Debugging!
I forgot to mention this earlier this week, but I've written up my misadventures in quilt-making here - with some work-in-progress photos that are all probably good examples of bad digital photography. Maybe it was destiny that I procrastinated over writing it up, because now I have an update to add. Ada's run the quilt throught the washer and reported that Stitch Witchery's claim of being washer-proof is a blatant lie - it's un-adhered from the white ribbon! The horror! I have a few, hopefully superior, ideas for fixing it up.
ha ha - you forgot to mention the futon-breaking-milk-spilling incident, leading up to the washing of the quilt... it was total unintentional! Have you thought of inventing a quilt that has the ribbons un-sewn and loopy? (sounds like a band-name, doesn't it?)
I'm thinking of also documenting each step of the ladybug-costume-making process in the thorough way that you did!
Oh. And our washing machine broke last night. Homeownership!
Posted by: ADA | October 23, 2003 at 11:28 PM
The quilt is beautiful! I love the colors and you did a love job of making a stunningly modern quilt. I always think of quilts as grandma mismatched daisys, however your design is something I am definately admiring. Superb!
Posted by: Claudia | October 28, 2003 at 10:31 AM
OK, I promise this is my last comment. But here's a great tip for cutting straight lines on many woven fabrics... rip! I learned this when I had my first sewing lesson at maybe age 8 and was told it is common practice (well, 28 years later it seems that's no longer true).
With quilting cotton, this is especially easy and practical. Wash the fabric and dry it. Lay it flat, measure, snip through the selvedge, and rrrrrip it to the other selvedge, then snip that through. You need to add a smidge of extra measure - not even 1/4 inch -because it won't be as clean an edge as a cut edge, but it will be perfectly straight on the grain.
You will notice at most private fabric stores, they rip any woven fabric that can be ripped (there are some that cannot). I just bought wool for my winter coat last week, and it was ripped instead of cut. The fabric rips completely straight along the grain or perpendicularly to it.
Try it on a long, narrow scrap of cotton.
Of course, I can't just find a url to something like "sewing tips" that talks about ripping. I did a search and was amazed to find there are all these quilters who prefer to have fabric cut instead of ripped. Cutting, unless you painstakingly pull out ONE thread from selvedge to selvedge and cut along the line it leaves, is not going to get you a straight edge in most fabric stores. In my first real "adult" sewing class, at age 12, I think, I learned to pull a thread. And I still do that on some fabrics.
Ripping a fabric that can be ripped will ALWAYS give you a rip straight along the grain of the fabric.
I have no idea why I got into teacher mode on your site today! I hope it's not too annoying! ;)
Posted by: christina | January 22, 2005 at 10:09 PM