tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75073980626548057362024-03-12T19:39:34.735-06:00Quilting SolutionsQuilt design, construction, problem solving, and other stuff.
Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.comBlogger281125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-77573517127304106942022-07-27T15:08:00.002-06:002022-07-27T15:08:42.935-06:00Bagged the Bag<p>My first attempt at a picnic bag was a fail. You saw the pictures last week. I kept revising the design. I clipped where I shouldn't have, but fixed it with a ziz-zag. Finally I was trimming an edge and cut it too deep. I was thoroughly frustrated!!!!!!! </p><p>I am very goal oriented and don't give up easily so I got busy hunting through my patterns and found another pattern that I had done before as a knitting bag, which I love. I made a few revisions to accommodate the fabric in the my stash and the needs of a picnic bag and got busy on it. I cannibalised the failed bag for a few parts and added them where I wanted them. It is finished ready for our next road trip. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1UOnxjDmOshgpMRwqxBrbi1RXX0NAC5otYcLoFzUrz8jVedlFIXq5Tfphu2ORMlCuBHqG1SCPG_eGRDQab5SDOo8SipjbXnKfZRSqprjO9YsmSSeeMc1DHNxThjv09IQQcitYhpFfcRA4kriMWO_sZ1tksXbyzsmT1QYZaPJlaUJYThGUfpHp0Y/s4032/APC_0035.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1UOnxjDmOshgpMRwqxBrbi1RXX0NAC5otYcLoFzUrz8jVedlFIXq5Tfphu2ORMlCuBHqG1SCPG_eGRDQab5SDOo8SipjbXnKfZRSqprjO9YsmSSeeMc1DHNxThjv09IQQcitYhpFfcRA4kriMWO_sZ1tksXbyzsmT1QYZaPJlaUJYThGUfpHp0Y/w300-h400/APC_0035.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THE Bag!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKOZxYM7U4rFJBcC9Z745nQt0QO-uRGYMtVCHm5qXHindCUo50rRhRgxJpKTFp4JNzkcizac_7GyLhA510wD2S9PF6YgqqAKCD1yWWBuBIGS9Am4RgUdoHjPSDbtO2undAAqabGW9KK896FsvqPC7RJrntZ510F-6kknzJ9TvGDsK5VDt-D8XnktA/s4032/APC_0037.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKOZxYM7U4rFJBcC9Z745nQt0QO-uRGYMtVCHm5qXHindCUo50rRhRgxJpKTFp4JNzkcizac_7GyLhA510wD2S9PF6YgqqAKCD1yWWBuBIGS9Am4RgUdoHjPSDbtO2undAAqabGW9KK896FsvqPC7RJrntZ510F-6kknzJ9TvGDsK5VDt-D8XnktA/w400-h300/APC_0037.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside with paper plates stowed.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA52zbrxfTHysEwdgTrBwR7SkLzqSBeMgbGNXohn677UUK8-mQQgiURBZ_8p_MkMaa_Xzwsp5tPHtN4oSGYMsdry0EUmcSL_lH6C9dIsjNgpNZxoDBOcSIDa2jR_7RTYSxcnFrcipd_jzouGPmz8SlHMXfO8XgVQC1lqsJVnTvJMtkJfoCdpCMkug/s4032/APC_0038.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA52zbrxfTHysEwdgTrBwR7SkLzqSBeMgbGNXohn677UUK8-mQQgiURBZ_8p_MkMaa_Xzwsp5tPHtN4oSGYMsdry0EUmcSL_lH6C9dIsjNgpNZxoDBOcSIDa2jR_7RTYSxcnFrcipd_jzouGPmz8SlHMXfO8XgVQC1lqsJVnTvJMtkJfoCdpCMkug/w400-h300/APC_0038.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside showing the rest of the stuff.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table>I made a flatware roll, which I expect to love. I have always carried the flatware in a plastic bag and it was a pain. I found a simple design on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijvNeuLN2NE" target="_blank">Web</a>. It only took me a morning to make and will work great. Next time I will make it a little bigger, but this will do the job for now.<div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Gt4ufpUfRimoMWqK3MEzrMzDJmIvX9_BJNSItxnfhVVertEbw5JC_aqtNu9mW6zM2KPRzRKFLD5G2wItSa3wjuiPBvC4OWxpE9FmiK1u0ybOV-ocwDEkKSna7_BMWtUXYjGauebe-9cTSpvCKtt_PWATVB-nP_M9OG_2NJD6PdauUSS-nMikMX8/s4032/APC_0040.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Gt4ufpUfRimoMWqK3MEzrMzDJmIvX9_BJNSItxnfhVVertEbw5JC_aqtNu9mW6zM2KPRzRKFLD5G2wItSa3wjuiPBvC4OWxpE9FmiK1u0ybOV-ocwDEkKSna7_BMWtUXYjGauebe-9cTSpvCKtt_PWATVB-nP_M9OG_2NJD6PdauUSS-nMikMX8/w400-h300/APC_0040.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roll rolled up.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9uijh2nDBXG_qC_owOhRx1qMHkUqUaloUAUSv0CPIvfysqfyg91MzE-EFhAU4un-sre4jRcKhFUdAO2HreP8YhO3jWDGh7FEpzIPsjA-qCLkxQWaygiFisglMDYXxiO6xDXI85tLN4Bysg9Uj-i5jY2M-Nr9KhuJ0J5RnUG7QMmubNlnJ7c2n0A/s4032/APC_0043.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9uijh2nDBXG_qC_owOhRx1qMHkUqUaloUAUSv0CPIvfysqfyg91MzE-EFhAU4un-sre4jRcKhFUdAO2HreP8YhO3jWDGh7FEpzIPsjA-qCLkxQWaygiFisglMDYXxiO6xDXI85tLN4Bysg9Uj-i5jY2M-Nr9KhuJ0J5RnUG7QMmubNlnJ7c2n0A/w400-h300/APC_0043.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roll opened up.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table>I am ready to travel!. Meanwhile my poor quilt sits abandoned. My daughter decided to make a quilt and got a kit in Hawaii. She wants to make this quilt for her home in Southern CA. She is not a quilter, but did a lot of sewing many years ago. She looked at the cutting directions and threw up her hands in despair. I have the quilt now and have spent two days sorting through the cutting directions and organizing them so she can hopefully figure it out. It is really simple, but she is worried that she will get something off-grain and is generally afraid to cut. Remember those days? I will help her get started and she will end up with a lovely quilt I am sure because she is very capable.</div><div><br /></div><div>Go out and have a picnic. It is still summer!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizv_S3bBPXReL2z_iCdGMH4R4PfIsnVs8UbFphRavTI4s4Rz24PYNd8peeYvSr9RPnkRLnfnRFwcnSCCcrHxoe3MCvTfwLEoGnEN4Soar-Hx67XBYGg506m2scQIqSxi8RM6JfOYR69JRGdKpOAPbeb_wqvLNBlQEuh81Ehj_7voBWOYmiv7hXnX4/s147/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="147" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizv_S3bBPXReL2z_iCdGMH4R4PfIsnVs8UbFphRavTI4s4Rz24PYNd8peeYvSr9RPnkRLnfnRFwcnSCCcrHxoe3MCvTfwLEoGnEN4Soar-Hx67XBYGg506m2scQIqSxi8RM6JfOYR69JRGdKpOAPbeb_wqvLNBlQEuh81Ehj_7voBWOYmiv7hXnX4/s1600/Signature.png" width="147" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /> </p><br /><p><br /></p></div>Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-54652686250421380682022-07-17T18:15:00.000-06:002022-07-17T18:15:48.273-06:00Travels and The Bag<p> I started a post the other day about the quilt I am working on. It will have to wait. You don't want to read about the hours of ripping I just finished....yet!</p><p>We drove to Seattle the first week in July. It is a 2-day drive so we spent one night in a motel that knows us now and always gives us the same room on the ground floor and accommodates our dog. Our grandson married his sweetheart two years ago on the Courthouse steps because of COVID. Now that things have opened up their families threw a big party for them to take the place of the Wedding Reception that they couldn't have. We spent a week there enjoying family, Fourth of July celebration and the Wedding Party.</p><p>I digress. When we travel we carry our own food so we don't have to go hunting for a restaurant when we are tired and impatient. Thus we take a picnic bag that holds utensils, paper plates, etc, and a cooler with our simple supper. The bag is made from a circle folded in half with a zipper around the round edge. It opens flat, but is a nuisance as everything is topsy-turvey. Time to build a new bag.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArcxuYq-coCpmHvusOPNvjoLjTmMb2zhaRmNcCh6kZC59XbyC3wgKKS2eugdvDlTP5Xsd4nw0FZfKZkJkqrdFrFeDynopezV2vF7M_Ds7QGhspW2uw-D7eRaRMBw0uqoU5W4c-h7qR56ZOlbeMNj_eSlisalnrGHRfj9N3eb8ZHyu66BzcNNwaXQ/s4032/APC_0023.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArcxuYq-coCpmHvusOPNvjoLjTmMb2zhaRmNcCh6kZC59XbyC3wgKKS2eugdvDlTP5Xsd4nw0FZfKZkJkqrdFrFeDynopezV2vF7M_Ds7QGhspW2uw-D7eRaRMBw0uqoU5W4c-h7qR56ZOlbeMNj_eSlisalnrGHRfj9N3eb8ZHyu66BzcNNwaXQ/w300-h400/APC_0023.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old bag.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> Where to start?<p></p><p>Daughter #1: "What do you want the bag to be like?"</p><p>Me: "I don't know."</p><p>Daughter #1: "Well, Mom, it is a little hard to make a bag if you don't know what you want!"</p><p><br /></p><p>Daughter #5: "Well, Mom, lay out everything you want in it, and plan from there."</p><p>Me: "Jackpot! Now I have somewhere to start. AND I DID!"</p><p><br /></p><p>So, my current project is the new bag:</p><p>1. I found a simple, <a href="https://www.onlinefabricstore.com/makersmill/how-to-make-a-tote-bag-with-a-zipper/" target="_blank">free pattern</a>, well illustrated and explained. </p><p>2. I figured it out (mostly) went to gather fabric from my stash. I found some heavy-duty canvas, which may be waterproof in my stash, and fabric for the lining.</p><p>3. Went to Joann's to pick up heavy stabilizer, webbing for handles and a zipper.</p><p>4. Nothing to do now except follow the directions and get it done.</p><p>5. As I work I am thinking: "I may wish that it was bigger. I may want the top to open wider (longer zipper). Will the pockets work for my needs? The webbing for the handles is a bit too wide I think. Oh well, it is an hour's drive to Joann's so I'll push ahead with what I have. We will try this one out and see if I need to do a revised 2nd version."</p><p>6. I cannibalised the old bag for some wide elastic and a mesh pocket.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohrrQFVtHoBd3GT6u697WdLqaJpw78eyCnA-L8CQOfAxpCkyjYGj02Y4_12Ygy7lY8BORLYy3hE3AKtWJMyrL1vb8uc-nKKad9BO0P90uM1tgJxNp-vIQsr46RVkQ1Su1ZHRP-U41YeUATIserNkA6f2NTBJS_052tGssG9J0gaOWs_CxSwFapZk/s3024/APC_0026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1751" data-original-width="3024" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohrrQFVtHoBd3GT6u697WdLqaJpw78eyCnA-L8CQOfAxpCkyjYGj02Y4_12Ygy7lY8BORLYy3hE3AKtWJMyrL1vb8uc-nKKad9BO0P90uM1tgJxNp-vIQsr46RVkQ1Su1ZHRP-U41YeUATIserNkA6f2NTBJS_052tGssG9J0gaOWs_CxSwFapZk/w401-h231/APC_0026.jpg" width="401" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pieces of half the bag.<br />Outside is black, lining is blue. I am ready to attach the handle straps.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>7. Finally, I will make a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijvNeuLN2NE" target="_blank">cutlery roll</a> to organize the flatware and drop it into the bag</p><p><br /></p><p>Sew some happy seams this week. Try something new just for the fun of it.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8rFa2buI_xKyjALSQLsLdF-hVWBM1zrMGsdNeRCWRLMBxIsHP_fQ1E1t7278liRcG499sO-RSXjCeP6xWLHdgidthLkZ35glerigNKbG6NhZywTn_T2pEiT-y-1N5AcmvPxLSPeh4hFoLeFr5tyy5ryhqnPenJvZ0PjhCrPib1cwkffi81QmFpE/s147/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="147" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8rFa2buI_xKyjALSQLsLdF-hVWBM1zrMGsdNeRCWRLMBxIsHP_fQ1E1t7278liRcG499sO-RSXjCeP6xWLHdgidthLkZ35glerigNKbG6NhZywTn_T2pEiT-y-1N5AcmvPxLSPeh4hFoLeFr5tyy5ryhqnPenJvZ0PjhCrPib1cwkffi81QmFpE/w200-h136/Signature.png" width="200" /></a></div><br />.<p></p><p><br /></p>Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-13209555077064625742022-06-26T15:19:00.001-06:002022-06-26T15:24:59.423-06:00Gaillardia<p>First post complete. Now, what have I been doing for the last 2 years? I am always busy. I am a flea on a hot stove. I am not averse to creating complicated quilts, but they take a long time to make, so I am not terribly productive when compared to some quilters I read about.</p><p>I was out walking after a rainstorm several years ago. We have gaillardia growing all over the place. I don't know whether they strayed from planted seeds or whether they are part of our normal flora here. I took photos of a bunch of flowers that day, and got to the place where I was taking pictures just to take pictures. I saw a very bedraggled gaillardia at the end of its beauty and somewhat the worse for wear after the storm, but the light was great. I snapped the shot and when I saw it later I loved it. That flower was colorful, dramatic and artistic. I thought many times that I would like to do a quilt of it, but was always into some other project. Now I had finished my latest and I did not have any UFO's. I do not ever have UFO's. I finish or toss.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIMllG5HSxPKvVS-0Atn9x2ii5qoIBGWbhyxYHUoalTwTOVNtfxXhPwCBlnttuQ92LFzD4i9i33wBss1vqoNBZkDiDVYwsPevButJwawGDmvck5MBkeHYu_Esjf4zVaLSmC_wun69PBDqTIUIrQHiZ240_yHm5_HQGYU2_GmDUn0jV5_OjFXHJpo/s1886/07.07.1637.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1886" data-original-width="1509" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIMllG5HSxPKvVS-0Atn9x2ii5qoIBGWbhyxYHUoalTwTOVNtfxXhPwCBlnttuQ92LFzD4i9i33wBss1vqoNBZkDiDVYwsPevButJwawGDmvck5MBkeHYu_Esjf4zVaLSmC_wun69PBDqTIUIrQHiZ240_yHm5_HQGYU2_GmDUn0jV5_OjFXHJpo/w320-h400/07.07.1637.jpg" title="Bedraggled gaillaridia" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bedraggled gaillardia.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPF2VYp-TAdIWF2sqNC_c_EAWu0poaqkAQDcUJukBtO1lZjNEGlvXsihAE6bko6yR2eSAKaj5m66qo4y54UcDQdTW7F21Bv_6TYwrY60zBoCRCiqHSbRIxoeHUm0TP3HeOuea7syeRaLLcPWuKSl0MfC_5gz1ebSRuAxREMcvAmbU3JUtdwt5oeg/s2084/07.07.1637%20B&W.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2084" data-original-width="1972" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPF2VYp-TAdIWF2sqNC_c_EAWu0poaqkAQDcUJukBtO1lZjNEGlvXsihAE6bko6yR2eSAKaj5m66qo4y54UcDQdTW7F21Bv_6TYwrY60zBoCRCiqHSbRIxoeHUm0TP3HeOuea7syeRaLLcPWuKSl0MfC_5gz1ebSRuAxREMcvAmbU3JUtdwt5oeg/w379-h400/07.07.1637%20B&W.jpg" width="379" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I even converted it to black and white.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Off to the computer where I had already developed my idea, but needed to create a pattern. My method was fused appliqué, which I love doing. I can create so many details that can't be pieced. I don't think I even had to buy any fabric as I have a pretty substantial stash. So... it was done!</p>I<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVPj6DytaIUL9_sINKwgShlOAG3R_Z_a6VMfwdxuM2vq9LVxoUt7hGa519cjHlycVpB0Oq-jLOWhAE5bOs0GPMccecXSp4YY6ndWkz0SQiBxkBmo0BGmhKKa_aRbW24bAp-WsEAneIpmhM5CiTtZcNwiWABLbIpfVTk3IxuZJZVu7hfefr3cWHhM/s3903/IMG_1341.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3903" data-original-width="3265" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVPj6DytaIUL9_sINKwgShlOAG3R_Z_a6VMfwdxuM2vq9LVxoUt7hGa519cjHlycVpB0Oq-jLOWhAE5bOs0GPMccecXSp4YY6ndWkz0SQiBxkBmo0BGmhKKa_aRbW24bAp-WsEAneIpmhM5CiTtZcNwiWABLbIpfVTk3IxuZJZVu7hfefr3cWHhM/w536-h640/IMG_1341.jpg" width="536" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gaillardia quilt.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I did not succeed in showing the pokey things that come out of the center. Maybe next time.</div></td></tr></tbody></table> Just for laughs here are some other photos I have taken of this bright and moody flower.