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Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Product Report and a Finish!

Three years ago my friend Marjorie gave me a bag of leftover HST's that she was going to throw in the garbage (gasp!). I was happy to rescue them and you can see the beginning of the project here. This is a long term leader/ender project and I was really happy with the layout that evolved over the years. I finally pulled it out again to work on last week at quilt camp, and decided this would be the perfect quilt to experiment on. I usually use my Machingers or old dollar store gloves to help with moving the quilt around, but this time I tried out two new (to me) machine quilting aids that other quilters had brought to camp.

"Batt Scooters"

They were "okay" to use, and gave me good control over the quilt movement. But my hands tired easily from picking up the batts and moving them from place to place. It might be "user incompetence", and if I used them more, I might find a better way to move them around that would be less tiring.


"Steady Betty Bands" 

These bands worked really well, and were easier to use with less hand stress than the batts. However, they allowed me to get way too close to the needle, and guess what happened? 
Yep... sewed right through the side of my finger! OUCH! I didn't get any blood on the quilt, and managed to finish the quilting anyway. It was also probably "user incompetence" but if this happened to an experienced machine quilter, I wouldn't want to have beginners trying them!
Honestly I wouldn't buy either of these products and prefer to use gloves for machine quilting, although they can be hot to wear in the summer. In the winter, like today where it is minus 15 degrees Celsius, but feels like minus 26 degrees... I want the gloves! 
The quilting that I figured out is a continuous design which means I started in one place and didn't stop until the whole thing was quilted. Well, I did also stop when I was bleeding! The design is curved lines around the light star HST's and in the centers of the blocks, and a swirly vine and leaves in the sashing. 


This photo shows the finished quilt and the truer colours. It's a fun finish to enjoy, after it started 3 years ago from some garbage!
I have finished the binding but not the label because it doesn't have a name yet... any ideas?!?



36 comments:

  1. I was going to say exactly what Sandra.
    Or maybe with a little help from my friends?

    Every time I see your header I wonder if that is a quilt from quiltville friends. I have a very similar one they sent me when I was being treated for breast cancer a few years ago. I loaned it to my sister when she was dying of cancer, and I used it again when I had BAC lung cancer this past spring. When not in use it lays over a rocker in my bedroom and I appreciate the kindness of strangers every day. Sharyn in Kalama

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  2. Gorgeous quilt! Well worth taking three years to complete. Hope your finger is healing quickly!

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  3. Another man...(woman's) treasure....

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  4. What a lovely quilt! How about O Positive - Lol - just teasing :) I always save scraps and trimmings too, but obviously you are better at actually using them! Congrats on your finish!

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  5. It is gorgeous. My suggestion is Autumn Soliloquy.

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  6. Uh oh got a boo boo, but the quilt looks great!

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  7. I have tried the batts and didn't care for them - really like the machinger gloves (and I have sewn myself fast a few times). How about étoiles sauvés - love how French makes things look so fancy - basically it is scrap stars.

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  8. I don't machine quilt for that reason... lol! Sorry you got a boo boo . I did one quilt on a machine and was sore in the shoulders and neck for weeks afterward! Never get that slow stitching though :) Love Love Love how your quilt turned out! And imagine if you hadn't rescued the hst's that started it all! lol Kathi

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  9. Whatever name you choose, it is a beautiful quilt!

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  10. It's a lovely quilt. Love the design with the sashing and the white triangles forming the diamond like element. You have diamonds in the sashing and stars and all have been rescued. It would be great if somehow all or some of these ideas could be worked into the name. "O" positive was witty.

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  11. I've never tried the batt things, but batting sheds so much and gets inhaled, I'd be coughing! Sorry your finger got stabbed, yeouch

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  12. I love what you have done with those rescued HSTs!
    I also love my Machingers, but I have never tried anything else. : )

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  13. Nice to get it quilted and off the list. Sorry about your incident with TOO close. Diamond and Stars would be fitting I think for a name. I like the floating cornerstones that look like diamonds.

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  14. What a lovely quilt you've made. And thanks for the product review. I have one Steady Betty product - a pressing board - and I quite like it, especially when I'm trying to make sure no shifting takes place during the pressing process. But I can see how these wraps don't cover enough of your hands (like gloves do) to make them fully functional.

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  15. From trash to treasure or a treasure from a friend? I'm not good with names.
    Hope the finger heals quickly.
    Love your quilting on it.

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  16. 'One Man's Trash' is my name suggestion. It is a beautiful quilt and you did a great job quilting.

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  17. How about "Marjorie's Garbage". ????

    LOL

    You and I should get together to compare battle scars!

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  18. You got yourself a GOOOOORrrgeous quilt ... and a boo boo! ;) I love it and the quilting is just perfect if you ask me. So happy you rescued it from the garbage. How about Rescued Twinklers? or simply Second Chance? Any which way, you have a wonderful quilt that was worth the waiting.
    Congrats and thanks for sharing.
    Chantal

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  19. What a rescue! Love the colors and your quilting looks great. Wish I could do that

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  20. Beautiful quilt. Congrats on the finish. You've gotten some fun suggestions for a name.

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  21. What a beautiful quilt!! I sure wish I knew someone who was going to throw away triangles, especially such beautiful ones!

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  22. What a wonderful story! Congratulations on making a beautiful quilt out of "trash"

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  23. good that you rescued those half square triangles and have made a lovely quilt with them. I have not tried any gloves or aids when quilting but people say thr glove make life much easier

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  24. What an awesome finish, sorry about the finger...that smarts!!

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  25. "From Trash to Treasure" ? : )

    It's gorgeous! The colors, design, quilting, everything! I love it.

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  26. I'd like to suggest Marjorie's scrap transfusion. Hope your finger heels up quickly, and yes it is a lovely quilt, as always.

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  27. How about Recycle?

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  28. What a great save. I think Marjorie wants her scraps back. Autumn Stars or Autumn Treasure.

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  29. I like Deb's suggestion "From Trash to Treasure."
    It's a beautiful quilt. Do you have a stitch regular on your machine? I'm trying my hand at FMQ and struggling with my stitch length.

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  30. Ouch!!!! I did that a few months ago too - it hurts like the dickens :( I haven't found anything I prefer better than gloves either. Sometimes the simplest things are the best. Love your little quilt, and of course the quilting you've done makes it so much more interesting! :)

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  31. From Trash to Treasure. (Someone else beat me to it, but...)

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  32. Lovely, lovely...and hey, try not to get too attached to your work...get it?!? But really, BE CAREFUL!

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  33. I know I should get used to wearing gloves for machine quilting but have never been able to master using them or any other product including the rubber finger tip things. I just do it with my bare hands.

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