What Size Needle is in Your Sewing Machine Now?

          We are supposed to change our sewing machine needle after every project.  I'm sorry, but if I only stitch a hem and didn't nip a pin, I'm not throwing away that needle.  
           How do I keep up with the size of the needle in my machine?

********************************

                By looking at the picture above, can you tell which needle I have in my machine?   You see that 14 & 18 is missing, so it must be one of them.  Notice the clothes pin on the size 14 package?  That means the size 14 needle is in the machine.

               Now I've taken the 11 needle and put it in the machine.  The clothes pin is now on the package where the size 11 needle use to be.  I also need to get some more size 11 needles.
               I used to try to write the size on a piece of paper, but would lose the paper.  So, I tried taping the paper to the package.  It took time to get the tape.  Paper clip didn't work.  So the big clothes pin works fine and easy to see and find.  

            I suppose if you have a magnifying glass you could read the inscription on the needle.  I can't see it even with my strongest glasses.  I couldn't even get my good camera to focus in on the tiny lettering.
 
            I am embarrassed to say that I don't usually throw a needle away until the machine starts giving me problems such as skipping stitches or tangling or breaking threads.  I can also tell by the sound of the machine as it goes through the fabric and if I see the threads being pulled in the fabric.  Then, it's time to go.  I discard them in a marked pill bottle.

             All pins and needles, industrial or medical, should go in a marked closed container before being put in the trash for safety purposes, both to prevent injury and in the case of medical needles, such as insulin pins, to spread possible infections. 
          

**********************************

Sharing at several Linky Parties.

 

 

Thanks to the FREE programs:

possibly used for this post

GIMP for cropping & other digital effects

 Photoscape for downsizing & watermarking photo

PicMonkey creating collages used on this page

Sunday Best ~ Three Window Beauty

Between Berne, IN & Ohio Hwy 127

************************

PhotoScape used to resize & watermark shots

Free Download @ http://www.photoscape.org/ps/main/index.php 

I've been using this software in place of Photoshop for several years.

Quilt Shot Block #41~ State Fair Caused Pause Longest

@ Kentucky State Fair, 2015

Louisville, KY

 This quilt caused me to pause longer than any quilt in the entire quilt display 

@ this year's KY state fair.

I thought I had viewed about 100 quilts over about a 2 hour period,

 but when researching to find out how many quilts there were, according to this KY State Fair site,  

more than 400 quilts in 50 plus categories had been entered!

After reading that site, I see the judges agreed with me.

This quilt had me almost nose to quilt looking at these stitches.

I thought it was free motioned, quilt as you go by the block.

 Look at how well the designs were matched when the blocks were sewn together.

The designs reminded me of the Zentangle & doodling patterns I've been finding lately.

I was SO impressed with the threads.

The fabric and thread color choices gave just the right contrast when needed.

At one point I thought it looked like a factory produced quilt.

I walked away thinking free motion quilting....WOW!

Finally, after I'd walked half way down the next isle of quilts,

I just about ran over Mr. G going back to look at the tag on the quilt for more info.

The quilt had been machine embroidered!

I had seen machine embroidered quilts, but nothing like this one!

 So finely detailed and well stitched together.....

I agree. It deserved a First Premium Blue ribbon.

Update: After further research, I have found the name of this quilt is  
Jacobean Journey. 
 It was an EmbroidaBlock of the Month by Hoop Sisters.  
You can find more info @ http://www.hoopsisters.com/embroidablock-of-the-month-1/
Be sure to click on the How-To --Video button at the top to see how Jacobean Journey was put together.

*************************

Sharing at several Linky Parties

You MUST check them out for great ideas!

*************** 

  PhotoScape used to resize & watermark shots

Free Download @ http://www.photoscape.org/ps/main/index.php 

I've been using this software in place of Photoshop for several years.

Fri Foto ~ Route 66 Seating

On Route 66 trip- Day 4

Between Wildwood & Springfield, MO

For more on Day 4 go to

http://joysjotsshots.blogspot.com/2013/10/getting-our-kicks-route-66-vaca-day-4.html 

HWY 127 Yd Sale in Ohio: Bag 2

    On a recent post entitled:

HWY 127 Yd Sale in Ohio: Bag 1 

I started showing you what came in a 2$ bag.

The ziplock bag had some jewels. 

Take a look.

 

**************

Crochet pot holders.

Not something that was made overnight.

Double ply.

Small stitches using cotton yarn.

Whipped stitched around the edge AND top stitched by machine.

The blue potholder had a scalloped blanket stitch around the edge.

Notice the double yarn used in the tiny stitches which made for a thick, sturdy potholder.

These potholders had been used, but had no stains.

Lines were perfectly matched.

Notice the color change.

I am using these in my kitchen.

I need to find a use for old aprons. Love the attention to detail in lace and hand embroidery.

I first thought this lace might have been crochet, but I don't think so.

From the machine stitching, I believe it was homemade.

Even though the apron seemed to be well worn & laundered many times, the blue stamping is still there.

I first thought I had a couple of pieces of feed sack cloth, but instead there was roughly 7 yards of vintage fabric.  What should I make from it?

