DebbieWendt's Blog

I’m in Charleston, SC for the AQS Quilt Week! My booth is set up and ready for the opening of the show tomorrow.  Come say hi and see the demos in booth #1303. There is a clip on the AQS Blog yesterday about my tools and Learning Center session!  Scroll down to find my post.  https://www.facebook.com/AQSonline/

Tips for today will be short and sweet.   I’ve been working on a jelly roll rug!  FUN!  Try out the new “Jelly Roll Jig” it is a great tool for helping fold the batting and strips for sewing.

#1 – Jelly Roll Jig!  at www. hipstitchabq.com (remove spaces)

#2 – Patience is a virtue when sewing jelly roll rug…and Best Press, it is your friend!

The rug photo will have to be next week.  (photo won’t load correctly, bummer!)  I’ll be teaching it at the Blackstone Valley Heritage Quilters Workshop on Dec. 7th.  Won’t you join me?!?

A photo that would load…My new larger Boxy Bag is shown below.  A new favorite with Turtle Hand Batik fabrics.  (they are here at the show as well, hint! hint!)

Boxy Bag D.W.

in quilting,

Debbie

I was pondering what two tips to give today and then I saw that AQS posted the video I did while at the Grand Rapids show last month. So, voila! The tips can be found in the video!

English Paper Piecing (EPP) is a fun and a take along hand project.  I have been sewing Hexies this way for many years as I have written about before.  Enjoy the video!

in quilting,

Debbie

I was in Maine at my Thimble Pleasures Guild’s Getaway this past weekend. I had a wonderful time and got a LOT of piecing done! We were in Kennybunk!  It is a beautiful area with the shore just a short walk up the road for the Franciscan House, where we held the Getaway.  Look at my view one afternoon…

Beach in Maine

And the flowers were still in full bloom!  Walk in the opposite direction and there were wonderful restaurants and cute little shops.  I managed to have lobster two nights!  YUM!

Still in bloom in Maine!

I forgot to pack my thread holder for my large spools.  So, my solution (actually how I usually sew with a large spool) put it on the floor.  It allows the thread to unwind off the spool and not get hung up for smooth sewing.

The floor is my spool pin!

#1 – For large spools of thread, place on the floor and run the thread up to the spool pin and thread as normal!  No thread stand needed.

Another tip…also happened on this trip…When you don’t want to mark with a marker or chalk, try a Hera Marker.  It has a smooth curved edge that will crease the fabric.  Run it along a ruler for a nice straight line to use as a quilting guide.  Quick and easy for cross hatching!  Thank Patty for the use of your project (and hands) for my photos!

Using a Hera Marker

Hera marker and crease it makes!

#2 – Try a Hera Marker when you don’t want to have to remove chalk or fabric marker from your project.  Mark a crease, follow for your quilting line.  NO removal necessary!

I’m already looking forward to my next Getaway next year!  Do you attend Getaways or Retreats?  I sure enjoy them!!

in quilting,

Debbie

Well, a two day drive and two day set up and ready for a four day show. Hello Grand Rapids!!! I’ll be teaching three classes, only one spot left in Twirl-A-Tool. Brilliant Bindings and Hexies and Honeycombs are both sold out!! I’m one happy girl and can’t wait for the show to open. I’m in booth #1021. Come by and say HI! Cheryl and I will be doing demos on Brilliant Bindings and Hex-a-ma-jig and Jr! I managed to get 30+ quilts up in the booth. Loads of eye candy and the tools and patterns to make them!
I’ll post pictures in the next couple days of the booth.

I received a wonderful photo of a Hexie tablerunner from a happy customer!  Sally Cottrell of All Occasions Quilting in Timberlake, NC made this beautiful tablerunner for her new table.  I LOVE it!!  She used Hex-a-ma-jig (Two Halves make a Whole) and these wonderful fall fabrics leftover from another project.  Thank you for sharing Sally!

Hexie Tablerunner by Sally C.

Tips are short and sweet today…
Sweet…#1- pack snacks! Chocolate is preferred and share with your quilty friends!
Short…#2- Don’t be short in cutting strips! Double check that you are straight (at right angles to the fold) when cutting strips for NO “V” cuts. I check to see that I am straight about every fourth or fifth cut.

Straight Cuts!

Check that the fold in at right
angles to the ruler lines!

The strips I cut are for my Brilliant Bindings class, no “V” cuts allowed!

in quilting,

Debbie

So, I begin my tips today with what NOT to do!!!

Warning: this is not for weak stomach, no worries, no blood!

Yep, that would be my thumb. I think I’ve only done this one other time in my 40+ years of sewing. Thank goodness it didn’t go all the way through, only grazed the end of the thumb. Well, it did go through the nail.

Needle through thumbnail

#1 – Always know where your fingers are when sewing!

I never, well until the other night, have my thumb close to the needle. It is always in front of the presser foot. I have no clue what happened, it just happened!

Onto a tip of DO not don’t!

When Squaring a block, be sure it is centered! I teach squaring a block in many of my classes. There are several things to check before you put your cutter to fabric. The photo shows one tip…
know the center measurement of your block. Find the center of the block and place the center measurement on that center point.

Then square around all four sides of the block. It might be necessary to square two sides, rotate the ruler and square the opposite two sides.

#2- Find the center measurement of the block and place it on the center of the block.

If I have a number of blocks with the same measurement, I will draw a circle around the center measurement.  This way my eye goes straight to the middle and it is easier to locate on the ruler.  I use a sharpie to mark center.  It comes off easily with an alcohol wipe!

in quilting,

Debbie