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The Perils of Fusible Web

9/18/2013

5 Comments

 

You know those times when you just know you did something not right, if not downright foolish? Yeah, me too. So... Teaching a fusible appliqué class the steam-a-seam would not stay adhered to its paper backing enough to get the images traced on. I of course said I will just press it back on knowing I needed a pressing sheet or parchment under the fusible but instead I carefully laid it out on the ironing board and applied the heat. Now I have a 12x14 patch of fusible web quite firmly adhered to the cover. Oh well, I wanted to try making an ironing board cover anyhow.

I was pleased with how easy it actually is to make a custom cover. After removing the old, now fused, cover I laid the board face down on a length of pretty new fabric from the clearance table. If I was at home it might be a good place to use a couple yards of an old piece from my stash. I traced around the board adding 2 1/2 inches. When (note "when" not "if") I have to do it again I think I will make that 4" instead.

Cut out the cover on the traced lines and take it to your sewing machine or serger. My serger is at home waiting for service and to be relooped so I used my regular machine. Finish the edge with either a wide zig zag stitch or an edge stitch. Maybe someday I can get my edge stitch to not just roll up the edge. Anyhow I zig zagged all the way around.

Next you need to make a casing for elastic (or a piece of cord if you would rather). Fold over the finished edge enough for your elastic and stitch (straight stitch, don't forget to turn off the zig zag). Leave an opening to insert the elastic. I used 3/8" elastic because I had it laying around. I think 1/4" or 3/8" is probably a good size.

I used a safety pin to pull the elastic through the casing. I probably used about 2 yards of elastic, it will vary depending on the size of board you are covering. You need enough to hold it tight but long enough to be able to get it stretched around the board. I just pinned the 2 ends of the elastic together so I can reuse it the next time I have to make a new cover. I also put a layer of Warm Tater batting underneath. Next time I might do 2 layers.

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5 Comments

Why buy premium fabric

6/9/2013

1 Comment

 

I love the look and feel of the new fabric as it comes into the shop. At the same time I look at the cost of this premium high quality fabric and realize how much goes into every quilt we make. Quilting is time, skill and love transforming fabric and thread into works of art, of comfort, of hope, and of faith. Whether our quilts are to warm our homes, bring joy to our children and grandchildren, comfort to the sick or hope to the homeless we want to make something that will last, hold its beauty, and hold up to the stresses of life just as we do ourselves.

This is why I use high quality fabric. Higher thread count fabric holds together through the daily use and washing that a well loved quilt is subjected to. The colors stay vibrant, the seams stay stitched and the quilts gets softer and even more perfect with time.

Yes, I can make less expensive quilts. But my time is the real value in a quilt just as your skill and time are what really adds the love and beauty to your quilt. it is worth it to me to put quality fabric in my projects so they are as beautiful after the 10th time through the washing machine as the first; so that my grandchild can cuddle his quilt through many years of love; or so, like my daughter, can proudly display that well loved quilt almost 30 years after she received it. Her aunt put hours of love and skill into a hand pieced and appliquéd quilt and the quality of her work, and her materials, still shows to this day.

Quilts are cherished, whether they are made of old shirts or the newest expensive fabric. Choose good quality fabric regardless of the source and build your quilts with love and skill to bring joy for years to come.

1 Comment

Thoughts on the year and the future

5/26/2013

1 Comment

 
Hard to believe we have been here in Georgia for almost 2 full years and are starting on our 3rd summer in the south. What a beautiful spring it has been, and the lake is full to add to the wonder of living here. I miss Vermont, but it has been snowing there this weekend (yes, Memorial Day Weekend) and it is so nice here that I can't envision being anywhere else today.

Lots of changes have taken place at Annies Pretty Pieces in the last two years. John has taken up quilting, I think in self-defense. Either that or sheer boredom when the store is quiet. All of his work gets lots of positive comments, right now he is working on a miniature quilt and I think is almost ready to go back to some big block work after all these 2” half square triangles. We have been joined by Libby in the store 2 or 3 days a week. Her creativity, positive attitude and customer service skills have been a wonderful addition to our little shop. Almost all of our original design quilts hanging in the shop were done by Libby.

In early 2013 we added an additional section to the store, enabling us to create an expanded classroom (and even add a refrigerator and a microwave for all day classes). Freeing up our small classroom gave us room to move a nearly vintage quilting machine in. We have now started giving classes on the Design-a-Quilt machine. Students who complete the training can rent the machine by the day or half day to do their own quilting. The Design-a-Quilt is a short to mid-arm quilting machine with a limit of 6 1/2” quilting design and is designed for edge-to-edge pantograph quilting. Now I just wish I had time to get all of our quilt tops completed on it. Maybe the next person to take the class on using the quilting machine should be John.

