the length. oh, well. we expect this son to be tall. this quilt should keep him covered for life. i had to piece the backing a lot more than expected. i used the yardage i bought for the back, another yard, and bits leftover from the front strips.  it's barely big enough, but i wasn't going any bigger. i can always trim off some of the blue panel ends if it doesn't work out when quilted.

my formal living room now looks like a quilt bazar. there are two basted sandwiches and two flimsies sprawling about. the flimsies aren't even for christmas, they are on hold until i can get the christmas gifts done. 

 

i gave spray basting a go. it seemed like the best way to get 3 or 4 quilts basted at one time so that i could gift them in a state that at least resembled a finished quilt. i don't have enough pins to do that many sandwiches at once, so it had to be spraying. since i decided on this measure so late in the season, i was unable to order any spray online. i picked up a can of (i think) thermoweb at joann craft's with a half-off coupon. but i wasn't confident it was a good brand. so while at the quilt store the other day, i asked what they recommended. 505, of course. but they didn't have any and i was told to stop by another nearby sewing store to see if they had any 505 or Sullivan's in stock. the experienced quilter who was advising me assured me Sullivan's was her favorite and that it didn't stink. Sullivan's was all they had at the other store, so it was the winner.

i had hopes of liking spray basting, but they were soon dashed. perhaps it's the brand i got. however, there are things about the entire process i just didn't like. after getting the 2 quilt sandwiches basted, i'm leery of doing any more. the large quilt, especially, was difficult to manage.

Sullivan's smells just like rubber cement, if you can remember that from your elementary school days. it doesn't last long, but there is most definitely a smell. there is also an overspray residue no matter how careful i was. i tried not to shy away from the edges to ensure that they would stick well, but it was hard not to. fortunately, for me, i was basting on a large, well-ventilated, tile floor area, so the residue should come up easily.

i opened the nearby courtyard doors, as well as my front and back doors, to keep the air circulating while i worked. there was a nice breeze blowing through, which kept the fumes moving. it also brought a lot of fall leaves in! (see photo above.) i know a few tiny ones got sandwiched in the quilt, despite my efforts to remove all of them. then the doors starting blowing open and closed, leaves were flying everywhere, dogs and kids were curious. it was like a bad comedy seen from primetime tv. all i could do was laugh and keep working. ok, i did want to cry a bit, too. laughing and pressing forward seemed better, though.

i got out some of my old towels to line the sides of the second quilt while i sprayed. there was still residue right along the edges of the quilt, all over the towels, and beyond them. i think a bit of the stuff just floats on the air until it settles somewhere no how you try to avoid it.

my socks were picking it up as i walked around. they also picked up a few other things, like leaves and fabric scraps.

i had a hard time getting the top smooth in a few places. it was a matter of being patient, pulling the fabric up, and repositioning very carefully, but i didn't like it a bit. the time difference was not significant enough to justify spraying over pinning. thank goodness the spray is repositionable!

i will say the top turned out pretty darn smooth. it was definitely easier to get all the seams to lay flat working this way. however, the back does not look as smooth as the front. it's slightly ripply or pocked looking. there are no full-out wrinkles, mind you, but it has a texture of sorts. i'm not sure how this is going to fair when i go to quilt.

i have yet to see how the machine and my needles react to the spray basting.

also, i'm uncertain how well the sandwiches are going to hold together until i get them quilted. i'm afraid to let anyone handle them, which was rather the point of basting this way. in addition, I'm concerned that the can says the product's properties will "lessen or diminish" with washing rather than saying it will wash out. did i just add some nasty chemicals to my babies' quilts that they will be inhaling while they cuddle their mama-mades?

it's definitely pins for me from now on.
besides, d4 will be out of a quilting job if there aren't any pins for her to remove.

juki reviewed

currently hard at work on some straight line quilting

 i've been sewing on juki for over 4 months now. goodness, it seems like so much longer since we've made 4 baby quilts, a few tops, and learned to fmq on several items during that time. i have to say, my initial enthusiasm for her has not died a bit. only grown. sew mama sew has a link party for sewing machine reviews, so i decided to sing juki's praises now that i've got more experience on her.

they requested specific information, so here you go:

What brand and model do you have?  juki TL2010Q

How long have you had it?  since june 2013

How much does that machine cost (approximately)?  $900

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)?  quilts, free motion quilting, some zakka items

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get?  i sew several times a week. i've done a lot of sewing in the last few months with this machine. it has performed beautifully, even through sewing marathons and a few disasters of my making.

look at that throat space (underutilized here)!

