Glitz. Glamour. Fat Quarters.

Show set up is tomorrow.  Already.  Remember that?  Weeks back I wrote about doing a booth at the Willamette Valley Quilt Festival.  Whelp, it's this weekend and due to the hospital trips, I found myself a full week behind.

If anyone tells you that the quilt shop and quilt show life is glitzy and glamorous, they are lying.  It is is a lot of work.  Very little comes packaged like that on it's own.  Someone's gotta do it.  That someone is me.  I have spent the last several days piecing, quilting, binding, folding and packaging like a madwoman. Madder woman. 

Don't believe me?  This was my desk today.  Not shop, office.  Lunch break.

I should have grabbed a banana for scale.  That is 148 fat quarters.  148.  I am insane. 

But the fun part about folding and folding and folding and folding is that you get to look at fabrics you haven't really paid close attention to before, or that you really love.

Like, I LOVE this.  Obviously. And this picture super sucks because that light peachy color is actually a really bright orangey melon that looks amazing.  Also, I love gorillas. 

And this one?

WHY DO THESE SHEEP HAVE PEOPLE FACES?!  Creepy, and not in a fun way.  I tell you what, I'm not sleeping a wink with sheep with people faces.  

I ended up folding all 148 fat quarters in haf an hour flat.  Yes, I counted, yes I kept time.  Maybe not like, the most scientific way, but you know.  I was curious.  I also chugged a fruit cup ("lunch"), so I mean, #unstoppablesexappeal #blisteringlycool #cleaneating

Nevermind that fruit cup was followed later in the day by allllllllllll the quesadillas.  But hey.    I may be running on caffeine and a dream, but I got there.  The fat quarters are done and I am officially show ready.  See you at the show!

Product Review: Colonial Thimblepad Leather Adhesive Thimble

I whine a lot about hand work.  It's gorgeous to be sure but it is slow and damn it IT HURTS MY FINGERS.  Sure, I could wear a thimble.  Where's the fun in that?  Well...none either way.  I hate wearing thimbles.  For one, I have little sausage fingers that are often between sizes, so finding a fit is annoyingly difficult.  Also, the ones that encompass the fingertip makes my finger sweaty and yes, I will bitch about that too.  No one likes sweaty fingers.  Not to mention when I wear a thimble I lose the tactile ability to tell how my stitches are going when I sacrifice touch for protecting my sensitive sausage fingers.

Did I mention I am allergic to nickel too?  Like to a point where I break out in minutes?  No?  Well I am, and well, a lot of metal thimbles have NICKEL IN THEM.  Delicate flower indeed.  But then...then there were these sticky little leather thimble pads.  Now.  I HATE STICKY.  Sticky just about makes me hurl.  But I can cope with that neurosis if it means there is a thimble out there in the wide world that will work for me.

Behold:

Specs

• Adhesive dots about 1/4" diameter
• 12 per pack
• $5.99

Pros

• One thimble lasts for multiple uses
• Unobtrusive 
• Works for any finger size, on any finger
• You can still feel the pressure of the needle, which is helpful since so much of hand quilting/stitching is done by touch and knowing the feeling of a correct stitch
• Nothing pokes through that baby.  Nothing.  Not even those huge tufting needles.  Quick, ask me how I know.  (No, it didn't happen on purpose)

Cons

• The adhesive, especially after the first couple uses, leaves a sticky residue on your finger (which if you know me, you know stickiness makes me practically and sometimes literally dry heave)
• If it gets unstuck from the little wax paper thing it comes on after you use it a couple times, the thing is a loss because I AM NOT USING A STICKY THIMBLE THAT HAS BEEN NOW STUCK TO SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE WAX PAPER AND MY OWN CLEAN FINGERS.  Right in the garbage.  Wasteful?  Yes.
• Being disposable by nature, you have to replenish them...unlike a "regular" thimble which is a one-time purchase unless you lose it or it is damaged beyond usability

Conclusion

★★★★★

Yes, no need to blink and rub your eyes.  Those are FIVE stars right there.  Five.  Even with the cons. I used to hate hand work, and whine about it extra loudly in case outer Mongolia didn't hear me the first time.  But these little sticky thimbles are a complete game changer.  I slam through bindings without my finger getting raw and sore.  I EVEN DID AN EMBROIDERY QUILT AND STARTED A SECOND BECAUSE OF THESE.  You're not gonna get a 5/5 out of me that often.  These deserve it. 

