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

What Makes a Quilter a Quilter?

What Makes a Quilter a Quilter?

   We have all heard the argument one way or another. "Oh ... you don't quilt your own quilts? So you're a piecer/ topper? " "Oh you buy kits? That's like cheating" "You know Jane across the street buys vintage tops online and then she just quilts them... she's not a real quilter"  Ladies and gents I beg of you .... KNOCK IT OFF!!!!
   Be you piecer, topper, binder, pattern writer, hand quilter, longarm quilter, scissors, rotary, or AccuQuilt cutter, You are a quilter. Wear the badge proudly! Slap that licence plate holder on the back of your Fiat and tell the world. 
   We are a sisterhood of people who like to cut big pieces of fabric into small pieces of fabric and then put them back together again. We all have the same struggles! Hiding at least a portion of our stashes from our spouses, messy dining room tables, underfed husbands who allow us to sew instead of cook dinner ( He wanted to order pizza anyway), the need for more then one sewing machine.... just in case. We all look at the map of our local and not so local shop hops one page at a time. We know the very real struggle of running out of bobbin 5 inches from the end of a project. 
   We are all survivors of the same disease (Notenoughfabricatitis) We all secretly wish that every car came with Stow n' Go seating ( The better to hide your fabric my dear).
   There is no expiration date. If your 96 and you haven't made a quilt in 10 years for what ever reason guess what !:: DING DING DING::You guessed it! You are a quilter! 
   There is no one who gets to take away that badge of honor. There is no prize or trophy for making every single quilt from fabric selection to binding. ( although if it did exist it would be given out by our favorite self appointed people the quilt police and it would be called "The Golden Snoot" Lucky for us no one actually cares what those people think anyway :)  

Please be our friend on Facebook!

Why Do People Send Quilts to Longarm Quilters?

Question: Why do people send quilts out to be quilted.
Answer: Most of my customers 
1.work full time 
2. have health issues 
3.do not have the artistic streak for quilting and are either not capable of the design they want or can't see the design it needs.
4. Enjoy the topping process and want to do another.
5. Are daunted by the idea of quilting or don't care for it.
6.don't have the throat space on their machine for large quilts and don't have time or know how to hand quilt.
7. Listened to the first lady of quilting Ms Eleanor Burns when she said "The best way to finish a quilt is by writing a check" 
Please note laziness isn't on my list. 
It doesn't make you any less of a quilter if you only piece, only quilt, only bind, maybe you only write patterns. There is no award given to people who do all of the above. We are all quilters.
(The self designated quilt police can shove off)
You can find our pricing by clicking the link below! You also probably have many fine quilters near you ! Ask at your Local Quilt Shop!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/HandcartQuiltsYarns?section_id=17024886&ref=shopsection_leftnav_3

Quit Hatin' on Your Local Shops

After reading rude comments about quilt stores and those that own them and the quality they sell. 
My name is Ayn I am a 32 yr old who started a quilt and yarn store from the ground up with my husband Casey. We opened Handcart Quilts and Yarns after moving 90 miles just so that we could afford to properly build a store. It was my passion and my husband who is very mechanically inclined decided that he would fix sewing machines. We work 80-90 hour weeks to make sure that we are offering the best we can to our customers. Our fabric ranges from 5.99-13.99 all of it is quilt shop quality.
( there is a HUGE difference in dye, thread count , weave, etc between my fabric and big box store fabric) our average price is 10.99 and we normally have a sale running for 20% off. I pay my staff better then a big box store and we offer services that they do not. We offer Long arm (Handi-Quilter) quilting, rental and sales. We offer Machine sales (Janome) as well as vintage machines mainly featherweights but you never know what you are going to find. I order each and every bolt with my customer in mind I know that most of my shoppers like 1930's, civil war and batiks so we are heavy on those with a dusting of everything else. We only sell notions that I can give an opinion on because I want to be able to answer questions which means that we have only about 175 notions. We offer classes and host a child's guild. we are raising and building quilters from ages 6-96. We sell yarns that your yarn snob and your thrifty knitter will both love. I am 32 I do not and will not think that I am better then anyone. But I do know that my product is something that I can be proud of. We know that the first quilt our 4 H kids and FFA kids make with us will be in great shape after many washes. I know that the skills they use here will stay with them forever. I will not sit here and listen to people pretend like we are all witches who are in it for the money. If my fabric is marked at $13.00 it's because I paid 6.50 wholesale for it. It's not because I'm looking to get rich. When you buy from me you are paying for my house, my business and the improvements that I will make to both and to my community. Not for some overpaid executive's vacation home. Rant Over

Let's start at the very beginning... it's a very good place to start.

In September I left my job at AccuQuilt. I had learned so very much there and met some truly incredible people while working there.  I fell head over heels in love with quilting while I was there. We were supposed to be able to  quilt every week for 2 hours and toward the end of the time I was there they actually did start teaching classes. Truth be told we were so busy in my dept that those two hours never happened for us so I started coming in early and going into the aptly named AccuQuilt Dream Studio on my lunch breaks. I even started staying late after work so that I could learn enough to speak to my customers. When I started I think I was the only one who had never started a quilt so the need to get a class going was pretty low on the list of things that actually needed to happen.
I may not have received scheduled lessons at AccuQuilt but I did have access to Janome, Babylock, and Bernina seing machines. A Sweet 16  and a Avante' Handi Quilter quilting machines,  oh and EVERY SINGLE DIE AccuQuilt made or ever tested!  you name it and it was there. I will however admit that although I was surrounded by tens of thousands of dollars in quilting supplies the real  prize was the people. I was literally surrounded by people who loved to quilt and create and their passion was contagious.
On Feb 14th 2013 my incredible husband bought me my very first sewing machine.  It was a Hancock Brother machine with a long table and more stitches then I will ever use. It came with all the goodies I would need to free motion quilt and although it was slow  which led to HUGE stitches it helped me finish my first 27 quilts in  9 months.
At the time my husband and I were cutting cost by sharing one car. We still had our farm truck but the gas prices basically kept it in dry dock. Every day we would leave our house in Omaha at  6:30 and Casey would drop me off at AccuQuilt where I would quilt for an hour he would then come and get me after he was done at work in Louisville,NE. Typically around 7:30. Basically I was getting an hour before work, 40 min at lunch and 2.5 hours after work. I started building patterns for Island Batiks  Quilted in Honor and with the help of AccuQuilt I started The Samuel Quilt Project which in less then a year has given quilts to 1200 people affected by natural disasters.  Basically my whole life was wrapped up in quilting. This would have been a good time to join a 12 step program for quilting addicts.
On the September afternoon when I found my self baffled sitting in my car with out a job and fresh out of dry kleenex I had no idea what was going to come next. If you had told me that in less then 3 months I would be moving to Clarinda, IA  and opening a quilt and yarn store I would have never believed you. But that is exactly what happened. It turned out quilting wasn't the only thing that was contagious at AccuQuilt. I had caught a bad case of American Dream Fever and the only cure was an opening day in mid December.

This is partially a story about a quilt shop, it is also partially a love story, and its also a story about the American Dream still being available to those who still want it bad enough. Do you have a dream? What are you doing  to go get it ?