Net Neutrality Day of Action

Net Neutrality means that everyone receives the same treatment. My content is delivered just as fast as a movie from Comcast. Unless I am doing something illegal, no ISP can slow down what I serve up as content to you. Content providers cannot pay an ISP to provide their content faster than mine.

I am a content provider. While I may not provide content that everyone likes, I am able to provide content.

45’s appointee “Ajit Pai has proposed a reversal of these regulations, which he’s said unfairly burden the ISPs and are archaic for relying on utility-style regulation.”

Allowing ISPs to slow down content will affect public libraries, companies whose product interferes with a product owned by the ISP, schools and more.

Send a comment to the FCC and to your Congress person telling them to protect Net Neutrality. Do it now.

You can find more information on these sites:

This is not a left or right political issue. This is about innovation and fairness. It was a hard won battle to get Net Neutrality. Let’s keep this as a right.

More Bias Rectangles (HRTs) Resources

Last week, I wrote a post on HRTs. After writing it and concentrating, mostly, on tutorials, I thought of rulers. Yes, I mentioned the Tri-Recs ruler, but I thought there might be others. I am not sure why I didn’t think of it myself.

BlocLoc HRT ruler
BlocLoc HRT ruler

This idea got legs when one reader (Thanks, Libby!) told me that the BlocLoc ruler system has an HRT ruler. I saw them in an online shop and they look similar to the BiRangle, though different as well.

I am not familiar with this system of rulers, not because there is anything wrong with them. I haven’t used them, mostly because I don’t want to get sucked in to another type of ruler! I do want to support small quiltmaking businesses and I feel the urge to just try them all the time. It is hard since I am such a ruler lover.

Creative Grids HRT
Creative Grids HRT

After finding the BlocLoc rulers I went searching for others. I found a Creative Grids triangle ruler** that will help you make HRTs in a variety of different sizes. It is similar in shape to the Tri Recs, but looks like you can make more sizes using it.

I think you could also make blocks with super skinny triangles like Storm at Sea or 54-40 or Fight.

This CG ruler is a little pricey – $18.95. Think of how many quilts you could make! 😉

Accuquilt-HRT die
Accuquilt-HRT die

It also occurred to me that Accuquilt may have a die. They do. The die (#55411) cuts two skinny triangles in a 3 x 6 inch** size. You must have a Go! machine to use this die. It is compatible with the Studio, Big and Go! Baby, though you might have to use an adapter. This die is also included in the Accuquilt GO! Qube Mix & Match 12″ Block set**. The obvious drawback is that you get only one size.

I went to the Cotton Patch a few weeks ago and they had a whole Accuquilt Center in their store now! It made me want to swoon. If I only had unlimited funds and space! I suppose more time would be useful as well. 😉

Other Resources

  • Tutorial on using the Split Recs Ruler
  • Deb Tucker tutorial on using the Split Rects ruler

Happy HRT making!

 

 

 

 

 

 

**I use affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.

Bias Rectangles (HRTs) Resources

I have an idea to spice up the latest batch of 16 patch blocks I made for the BAMQG charity project using HRTs.

HRTs are half rectangle triangles, which are similar to half square triangles. This shape/block is also called a Bias Rectangle. I wanted to make them using a method similar to the Triangle Technique. Wouldn’t that be great? DH and SIL worked on the math, but they could only get one rectangle and a kite shape out of a similar method.

Sigh.

I went looking for tutorials.

Adrianne of ilovefabric.com and Little Bluebell blog uses one part of the Tri-Recs ruler. She shows a top in the post that she made and details how the ruler works. If you are doing Bonnie Hunter’s 2016 mystery quilt, you need this ruler set anyway. You can buy it for the mystery quilt and have it for HRTs.

It might be easier to cut these shapes if you had a cutting mat turntable. Martelli has one that includes an ironing surface.

The Modern Quilt Guild posted a tutorial on bias rectangles. The tutorial shows how to make 4.5 x 6.5 inch final block size, but notes that the tutorial works for any size as long as you use the same sized rectangles. The tutorial includes directions for “squaring” up the blocks (a rectangle made up of two triangles).