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_-Mk76KOhtwc6I7MyCf9CuWbcr323nB2AhTXhWwoXP3MDTQDOEwXYKttR0JFFSZ0eK6H20hwVuFKLyfg_DIstQBNgwU_bqzWNZ_v0EDK-Js4e8VLMtCw8yaJ2f9myYhNnLS8R_DyirYUOf_gGxsi_o2Rnxu_TC_EoZtcliHkHJBvvDY-QMiE8Hc/s2658/17.07%20Gaillardia.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="2658" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_-Mk76KOhtwc6I7MyCf9CuWbcr323nB2AhTXhWwoXP3MDTQDOEwXYKttR0JFFSZ0eK6H20hwVuFKLyfg_DIstQBNgwU_bqzWNZ_v0EDK-Js4e8VLMtCw8yaJ2f9myYhNnLS8R_DyirYUOf_gGxsi_o2Rnxu_TC_EoZtcliHkHJBvvDY-QMiE8Hc/w640-h182/17.07%20Gaillardia.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /><p>Sew some happy seams this week. Have fun with your needles, threads and fabrics.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI39RONE28Uf2So6D8D29Nrog0XPmgjtr9ucxj--WuYPXfuIfziLLg7yfFoR5kUtyBCABs9rrknwMPdqUvhv0J_z3XpdpxjZBKRC0fA39ZDEvUHD_hNKiozSbILrBa20WPrgWtHqzGh84vqlvcC1-dshGXhxhwBl29Ud0ofmpisYIt2KtawlvzRbs/s489/Signature%20copy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="489" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI39RONE28Uf2So6D8D29Nrog0XPmgjtr9ucxj--WuYPXfuIfziLLg7yfFoR5kUtyBCABs9rrknwMPdqUvhv0J_z3XpdpxjZBKRC0fA39ZDEvUHD_hNKiozSbILrBa20WPrgWtHqzGh84vqlvcC1-dshGXhxhwBl29Ud0ofmpisYIt2KtawlvzRbs/w221-h133/Signature%20copy.png" width="221" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-73069349973998971042022-06-17T16:46:00.000-06:002022-06-17T16:46:17.600-06:00<p> I am wondering if I have any readers left. I quit blogging when Blogger went over the top with so many changes and many of them did not work properly. I hope that has changed so I will give it a try. I think it has been about two years and I have been busy. I may have stopped blogging, but I never stop sewing, dreaming sewing, creating sewing, and...well you get the drift.</p><p>I believe I left off when I was working on the <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7507398062654805736/4270215855043584489?hl=en" target="_blank">Mayan Mask</a>. I finally added a new section to my mosaic quilt to solve a problem. I put the mask on the new top part along with some colorful bird graphics. Then I bound the quilt with the fancy <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7507398062654805736/5530468108215286721?hl=en" target="_blank">prairie points</a>. This was binding with a facing and I love that method. I do dislike doing traditional binding and I found this much easier.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0GeliQwsO-5rz1ZQyT4Jm524Ka-Ybk96Ua_G36Tv7E6bhHuTeI8CcO1CC_orbr7n1iXEHRhRvMBDlfiZnsyo1OqLldBQyBs8GfOYlxfwnkL0sQbwUsUgpJwB5pH7j9LBFr8mnSgOdb5fvoB9i6SAEBknhBT8xKWcd7GJ1JAAkBl8cdjcuWgx4JPc/s4305/21.06.2720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4305" data-original-width="3282" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0GeliQwsO-5rz1ZQyT4Jm524Ka-Ybk96Ua_G36Tv7E6bhHuTeI8CcO1CC_orbr7n1iXEHRhRvMBDlfiZnsyo1OqLldBQyBs8GfOYlxfwnkL0sQbwUsUgpJwB5pH7j9LBFr8mnSgOdb5fvoB9i6SAEBknhBT8xKWcd7GJ1JAAkBl8cdjcuWgx4JPc/w305-h400/21.06.2720.jpg" width="305" /></a></div>King's Mosaic</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWV5mtUVPbWuEZ1YAWSPrVRmcZ6HogZiz0NO6Dt8-968JR1Te_Zz2PZhr6N_LXF0wtBGG5xxjPbbzijEyiCbms5ByyYmeHysBYYUTXPVs1iRZFSQaufydeqvXauaH_bX6Y81rN1ddoI3jCffJ3NCI3A4ZQ3hHkdQIdoi1R0a8XTeJaFSYrPUPiMus/s2838/21.06.2722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2838" data-original-width="2108" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWV5mtUVPbWuEZ1YAWSPrVRmcZ6HogZiz0NO6Dt8-968JR1Te_Zz2PZhr6N_LXF0wtBGG5xxjPbbzijEyiCbms5ByyYmeHysBYYUTXPVs1iRZFSQaufydeqvXauaH_bX6Y81rN1ddoI3jCffJ3NCI3A4ZQ3hHkdQIdoi1R0a8XTeJaFSYrPUPiMus/s320/21.06.2722.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Prairie Point Binding</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXn6o4O0jJchz68ReE14PYxYgLGWz2hHsaArxk5yfuWYl1ycxzZ-k58zfWiA7OEZ4i96eAMLHeMi_kKnKfE43Ddj8VS-4hqKElAmW3_wU9xZzllOHVmD6uFfBLWk90VpP_2lwY5Wb-JaTTPd16h1sy7FO6OcYwp6dVpMa6zPl471RFu-BFv_NRNI/s4347/21.06.2723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2363" data-original-width="4347" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXn6o4O0jJchz68ReE14PYxYgLGWz2hHsaArxk5yfuWYl1ycxzZ-k58zfWiA7OEZ4i96eAMLHeMi_kKnKfE43Ddj8VS-4hqKElAmW3_wU9xZzllOHVmD6uFfBLWk90VpP_2lwY5Wb-JaTTPd16h1sy7FO6OcYwp6dVpMa6zPl471RFu-BFv_NRNI/w640-h347/21.06.2723.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRXbuDhRe96hS3u8Vz6kpyhjCB_2TJgO8sE2EgVuwUQpBWhJ6NYZh_Amz9RNGCzpjXZjgqspK-D_1hOuT6z3FWZwxNHQts7KmCu8234UmHAx5TjEG7rNGQCkLxrQx0YNKsOttPZkD7wV5Xel2mO63lv5HSMoQ8E2WLnC_44ljG33yi3sUSWjQMz5o/s4615/21.06.2726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3028" data-original-width="4615" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRXbuDhRe96hS3u8Vz6kpyhjCB_2TJgO8sE2EgVuwUQpBWhJ6NYZh_Amz9RNGCzpjXZjgqspK-D_1hOuT6z3FWZwxNHQts7KmCu8234UmHAx5TjEG7rNGQCkLxrQx0YNKsOttPZkD7wV5Xel2mO63lv5HSMoQ8E2WLnC_44ljG33yi3sUSWjQMz5o/w400-h263/21.06.2726.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAOC6RUcjet--EyPhv7t6OmSZD0QOud4p_DV8mm42cx17IPnY3YEiBvV9tV02ICTCDh31G79gA6KIsPnV8_xH_vxPfhdg5pvw-9M2r6pWBqT5UYbDGS1Sid3_XAqfNMzM8ADjqxrHlwJnreSMEKuM5oDcyS1EbrvehHFkFaEfLfpE1GzWA_YfB-A/s4571/21.06.2730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3047" data-original-width="4571" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAOC6RUcjet--EyPhv7t6OmSZD0QOud4p_DV8mm42cx17IPnY3YEiBvV9tV02ICTCDh31G79gA6KIsPnV8_xH_vxPfhdg5pvw-9M2r6pWBqT5UYbDGS1Sid3_XAqfNMzM8ADjqxrHlwJnreSMEKuM5oDcyS1EbrvehHFkFaEfLfpE1GzWA_YfB-A/w400-h266/21.06.2730.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyHD8jIfUshVq7mnhaVL5Nfp6sXioEJb7wcyiN0HPvG2JVZu4pLzEQFC64Uf86QNXFv0rki14_SYGMtfLC1iLECS_98dzCOPC2EaGc6AxBGqQ1yCZ3hy4T4cd3pa8HHPch7xTw8zlC8KXKgkwolw40zb13AR6gpUq_c0ddSfZR6x1ggfIX_7Zr2-c/s4131/21.06.2732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4131" data-original-width="3648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyHD8jIfUshVq7mnhaVL5Nfp6sXioEJb7wcyiN0HPvG2JVZu4pLzEQFC64Uf86QNXFv0rki14_SYGMtfLC1iLECS_98dzCOPC2EaGc6AxBGqQ1yCZ3hy4T4cd3pa8HHPch7xTw8zlC8KXKgkwolw40zb13AR6gpUq_c0ddSfZR6x1ggfIX_7Zr2-c/w354-h400/21.06.2732.jpg" width="354" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is the best I can do with photos on Blogger. Still frustrated by that. These show the various interesting points on the quilt and some of the quilting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Enjoy a great week, summer weather, and summertime activities.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mardi</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-14912911475904618242020-10-01T11:21:00.004-06:002020-10-01T18:52:34.100-06:00Summertime: When?<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">This summer has been busy. Since COVID destroyed all of our travel plans DH built a vegetable garden at waist height. Wow, I don't even mind weeding it. It is so easy when you are not bending over or crawling on the ground. The cucumber died, but the zucchini made up for the loss. My rhubarb, which has struggled for 4 years, "dying" every summer, survived one more transplant into the "box" and is loving it there. I have great hopes for rhubarb pie next year. Then we had 22º weather and a snowstorm in the first week of September. So much for the garden!</p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh65Q4NTIcQUyAHHSTJoJ9DlpJ9xsuw__RniY-D7LZPwUYLXK3WbZhMYrHZKxK8dRvfG8a0Ejgo7I673BopTIQLxyhPj889tSMjI2lhvWV6rIeE4-XecPSsvm6OjZtqw8i23wE790Hu7SU/s2048/20.06.1590.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh65Q4NTIcQUyAHHSTJoJ9DlpJ9xsuw__RniY-D7LZPwUYLXK3WbZhMYrHZKxK8dRvfG8a0Ejgo7I673BopTIQLxyhPj889tSMjI2lhvWV6rIeE4-XecPSsvm6OjZtqw8i23wE790Hu7SU/s2048/20.06.1590.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiheflJ5p2AMlHGJoU5zpiHKWQMQwrIp4QXcZMn-I9vSaCxaubQbleVIFlnC8_sSyojvN_x1PrIuwEav3jWhKY56YlWiTekc_DR9XgQvd2QVayocmGNC4tyeTjZIx7OnQdmlB1Rdz4kPC4/"><i></i></a><i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPYbgYx070n0ynIX5NFF1dF603dutiERISDIUWwpLUx2KcMEsXNcrDuFvW1KaxCG1Fk6ouzB2KMkcQOsIlQq8bgbG-xMSo4mZIjBQGzIhKVnpyB2yqjwwfYfv_V2-VJonz4VI-hdGUS8/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="305" data-original-width="320" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPYbgYx070n0ynIX5NFF1dF603dutiERISDIUWwpLUx2KcMEsXNcrDuFvW1KaxCG1Fk6ouzB2KMkcQOsIlQq8bgbG-xMSo4mZIjBQGzIhKVnpyB2yqjwwfYfv_V2-VJonz4VI-hdGUS8/w400-h381/image.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my beautiful iris (now gone).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiheflJ5p2AMlHGJoU5zpiHKWQMQwrIp4QXcZMn-I9vSaCxaubQbleVIFlnC8_sSyojvN_x1PrIuwEav3jWhKY56YlWiTekc_DR9XgQvd2QVayocmGNC4tyeTjZIx7OnQdmlB1Rdz4kPC4/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></a></div></i></div><br /></div>I tried to blog during the summer, but Blogger redesigned their blogs and nothing was working. Most frustrating. It seems better now so we will see. In the meantime summer is gone, but I am still hanging clothes to dry out on the clothesline. Fall is really iffy weather-wise and we have had much smoke with a big fire north of us. <div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXkV3TsXUGsatWe7DJnhwusgOUqVDK6E9DkjIbKpJRF4cOAFQCE_eFRp45vvujA1kNt-xdo7gCuC39MCzAe4tX7DlpaKLtMY0vd_k6Yx90h65EnFzMKlY85zcUBD3gNpW_otSOH0nkF0/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="213" data-original-width="320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXkV3TsXUGsatWe7DJnhwusgOUqVDK6E9DkjIbKpJRF4cOAFQCE_eFRp45vvujA1kNt-xdo7gCuC39MCzAe4tX7DlpaKLtMY0vd_k6Yx90h65EnFzMKlY85zcUBD3gNpW_otSOH0nkF0/w400-h266/image.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Smoke cloud at sunset.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><span>My garden: I lost most of my beans in a very early frost. I got two meals worth of beets and enough zucchini for two loaves of zucchini bread. Many of my seeds did not germinate; I will buy them elsewhere next time. Great hopes for next year!</span><br /><br /><span>Sewing went out the window. Our granddaughter was hired to be a counselor at our local camp, but their whole program had to be redesigned and even the counselors were not allowed out on their days off. However, they had five short sessions and no COVID. The downside was that we didn't get much time with our girl. Then the timing went out on my sewing machine so into the shop it went. That was a circus when we found out later that the store was going out of business. I was very worried about getting my machine back. It did get returned and the things that had been wrong all work now. </span>We had three weeks of happy times with family visits and the sewing room turned into a guest room most of the summer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqR6Q6dbvQBCeAUKK-zOPl-p3EezbkECsqbJhQQMRVKxv-xifncWPsQEyaY14D2OpI1fpthxzhaszy9FoSCY9Cmu_wbfhya-VYth68DN8j86zJ_salJ3koN37bvEoBajZj5yyUsKV33TU/s2048/IMG_2135.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqR6Q6dbvQBCeAUKK-zOPl-p3EezbkECsqbJhQQMRVKxv-xifncWPsQEyaY14D2OpI1fpthxzhaszy9FoSCY9Cmu_wbfhya-VYth68DN8j86zJ_salJ3koN37bvEoBajZj5yyUsKV33TU/s2048/IMG_2135.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPiruqEUOkAZuFLc-t6S9A0cxiX5cFwNOPWpTTGsUxIAzidTPC0cLkIo-tGZ3kO1WD0wa-kSdhB5mzCzYva1RCNkGJkRG3qXHDgFP870-4sWPTLIhoumJoCrk6yQCePCRibfTg-6dW_Ps/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPiruqEUOkAZuFLc-t6S9A0cxiX5cFwNOPWpTTGsUxIAzidTPC0cLkIo-tGZ3kO1WD0wa-kSdhB5mzCzYva1RCNkGJkRG3qXHDgFP870-4sWPTLIhoumJoCrk6yQCePCRibfTg-6dW_Ps/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17Ih-Iw6SjcQMS3TSgkr0uoRRWB-79oQXOPa_KiKfyJXWk0I5kdiO7REyJKgECyfgJLee6fa8Qt2DgprGX22wp-6q6D3lnLN4JR9s2epsahhwvYUIJkkwn4G8rknP1TUZw5EMO_pMJoY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="213" data-original-width="320" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17Ih-Iw6SjcQMS3TSgkr0uoRRWB-79oQXOPa_KiKfyJXWk0I5kdiO7REyJKgECyfgJLee6fa8Qt2DgprGX22wp-6q6D3lnLN4JR9s2epsahhwvYUIJkkwn4G8rknP1TUZw5EMO_pMJoY/" width="320" /></a></div></div></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridal mask with silver sequins like her dress.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><span> I made masks for the small, private wedding of another granddaughter. It was fun to make a bride's mask and decorate it with motifs left over from wedding dresses that I made many years ago. Both of our summer brides had to cancel their weddings, but each couple chose to go ahead with a small wedding (immediate family only) and they will renew their vows next year and have the big party then. Smart kids.</span><br /><br /><span>I am back working on the never-ending quilt. It has been fraught with problems <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />and I am just doing my best to finish it. It will be awesome when it is done, but not show quality where the judges are VERY fussy. In the meantime I am working on the next two quilts within my brain. I also have two small ones yet to quilt and bind. </span><br /><br /><span>COVID has not affected us very much. We are not big socialites so staying home is pretty much our usual way of life. We have done less shopping, we wear our masks, and so far have remained in good health. </span><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">As always we enjoy the local wildlife.</span><span> </span><br style="text-align: left;" /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1395" data-original-width="1345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8RMfJyybT9PrDW3tbG51rbxhq2vgTBW8RJ7DRRyI9v9sqMDzdxL89U1CWVdSEz2BY2UXQQnDEe3Y0n0mDxu7UXJxsasmL-FMM102Sc46S2IjGIGqPm_gJuobnvSjgpXyAMLFYiEw1Jw/w386-h400/20.08.1836.jpg" width="386" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hummingbird</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div></div></div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1096" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENhNsi6ZR7b7xcsajffHm6ojM6NquIXvykzwyRL-6vtiOWFA8qeCgEjw3CqZ3NYLuipYHif3lonN68kuL3CBb3-oMYCW2yeFxhAFYIf1mMBqhNGFF22j-TI24hhrTolAqHWKp_FkCm-Y/w400-h214/20.07.1683.jpg" width="400" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tired fox squirrel</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPmq-umMRCvJ4EMUaPQujXn5mR3MX8ewsG_IOaN7fi2KkyaYaHYyTDYwEnnB9fI8mUVC49dMlWggFlvDGmOe2nZsJqX17rCJsQP41m1Hqn7Mg8K2QYNRh6XKvFIDlUn2QCbA309YQQL4/s2048/20.07.1686.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1436" data-original-width="2048" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPmq-umMRCvJ4EMUaPQujXn5mR3MX8ewsG_IOaN7fi2KkyaYaHYyTDYwEnnB9fI8mUVC49dMlWggFlvDGmOe2nZsJqX17rCJsQP41m1Hqn7Mg8K2QYNRh6XKvFIDlUn2QCbA309YQQL4/w400-h280/20.07.1686.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Feeding the birds<br /></i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2Ja9NEoeXuT8u9YJCdDezanK5bURjFTbl9zrnvcavjRI22RJrfwhGoobVWdtcO4SrRdNy0Y0cmhDatYQFoTuIS_2I1ayBRIXCiUJWgac8mvT7YpPCH1N0wyjJTtDdyif-JLcmZkeFxQ/s2048/20.06.1524.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1274" data-original-width="2048" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2Ja9NEoeXuT8u9YJCdDezanK5bURjFTbl9zrnvcavjRI22RJrfwhGoobVWdtcO4SrRdNy0Y0cmhDatYQFoTuIS_2I1ayBRIXCiUJWgac8mvT7YpPCH1N0wyjJTtDdyif-JLcmZkeFxQ/w400-h249/20.06.1524.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moose and calf.<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div>Stay safe and healthy this week and sew if you can. (PS. Blogger is still a mess)</div></div></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMX1ZI1KA1wb-fk9WCyOBMuejOG-YxDjRmE6a1CV3D6tEGQ-q-lcb9g56fxP19nGbfESanE9Fs8MsEmYJ5HiGn8zEO3dnYU-ZWUW8_-fasbfVp80BRniPElzEWPmf-8iorykDUMm6MHMQ/s147/Signature.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMX1ZI1KA1wb-fk9WCyOBMuejOG-YxDjRmE6a1CV3D6tEGQ-q-lcb9g56fxP19nGbfESanE9Fs8MsEmYJ5HiGn8zEO3dnYU-ZWUW8_-fasbfVp80BRniPElzEWPmf-8iorykDUMm6MHMQ/s0/Signature.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div> </div></div></blockquote><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><br /></div></div>Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-55304681082152867212020-06-15T10:53:00.000-06:002020-06-16T14:24:50.651-06:00Stitching Fancy Prairie PointsTime has usurped my sewing options. I had a wonderful week with a daughter and two of her adult children. One was to be Assistant Director at a local camp. Sadly, camp was cancelled the day before she was to report. The rest of the family had departed so she is now spending a mountain summer here in my sewing room. However, that could never stop a lifetime sew-er like me. I just moved on to a different part of my quilt. I still need to do some fusing and quilting before I am ready to bind, but it is never too early to start making Prairie Points for the binding.<br />
