Question of the Day

We also have a Facebook Page...We Quilt...more than anything it is a Page we use to 'like' quilt related avenues...McCalls, OLFA, Fons & Porters, other quilters and quilt bloggers with Facebook Pages, well it's a long list. Almost daily one or more of our 'likes' post a 'Question of the Day' Today was no exception...McCall's ask "What was the first quilt you ever fell in love with?" Well I couldn't help myself...in essence...
My wife's first quilt. We had finally got serious about getting in better health and physical shape and combined lost 140 pounds. Let's just say I went from my cute roley-poley self (I was fat, with a capital F) to almost lean and mean. I now weigh less than when we got married. I had a closet full of 2X Hawaiian Camp Shirts that had to be replaced with Mediums...the old shirts became squares, a quilt, a wall hanging (pictured) and a very constant reminder hanging in the family room, on the way to the fridge, that moderation is a key. I have been told this does not apply to accumulation of fabrics, sewing machines, threads or sewing supplies in general. I'm thinking that would help explain the now two sewing rooms and the Longarm Room (pictured). The second sewing room, formally the Sewing Room, then the Sewing Supply Room and now with the addition of several of the dozen machines, The Second Sewing Room with Supplies. I have set up security devices and 'elements of surprise' in and around the Man Cave...I'm considering adding a locking device on the door...okay...maybe more than one!!! (pictured)

Quilt till you wilt.

Quilts...Just Hanging Out!!!

If I could remember, and I don't I would identify who, whom and whoever ask..."What do you do with all of those quilts?" It has been ask more than once. The stock answer is that until they are presented, given as a gift or handed over to their rightful owner after being completed, well they are just Hanging Out.

Naturally there is a good chance you'll find one on the longarm.

You are going to see them Hanging Out all over Studio 708

You just might find one as a wall hanging...but with batting pinned

to the back and turned around as a 'design wall' it's hard to see the

quilt. Currently this is our Granddaughter's second quilt in process.

She is making it to donate to Samaritan House.  

And who knows where a boat ladder might turn up...Here in the Family Room wouldn't necessarily be my first guess.












They can be found on shelves waiting 
for backs, binding or to be presented to a Veteran.

No say it isn't so...on a quilt rack in the master bedroom...NO WAY!!! There's a Queen Size on the bed...but with no company coming who makes the bed...Elaine said absolutely no photo. 

In this house there is a good chance you will find some very old hand made quilts Hanging Out...or laying around , like on the hearth...thank goodness for longarms...I would have never finished a quilt.

Of course there is one on the chair in the Man Cave and another, not pictured, on the couch in the Family Cave, oops Room. Heck there's one on the foot stool...nothing fancy, not worth a photo, just two pieces of like material sandwiching some stuffing and quilted in in 4X4 squares.

Then of course there is this spot...We always like this spot, always nice to have something Hanging Out on this spot. This is where, when they are all done, they lay in wait for their owner's to come by and pick them up. I will show this one later...but for now it stays folded up...the Springsteen Fan that commissioned this one hasn't seen it yet...and has been known to drop by the blog.

I guess you could say we like them just Hanging Out...for us...when they are just around we feel a little warmer on the inside, a little more full of life and pretty close to what really is important...and in the winter...well ya don't have to leave the room to find some extra warmth...not sure if it is the quilt or the love that went into making it...maybe a little of both. Quilt till you wilt... 

On the Longarm...

Yes, we are alive and well...busy. In the middle of numerous projects that are taking us from the garage to the backyard to the longarm to the sewing room to Guild and to be honest...the golf course, motor rides and beyond. Not as dramatic as "A long time ago in a Galaxy far far away..."
I got a text the other day "What's on the machine?"
Well how about our Grandson's 3rd Birthday present...Elaine made a 'peek-a-boo' with the main theme being "Cars." Which turned out to be kind of funny. The main theme material Elaine picked out...just went up on his bedroom windows as curtains...apparently Grammy and Mom were on the same wave length... happened without any coordinating between them. She does that with her son also...drives me nuts..."Les get the phone it's Trent." Okay, got to go...Quilt till you wilt...

