2019 Archives ⋆ Page 7 of 9 ⋆

MIA – Quiltcon, Quilters Day Out and Family

Posted on February 28, 2019February 28, 2019 by ihaveanotion — 2 Comments

Yes I have been Missing in Action… seems to be all or nothing. Since the last post it has been Go Go Go!

Quiltcon

With it being just a couple of hours away, I had to fit it in. Filled up the car, both the gas tank and the seats with some quilty friends and left at 8:30 am… stopped for breakfast on the way and arrived just as it opened on Thursday morning. Since we change from EST to CST we gain an hour going down and lose an hour coming home.

This was our parking space at Quiltcon. So we didn’t have to remember I always take a picture… We saw some awe-inspiring quilts and some ‘huh’ quilts, but I think you see some of that at every show. Visited with some new vendors, very refreshing! Photos of some favorite quilts next post.

Parking space nunber at Quiltcon — Parking Space number

Closer to Home

Friday was setting up a booth at the Louisville, KY Gathering of the Guilds and Quilters Day Out. Louisville has lots of quilt guilds. I think more than any metro area I have ever lived in. Saturday was the DAY and from 9 am until 3 pm, it was fun! And then take it all down and home again.

Quilters Day Out booth space — The booth!

So Sunday was get it all back in place. Nuff said!

Monday on the road again

Monday was off to Indianapolis for a little family. This little one turned 1. Just abot a year ago, found me baby sitting her in a hospital room while mom recovered.

1 Year Old with a Smash Cake — Smash Cake!

At Home Again

And then the rest of the week was picking up all the things let go for the going and going and going! Guild meetings, vet visits, groceries, you know regular mundane things that go with living. I did manage to play with some threads, but can’t show much of that as it is still in the planning stages… but soon I hope.

What has kept you busy?

Beth

A New Favorite Ruler

Posted on February 14, 2019February 14, 2019 by ihaveanotion — 4 Comments

Rulers are a particular thing!

We all have a favorite ruler for each type of cut. Long and thin, small and square, colored lines, solid lines, dotted or dashed. Some for long cuts, the width of fabric or strips and some for cutting squares and/or triangles or for squaring up a block.

The Long Cut rulers in my collection

I havea favorite ruler for long straigh cuts and most of them are 6″ wide, by either 12″ or 24″. My favorite has been from Olfa. Best features, frosted with thin lines, (solid, dashed and hashed) and angles (15°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90°) for measuring and cutting. Worst it slips when using across the width of fabric if you are not careful. The others are still around, because I have found non-cutting jobs for them.

Square rulers in my collection

Like most quilters, I have a favorite ruler in my collection of square rulers too. The collection of square rulers is considerably larger than the long ruler collection. I have sizes from 12 1/2″ down to 3 1/2″ and one of them I have 3 of the exact same ruler! I use most of them for cutting squares or squaring up. None of them give an angle other than a diagonal line from one corner to the opposite corner (45°) and all of them have a tendency to slip, again if not careful. If I had 3 in the same size, would that be the favorite? Nope, the favorite is the 8 1/2″ square. A good size for most smaller sizes and great for squaring up 4″-8″ blocks.

The NEW Favorite Ruler is

from Quilters Select. I borrowed a friends to try out and couldn’t wait to have my own. Why why why?

Quilters Select Long Cut Rulers — Quilters Select Long Cut Ruler

they don’t slip or move when cutting
frosted so the fabric print doesn’t get in the way of finding a line or a fabric edge
have very thin incremental lines (1/8, 1/4, 1/2 & 3/4), for more precision in sub cuts
can use any side for measuring or cutting, incremental inch lines have stacked numbers, can be read from right to left or left to right
the Long Cut rulers have 3 different angle degrees, 30°, 45° and 60° on the ruler and in 2 places on the Square rulers

Of course the non-slip is the best feature and almost makes the rotating cutting mat obsolete! See how in this ‘the trick” video, at about the 50-second mark. Although all the information leading up to “the trick” is pretty good too and you don’t just have to take my word for it.

Interested? You can find a selection of the Long rulers in sizes 6×24 inch, 6×12 inch, 3×12inch, and 3x18 inch. The Square rulers in sizes 18×18 inch, 12.5×12.5 inch, 8.5×8.5 inch, and the 5×5 inch.

Do you have a favorite go-to ruler for cutting? Which one and why?

More later!!! Beth

Finally!

Posted on February 2, 2019February 2, 2019 by ihaveanotion — 4 Comments

Finally, this little flower is done. Completed in mid-January. Although I have made 2 others, this is the first one made from quilting cotton fabrics. The other two were made with batiks. It is not very big, only 22.5 inches square. Commercial cotton fabrics, fused, raw edge applique, free-motion thread play with cotton, rayon and polyester threads. I call it…. The Purple Flower. Catchy, No?

A Detail of the flower

The beading is complete.

The binding is done and a lable attached.

I have another finish too… but I’ll share that … a little later. Still busy with the camera and edits… and rewrites. I see that taking months!

What keeps you busy every day?

More Later… Beth