Lutradur

I can’t believe the week is over and it’s Sunday again. I really don’t know where the week went.
In fact I didn’t spend any time on the Holiday Lights Christmas quilt project this week. John calls it my reforestation project. I must admit, I’d be a lousy sample maker. I can never just make a pattern according to the instructions. Already I’ve bucked the instructions and use the Tri Recs ruler. The next step will be 1/2 square triangles for the inner border. I’ll be using Thangles. Those Christmas lights around the outside….. I’ll be using Misty Fuse. This will be a twin bed comforter. The Misty Fuse will be perfect. It’s so fine you won’t even know the lights are fused on.

I’ve been watching some of the Quilting Arts Workshop DVD’s this week. I don’t offer them. You need to order them directly. I was really interested in the Lutradur which I do sell. Any how this has sparked a need to re deigns my work area again.
So that accounts for part of the week. Maybe I’ll get Photoshop Elements loaded onto the power book this week and play with printing on the Lutradur. If you’d like to look at some of the items I’ve mentioned they are available on our web site.
www.joannescreativenotions.com

Enjoy and Be Careful! (Should I say be mindful)
Joanne

Cool Tools

Here it is Sunday night.  I’ve spent most of the weekend sewing.  I finished the Tree Tops Bundle of 12 yesterday ready for quilting.  The pattern uses 12 Fat Quarters, which is why the Northcott Earth collection was just perfect.  It reminds me of autumn is southern Ontario.

Then I thought I’d better get started on the Holiday Lights pattern (#AAO402 on our web site) if I want it for the Fall Show.  I’ve been auditioning different rulers lately to see if I could cut the pattern using a ruler instead of a template.  I’ve ended up using the Tri Recs set from EZ.  The block ends up 1/2” shorter in the length so I will probably sew an extra row of trees.  Here is the forest I stitched today.  It’s really fast when you cut it with the rulers.  All the seams are pressed open.  The tips match pretty good.  The ruler set has some tipping off the corners so you can line the pieces up.  I stitched a scant 1/4” with the ultra fine 60/2 Mettler cotton thread.

O.K. so who doesn’t have a T.V. in their sewing area?  I must admit I haven’t turned it on lately.  I wanted to show you the tools I’ve used the most this weekend.  The Tri Recs set with Sandpaper dots and the Mini Gripper Ruler handle. The clover magnetic pin cushion.  I get a charge out of this.  The pins jump up to the top and align themselves properly.  It’s true ask John.  I use the lid by the sewing machine.  The magnetic part usually ends up at the ironing board where I pin.  I catch the pins in the lid as I pull them out before I sew.

This is a new flavour of spray starch. Tea Rose Garden.  I’ve been using it on the fat quarters even though they don’t need it.  The smell comes back every time I press them.  How civilized!

The other item I used when rotary cutting was a smaller, 12 x 18 mat so that I could sub cut and flip the mat with the strips on it instead of flipping the fabric strip.  Much more accurate and a lot less cleaning up of the cut as you progress.  Most of these items are on the web site.

http://www.joannescreativenotions.com/  If I’ve forgotten to add them Just email me a reminder. info@joannescreativenotions.com

I’m off to watch Masterpiece theater.  Finally a new British series.
Enjoy your evening,

J

Water Soluble Chacopen by Clover

Have I ever told you how much I LOVE this pen.  I know You’ve heard about this if you’ve ever attended one of my notion demos, but I’ll tell you again.

Firstly, the last two times I’ve used this, I’ve been trying to do something while waiting for someone.  Once they were ready I’d leave.  Both times I’ve left the cap off.  The next time I went to the pen, at  least 24 hours later  it still worked.

A few years ago when our one eyed cat 3B was still with us She would always jump up at sit with me as soon as I went to sew.  She had that type of radar.  One of her favourite games was to play foot ball with the Grabbits and pen caps.   One time she lost the cap to my pink  pen.  I assumed I was toast, but I left the pen in the drawer with the pink tip up, so the ink would run away from the opening.  I found the cap about a week later, put it on the pen and turned it over.  The pen wrote again!

The other reason I love this pen is because of the extra protection inside the cap.  It’s like a cap within a cap.   Any how that is what I origionally intended to write this morning.

Have a good weekend.

J

Kaleido Rulers and T.V.

