Hands All Around Quilters of Braham

07/21/2021

Our Quilt group is proud to present the 2021 Raffle Quilt that will be won by some lucky recipient during Braham Pie Day, August 6, 2021. Raffle tickets may be purchased at the Show of Small Quilts at Braham City Hall, open from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm. Tickets are $2 each or 3 for $5. Quilt size will fit a queen size bed. You can't win if you don't buy a ticket. For tickets prior to Friday, August 6, contact Kathy McCully at [email protected].

07/22/2020

Our 2020 Show of Small Quilts is now ready for viewing. It can be accessed at www.pieday.com under the Show of Small Quilts tab. PLEASE take the time to vote for your favorite, as the top three quilts will be recognized. Thanks for viewing and we hope you enjoy it.

07/03/2020

Hands All Around Quilters is holding an on-line quilt show and the CALL FOR ENTRIES is on. Please feel free to participate, and also share with those you think may want to participate.

Due to the Covid-19 circumstances that have befallen our world of late, Hands All Around Quilters is going digital for this years' show. Please read the following information and feel free to submit photos of your quilts.

04/17/2020

Oh no, I missed Wednesday, April 15. Where did that day go? So I will post two tips now, Thursday, April 16 too.

15th Tip: "Make a nifty wrist pincushion by slipping a bottomless foam rubber soda can holder onto your wrist." I had to think about this one for a bit. These are the sleeves you can slide over the pop can.

16th Tip: "To create a fun, all-over machine quilting design, choose a very large scale print for your quilt back. Motifs like flowers, fish, or animals work well. Machine quilt from the back around the fabric motifs. This is a great solution if fabrics on the quilt top are difficult to mark."

I did this to a top that I repaired for my friend Sue. Her mother had made this quilt with pieces of polyester knit in squares only, and it was tied at the corners with yarn. Sue wanted to pass this onto the next generation, but several blocks needed to be repaired. I shortened the quilt by a row and fixed the torn and worn blocks. I retied with yarn the repaired blocks. Then to make the quilt sturdier, I quilted it from the back along the pattern of the backing. You could hardly see the quilting on the top, and now the quilt will wear much better if it is used in the future.

Thanks to the Tip Table from Fons & Porter once again.

Until tomorrow, if I don't miss Friday ... aren't you glad I keep needling you all?

04/15/2020

We used to be able to say "another day, another dollar." Not so much anymore. Tuesday, April 14 is another day, so here is another Tip Table contribution from Fons & Porter.

"Cut a small hole in the lid of an empty whipped topping container. As you remove safety pins from pin basting, drop them into the container. The tight lid prevents the pins from spilling."

I never did get into pin basting, but we do use safety pins to pin the small quilts to our display curtains during our Show of Small Quilts. We keep them in a box, and some small plastic containers. Seems to work for us.

I see that there are some folks who do pin baste on some of my FB pages about quilting. This tip may be beneficial still today.

Until tomorrow ... hope that needle is still busy today!

04/14/2020

Monday, April 13. Starting another week of what? Countdown is now to May 13, and then we'll see what Gov Walz decides about sheltering. When he extended from May 4 to May 13, I thought, hey, is the finish line going to continue to be moved before I get there? I guess we'll see.

Today's tip is more spring-like, or early summer-like.

"Plastic boxes for fresh berries make handy containers for sorting small fabric squares or other shapes."

I'm not sure they even use plastic berry boxes of old anymore, but there are plenty plastic containers that I reuse from takeout meals that do work great for small pieces. I especially like the ones that are hinged, but the others work great too.

Until tomorrow ... I hope you had something under your needle today!

04/13/2020

Happy Easter to everyone on this Sunday, April 12. We had a dusting of snow, which has already melted. Hope you all did not have a large amount where you live (Wisconsin folks)?

Today's Tip says "Take a wooden spring clothespin apart and use the larger end as a 'wooden iron' to press seams. Share the other half with a friend."

This would work in a pinch if you did not have an alternative. Timeless tip from Fons & Porter's Tip Table.

Until tomorrow ... did you have time to sew on Easter this year? I had the time, but did not sew at all. Took the day off.