Wayne Kollinger also posted 3 (yes, THREE) different tutorials for making HRTs. First, he talks about just cutting fabric. No tools or special rulers. Wayne’s second method also uses the Tri Recs ruler. The third tutorial uses freezer paper. One thing Wayne says is “the rectangles are twice as long as they are wide. This means that for a 6″x6″ block the rectangles would have a finished size of 2″x 4″. For a 9″x9″ block the rectangles would have a finished size of 3″x6″.”, which is very helpful information moving forward.

Heidi at Buttons and Butterflies posted a tutorial includes what not to do, which is a great illustration of what I found out from DH’s mathematical adventures. From the tutorial you can see what happens without having to do it yourself. 😉 There are a few different techniques included in this post including an Accuquilt technique. The Accuquilt die has the tips cut off for easier matching of patches. She finishes up with a tutorial similar to the Modern Quilt Guild tutorial. Heidi also talks about the differences in HRTs, which I was glad about since I didn’t realize some of the things she discusses.

Kristi of the Schnitzel and Boo Blog uses a similar technique to Heidi, but sews on each side of the center line to make her HRTs in her post. The post includes a quilt tutorial/pattern as well.

Marjorie Rhine from Quilt Woman has a PDF discussthe topic, including three options for making the blocks. One is to use a template, similar to my tutorial on using templates. I supposed the Tri Recs ruler discussed above would also work. Also mentioned are the Marti Michell’s Template Set D or Margaret Miller’s AnglePlay Template. The latter is a companion to a couple of books. She includes paper piecing and using templates as techniques. The PDF includes a lot of useful information.

These can also be made using foundation piecing. Printing a template from EQ7 or drawing the paper template is also possible.

BiRangle ruler
BiRangle ruler

Finally, I have a ruler called a BiRangle ruler. It is by Martingale (I bought it when the company was called That Patchwork Place).

Sew Mama Sew has a tablerunner pattern. She talks about why the Triangle Technique does not work for HRTs.

 

Not Renewing

I received a ‘SERVICE INTERRUPTION PENDING’ notice from QNM yesterday. I received this notice despite the fact that I have sent back at least 2, if not 3 of their previous renewal notices letting them know I am not renewing.

I wonder what it takes for them to get the message?

Why am I not renewing? Many reasons.

Reason #1: My primary reason is that QNM is now part of a group that owns Love of Quilting, Keepsake quilting and other quiltmaking properties. This group has low standards for customer service.When I was looking for certain rotary cutting instructions that were not included in a pattern, but were mentioned on the Love of Quilting TV show, I kept getting fobbed off on someone else. Nobody would take responsibility for helping me, for finding the instructions.  I am not a moron. I know how to check the web, I have the CD of patterns, which I also looked at. They just don’t care.

Reason #2: I don’t usually use patterns, so the projects in the magazine are a waste of space for me and I don’t want to pay for them. This issue says “..patterns are ideas or guidelines not absolutes.” This is not the ‘vibe’ I have gotten from the quilt industry lately. They want you to use patterns, buy the printed pattern and the Jelly Roll and make what they tell you to make. The quote is quite ironic, I think.

Reason #3: They keep changing editors. Every issue seems to have a new editor.

Reason #4: My fabric doesn’t match the patterns anyway. When I did try and use a pattern (Stepping Stones by the Lintott girls) I found it to be very difficult, because they didn’t use terms such as light, medium and dark, large-scale print, small scale print or solid when describing the fabrics. They used pre-cuts and that was all the pattern was written for. There was no option for the future, when that pre-cut isn’t available or other color choices, because a person doesn’t like that mushy look.

Reason #5: I didn’t ask to subscribe to this magazine. I unsubscribed some time ago and was re-subscribed when they shut down Quilter’s Home.

Reason #6: I have enough to read. I am finding that reading in my life is going by the wayside. I have so many obligations and so much to do that reading is one of the things that is dropping away. If I didn’t have audiobooks, I would never ‘read’ anything. It was such a pleasure to read more than 2 pages in a real book this week while I was sick.

Reason #7: I have enough ideas. I really don’t need anymore new ideas. What I need is to figure out how to live longer (I already don’t smoke), so I can get through them.

