I have had a Sandy Gervais Merry and Bright Jelly Roll for a long time. This past weekend, I decided it was time to take the fabric strips and make the It’s a Wrap quilt. I had some other things to do, but I spent a lot of time just sewing and learning.
It was a somewhat strange experience. First, someone said they couldn’t believe I was using a Jelly Roll. I was hesitant to tell them about the pattern. I did tell her for shock value and I thought she would keel over. Sometimes, I think, by limiting choices, a quiltmaker can focus on other elements of the process. That is what I was doing, even though I didn’t start out with that intent.
Merry & Bright Jelly Roll
One thing I learned is that there is value in trying things out: different fiber content, different construction techniques, different tools, etc. Having a pattern and the fabric choices taken care of gave me fewer decisions and I could focus on learning the pros and cons of the Jelly Roll.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Moda Bakeshop offerings are a brilliant marketing scheme. My biggest confusion with the one Jelly Roll I had was that many of the pieces were cut off grain. Nadine Ruggles mentioned this in one of her blog posts, but I got to experience it first hand. This means that my strips weren’t straight, but bowed – tending towards Cs and Ls rather than Is. This phenomenon was frustrating, but I also learned a lot about strip cutting and grain. I know that I need to line up the selvedges and trim the sides to make a straight cut. Seeing the bow in the the Jelly Roll strips made me understand (in an embedded in my mind sort of way) what cutting off grain does to strips.
I don’t have a Jelly Roll book, but I would like to know if they address that problem in the directions of the various projects. Nothing was said on my pattern.
Unrolled Jelly Roll
The things I liked about the Jelly Roll:
I got a little taste of a number of different fabrics. I could do this by cutting a strip off of fabrics that I buy (on grain, of course) and saving them for a future project.
I like working with full lines of fabric just to see how the designers patterns work together. A whole line of fabric is like a complete painting to me. I get a lot of joy out of working with a designer’s creation.
The strips were already cut, so I could take my small cutting mat down to the coffee table and cut and watch TV. If I cut a bunch of strips on ‘spec, I could do this as well.
I didn’t have to decide how many yards of each to buy.
I had a limited palette to work with.
I like the fabric and a Jelly Roll was just enough to satisfy me, especially since the only reason I buy Christmas fabrics is to make gift bags.
I saw this quilt on a blog called Sister’s Choice Quilts. She also used the Merry and Bright fabric line. I have always loved the Chinese Coins pattern and the combination of Chinese coins and 4patches make this a winner. I love seeing the same fabrics in different patterns and similar patterns in different fabrics. That concept is one of the things I really like about quiltmaking.
I have been, slowly, responding to ancient emails and dealing with setting up my computer again as I try to recover from the crash. Below is a lot of different things that I have been thinking about or looking into.
The exhibit was called Modern Materials: The Art of the Quilt and the interviewee was Jill Rumoshosky Werner. She was the curator. I also saw a Flickr group of some of the quilts.
I thought the comments Jill made about her process and the different pieces included in the exhibit were interesting and thoughtful.
I wrote about the Apron contest/exhibit that Jennifer over at CraftSanity is having. I was pleased to see her mention my blog in her blog. Her husband made a funny YouTube video to entice people to take up the challenge. If any of you saw her blog post and came here, leave a comment and let me know.
Patterns
I am apparently in hunting and gathering mode. I am gathering supplies and fabric for a number of projects (and the class I am taking later this month). I don’t know if I will make all of them, but I am gathering. In a comment from the Happy Zombie blog post I made SherriD suggested a quilt-a-long. I have the supplies coming. Anyone else want to make their own version of the Oh Fransson/Happy Zombie quilt with me?
