Find a thread your machine likes...

My machines like the European brands of threads, Aurifil, Metrosene, Mettler seem to work best in my Pfaffs.  Coats and Clark only works for a short time, before my tension becomes messed up.  It has something to do with the way the thread is made.  If you are having  problems try one of these brands.  Cheap and on sale is not always the best option for quilting/sewing.

 Do your self a favor and wind 5 to 10 bobbins at a time.   I like to have gray colored thread in my bobbin.  It is a good blender and goes with about everything.  Unless you are doing an embroidery project, then I recommend using matching threads, as sometimes the bobbin pulls to the top.  Then you have a tension issue, which is a whole other discussion.  I like this variegated gray from Aurifil.  The spools of this thread brand seem to cost more, but, in fact there is around 1500 yards on one spool, which really makes it more economical than your average thread spool. 

I recommend getting a thread box of some sort to avoid the madness that is a drawer of bobbins.

Succombing to Facebook?

Is that the way the world is, 2 seconds to read a sound bite on someone's "status"?  Like? Hate?  One word synopsizes of the way we feel. 


I guess in a nut shell you can sum up the difference of the blog and Facebook.  The blog is more of an investment in time to read and also the writing.  Facebook is a quick update, a status update.   I think they are both worthy on their own merits.  I like being able to stand on my soap box in a blog, or be able to teach a quilting tip or technique.  There have been other personal things I've gone through that I've been able to share on my blog, and hopefully help some people along the way.  But, maybe the blog value is more for an opportunity to purge our thoughts and feelings, way more than a thumbs up or down. 


Ah well, it's nice to have this opportunity to write out our thoughts.  I see it as some day, when I'm in the nursing home, I can look back and see how I had lived my life at this time over these years.  Maybe my grand kids will get a kick out of it.  At least they will be able to see my quilts, I hope.  The value of the "cloud" may be too much to pay for some day.  Maybe then I'll print out some of my better blog pictures or waxing poetic tirades. 

Like making a quilt, the writing of a blog is all about the process.  Facebook is running out to buy a quilt on sale at a retail shop.  You miss out on the pleasure of creating and making things with your hands.  

I Want To Always Be this ENTHUSIASTIC!!

New extension for my Hinterburg quilting frame

My Horizon sewing machine gave me an extra 3 inches to quilt on my frame.  But, my frame was not as wide as my machine.  while I could make it work, I decided to take the plunge and get the extension for my frame.  This gives me my extra length.  But, you it makes me wonder about getting a longer arm.  Ah well, I'll live with this one.  It works fine for me.  I'm not in the machine quilting business so I'm not in a big hurry.  But, my quilts are like my children and I've yet to hire them out for the final process, the machine quilting.  

What else do we do on Memorial Day?

Eat Black Diamond Watermelon!

 It has seeds but, in my opinion those seem to taste better than the seedless watermelons.

So What do you do on a hot Memorial Day Weekend?

You paint and clean out closets of course.

Here is my DH hard at work.  We had to remove and rebuild broken shelves and then paint the walls.  Next is the sorting of Jeni's stuff.  The Horror the Horror!!  That will ensue once we begin to cull through the "collections" of lifetime stuff that we/she doesn't need anymore.  Can you hear the shrieks? 

Lights Out! and Finding Our Rhythm for the French Braid Quilt

Retreat time has become one of the favorite outings our group likes to do.  The idea of an extended "play time" with friends and fabric is just too good to be missed out on.  Well, at least that was to be the idea, except for the fact that the storms that are passing around our area hit our favorite place to retreat, Pieceful Haven, in La Grange, KY.  There was only a 2 day power outage, but for quilters that's pure disaster.  No electric, no irons, no sewing machines and only the light of day to work with for a few hours, until there was no joy on Tuesday.  I was packing up my car and walking out, when there was a huge hoop and holler from inside the house and yes, you guessed the lights were on.


Well, most everyone had gone for the day.  Our generous host, Cheryl Kuprion, offered us another 2 days in June, but, we could stay and sew on Wednesday, as long as we wanted.  


So here are some pictures of our abbreviated retreat, soon to be attended again in June.