Well, here it is Friday again.  Wednesday afternoon I stole a half hour to watch the Fons & Porter  (1400 series) that  is currently airing here in Southern Ontario.
They presented a great demonstration of Marti Michell’s Kaleido Rulers and her book Kaleidoscope ABC’s.   I have the kit here for the cover Quilt Ramblin’ Rose with Guacamole and Extra Salsa on the Side.  I’m thinking of going to a friends Sit and Sew days to get it done.

I digress again….. I’ve moved these Rulers and the book into the feature section of our site if you are interested in starting one of these projects.  I can tell you that it’s far easier than you’d expect especially if you follow Marti’s directions and use the ruler. http://www.joannescreativenotions.com

My intention is to finish the Tree Tops for quilting this weekend as well as load Photoshop Elements on to my Power Book.
I’ve been anxious to get going with this program and designing my own fabrics ever since I read the book Piecing with Pixels.  We were messed around a bit by the publisher.  They had promised an Oct 08 delivery and then the book didn’t arrive until Spring 09.    It’s nice when this type of book addresses a Mac.
Around here we don’t actually know how to turn on a P.C.  and what’s this Windows thing?
Have a safe weekend.

J

New product and Tree Tops

The Roxanne’s has just flown out of here,  I will have more next week and I’m getting their pencils this time.  Yeah! I love them.  Today I added the extra fine fusing tape to the web site.  This is another one of those products that disappeared for a while.  If you like to sew clothing this is the ultimate tape for those knit hem techniques that the professional instructors teach.   It’s very tacky and a super fine weight so it isn’t obvious when you’ve used it the way some of the crafting fusible tapes are.  The Extra Fine Fusing Tape is well worth keeping in your stash.

I’m ready to do the borders of the Tree Tops Quilt.  At this moment I’ve decided to just add a border.  This is where I believe the instructions fell apart in the cutting.  I just love the Earth Colourway.  The quilt went together really quickly up to now.

There is no diagonal piecing.  There are very few seams that have to match.  I’m already thinking about how I want it quilted.

Tomorrow I’ve some double sided fine tracing paper and Japanese tracing papers to add to the site.

Be Careful

Joanne

Simplicity Bias Tape Maker Revisited

I can’t believe how popular The Simplicity  Bias Tape Maker is.  It’s by far the most popular entry on the blog.
I’ve been able to secure some sooner than the September date posted on our web site.  I will accept preorders now to be shipped to you  August 12th.

If you’ve been thinking about it…. now is the time.  We’ve removed the shipping surcharge.

Email me info@joannescreativenotions.com

or post a comment about your fascination with this tool.  I’m interested to hear your view point of the SideWinder, the rotary cutting machine, or any other notion/tool you find impossible to locate in Canada.

http://www.joannescreativenotions.com

The next post will be the Bundle of 12 Tree Tops.  You know, the pattern that needs metric fat quarters.  I’ve had another brain wave.  I really shouldn’t work so late. My brain goes into over time.

Take Care,
Joanne

Musing & Observations

It’s funny how things work out.  You can plan and be organized to your hearts content but life will always kick in.  You just have to go with it.  I had tonnes of plans for my ”Leisure time” last week.  Every day something came up that was more important. But then again,  if I’d rushed ahead with the borders for Yellow Brick Road, I wouldn’t have come up with a better idea until it was too late.  Was that meant to be?

Late, well late for me, last night I was cutting out the Tree Tops.  I’d intended to do it during the day, but a shopping trip to one store turned into a shopping mission.  Well, 3 things off the list instead of just 1.

Back to the cutting.  Guess What?  you need metric fat quarters to make the pattern work.  There is no  allowance at all for goofs. The pattern assumes you have the full 18” of length to play with. What if you are like me and square up your pieces?   Can you imagine if I hadn’t tried this out?

I’ll still keep the pattern.  I’m going to make it out of the Earth tone Fat Quarters.  It will be beautiful. But I will fudge the borders .  Make them only 2” instead of  3”.

The observation is Haste makes waste. I used to feel silly when I couldn’t make a snap decision.  I’ve decided not to worry about that any more.  There is obviously a reason the answer doesn’t come to me instantly.