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I have never done Prairie Points. I have never done a faced binding. I never worry about doing something new. The exciting part is that I have decided to design my own off-beat points and they require a great deal more time to make than the common ones. I just got the idea and was off and running. I started with some measuring and manipulated paper until I had patterns that I could transfer to card-weight manila folder. I love using manila folders for templates because I have a huge supply after digitizing a lot of paper. They work great and don't have to last forever anyway. Less plastic in the landfill!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyOwWDUBS3fgQ0GDbI5fkRewzjvzntwfbgSC8RmojCXTSeEjanOQSDnaOiymrOsb6BjbG0aZ9Zc7Ej9UrWQda_Y_XOO2n1nMVA1M1N6JlihyP_b8WmlrSJppWJP7pN6S0DZrU78kAKtA/s4741/IMG_1542.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2177" data-original-width="4741" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyOwWDUBS3fgQ0GDbI5fkRewzjvzntwfbgSC8RmojCXTSeEjanOQSDnaOiymrOsb6BjbG0aZ9Zc7Ej9UrWQda_Y_XOO2n1nMVA1M1N6JlihyP_b8WmlrSJppWJP7pN6S0DZrU78kAKtA/w400-h184/IMG_1542.jpg" title="Example of my idea." width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Example of an idea.</span></i></div>
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This is my plan. I will be using 4 colors alternately in the black points. The binding will be orange like the temporary strip in the photo. I will explain how I am making the black points today. I will address the construction of the turquoise point in another post. My finished black points will be 1.25 inches tall above the binding and the point is a 90º angle.</div>
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In the meantime, here is a photo of all the stuff I have been hauling around to make them since my sewing room is not available.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqpvoyEeLub0CG60AvQMaKP01LiA3DAKSEd3WvZb6okjXqPnSnI1l0mMW4H8C-cuUWQ97XmsWWq2ezZFkBh7YtDITKU3tdqCfQI_uug57TRm-98ZnHN1EFhFp4z_PMda7xq9DYeZ9d0yQ/s5472/IMG_1540-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqpvoyEeLub0CG60AvQMaKP01LiA3DAKSEd3WvZb6okjXqPnSnI1l0mMW4H8C-cuUWQ97XmsWWq2ezZFkBh7YtDITKU3tdqCfQI_uug57TRm-98ZnHN1EFhFp4z_PMda7xq9DYeZ9d0yQ/s320/IMG_1540-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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1. Start with a 3 inch square of the main color (black in this case).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQF_UcsT9b0WFMSK4QawL9h3mkMZtmNxow2GXZ_H48H3Npb5EqbCdDcKNTWJ28elw-C6teWpUP3Gtvq5GhtwzFt4pasCWIS_n5TlSg0QPmvrK5VcJSHN7zFK6QBIvfPY5Kf32ZxTlG2k/s2078/IMG_1543.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1945" data-original-width="2078" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQF_UcsT9b0WFMSK4QawL9h3mkMZtmNxow2GXZ_H48H3Npb5EqbCdDcKNTWJ28elw-C6teWpUP3Gtvq5GhtwzFt4pasCWIS_n5TlSg0QPmvrK5VcJSHN7zFK6QBIvfPY5Kf32ZxTlG2k/s320/IMG_1543.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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2. Fold it in half and iron (no fusible on this piece). Cut the triangular colored insert and iron fusible web to its back. My personal choice is SoftFuse.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkAn7D2w-3RkOXGqPUVlywWraQ8vz_yjjBml-yJA2zRBdqNb-2Ydko9PuTo2QrcSdSi6UGUNyAN7-lvEbRA-EEBZl94GjYadJuJd63CrHNEwD5Mrw2J6t413UGdo12KHVmg3h4vebUrQ8/s2710/IMG_1545.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2710" data-original-width="2542" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkAn7D2w-3RkOXGqPUVlywWraQ8vz_yjjBml-yJA2zRBdqNb-2Ydko9PuTo2QrcSdSi6UGUNyAN7-lvEbRA-EEBZl94GjYadJuJd63CrHNEwD5Mrw2J6t413UGdo12KHVmg3h4vebUrQ8/s320/IMG_1545.jpg" /></a></div>
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3. Now stick a pin in the center of the folded edge of the black fabric. This will be the point of the triangle. Fold the two sides to the center, make sure they line up evenly and that the point at the top is crisp. Press the side folds firmly with your iron.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXuAZs0jmvNvYbOHiUiuZDl8MocYrFHuPrwZ8FnhmT_kbkeXcdDAkF7dAIP0zAzyW_83NT9Kn0orLyIZ5aolL6S2CYZ_GsCHtlMaBqhdiBiC3NpPil1mjDZ9MVsaaKmxf5-oWwyVfS24/s3493/IMG_1546_ME.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2994" data-original-width="3493" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXuAZs0jmvNvYbOHiUiuZDl8MocYrFHuPrwZ8FnhmT_kbkeXcdDAkF7dAIP0zAzyW_83NT9Kn0orLyIZ5aolL6S2CYZ_GsCHtlMaBqhdiBiC3NpPil1mjDZ9MVsaaKmxf5-oWwyVfS24/s320/IMG_1546_ME.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Look hard to see the folded edges from the point to the bottom of the triangle.</span></i></div>
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4. Open the side flaps and lay the colored triangle, fusible side down in the center. I trimmed the edges of the triangle a little so they did not add bulk to the side folds. Fuse the colored triangle to the black fabric. Run a 1/2 inch long line of Elmer's Clear Glue along the white lines (in the photo below) on each side.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnBElM_FllKhyphenhyphenqFUZA91PvYalc73-cNN5dACyQsbqsQoQyMu7esyGkZzTOyPdo2MNWzMAkZ2V3DZv2CAh8NMx41WqfxIMcs2Ysy39CGRlG8g1Mauhh0UDceAK9OXGrzTzipOVqbx-hew/s3778/IMG_1547_ME.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3171" data-original-width="3778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnBElM_FllKhyphenhyphenqFUZA91PvYalc73-cNN5dACyQsbqsQoQyMu7esyGkZzTOyPdo2MNWzMAkZ2V3DZv2CAh8NMx41WqfxIMcs2Ysy39CGRlG8g1Mauhh0UDceAK9OXGrzTzipOVqbx-hew/s320/IMG_1547_ME.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The fold lines are shown in red</i></span>.</div>
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5. Fold the edges of the black fabric exactly to the center keeping a sharp point on tip. Press with the iron to adhere the glue so the flaps will stay in place when you sew.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizy0tk22-uoxpA51WJW9OlFhCJflrUqnV0JCFNOYpeeu2948OJqoD4AjdfIw-F28tuT5HmVW3urCYKisjyg9cpuMzdlaPcz8PIZcppuVgvvdTvQ1lcrEBiSEkV5F2PtnGyTN4wWZs6lXc/s4196/IMG_1548.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2447" data-original-width="4196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizy0tk22-uoxpA51WJW9OlFhCJflrUqnV0JCFNOYpeeu2948OJqoD4AjdfIw-F28tuT5HmVW3urCYKisjyg9cpuMzdlaPcz8PIZcppuVgvvdTvQ1lcrEBiSEkV5F2PtnGyTN4wWZs6lXc/s320/IMG_1548.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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6. When folded down properly and stitched there will be no color visible along the center line until you create the peek-a-boo hole (step 7). Using an erasable marker (I used SewLine ceramic marker) mark some guidelines:</div>
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a. Seam line 1/4 inch above the bottom (this is seam allowance).</div>
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b. Line at top where you want it to close (I used 1/4 inch) and where you will sew one bead.</div>
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c. Line somewhere in the center where you want the widest part of the peep hole and where you will </div>
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stitch two of the beads.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_K16CY8Q1sprqzcBDQjp5cKH-XKKHs8iBXGvC6XIwhxLsadtallPNGNu-vbgg5T2kisGK8acNdWOeudie1wIlm1z-E1pOgEXbKZZU8xMDRit5Zlqjj2HPcx7hsNYGUFSWv6N2-j6BZjs/s2972/IMG_1549.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1877" data-original-width="2972" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_K16CY8Q1sprqzcBDQjp5cKH-XKKHs8iBXGvC6XIwhxLsadtallPNGNu-vbgg5T2kisGK8acNdWOeudie1wIlm1z-E1pOgEXbKZZU8xMDRit5Zlqjj2HPcx7hsNYGUFSWv6N2-j6BZjs/s320/IMG_1549.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #d52c1f;">TIP: </span>Roll a piece of painter's tape and place it on top of your spool of thread or some convenient surface. Stick some of your beads on the tape for easy access.</div>
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<span style="color: #d52c1f;">TIP:</span> I bought the only beading needles I could find and they are quite short. I think longer ones will work better to hide knots within the folds, and when I want to run it within the folds to avoid having to start a new thread. I have ordered longer ones that should work much better....I hope. I also used Superior Bottom Line thread, which is very fine (60 wt). The beads are quite small.</div>
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7. The first stiches need to close the center folds at the bottom and top marked lines. Then you can fold back one side of the black fabric at the center line to expose the color below. On this size triangle my fold is a scant 1/8 inch deep at the center mark and tapers to the top and bottom. Stitch down with a hem stitch and attach beads if desired. Repeat for the other side of the peek hole.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Finished triangle with the excess edge of the the peek-a-boo fabric trimmed </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>away </i></span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">outside of the bottom seam allowance.</span></i></div>
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Sew some happy seams this week. I wish you fun trying a new project.</div>
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Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-46841043865143162482020-05-17T12:18:00.000-06:002020-05-17T12:18:58.536-06:00Filling in the Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are all getting a bit tired of COVID19 running our lives, but I feel lucky. As a retired couple we don't go out much in normal times. As a recent meme on Facebook said, "You realize how anti-social you are when a pandemic hits and things don't change that much for you." I guess we are a bit introverted with our own activities that we enjoy. We did break out for a trip to Costco, which netted us about 1/3 of what we had on our list. They are having trouble filling their shelves because of supply problems. Who would ever dream? Meanwhile I clean, garden, sew, play on the computer, and enjoy the local wildlife. I can walk in the early morning without a mask because I rarely meet anyone else. I passed 18 curious, but non-threatening, deer on my walk the other morning. Below is a huge elk that decided to sunbathe and chew his cud in our yard. He is losing his winter coat so looks pretty scruffy at the moment.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjNKdAVGI1r8beS1-OkpuNAN-T2rCjAYvZ2C4hTbsQIL9vpYy4Z8r6x-ts7DGmc5USzuTAsQHXab__32liOdK9eXUpvscvA2MqjQaMThyrU9vLsbWNvpMEMq8PQhNdjdzxKOeeKUTWKQ/s1600/IMG_1363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1103" data-original-width="1600" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjNKdAVGI1r8beS1-OkpuNAN-T2rCjAYvZ2C4hTbsQIL9vpYy4Z8r6x-ts7DGmc5USzuTAsQHXab__32liOdK9eXUpvscvA2MqjQaMThyrU9vLsbWNvpMEMq8PQhNdjdzxKOeeKUTWKQ/s400/IMG_1363.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Bull elk.</i></span></td></tr>
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Several months ago I was all excited to finally buy a ruler foot that comes with a small ruler. I tried it out on a sample square and was delighted. Couldn't wait to use it on my quilt. I have a wide border already quilted on my quilt and wanted to finish it off with a quiet border of piano keys. I found that using the ruler and its accompanying foot wasn't working well with a heavy quilt to drag around. Disappointing. <br />
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<u>Solution</u>: Rip-it. I decided to do the lines with my regular FMQ foot and was able to maintain the 1/4 inch distance between lines with the edge of the foot as a guide. I also drew a straight line every so often with my Sewline marker to keep from wandering off at an angle. Great way to learn to FMQ straight lines! The lines are not as perfect as they would be with a ruler, but that is OK. Do the best you can.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">TIP</span>: Instead of using black thread on black fabric try a very dark, colored thread or dark charcoal. It is much easier on the eyes than black on black and unnoticeable. I thought my lines were quite perfect until I took this photo. Clearly I was looking at them with "rose-colored glasses."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlTwjuJuuj4U90Q8vEzJmRmV7ddD7W_qE7nhvTTeTQoxxYaEErAL8S_4ggFTGzwGNeymhAM09fkyRg_JQIA545e62VofKE8NOoQ4WUpFRvKad4nz-vV6TC39M0XNZvrskrp1hnY01oNM/s1600/IMG_1376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlTwjuJuuj4U90Q8vEzJmRmV7ddD7W_qE7nhvTTeTQoxxYaEErAL8S_4ggFTGzwGNeymhAM09fkyRg_JQIA545e62VofKE8NOoQ4WUpFRvKad4nz-vV6TC39M0XNZvrskrp1hnY01oNM/s400/IMG_1376.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Piano Keys</i></span></td></tr>