Reason #8: There is a mini clothing catalog in the center. Not sure if the owners noticed, but QNM is quilt magazine, not a clothing magazine, why not put a fabric catalog in the center? I think this is one of the problems with QNM being owned by a private equity fund rather than by someone who knows something about quiltmaking. They lump women into a group with the idea that “if they like quilts, they must like clothing.”

Reason #9: I am really liking the Quilt Life magazine. Yes, they have patterns, but the patterns are not the focus. I also like the writing.

Reason #10: I can always change my mind

There are a lot of reasons to like QNM: the great quilt photos, variety of articles, variety of voices writing, the quilt world news and the interviews with designers. I don’t like some of the changes, but I can’t condemn the whole magazine. For now, it just isn’t for me.

 

Various & Sundry 2011 #8

Patterns and Projects

Julie, over at the Intrepid Thread, has created a tutorial for an iPad bag in conjunction with Cutting Corners. Aside from the bag being cheerful, I like the directions. There are a ton of photos and the words are pretty clear. This is a long tutorial, so put a new ink cartridge in if you plan on printing it.

I bought a gift of fabric from Julie and she was kind enough to offer to include a card. She sent the fabric out in a timely manner as well. Great service.

Quilts & Shows

The 2011 AQS Show winners are posted.

I love this quilt. It was part of the Red and White show in NYC. Don’t you love the different borders? I might make one.

Media

I was listening to Creative Talk Radio with Pat Sloan recently. She had an interview with Joanna Figueroa, which was about a half an hour long. I really enjoyed hearing about her and about her new project with Quilts & More magazine. It starts with the April issue. I will have to seek out that magazine and see what it is about. Pat also had an interview with Eleanor Burns on that same episode as well as the news that she is moving her podcast to the AllPeopleQuilt.com website.

As a result of the podcast, I decided to try out the Fig Tree Quilts Fresh Vintage subscription for awhile. They called me to get some payment information and Joanna Figueroa picked up the phone. What a thrill! Who cares about Brangelina!

I have purchased this publication before. TFQ and I were together when I bought issue 10 that has the fabulous Tea Basket quilt in it. I haven’t made that quilt, but still admire it. I am looking for something a little different and hope that this magazine will provide it.

Sandy of Quilting for the Rest of Us podcast has started to write some book reviews. I flatter myself that I inspired her, but I know that she wrote book reviews on some other subjects for previous jobs. Go check out one of her first books reviews.

Penguin has come out with some new editions of classics such as Black Beauty, The Secret Garden and Emma. The creative part of this everyday publishing phenomenon is that they are being released under a new imprint called Penguin Threads and the covers are hand sewn. I saw a brief article in the Atlantic that featured wonderful pictures. In the images the stitching can be seen. The colors are cheerful without being glary. There is a lot the article doesn’t say, such as how many are being made? Are they all hand stitched or only the first one? Cool, in any case.

The Quilt Index had a great Double Wedding Ring quilt up last week. The background was Nile Green – kind of a combination aqua and green – which provided a real WOW factor to this quilt. The maker really had some guts.

Linda Kemshall has a new blog. She is a UK artist who works on DMTV and Thr3fold Journal. I wrote about her, and her daughter Laura, in a blog post some time ago.

Stars for San Bruno

As you know, I finished the first quilt top and am gearing up for the second. Someone offered me some fabric and replied to my query about her being sure she wouldn’t mind sending it along to be used with a very entertaining quip: “It’s been on my shelves for a couple of years now. I figure if I haven’t even pulled it off to audition it in that time it’s better off going to a home which will make it feel much more needed and useful. I’m all about helping my fabric self-actualize.”

Trying to Do Good

I like to do charity projects that fit with my life and my interests and help people locally. You have seen me make pillowcases. I have made about a dozen so far. I finally got my act together and called the hospital to arrange a time to donate them. I left a message. A few days later, a chipper, cheerful and young woman called me back and left a message telling me they have a ready supply of pillowcases and don’t need any. She told me to take them to a town about 20 miles away. She was very nice, but I am still annoyed. I guess some hospitals are getting too much of a good thing.

Fabric

Quilted Fish Fabrics
Quilted Fish Fabrics

I have to admit that I didn’t remember buying this fabric. Also, I didn’t have a receipt for it, except what came with the fabric when it was shipped. I don’t usually purchase fabric from Fabric.com, so I was really confused.