Weekends like this are why embroidery is still a thing.

What. A. Weekend.  

I wish that statement was resultant of a tiring and fun/happy weekend, but lort, it is not.  

We made it a record four months without an ER visit.  That is a record, at least for the past 2-3 years.  It concerns me just a bit that one of the ER nurses I made eye contact with had that look on her face for just a moment like she knew us, but couldn't place us.  Shit like that really shows A.) that the nurses are ON POINT with the people that come through there, and B.) we have clearly been there too often.  

So, to make a longish story shortish, Mom broke her hip.  We made it from the shop to their house in record time, even before the ambulance, and ran to the ER.  X-Ray and CT scan revealed a clean break in the joint area.  

Go Big or Go Home: The Femur Edition

It was a six-ish hour stay in the ER before the moved her up to a room.  Pain management was a critical thing.  I think this has replaced childbirth and pancreatitis both as most painful experiences.  Apparently this one has taken the cake there...that's a cake no one wants.  

But if I learned anything from my time in the Girl Scouts (hey, I was solely in it for access to those cookies.  Not kidding) it is to always be prepared.  Yes, I always have something to stitch on with m, either on my person or in may car for these WHAT IF I GET STUCK SOMEWHERE AND NEED SOMETHING TO DO?!?!? situations.  I am a master of coming up with What If scenarios, so yeah...I always have something. 

This time, it is Hocuspocusville, from Crabapple Hill.  I am relatively new to embroidery, but despite hating handwork in general, I enjoy embroidery.  I guess I can't say I hate it anymore, huh.  Willingly tolerate and occasionally seek out?  Sure.  

Here's a pro-tip: If you ever find yourself in the ER, not as a patient hopefully but as someone accompanying the patient, this light is amazing.  I have no idea what it's for, and I am quite sure we were supposed to not touch it, but it is amazing at giving you light while not impacting the brightness of the room while your patient has the lights out because of having a banging migraine on top of a broken bone (Mom seriously had the SHITTIEST weekend).  It didn't illuminate the room AT. ALL.  Only where it was pointed, and that was it.  I suppose it would violate my lease if I installed one of these over my side of the sofa in the living room.  I also suppose Ikea doesn't have a reasonable imitation, either.  

But for several hours of the stay last night and the stay today, this is all the nursing staff saw from my corner of the room.  That is, except when they came in to do bloodwork or whatever.  I watch them like a hawk.  John got sneaky and snapped a pic.  Note the light output on my fabric.  Hella. Light.  

So the most important thing here?  Mom is fine, and will be fine.  She went into surgery today, had a few screws put in, was out in an an hour, and is on the way to recovery.  She still has some pretty high levels of pain - I mean, she just had SCREWS put int her BROKEN BONE.  Like I said, she had the shittiest weekend.  But she is already slinging a little sass this evening when her pain isn't too bad (yay for pain management), so that's always a good sign.  

I want to publicly thank all of our friends and shop customers who have been sending us kind words and thoughts.  The last year has been overly rife with hospital visits for my (and my family's) taste, so having such a wonderful network of people who understand and care is awesome.  Thank you. 

Product Review: Sullivan's The Cutting Edge Frosted Ruler

Every now and then a product comes along that makes you think, "Shit!  That's a great idea!  Why didn't I think of that?!"  Sullivan's The Cutting Edge Frosted Ruler was one of those products.  This ruler promises to sharpen your rotary cutter blade while you do your normal cutting.

So, I gave it a whack, so to speak, back in 2011 and reviewed it in my old blog pretty quickly after starting to use it.  Mistakes.  Were.  Made.  I got sucked up into the gimmick!  Here is a more realistic review after more use for your reading pleasure.