The other is the Basketweave Baby Quilt. I saw it again the other night when I watched a repeat of the Fons & Porter episode featuring the Basketweave Baby Quilt. This is part of series 1000. I wrote about this before and thought I would get over my obsession with this pattern, but when I saw the episode again I realized I haven’t. I got a piece of paper and made copious notes on making this quilt. Later, I went to their website to find the project notes/instructions. No dice. They don’t have the sizes or anything on their site. So, I went to see if I could order the magazine that included the instructions. Again, no dice. It is a Jan/Feb 2007 issue of Love of Quilting magazine and it is out of stock. I emailed them to ask about getting the back issue and didn’t hear back. I also looked for websites or information from the designers, Betty Hufford and Jean Nolte. I didn’t find anything there useful there either. I have looked at the library to which I have a card and I haven’t been able to find it. I can’t say that I explored every nook and cranny of their site. I find the Fons & Porter site difficult to navigate. If any of you have this issue and would be willing to loan it to me, leave a comment in this post’s comment area.
I feel a bit stuck, but I also think that I can draw out the design on paper and use that to make a sample. We’ll see.
Podcasts
I have been listening to Pat Sloan’s podcast while I sew. For some reason I don’t download her podcasts to my iPod. Not sure why. Perhaps the Toginet ads intersperse in the podcast is why. Not sure. Anyway, the interviews are really good. So far she has interviewed quiltmakers I haven’t heard before. One podcast that I really liked was with Bonnie Hunt of Quiltville. I had never heard of her until the podcast. One thing she said was that people who use steam when pressing have problems putting their quilts together. I don’t know if this is true or not. I have always used steam, so I decided to try this out. I have, mostly, not been using steam when I press blocks and elements for a quilt. It is an interesting experiment. I don’t know how long I will do it or if I will never go back to using steam. Some of the things I have found:
pressing wrinkles out of recently washed fabric needs steam
adhering fusible interfacing to fabric needs steam.
I don’t see that pressing seams need steam so far.
I don’t have any other feedback at the moment, but I enjoy the opportunity to try something new. Do you use steam or no steam?
My mom mentioned using Mary Ellen’s Best Press. She said that it really made cutting easy. It might be good to try, but I don’t feel like buying it right now. Mom is going to bring me a sample from her work. The owner offered me one. YAY!
Another Pat Sloan podcast I really liked was the episode with Linda M. Poole. I enjoyed it because Linda was an excellent interviewee. Pat asked her one question and Linda was off and running with interesting comments about her life, family, business and teaching. Linda was well spoken also. In the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit that Linda mentioned my Creative Prompt project. That isn’t the only reason I enjoyed the podcast! 😉 I did see a small spike in comments after that podcast, so, thanks, new readers!
The information related to Pat’s podcast is hard to navigate, though. She doesn’t have much information in iTunes or on her blog about which episode includes which quiltmaker. I had to go to the blogs of two quiltmakers mentioned above to find out which episodes they appeared. I like to have the information right in iTunes.
Inspiration & Momentum
Fabric Closet, Working
I had a fabric/project avalanche in my fabric closet last week. A bad sign was that I shut the door and haven’t really gone back in. I haven gone in, looked at it and left again.
I felt like I was losing my sewing momentum last weekend. I am not sure why. I had very little time on Sunday and I just couldn’t get going. I have to try and take my own advice about dealing with these issues. Part of it may have been that I was sick last week and am still feeling the last bits of that illness. I am blaming my malaise on that illness. I think I need to read a trashy novel.
Someone came in my workroom last week and started asking me about the various piles. I sincerely dislike that. Some are projects in process (yes, I need bins for them). Some are just piles of stuff I haven’t put away. Some are hard to explain. Regardless I don’t like justifying my piles. I work better with an organized sewing area. I need and want to build on the reorganization that TFQ and I did on the fabric closet some years ago. I need and want to reorganize and make beautiful the rest of the room – paint, shelving, the works. There are nice ideas at HGTV that I can use for inspiration. It all takes money which I don’t have right now. I can think about and plan for what is next in this room:
Bookshelves without a doubt! Bookshelves with LOTS of growth space!
Last weekend (Saturday) I went to a scrapbook day with a friend and worked on my Austria album. One of the things we did, aside from cut and glue down photos, was watch a video on how to be a better photographer by Nick Kelsh. I thought for sure the video would be on the web somewhere, but all I could find were clips. Look at Nick’s website for clips on using your digital camera to get better photos. I tried his techniques out a bit this week. We’ll see if my photos get better. I’ll let you know when I post them.