Cheers!

04/12/2020

Today I actually got in my car, picked up some lunch, and met two friends outside in a vastly socially distant setting and we visited, laughed and enjoyed the human contact. Not that my husband is not human, but there is nothing like your girlfriends and laughing together and realizing you are not the only one feeling lonely. It was great, a little chilly, but well worth it.

I delivered the masks that I had made for them and we laughed as those out walking were so friendly, always saying hi, Happy Easter, and going their way. They say on the back side of this we will not be the same, and I saw that today already.

Saturday, April 11, from the Tip Table of Fons & Porters perpetual calendar, this tip is again using something not in plentiful supply anymore.

"Use empty 35mm film canisters to dispense thread for hand sewing. Wind 4 or 5 bobbins with the threads you need, and place them in the canister. Puncture the lid several times, and pull a different thread color through each hole. You can thread needles without the threads tangling."

Who knew in 2002 that by 2020 (and before) we would all have a digital camera on our personal cell phone and that the film canister was going the way of the dinosaurs. Not me.

Until tomorrow ... what was under your needle today?

04/11/2020

This Friday, April 10 of 2020 I am watching one of my all-time favorite movies--The Wizard of Oz. I remember watching this as a child and was so afraid of that Wicked Old Witch. So frightening when you are little. I don't think I have missed one year of watching this movie.

In fact, I have some W of Oz fabric that I purchased just to make a quilt or wall hanging. It is on my list of to dos somewhere, but not too soon.

From the Tip Table today it says "place a small strip of non-slip rubber shelf liner under your ruler as you cut to keep the ruler from slipping on the fabric."

Well, quilters are very resourceful if not anything else. Today we have a plethora of ways to keep our rulers from slipping. Some rulers themselves are made to be non-slip and actually grip the fabric. Will wonders never cease.

So, Dorothy and her gang have reached Oz and I have to watch the horse of a different color. I always wondered how they had so many colored horses. How did they ever do that. Never mind that they were all kinds of horse breeds, but what did I know. Will wonders never cease!

Until tomorrow ... from myself and Fons & Porter ... what project was under your needle today!

04/10/2020

Thursday, April 9. Posting these tips is really helping me keep track of the days of the week. Here you go, from Fons & Porter's Tip Table.

"If you sew on a Bernina(r) with a presser foot lifter (free hand system), train yourself to control the foot pedal with your left foot so your right leg is free to operate the bar that lifts the presser foot."

Since this perpetual calendar was published with tips from 2002, my guess would be that in 2020 there are more manufacturer's of sewing machines that have this same feature as the Bernina of 2002. Do any of you have one?

I have often thought this would be a nice feature, but my machines are too old to have that as one.

Until tomorrow ... and after 5 more masks sewn ... what was under your needle today?

04/09/2020

So here I am, late in the day again. Just finished 6 masks to send with the Easter Box for the grandkids and parents. Hope they will work.

Wednesday, April 8 from the Tip Table:

"To keep track of small tools while working on a project, wear a carpenter's apron and slip your tools into the pockets."

Nowdays many folks have the mats with pockets that their sewing machine sits upon, and all their tools for sewing are so nicely at their finger tips. As for the carpenter apron, I have not tried that while working on my long arm, but have thought about adding pockets to the top part of a long apron and trying that. I will give a full report when I add the pockets and give it a try.

Thanks to Fons & Porter for the tip. Feel free to add any solution you may have to keep those small tools handy when sewing.

Until tomorrow ... what was under your needle today?

04/08/2020

Oh, I made it with 6 minutes left in this day of April 7. Here's that lovely tip table wisdom.

"Rubber finger cots make it easier to pull through heavy threads used to tie comforters. They are easy to take on and off and are available in multiple packs of 10 or 12 for under $1.50 from drug and discount stores."

I am wondering if finger cots and finger stalls are the same thing. Anyone know. I do know they still make these things, but the prices may be a bit more, or the quantity less in the package.

Until tomorrow ... earlier, I promise. What was under your needle today?

(I am finally going to make the family masks. I will have a report tomorrow.)