Thoughts on Veterans Day, 9-11

Like many, today was a day of reflection and of appreciation and recognition.  I don't take Freedom for granted, nor the ability to enjoy life on a day-to-day basis. 

I'm thankful to all those who have fought for Freedom, and to the mothers, spouses and children of those that had to spend time with loved ones away fighting for freedom.  I am also sad that so many are no longer with us. 

I don't want to go into a political discussion, I simply want to say that while I think of soldiers serving "every day", today was a special day for me to take time to reflect and appreciate.   In our home we proudly displayed our flag outside our home, and throughout the day we thought about what the meaning of Veterans Day is, as well as what 9-11 will always mean in the future.

I'm new to learning EQ6.  My learning exercise today was to attempt to design a patriotic quilt.  I love the compass design, as it makes me think about following a course to lead us in the right direction.  I wanted to see if I could create my first EQ6 quilt with blocks using this design and use patriotic colors.  I typically work with traditional red, white & blue when making patriotic quilts, but I also like the red, white & off-white (tea colored) quilts that I've seen others make.  So, I took advantage of EQ6 to play with different colors.  As I view that I'm "color challenged" I really like the broad EQ6 functionality to select colors & audition fabric prints.  Even if you don't make a quilt, it is sheer fun to play with color & fabric selection via EQ6.  Plus, as I love to make greeting cards with quilt designs, I love how easy it is to pull in your EQ6 designs to make a greeting card! 

I'm confident other EQ6 users could create a better quilt, but I felt this insight was still appropriate to share.  While it is an example of how I was able to play with EQ6 and use it to reflect on a significant holiday in my country, this learning exercise was also something I found very easy to do.  Far easier than when I used EQ1 & EQ2, years ago.  It was truly fun to play with the different designs and fabric selections.

Plus, Electric Quilt has so many on-line tutorials and way to help new EQ6 users learn.  So, if you are an EQ6 user I'd love to hear your insights on this great product...and do you have any patriotic EQ6 designs to share?

Or simply post a comment to let me know what you reflected on today?

SideWinder Bobbin Winder: Pros/Cons

The Wrights' SideWinder Portable Bobbin Winder has been on the market for sometime and you may even own one.  I've heard from some people that love it, some that have it and just don't use it, some that don't like it and some that are curious.  While skeptical, I wanted to check out this product to understand the pros & cons.  Is this just another gadget, or is the Wrights' SideWinder Portable Bobbin Winder something I'd want to use, and ultimately I'd want to give as gifts and recommend to others?

Wrights' promotional material emphasizes that the benefits of this product is that this product is a freestanding machine that allows sewers, quilters and crafters to wind the bobbins needed for their projects without having to unthread and re-thread their sewing machines.

Pros:

- allows you to keep sewing, doing machine embroidery, while your SideWinder winds bobbins for you.

- light weight, making it a delightful tool to take with you on retreats, workshops or sew-cials.

- stores easily, consuming little space.

- reasonable price

- delightful tool to have at a workshop or sew-cial, as it is a great tool to share.  Of course, those that try it may find they want to buy their own!

Cons:

- Not a product that you can simply snap in a bobbin & thread and get a bobbin wound successfully (but you can't do that on your sewing machine either).  To clarify, it isn't more difficult than doing on your own machine (to some degrees easier), I'd just like to see a Buzz Light Year type of device that you simply snapped in an empty bobbin and a spool of thread and the two automatically connected.

- may not work on all bobbins, or from my perspective may not work the same way on all bobbins.   E.G. I found some bobbins may be more sensitive, but I also found that simple tricks of placing a finger lightly next to the thread may help to add approrpiate tension, or act as a guide.    But then, will a Buzz Light Year type bobbin winder be invented in my lifetime?

- For the Wrights' SideWinder, certain brands of thread seems to jump up & down on the spindle, but you can apply a light pressure with your finger to hold it steady, if you are concerned.
- Some users may not be happy with results, when the problem is that they are winding bobbins in battery mode and the battery is low.  I must admit I was originally one of these users and originally thought my bad experience was due to the product, when in fact it was due to a low powered battery.  

Additional Insights:

- If using under batter operated mode, be sure your battery is fully charged.  Problems that I initially experienced proved to be related to a battery that was old. 
- The tension knob is a feature many SideWinder Bobbin users overlook.  Tweaking the tension knob is needed for various threads, to get a good bobbin fill.  It is also something that can loosen in shipment, so it may need to be adjusted when you first take your SideWinder out of the package, or when you transport it to workshops or sew-cials.

