Just Let Me Quilt: Carla

Friday, June 30, 2023

Getting Back In The Groove Of Things

I got back from Ohio a few days ago after being gone two weeks to hangout with my daughter, son-in-law, Monkey Boys and that sweet Monkey Girl. It was fabulous!

I didn't have my sewing machine (gasp) so there was a bit of withdrawal at first. I got over that quick when the home improvement projects began at my daughter's house.

Monkey Boy #2 is quite the handyman. He installed this ceiling lamp and laughed at the big shock he got when accidently touching two wires together. I didn't laugh at the big flaming ball that flashed for a moment. It took a while for the numbness to leave his hands. I'm too old for that kind of scare!

We painted the 1960's colored walls with a nice gray with white trim. Even I got up on a ladder and did my share, and the rest of the family pitched in, too. The youngest boys did their part by supervising while using their electronic toys.

There was swimming at the hotel pool.

Shopping for football shoes.

He got into a mechanic's class, so we went tool shopping.

There's only one little quilt shop in the area and we went so my quilting/fabric shopping

needs were met and it helped with the withdrawals. I bought one thing.

We went to Ritter's ice cream place...yum!

Their trampoline has a net around it and I managed to squeeze this chubby and old body

through the opening. No photos of me and no paramedics were called to extract me from it

when we were through playing in there. I got out on my own.

She wasn't sure about having grandma on her trampoline.

These two stayed at the hotel with me on two different nights. It was nice to have the company.

It was so hard to leave!

One nice thing about coming home was that Carla from Creatin' in the Sticks came to visit.

We had a blast getting a Starbucks treat, visiting two quilt stores, going to lunch,

visiting the Bellagio Garden, and dropping a few bucks into the casino machines.

We also might have won a little bit!

The Bellagio Garden is so pretty to walk through.

One day wasn't enough with this sweet lady!

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Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Sweet Dreams Baby In Benartex Warp And Weft

It is gingham week on the ThermOWeb so thanks to Benartex, I was able to make "Sweet Dreams Baby" using their gingham from the Warp & Weft by Modern Quilt Studio fabric line.

"Sweet Dreams Baby"

48" x 60"

What is Warp & Weft? Warp and weft refer to the horizontal and vertical lines in the weaving process. The threads on a loom that are parallel to the selvedge are called warping. The perpendicular threads are called the weft.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Heat n Bond Lite Iron-on Adhesive

Stitch n Sew High Loft Fleece 60” wide

Spray n Bond Basting Adhesive

Aurifil Thread

Oliso iron

Optional: Crafter’s Edge Crossover with 2 ½” x 2” heart die and 1 ½” circle

Benartex Warp & Weft and Benartex Superior Solids

An Oliso iron is a great tool for using Heat n Bond Lite Iron-on Adhesive on your applique projects.

Another great tool for sewing is the Crafter's Edge Crossover II and cutting dies. "Sweet Dreams Baby" hearts were cut using this awesome machine and heart and circle die! (The pattern includes the heart and circle if you don't have a cutting device.)

Iron Heat n Bond Lite Iron-on Adhesive to wrong side of fabrics; let cool. Following Crafter’s Edge instructions, place paper side of adhesive facing up on platform*. Cover as directed before running through machine. Run die and fabric through machine. Peel off paper liner from the backs of applique pieces. Place applique, adhesive side down, on right side of fabric. Press according to package directions until entire piece is bonded. Let cool. Sew around edges of applique using a straight, zig-zag, or blanket stitch. *To reverse the direction of design, place fabric side up before cutting.

I love that ThermOWeb has Stitch n Sew High Loft Fleece 60” wide for bigger projects. It is lighter than cotton batting and is perfect for a baby or summer quilt.

Quilt assembly with Stitch n Sew High Loft Fleece 60” wide and Spray n Bond Basting Adhesive:

Protect the area where you will be working by placing an old sheet or paper under and around the area you’ll be spraying. Place the batting on work area, smoothing to remove wrinkles. Place the quilt backing, wrong side down, on top of batting. Smooth to remove wrinkles. Having the batting a bit larger than the backing is suggested.

Roll back about six inches of the quilt back to expose some of the batting. Using the basting spray, spray batting from one edge to the other. Carefully lay the wrong side of quilt backing over the sprayed surface of batting. Smooth fabric to ensure it adheres to the sprayed fabric and remove any wrinkles. Roll back the rest of the quilt back to continue spraying and smoothing about six inches at a time until you reach the bottom of the quilt back. Check for creases or folds you might have missed.

Turn backing and batting over to have batting facing up. Lay quilt front, wrong side down, on batting. Make sure quilt front is lined up correctly; smooth out wrinkles. Use the same spray and smooth method as the backing.