It is very strange and has really put me off buying fabric lately. If you bought this for me, will you, please, confess so I can write you a thank you note? I also want to get over this feeling of losing my mind. Thank you!

UPDATE: I have a secret fabric fairy. Thanks, Mrs. K.!

 

Finally, Again, Odds and Ends

Doing Good

I have gone on and on about the Rainbow Around the Block project. It is so easy to make blocks. They are like candy. I can’t just make one. Etsy featured the project on their blog a few weeks ago.

If you want to get together with people to make pillowcases, check the AllPeopleQuilt site for info on sewing with Etsy and ancillary meetups around the country. TFQ went home from our trip after hearing me go on and on about pillowcases, to find that she could easily make a few dozen from fabric on hand. Not sure how many she has in the pipeline, but I am looking forward to seeing her finished products. The Child and I are slowly plowing through his pillowcase. It is painful, but he is doing it. Go make some pillowcases!

I hope you know that there are plenty of other opportunities to do good with fabric!

Office Supplies

I am a pen junkie (are there any positive words for junkie/whore when referring to legal things like pens?). My current love is the Pilot G2. Recently, on the Cool Tools Blog, I saw a post about Jet Pens. They also sell journals, notebooks and scrapbooking supplies. Do not blame me if you spent your retirement money on pens and Japanese office supplies.

Sewing

Also on the Cool Tools Blog, I saw a post about a spiral eye needle. Apparently, you can thread this blindfolded! I need this needle. Sadly, they are not sold in regular stores and are expensive, so no losing them.  Order from the Spiral Eye Website.

Linda M. Poole, who used to respond to the creative prompt, but got a fabric design contract and has too many things on her plate now is having a contest with said fabric designs! The designs are now fabric and a new line just came out. The deadline is October 4 and all the details are on a recent blog post. Go check out what she is offering as prizes. Did I mention they are FABULOUS prizes? [SherriD: I am looking at YOU!]

Someone pointed out another type of design wall on the Big Tent Quiltcast Supergroup. It is called the Vanishing Design Wall and it looks like it has potential.

Need some quilt-spiration? Bradie Sparrow is doing a summer quilt-a-long. They are on Week 5, but it is easy to find the blocks from the previous weeks. Friend Julie is making the blocks. and has been posting them. I thought about joining in, but really have enough projects going!

Blogging/Social Media

When I used Blogger, I was able to post via email. It was convenient when I went on vacation or saw something inspirational. WordPress has that feature, but I have never been able to get it to work. Amplify, related to Clipmarks, has a way of posting to blogs, Twitter, FB, etc via email. I haven’t tried it yet, but have set it up. We’ll see!

Are you on Goodreads and FB? If so, you can connect them so that the books you read post to your FB wall. I enjoy seeing what quilt books my friends are reading. I also enjoy seeing the fiction and reading reviews friends have written. I kept track of the books I read last year and was amazed to see how many I had read. This year I am a little scared of how many books I am, ostensibly, reading at once. Try it out!

Other

If your child stays at the local library after school, then you might wnat to get him/her one of the seat savers shown in Library God Stephen Abram’s blog. While you are at it, give them a donation. After all, you are saving on childcare, libraries offer a great service and are really hurting right now. Alternatively, perhaps you need one of these for your quilt guild meeting to keep the Quiltzillas away from your preferred chair?

Julie wrote very well about The Sketchbook Project. I have to admit that I got one, too. Since she wrote about it and, basically, wrote everything I was going to say, go look at what she wrote. My theme is In Flight. I haven’t started.

I saw a slide show of a sketchbook by Victor A. Lundy on the Library of Congress site. It reminded me that practice makes perfect and that sketchbooks can be small. The drawings are much better than I can do right now and capture some great images. I studied the people in the drawings especially.

Good Mail Day(s)

AGood mail
Good mail

A good mail day is a day where the mail brings me envelopes and boxes of items in which I am interested and, then, those things surprise and delight me.

I had one such day last week when I finally made the grand trek to my PO Box. I had bills that I knew were waiting for me, after all. What a fun trip! I found, not bills, but a whole plethora of quilt related books and materials.