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I have also been working on the Mayan mask that will will be the show stopper at the top of the quilt. I am stitching all the fused edges down with blanket stitch of various sizes. I find this so satisfying. It demands close attention as I go around corners and curves so it never gets boring. In some spots I have stitched with clear, mono-poly thread and in others I have chosen appropriate colors or gold, metallic thread. There is a narrow band under the eyes where I wanted to simulate the glow of animal eyes. Gold thread was too much. Yellow and orange were too much. Tan didn't show up at all.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_QWKAUfyhrt4l3BhMW5S7HbAN6Qb-wtosL00YdQlcqRMwt47lLZDpMH9O-8x73MSgcr-jUpTraUnXb8eppNc_Pggk3WUzcKRD_rgZf9ZE3BJIxx2nRzAEQSvPr9xsotQLGHiQgaQm44/s1600/IMG_1372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1293" data-original-width="1600" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_QWKAUfyhrt4l3BhMW5S7HbAN6Qb-wtosL00YdQlcqRMwt47lLZDpMH9O-8x73MSgcr-jUpTraUnXb8eppNc_Pggk3WUzcKRD_rgZf9ZE3BJIxx2nRzAEQSvPr9xsotQLGHiQgaQm44/s320/IMG_1372.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Silk thread under the eye.</i></span></td></tr>
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<u>Solution</u>: I finally settled on silk thread that is almost the same color as the fabric, which is actually a tan print (not orange as in the photo). It is perfect. It creates the glow with its sheen and adds the perfect bit of interest, but also blends.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzWpFN5y5Hy1VDbKLIseEXwtGfdR9-Y2WX8jRMhx3dntwOPTPXSZR-zwF51HStp4FNpXCwJEG3j190XZy5d3uEVbk2ebvR7NeeydKsacxTX4nGsTuV4d_caPtqR7T_vwZ_ki89XXNk8fU/s1600/IMG_1373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1490" data-original-width="1600" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzWpFN5y5Hy1VDbKLIseEXwtGfdR9-Y2WX8jRMhx3dntwOPTPXSZR-zwF51HStp4FNpXCwJEG3j190XZy5d3uEVbk2ebvR7NeeydKsacxTX4nGsTuV4d_caPtqR7T_vwZ_ki89XXNk8fU/s400/IMG_1373.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Gold metallic on red.</i></span></td></tr>
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Sew some happy seams this week. I wish you straight lines, but no worry if they wiggle a bit.<br />
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Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-58228376885742222842020-05-02T10:17:00.000-06:002020-05-02T18:17:16.828-06:00A Finish and a Solution or TwoI finished the second Wedding Star (Judy Niemeyer pattern) table topper quilt. I have truly enjoyed making two of these now as bridal gifts. One is purple and the other is green based on the favorite decorating colors of the individual brides. One wedding has now been postponed until the world is safe again. The other is still on schedule for October. I am glad I started these quilts early as they are time consuming, but they are done and ready to gift wrap.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-g4wo8HF0TEG-RHBn1z0gaogpzwrbOyGgWn09tjqs4TiDb_g5BxB4hH1Tvw1OhjE_1XzgM86ofGwawjLx_RdFgueQf6vwtKQdi-gkpgX3GVYszC-NUZEjY64psQJGZdLrbqJUUIuQs8/s1600/IMG_1348_ME.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1591" data-original-width="1600" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-g4wo8HF0TEG-RHBn1z0gaogpzwrbOyGgWn09tjqs4TiDb_g5BxB4hH1Tvw1OhjE_1XzgM86ofGwawjLx_RdFgueQf6vwtKQdi-gkpgX3GVYszC-NUZEjY64psQJGZdLrbqJUUIuQs8/s400/IMG_1348_ME.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Wedding Star Table Topper (color is more vibrant than the photo shows)</i></span></td></tr>
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Note the two-color background within the rings. I love what that did to the design. It creates a secondary design in the guise of a square, and it makes you wonder for a second what is going on. It is one of those eye-grabbers that makes you turn around and look again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPeqoXbo3HGWLu3XG7iKbLeJijjh6TJo_GUH6WvgZbXYbaobXl-BPD2HYxKx8cWZN-e_AqNAx2c3fUSaTYYIkF8knE_x-LE3uoNqvvKyyzCZvCocZDwvfZze4MJOTIxmopipKfRSMYDg/s1600/IMG_1351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPeqoXbo3HGWLu3XG7iKbLeJijjh6TJo_GUH6WvgZbXYbaobXl-BPD2HYxKx8cWZN-e_AqNAx2c3fUSaTYYIkF8knE_x-LE3uoNqvvKyyzCZvCocZDwvfZze4MJOTIxmopipKfRSMYDg/s400/IMG_1351.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Closeup of the quilting on the table topper.</i></span></td></tr>
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Now I am back on the obstinate "forever quilt." I WILL finish this thing. I ran into problems with the edge of the quilt on one side not lining up. At that point I folded it up in frustration and worked on a dog quilt and the table toppers. During my free motion thinking time I gradually came up with a map for solving the problem:<br />
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1. Make a Mayan mask, attach an addition to the top of the quilt and use the mask to cover the problem. The quilt will now be a rectangle instead of a square. Not necessarily the best way to do things, but a start to get the ideas flowing.<br />
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2. It would need more design elements so I ran through a number of ideas and tested them on Illustrator. I have now made two Mayan-style birds with outstretched wings to frame the mask. Cool! The fusible appliquéd mask and birds incorporate the colors of this very colorful quilt. Ultimately this is really not the ideal way to fix a cockeyed quilt, but I love the mask and birds and so does DH.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Mayan Bird</i></span></td></tr>
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3. Finally, I decided to block the quilt. Normally this is done when the quilt is finished, trimmed and ready to bind, but I had to see if I could straighten out the anomaly.<br />
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4. Soak the quilt in the bathtub. I always prewash my fabric, but can you imagine my horror at discovering that the backing fabric was bleeding red in the water in spite of having been pre-washed? I quickly added Color Catchers, but that was not going to do it. Fortunately, the washing machine is up and running again in this nice weather so I rinsed it by machine with the rest of my Color Catchers. Whew! All is good and the bright colors on the quilt were not affected...at least not that I can see.<br />
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5. Successful blocking. I was able to square it all up so I don't need the mask and birds. But I love the mask and birds! I will continue with the plan and add more fabric (top, batting and backing) to the top of the quilt and apply them. In Illustrator the design looks great and the execution appears to be viable. It will be unique if nothing else.<br />
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Just another day in my quilting journey!<br />
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Sew some happy seams this week. I wish you good luck on creatively solving problems. I hope all are safe and healthy as we carefully watch the slow decline of this pandemic.<br />
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<br />Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-79546653900759352672020-04-15T09:52:00.000-06:002020-04-15T09:52:20.378-06:00Pandemic Sew-In<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Are you bored being "stuck" at home? I want to say, "Get over it!," but that is not fair. There are many who go to work everyday to provide for their families and don't have time to learn how to keep busy at home. I remember that all I wanted to do when I got home from work was to put up my feet and have a good book handy. Well, we are all learning a somewhat different way of life.<br />
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I am retired and have lived a life of busy-ness having raised a large family with lots of different hobbies. I love sewing and always have, so I am keeping busy with sewing-related activities and some genealogy when I want to sit down at the computer. The bed in my sewing room is a fertile place for the growth of fabric stacks, but I foiled that problem and put each piece of fabric to bed in it's assigned box out in my "Sewing Shed." No room in the house to store fabric.<br />
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My second table topper is coming along nicely. I am extremely pleased with the quilting. I stitched every seam in the ditch and that makes the FMQ go so much easier. No accidental pleating, but how did I miss that one seam, 1 1/2 inches long? How did that thread in the topstitiching get cut? That meant taking out about six inches to tie knots and restitch. How did I forget to topstitch all those points? Well, that is the way of it I guess. Another day or two and I will be ready to bind it.<br />
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We had some gorgeous weather, which was great for laundry. I don't have a dryer and my washing machine is in the garage (now a "guest cottage") with no water in the winter. On the warm days DH turned on the water and I washed everything that ever thought of getting washed and hung it out on the line to soak up the sunshine. Easter Sunday it snowed all day and plans to continue off and on throughout this week. In view of the pandemic I do not want to go to the Laundromat so we are being judicious about the clothes we wear so we can make it to the next bout of sunshine.<br />
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We live in a community with lots of retired people. Senior morning at the grocery store was a bust. Way too many Seniors there and it was a mob. The good side is that the virus curve is flattening here and we have had no virus so far in our little town high in the mountains. I hope you are all doing well. Thank goodness for quilting. At least we know how to keep busy and have fun while we are sequestered to avoid this nasty virus.<br />
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Sew some happy seams this week. I wish you time to catch up, to enjoy your family, and to accomplish some quilting. Stay safe and wash your hands.<br />
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Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-47501917660513567902020-03-29T10:25:00.001-06:002020-03-29T10:25:20.759-06:00Round TwoI finished my Wedding Star quilt. This is a little table topper 30" in both dimensions. It is a Judy Niemeyer pattern and I do so admire her designs, but I found the directions to be very confusing in some parts. However, I was able to tough it out without too much waste. It is paper pieced and I have done lots of that so experience paid off.<br />
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In all my years of sewing and quilting this is the first bias binding I have done. I went straight to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jzCKugGS1Q" target="_blank">Sharon Schamber's</a> wonderful video on how to do it. She has so many suggestions on how to avoid problems and a really cool method for cutting the bias. She has some fussy steps in her process, but in using her methods you can avoid errors that might end in a sloppy result. She also has an excellent video on how to do a straight grain binding. I HIGHLY recommend that you watch one or both of her tutorials.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>"Wedding Star" (pattern by Judy Niemeyer)</i></span></td></tr>
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Now I am starting another quilt with the same pattern because I have two family weddings coming up and this is my way of celebrating. I made some mistakes on the first one and I think I can avoid those on this one. I have plenty of fabric except for one color that I just barely had enough to cut. If I goof on that one I will have to replace that element with a different fabric. All the fabrics are from my stash except for 1 yard for background. That is helpful as the only way I can get fabric at the moment is online.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Design wall with the start of the second "Wedding Star." (testing!)</i></span></td></tr>
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I hope you are all doing well during this time of isolation. The virus hasn't changed my life much because we are pretty much a stay-at-home couple at any given time. I always have plenty to keep me busy at home and soon I will be able to garden. I feel badly for our 4 graduates this year as they may not be able to celebrate with the usual ceremony, but at least they are able to finish their course work online. Our two weddings are in August and October, and I really hope that they each will be able to have the wedding of their dreams. At any rate they will each have a small quilt from Grandma.<br />
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Sew some happy seams this week. I wish you no flu and lots of time to sew.<br />
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<br />Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-71690388884487108302020-03-18T09:49:00.001-06:002020-03-18T09:49:31.906-06:00Viral QuiltingWe are all worrying about a tiny virus that packs a wallop. Many of us are self-isolating ourselves as much as possible. Some of you will be extra busy with the kids at home. Others will be at home with time on your hands. Well, I no longer have kids at home, but I am always busy within the confines of my house and yard. However, I miss being able to go to the library, I will go to the store only for dire necessities (like food), restaurants are closed, etc. So, even if I should feel housebound and want to get out, I won't, except for my daily dog walk. Quilting can be a blessing at times like this to keep our minds on something other than the troubles. We are so lucky to have chosen a business or hobby that can keep us immersed in something productive, creative and beautiful. Of course I assume you have a stash to work from. I could probably supply the neighborhood.<br />