Specs

• Frosted acrylic
• 6.5" x 24.5" but comes in other sizes too
• $34.49

Pros

• The measurements and angles are well marked
• The frosted texture prevents slippage while cutting
• The half inch marks are a different color than the whole inch marks, so it's good for a quick reference

Cons

• The promise to sharpen your blade while cutting falls very, very short.  I actually nicked more blades with this thing than anything!  The metal piece on the side is EXTREMELY easy to catch at the beginning of a cut, unless you're cutting in the middle of the ruler at all times.  
• THE NOISE MAKES ME WANT TO JUMP OFF A BRIDGE.
• The metal piece actually came off entirely after nicking it one too many times
• The sharpening action actually created a very fine, dark "dust" that was rather annoying
• The frosting is so thick it is very difficult to see your fabric underneath if it isn't a dark fabric....makes lining up cuts a real bitch especially if lighting isn't jusssssst right. 
• The half inch marks and whole inch marks are difficult to distinguish from the sides of the ruler (there isn't a clear half inch side and whole inch side like other rulers)

Conclusion

★☆☆☆☆

If this isn't a case of "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," then I don't know what is.  The premise is great, but there is a LOT of room for improvement.  If they could fix the frosting so it is easier to see fabric and improve the metal piece so it didn't nick and catch on blades, then I might give it another try.  But for the cost, it's not worth it.  I can get the same size ruler from Creative Grids (which I LOVE by the way) for nearly $10 less ad it doesn't f@ck up my blades.  Sullivan's had a great idea here, but I think they need to go back to the ol' drawing board. 

Sewing Room Ambiance

I got into a conversation a little while back about the things people watch while in their sewing rooms. My friend Deanne talked abut watching kids movies (Toy Story?  Did I remember correctly?).  I my usual charming way, I was like, "Well...I watch documentaries on the bubonic plague."

And I wonder to myself sometimes why people think I'm weird.  Actually most recently the word used was "interesting" but not in that complimentary way. 

Don't hate, cuz' I'm great. 

But seriously I do.  I am a woman of many odd interests.  Aside from quilting and dinosaurs and Halloween...I am a big ol' Dark Ages and Medieval History buff (nerd).  So tbh, the bubonic plague documentary was only one in a long line of medieval themed documentaries I had going.  So ya know...context is everything.  

In a heartbreaking turn of events, my trusty little Roku died suddenly a couple weeks ago.  No more Netflix.  No more Hulu.  No more Youtube.  NO MORE DOCUMENTARIES. And I don't know about any of y'all but I am NOT about to sew in silence.  Not happening.  So what do I do in a absence of TV?

Sick metal licks, obviously.  Yes, your girl here is a very serious and enthusiastic metal head.  I have been for many, many years.  When I first heard Stone Temple Pilots in third grade, it was so much harder than anything else I had heard, I thought it was heavy metal.  And when people at school asked what I listened to, I said heavy metal.  Naturally I got looked at like I had three heads, or got pat on the head and told "Oh sure you do."  Little did I know that when I heard Marilyn Manson for the first time in fifth grade at a sleepover that my statement about liking metal would be not only true in an distance but unilaterally and in the long term. 

To answer the general questions which are often asked when I say I am am metal head: no I am not a Satanist, no that hasn't stopped anyone from accusing me of it or assuming it, yes I listen to several different subgenres and some are NSFW, no I am not a violent or angry person, yes I can generally understand the lyrics after a few listens, no I don't generally care about the lyrics in general because I enjoy the music itself and for all I care they could be singing about gummy bears AND I don't blame music for personal choices, yes I am the only metal head in the family, and after 20 years no it isn't a phase.  '

It makes me feel very chill.  Seriously.  Check out this study about it. #facts.  I mean, as I type I am listening to Gojira as John listens to Tyler the Creator.  

Everyone has a different thing going on. What is your sewing room ambiance? 

Stash Sunday: Botanica by Makower UK

According to Facebook memories, Snowmaggedon was a year ago last week.  This year?  It is January 14th, and 57 degrees.  I am mean, we'll probably get hammered by actual winter weather here in the next few weeks, but for today my chilly ass is ready for Spring.  Good thing the Sprig fabrics are rolling in before nasty weather can harsh my mellow.

I'm still in the thick of show prep.  Finished quilting one quilt, got two bindings done, and further screwed up a sample that has been giving me pains.  Whatever.  So I am taking a little break to drool over my stash. 

Botanica by Makower UK is currently dancing through my head.  I am NOT a florals girl.  I generally dislike them.  But this? 

Nice. 

Pardon the crappy picture quality.  I am a quilter, not a photographer.  But the colors are pretty true here.  There are few other pieces in the line but these are the ones I am beyond psyched to use them for something great. 

What cool new pieces have you gotten lately?