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name?  i love this machine pretty passionately. i call her "juki". after struggling with other machines, i feel juki has helped me improve my sewing tremendously. she makes me look so good!

What features does your machine have that work well for you?  i love the simplicity of juki - not computerized, basic options, super durable. the thread cutter button is great. i'm getting used to the knee bar that lifts the presser foot - useful. i like the adjustable speed. there is the fabulously large open throat space and the quilting table, too. she seems to have all the right special features and none of those i don't need. additionally, all the specialty feet i needed, except the 1/4in foot, were included with the machine. that was a bonus.

my first full size fmq experience

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine?  nope. i really am so very pleased with her. it took a bit for a beginner like me to get familiar with this professional machine, but we are quite happy together now. the very few issues i have occasionally had - some thread breakage and minor tight tension - have been caused by my product choices or inexperience, not the machine. 

the one and only thing i miss once in a blue moon is the zigzag stitch. but i still have my old machine for that. i thought i'd miss being able to move the needle position since i found on my other machine that it helped with sewing close to the edge when needed. but juki's feed dogs are so well placed that this hasn't been an issue at all. 

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why?  i absolutely would recommend juki to any quilter, especially one who likes to fmq. i've already said it, but she's super durable - a real workhorse, sews quietly and beautifully, has improved my sewing tremendously.

the monster-sized walking foot that came with the machine

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine?  i think durability is important if you are a serious sewer. for anyone, matching your needs to the machine are key. don't be lured in by bells and whistles you don't need but make sure the features you have to have are there.

fresh out of the box

Do you have a dream machine?  yes - juki! she was my birthday present.

Bonus: Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it!

needle breakage - but not machine, thank goodness - after sewing through a pinhead

oh, goodness! do i ever have stories about juki. just click on the links for the individual stories. she's survived some harrowing home ec moments of me sewing through pin heads, my fmq slider shifting and getting sewn to my quilt, as well as all my ineptitude at remembering all the adjustments that need to be made when changing feet and tasks. she's a trooper!

wip report and a blue mood

 i got a few more fabrics to mix in my epp project. after doing the pre-wash, i have cut triangles out for basting. one really nice aspect of epp is that you don't have to precision cut your fabric pieces (or press them first, apparently). but i have been wanting to get a triangle ruler for some projects brewing, so i used one of those irresistible 40% coupons from joann to get an equilateral ruler.

it makes cutting the pieces much quicker than the way i was doing it - just placing an epp paper piece on the fabric and eyeballing it. and while i don't worry about precision, having the pieces more uniformly cut has been helpful with basting.

 you just flip that baby up and down, alternately, and cut away. some nice little blunt-topped triangles are the result.

the selection of ruler brands was limited. i got the fons and porter because the blunt tip wasn't too big and there are lots of handy marks on the ruler. sarah fielke recommended those features in her craftsy class i purchased. so far, i like it! no complaints.

by the way, this is the first time i've ever used blue nail polish and the first time in years i've painted my fingers. a slight rebellion against the new decade mark i achieved this year? i do my tootsies regularly, but find the fingers impractical because they get smudged or chipped pretty much instantly. while i was trying out some new essie on my toes i got curious about how it would look on my fingers. mint candy apple and i had a fun weekend fling, but it's over now and i cleaned them off yesterday. back to au natural and my revlon super buffer. (okay, who really cared about any of that?!)

big news - juki is back up and running!

right now she has a nephew baby quilt under the needle. i whipped up my first ever improv pieced top on sunday evening. it was a lot of fun, i learned some things along the way, and i'm pretty happy with the results. this little fella just needs some more simple outline quilting and a binding. easy peasy, which is great since i need 3 more baby boy quilts and one little girly one. as much as i like the blanket stitching handwork on them, i'm pretty much bored out of my mind with 4sqs and thinking these are almost as quick. it was a nice change up.

the fabrics for my next one were photographed and shared in the photography workshop link-up at plum and june this week.

maybe it was all those boy quilts and blue fabrics that inspired my polish choice?

i got the go ahead from my cousin's sisters-in-law to turn this fun pile into a little girl quilt so i won't be blue forever. i sent them a photo asking if it was something she'd like. i got three responses of "cute" and "yes!", so it's in the que.

 

what a sloppy photo! i wasn't shooting for any big photography post or anything, so it'll do as dark, cool-tinted, and unstyled as it is. jump over to plum and june if you want some photography fun with your fabric.

 

linking up with wip wednesday at freshly pieced and needle & thread thursday .