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I have been busy getting my little quilt quilted. Sometimes I plow straight into a project without planning each step. I got so excited to get the top all together that I busied myself with building the sandwich so I could settle down to quilting. About halfway through stitching-in-the-ditch I realized that I hadn't finalized my ideas for the quilting. So now how am I going to mark it? That should have been done before the sandwich, but now it was too late. Never fear, where there is a will there is a way.<br />
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I like to completely mark my quilting design because I find it hard to see around the needle apparatus to figure out where I should go next with my freeform designs. If the lines are drawn it is easier for me. Some of this I can do free hand with the blue or purple marker, but I need a pattern of some sort with which to mark the bones of the design. If I had thought ahead I would have used a light box to trace the design. Now it is too late. You can create patterns with plastic templates, freezer paper, kitchen dishes, and many other items. I use old manilla folders. I cut the pieces and trace around them with a blue marker onto the quilt top. That sets the main directions of the pattern. The bird is clipart from the Internet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hHq52plaPmyFubSq7RDNXlFdBcbfpu3MilWvhnZRa0NrGlBvppupzDyR6i5tlhHrWOHCTzzYin3A-MR3CYPhWkTh9zwcv-QbVl2pzmyuPJiHu-1HuhBVl6I5W7Ck9cPbzRypLcfsAfw/s1600/IMG_1318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hHq52plaPmyFubSq7RDNXlFdBcbfpu3MilWvhnZRa0NrGlBvppupzDyR6i5tlhHrWOHCTzzYin3A-MR3CYPhWkTh9zwcv-QbVl2pzmyuPJiHu-1HuhBVl6I5W7Ck9cPbzRypLcfsAfw/s400/IMG_1318.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Manilla folder pattern for main lines of the design.</i></span></td></tr>
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Then I draw in the feathers freehand. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Incomplete drawing with the blue marker.</i></span></td></tr>
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I decided to quilt with pale, purple thread. The background is white on white, but it looked very stark and blah when I was done piecing. The purple thread will somewhat disappear after I soak it when I am done, but enough will show to outline the quilting and add interest and a little color to the dull, white background (lower right corner).<br />
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Now to the sewing machine.<br />
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Sew some happy seams this week. I wish you novelty in finding/designing quilting patterns. Stay well and wash your hands.<br />
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<br />Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-7489416167050789302020-03-09T13:40:00.000-06:002020-03-09T18:12:16.335-06:00The Wonder Stuff Called GlueI have been working on a double wedding ring table table topper. It is full of curved seams, and I have done them many times. Picture a dozen pins holding it all in place. Force it under the presser foot. Try to keep the puckers out. Try to remember to pull the pins out before they interact with the needle. Saliva is useful to remove blood from the fabric.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gpduKBQrn-fA2cY7rE6tMQesuwLmLjEQ7k81_FxgYtnMmi5XNq6H3L57CO7Pu2_Q1KNH1SqL9ssodfMkEyYWYR41WU_nSZBY1BRQSbQlbbxGAMpShmqyLmM5rjlMkc3DW263GueD2BY/s1600/IMG_1313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1509" data-original-width="1600" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gpduKBQrn-fA2cY7rE6tMQesuwLmLjEQ7k81_FxgYtnMmi5XNq6H3L57CO7Pu2_Q1KNH1SqL9ssodfMkEyYWYR41WU_nSZBY1BRQSbQlbbxGAMpShmqyLmM5rjlMkc3DW263GueD2BY/s400/IMG_1313.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Two pieces to sew together in a curved seam</i></span></td></tr>
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My pattern is from Judy Niemeyer and she simplifies much of the process...with glue. I have used glue on tricky seams many times, but I hadn't thought about it for this pattern. Wow! It takes all the work out of sewing the curved seams. I used 3 pins: one on each end and one in the middle during the gluing process.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4fdFxojDjhLxsjEmZoVU2xHMIlx1FH_K6_4wnRuf8zJ6QCkQ0JPlB6fX5gNwOiX3qyWKtsfcsHkz2cGiY7-3aCLhpizRhA9B1PMnuvpYC5u21tdP905II6zG2B-w5HrOlH0SwPN-MaPs/s1600/IMG_1308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="804" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4fdFxojDjhLxsjEmZoVU2xHMIlx1FH_K6_4wnRuf8zJ6QCkQ0JPlB6fX5gNwOiX3qyWKtsfcsHkz2cGiY7-3aCLhpizRhA9B1PMnuvpYC5u21tdP905II6zG2B-w5HrOlH0SwPN-MaPs/s400/IMG_1308.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Pin Placement. Glued together.</i></span></td></tr>
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Press to set the glue (it will wash out later). Then I pulled out the middle pin leaving only the ones on the ends...just in case. The sewing went so fast I couldn't believe it. I did have to address a couple of tiny puckers but they eased out without trouble, and I did a LOT of curved seams.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlZShnFchEMjvECU2RNAybGyVmkNq9WNE0n9w-c4bUvx5x2q8q3CQkxGr2ZxuVEctZtvB8zqQIZXD0fhu-3IvHRSN6fOG8Npx3GOG14JHiQRHzpgxndgwWUKjgsfVAzd6Kt3Up0BEaZA/s1600/IMG_1312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="1600" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlZShnFchEMjvECU2RNAybGyVmkNq9WNE0n9w-c4bUvx5x2q8q3CQkxGr2ZxuVEctZtvB8zqQIZXD0fhu-3IvHRSN6fOG8Npx3GOG14JHiQRHzpgxndgwWUKjgsfVAzd6Kt3Up0BEaZA/s400/IMG_1312.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Inside</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Outside</i></span></td></tr>
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I use Elmer's clear glue. You can also buy a glue stick, but I have a needle nose, screw-on top on my bottle of glue. I got that top at a local Woodcraft store, but I am sure they are on the Internet somewhere. You don't even need to keep track of a cover for the pointy top. This glue does not like plastic and does not stick to it. If there is a little glue left on the tip it may get rubbery, but is pulled out easily with a pin and you are ready to go. No muss. No fuss. No lid to lose!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdz5lanxiLIxDNYbsEVQKdT-wmFqNvDQDNF7-E84eySeryXaRZrgfGsacjnt-4ycX0xZHiZJ9-u5QZESv5tzf782hKFtH9XGztVZeYco7_w8nOsNYwtGDmd4I22VP1A5JM6f0B5XXmJM/s1600/IMG_1317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="1600" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdz5lanxiLIxDNYbsEVQKdT-wmFqNvDQDNF7-E84eySeryXaRZrgfGsacjnt-4ycX0xZHiZJ9-u5QZESv5tzf782hKFtH9XGztVZeYco7_w8nOsNYwtGDmd4I22VP1A5JM6f0B5XXmJM/s320/IMG_1317.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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All those tricky seams are done now and I am ready to free-motion quilt. Well, first I will stitch in the ditch of every seam. On this quilt I can do that with my dual feed foot, which makes that process easier because this is a very small quilt. I don't think it would work as well on a large quilt so you would have to FMQ. As you see, I am all for easy where possible.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCK-yW38xBj9Ea0iv40gdTobLt42qyLT1XRMq4aPLdpVAByn0cFT0VA7RXiHiQngu-95LrF4GqTfqLVFtla-W3dlZs3kiLjMRTQjFuuwos8V77RuOKjUtDyHX7W44ugrKePIFw3DdQqc4/s1600/IMG_1314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="1405" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCK-yW38xBj9Ea0iv40gdTobLt42qyLT1XRMq4aPLdpVAByn0cFT0VA7RXiHiQngu-95LrF4GqTfqLVFtla-W3dlZs3kiLjMRTQjFuuwos8V77RuOKjUtDyHX7W44ugrKePIFw3DdQqc4/s400/IMG_1314.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Together</i></span></td></tr>
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Sew some happy seams this week. I wish you success with glue and curved seams.<br />
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<br />Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-5137693906018669262020-02-23T18:00:00.001-07:002020-02-23T18:00:35.584-07:00Time to Get Things Working RightYou probably noticed that I changed my blog theme...again. The "new" one was so pretty, but drove me crazy - I didn't like working with it. This one is not as dramatic, but it suits me much better. I'll keep it for awhile until I get restless again.<br />
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My new project was moving right along until the directions got ultra complex and I got so confused. I see now why Judy Niemeyer hires people and trains them to teach her classes. There were two booklets of directions for this pattern. The first was a dozen pages of general directions, which I skimped on (bad move). There was an extra pattern piece with no explanation of what it was for so I sat down and read through everything - carefully this time. Apparently it was a way to cut one part of the pattern to sew without foundation piecing. If it is something else, I will eventually figure it out! <br />
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In another place I was told to cut through the middle of a foundation piece when initially cutting it. Later, it was insane trying to foundation piece it. One piece ended up having no seam allowance marked. I have now scanned the whole pattern and can print more pieces if I need them. I'll do that piece my way! You can't beat experience. I am thankful for all the many hours of foundation piecing I have done over the years. Whether the directions are clear or not, I can eventually figure them out.<br />
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I made an annoying miscalculation in a color gradation. That was my own fault! What to do? Below is an extra piece I began to put together before figuring out that I didn't need as many as I thought. However it is a perfect demonstration of a piece gone wrong in the gradation. It looked fine in a stack of large pieces of fabric, but it created a sharp demarcation between light and medium dark that looked terribly wrong to me in the strip of small pieces. It sat behind my machine and just glared at me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9uARf4f2ScfzZuVD29chbVdhBhPhYFntijNVQ5yR6Be4uHEOvzBgLptgb0O_85G-US8OA5UsQSymswmtGxZckp31KPvsksPMN41SxZMYjn287BQgBmlCE738RxqGWrz8U7ZP2pvN3Zc/s1600/IMG_1303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="1600" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9uARf4f2ScfzZuVD29chbVdhBhPhYFntijNVQ5yR6Be4uHEOvzBgLptgb0O_85G-US8OA5UsQSymswmtGxZckp31KPvsksPMN41SxZMYjn287BQgBmlCE738RxqGWrz8U7ZP2pvN3Zc/s400/IMG_1303.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The offending piece is the paisley 3rd from right.</i></span></td></tr>
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I had 24 of these graded strips all sewn together so I pondered.<br />
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I looked again. <br />
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I strongly disliked it. <br />
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I pondered some more. <br />
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I tried to use paint to darken the piece. <br />
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Yuuuuuk! <br />
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I finally used an <a href="https://www.dickblick.com/products/derwent-inktense-pencils/?clickTracking=true&wmcp=pla&wmcid=items&wmckw=22051-1036&gclid=Cj0KCQiA4sjyBRC5ARIsAEHsELFW9g7dOy37XXAOwHuK2a_4LA6_DX-jzY-pbm4BCwyyhIa3bhhptgQaAqQrEALw_wcB" target="_blank">Inktense pencil</a> to color lightly on the left side of the of the offending piece. Then I used water to blend the color across the piece like painting in watercolor. Heat set and hope it holds. It blends perfectly now! I also washed the test piece with soap and water and it maintained its new look.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuabg1JMotOcwoUPNy8SU0uISF1bukz8VgG8M7JcgHdi_J9U8M3zk6RFWHsFMZxUiCfURwNb4k6rsK8fb3KaqMH51aCoumIzzr1V_y3g3R5HoebRcDJcQnERwJiCYgzBqlvqabwcLzOb8/s1600/IMG_1304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="1600" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuabg1JMotOcwoUPNy8SU0uISF1bukz8VgG8M7JcgHdi_J9U8M3zk6RFWHsFMZxUiCfURwNb4k6rsK8fb3KaqMH51aCoumIzzr1V_y3g3R5HoebRcDJcQnERwJiCYgzBqlvqabwcLzOb8/s640/IMG_1304.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Can you see how well the paisley blends now? Compare with the previous image.</i></span></td></tr>
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Thank goodness I didn't have to do these strips all over again. This is a project from my stash although I did have to purchase the background fabric. I have lots of whites, but not enough of any of them so I got a pretty white-on-white.<br />
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Sew some happy seams this week. I wish you gentleness as you blend your life.<br />
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<br />Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-42486062046283064252020-02-18T09:18:00.000-07:002020-02-18T15:00:14.419-07:00A New Project - An Old One FinishedSewing time has been scant to non-existent. There have been so many things to be done and other things I wanted to play with.<br />
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I had my DNA done some time ago, but didn't really know what to do with it. I heard about DNA Painter and then a cousin wrote about her efforts to locate the family of my ggg-grandmother using DNA so I got busy, learned the program and added my DNA to the project. We still don't have an exact answer, but all indications point to a family that is probably hers. Waste of time? No, it is challenging to learn new things and keep the aging brain active.<br />
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I am one who does not collect UFQs (unfinished quilts), but I just kept making fusible stuff when my machine was in the shop. I ended up with three UFQs hanging around and it was hard getting back to work to finish them.....until.....I saw a table topper on Facebook that would be a lovely shower gift for two upcoming brides in the family. It is a Judy Niemeyer pattern that has been discontinued. I got one of two left! It is energizing to begin a new project even though I still have two UFQs. They'll get done at some point!<br />
