Quilters... this is neat

kaneohegirl · 03-19-2010, 12:58 PM

so I have been facinated by quilting but cutting all thoses shape and cutting them straight baffles me ... I dont know how ya'll do it... fabric always moves on me...

I thing if I really want to do this I would need to cheat with one of these

a accuquilter

very pricy LOL nothin I could afford but they are NEAT LOL

rb. · 03-19-2010, 03:48 PM

Yeah, I checked those out online last year, kg. Cool, eh? The price blew me away, though. Just couldn't justify it. Especially after having recently bought a new machine. And you're restricted to the dies you buy/they have available, as to what shapes and sizes you get. I do an awful lot of paper piecing, so it wouldn't help me anyway. At least the mats and rotary cutters are relatively cheap.

booger · 03-24-2010, 12:15 AM

I saw one of those in recent months and it tempted me for about two seconds. Then I owned up to the fact that it's exactly all of the precision and challenges of doing it myself that I love. So a gadget like that would just ruin it for me. Sick, isn't it?

Mama Alanna · 03-24-2010, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaneohegirl

so I have been facinated by quilting but cutting all thoses shape and cutting them straight baffles me ... I dont know how ya'll do it... fabric always moves on me...

That's what the rotary cutter and rulers are for. You put weight on that ruler as you cut, so it can't move. Of course, that means if you really goof and the cutter wobbles enough to jump up on top of the ruler, you can't get your fingers out of the way fast enough...

I'm going to a big quilt show in Lancaster tomorrow. Should I report back on all the new goodies?

spinnerholic · 03-25-2010, 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mama Alanna

That's what the rotary cutter and rulers are for. You put weight on that ruler as you cut, so it can't move. Of course, that means if you really goof and the cutter wobbles enough to jump up on top of the ruler, you can't get your fingers out of the way fast enough...
I'm going to a big quilt show in Lancaster tomorrow. Should I report back on all the new goodies?

And that's why they have the suction cup holder thingies to use on the rulers - use them to hold the rulers with and no fingers get in the way! I bought two of them, because I love my fingers and hate bleeding...

YES!! Tell all about the show, please.

rootdiggr · 03-25-2010, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spinnerholic

And that's why they have the suction cup holder thingies to use on the rulers - use them to hold the rulers with and no fingers get in the way! I bought two of them, because I love my fingers and hate bleeding...

YES!! Tell all about the show, please.

I did not know about the grippers for the rulers. I so want one. My arthritis makes it difficult to hold the ruler firmly, and I get a lot of slippage. Thanks for updating me!

I will second the request for the show report. I love to drool over the latest goodies.

Zazzu · 03-25-2010, 08:11 AM

I do a lot of paper cutting almost every day and wouldn't be without this.

http://www.cutting-mats.net/safety-r...edge-2716.html

Has a rubber type backing on it to prevent slipping and its a bit weighty.

I don't work for them or own stock in the company. Just an FYI.

rb. · 03-25-2010, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mama Alanna

I'm going to a big quilt show in Lancaster tomorrow. Should I report back on all the new goodies?

Yes, please!

spinnerholic · 03-25-2010, 12:58 PM

I've been trying to remember where I got the suction cup thingies that I use to hold the rulers steady while rotary cutting. Took a while, but here is the site:

http://www.clotilde.com/list.html?cat_id=150

There are 3 of them on this page and I have the Gypsy Gripper and the Incredible In-Between Gripper. They both have saved my fingers more than once and I'm tickled to have them. The Gypsy is great on rulers and large templates but too big by far to use on the small shapes. The little one is perfect for those.

rootdiggr · 03-25-2010, 01:26 PM

I found them at another website that I believe you recommended - Nancy's Notions. Until I am working again, I can only want. But the grippers are going to be high on my aquire list when I have disposable income again.

Mama Alanna · 03-25-2010, 09:35 PM

Well, I came home when the tote bag got too heavy to carry.

I'm not going to post the pictures, since I'm not sure of the copyright status. If *I* were a quilt designer, I'd be happy to have my stuff out as far as possible, but others may think differently. Most of the links are directly to the designer's website, with the exception of the Ricky Tims pattern.

Patterns:
Goofy chicken pattern "All Cooped Up" (about halfway down the page)

Hawaiian quilt pattern "Woodland Lei", again about halfway down.

