Friday, March 28, 2025

Fun Fri~ Finishing Clell's Quilt Repair


 I started Clell's quilt repair a few weeks ago.
 
I finally got it finished.
Yes, there was a very old quilt inside.
Clell said he didn't know who gave him this quilt,
or anything about the quilt inside.
All he knew is it was very hold.
I'd say by our ages,
the quilt is probably almost a 100 years old
because it was given to him years ago.
It was VERY heavy.



 




The scraps used were curtain scraps.
 
 
 
 



 






 

Ready to be delivered.
 

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Tues Tutorial~ Thread Sketched Doggie Bday Card

It's been a very long time since I've done any Thread Sketching. For the longest time, I have put off the goal of making sketches of my grand dogs for my daughter.
 I finally made a quick one for a birthday card. She had just posted a picture of her beloved McGhee because his adoption day was St. Patrick's day, March 17, thus he was named McGhee. He's a most loving dog, has a lot of patience which has been used to mentor other dogs he has outlived. We all think a lot of McGhee.
Here's how I made the card.
 
 
 
  
*****************
Tuesday Tutorial
******************
 
 
She took this picture to capture the look in his eyes. I could not duplicate that, but here's how I tried.
 
 First I uploaded the chosen picture into the free software program called GIMP. 
 After GIMP is opened:
1. File
2. Open
3. Search for picture you want to use
4. If it asks you to convert, yes.
5. Use the crop tool in the left column to select the area of the picture you want to use.
6. Press enter to complete crop.
7. at Top, Filters, Edge Detection, Edge, ok
8. at Top, Colors, invert, 
9. If you like it, file, save as, choose jpeg
10. Image, print size, choose a size that will fit your card or whatever you're making.
11. Print


A light board helped. The printout was taped to the board.
A heat sensitive pen was used to trace the picture on the fabric.
 


 The fabric was backed with some scrap pieces of 
embroidery stabilizer.


A stitch line was used all around
to old the fabric instead of pins.

To hold the piece under the free motion needle,
I used this glide that I got for about 5 dollars at a second hand store
 last year when I went to Florida.
The small size fit perfectly over this piece.
The underside had rubber grips to hold on to the fabric.
It was very easy for my hands to hold.

Before trimming threads.

I decided to add another line to the jaw to make the snout broader.
Can you see the difference between the two above?



Then I decided to make a cloth envelope,
since I would be able to hand it to her.
In the picture below,
you can see the practice piece I first did.
I stuck that in the card too.



Just a simple fold over.




Shared at the following Linkies:
Sum of Their Stories Handmade Monday
A Stroll Thru Life769th Inspire Me Tuesday

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Tues Tutorial~ Half Square Triangle with Folded Corner Ruler

 When I bought this ruler about 6 years ago as a souvenir for our trip to Branson, I wasn't sure at all how to use it. The shop keeper was a good sales lady. She simply got me excited by telling me it would save so much time in making half square triangles. I was busy and in a hurry to get on down the road. The only question in my mind was, "How did you fold corners to make half square triangles?" When I got home, it went straight into the drawer, because I was making HSTs at the time. 
 
Recently, I have learned how to use this ruler.
 
 
 
 
 
 

 First, you cut the width of strips that your HST is to be unfinished. So if I want a 2.5 inch HST, cut a strip 2.5 wide. Really no calculating required. That's quick. 
(I got a new mini ruler at a local quilt shop close out sale.  So I had to try it out with scraps.)

 
The sales lady was going to show me how to use it, but I just didn't have time. I told her I'd read the instructions. So months later, I pulled out the directions, read the first lines and told myself, that's not a short cut if I'm still drawing lines and the ruler is just used to cut. So I stashed it away and thought, "waste of money."
During the past week of my many hours of You Tube watching, I came across someone demonstrating how to use a popular brand name corner clipper ruler like this one.  Then the light bulb came on. Thought I'd give it a try.
First trim off the selvage edges to make a right angle straight edge. 
Align the bottom of the ruler along the bottom straight edge.


 Flip the ruler around, 
line up on the 2.5 inch line along the bottom edge of the strip.
Be sure to square the line going up the cut edge you just made (on right).
 The top flat edge also goes along the edge of the strip.
 Notice, NO PENCIL line is drawn.

 Then the clipped corners the ruler helped make,
 guide you in sewing the quarter inch seam
 using your favorite quarter inch foot or
 guide on your machine.
Then something that saves more time,
 is the fact you don't have to trim 
if you cut accurately and 
sewed the seam accurately.
 

Of course I can't throw away the scraps. 
They had to become a smaller HST for the scrap box.
 

The little one did take longer because I had to trim.

 So there is another HST technique to add to the 

Pieced Half Square Triangles Resources

I still don't understand why it's called
"Folded Corner"?
I never folded a corner?