Shopping
I went to Jo-Ann a couple of weeks ago to get a “June Tailor Cushioned Square ‘n Blocker” for a class with Dale Fleming I am taking with EBHQ in a few weeks. I mentioned this class briefly a few weeks ago. I am interested in making a circle quilt and I thought it would be a good idea to learn a different technique. My other option is to use the technique Ruth McDowell teaches in her AWESOME Piecing: Expanding the Basics book. The quilt I am interested in making looks similar to the one that Malka Dubrawsky made that was published in Quilting Arts magazine some time ago. She dyed hers and I plan to piece mine. Why, you ask? Who knows? I may make three blocks, realize I had lost my mind and move on. We’ll see.
Anyway, I hadn’t really planned on buying board, though I knew it was a possibility. I wanted to see what it was and what it looked like. When I asked the price, the retail assistant told me and mentioned that they had 40% off coupons in the front of the store. I grabbed one and then went to grab the coupon. I was able to buy the board for about $10.
I barely ever go to Jo-Ann and I hadn’t been there in a long time. While I was there I noticed they had all of the Fons & Porter notions the two show on their Love of Quilting show. They also had a really good selection of rulers. No Creative Grids, but lots of other brands.
I was in a bit of a rush that day, so I just glanced, and left. Or so I thought. I went to the checkout line and found that Jo-Ann has a HUGE selection of craft magazines. They had some quilt magazines that I had never seen. I picked up the newest issue of Art Quilting Studio while I was there.
Since I just did a rush visit the first time, I went back on Monday just to look around. In addition to the other projects I have in mind, I have to gear up for Teacher Pillow time, so I am starting to gather materials. Finding affordable pillow forms is paramount. The cheapest one Jo-Ann had was $6.99. $6.99 x 5=too much. I also wanted to look more at their various rulers etc. I saw a Simplicity Studio Ruler Simpli-EZ Tri mate. I never knew that Simplicity made rotary cutting rulers. This caught my eye, because of the shape. I wonder if it will help me, more easily, create the setting triangles for the FOTY 2010 quilt? I’ll have to bring the diamond ruler there sometime to compare and see if I can tell.
I was drawn in by some of their fabric designs.I saw some cherries on pink background that were CUTE! And the prices are great. However I felt the fabric, which I always feel compelled to, and didn’t like the feel of the fabrics, so I passed.
Magazine News
The Jo-Ann magazine selection was as good as ever on my second trip there and I saw the new Quilt Life magazine by Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims. I haven’t heard good things about it, so I didn’t pick it up. TFQ said she would send me hers to look at, so perhaps I will do a review after I read it.
Bad news on Art Quilting Studio. They have a new editor who said the magazine would be going on hiatus. I don’t think the new editor shuttered the magazine, but I am guessing that Jenny Doh didn’t want to be associated with a failure. I guess we didn’t give enough support to the 3 issues they did put out. Issues of the latest AQS issue were still available when I was at Jo-Ann the second time. I really enjoyed the first issue of that magazine. I thought the second issue had more of the Somerset look and design – muslin, lace, buttons – and I wasn’t enamored. I did like the in depth interviews with quiltmakers. Denyse Schmidt was in the first issue and Susan Shie in the latest. I am happier with what I saw in the 3rd issue, even though I haven’t read through the whole thing yet. Well, if you like that magazine, write to Somerset.
Finally, I got the latest issue of Quilter’s Home. I was really unhappy with the last issue, which was the first without Mark and the first with the new editors, Jake and Melissa. They did a poor imitation of Mark’s style. I had planned to cancel, but I’ll see how the next issue is before I decide. I am happier with this latest issue. I particularly liked the article about blogs and will try to get ArtQuiltmaker into that list.