No more work today.  We are off to visit with family.  The youngest members are here from Ottawa.  Their parents are here too.  So it’s off to listening to babbles and colouring outside the lines.  That’s well worth throwing the plans out the window for.

Have a safe Day,
J

Candy Flavoured Yellow Brick Road

It’s done!  I’ve finally  finished  our Yellow Brick Road Sample.

This picture does not do the colours justice.  It’s much more vibrant.  Yummy as I said in an earlier post.  I got hung up trying to use exactly the amount of fabric the pattern calls for to make the kitting easier.  I decided I needed to add another 10 cm of  the border fabric so that there would be enough to piece the east west borders the same way as the north south.  Now there are more options for colour placement with the variegated fabric.  There is even enough to miter the border corners which will look better.  I’m adding a note to this effect to the kit.

The quilt is actually square.  I didn’t spend a lot of time on the picture.

I’m going to have it quilted in a bright fuchsia.

That done I’ll be starting on the Bundle of 12 Tree Tops tomorrow.

It’s the perfect pattern for the Earth colour way of the Northcott natures Palette grouping.

It’s all available on our site http://www.joannescreativenotions.com.

It’s a long holiday weekend here so orders placed over the weekend will be shipped Tuesday.

Take Care,

J

When you know better but don’t do it

I just did this and  I thought would blog about it while I’m fixing what I did.

You know when you are in a hurry, or inspired and you just want to do the idea or finish the piece and you don’t always think the process through….

Just now I did that and I know the right way to do this.  I’m making the borders for the Yellow Brick Road ( I will write about my delayed week later today or tomorrow).  Any how I’m joining the pieces on the bias.  Well in order for them not to stretch and match when you finish, you really should sew  that diagonal seam from the centre out.  It takes an extra 60 seconds.  The result is a border that matches start and finish that you don’t trim away later to cover your goof.  I really should have done that.  I would have been happier with myself.

Now lets talk about marking that diagonal stitching line.  I grabbed the closest available marking tool.  An water/air soluble pen.   Now in the catalogue, when I’m teaching or giving notion presentations, I always tell you to remove the markings with water before you press the seam.  I didn’t do this on the North South bindings of the quilt.  I know the purple line will reappear.  So as I sew the east west bindings, I’ve soaked the seams with water . They will have to dry before I can press them. This is what I’m waiting to fix while I write this.

There are 2 lessons here.

1.  Slow down and think about what you are doing.  The extra 2 minutes (1 to think, 1 to execute the task properly)is well worth the investment.
2. Walk over to the drawer and get the appropriate marking tool for the task.

The next time I write here I WILL have that darned Quilt top ready to go to Lynne for Quilting. You’d better get their quick, she’s getting very busy.

Have a great day.

J

Roxanne’s Glue Baste It & More!

I’m thrilled!  After a couple of years of not being able to get this amazing glue, Roxanne’s Glue Baste it is finally available again.  Every retailer is as anxious as I was to have some.  I’ve only got a limited quantity.

I love this glue because it’s
1. Water Soluble
2. Very fine,  there is no consistency to make it round  and inaccurate when sewing.
3.  It’s Perfect for basting appliques in place.

4. I use it to baste collars, cuffs and other fashion sewing detail/elements in place before top stitching.  Then I’m not dealing with pins in the work which push the detail around making my stitching look bad.
5. I also use it to hold the corners of binding in place when I’m finishing the quilt.  Once again pins tend to invade the accuracy.

I’ll be posting it to the site this afternoon.

#GBI $9.95 for the 2 oz bottle.

http://www.joannescreativenotions.com

Lot’s of other product arrived this week. ArtBin storage cases and thread boxes, Super Fine Japanese fusing tape and tracing paper, Bonash Ironing sheets, and more.   I’ll be adding these to the site over the next day or so.
We are anticipating the arrival of Klasse machine needles and some beautiful designer scissors in the next few weeks.
Yellow Brick Road progress continues.  I need to add the borders and then it’s ready to quilt.  That will also happen in the next day or so when I get tired of sitting behind the computer.   Our daughter is already trying to bribe me into letting her take it to Uni.  She forgets we will want it for the Fall CreativFestival display.
I may just watch The Order of the Phoenix and refresh my memory.
Bet you never figured we were Harry Potter Fans. More tomorrow.
Take care and stay dry.  It’s very rainy here in Southern Ontario.
J