Why We Need The Quilt Police - Featured Guest Lady Crawley

Now don't get your batting in a bunch let me explain!

   You have two types of quilt police oh I'm sorry I should capitalize that Quilt Police as you see they are far to important to not be Capitalized .... Just ask them...

1. The Know- it-all: 

   Now this person is the most important and perfect quilter that has ever walked the Earth.(Of course Christ didn't quilt so the position for most perfect quilter is open) They have every stitch perfect. Every point matches, she can sew a quarter seam blind folded with her toes if she has to.  You should listen to her as her word is Quilting G Gospel. ( Just ask her....)

2. The Purist :

   Now this lady doesn't own a sewing machine or a rotary cutter. she cuts everything with scissors but that is her only luxury. 

   If you are using a machine, die cutting, buying kits, machine quilting or using anything other then cotton fabric, cotton thread and a Kansas City Star pattern cut from a news paper.... you my dear are not as good as she is.... Just ask her.

Anything You Can Do She Can Do Better....

   I recently hung a quilt made by a group of kids many whom had never sewn before. Their ages range from 6-17. I was blown away by the number of people who pointed out the 12 imperfect points. 

   How do I know there are 12 exactly? BECAUSE someone who has been quilting 10 plus years feels the need to compete with a pack of kids who have been sewing for 10 minutes....

   When I asked for stories about our dear friends the Quilt Police I was taken aback by the stories! Thread color for piecing.... IT'S PIECING!!!! If it doesn't show through to the other side after quilting HONEY you can piece with lime green!

    The Redwork Police want to see number 321 Dark Christmas Red DMC floss LAWDY LAWDY shame on those who had to settle on 666 DMC floss (that's just plain ole' Christmas Red for those of you sinning and using Anchor or another thread lol) 

   The Rowers are the people who want to drill you on every smidgen off a row might be. 

   Good Night!  You'd think I didn't notice when I sewed it. Listen If I'm calling it done I probably evaluated at the time of finishing that row if the sun was going to come up the next morning if I left it that way..... AND LOW AND BEHOLD IT DID!!!!

   Here is the truth If you wanted to be judged you could enter your quilt in a contest in which case you are asking for judgment 

   If you posting with a question or asking for opinions  then maybe a suggestion or two....

   But no one has a right to tell you what is wrong and what is right about quilting. Certainly they shouldn't be rude!

                   So Why Keep The Quilt Police?

   They  make us better people , they teach us patience, tolerance and if you can let their words roll off your back they will teach you how to laugh. 

                                    Sticks & Stones

   Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that a person being mean or rude might actually think that they might tell themselves that they are helping you.  

   In reality most of these people are sad, depressed, or have an issue with confidence in general. They are using you as a rung on their imaginary ladder to feeling better about themselves.

   More likely then that they are suffering from a bad case of Envy.

   Just don't let them  bring you down, that is all that matters.

What they say says more about them then it does about you or your quilt.

                                      So In Conclusion 

   Your quilts matter. The baby who is laying on it, the toddler who will drag it around, your grandma in the nursing home will think of you when she is draped in it, and the soldier who was honored with it will know that his fellow Americans love him and are thinking of him when he uses it. 

   Our Quilts are not just scraps of fabric cut apart and sewn  back together they are love, passion, art and when someone wraps them self in it they should feel all of that. 

They will not notice imperfect points, counter rotated blocks or row that just misses it's mark. I promise.

                  
   Everyone has that one family member you wish you didn't have to invite to dinner. You know the one.... They are loud, obnoxious, say things you wish they wouldn't but in the same breath it wouldn't be the same without them. 

   In this family of quilters the Quilt Police is that family member. We love them.... we just wish they'd pipe down ;)

Thanks for reading!!! If you enjoyed it share! 
There are more posts to read you might enjoy as well!
We love to hear from you  so don't forget to comment!
www.facebook.com/HandcartQuilts
 Handcart Quilts and Yarns is the home of 
Keep Calm and Quilt On

Why Should I Have My Sewing Machine Cleaned Professionally?

What's in a Cleaning?

 
Home Remedies :
We at the Quilt/ sewing machine shop have all heard it over and over. " I clean my machine after every single project" Believe me we know! Those of you who use your little brush to clean out your bobbin, bobbin case and other areas below your sewing area are doing a great job!  Your machines will run very well in between professional cleanings! We love seeing happy machines come in and go through a quick cleaning only needing the hard to reach places tidied up, greased, oiled and sent on their way to provide more great sewing of countless projects. 

  The Truth: Many older machines can be cleaned very well at home most of your new machines need to be taken apart and out of their shells to be fully cleaned. The bottoms also need to be pulled of for a total cleaning. Some machines just have a few screws and ::POP::  other have wires and mother boards and other controls attached to the shells which you won't know until you get in there. Sometimes these are plugged in sometimes it's soldered. Either way a person who has been trained to deal with what ever is in there is a good idea. 

  What should I never do? You know that can of air that you've been using to get rid of lint? What you actually should do with it is use it for your computer keyboard and nothing else. (or toss it out the window)
The Truth:
If you don't take the case off before using the can of air it doesn't actually get rid of all of the lint. It more or less is like sweeping something under the rug. You might not see the lint anymore but it's still there only now it's behind your control panel and near your motor. OH! one more thing. a closed machine will hold on to the moisture that those cans of air blow into your machine. And we all know what happens with mechanics and water. (In case you didn't know they don't play well together.)
Funny Tidbit: In February of 2015 we had a woman who was FURIOUS! Her husband had rushed into her sewing room, grabbed her machine right out from under her and put it outside in the concrete bird bath in the back yard. Now we all know that our husbands have fantasized about doing this very thing (especially when dinner is non-existent for the  3rd time in as many days). The difference in his story to hers.... Well there was smoke coming out of her machine. (which she had also noticed but she only had one more border to attach ... priorities ) They brought the machine in for what proved to be an autopsy and we found that in her 10 years of owning this machine she had cleaned it after every use. With the help of a can of air. She had never had it professionally cleaned. She had used coats and clark thread, sewn cotton, flannel, and minky along with others and had always made sure that it appeared cleaned.  Unfortunately appeared is the key word here. we found melting and most issues to be near the motor. Our best guess is that all of that lint had been pushed near the motor and when the motor had sparked at start up that puppy lit up like a roman candle!

