Thursday, June 13, 2013

Make Do!

I am working on this month’s Schnibble pattern, Dulcinea.  I don’t have all my rulers here in the apartment, so I had to run over to Joann’s, darn it, to get the one I needed to trim the blocks.

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I trimmed one block and the size and slipperiness of the little 3 1/2” square ruler, made it hard to hold the ruler still while trimming the block.

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So, I looked around here for something I could use to make the back of it less slippery.

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I found this package of seam guide strips my dear friend Linda just gave us at bee last weekend!

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So, I placed one strip on each edge of the ruler…trimming them to fit exactly.

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And it really worked perfectly- kept the ruler in place and prevented it from slipping at all!!

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Need truly is the Mother of invention!!

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So, Yogi is dying to know what you are up to this week??

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16 comments:

  1. I love those sewing edge vinyl strips and use them on all my machines!!! It's definitely a nuisance when things slip and slide unstraight, I guess any port in a storm!!! At least now your blocks come out the way you want them to!!! Good luck with your project!!!!

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  2. Yogi looks like he's more interested in napping than in knowing what I'm up to...but okay. Right now I'm working on finishing a cathedral window table runner and working on a demo for doing faux cathedral windows for a guild meeting next week.

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  3. I was reading about those Bloc Loc rulers earlier tonight, they seem pricey, and you have done the same thing with your tape..That Yogi is adorable, I know she has a hard life at your house. lol

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  4. Glad Press and Seal plastic wrap also works great on the bottoms of rulers. Another hint...
    use 2 narrow layers of painters tape atop each other, factory edge carefully placed to the diagonal line of a square ruler and voila! and you have the poor man's version of one of those pricey rulers that lock into the seam line. HOWEVER ... unless your ruler has the measurements going in both directions, you can only use this for the first cuts but I found that to be a great enough of a help and time saver that it didn't matter. More money to spend on fabric!!! LOL

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    1. Holy Cow....is this a great tip! Thanks a bunch....and have a great summer. From Lazy Lauren in her oversized lawn chair.

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  5. Great idea, have some of that plastic somewhere. Thought of Yogi the other day when I pinned a Westie puppy on Pinterest. Working on a king-sized Single Girl for my bed.

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  6. I secretly love it when I "have" to make a run to JoAnn's :0)! Such pretty blocks, Polly. Necessity is the mother of invention - good thinking!!

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  7. Well, I see that comment did not post so ill try another. I'm working on my Schnibbles as well. I LOVE this pattern. However my head keeps jumping to different ideas on how to put the pinwheels together. That darned head of mine, I wish it'd just settle down..LOL.
    I see Yogi looks comply ....dreaming of a new sleeping space in HIS new sewing room. LOL

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  8. Dear Yogi, Since you asked about what I was up to this week......it is nice and sunny here, not too hot, not too cold, so I am puttering around in the yard and having naps on my big oversized lawn chair with an awning. Sewing you ask......collecting dust in the studio. Have a great week all.

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  9. I love your idea & I love those strips but I have to tell you, Bloc Loc Rulers are worth every penny. I love them. I have the complete set and they're the absolute best for trimming blocks. This weekend I've got a heart quilt class and then I need to work on the last border of my Lone Star Quilt. Have a great weekend everyone!!

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  10. I love your idea & I love those strips but I have to tell you, Bloc Loc Rulers are worth every penny. I love them. I have the complete set and they're the absolute best for trimming blocks. This weekend I've got a heart quilt class and then I need to work on the last border of my Lone Star Quilt. Have a great weekend everyone!!

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    1. I'm sure they are otherwise no one would be spending the money. I'm just thrify (cheap) and would rather buy fabric. Sometimes I also get annoyed that specialty items at specialty stores cost way too much. About 20 yrs ago I guess, there was a contraption that raised your sewing machine on a tilt so that you could see your work better. The MSRP on the thing was something like $50. 2 rubber doorstops from the hardware store did the same job for about a dollar each. A tiny bag of crushed walnuts (enough for 1 pincushion) at the LQS was $5. Buy a 7 lb bag at PetSmart for not much more and you can stuff pincushions til the cows come home. I just hate being ripped off. (I was raised by a mother who lived through the Depression as an adult.)

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  11. Yogi sure looks like he's having a great nap! Sure wish I could sleep that well, lol. Love your solution with the ruler.

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  12. I am trying to get some work done on my Schnibbles also, if I don't get it done this weekend the arrival of my kids and grandkids next week will bring my sewing to a halt. I have not done much but sort out my charm squares. Yogi looks so cozy, I could use a nap right now.

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  13. This was really brilliant. I wish I knew more about quilting and sewing so that I could keep up with you better. I do like the patterns that you chose and think that what you did was awesome.


    from Betty at Split-Site PhD

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Thank you sooooooo very much for taking the time to leave a comment! I am always happy to know that someone is reading my ramblings!! Polly :-)