A Little Bits foundation pattern "Double Feathered Star".

Books:
Ricky Tims' "Desert Vision", part of the Rhapsody Quilt line, near the bottom of the page.

Darcy Ashton's "Horsing Around"

Quilting patterns:
"Quilting with Flair" by an Australian designer, Diane Adams. Continuous-line quilting designs.

"Lynn's Fern" This was intended for longarm quilters, but I can adapt it to my domestic machine use. The site owners, Golden Threads, also sells a tissue paper on a roll to use for tracing this kind of design. You then quilt over it and tear it off when you're done. $8 a roll

; I use a very similar paper that I bought at Office Depot for fifty cents a roll (on sale! I bought all that they had.

)

Gadgetry:
A pressure foot designed for sewing curves, something that I've resisted for years at various quilt shows. This time it tried to jump into my tote bag and insisted that it wanted to go home with me.

And to go with it, a set of curved templates.

Damned if I can describe the next thing -- it's a block of foam, like a chunky stamp. You heat it with an iron or a blowdryer, press it down on a texture, and it takes on that imprint. Then you use it as a stamp with fabric paints. When you're done, wash off the paint, reheat it, and use it again.

And some dyes, a kit that makes a gradation of colors from one tint to another. The one I bought is "Sea and Sky", shading from blues to purples.

rb. · 03-25-2010, 10:31 PM

I'm so jealous!!

Nice score!

Mama Alanna · 03-25-2010, 11:37 PM

There were a few bits of fabric, too...

Those are going to become a French Braid quilt.

Feather · 03-25-2010, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mama Alanna

Those are going to become a French Braid quilt.

That looks complicated.

spinnerholic · 03-27-2010, 01:44 AM

What a haul you made! I'm jealous, too.

I'm really curious about the dye using cups. Can you give us more detail about how it's used, exactly? I'm interested in dyeing cotton of course, but also very interested in dyeing the wool I spin into yarn. The wool could be dyed either before or after spinning and of course I know the same dye types can't be used for both cotton and wool.

I've got the curved presser foot but haven't used it yet. But I'm sure looking forward to it. Glad I read the instructions for it before I took off with it - I'd have done it wrong for sure.

And I'm drooling over all the books!!! Just love books, especially ones about new things to do and try.

Mama Alanna · 03-27-2010, 11:24 AM

I haven't tried the dye baths yet. Reading the instructions, you make up a quart of 3 different dye solutions, label 31 different plastic cups, then put a total of 4 Tablespoons of dye in each one. (Or maybe it's 3 T. I'm in Frederick with DH for a Knights of Columbus whoop-ti-do, and the dyes are at home!

) The first cup gets 4 T of green dye. The second one gets 3 1/2 T of green and 1/2 T of blue. The third gets 3 T green and 1 T blue, and so on, changing the proportions with every cup. This is apparently just enough dye for 1/8 yard of cotton fabric.

As soon as we get a good enough spell of warm weather, I'll haul everything outside and start experimenting!

rb. · 03-27-2010, 12:10 PM

MA, that sounds like a LOT of dye powder...or is it powder?

To make the concentrates I've been using, I've been between about 1 and 4 tsp of powder, and 4-6 TBSP of water. Then from the concentrate, I've been between 1-4 tsp per fat quarter. But then again, you're not home, and I know how that works.

Using the above quantites usually gets me at least 36 fat quarters in very intense, vibrant colours. If I want anything besides deep dark, I really have to cut back the dye concentrate per cup.

rb. · 03-27-2010, 12:14 PM

spinner, go to this site and peek around...this is where I learned to dye...in plastic beer cups. Her site has soooo much info, it rocks.

http://fabricdyeing101.blogspot.com/...an-dye_06.html

Go to her site map, cause this is somewhere into the site. There's so much info that I tend to forget where the beginning is. She has free recipes for different rainbows and stuff, too.

Mama Alanna · 03-28-2010, 09:06 AM

No, not 4 T powder in each cup. Sorry, guess I wasn't clear. The kit has 3 packets of powder, maybe 1-2 T each. Each packet makes 1 quart of dye. Then you put 4 T of that prepared dye into each cup, in various proportions.

Thanks for the link -- I'm off to go read!