Resources
I received the Edward R. Hamilton catalog the other day. If you have never seen their catalog, get them to send you one. They have an online presence, but I really enjoy looking through the catalog. I was really pleased to see the book American Quilts: The Democratic Art, 1780-2007 listed in the ART section. It is also only $27.95. I’d like to look at it before I buy, but if it were $10 I would have scooped it up. I love those books which are combinations of history and quilts, but I don’t want to buy a book with a lot of quilt photos I have in other books.
I decided that I am going to make this pattern, It’s A Wrap Pattern by Sandy Gervais, this weekend. We will see how much of it I get done and if I am able to actually follow the directions. Wish me luck. Hopefully, this will cure my malaise or make it go away long enough for me to make some other things.
I know I have said some things about patterns. I guess I am getting over my snobbery. Hope you won’t hold it against me. I think what I mean is not that there is anything wrong with patterns, but that I like to be able to analyze a quilt and make it by myself without using a pattern. I realize that not everyone has that spatial acuity and that pattern designers have to eat!
Around About Town
Last Friday I had to pick up some tea and return a library book, so I stopped in a little mini-downtown section of SF called West Portal. I parked, walked to the Library, crossed the street and found a newspaper/magazine stand near the place I buy tea! I love those shops where you can see about 300 magazines all at once and buy one issue of foreign home dec magazines as a treat. I have been up and down this street a multitude of times and never seen this place. It may be new. They had a wonderful selection of quilt and craft mags. I had to buy an issue so I picked up an issue of Quilt Mania. I was pleased to find an article about Judy Rothermel and a couple of blocks that were very inspirational. I didn’t know JR designed Civil War fabrics as well as her signature 1930s lines.
After I drank my tea I headed back to the car and saw a handwritten sign in the window of the bookshop saying they give knitting lessons. Hhhmmm.
I have been thinking about my fabric lately. It is hard not to think about my fabric. First of all, I love it and second of all, it is where I can see, at least some of, it all the time.
Fabric
I have been thinking about fabric over the last year, in general, on a lot of different levels:
terminology
how much yardage should I buy?
do I have enough fabric?
do I need to add to what I have in order to have a wide range of colors?
do I need to add to what I have in case the manufacturers stop making that perfect shade of turquoise?
do I need to add to what I have in order to keep my inspiration high?
do I still like the fabric that I have bought in the past and haven’t used yet?
what happens if I can’t add to what I have?
is shopping for fabric a stress relieving mechanism?
Terminology
Fabric
Stash – this is the most common way quiltmakers refer to their supplies of fabric. I wonder why? I wonder who first called their fabric a stash? I wonder if calling it a stash was a joke that got out of hand? When I think of a stash, it has a negative connotation. I don’t hide my fabric in a baggie in the toilet so my parents won’t find it. I also have a stash of emergency cash on me, which isn’t really negative, but does imply poor planning or organizational skills.
None of those things really suggest that fabric buying or, by association, quiltmaking are positive activities.
Finally, buying fabric, as many others have pointed out, is not illegal and it doesn’t hurt anyone. For myself, touching, pressing, playing with fabric really reduces my stress level.
Palette – for a long time, I tried to call my fabric supplies ‘my palette’. I was diligent, but eventually gave up because people had no idea what I was talking about. A lot of them thought I was talking about a wooden thing with paint on it. Painters have it made. They have their palette, they put paint on it and everyone knows what they are talking about.
Fabric Collection – TFQ has a fabric collection. She buys fabric as a collection. We have discussions about the subject often. She may buy a fabric that she just wants to for her collection while I really try to buy fabric if it is something I think I will use. I have to admit that some conversationals are so fun-hilarious-cheerful etc that I can’t not buy them.
Fabric vs. Material – when I was a kid my mom would take us to House of Fabric which was in a mall called the Laurel Plaza (I liked a fast food-ish, but not a chain, restaurant there with great blue tropical shakes as well as dried puffer fish hanging from the ceiling) and we would buy some material to make a dress or outfit or something.
Now I only buy fabric.
