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April 24, 2023
Pandora's box of thread from Crazy Quilter on a Bike!

I'll start with the Virtual Challenge -- I have 10.33 KM to walk today to meet my goal, so that should be EASY!!! 

Here's the quilt of the day, and I'm happy to report that, while it still took a long time to quilt, I started much earlier in the day, so I finished shortly after dinner, and it wasn't a super late night - at least not because of quilting! 

Customer quilt - DONE

This version of Wanderer's Wife has large borders on all sides to fit a queen-sized bed! 

Another large one awaits me today ...

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April 22, 2023
Choosing thread colors for a quilt from Crazy Quilter on a Bike!

What is a FAKE Uber driver, and how to avoid them? 

Here's a quick lesson on Uber. I've become a huge fan of Uber after MUCH coaxing from DH to switch from taxis to Uber. I hated taxis because you have to deal with the money at the end of the ride and how much to tip. 

So Uber does everything on the Uber app, so you don't have to worry about that as they charge your account, which is linked to your credit card. You get a nice detailed receipt, and you can see where you ...

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March 31, 2023
Back to the Pinwheels on Off the Wall Friday from Creations - Quilts, Art, Whatever by Nina-Marie Sayre


 

So does everyone have that one big project that just seems to go on and on with no real end in sight?  My English paper pieced pinwheels is that project.  It's been going on for ...oh I don't know... 13 years now??  I know I started it in a weak moment.  I had finished the 4,200-piece tumbling blocks quilt and thought "Gee I haven't EPP in a while".  What happened if I did an improv EPP using just one shape but played with value.  At that point I never saw an art quilt improvisationally English paper ...

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February 3, 2023
Big Stitch Quilting on Off the Wall Friday from Creations - Quilts, Art, Whatever by Nina-Marie Sayre



WoW!  What a busy week.  When I haven't been working at my day job, I've been working in my studio.  I decided once and for all to get "Rain, Rain" onto my quilting frame.  It all seemed a bit daunting because I haven't taken my frame out since the mid-2000's.  Then out of every task in quilting, basting a quilt is the one that I hate the most! Plus I finally wanted to try out big stitch quilting. So needless to say, I've been putting this off.  

I started with the basting.  I watched a ...

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January 19, 2023
WIP Wednesday #78: What sewing thread to use? How to keep fabric from fraying? from Crafty Gemini

In this episode of WIP Wednesday Vanessa will answer questions that have been submitted by viewers regarding what sewing thread to use for bags, what is a good all purpose sewing thread to have on hand, how to tension top and bobbin threads, and how to keep fabric edges from fraying.

Whether you’re sewing your first project or a seasoned veteran of the craft, having the right information about thread and fabrics is essential. Knowing the difference between types of thread, when to use what type of thread, and how to treat different fabrics can make all the difference ...

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December 15, 2022
Time to lose weight! from Crazy Quilter on a Bike!

It's like the Night before Christmas at my house. All is calm! And I love it! It's super easy to keep all my spaces clean and tidy - trust me, they go through many transformations in a day, and it can look like a disaster, but because everything has a home, it takes mere seconds to put stuff away. And yes, constant refinements will be made as I go along, or I'll unearth something else that needs to be dealt with. It's going to be an ongoing process for years to come.

However, at the rate I ...

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December 13, 2022
Binding quilts! from Crazy Quilter on a Bike!

Things are under control at my house, and it feels great! I'm not sure why every once in a while, there is this mad kerfuffle - I guess it's all a question of having to prep too much stuff for the weekend or something like that. It is UFO weekend and I still have two quilts of my own to quilt and bind, so it's not like I'm out of the woods, but I like being under control. 

It was Monday sewing and I decided it was time to get some quilts bound! OH first I should ...

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December 12, 2022
Sorting threads from Crazy Quilter on a Bike!

Those birds were waiting for snow before they hit the birdfeeders! It was like a switch got turned on, and before I knew it, a pair of cardinals, a woodpecker, and many other smaller birds were feasting away, and I loved watching them. 

Mr. Cardinal


Small birds

Woodpecker


Of course, the girls were excited by the snow and couldn't wait to get outside. Our area hasn't had much snow, and it was like a winter wonderland walking in the morning. Then it stopped snowing, but we haven't seen the sun in a long time! Where is the ...