What About My Special Vacuum Attachments?
Remember when we talked about all those little things attached to the shell off your machine? Wires and what not? Although your vacuum is less of a threat to your machine then Ye Old Can O' Air it can separate the good from the good as well and the bad from the good. Try not to put the attachment where you can't see the end. And NEVER use it on a mega vac like a Dyson or something else with a killer pull or suck.

Lets talk about thread baby .....

Like fabric not all threads are made alike. Hand sewing thread and less expensive thread can and will shed more. I'm not telling you to run out and drop tons of money on new thread and toss the rest out. I am however telling you that if you are using a thread that isn't considered low or no lint you might want to get your machine cleaned more often.

( The same goes for high lint fabrics - like Minky or Flannel) 

How often should I have my machine cleaned?

If you sew weekly once a year. If you sew monthly every 18 months. If you  don't sew often you should consider every 2 years. If you use high quality thread or low lint fabric you should be  ok to stretch it a little longer. In the same breath if you are using high shedding/ lint fabric or threads you might want to consider more often. 

So In Conclusion

 Just like proper car care the cheapest car will run longer then the most expensive car on the road if treated well and cared for properly. Sure one with metal parts has a better chance at survival in the long run. And we all know that one person who swears that they never changed the oil on their old fiat and she still runs like a dream..... But lets be honest we are not all that lucky . 

Maybe car to sewing machine comparisons don't do it for you but it's the same. If you take care of your machine it will take care of you. 

Happy Sewing!

Quilting 101 - Where to Begin - Am I Going to Go Broke?

We get asked about what is truly important to a quilter and what would help someone just getting started. I thought I would give a quick list of our opinion of the matter. 

1. The Machine: 


You do NOT need to run out and drop thousands on a machine. I would however recommend a vintage machine before buying a Walmart or other big box store machine. Quality machines new in our store (Janome) start about $129 they will have fewer stitches then what you find in a big box store but they will also have much more metal including a frame. It sounds silly but I would rather you find an old singer (1970 and older) and do a cleaning on it then something completely made of plastic. It is tempting to run out and get something new and in a brand you think you can trust. After all your mom had a singer, her mom had a singer and her mom's mom had a Singer. But there is a saying in the quilt world." There is nothing better then an old Singer and nothing worse then a new Singer."  So spend $20 at a thrift shop and pay to have it cleaned rather then $50 on a problem child from wally world or Joanns. ( This is the part where I'm excited this Blog is my opinion on the matter)

2. Fabric ( Quality over Quantity)


OK this may and probably will rustle some feathers but I would recommend buying a quality fabric. Since you are new to this maybe ask a local shop if they have a precut kit so you can just work on sewing and worry about cutting another time. Jelly rolls, layer cakes and so on will work too. ( If you're thinking I just offered you a snack I should warn you that those are just fun names for precut fabrics ) You will want to buy fabric that will with stand use, washes and life in general. A rule of thumb for a beginner is soft touch and one layer should NOT be see though when held up to light, Like all things there are levels of quality. You will find very quickly that a lot of time and effort goes into your quilt you will want a fabric that will let you enjoy it for a long time. 

3. Cutting tools:


Starting with pre-cuts is a great option! ( walk into your local quilt shop and ask!)
 I personally am an AccuQuilt cutter because I have MS and don't feel my hands as well as I should. This means that I keep a rotary cutter about as straight as a blindfolded person rides a unicycle with a square wheel. I do think that any quilter will benefit from one of these tools but wait for a few quilts to make sure you catch the bug before buying one. A cheap pair of sheers and a rotary cutter are a good place to start. Also a ruler and I like a handle. But you can always add to your stash as you need to . You will end up upgrading sheers and you WILL become one of those women who KNOWS when someone has used their sewing sheers to open plastic packaging. But you're not there yet so Fiskers over Ginghers for now 
wink emoticon
4. Classes or a Teacher:


 Find someone to guide you through so that you will love it. Look up Missouri Star Quilt Company on YouTube or find a local shop to teach you. You might have a family member or friend but make sure you have someone you can ask if you have questions. ( you can also Youtube Missouri Star Quilt Company for great step by step tutorials !)

5. Iron: 


OK this MIGHT be just as important as the sewing machine. And again there is no reason to put a ton of money into one. There are irons out there that cost thousands but you don't need one now and you may not need one ever. I personally use a black and Decker Classic that I bought for $30 at our local True Value Store. What I like about this iron and what you will want to look for is, Heavy weight, good steam, very very hot, no non-stick or other surface just clean metal on the bottom. you will become one with this iron so find one you like with out breaking the bank.

6. Work Space:


Attention Family Members.... You no longer have a dining room table.... Love, Your New Quilter. I have a nice space that is just for sewing now but for a long time I sewed in a spare bedroom, and cut, laid out my fabric and basted in the dining room. it's ok, you'll pay them back with your new pretty creations. 

I hope this helps! Don't forget for our local kids we have Teenie Stitches Quilt Guild on the 3rd Monday of every month at 5:30 at Handcart Quilts and Yarns, no cost everyone welcome but the kids run the show smile emoticon