SherriD, kind person that she is, tracked down that Fons and Porter magazine issue I sniffed and whined about a couple of times, and sent it along. The fun part was that there was also the rest of the directions for the Radiant Star block. I saw half of how to make it on a Fons and Porter episode and then the second episode, somehow, was deleted  before I could watch it.

I also received my prize from Quiltin’ Jenny! I don’t think I have won a blog giveaway before, so this is very exciting! I am not that familiar with Leisure Arts books, but this one seems to have some great fabric combinations in their projects. There is also a basket project and I do like basket blocks. I am happy to have this book to add to my “to review” pile.

As a member of QNN TV, I receive Easy Quilts magazine. More projects! I was really interested and enthralled with the ads. I finally got to see an ad for Linda M. Poole‘s Iridescence fabrics. It is nice to be able to see the detail of some of the designs. I like some of the blocks in this issue, too.

Finally, I received a thank you from Safe Haven Ministries in Grand Rapids, Michigan for the donation of the Petal Apron.

Quilts 1700-2010
Quilts 1700-2010

Over the weekend, my BIL gave me the above book. He was stuck in London in April when the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajokul, erupted. He used to live and work near London, so he was able to work in his company’s London office. He spent time over the weekend between meetings visiting some of the London tourist sites. I suggested that he go see the V&A exhibit. He went, but decided that he wasn’t interested enough to visit the quilts. He did buy me this book. I am looking forward to reading it.

Thanks for the mail, everyone!

Too Many Books?!?

Must Read Books - March 2010These are the books that I MUST finish reading soon. Four of them (top 3 and bottom middle) are due back at the library. In fact, by the time you read this I will have already taken back the Design It Yourself Clothes book. I like the tone of the first part of this book even though I haven’t done anything about the actual making of clothes. I may buy this book so I can work through at my own pace.

Fortunately, I did write the review for Pretty Little Mini Quilts. that was on my mind since Lark Books sent me the book for free. Did you read it? I found the review hard to write. It is different writing reviews when I  get the books free from a publisher than when I get them out of the Library.

Leaning Tower of Book Pisa - March 2010Yes, this is the Leaning Tower of Book Pisa, as I like to call it. The Leaning Tower of Book Pisa books not only need to be shelved, but they also need to be cataloged and read. I have officially over reached my current shelf space for any kind of books. This pile makes me anxious. I want it to be neatly shelved, cataloged and have every book easy to find. I very rarely buy non-quilt books. My rule is that I have to get it from the Library and think I will read it again before I buy a copy of my own. I am only allowed to buy non-quilt books if it is hard to get from the Library.

Quilt books are a different story. I used to buy all the quilt books that came out, but there are simply too many now. Also, many of them are just pattern books and I have plenty of patterns. This past year or so, however, has been a great time for quilt books. I like to buy quilt books, because I make notes on the patterns or in the margins. I make notes about what I like or I underline (in pencil, don’t worry) bits that I want to come back and review again. I have only been, pretty much, putting quilt books on my wish list this year. As I mentioned, I have been fortunate in the past year to have received almost all of these books as gifts.

I still try to borrow them from the Library first to make sure I like the book. My local Library doesn’t have many fiber books, but it is in a network and one of the sister libraries has a lot of the titles I want. If I can’t find a quilt or fiber book in my library system, I go to The City system and can usually find it there.

I want to read all of the books in the Leaning Tower of Book Pisa. I am currently reading Design Explorations for the Creative Quilter by Katie Pasquini-Masopust. I read about a chapter of it a week. It is short, but is still taking me awhile to get through it, probably because, also, I am reading 3 other books at the same time. I am almost finished and will put up a review soon.

Another New Book

How can I resist Judy Martin? Her stuff is great! Scraps is Judy’s latest book and I think this is the answer to my comment in a recent post about Knockout Blocks and Sampler Quilts, Martin’s previous book. Scraps is a project book. Many of the blocks used in the quilts seem to come from Knockout Blocks and Sampler Quilts, especially noticeable in Cooperstown Stars. She has patterns for every skill level and the directions seem to be clear and well illustrated. Though I dislike sections on “how to make a quilt”, Judy’s is very well done and I often read this section in her various books, because I always seem to learn something. Three-of-a-Kind is similar to a free Block of the Moment on Judy’s website called Celtic Squares. She has great BOMs and I keep them all for future when I have skads of spare time.