 

my report:

 

finished - none

 

newfo's

jed's baby quilt - being quilted

4 other baby quilts - fabric pulled

 

in progress

epp  - new fabric purchased and about 3 more pieces basted; 9 blocks completed

taite - needs basting

plus a diamond - needs binding

twirl - needs adjustments and border on top

paris daydream - still a flimsy

hst diamonds - untouched

 

trips to the store

one to ETC for yardage for epp quilt (and a few other bits that caught my eye)

 

internet activity

fabric.com purchase of 2 briar rose selections (really limiting myself here, trying to be good) . . . and a few more liberty tana lawn half yards (not so well behaved)

ordered patchwork, please! from b&n to check it out (just curious about all the fuss and cute projects everywhere. and i'm trying to figure out what exactly is "zakka"!?))

 

organization

worked on cleaning up my dining sewing space, but it's just getting worse. my goal is to have only the project(s) i'm actually working on in there. everything else needs to be upstairs in the splish splash zone.

hidden treasure

did your morning start out with a crib covered in baby poo? well, mine did. but no worries. it got better fast.

while the baby was in the tub, i was thinking about all my "before i quilted" quilts and trying to mentally locate one that had eluded me. i found it buried in the linen closet after the bath.

but more about it later.

while i was photographing the old quilt, i decided i might as well photograph my grandma's sewing machine, too. i've been meaning to do that forever.

when my paternal grandparents reached their 80's about 10 years ago, their health was failing and a decision was made to move them closer to the children so they could be cared for. their 4 children descended on their home of 30 years in houston, tx, and cleaned it out. there were a few things i wanted and got, the main one being a painting of my grandfather's mother.

maryann died when my grandfather was only 5 months old, so none of us ever really knew her. but i've always loved this painting and been drawn to it, even before i knew who the pretty lady in it was. i like to imagine she was a quilter. i do know for certain she was a musician and accomplished pianist. my husband thinks i look like her and i tend to agree there is an element of sameness there. my father brought me the painting and her wedding band after the move. priceless, both of them.

something i did not ask for that he so kindly brought me was my grandmother's sewing machine.

like i mentioned before, my grandma margaret did the obligatory 50's housewife sewing, but i never saw her use the machine in my lifetime. it sat in front of the window in her galley-style laundry room, untouched. when daddy brought it to me, it was locked up in it's pretty wooden case. i thought it was nice of him, but i secretly wished he'd gotten his grandmother's old black treadle singer, still in it's table. i remembered grandma's machine being white and boxy, and knew it probably came out of the 50's or 60's. it wasn't a graceful antique, but a retro machine is pretty cool. 

he also brought me two books from her extensive collection: a circa 1950's sewing manual and a biography of my great-great uncle, maryann's uncle lehi.

 i didn't sew at the time these were handed down to me and thought daddy's offerings rather unusual, but graciously and thankfully accepted them since i like family heirlooms. i suppose you could say they were prescient of my coming hobby and obsession. the machine now resides on a bookcase in my bedroom. this morning i had an urge to open it up and inspect it's mid-century white glory.

but the key was missing.

i hunted high and low for that darn key. i also tried a tapestry needle, bobby pin, safety pin, and any other small keys i could find. no luck. i don't know what kept me looking, but for over half an hour i did. and finally, in the last place of all, i found it. (well of course it's the last place - once you find something you don't look anywhere else.)

i thought i had looked at the machine when daddy brought it to me. but i guess i didn't, because when i opened it up today, i nearly cried. look!

 it's not her old industrial-looking white machine, but this beauty! i was stopped in my tracks, speechless over her loveliness. i have no idea where this came from, other than from grandma margaret's house. i know for a fact aunt catherine got the other antique machine, so i don't know what this one is, exactly. but, oh, thank you, thank you, daddy for being intuitive and thoughtful enough to bring it to me.

 there were even some notions in it - bobbins still threaded and this wood-handled marking tool, also beautiful. we just don't make stuff like this anymore. everything is made with attention to detail and aesthetics, as well. the machine's front plate is stunning. i took two photos of it in different exposures. can't decide which i like better.

 darker shows the details of the etching (?) more distinctly.

 lighter shows off the gleam and shine.

can you even believe how glorious? i'm completely in awe still.

i wonder if she still works, but i'm rather afraid to try.

however, i will be uncovering her to admire more often.

this rather makes up for not having any family quilts.

as for the retro sewing manual, it's gone into hiding. i searched pretty far for that one, too, but gave up. it'll turn up later and make for another nice post some other time.

do you have any heirloom sewing machines, notions, or products? i'd love to see or hear about them.