Did I get my money's worth?

See more on this year's World Longest Yard Sale trip
@
WW Change Over TimeMr. G's Shots

Brown Eye Susan 

Bag 1
Batting Bag Deal

**********

Sharing at  Linky Parties.
&
http://www.shakentogetherlife.com/2015/08/creativity-unleashed-link-party-august.html
http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/2015/08/show-and-share-no277.html

******************************** 

Thanks to the FREE program:

Photoscape for downsizing & watermarking photo

Wordless Wednesday #135 ~ Roads Traveled

Not too far from home

A few more miles farther.

FAR from home on the California coast.

 We've been fortunate to travel lots of roads,

and hope to travel far on many more. 

************************
Sharing at several Linky Parties.
Adding today:

PhotoScape used to resize & watermark shots

Free Download @ http://www.photoscape.org/ps/main/index.php 

I've been using this software in place of Photoshop for several years.

Polly Flinders on the World's Longest Yard Sale

 Found a box of scraps north of Hamilton, OH on Hwy 127.  Again, I was surprised at the price.  After, I bought it and closed up the box, she pointed out it came from Polly Flinders in Cincinnati. My first thought was, "Who is Polly Flinders?" Sounds like a movie akin to "Mary Poppins" or "Molly McPhee."

****************************

               At a glance at the yard sale, fabrics seemed to be scraps from a factory with a couple of good size pieces.

 One of the things I really enJOY doing is to sort a collection of  fabrics at my work space. It's a calming activity for me as I admire the colors and textures of the fabrics and dream of how I can use them.

The white pieces turned out to be in 2 shapes.  It was a heavy textured cotton like one might use for a spring coat or jacket.

               There were actually several pieces more than a yard long (stack on left), and several pieces of 1/4 yd or fat quarters (middle stack). The stack on the right were smaller scrap pieces that up to 5 inch squares can be cut.

Cost?  $3

Soap Box

           I know nothing about brand name clothing.  It never made any difference to me what brand name was on a piece of clothing and never will. I especially never wanted me nor my children to wear an emblem of a brand name to do free advertising for them.  My problem is I look too closely at the construction, and most of the time am let down and wonder why the high price. Then it must be the name that is valuable, but why?  
               A quick research tells me that Polly Flinders was a brand name for dresses, famous for their smocking during the 60's & 70's and sold mostly at Sears.  I see lots of these garments are now sold second hand online and have retained their value or possibly cost more than original price. 

               The 60's & 70's would have been the time I would have been buying my children clothing, however I made all their clothes except for jeans.  We saved aluminum cans, and when I knew we had about $5 worth of cans, I would cash them in and go to Dollar store and buy a $5 pr of jeans. The kids despised the fact they weren't brand name jeans.  Goodwill would have been nice back then.

*******************

See more on this year's World Longest Yard Sale trip
@
WW Change Over TimeMr. G's Shots

Brown Eye Susan 

Bag 1

Bag 2

Batting Bag Deal

********************
Sharing at several Linky Parties.

***************************

  PhotoScape used to resize & watermark shots

Free Download @ http://www.photoscape.org/ps/main/index.php 

I've been using this software in place of Photoshop for several years.

Batting Bag Deal

On the World's Longest Yd Sale (HWY 127) this year,

I grabbed some batting scraps.

Any idea what I paid?

Yd sale tip: take your own shopping bags.

In the future, I will take more pillowcases.

This pillowcase came off the pillow in the car.

There was a variety of low, high loft & cotton, polyester.

Have you guessed what I paid?

               When I first saw the box of scraps, I pulled out a couple of pieces and they were small, but just the right size for me to practice some free motion quilting which I'm trying to learn.  Turns out many pieces were large enough for baby quilts,and there was one piece of white cotton large enough for the backing of a baby quilt.

Now do you have any idea what I paid?  

Actually, that's a trick question because you never know

how much something will cost at a yard sale.

It all depends on how attached the seller is to the merchandise,

or how bad they want to get rid of it but get something for it.

               Another tip: This is the same pile as the picture before. I just happened to have a vacuum bag I used to store some of the batting.

How much?

Scroll down.

*

*

*

*

*

 * 

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

5 whole dollars!

 So, my

Famous last words: "I don't need anything, so

I'm not buying anything on this trip."

 got eaten up again.

Yes, Mr. G & I love yard sale-ing, because

it's like hunting for treasures. 

***************************

See more on this year's World Longest Yard Sale trip
@
WW Change Over TimeMr. G's Shots

Brown Eye Susan 

Bag 1
Bag 2
**************************
Sharing at several Linky Parties
You MUST check them out for great ideas!
*************** 

  PhotoScape used to resize & watermark shots

Free Download @ http://www.photoscape.org/ps/main/index.php 

I've been using this software in place of Photoshop for several years.

Sunday Best ~ HWY 127- Ohio

West Central Ohio on Hwy 127

***********************

Sharing at several Linky Parties

You MUST check them out for great ideas!

*************** 

  PhotoScape used to resize & watermark shots

Free Download @ http://www.photoscape.org/ps/main/index.php 

I've been using this software in place of Photoshop for several years.