Gettin’ Jiggy Wid It!!

OOKAAAAY… not sure why that title just popped in my head for this post…  but I like it!

I am torn!!  I had this Amy Butler “Soul Blossom” jelly roll sitting on my sewing table calling my name BIG TIME since I got back from the quilt show, so I ruminated a few days, designing a quilt to make with it and came up with one that I think will be a good one.

I sorted the strips into sets of four

I sewed them together into strip sets and then sub-cut them into 2 1/2” strips which will be sewn together to create 16 patch blocks.  I got this far then remembered that this Saturday is our March bee day and I need a quilt to bind there!!  ACK!

So, I am torn between dying to get on with my new quilt design and getting a top quilted to take to bee… which goes along with my goal to quilt at least one top a week until my pile is gone…

So, the top won, sigh, and I have quilted about 75% of it so far.  Will finish it tomorrow after work and get the binding prepared and sewn on ready to do the hand work on Saturday at bee.

Then I can get back to my new quilt!!  YUMMM!

Oh, and one more thing!  I had a little “light bulb over my head” moment the other day chatting with my bee friend Lorraine in the car going to the show.  So, I tried out the new idea today while quilting.  I took one pair of my favorite Atlas quilting gloves and cut the fingertips off the thumbs, and first two fingers on each glove.

I HATE having to take my gloves off each time I need to snag a stray thread or rethread the needle or pull up the bottom thread. 

And with just those three fingers out on both hands, I can leave the gloves on do anything I need while quilting!  YAY!  Why the heck did I never think of this before???  Well, DUH!!

So, what are you working on these days??  Has spring arrived in your area yet?? 

Yogi and I are dreaming of spring!!

Do You Use Tweeners?

You probably do use them, but just don't know my pet name for them! When I have leftover little pieces of binding from projects, I cut them into small pieces... about 1 1/2" or so long and keep a pile of them next to my machine.

Have you ever started sewing a seam and the thread tangles at the beginning and you end up with an ugly bird's nest of tangled thread on the bottom? I HATE that, don't you? So, I use these little pieces of folded binding to start the seams and between seams when needed and at the end of seams and leaving the needle down in it, ready for the next seam to sew.

I call them "tweeners" and not only do they stop the bird's nest at the beginning of seams, it saves you all the thread tails you have at the beginning and end of every seam... over time, that is actually allot of thread!

I always like to tell the gals in my classes at the quilt shop about using tweeners and they seem to love using them as much as I do. So, what's your favorite quilting tip? Leave me a comment and share your clever ideas to save time , money and aggravation while quilting! We can all use good tips! God Bless! Polly