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I made myself finish "Sweet Lady" the collie while I waited for the pattern to arrive. I puzzled about the binding. With the red bow on her head I felt I needed a little something red somewhere. Red binding was clearly not the answer, but I put down some red rick-rack under the black binding. I think it really makes the quilt pop. The binding is 1/4 inch and the corners were really hard because of the bulky rick-rack. I couldn't trim it much because it frays so badly. So the quilt has bulky corners. I may take a hammer to them with a piece of fabric under the hammer to prevent the fabric from getting shiny. We'll see. This is not for show and it is far from perfect, but I am happy. I am happiest to have finished at least one project.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp67QGpYoRIpyUNOSnVwy-zot0KygEaY-KZlZmqoqeK1Lf0OQs9jg_0whwkO8No7uCx0JNtX8KUtvDP2RECZoYVUw7pEi6FTyN5TQBROQXKVyN9_8aQWbOxAxdPB4SrKo7IVA2R6xDS_c/s1600/Sweet+Lady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1389" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp67QGpYoRIpyUNOSnVwy-zot0KygEaY-KZlZmqoqeK1Lf0OQs9jg_0whwkO8No7uCx0JNtX8KUtvDP2RECZoYVUw7pEi6FTyN5TQBROQXKVyN9_8aQWbOxAxdPB4SrKo7IVA2R6xDS_c/s320/Sweet+Lady.jpg" width="276" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Sweet Lady</i></span></td></tr>
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Sew some happy seams today. I wish you the thrill of a finished project soon. Continue your learning process to keep your brain healthy.Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-42318140722323225112020-01-26T08:58:00.001-07:002020-01-26T09:01:15.861-07:00Catch the Light CorrectlyLast week I painted the catch lights on my collie's eyes and nose. I had to be sure the paint was well dried before dragging it around under my needle.<br />
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Do you know how to do catch lights? They are the reflection of light or flash from the shiny cornea of the eye. If you quilt, draw or paint people or animals they are very important. They make the eyes come alive and look at you. In people the catchlights are in the same place in both eyes. That is, they are both at 2:00 or maybe 11:00 depending on the position of the head or the light, but always the same in both eyes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP57kzSOH4bEtDFPxg3mX_GZX-rya0cOPNostFc8Ow_3qb2ZL_VNgng_CVdHMDT-CxWIn1Zn7VWNYTIXl2EFDPM7NTD1nooUIj22_Tg-6viduAEQ9cAKYIWPK9fmc3833nAfWddSbG_gE/s1600/08.11.104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP57kzSOH4bEtDFPxg3mX_GZX-rya0cOPNostFc8Ow_3qb2ZL_VNgng_CVdHMDT-CxWIn1Zn7VWNYTIXl2EFDPM7NTD1nooUIj22_Tg-6viduAEQ9cAKYIWPK9fmc3833nAfWddSbG_gE/s400/08.11.104.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Digital painting of my grandaughter. Catchlights at 11:00.</i></span></td></tr>
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Dogs are different. Their catch lights are the mirror image of each other. Thus, if the right eye has it at 1:00 then the left eye will have it at 11:00. It makes them look a bit crosseyed sometimes, but their eyes are positioned in their skulls differently than those of humans so the reflections are different. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cNFLmKbsnC9yaqhkkhGwLfwXpTY236Qefa08-c2BaqzRN9pFr8zFrTD60aYFtZ6cwASFUkKNhH4MYfQhbmaDuGXIQTSnxlF6FEWF5IOkQlC_9DWLTisWx_YC4dYQsswmQfq9mzLnVjQ/s1600/Zoey+fini+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cNFLmKbsnC9yaqhkkhGwLfwXpTY236Qefa08-c2BaqzRN9pFr8zFrTD60aYFtZ6cwASFUkKNhH4MYfQhbmaDuGXIQTSnxlF6FEWF5IOkQlC_9DWLTisWx_YC4dYQsswmQfq9mzLnVjQ/s400/Zoey+fini+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Zoey's catch lights are both closer to her nose than to her ears.<br />(Digital painting)</i></span></td></tr>
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With dogs I go from a photo. Lady, the collie has hers really weirdly located, but the camera doesn't lie. She really looks crosseyed, but collies are like that!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNXX3Tw_5RqWNBkv_kWtrOT8P0goNRfaNri8t-VI711SFQgCFWwozy4xy67W7r7JXg3FO8So4JCCagnDjIC6OY-LyXZjA1YHa2VVVbA-VME-PxMWTPfk3UE7e33tNqd2dX4-D1F9gfQk/s1600/08.12.1900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1451" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNXX3Tw_5RqWNBkv_kWtrOT8P0goNRfaNri8t-VI711SFQgCFWwozy4xy67W7r7JXg3FO8So4JCCagnDjIC6OY-LyXZjA1YHa2VVVbA-VME-PxMWTPfk3UE7e33tNqd2dX4-D1F9gfQk/s400/08.12.1900.jpg" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Photo of Lady.</i></span></td></tr>
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Sew some happy seams this week. I wish that your portraits will not be crosseyed (unless they are supposed to be that way).<br />
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<br />Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-43899668751683026762020-01-19T14:28:00.001-07:002020-01-19T14:28:40.225-07:00Happy New YearIt is a New Year and my blog has a new theme. This will take some getting used to as Blogger has made some changes and I am not up to speed on them.<br />
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Sewing? Not yet. We spent Christmas in Salzburg, Austria, and it was magical to explore some of old Europe. We attended Christmas Day service in the old, gothic Salzburg Cathedral. We walked through catacombs cut into a cliff, toured a Fortress high on a ridge, and joined the crowds at the big, outdoor Christmas Market where vendors sold local food and gift items. We drove into the Austrian Alps to visit Hallstatt, a quaint, salt mining village. We rode the funicular up to a high point on the mountain for a stunning view of the mountains and lake. Most of all we enjoyed being with family.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Catacombs</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1C99uIypCi_lX57LNklEBpaNTr8cmL6AuH_f78FTU5KPButAy2FZh4sli1yk_cgyRYo7XgEEcOocdzdR04xlH0369Q0N_F2rW2JfPpph_3se1RUcfHsrkNXPZ3rMXCbQYISMsSKHOuZE/s1600/19.12.0906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1133" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1C99uIypCi_lX57LNklEBpaNTr8cmL6AuH_f78FTU5KPButAy2FZh4sli1yk_cgyRYo7XgEEcOocdzdR04xlH0369Q0N_F2rW2JfPpph_3se1RUcfHsrkNXPZ3rMXCbQYISMsSKHOuZE/s400/19.12.0906.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Main alter in Salzburg Cathedral</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDWxevA4lIrez509_MNsfpPzj9IMVODk280eXJG4BOw40aSGBnx0CgAxv7AoldpZuDXiXhRD3YlCU3vmVLLE6HwC7F3oNate6TsXnkFiGr_yOvRdlAnppLkEYambfgjL08lIgdFv_Xtw/s1600/19.12.0958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDWxevA4lIrez509_MNsfpPzj9IMVODk280eXJG4BOw40aSGBnx0CgAxv7AoldpZuDXiXhRD3YlCU3vmVLLE6HwC7F3oNate6TsXnkFiGr_yOvRdlAnppLkEYambfgjL08lIgdFv_Xtw/s400/19.12.0958.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Hohensalzburg Fortress</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxJazmH474LsFs1gw9ae0qOdtpIqrSRgsmxrSVFRcRUJPSISP6Z8oLYiFVSn1BeJPTvnixRcmtMWUpYb-cAeT_BNz2u9piE7RBkrv3AuTTFiXycGYzlaEZfsNTTxqqkgHVRIkc-OuK0c/s1600/19.12.1050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxJazmH474LsFs1gw9ae0qOdtpIqrSRgsmxrSVFRcRUJPSISP6Z8oLYiFVSn1BeJPTvnixRcmtMWUpYb-cAeT_BNz2u9piE7RBkrv3AuTTFiXycGYzlaEZfsNTTxqqkgHVRIkc-OuK0c/s400/19.12.1050.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Austrian Alps</i></span></td></tr>
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We came home and immediately came down with the virus that my oldest grandson shared with the family over the holidays. It was a miserable cold, but I'm feeling better now. That is why I have not been sewing. I just didn't have the drive to work at it. Now I can't move forward until I get some batting for that forever quilt that I have been working on since the beginning of time, but it is ordered.<br />
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Sew some happy seams this week. I wish you health, happiness and finished quilts this year.<br />
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<br />Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-58865102050836226122019-12-23T07:00:00.000-07:002019-12-23T07:00:06.791-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Have a wonderful holiday.</div>
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<br />Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-17269788021929577182019-12-15T09:23:00.003-07:002019-12-15T09:23:58.614-07:00Short and SweetThe holidays are grinding down on me and I have a lot to get done so this is a short offering today.<br />
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I spent two or three days getting my appliquéd flower and dog off the bed and fused down. First I scattered scraps of fusible here and there on the wrong side of the backing fabric and then fused the batting to it. The final step was to fuse the flower and dog to their appropriate batting and backing. Now they won't be lounging on the bed and in danger of getting messed up. I hung them both on my design wall and they are ready to quilt when the holiday busy-ness settles down.<br />
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So...what to do with my time? I don't want to get deeply involved at this point so I made some really cute ornaments that I saw on a blog last week. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8gKdUsmw0Tksm5B20UfJM_ji4g2jSOmFzHihnSZEzDG7IIwH4S-lbVpzelxdgM1cA1bp8ZKKXuxkCDwQwYjVzikU-VUFQLD0s4parCccduQIEIhOlPw3Eoireq6FjMca1IsR9S6z4qbI/s1600/IMG_0724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1355" data-original-width="1600" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8gKdUsmw0Tksm5B20UfJM_ji4g2jSOmFzHihnSZEzDG7IIwH4S-lbVpzelxdgM1cA1bp8ZKKXuxkCDwQwYjVzikU-VUFQLD0s4parCccduQIEIhOlPw3Eoireq6FjMca1IsR9S6z4qbI/s400/IMG_0724.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Origami hexagon ornaments <br />Pardon the threads - I left them attached to sew on the buttons</i></span>.</td></tr>
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Here is the U-tube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq934F4_KKY" target="_blank">video</a> that shows how to make them. I spent about 1-1/2 hours making five of them. Easy-peasy! They all need a button to cover the raw edges in the center. I went to Joann's and bought buttons specifically for them. When I got home the buttons were not in the bag or in the car. They must have fallen out of the bag into the cart when I left the cart in its parking area as I left the store. Bummer!! Big Time. I live over 1 hr away from Joann's and the snow began to fall so no buttons with which to finish the ornaments in time for the photo. I'll hit Hobby Lobby when I venture down the canyon for a haircut in a couple of days. Hopefully I can find something there that I can use. I intend to have them ready to hang on a Christmas tree before the big day.<br />
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That's all folks. I've been doing other things with my time lately...you know, like cooking, cleaning, laundry, shoveling snow.......<br />
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Sew some happy seams this week if you have time. Enjoy the holidays, family and friends.<br />
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<br />Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-76750413314758256362019-12-08T09:11:00.001-07:002019-12-08T09:11:20.333-07:00Cut and PasteMy sewing machine had been gone for almost 4 weeks. I finally called on a Friday and they apparently scrambled because they had it ready to pick up on Monday. Now tell me, why couldn't they have done that 3 weeks ago? The intermittently functioning Start button performed to perfection for them so nothing was done to solve that problem. The foot pedal works great...even though it is sluggish and jumpy so nothing was done on that. I am linked to this outfit for the one-year warranty, but after that I will find someone else to work on my machine! I think I will just buy a new foot pedal. They aren't very expensive and maybe I'll get one that works better.<br />
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Clearly, I have not been sewing, but that doesn't mean I am not working on quilts. I cut freezer paper, cut fabric, glued, pressed fusible, trimmed, placed and repeated. My gaillardia is almost ready to quilt except that I found some fabrics in my stash that I missed when I was choosing. Hmmmm! I may have to do a few replacements. We'll see. The flower turned out great. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimigHTQxs2GFXWNjMMtBgfHOxg8wycWF_DlPW1psEX9h1dMLT6IdKJUUEbHM1-5w1OTCxh4bteJqGzXP2zOypIuu6cMzUVl27WzURuKr9ikxBMrpVdISnkDm0brSnscJ9iKxnuXyDPNc4/s1600/IMG_0718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimigHTQxs2GFXWNjMMtBgfHOxg8wycWF_DlPW1psEX9h1dMLT6IdKJUUEbHM1-5w1OTCxh4bteJqGzXP2zOypIuu6cMzUVl27WzURuKr9ikxBMrpVdISnkDm0brSnscJ9iKxnuXyDPNc4/s400/IMG_0718.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Detail from my "Dancing Gaillardia.</i></span></td></tr>
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Ever since I took the photo of the gaillardia I have puzzled over how I could put it into a quilt. I was stumped because I was trying to figure out how to accomplish the lovely gradation from yellow to red in the petals. Now I was forced to face the problem head-on if I wanted to keep busy. That flower had become my primary fixation.<br />
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How to: First I cut a yellow rectangle for each petal then wet it down with water. Using Textil fabric paint I painted red on one end of the rectangle and brushed the red with paint and water until it blended with the yellow. After all was dry I cut out the petal, painted glue on the edges and ironed fusible on the back. The last touch was to draw the red lines with a fine Sharpie. That was probably not necessary as I will be quilting over those lines with red thread.<br />
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I have also done the background and it was a lot of fun. I told the fabric to talk to me and it kept on chattering for days until it finally told me I was done. You'll see it when the quilt is finished.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEufP9hEX9fFY080T3dek8W2yKnCls09rR8L37LCmXifFI366V55iHP6MvffA-FEjGndnfZea0xXtSlIpDg2qsHWJr-YIV9UVRaqpeL1XCYoxv_73ZBVY0kCooBCnTwEcE5kl0aYZEi0k/s1600/IMG_0719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEufP9hEX9fFY080T3dek8W2yKnCls09rR8L37LCmXifFI366V55iHP6MvffA-FEjGndnfZea0xXtSlIpDg2qsHWJr-YIV9UVRaqpeL1XCYoxv_73ZBVY0kCooBCnTwEcE5kl0aYZEi0k/s400/IMG_0719.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Lady with her bow.</i></span></td></tr>