I don’t know why I don’t call it material anymore. I think ‘material’ isn’t specific enough. If I say “I need some material for my project” someone could think that I wanted to buy some paper for a scrapbook project or metal for my most recent welding project. Perhaps material is a regional term and people don’t use it where I now live?
Size and Shape
I was listening to Brye Lynn’s podcast (still catching up) recently. One of her podcasts talked about the quiltmakers’ Fabric Stash (episode 8). It got me thinking about how much fabric I buy. Up until I started making tote bags at an alarming rate, I always bought half yards and FQs nad that was plenty.
Cutting up a FQ
Now, when I buy fabric specifically destined to be a tote bag, I buy at least 2 yards and sometimes 3. That is more than I need for most tote bag projects, but I like to have enough for the straps and a FOTY piece and to screw up. Brye Lynn said that the minimum that she has seen recommended to buy is a yard and then if you REALLY like it you should buy two yards. Hhhmmm.
Well, if I buy a yard as a basic rule, then I would only have half or quarter the variety of fabric I have now.
What's Left of a FQ
Half yards are starting not to be enough. I have a whole list of pieces I have to cut before a piece of fabric is filed into my fabric closet. For blue FQs, they rarely even make it to the fabric closet. I have so many blue pieces to cut (a 6.5″ square, a 2.5″x4.5″ rectangle, a diamond, a Tumbler, etc) that a FQ is just not enough. The above FQ may be a little bit misleading because it was larger than a normal FQ. Not much bigger, but enough.
Part of the Palette
Half yards are not enough for most bags, but they are enough for straps for a bag. I have adapted half yards for a bag, but it makes me wonder if I need to purchase fabric with bags in mind and not just quilts? Buying a yard of fabric regularly is a lot more of financial investment as well.
The Whys of it All
do I have enough?
do I need to add to what I have in order to have a wide range of colors?
do I need to add to what I have in case the manufacturers stop making that perfect shade of turquoise?
do I need to add to what I have in order to keep my inspiration high?
Well, if I don’t have enough fabric, then there is no such thing as enough. I have less fabric than others. Still, you saw all the things I made last year. I did not make a dent in what I have.
Adding to my fabric selection choices is interesting, because I have enough, in terms of physical quantity. However, I often seem not to have the right colors. No matter how many colors I buy, I often don’t have the right color. I am coming to the conclusion that buying more colors is futile. I am not going to stop buying fabric, but I am going to buy without the goal of having ALL the colors.
I have also been caught with my quilt pants down and not had enough fabric (remember the Windham fabric?), so perhaps I need to buy larger quantities of fabric? The FOTY project has helped in learning which fabrics really work in the projects I make. Perhaps I will start a project to convince fabric manufacturers it would be to their benefit to upload their out of print fabrics to Spoonflower.
New fabric does get me excited about quiltmaking. I do think that I need to shift my inspiration from cash outlay to books, as in read books and don’t use my credit cards. I will probably never be able to stop buying fabric, nor do I want to stop buying fabric, but I need to be aware of what I am trying to accomplish when looking for inspiration.
Is Shopping for Fabric a Stress Relieving Mechanism?
Definitely. That reality is good and bad. On the positive side, I have a legal way of relieving stress that also, as an added bonus, keeps small businesses open and helps the economy. If the stress is bad, it can be really expensive and if I don’t have money my stress just continues. I have to admit that I do have other methods of stress relief.
I don’t think I have any answers for anyone but myself. I am curious what you think about fabric.
Yes, it is possible to finish a spool of Aurifil thread. I did it! I love Aurifil because of the high thread quality and the amount that can fit on a bobbin.
I first bought a bag of spools in a Kathy Sandbach machine quilting class in about 2001. I still have some of those spools, but not the grey. I have never had a problem with the thread except having a lot of colors that I don’t use.
Words are very important to me. I like the shape of them – the way they look when written and the way they feel on my tongue, which is why the title is tools and supplies and not just supplies. Supplies would be more accurate, but I don’t like the shape of that word.