What's Next? A good question. We will be holding a 2 day sewing class designed for girls from age 12 to 16 in June, we will take a short vacation in July, but Libby will have the store open during the week for your convenience. We are investigating adding a Marti and Me club from Marti Michell after she was gracious enough to visit us a few weeks ago. (If you have used any of her tools you may be as excited as we are at this possibility). The Christmas Peace Block of the Month starts in June (sign up quick, there are limited spots available). We are looking for the next Block of the Month to start once the current Marti Michell program ends.

We would love to hear what you would like to see us offer in the near (and not so near?) future.

Annie




1 Comment

Back to the Blog (Not to the future)

7/13/2012

0 Comments

 
Ok, we have been here a full year and I am finally back to the blog.  For all of you that have visited us, thank you,  we love to see everyone.  If you haven't been to the store yet I hope you will come see us soon, we are proud of what we have and love to share with quilters. 
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It looks like our local quilters love us too - this is how we were greeted when we came back from a long awaited vacation.  I missed all our quilters while we visited family and quilt shops in New England and New York.

Now on to the future.  Our goal is to make our little shop a go to place for local quilters, and quilters traveling in our region.  If you are driving through northeast Georgia be sure to come visit us.  If you live nearby, come hang out with us any day.  Remember that Wednesday is open sewing and I provide the scones. 

0 Comments

New Beginnings

9/15/2011

9 Comments

 
    After the first week of being open we are looking forward to the next steps for the store.  Suggestions are certainly welcome.  We will be starting with Saturday Specials - each week a different item will be on sale for one day only, starting with needles of all sorts and all threads on September 17. 
    Our next project will be something different, we have lots of ideas and are figuring out what to do first.  How about a sew and chat - coffee, baked treats and sewing time with friends sharing ideas and expertise?  Maybe a Wash Tub Club following the adventures of the fictitious 1930's  Wash Tub Club meetings in the home of Ethel May?
    Soon we will start planning classes to start in January.  To get ready John is working on the classroom, new paint, new tables and work spaces.  Look for more information about classes, demonstrations and other events in the next couple of months. 
    New quilts are hanging on the walls, with many thanks to Lynne and Sue.  The shelves are almost full, with little room to spared.  Come see the new exciting fabric showing up on our doorstep with amazing regularity, I can't wait to see what pretty pieces everyone makes with all this fabric.

Ann
9 Comments

The Journey

9/5/2011

8 Comments

 
    We are here - and we are open.  It has been quite a journey starting more than a year ago when I visited Mom in Hartwell and looked around to see that there was no local fabric shop, and lots of quilters.  Opening a quilt shop had been a thought building in the back of my head for a while and it seemed like this might be an goal to work toward.  As things turned out many things came together over the last year to create just the right opportunity for us to pack up our house in Vermont, sell it and move south.
    We got to Hartwell on July 13, 2011 - the temperature was over 100 and we wondered what we had gotten ourselves into.  Maya, the chocolate lab, had no desire to hang outside - the yard was too hot.  Maya has some labrador challenges, including no desire to swim in the lake, silly dog.  The weather stayed hot through the rest of the summer, and we moved from the house, where we have been working on unpacking and re-arranging to the store, where we have been unpacking and re-arranging, with periodic jaunts to the lake to let Maya play in the shallows. 
    The house is still in need of major unpacking, but the store has no (or almost no) packed boxes left, the furniture is all arranged, the fabric put away and the notions hung everywhere.  I have been shopping and having a wonderful time buying fabric, looking for something for everyone. 
    The store opened September 1, right on time.  The fabric is so bright and clean it is a joy to walk into each morning.   Now that the set up is done I have started to have time to work on some quilts.  John is learning (probably more than he ever wanted to know) about fabric and quilting and has been busy cutting fat quarters, kits and helping to wait on customers.
    Two crib quilts were completed in the last week.  The Windham Chelsea collection makes up into a cute scrappy quilt using a bundle of fat eighth's and the Clothworks Critters collection project is a very cute whirligig quilt in blues or pinks.  We have the complete collection and have kits for the projects.  Next I start on a large quilt using the Henry Glass Black White and Currant collection.  Come check out the progress, I think this one will take me a little longer.
    More fabric is coming almost every day, so keep coming in to see what is new.  Let us know what you want to see, we will do our best to find it for you.
    Stitching all my pretty pieces,
Annie

8 Comments

    Ann Dunn

    I have  left the world of technology and moved back to the basics of quilting, dragging John and the pets with me.  We have retired from corporate politics and are enjoying working together to build our own future.

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