- Watch closely as you fill your bobbins.  Be sure bobbins are loading tightly and don't let them over fill.  To keep the bobbins winding (if they stop to early, you simply need to press the button to start the winding process).  If you think your bobbins are overloading, you simply need to release the lever that senses the amount of thread on your bobbin.
- Take advantage of the SideWinder portable bobbin design, by getting into the habit of prewinding bobbins while watching tv, having coffee, or doing various activities besides sitting in front of your sewing machine!  Accept the fact that learning to really enjoy the benefits of ownging a SideWinder Bobbin Winder means you need to make a few behaviour changes, to increase your productivity!

- I've heard that their may be problems with Viking bobbins, but I was not able to test.   From my observations, it is important to keep an eye on tension as the bobbin is being wound.  While there may be be any tension settings, you can control by lightly pressing a finger on your spool of thread.  You may also want to place a finger near your bobbin, being wound, to help guide the thread on the bobbin.  You may also want to try running the thread around the outside knobs, designed to store spools of wound bobbins.  I found that wrapping thread around these knobs helped with tension and spool wobble.  But the most important aspect of successfully winding a bobbin with the sidewinder is following the directions (e.g. direct the thread thru the appropriate guides). 

I've heard that there have been some problems with Viking bobbins, but I wasn't able to test them.   Wright's press info shows that "The Sidewinder" works for most, but not all bobbins.

My conclusion:  The Wrights SideWinder is really a delightful gadget that can help increase the productivity of sewing, quilting and embroidery enthusiasts.  It is lightweight, durable, and a device that is easily shared with others when attending retreats, workshops, sew-cials.  It just takes a little change in mindset, in that it is ok to keep working on your project while your SideWinder winds your bobbins. And it is really much easier to turn on your SideWinder, to wind bobbins, without having to turn on your sewing machine.  Ultimately, I'm finding that the SideWinder can help me be far more productive than I had ever thought this product would  As such, I must admit I think the SideWinder is delightful product and I also think it would make a fantastic gift for any sewing, quilting, or embroidery enthusiast.

For myself, I think I could easily get hooked to winding bobbins while my machine is busy doing machine embroidery stitch outs, or simply winding bobbins while I don't even have my machine nearby (e.g. at a lecture, while watching tv, etc.).

http://www.wrights.com/

And I do recommend the Wrights' SideWinder for a Christmas gift, or a delightful gift for you to enjoy!.
If you have experience with the Wrights' SideWinder, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this product.

You can also purchase the Wrights' SideWinder online at:  http://www.simplicity.com/

Inspirational Holiday Table Toppers

I love this table topper design that Ann Conn and Monique Noonan created.

I think this table topper design would work well for Christmas, Hanukkah, and various seasonal and color themes.  With Ann & Monique's approval, I hope to someday share insights with you via a tutorial on how to make these delightful table toppers.  But for now I wanted to share these photos with you as I thought they are inspirational.

Monique and Ann are very creative and special friends.   Monique is also the owner of Quilts & Sew Forth, in Mentor, Lake, Ohio, which is a store that I hope you'll be able to pop in, as I do believe you'd enjoy it.  And I hope you get a chance to meet Monique when you visit Quilts & Sew Forth.

Do you have a Bucket List?

Isn't it fun to find something you really want, when you least expected it?  That is how I felt when I came across this fabric today, plus some other delightful fabrics.  You see I've been searching for red, black & white fabric for an eye-spy charity quilt.  While I have collected several fabrics for this project, I've been enjoying the hunt to find more. 

Today I ran an errand for my husband, where I had to drive ~ 2 hours to pick something up (and ~2 hours back).  I'm very busy right now, but I'm blessed with a sweetheart of a husband, so I was happy to be able to help him, by running this errand for him.  But, I was even more delighted when it gave me a chance to visit a famous store in Southern California, that I had never been to previously.

M&L Fabrics  3430 W. Ball Rd. in Anaheim, is a store that just about every So. California sewing & quilting enthusiast has been to, and many others from out of the area.  Visiting M&L had  just another item on my "Bucket List" for so many years, I had begun to think I'd never see it.  Thus, I felt a little bit like walking into a magical world when I arrived.  Every step I took, I knew that hundres, no thousands, possibly millions of sewing enthusiasts had been there before me.  Probably many generations had visited this store previously!