I saw this picture – found from a Twitter link – and really liked it. One thing I like about it is the abundance, but I also like the fact that the background is white. There are no distractions from the background in the picture. This style allows me to focus on the elements of the picture. Take a look at the website.
We have an independent art store in the City called Flax. It is art and inspiration nirvana. I didn’t mean to go there, but I ended up there on Friday.
I went to an appointment and then out to lunch. My last stop before home was the shoe store, which is in a completely different neighborhood. In looking for the shortcut street, I overshot and ended up in the no left turn land of Market Street, heading downtown. I wasn’t lost; I knew exactly where I was. I was just not where I wanted/needed to be to get to the shoe store. I tried to recalculate and readjust and each time I did I ended up where I didn’t want to go. Suddenly, like a beacon of light and hope there was Flax on the correct side of the street with a parking place conveniently located. How could I not stop?
It has been a few years since I have been there as it is off my beaten path. Amy of the Creative Mom podcast (have to get that woman out of my mind!!!) mentioned her trip there recently and it stuck in my mind.
It is wonderful. Big and open with helpful, CHEERFUL workers and lots of art supplies. I decided while I was there that I would get a Pitt pen (again, Amy mentioned it) and do some Christmas shopping.
Christmas, you ask? Yes, never hurts to start early and I want to spread out the financial pain.
I bought a Pitt pen, I bought some of the Miguelrius journals in a color I hadn’t seen (can’t ever have too many journals! Especially now since I am writing a lot), bought a book, gel/scrapbook pens and a couple of other things for gifts. They also have stationery that I used to buy by the pound as a teenager. It is thick and heavy and you can buy it by the sheet as well. I bought a couple of sheets, a folded card and an envelope so I can write a nice long letter.
Colorful Stationery
They also have a line of organizational boxes and files called Semikolon, which have dot designs. Have to have some of those once the financial situation eases.
They also have a ton of gorgeous ribbon. For embellishing art quilts, the prices were quite reasonable. It is high end ribbon, so they start at a ~$1.50/yard, but you don’t need much, right?
It was refreshing and I know I have to take TFQ and Julie there next time they come for a visit.
An Aside
I tried out the Pitt pen on the Tree prompt response, which I will post later. It is a little thn for my tastes, but like the waterproof quality. I will have to investigate and see if they have thicker ones. I liked the line and color black better than the Sharpie fine linr I have been using since the plane ink explosion incident.
I saw Pam Rubert’s sketchbook using these inks and I have been thinking of trying them. I would love to have a place where I could go and try out all the artists supplies that I would like to try without buying them.
FW Artists’ Ink is an acrylic based pigmented water resistant ink in a range of 38 colours, all of which have either a 3 or 4 star rating for permanence.
Such a high degree of lightfastness over such a range of fully intermixable colours makes them ideal for use by artists in the production of pictures for permanent display.
Equally, however, colours can be substantially diluted to achieve the most subtle of tones, very similar in character to watercolour. Such washes will dry to a water resistant film and successive layers of colour can be laid over a highly predicable manner. FW Artists’ Inks work well through airbrushes and technical pens.
38 colours
This is the summer collection of Aurifil thread. I really like these colors and I haven’t ever seen them before. I haven’t been able to find them in the larger size spools and singly. I am still looking, though.
Like everyone else, the economy is affecting our family so I was extremely restrained in fabric purchases at PIQF this year. I tried to only buy fabrics that were really calling my name. As you can see, I still have the turquoise/aqua as well as dot themes going.
I am excited about the fabrics that I bought and I also got the best ruler in the universe. I know rulers and this one totally rocks. It is a 4.5″x8.5″Creative Grid Ruler. The ruler is great because it is big enough to cut without fear that I will cut off my hand, but small enough so it doesn’t hang over the edge of my small cutting table. It is also the right size for the variety of pieces that I cut. For example, I can cut the FOTY pieces without having to move the ruler at all. One end is exactly the right size. TFQ and I both wanted to use it at the same time, so I may need to buy a second one for when we are sewing together. If you don’t have this ruler, go out and buy one now.
