Friday 14 March 2008

Song of Love and Hate

Well not a song but I couldn't resist the Leonard Cohen theme (grin)
My fault entirely we didn't get the bags from Ikea until Tuesday so all these quilts didn't get moved out of their bags they were in for my talk. Worse than that (and this is my fault entirely) they were folded right down the middle and into quarters. The last place you want a strong crease is right down the middle. Even worse they were folded with the right sides inward (this makes the creases on the front even deeper). I should have pulled them straight out of these bags that night and left them flat on the bed until I got the new bags. A lesson learned.

This cherry tree outside our bedroom very cleverly has opened it's blossom after all the high winds.
Another disappointment, this is the first time I've used Hobbs Poly-down. If I'm using polyester bats, I use Quilter's Dream which is a joy to use. This black batting was so tightly rolled one end is unusable it has been stretched so much. I carefully used a hair dryer on it to sort it out but it still isn't good. Not only was it tightly rolled but it was so tightly in it's plastic bag it took 5 minutes to get it out. A six inch bigger bag would mean it didn't have to be so tightly rolled and it would relax a little in the bag when it's not compressed in storage. A case of sinking a ship for a ha'peth of tar. Not only that, it isn't even. The lighter areas are the cream carpet showing through.

What I used and loved was this Quilter's Choice pencil. It wrote smoothly on the fabric and where I made mistakes, all that was needed was a quick touch up with a wet/damp cotton bud. And of course it shows up immediately unlike the white Clover pen.


With great difficulty and a kneeling pad and lots of breaks and one period of lying on my stomach I managed to get this quilt pinned. It's only 40" square but it felt like a marathon. The fabric is darker than it looks in the photo, more a dark royal blue and dark navy.
And yes my knee has swollen up again..... Duh!

3 comments:

  1. I've had the same problem with Hobbs Poly and vowed never to touch the stuff again. The piece I got was almost off grain and it was a pig to use. Quilter's Dream have always made a quality product and I'd buy them anytime...I'm also a fan of the Quilter's Choice pencils...looks like you've got good taste :o)

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  2. I love Quilter's Choice pencils. Hope your knee is better.

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  3. I've just remembered another trick I use for fixing packaged waddings. I hover teh steam iron above them and shoot them with steam. It does tke care to do on poly but it can be done.

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