For years I've heard about the stacks and stacks of flat fold fabrics at great deals.  Flat folds were only $1/yard for many years, but are now $2/yard.  Flannel is ~$3/yard.  And designer cottons are ~$8/yard. 

While I completed the errand for my husband, I am happy to report I had fun at M&L.  I found some great fabrics to make more charity quilts for the Linus Project, Camp Reach For The Sky, Quilts of Valour and other charity projects.  Plus I found some seasonal fabrics that I "needed", all at great prices.  I walked away with many yards of fabric, with a minimal dent in my funds.  

My "Bucket List" remains quite large, of which I'm happy to say I was able to visit M&L Fabrics.  If you haven't had a chance to visit M&L, I hope you'll add it to your Bucket List.  It is definitely worth a trip!

So, what have you recently crossed off of your "Bucket List"?

ArtBin Super Satchel Series

I love products that will help me organize in my sewing room, as well as help me for carry projects and/or supplies to various workshops, classes and/or sew-cials.  And, when I find a product(s) that help in both areas I am elated, as I know it will also help me with overall storage matters, as I have a limited space for sewing and storage.   But no matter what, I want products that offer high quality, as I tend to overpack and I want to know the storage products I use can endure my standards.  

I'm very impressed with the design and quality of the ArtBin products, and love their "Super Satchel Series" products. I find them to be an exceptional value for storing and for the ability to carry projects and/or supplies to such activities as workshops, retreats and/or sew-cials.

ArtBin currently has a sale for many of their products, including their "Super Satchel Series"  via their online store, so I want to share insighst with you now.  And I will later share insights with you to show more specifics on how I use these products for quilting, sewing & embroidery activities.

I do believe all the ArtBin Super Satchel products are an exceptional value and perfect for the quilting, sewing, embroidery enthusiast who wants quality products to help organize at home, as well as products that will allow them the ability to carry projects to workshops and/or sew-cials.

Before I share insights on specific models in the Super Satchel Series, I want to share insights on some features that I find make the ArtBin Super Satchel Series' products so wonderful.

I find all of the ArtBin products to be of high quality and durability.  The Super Satchel series also provides comfortable handles that will fold flat, against the satchel, when the satchel is not being carried.

The ArtBin SuperSatchel products are easily stacked, for storage.  I love how I can store my projects/supplies in my sewing room, yet also use the "same" storage to take my project/supplies with me when I attend a workshop/sew-cial.  Thus, I view these high quality products to be multi-purpose and I find them easy to transport!

There are many products in the ArtBin Super Satchel Series, but I want to share insights with you on a few of the products in this series.

Deluxe Super Satchel #6982AB
This delightful satchel provides multiple storage compartments including a deep storage area, perfect for projects, a shallow storage area, perfect for supplies, and two side bin storage area that are perfect for bobbins, and other project supplies.   This is the James Bond tool for quilting, sewing, and embroidery enthusiasts.  A "must have" product!

Deep Super Satchel #9001AB

This satchel has six deep compartments and I find it a perfect satchel for a large variety of uses.  It is a great tool to carry small projects and MANY supplies to a workshop/sew-cial, as well as storing various accessories and organizing your crafting room. I could certainly fill many of these satchels in my sewing room with accessories and smal projects, and know that I'd always be ready to carry a project off to a sew-cial.

Deep Super Satchel #9000AB

One Compartment

This satchel is perfect for so many quilting, sewing  & embroidery projects.  I love how it can keep my project, supplies, instructions all grouped together. This is a must have item.  It is also one of my favorite gifts, as I love to introduce others to the ArtBin Super Satchel Series. 

Super Satchel Threadbox #9002AB

This delightful satchel includes 2 removable thread trays, should you want to use this satchel as a single compartment storage/tote.  The two spool trays offer a combined total of 104 pegs offers the capacity to hold (224) 20mm spools, (108) 32mm spools, or (30)  45mm spools.  While I've used many thread storage products, I've never found one that is as high quality and versatile as the ArtBin Super Satchel Threadbox.  This is definitely a must have product for any quilting, sewing and/or embroidery enthusiast. 

Super Satchel Deluxe #6980AB
This satchel is an amazing product, that I view is another great James Bond type of product for quilting, sewing and/or embroidery enthusiasts.  It is four boxes in one, with a major storage area for a main project, larger size storage area for supplies, and two side compartments perfect for bobbins & accessories.  A wonderful product to store and/or transport your projects to workshops and/or sew-cials.