I also bought two new bag patterns. I know I know! I really plan to make them. I have some canvas-type Moda fabrics covered with cupcakes that I bought in Virginia this summer. I think it will be perfect. One is a vertical bag by Liesl + Co called the Backpack Tote. It converts from a tote to a backpack. It requires some hardware that I have never used before, but I can get through it. If not, I will bring the pattern to Seattle in the spring and TFQ can hold my hand while I work on it.
The other is very similar to the Eco Market tote that I have been using. It is by Gail Abeloe, owner of Backporch Quilts in Pacific Grove. I bought it because of the slightly different shape of the top and the construction of the bottom, which you can’t see in this picture. It has a square bottom and not side panels. We’ll see which one I like better.
I spent a lot of the show really looking at the quilts. We didn’t succumb to trying to take photos at times when there were too many people in the hall. This resolved made me less annoyed and allowed us to really look at the quilts. We took photos on Wednesday evening at the preview and then late in the day when people had left. It worked out well. It was also a joy to see that people are using cheerful fabrics again. There were many, many quilts that were simply wonderful and I know you will see many of them show up in my end of the year roundup of favorite quilts.
Despite the fact that I had to turn around and, virtually, go straight to speak at a conference, it was great to get away, sleep in, not worry about taking care of anyone. I feel like I take a lot of time off, but I seem to need it. I have had several busy weekends in a row, though, so perhaps that is the reason.
I spent a GREAT hour or so with my SIL at Quilting Adventures in Richmond, VA (www.quiltingadventures.com) on Sunday. Since I was there last time Joyce has moved the shop next door to a much bigger space and it is gorgeous. It has the feel of a cool, calm space.
One thing that is great about QA is that Joyce only sells products that she loves. One of them is a new batting made from soda bottles. It is a light green color from the bottles that are green (like Sprite). It feels soft with just a tiny bit of stiffness. The packaging tells the purchaser how many soda bottles were kept out of landfills per the size of the batting. I'll let you know the name and manufacturer soon.
In my travels I came across the fact that the manufacturer has stopped making Timtex. I have only used Timtex once to make a bowl, but I have been thinking about making more bowls and now I don’t know what I will use. The Craftapple has reviewed various options for stiffening boxes and bowls.
In the wake of the demise of Timtex I’ve been doing a little stabilizer research. I purchased a several online nd played around with some from JoAnn’s and I’m posting my findings here. The contestants:
1) Peltex 70. Available at JoAnn’s for under $5/ yard. It comes in 22? width. This is a nice product, but thinner and more flexible than Timtex. When I use this in the bottom of a bag, I’ll often sew 2 layers together for the stability that I want. Peltex 71 is fusible on 1 side and Peltex 72 is fusible on 2 sides. They get thicker and pricier as you add a layer of glue.
2) Stiffy. This is not a comparable substitute for Timtex. It is very similar to Peltex 70. It is so very cheap at less than $2/yard but you’ll have to pay shipping if you can’t find it locally which brought my order to about $4/yard. It comes on a roll and is about 20? wide. One drawback is when I ironed it, my sewing room started to smell like a barnyard.
Annie of Annie’s Quilting Stash Podcast has cataloged a group of fabric manufacturers and gives links and list of designers for each manufacturer. It is a podcast from earlier this year.
Here are the links to the manufacturers that were covered in this podcast. Just click on their name, and the link will take you right to their website! Their websites aren’t “just for Shop Owners” any longer, but have all kinds of great customer friendly links that will help you find the fabrics that you need for your quilts.
I am taking a class with Gabrielle Swain tomorrow. I hadn’t ever really heard of her until Friend Julie took a 6 month long one-on-one class with her. I decided to take the class because Julie really got her creativity juiced. She did a lot of work during the first few months of the year.
Lo and behold, I am completely prepared for the class. I have all the stuff sorted, piled up and ready to go. I am thrilled. No running around like a chicken with its head cut off at the last second. I’ll even bring the bags down to the car tonight so I just have to walk out with my handbag tomorrow morning.
