Favorite Notion

Since I am busy doing some domestic machine quilting, I have a favorite notion to share that I don't think many people use.  However, if you pin baste your sandwich, you might want to give it a try.  From an earlier post, my WIP Wednesday post, I showed my pin basted quilt ready for the sewing machine:

All my pins have a "cover" on them.  I can't tell you how much easier a pin is to grab and work with when you have the cover on the top.  Here is the product:

It is the Kwik Klip and pin covers.  The Kwik Klip is a tool that helps you pull up the pin from the back so you don't kill your fingers as you try to get the pin closed.  You could use it with or without the pin covers and I personally think it is great.  I don't use it on every pin, but sometimes the pin can be stubborn as you are trying to close it and this product really helps.

The pin covers are another story.  Here is a picture of the pins and pin covers:

I use a #2 pin, any larger and it makes a big hole in the fabric.  I also always use the bent pins as you can see.  They are so very much easier to get up from the back without any strain on my part.  But there is one problem with the pin covers.  They don't stay on well.  If you have tried them and you are frustrated, this is probably why.  So, I put the cover on the pin and a drop of crazy glue on the top and bottom where the cover meets the pin.  It is kind of a pain, but once you have them on, you will be so glad you took the time to put them together.  They are easy to see, easy to grab ahold of, and when you are bringing the pin up from the back, you are not straining your fingers to pull it up because you have a fairly large surface to work with and combined with the Kwik Klip, you can easily pin a quilt sandwich in no time.

I have used other methods to get my sandwich prepared, but frankly this is my favorite.  Here is the set of tools I use:

Dritz Curved safety pins size #2, crazy glue, and Kwik Klip and the pin covers, both made by Paula Deen.

Let me know if you have any questions...  love always, k

I like hand quilting

I have to tell you, I am really enjoying a hand quilting project I am doing.  It actually was a Block of the Month for Aurifil last year.  I decided to make a big quilt instead of a wall hanging, but since the blocks were hand embroidered, I thought it would look cool to hand quilt them.  I am on my fourth month block of quilting but I also have to do the squares in between.  Anyway, here is a sample:

This is January and on it, although it is hard to see white on white, I have quilted snowflakes in several spots.

This is Roseann's at Rosebud's Cottage.  She was the first designer.

Isn't it pretty?  I am really having a lot of fun with this...

This is obviously May and I have just started.  I plan to quilt all around every object and then do some clouds and flowers...

Anyway, this is my handwork for now.  love always, k

Stash Share for week 9

Alyssa at Pileofabric challenged us to go back and do some of her earlier stash shares because she said they were kind of "quiet".  So, since I am a great fan of Alyssa, I decided to try to do that.  Well, I only got to one because, well, I have a bunch of stuff to do.  So, to Alyssa, tada, Week 9 Stash Share!

#pileofabricstashshare

I promise to keep up better in the future (I hope!).  Love always, k

WIP, Work in Progress Wednesday!

Lee at Freshly Pieced has a Linky for WIP Wednesday and since I have one sitting on my machine at this very moment, I thought I should share...
Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday

Here I am using my favorite spray on the back, beautiful ginko leaves.  I find that using starch really helps to keep the quilt firm and makes it much easier to quilt on my domestic machine.

Here is the top before I made the sandwich.  It is a really fun and colorful paper pieced quilt.

Here it is pin basted into the sandwich.  I am ready to quilt!

Hopefully I get done by next week so I can show something else!  I also have my Molli Sparkles Broken Herringbone QAL to get done so gotta run!  Love always, k

Sunday Stash Share with Pile O Fabric

Well, I had fun going through my stash and finding out that I really could match Alyssa's stash share.  I wasn't sure because I know she must have a much larger stash than I do, but...  I did it!  Now I feel like I want to go back and do the other nine weeks (Alyssa - here I come!).  Try it, it is fun and you will be surprised, I guarantee it.

Here is my stash for this week:

#pileofabricstashshare

How did I do?  Check out Alyssa's page at www.pileofabric.com.  She is challenging us to get it done!


Love Always, k

msbhqal or mollisparkles broken herringbone quilt a long

I made my first broken herringbone block for the qal I am doing. I fell in love with this block following Molli Sparkles showing off all the blocks he has made and have been collecting fabrics.

 This first one I did was out of a bundle of greens I had to get from Fresh Squeezed Fabrics on Etsy. I have to admit that I am so in love with the vibrant colors of the new lines and I have been adding yellows and reds and oranges to my stash, and so I saw the greens and just had to get it.

 I really love it when the sellers put together fq bundles of the new colors so we can do our rainbow things or just plain have great colors to work with. So different from the older muted colors, which I still like, but need the happier vibrant colors right now.

 And for the unveiling, tada, my first broken herringbone block:

And kind of a cool picture of me with "angelic" lighting. More later. love you always...k

Two blocks done!

I made it all the way to March 1 in my Amy Gibson BOM.  I know, not highly impressive since today is September 1, but I had made myself a promise not to start anything new until I had certain projects done, so I am just working on it starting this weekend.  But...  I have to get another project quilted for a wedding the end of this month And, I haven't even shown you pictures of my quilt top and back I just got done...  So much to do, but now that school is starting the day after tomorrow, I will be able to devote more time to my quilting.

I know you are waiting impatiently to see my Jan and Feb blocks so here they are (tada):

January BOM

February BOM

Tomorrow I will get a picture of the quilt I am quilting.

love always, k