My New Favorite Notion

While at Empty Spools I was introduced to a new WONDERFUL tool!

The Seam Fix!

It looks like a seam ripper with a funny end you say?  Yes it is, but it's so much better!  Here's how it works.

You use the conventional working end like you do any other seam ripper-cutting through every 4 to 5 stitches and

 pull the bobbin thread from the back.

But then you're left with all the little thread pieces to pick out!

You flip the seam ripper to the other side and "erase" the threads with the funny silicone end!

It really works!  It has 2 different silicone tips, one is on the top cover and the other is on the opposite end of the ripper.  I personally like the larger one on the cover but have used both and different times.

The only problem I've found with it is that the top does not fit on the end of the handle when it's removed.

It comes in 3 colors, Hot Pink, Teal (it looked more like blue to me) and Grey (which looked like black to me).  I got the Pink so I could find it easily when I'm in the throes of quilt making!  I got it at the store they set up during seminar but I found it on Amazon.  Maybe you can find it at your local quilt store.

Pictures from Ursula's Class

Okay. I'm going to try to join the 21st century and post pictures from my iPhone. Please bear with me while I try this. It could be ugly!

The first is a picture of my maquette (or model) of my dancing lady. (If I'm lucky, I'll try to figure out how to post the original inspiration).

The second one is of me showing last year's quilt at Show and Share in front of the entire session.

The third picture is of my friend, Ricki, and Ursula.

The next one is of some of the blocks I completed in their approximate position.

And finally, a picture of Ricki, Ursula and I.

I learned so much that week and I wish I lived closer to her to learn as much as I could from her. The commute to Switzerland is a bit daunting!

I'll post pictures as I work on my "Dancing Ladies" quilt.

Now, let's hope this posts with the pictures!

Happy Stitching!

I'm Baaaaack!

I just returned from 2 sessions at Empty Spools-one session with Ursula Kern (2nd year) and one with RaNae Merrill.  Let's just say, Ursula didn't disappoint and RaNae did.  I took most of my pictures on my iPhone and I need to figure out how to post them here but quite honestly, I'd rather be quilting!

Ursula

I went to Ursula's class thinking my project would be of an image in my mind of a woman at the Pushkar Camel Fair in India.  I was looking through my friend's, Ricki, pictures and came across a picture of 2 women dancing around the fire in the camp where we stayed while in Pushkar.  It was night, so it was very dark. The women were dressed in black, full skirts decorated in fushia, turquoise, white and lots of shesha mirrors.  The image of them swirling with the mirrors flashing, the colors swirling and the fire roaring behind them was magical.  So I completely changed my project and had to buy more fabric (Don't cry too hard but I did have to pack it up to bring home)!

My maquette for my Dancing Lady

The second session with RaNae was on Spiral Quilts.  From the description, I thought we would be studying what makes the spiral spin and how to draft them.  She touched on the drafting but I think she really just wanted us to make our "wedges" from her kit.  That's fine for a one or two day class but we are at Empty Spools for 5 days.  There were more than a few engineers in the class that was hoping for more.  I went ahead and drafted my own wedge for paper piecing.  RaNae had said we had to follow her rules-one of them is doing things her way.  Fine.  I'll try it but if I'm more comfortable with another way I'd like to be able to switch to my way.  She did have some good tips but I did not like not pressing with an iron but she insisted we use-basically a wallpaper seam roller- to press our pieces down.  I think she knew the people on our side of the room were not happy so she stayed mostly on the other side.  She commented on the last day how my pieces had little pleats in it.  I was rather snarky and said that I preferred to use and iron and considered this wedge just a practice!

Now that I'm home and the dust is settling, I'm starting a t-shirt quilt for myself as a sample.

 I'm finding that now that Lady Chamberlain is in the basement I don't have a large floor space without an oriental carpet on it!  Maybe I should get a cheap white sheet to lay over the oriental rug to play with the layout.  Tomorrow I'll get some interfacing and start stabilizing the shirts.  I also have not worked on the Lady since I left and should at least throw something small on to play.

I did quilt and edge to edge quilt for a friend of mine with the Pantovision and she was really pleased!  She has another one for me to do in a couple of weeks.  Got to keep my skills sharp!

Time to put my feet up!
Happy Stitching!