While I was getting ready, obviously, I had to look at the supply list. One thing I realized was that teachers don’t always explain why they want you to bring something to class. It would be very helpful if the teacher put the name of the class along with a brief description of the class at the top of the page. This should be followed up with the normal supplies such as pencil, notebook, basic sewing kit, scissors, etc.
While ‘normal’ is relative, I think that there are some standard supplies. It would be great to explain anything beyond the standards. I realize that teachers are busy and that they have a lot to prepare. However, a little explanation can make the students feel more secure in the supplies they choose and help the students bring better supplies.
Ms. Swain’s supply list was relatively straightforward. I often wait until the last minute to get the supplies together, thus I am really resentful when there is something strange and unexplained on the list. Of course, my procrastination is not the fault of the teacher. I have a lot of supplies. I even have a lot of strange rulers and materials, so it doesn’t seem to much to ask for someone to explain why they need a certain brand of this or that.
I really am not complaining about Ms. Swain’s supply list. Reading over her supply list just made me think about supply lists in general. The only thing on it that I couldn’t supply out of what I have at home was hand-dyed fabric. I am not a hand-dyed fabric person; I just don’t have very much of it. If she had explained why she wanted hand-dyed fabric, I might have gone out and bought some. Instead, I chose some lovely batiks that I think will make great leaves.
It is very hard for me to accomplish anything if I am not organized. The first thing I do on any project is organize the pieces. I get a lot done, I think, because I am organized. It drives a lot of people close to me insane.
The fabric closet in my workroom had dropped off the organization list sometime in the last century. I have been flinging things into it randomly for some time. There was no space for me to get into to do anything. I knew I had to take everything out [EVERYTHING!!] and start over. There was no possible way I could face such an endeavor alone. TFQ mentioned it last year when she was here for PIQF. It had gotten so bad between times that this trip she convinced me it was time. I also asked her to help me clean it out.
I threw out, recycled, and organized, for Goodwill and Freecycle, a ton of stuff. It felt good. I have been on that binge for awhile in other parts of the house, but this was a major quilt/fabric related effort.
Sadly (or perhaps not), I didn’t take before pictures. I think that is, at least, partially a good thing. I do have the after pictures.
Closet Right Side: Quilts are on pants hangers and hung in the corner. File cabinet was moved closer to the door so I can file paperwork easier. Fabric bins that I use a lot were brought down, so I don’t have to crawl up to get at my fabric quite as much. We didn’t do much with the fabric bins, but have gone through them together in the past. I have also been going through them recently as I work through the bag project. I will go through them again in the future, I am sure.
Closet Left Side: The new drawer thingy is full of dots. Closest to the left side of the photo is a continuing part of the project. I have to get some crates to replace the bankers boxes for ‘current’ fabric. In the middle on that upper shelf is a weird bin (the style of the bin is weird) full of projects in process. They are organized, so I can find them, which is a good thing, because I would like to move through some of the projects that have been lingering. I also went through a lot of of my projects that were going nowhere and got rid of them. No point in keeping something that never even made it to my UFO list. A number of them were block exchanges from the early 1990s. Lots of teal went to people I hope will make great quilts for others.
We really needed one more day to get the project completely finished. We didn’t have it, so TFQ sent me to the Container Store with a list of items to buy. Above are the containers I bought to fill with stuff. The clear plastic garbage can is full of rulers now and I want to get another. After I filled it up, and amazingly all of my rulers fit, I decided that I didn’t like the rulers with instructions and packaging in the same container as the regular rulers. The other frosted garbage can was a ruler possibility, but the shape is wrong. I may actually replace one of my garbage cans around he house with it. I am definitely going to get another one of the clear plastic ones.
PS. I surpassed 450 posts yesterday. Thanks for reading!
Camilla, of the famous Clementine’s Dry Goods, posted these picts on her blog. Don’t want a happy birthday banner like that one? I love the fabrics she has chosen for her shop and the crisp white shelves on which she stores the fabric. I want that turquoise cupcake fabric!