Honest...Still Here

We are still around...honest...currently busy as could be...I (Les) have probably 10 quilts hanging for longarming, Elaine is smack dab in the middle of a 'peek a boo' for the Grandson, third birthday just around the corner...not to mention her Quilts of Valor duties...I have a trip to New York coming up, one to New Jersey as well and to be honest...the weather has finally started to improve...which means more golf, less indoor stuff, more motor rides, less indoor stuff, more travelling, less indoor stuff...well what can we say...less indoor stuff...not to mention that green stuff around the house is growing again. We are working on our next blog spot.."Quilts...Just Hanging Out"  Once we get the photos taken we should be posting. Anyway we are here, we appreciate those that take the time to stop by and if you make a comment or two that too is appreciated. We hope you enjoy your visits and we put a smile on your face now and then if nothing else. Quilt till you wilt...

Just Kidding...

I Call it Jack...The Seam Ripper

I, contrary to Elaine, what's new...don't normally name inanimate objects...like cars, sewing machines, longarms or whatever...Like Carmen the Dogwood in the front yard, or Kermie the 54 Elna Supermatic...her 45 Featherweight Sheba, like the Queen...but the seam ripper...well it got a name...I would have hated Jack the Ripper had I lived in that era...and so therefore the seam ripper, not being one of my favorite devices, got a name. Say hello to Jack...the Seam Ripper:

But like a lot of my work longarming I have brought tools in from the garage and given them a new home. Good for all involved...they are more comfy inside, protected from the extreme cold of winter and heat of summer in the garage...they stay a lot cleaner and for the most part have their own little space and not jammed with a bunch of other tools in some drawer. I'm sorry, you don't have a Longarm Pouch...

 For me...they make the job at hand much simpler, more efficient and involves less time to complete the task. If you know anything about me you know I subscribe to Keep It Simple Stupid. Enter the Pick & Hook set.

This is my set...purchased at Home Depot...They can be found at Harbor Freight for like a $1.50 for a set. They won't say Husky...so...that's a good deal!!!

 

But when it comes to removing the stitching from those infrequent Oops I've found nothing easier or more seamlessly...so to speak. The points are not so sharp as to fear cutting or puncturing the fabric, the points slip under the seam smoothly and with very little effort it is pulled out quickly from one loop to the next...and almost as quickly as they went in...they come out.

 

Depending on the lay of the thread pattern determines which tool I use...most of the time the 45 degree hook is used and on occasion just the straight pick. Your choice. Give them a try...you won't be disappointed. And Jack...well he stays in the pouch most of the time unless there is need to make the first cut to get the removal going. They also are used to pull up the bobbin thread when needed. They slide right under the foot and hook the bobbin loop to pull it through. Works for me hope they work for you.

Quilt till you wilt.



 

 



What's in a name???

Here it is Saturday again already, I honestly want to make more than one entry a week...if you have to work...well I haven't forgotten, so I can sympathize... at the same time...so sad, too bad...suck it up. Okay; as many of you know, and many don't...but soon will...I have a 'nickname' more on that later. But it all started in the late 60's when Elaine left a note attached to the seat of my bike, at work, in plain view, saying that she had stopped by to see me...I was not there...more on that later...So I am in the process of joining a Veteran's Motorcycle Association which came to being having made Quilts of Valor presentations to several of its members. On the application form is this box marked "Road Name" or more commonly referred to as 'nickname.' Here is the dilemma...I have never had any other nickname, never, ever and since that fateful day that I walked into the shop of the construction company I worked for, saw almost every other worker standing around my bike, all of them for the most part resembling shaved gorillas, reading the in plain view note left by my lovely wife that began with..."Lessie Poo, I stopped by to see...." Well I have been Lessie Poo. We all had at this company a radio call sign... Units 1 through Unit 30...Unit 1 being the owner and the junior guy holding down the last spot. Well at the time I was like Unit 17 having worked my way up the ladder...I would never be referred to by either Unit or a number and for the remainder of my days my call sign was "Lessie Poo." Here's the problem...This particular group requires your 'Road Name' to be sewn on your motorcycle vest. To make matters worse most of the good nicknames are taken, Killer, Woodchucker, Tiger, Fifty Cal, Die Hard, Frag, Dead Eye, Racer, Stud, Cowboy...well you get the picture. Not to mention their logo includes a 'skull.' Please how tough am I going to appear wearing a black leather vest with this huge blood soaked skull covering the back, with Marine Corp patches and other manly logos and pin accoutrements with a name patch bearing "Lessie Poo" I mean really. At first I was thinking like "Cujo." But then that really didn't turn out too well for the dog. And the odds of me answering to Cujo are pretty slim.

