Getting Things Finished and Put Back Together

I'm working on quilting my Holiday Inn quilt to put in our guild's show next week. I will get it done in time! But since I don't have anything new finished, I thought I'd show another of my favorite little tools. The Clover white marking pen is a really great little gadget for marking quilting lines. The beauty of this pen is that the marks come off when you iron them. If you are not familiar with this pen though, be patient when applying it ~ it's practically invisible when you write with it, and the marks get whiter after sitting a few minutes.

And I'm finally getting furniture and stuff put back in my green satellite sewing room. There is more to organize yet ~ Notice I'm not showing you the walk-in closet, that will have to wait for another day!

My design wall is now in place. This is a homemade job that was constructed from a 1/2" thick, high density foam board that I got at the home center and cut to size (it cuts nicely with a box cutter), and I covered it with flannel (just wrapped it around and hot glued the edges to the back). Then I screwed it up to the wall with drywall screws ~ very low tech, and easy enough that I did it all by myself :)

We set up a twin size bed in here for when Elsie comes to visit. These two blank walls and the bed give me more places to display quilts...and after all it's all about the quilts, right?

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Freezer Paper/Copy Paper

I got some questions about my post from yesterday and how to put freezer paper through the printer. Above is a picture of a pack of freezer paper that I have that works in an ink jet printer (don't use it in a laser printer or copy machine that heat sets). This brand is from P3 designs, there is another popular brand from C. Jenkins company, and I'm sure there are other brands I'm not acquainted with. The freezer paper sheets are 8 1/2" x 11" and you use them just like regular paper in your printer, but then you can iron it to your fabric. Works like a charm! Freezer paper in packs like this is definitely more expensive than the Reynolds roll from the grocery store, but along with working in a printer it's also nice when tracing small shapes because you don't have to fight with any roll or creases in the paper.

Also, Nancy signed my block using a Prismacolor Premier Fine Line Marker 05 Brown. I also use Pigma pens for inking on fabric ~ Sepia is my favorite Pigma color.

And I thought I'd share a little surprise from yesterday. I came home to flowers! Last week I pet sat for my best friend while she was away on a trip. I just went to her house for a couple of minutes each day and fed her bird Huey and cat Ruby. They were no trouble at all, and Huey didn't even squawk at me this time, and for that I got flowers. Thanks Huey and Ruby (they signed the card) ~ Daisies are my favorites!

Now they are on my kitchen table keeping the orchid company, and they are both smiling at me when I walk in the front door :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

A Few of My Favorite Needful Things

I've been working on several projects lately, but I don't currently have any finishes to show, so I thought I'd share some vintage tools that I have.

This one sits on my Great Grandmother's treadle machine, it once belonged to Grandma Stewart (my husband's grandmother). My mother-in-law passed it on to me because she knows I like old things.

It's a Singer Pinking Machine. You place fabric in front of the rotary blade and turn the crank, and as it pulls the material through, it cuts it.

...It really works! I think it might be the precursor our modern rotary cutter. It's a Good Thing, Martha :)

I also have the operating manual that goes with it, but it's seen better days. The booklet is copyright 1933.

Then the other day I picked up this old iron at an antique shop. I've never had one of these and thought I just had to have one. I think it looks just right here in my sewing room.

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Needful Things

I'm not generally a gadget gal, doing most of my work in pretty traditional ways, but there are a few simple tools that I have come to love and just couldn't do without. One is my Clover Desktop Needle Threader. My eyes aren't as good as they used to be, and since I do most of my handwork in the evenings in my easy chair, I keep one of these right on the table next to me.

As a matter of fact, I have three of them ~ in various colors ~ don't they just look like candy, you can even find them in chocolate brown! I keep one in my sewing room, one downstairs by my chair, and one in my handwork bag that I travel with. That may be a little overkill, but I don't have to search for one when I need it, and I've collected them over time. Clover has not paid me or given me anything for free for saying this ~ I just take pleasure in my little colorful needle threaders and they work great. It's amazing how such a simple little thing can make your life so much easier!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn