((((Miz Polly, talk about using your hands whilst talking....we were watching the news the other night when a coupla 'Politicians' were arguing about some trivial thing. DS piped up and said they should have them SIT on their hands and try to argue. it sure wouldn't take that long to make their point--if they do have one))))
Butterfly (have you ever tried talking without using your hands? : )
IF you are one of the 'cut it away' quilters, take the time to sew that it into another HST. When you're finished with the main quilt, sew those HST's into a pinwheel block quilt.
Butterfly (Sent mine to one of the Gals on here that was collecting them for just that)
I actually have mine out on a bookshelf....organized by magazine and date. Only have ONE subscription going right now, AQS. Rest, I get IF that particular mag appeals to me. I would LOVE to get the Australian Patchwork and Quilting--but I can't afford it...so I get a couple every so often (Have to be at the store that carries them)
Butterfly (No, they do NOT take up the entire bookshelf)
Let me see if I can try When using Triangles on a Roll I always sew to the seam side of the line, same when I draw the line and sew "on" it. If I am making a pair of HST units (triangle squares) I sew a scant quarter inch from the diagonal line. There are lots of ways to make triangle squares, some work for some people, some work for others. Sunny, the "old fashioned" way to make triangle squares was to cut triangles, basically a square cut on the diagonal, but using templates. Then sewing a bias seam. When sewing by hand, this worked fairly well, and can work if you are sewing by machine too. But a lot of people really don't like having to be a bit "fiddly" when working with bias, so instead of cutting the square then sewing, they decided to sew the seams, then cut the triangles. Much less chance of stretching this way. Many of the "triangle papers" are based on this, but expanding on it, by making a "grid" of squares/triangles that can have all the diagonals sewn before cutting. Depending on your fabric and thread, and the way you press your seams, if you sew exactly on the seam line, you may/will lose a tiny amount in the fold of the seam allowance. (One way to "see" this is to stack several pieces of fabric with folded edges on top of each other. If you smooth your hand down, you will feel a "bump" where the folds are. The wrap around of the fabric is thicker than the 2 layers.) Add in thread and while it may seem minuscule it can add up over several seams. That is why you need to sew a "scant" seam. If it really bothers you, cut your pieces a "scant" amount larger than you are supposed to. (use the outside of the ruler line instead of the inside for cutting, the inside or center of the line for measuring/squaring up.) As long as you are consistent with the measurements you should be okay.
Of course one way to deal with triangle units, and one I have done a lot, is to make them a bit oversize and trim after they are sewn and pressed. Takes a bit of time, but the rest of the assembly goes like a dream. Every time I try to skip checking size/trimming, regardless of how I marked/made the triangles, I end up fighting the block assembly.
One new technique to make half and quarter square triangle units is to use Inklingo, collection 2. It is sort of like triangle paper, but you print on the back of your fabric the stitching and cutting lines. No paper to tear away. Go to Linda Franz's website to see an Inklingo demonstration. (that is what I using for my teeny tiny 2" finished size sawtooth stars at the moment. But I still need to check size of finished units, a thread or two off in a 2" block is a disaster. sigh)
Please ask any questions you need to. When my website is finally done, (one of these months, sigh) I plan some tutorials on stuff like this, Where I can actually use pictures to show what I mean. )
Pati, in Phx
Polly Esther wrote:
Thanks for the idea, Polly. :) Right now I have them in binders on the shelf, but that shelf is full ....
Whether or not you trim all the layers, press the seam to one side before you trim. You are much less likely to distort the piece if you press, then trim. Works for snowballs, too.
Julia in MN
Press Snowballs? You're kidding, right?
Butterfly (wouldn't that be k>> I love triangles. I love the look and shapes they allow us to have in our
Just to clear up any confusion -- I am the antithesis of precision. My hands are shaky. My balance is bad. One eye is near sighted and the other is far sighted -- plays heck with hand/eye coordination. And more. Much, much more. I have used every anti-slip stuff known to the sewing world. I prefer clear medical tape -- it's see-through and it's really tacky and it doesn't ruin the ruler. After that, I like sandpaper circles. Precision is my problem. Yes, I practice. Some things I have become very, very good at. But none of those things involves precision. Precise marking, precise cutting, precise stitching, precise more stitching. Yes, this is embarrassing. This very issue has contributed to making me a guild member who never attends meetings. (Too many snide, sniping comments about those stupid quilters who just won't work at getting better at cutting precise lines.) So I have found a kind of fabric fun that works for me. I draw, glue, paint, color with pencils and other devices, I fuse and top stitch and play with the fabric to put texture into it. And I stay away from patterns -- even achingly lovely ones -- that require activities that I don't enjoy.
Mostly, I admire the rest of you and the work each of you does best. the paper piecing and the New York Beauties and the gorgeous hand appliqu=E9 and hand quilting and ...... well the list goes on and on. Pat on the Hill has created beauty out of math -- I'd never have believed it possible. And on it goes.
I think I will write a book and call it "The Pointless Quilter". LOL.
Now, what would be the name of the book each of you would write?? Maybe that's a good thread starter!
Sunny
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