But...well...really, Lessie Poo I'm kind of used to and considering the source from whence it came... it's not all really that bad. But back to that dilemma thing...what to do, oh what to do. I'm going to have to think about this...oh wait "Trigger" no that's a stuffed horse, Bullet, another dog just like the horse...I'd even thought about "Quilter" but might as well stick with Lessie Poo...What do you think?

Lighting & It's Been a Week...Already!

I just looked at the last entries date...how time flies when you're having fun. It has been a busy week. Weather was so-so, not Spring like yet but tolerable and I was able to get in two rounds of golf. They were also so-so. Must be a trend. Quilts of Valor took precedence this week we have like over 40 presentations on the books here locally so a lot going on. I will be posting about our concept as to why we keep our work with Quilts of Valor on the local level instead of sending to locations overseas. Anyway, busy week.

Lighting:

I have been asked what we have done to light our work space...14' X 16', in the case of the Longarm Room. Because we set a budget when we made the cash purchase of our longarm, and knowing we could go hog wild with accessories, worse than golf equipment, we kept the accessories to a minimum. So we didn't purchase the light bar

nor did we get the upgraded stitch regulator for our longarm, dubbed Lightning Stitch. Not to mention no need to raise and lower it (electric lift), move it around (caster set) or need something to advance the quilt (power feed) besides 'arm/hand power.' So we left a lot of money on the table so to speak. We were aware of having to light up the work (quilt) as well as the work space of course. But at $875 the light bar was a bit extravagant and limiting; having seen it in application we knew it was well designed and manufactured but just too prohibitive in cost. As with many other DIY Treks...hello Lowe's and Home Depot. 

We purchased two 'clamp type' lights, two pieces of galvanized angle iron:

two 3 light bar assemblies with cord and plug in adapters:

so that no new hard wiring had to be done and we weren't paying an electrician to put in new receptacles at who knows how much an hour. And me and electricity...well...

We are, let's say lucky, both in the size of the space we have for the power tool (longarm) and the actual room arrangement. It made it simple as to where to mount the lighting so as not to cast shadows onto the quilt during the longarming process, something I noticed the overhead lighting did do, and enable the work (quilt), as well as the work area to be well lit. 

So with the light that comes with the machine that provides direct lighting on the immediate work area we have, for less than $200, provided our work (quilt) area and our work space lighting that enhances the natural light we have coming through the living...oops...Longarm Room's Bay Window. I also carry an LED flashlight in my Longarm Pouch...

and although small it does a huge job...along with the little mirror...well together they form the Thread Tension Inspection Quality Control Unit...and they work pretty cheap...didn't cost a lot to assemble, readily available, no mounting brackets or camera's, monitors or other electronic hardware required and very effective. 

Not to mention...it can light up a room when you walk in if all other light sources are off. 

Yup...just the flashlight...I call it my CSI Light...I mean really you've seen the stuff they find with those lights.

Well I hope this shines some light on the subject...of course it was intended. Hope you find it informative and as we did...cost effective...

Quilt till you wilt...