The Double Deep Super Satchel #6990AB

This delightful super satchel provides great flexibility.  It  offers one main storage area that can be turned into up to 8 separate compartments!  The 15.22 x 14.16 x 6.23 inches certainly makes this design the most flexible storage/tote that I've ever seen!  And the price is amazing for the value of this product. 

Super Satchel Cube

# 6855SC

While I've not used the Super Satchel Cube, I think the design is worth noting while I share insights onsome of the ArtBin Super Satchel Series products.  The Super Satchel Cube comes with 6 sets of rails which allows you to store both slim, deep, and double deep Super Satchel Boxes.  



















These Super Satchel Series products are amazing and a great value.  And there are more in the series than I've shared in this post.  To see more of the ArtBin Super Satchel Series products, or other Artbin products go to:  http://craft.artbin.com/quiltnsew_supersatchels.asp

But I do want to point out that ArtBin's sale for the Super Satchel Series is currently available via the ArtBin online store thru the end of November.  While regular prices are an excellent value, this sale is something you don't want to miss. 

http://www.artbin.com/


Again, I am truly delighted with all of the ArtBin Super Satchel Series products.  I think you'll love them too.  And, these satchels will make delightful Christmas gifts.

Day & Night Quilt, by Eleanor Burns & Michelle Countess

Day & Night, by Eleanor Burns and Michelle Countess takes a traditionall paper pieced pattern and shows how easy it is to make lovely quilts from strips!  As they share, this "illusion" is created by using the acrylic template, which is included in the back of this delightful book.

The book is well written, well organized, and has excellent instructions & photographs.  Instructions are provided for a variation of this quilt using three color strips or four color strips, plus "bonus" projects to use with strip leftovers. 

As I wondered how Eleanor & Michelle picked the title theme  "Day & Night", I found answers in a  chapter that provides insights on Fabric Selection, to help you select delightful fabrics to make a striking quilt.  Visuals and text provide insights on identifying and selecting light to medium fabrics (day) and richly colored fabrics (night).  These tips are helpful for making a quilt from this book, but will certainly carry forward to help select contrasting fabrics in a variety of other quilt designs too!

There is an excellent "General Techniques" section that provides insight on cutting strips and other tips & techniques that are helpful for beginning quilters. I also found the excellent visuals to be great reminders for the experienced quilter, as well as the quilter who gets recruited to help others "learn" to quilt. 

This book provides insights to create 5 different designs with insights on how to add borders, quilt & bind your quilt.  Plus, information is provided on how to turn scraps from this quilt into beautiful table runners and other projects.

I'm confident this book will you make striking quilts that will be treasured for many years to come.  I also believe this book is an excellent value (includes ruler) and would make a delightful gift!

http://www.quiltinaday.com/

This book is also currently "on sale" via the Quilt In A Day on-line store:  http://www.quiltinaday.com/shoponline/books_display.asp?i=20490&pg=

My Favorite "New" Fabric Designer: BBS Designs, by Beena Singhal

I've been following (trying to not stalk) a very talented woman. Beena Singhal is a graphic artist that also loves to quilt. And she has been working hard to create a delightful line of gorgeous fabric, through her studio “BBS Designs”, which has just recently been released for purchase on Spoonflower.com.

Beena's line of fabric is colorful, creative, and definitely unique. I think it will work well for quilting and other projects. And you know that any project you use Beena's beautiful fabrics will be unique.



I love the colors & designs of Beena's Beach castle and matching fabrics, she appropriate calls "Beach Days".



Beena has created some beautiful artistic panels that would certainly make a beautiful quilt, as well as other projects.

Beena has created the most striking pineapple designs I've ever seen.



And a lovely dragonfly design.


She created this very unique and beautiful coffee panel design.

Doesn't this beautiful pink fabric make you feel like you are in exotic Paris?





Again, Beena currently has her fabric designs available for purchase thru Spoonflower.com. While these fabrics may be higher priced than fabrics in a typical quilt store, remember that these are unique fabrics that are also artistic fabrics. What ever you make with these fabrics will be unique, and I'm sure will be delightful. So, I hope you'll go check out Beena's beautiful fabrics at Spoonflower, and I hope you'll share with me what you create using her new line of artistic fabrics.

http://www.spoonflower.com/welcome

Beena also writes a delightful blog, which I also enjoy reading very much.