Product Review, Web Bond TA 101 Spray Adhesive

Just about everyone knows Mettler for their thread, which is wonderful, but they do some other notions too...like spray adhesive.  So I am a spray adhesive girl.  I like the convenience of a spray adhesive versus pin basting whenever possible.  What can I say, I am all about that instant gratification. And with the amount of samples I crank out, the less time I have to spend pinning, the happier I am. 

This stuff has been out awhile, but I did a review on it back in 2014 on my old blog which seemed to be helpful, so here it is again with a little more input after a few more years of use.  

Specs

• Aerosol
• 9.6oz
• $12.99 USD

Pros

• Even spray distrbution
• Spray is thick and webby, so it is visible on the fabric 
• No absorption into the fabric (no weird wet patches or discoloration on the "right" side of the fabric
• Strong adhesion - a little goes a long way and it stays stuck better than other sprays
• I found it to be low odor as compared to other aerosol spray adhesives.  

 Cons

• Strong adhesion.  Not every machine "likes" this stuff for free motion. My Bernina HATED it, and it would skip stitches.  I thought it was maybe a bad needle or bobbin.  After changing needles and rethreading, it still skipped.  But, when I pin basted or used a different spray...no issues.  After a little more troubleshooting and process of elimination, I found that the adhesive was catching the thread, and my Bernina (an old 150) didn't quite have the oomph to combat it.  Now, my Janome (Memorycraft 6500)?  No issues.  But then again, that machine is a beast. 

Conclusion
★★★★☆
So now that I have a beefier machine, this is my preferred spray adhesive now.  The pros outweigh the cons to me now, where a couple years ago the issue with skipped stitches was enough to turn me away.  Now not so much!

Willamette Valley Quilt Festival Sneak Peek

So the Willamette Valley Quilt Festival is quickly approaching (February 2-3, 2018 at the Linn County Fair and Expo) and we have a booth. Haven't heard of it?  Well, that's because this is it's very first year!  As usual, I am looking forward to it.  I really enjoy doing shows, despite the late nights, hair-pulling, and zero free time in the weeks before the show.  Wow, that sounds convincing, doesn't it?  lol.  Well, it's true.  Shows are a blast and a very welcome change to the regular grind.  

But I am late this time.  Usually I start a couple MONTHS before a show, but with the holidays, yeah friggin' right.  I am only one person and my sanity is only so strong.  So I started on January 1...which means only a month of prep.  Luckily most stuff is taken care of.  But samples?  Not so much.

So I started a few using things that weren't selling in the shop, or that I think would be neat to debut...like this lovely equine:

 And not to toot my own horn, but CHECK OUT THIS SICK MITERS. I decided to do something with a panel that wasn't selling, and hated the idea of wasting the stripe.  I haven't mitered in easily 10 years.  Because I hate it.  Not because I can't do it (clearly), but because it is a pain in my ass.  

Angles so sharp they make my rotary cutter look dull.  (Nevermind that it totally is, shh)

 I didn't mean to make the zebra look like it had a bird dick, but hey, weird stuff happens.  It was funny so I kept it. Did I mention the panel is Noah's Ark? No? Whelp, I'm almost certainly going to hell...maybe not for this specifically, but I'm sure it isn't earning me any points.  *shruuuuug*  

More to come I'm sure.  I'm also binding quilts during my lunch breaks at the office.  No rest for the wicked!

Come at Me, Quilt Police

How annoying.  I had a post all written up on Blogger on my tablet, but couldn't add pictures.  I assumed it would just be in draft form in Blogger, but color me wrong because here I am re-writing it.  Splendid. 

So I am doing the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt, On Ringo Lake (get it HERE on her blog, Quiltville) and until very recently we were under strict guidelines to not say anything about measurements, quantities, nada.  Trust me...the Facebook page (not Bonnie!  She was perfectly pleasant) got caaaaaatty any time some well-intentioned quilter posted any of the aforementioned.  Quilt police be damned! 

But I am about 3,400 pieces in with a clue and a half to go.  Yes.  3,400.  And no, I am not on meth.

So what's the point here?  The point's the point.  I got cocky.  I was sewing along, feelin' fine and everything was looking good.  Good enough.  You know.  So I didn't trim.  Got. Cocky. Started sewing my triangles on.  And there it is.  Floating point.

Good thing I only work in batches of 10.  They all came out screwy.  So I went and trimmed all blahblahhundred of them. 

Moral of this story?  Trim yo' shit.  It makes a difference.  Because of course it does, because we all damn know it.