Shaky hands

I've been glue sticking my applique pieces in place for a couple of years mostly to avoid being stuck by pins while sewing, but then one day I had no choice but to glue stick a straight seam that was four yards long. It was a border print and I needed 4 lengths from it, unfortunately the selvages ran the length of the "center" of one of the borders I wanted to cut from it. There were three intact strips bracketed by two half strips. The only way to get a fourth length was to take the two selvages, trim off the actual selvage, line up the print carefully, and sew one continuous seam. I tried pinning, but could not get the print perfectly lined up. I tried a few different methods to line up the seam with dismal results. Then the light bulb moment. I folded one strip along the seam line so I could actually see what I was doing and I used a glue stick to position, and reposition the fabric in place along the seam line, three inches at a time. The results were fantastic! It more than meets the galloping horse test along the whole 4 yard length! Since then I have glued a lot of seams and it always works like a charm. My favorite glue is the Elmer's glue stick that goes on purple and dries clear because it is less messy for me, but shaky or weak hands might be better off with the original liquid.

Debra in VA See my quilts at:

Thanks, Irene. You may have done a number of us a huge favor by sharing this. I shall go take a look/see. I do remember signing up for her e-mails when she first started. Got ONE email from them saying welcome, one that said they were having problems and nuttin else. Promises of a 'free' demo or online CD (Maybe like you-tube?) or whatever, never came thru, as they had 'more problems' with their site...and that was that.

Anyone get any further with her site than I? Butterfly

Butterfly, if you search youtube for 'quilting' you'll get all kinds of informational films- including some of Sharon's plus many others. Some are very good, some mediocre and some are rather sad and silly. But you can pick and choose and you'll know within seconds if it's going to be worth watching or not. Sharon's site went to a paid membership about a year ago but I think there's still a few freebies on there- kinda teasers??? If you search around there's a LOT of free info out there! Good luck with finding The Good Stuff.

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Butterfly,

Below is the link I used. She does have videos on YouTube as well. The video "Binding the Angel" is the one on attaching binding. As a bonus (in addtion to no pins/nopain and a perfectly flat binding) I also have nicely metered corners using this method - the first ones ever :)

-Irene

Thanks : ) No wonder it got 'quiet'. I knew they planned on 'selling' but I was under the impression that those of us that signed up to "test' for her would have that ONE trial freebie.

Butterfly (Thanks for the further info...I'll look while I'm waiting for the CCCookies to come outta the oven. here. I'll send the first one off to you: Can't remember the last time I made or even wanted to make them))

Thanks. It's marked.and now I will enjoy a bit later Butterfly

You'll have better luck here:

Just put your cursor over the screen and click on the 'forward' button to start the video.

-Irene

And this is the perfect time of year to stock up on all those "sewing" supplies like school glue, binder clips, etc....the "back to school" sales have started! Ran into some half-full bins of cheap back to school stuff at WalMart the other day.

"Back to school" is the *only* time to buy quilting and office supplies for the home! ;-)

Dragonfly

That's when I buy mine! Debra in VA See my quilts at:

Our shops are full of such stuff too - but my two don't even finish school until Friday 18th July, and I know of others whose term runs until 25th July. It seems so unfair to be buying next year's uniforms etc. before they have even broken up for their holidays.

Lizzy

The "Back to School" clothing sale signs have been up before school lets out for the summer here for the last several years. It is much like Christmas goods in early October or swimwear in stores by March. It is all accelerated in hopes we will buy more than needed before the proper day rolls around. School supplies are a staple that can sit on a shelf for months, but buying a child's clothing at the beginning of summer break means your child stands a good chance of outgrowing the garments before they are needed thus you will be forced to buy again. That is what the stores hope will happen, and what most parents can't afford. We never bought school clothing more than a few weeks before the new school term when I was a child. Debra in VA See my quilts at:

This is great stuff! Thank you for pointing me to Sharon's videos and equipment. I have ordered the bottle tips for Elmer's glue (which I already use for many things) and the hoop, which I think will make a good deal of difference for me.

Sunny

Debra: I'm going to hold off awhile to see if there will be another back to school tax holiday this year. PAT in Virginia

I fully agree, but some of our stores (i.e. the cheaper ones, and when you have boys and long trousers which = ripped out knees..... ) sell out quite quickly. If I buy in the next couple of weeks I can do so at a store in my town within walking distance of home, if I buy later I'll have to drive to the next town, which isn't far, but fuel here is *so* expensive I try to shop as locally as possible.

Shoes, though, will be bought the week before school starts to give them as much growth life as possible.

Lizzy

Howdy!

Does buying school supplies give y'all shaky hands?

Coming across wonderful fabric in the quilt shops gives me shaky arms, as I try to hold it all at once. But school supplies? Nah, I'm just glad those days are past, no need to search for the rather elusive items some teachers demand (art pencils, Denelian handwriting tablet). Clearing out cabinets last week I found an armload of school supplies, to be donated to our local school collection box. This find did not make my hands shake, tho'.

Cheers! R/Sandy- ironing new black & blue fabrics for LogCabin strips

Ooops - should have changed the subject line. But yes, spending all that money on clothing of specific styles and colours can give me shaky hands when I see just how much it has coast me all at once. I'd rather buy quilting fabric ;-)

Lizzy

Considering how much fabric one could buy with the money that goes to such supplies, especially knowing that at least one teacher is going to tell us that the mailed out list was wrong and so we have to go back for more? I'm lucky I don't faint as well!

NightMist