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I got the collie's bow back from Spoonflower and it is gorgeous! I cut it out in its entirety and fused it to the dog's head. After spending many hours trying every method in the book, having it printed professionally from my photo was the simplest and the best. Occam's Razor has invaded my sewing room! Some edges of the ribbon are a little hard to make out because of value similarity, but a few quilting stitches with a darker or lighter thread will solve that. The color is stunning and true.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Sew some happy seams this week. I wish you simplicity and chattering fabric to fuel your creativity.</span><br />
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<br />Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-42702158550435844892019-11-17T08:45:00.000-07:002019-11-17T08:45:18.364-07:00WithdrawalMy sewing machine is in the shop for annual service and hopefully a fix for the cranky start button.<br />
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I finished the Mayan mask although I will wait until I attach it to the fabric before adding the feather headdress. Can't proceed until I have my machine back.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-nZySQJklbLbY878a3Yq2v4Bxo2w2yAXPwNd0oA4oJc6bS0ElLiUuKj0LQbQKxC7I2n3DZjiKEdErrfwlTW2ZApSjx9xk1QU3fe_QuppLTm-J1mu73d0sVux2wSdO7VPel5pNgoQZE0/s1600/IMG_0708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1234" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-nZySQJklbLbY878a3Yq2v4Bxo2w2yAXPwNd0oA4oJc6bS0ElLiUuKj0LQbQKxC7I2n3DZjiKEdErrfwlTW2ZApSjx9xk1QU3fe_QuppLTm-J1mu73d0sVux2wSdO7VPel5pNgoQZE0/s400/IMG_0708.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Mayan mask without feather headdress.</i></span></td></tr>
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I started working again on the Christmas bow for my collie Lady. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Photo that I am copying into a quilt (dog herself is done).</i></span></td></tr>
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I have tried piecing. I have tried painting with acrylic and Paintstiks. I have tried different fabrics. I just can't get it right. The fabrics don't give me enough contrast and/or shine and painting the highlights comes out looking stupid. My last hope is that Spoonflower might help. I uploaded the photo of the bow and it fits on a "Test Sample" for only $5. If that works I will cut that whole bow and fuse it onto the dog's head. Stay tuned. It will be a couple of weeks before I get it back.<br />
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I have a photo of a gaillardia that I have wanted to do for a long time now. It looked so bedraggled, but I took the photo anyway. It is interesting and unique. Maybe now is the time to start a small project. More fusible and cutting. I have plenty of fabric for it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gaillardia</td></tr>
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Sew some happy seams this week or join me with a fusible project. I wish you creativity.<br />
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<br />Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-89238795997058363622019-11-11T09:17:00.000-07:002019-11-11T09:17:09.464-07:00Feathers of the Headdress KindI experimented with how to make the feather headdress for my Mayan mask. My eyes crossed when I thought of cutting out all those little holes and I pondered, took the dog for a walk, looked through my art supplies and finally had a "Bingo" moment. I cut the holes out after all, but in freezer paper rather than fabric. Thank goodness for an interesting audiobook to reduce the tedium. This gave me a stencil for each feather. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSVgDpY_JftpB3AUF1UXpm8IGeylI5c43ku_AwLlYHTOy1I1Q9wvK2CcjDi_FmPBm8h0jiv5UZvCCE9i5g4h5Qjm_xuiifxz39VZzKwXwddzm6jd0GQHHxZ66pSwnD484sDtWZ80QY0E/s1600/IMG_0701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="1600" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSVgDpY_JftpB3AUF1UXpm8IGeylI5c43ku_AwLlYHTOy1I1Q9wvK2CcjDi_FmPBm8h0jiv5UZvCCE9i5g4h5Qjm_xuiifxz39VZzKwXwddzm6jd0GQHHxZ66pSwnD484sDtWZ80QY0E/s400/IMG_0701.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Rough-cut fabric and stencil</i></span></td></tr>
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Then I ironed the freezer paper pattern/stencil onto the fabric.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildtAYLwxFiNus7updVRMGriC6hTcuT1Cl51s-N2k6FJaXS9qM-gjnWoAiWpVF2B_PGS6CATllKkk08Axtsa3TnHETiEUkialvKPfKaAk8DXHBxU9lJOsLmV7iuT-2vMgBYNDJS3zclRc/s1600/IMG_0702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1003" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildtAYLwxFiNus7updVRMGriC6hTcuT1Cl51s-N2k6FJaXS9qM-gjnWoAiWpVF2B_PGS6CATllKkk08Axtsa3TnHETiEUkialvKPfKaAk8DXHBxU9lJOsLmV7iuT-2vMgBYNDJS3zclRc/s400/IMG_0702.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Pattern/stencil ironed on to fabric</i></span></td></tr>
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I painted the holes with a black Shiva Paintstik. Since the feathers will be on a black background, and ultimately quilted down it will look like the black is showing through. At least that is the idea.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OdWbi3l04ULNTPyRQQZFNcbvw7h_bYNvxhOa_HUkMqHNGTFudYkszXRk6UoYZ5KUc_UMYBE3GRyOP10vLseTS0SSEmHExgSRdahSdrLgUM7I4mugqday04lpFjLjQol98-qZZoV2MiA/s1600/IMG_0705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1476" data-original-width="1600" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OdWbi3l04ULNTPyRQQZFNcbvw7h_bYNvxhOa_HUkMqHNGTFudYkszXRk6UoYZ5KUc_UMYBE3GRyOP10vLseTS0SSEmHExgSRdahSdrLgUM7I4mugqday04lpFjLjQol98-qZZoV2MiA/s400/IMG_0705.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Painting</i></span></td></tr>
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I painted with a small, stiff stencil brush. The only downside of Paintsticks is that they are oil paint. They take 24 hours to dry and then you can heat set them. Of course the brush needs to be cleaned up with mineral spirits or turpentine. However, I love them and they did a great job for this project as the paint was easy to control and is not messy to paint with.<br />
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After the suggested 24 hour drying period elapsed, I went around the outer edges of the paper pattern with diluted Liquid Stitch (scroll down to last week's post), applied fusible to the back, and trimmed the edges down to about 1/16 inch. The last step was to pull the stencil and fusible backing paper off and the feather was ready to apply to the background fabric.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0tK8p98pEktJJMV4o1xykQ9DM-Rb8OCxr5Fe5BSoczWQeGuRxDBWGitJodUT40BEjAmK_Nn_2OU2OA14zFpUHykr4pc1LjAn5jcOLJTEq-9ef3hXWi5RZGbSV3yjKsXgDpkNsRAqcjs/s1600/IMG_0704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="887" data-original-width="1600" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0tK8p98pEktJJMV4o1xykQ9DM-Rb8OCxr5Fe5BSoczWQeGuRxDBWGitJodUT40BEjAmK_Nn_2OU2OA14zFpUHykr4pc1LjAn5jcOLJTEq-9ef3hXWi5RZGbSV3yjKsXgDpkNsRAqcjs/s400/IMG_0704.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Black "holes" on the feather.</i></span></td></tr>
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Voila! Just what I wanted... I think. It does look a bit like a branch of leaves. Oh well, it will give the effect that I want.<br />
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Sew some happy seams this week. I wish you awesome results!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGVxAjlmJsvZrsSebmuDXIZZH1McMlXcorvA0r1223RpnGQkMA1FY3w52nFZDAje7j7RYRWfN3lrARCdBE0_4Rr7EZN1Cv5xPhdqzUmHAAhcM2jvIswQ-QJtJRnbJPtP7lB-Hn4yP_NM/s1600/Signature+trans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGVxAjlmJsvZrsSebmuDXIZZH1McMlXcorvA0r1223RpnGQkMA1FY3w52nFZDAje7j7RYRWfN3lrARCdBE0_4Rr7EZN1Cv5xPhdqzUmHAAhcM2jvIswQ-QJtJRnbJPtP7lB-Hn4yP_NM/s1600/Signature+trans.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-89014014862080648532019-11-04T09:23:00.003-07:002019-11-04T09:23:56.358-07:00Preparing AppliquéI have been having great fun creating a Mayan mask. I really do enjoy machine appliqué and I have established my own technique by using bits and pieces from other peoples' methods. I like my way because I can work from the right side...none of this mirror image nonsense. I like it so well that I will share with you how I do it.<br />
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1. <u>Line Drawing</u>. Find a design that you like and trace it. Then secure it to a light table and cover it with freezer paper on which you trace a copy. Next, create another freezer paper copy on which you will lay out the prepared fabric pieces.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtyJnd771HlvYqmHw-bwuEbL-BlJP7zqkCq0sBLvG2peKotYxeplxQScLtYNFW7C9PzK5-qv1SxMWwNNOH9s_eMVqmfINrYQtiCT5HYvAr-xDIHFSEZ1XrvrVsNqanG_Tt1LQKrthhtuk/s1600/IMG_0686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1600" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtyJnd771HlvYqmHw-bwuEbL-BlJP7zqkCq0sBLvG2peKotYxeplxQScLtYNFW7C9PzK5-qv1SxMWwNNOH9s_eMVqmfINrYQtiCT5HYvAr-xDIHFSEZ1XrvrVsNqanG_Tt1LQKrthhtuk/s400/IMG_0686.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;">TIP</span>: I enlarged a small picture, printed it on six pages and taped them together. You can also take a picture to a printing company and they will enlarge and print it for you.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">TIP</span>: Before tracing, iron your freezer paper flat. Pull it up and iron it again. Freezer paper shrinks! Did you know that? Not much, but enough.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5kN37MrW_NOLyLyt_WoYIyNQKx22jAYF0OACnbf1KP1wsDGCOSSEd2kotJqLf24QY3oap54kl1j2nrHxip9QI1FICECtBQLB-WGsAqiJcqgZegpnUFzsumtL3_zFn1GBwV7nMvuEaBo/s1600/IMG_0689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1543" data-original-width="1600" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5kN37MrW_NOLyLyt_WoYIyNQKx22jAYF0OACnbf1KP1wsDGCOSSEd2kotJqLf24QY3oap54kl1j2nrHxip9QI1FICECtBQLB-WGsAqiJcqgZegpnUFzsumtL3_zFn1GBwV7nMvuEaBo/s400/IMG_0689.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Tracing paper in back. Freezer paper in front. Some pieces already cut away.<br />Best little clippers in the world. Home Depot in the gardening dept.</i></span></td></tr>
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2. <u>Setting up your surface</u>. On a light table secure one of the freezer paper patterns or the tracing paper design. Cover it with a teflon pressing sheet. I use office clips to fasten it all down, but painter's tape would work too. With the light underneath you can see the pattern lines through the pressing sheet.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">TIP</span>: I use a clear, plastic sewing machine extension table as my light box. My Ott light flattens out and fits underneath.<br />
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3. <u>Cutting</u>. From the other freezer paper copy carefully cut out one piece along the lines without damaging any other parts of the design. <br />
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4. <u>Fabric</u>. Find a piece of fabric and iron the cut freezer paper to the fabric and cut loosely around it leaving about 1/4 inch seam allowance.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">TIP</span>: If you have to set your piece of freezer paper down, be sure to secure it so it doesn't blow away. I end up with piles of fabric all around me so I stick a pin through the paper into my ironing surface while I fling fabric around finding just the right one.<br />
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5. <u>Glue</u>. This is a new wrinkle and I am pleased with it so far. I hate the fraying edges that occur with machine appliqué on some fabrics. This idea comes from <a href="https://www.amazingquiltsbygrace.com/" target="_blank">Grace Errea</a>. She gives workshops, but doesn't share her method on the Internet. I picked up snippets from here and there and I will share with you what I am doing. I use Liquid Stitch (Liquid Thread probably works too, but I haven't tried it). It is a permanent adhesive and will not wash out. I dilute it with about 4-5 parts water to 1 part glue and put it into a little squirt bottle (not a spray bottle) and pour out small amounts at a time into a little plastic container. I work on top of a teflon pressing sheet. With a 1/4 inch sable brush I brush this liquid onto the seam allowance that I left around the paper pattern. You can let it air dry or iron it dry, which is what I do.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-O_6dqEapPbYe86pMnD0Gtwn5DicrN0NNiMu0FbjdLGq5KO-cqGJOsHGcAWUw4wedSrZxifUs0DO6HNJ59pwouYl2VCdtFw4sjrE58wYQAiUpPNQdG2tvEhgBv7oN8HgVOY2xONWCBg/s1600/IMG_0694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1353" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-O_6dqEapPbYe86pMnD0Gtwn5DicrN0NNiMu0FbjdLGq5KO-cqGJOsHGcAWUw4wedSrZxifUs0DO6HNJ59pwouYl2VCdtFw4sjrE58wYQAiUpPNQdG2tvEhgBv7oN8HgVOY2xONWCBg/s400/IMG_0694.jpg" width="337" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Liquid Stitch diluted and ready to paint on fabric.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGnfLHEOBNJvSqXHKLXFjBje1oBvXni2c513qnDc3Lko38Gvzwo0VwnqisNOCxQvEX09s5w7_z4CI3KSjw9lYL1-QC2jl3YXKe3DJQBRIZaGzRRzYeTxdWpaVAEi2skds4qZ8J-Omt3eQ/s1600/IMG_0696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="1600" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGnfLHEOBNJvSqXHKLXFjBje1oBvXni2c513qnDc3Lko38Gvzwo0VwnqisNOCxQvEX09s5w7_z4CI3KSjw9lYL1-QC2jl3YXKe3DJQBRIZaGzRRzYeTxdWpaVAEi2skds4qZ8J-Omt3eQ/s400/IMG_0696.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Freezer paper pattern on fabric ready to brush glue on edge.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: red;">TIP</span>: I keep a small container of water to set my brush in between uses. I ruined one brush because I let the solution dry on it. You don't need an expensive brush for this process. I also have a small, flat, plastic container (maybe it was the end of a small mailing tube) for the glue solution so I can't knock it over. It is really runny. Dried glue peels off the plastic.<br />
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6. <u> Fusible</u>. I don't think Grace Errea uses fusible, but I do. I like Soft Fuse. It has paper on only one side and isn't heavy or stiff. I lay the wrong side of my piece of prepared fabric down on the fusible side of the Soft Fuse. I then cut roughly around the fabric edge and press it paper side up on the pressing sheet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWWZReV8HajOZtWWvXphJq-T1vXEeqlinuRJ7Ypx44nQLxmTYlNOLorQ62vqxddIA7mDPII3Pfkk-4-jebXMT-aXGIkfjzm5_xm1lf1Rut4eQMQmMaJvua_roW2TyX2kSpmKlf7b86Ws/s1600/IMG_0697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1256" data-original-width="1600" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWWZReV8HajOZtWWvXphJq-T1vXEeqlinuRJ7Ypx44nQLxmTYlNOLorQ62vqxddIA7mDPII3Pfkk-4-jebXMT-aXGIkfjzm5_xm1lf1Rut4eQMQmMaJvua_roW2TyX2kSpmKlf7b86Ws/s400/IMG_0697.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Rough cutting Soft Fuse to adhere to the wrong side.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: red;">TIP</span>: Protect your iron with another piece of pressing sheet or an appropriate iron cover to avoid getting errant bits of fusible all over your ironing surface. Fusible does not stick to a teflon pressing sheet, but it can make a real mess of your ironing board cover.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">TIP</span>: You can use other fusibles. If yours has paper on two sides, just pull the paper off of one side to expose the fusible material. I can't use Steam-a-Seam II on my machine. It gummed up my needles and left a crystalline residue in the bobbin case. That meant a trip to the sewing machine hospital.<br />
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7. <u> Final cut</u>. Now that the glue is dry and fusible is fused, you carefully cut all layers around the freezer paper pattern, leaving about 1/16 inch of seam allowance. This will lay over or under the pieces that surround it and is just enough to secure it. You are also cutting where the glue was applied so you shouldn't have any fraying edges.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7DNlX3fEzrfQjJR6_JWPX52jxKMxcFY7CenevoWiZJYo5_2v8rUZMMg3vVQ4C54csi9lvWeVu8gpHZRoTxfJIWLyMjRd51T8zFU-nNbZivtbnDCAbJvv1VYI-RRsy9dop0jc27VFJ_w/s1600/IMG_0698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7DNlX3fEzrfQjJR6_JWPX52jxKMxcFY7CenevoWiZJYo5_2v8rUZMMg3vVQ4C54csi9lvWeVu8gpHZRoTxfJIWLyMjRd51T8zFU-nNbZivtbnDCAbJvv1VYI-RRsy9dop0jc27VFJ_w/s400/IMG_0698.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Cut seam allowance back to 1/16 inch.</i></span></td></tr>
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8. <u>Placement</u>. Peel off the back paper of fusible and the freezer paper pattern. Set the fully prepared piece on top of the light box pattern guide (one of the freezer paper drawings) overlapping other pieces with the tiny seam allowance and lightly touch with the tip of a hot iron to secure it slightly so it won't gallop away. Sometimes I do a little trimming if necessary.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_q8-pr7ChjESZ69shOyI-vbZ3l__IAUZzkLbUQO1Z7XGvth1QnLmLnO39h-0-HOBzdQz4rgiVIoJXdBotq5aNGRku336RBhxf4eSmoC4DvPDqeAUkAe1izc0efEnUUuWiGBMHZ4BloY/s1600/IMG_0699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_q8-pr7ChjESZ69shOyI-vbZ3l__IAUZzkLbUQO1Z7XGvth1QnLmLnO39h-0-HOBzdQz4rgiVIoJXdBotq5aNGRku336RBhxf4eSmoC4DvPDqeAUkAe1izc0efEnUUuWiGBMHZ4BloY/s400/IMG_0699.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Partial assembly. You can see the drawing through the pressing sheet.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: red;">TIP</span>: Keep an envelope or container handy to store the used freezer paper patterns. You would be surprised at how many times I have had to retrieve one or more pieces for a do-over.<br />
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9. <u>Finish</u>. When the design is complete lift the pressing sheet with all the pieces and set it on your ironing surface. Make sure all is in place. Cover with another pressing sheet and press well. Then you can lift the whole design in one piece. The fusible is still there because it does not adhere to the teflon pressing sheet, and you can iron it onto a fabric background. Further secure with the stitching of your choice. I will be using clear thread and a tiny zig zag for my mask.<br />
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Sew some happy seams this week. I wish you lots of sewing fun this week.<br />
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<br />Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-89251114986023320612019-10-28T08:54:00.000-06:002019-10-28T08:54:41.932-06:00New MathNo, this is not really a blog about math, but I created a new equation:<br />
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D + C = PS<br />
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Discouragement/disaster + Creative thinking = Problem solving. Think about it!<br />
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My forever quilt is almost done. I was measuring and squaring up the edges to make sure that the stitching of my outer piano keys would not be cut off when trimming the quilt. On one side only the quilting is too near the edge, noticeably. The photo below is a little wonky, but you can see how the chalk line touches the blue points. It should be about 5/8 beyond the points. The red point is supposed to touch the eventual binding exactly at the point. This will never work and the other three sides came out right.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>No caption needed!</i></span></td></tr>
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Here is the "D" (disaster/discouragement) in my equation. Redoing the quilting will not solve the problem. No matter what I do it will show up as wrong and there is nothing I can do about it. Don't know how it happened. Clearly pilot error somewhere along the line. I folded it up and told DH that for the first time ever, I was not going to finish this quilt. I am ready to move on to something else.<br />
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Then comes the "C" (creative thinking) in the equation. What can you do with a brain that just won't let it go? That's what I live with, and as I worked on other things around the house I had a stunning explosion between my ears, and BINGO, I had the solution. I don't know if this will be show-worthy, but it will be kind of cool. It will also be time consuming. Mostly, it will be fun. <br />
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Finally, the "PS" (problem solving). I have always been interested in the designs of the Mayan people of Central America. I have wanted to do something with their ideas, but when it came right down to it they seemed far too intricate, and I didn't want to tackle the complications. So...now is the time. I will add a black triangle to the top of the quilt and appliqué a Mayan (or Aztec?) mask to it. This should detract from my error hopefully. Then I will bind the quilt (in orange) and add some prairie points to the bottom edge of the quilt. I have already sized the design and am in the process of drawing it out. It is nice to be doing something different.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCW3uFIc4n6TTgGf2DpXoNSn_fcuSozuQWqIb2e6rvkDPgEjIiXi-bXWxMjhbDsGB5YcBhfOH2rvoxY1nl5AeqKcZOpv2zO_v-Il0XTPqdIWh_FOtWS_3DBx0bp2n-gApNzT1pHQAzVTI/s1600/Artboard+1-100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="1600" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCW3uFIc4n6TTgGf2DpXoNSn_fcuSozuQWqIb2e6rvkDPgEjIiXi-bXWxMjhbDsGB5YcBhfOH2rvoxY1nl5AeqKcZOpv2zO_v-Il0XTPqdIWh_FOtWS_3DBx0bp2n-gApNzT1pHQAzVTI/s400/Artboard+1-100.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Mask. This is a drawing without the main quilt or the <br />quilting that is already on the quilt</i></span>.</td></tr>
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This will be time consuming and I need to get more black fabric, but it is snowing and I am not driving down the mountain canyon to buy fabric! It will take awhile to do the mask anyhow and I am going to try a new technique, which I will share, whether fabulous or fail.<br />
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Sew some happy seams this week. I wish you a week without discouragement or disaster.<br />
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Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-41311584476730382062019-10-20T08:36:00.000-06:002019-10-20T08:36:09.427-06:00New-To-Me UpdatesI loved my Sewline ceramic marking pencil... until it broke and I was dead in the water on my quilting. The nose through which the "lead" comes out unscrewed and lost itself. I was at a place where I had to mark some curved lines to guide my quilting, and I can't do anything else until those lines are done. I made a special trip to town (1 hour) to get a new one. BTW it was not a wasted trip as I got a lot of other things done while I was down there. Anyhow, it got me thinking about marking so I revisited a blog I did back in 2014 about all the marking methods with which I have had experience. The title is, "<a href="https://quiltingsolutions.blogspot.com/2014/10/marking-quilt.html" target="_blank">Marking The Quilt</a>," and it is still apropos after five years. Has it really been that long?<br />
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However, I have a new addition to tell you about. Crayola Ultra-Clean Markers. They are being used successfully and come in 10 colors. The only thing I discovered in reading was to be careful with the yellow. It may not come out as advertised. I did a brief test on white fabric that had been pre-washed and all marks washed completely out except yellow and orange, which faded instead of completely disappearing. Here is a <a href="https://mandalei.com/2014/08/13/crayola-washable-markers-and-quilt-marking-technique-of-the-week/" target="_blank">website</a> that has results from more serious, more scientific experimentation. I think this is a great addition to our supply list. </div>
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The caveat, as always, is: </div>
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<span style="color: red;">TEST IT ON YOUR FABRIC FIRST.</span> </div>
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Some say it heat sets, others say not, so be careful with that iron and </div>
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<span style="color: red;">TEST IT FIRST.</span></div>
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I am almost to the place where I will stitch piano keys on the last part of my border. I am so excited. I have always done them by marking straight lines about 1 inch apart as guides. I have gotten pretty good at straight lines by doing this, but they are still far from perfect. I purchased a Westalee ruler foot, which works on my machine. It came with a little ruler that will be great to learn with and will also be just right for my 2 inch long piano keys. I am psyched to try it out and will keep you posted on the depth and success of my learning curve.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Sew some happy seams this week. I wish you success trying out a new product.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507398062654805736.post-8544072517299194332019-10-13T19:04:00.000-06:002019-10-13T19:04:43.446-06:00I'm Back!!Too busy to sew, too busy to write. I have had a wild several months, but have finally returned to my needle and threads. It has been strange not to sew, but I have not been idle.<br />
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Our summer panned out as follows: <br />
10 days in June traveling to and from Southern CA for the wedding of our granddaughter. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Summer Rae</td></tr>
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....and hiking a slot canyon along the way. So cool!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Little Wild Horse Canyon, UT</i></span></td></tr>
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10 days to get things done at home, mostly fertilize the iris and clean house.<br />
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2 weeks in MN to help a daughter pack up her home for a big move.<br />
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1 week (left the dog in MN) for a family reunion in TN and lovely drives through the Great Smokey NP. Then back to MN for a day to pick up the dog.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Dixie (photo by S. Mattson)</i></span></td></tr>
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Home. Two days after our arrival the first wave of guests arrived for 2 weeks. The day after they left the next round of guests arrived for 1 week. Same day they left the third round of guests arrived for 2 weeks. All family and wonderful to have them here, but busy for everyone. Our son-in-law built new steps outside our kitchen door and what a joy they are.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIkjiSvK8I70Gqn4x6ZVPPAL_683-6v19cQ3hlOOwX1Og0zR3o0uToGps1DfKs0VTKoRH9mUtbq5ClBjvvsT5d1LBVKJljeEjnzrK0dhF3aVzU1cV8Zpd5fjTuT0eoLxTSCZGnJWEdjUc/s1600/19.08.0290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIkjiSvK8I70Gqn4x6ZVPPAL_683-6v19cQ3hlOOwX1Og0zR3o0uToGps1DfKs0VTKoRH9mUtbq5ClBjvvsT5d1LBVKJljeEjnzrK0dhF3aVzU1cV8Zpd5fjTuT0eoLxTSCZGnJWEdjUc/s400/19.08.0290.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Steps by SIL. Stonework by yours truly.</i></span></td></tr>
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That took care of the summer. I did not take my machine to MN knowing it would be in the way of packing boxes. However, I did take a chair to replace the cane seat just to have something to do during downtime. Over the summer I managed to cane four dining room chairs and one big desk chair.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Desk chair with new cane seat and back.</i></span></td></tr>
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Now that we have already had our first snow, I am sewing again. Back at work on the endless quilting of the same quilt I have been working on for almost 3 years now. Talk about quilting a quilt to death! When I sat down to quilt again I started on a scrap just to make sure that I hadn't forgotten everything I had previously perfected. It is like riding a bike. After you have done a lot of FMG the technique comes back quickly. I will be glad to get this quilt done though. I am ready to move on to new things, but still have quite a bit of work ahead of me before it is dead.<br />
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Sew some happy seams this week. I hope you all had a wonderful summer.<br />
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<br />Mardihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441853212561007840noreply@blogger.com6