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November 20, 2022
Hot and cold from Crazy Quilter on a Bike!

So many Advent Calendars -- so little time! Is it next year so I can order one? OK --- so that's pushing time limits a wee bit. But now that I've investigated advent calendars and found out how inexpensive some of them are, compared to the quilting ones -- I want a different one. Maybe I could "cheat" and buy one for myself this year!! No one will know! 

Had great presentations yesterday, and OH - boy -- I should learn to read the instructions. I seem to make things up when I'm sewing, and well -- if it works and it's ...

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November 11, 2022
Done and DONE!! from Crazy Quilter on a Bike!

OK --- so the lawn furniture got put away. Phew -- we can all rest easy now. It wasn't so much the furniture; it was shutting off the tap to the backyard that was the critical thing here. I noticed that DH put one piece in the shed, but it was the largest piece, making it a challenge to get the rest in there. But I managed. And I drained 200 feet of garden hose, and it's all stored away. The deck is mostly swept -- I would have used the leaf blower, but it was at the back of the ...

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November 2, 2022
Getting Hexie With It from Becca's Crazy Projects

I have been working, on and off, on these hexie flowers for close to ten years. It is a great travel project, or something I can do while watching television but I just haven't been working on it all that diligently. Want to see where I was in 2014? Check out this post
I was recently in a teleconference and grabbed my bag and got stitching. 
I managed to finish four of them last week. Slow progress, but not ten years of slow progress. 

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October 31, 2022
Cutting it close! from Crazy Quilter on a Bike!

Oh my --- we seem to be having some PASSIONATE discussions on our Zoom calls lately. Yes -- I am pretty opinionated, and well, some of those discussions come onto the blog, as in the cost of those fabric kits. I have another issue about that, but no time this morning. 

I will say that we are all still friends and have no hard feelings. We did have a great time at the Virtual Retreat, and we met Debbie again, who has walked a Camino! That was exciting, but I didn't want to bore the rest of the group to death ...

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October 14, 2022
Quilty Folk Hand Quilting With Perle Cotton Basics--Part #3 An Enthusiast's Guide to Choosing Thread Color from Quilty Folk

Hand quilting beginners often ask about appropriate thread colors for their projects. How do you know which colors to use or not to use? As always, I defer to the default of doing whatever looks best to YOU. Because that's really the very best barometer for ending up with a finish that you'll love and appreciate. It doesn't matter what I think if you don't end up liking the results! For the purposes of this series though, I will try to explain the 'Quilty Folk' look.

I gain much inspiration by way of viewing antique quilts ...

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July 29, 2022
WonderFil Thread Pt 2 on Off the Wall Friday from Creations - Quilts, Art, Whatever by Nina-Marie Sayre

 


After writing last week's post, I was really excited to try out some of the WonderFil threads I've been collecting.  They have been sending me nice samples for the whole pandemic and I've never gotten around to seeing if they actually worked in my Janome Horizon.  "Work" is defined as easily free motion quilted with little to no fussing or breakage.  I don't know about you but the one thing I HATE is having my thread continually break.  Not only does it annoy me but it ruins the creative flow I have when I quilt.  That ...

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July 15, 2022
Wonderfil Mystery Bundle on Off the Wall Friday from Creations - Quilts, Art, Whatever by Nina-Marie Sayre




Spotlight, Aqua
Okay, I'll admit it.  I'm turning into a thread geek.  I wouldn't say a thread snob but definitely a thread geek! It came on gradually.  I mean in the beginning, we were all taught that you MUST use cotton thread on your quilts because your quilts were made of all cotton.  Through experimentation, I found you could use all sorts of threads while making quilts (the biggest surprise was hand quilting with rayon on my drag around quilt.  It washed and wore fine!)  The more I explored, the more I found exciting new threads to ...

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June 24, 2022
Sewing Room Organization: 7 Practical Thread Storage Ideas from A Quilting Life

Quilting Life Podcast Episode 3 Show Notes featured by Top US Quilting Blog, A Quilting Life

Hello, and happy Friday! Today I’m sharing more on sewing room organization with practical thread storage ideas. I also have a video to share near the end of this post where I walk you through my storage methods and ideas. I hope you’ll enjoy this post and find some inspiration and helps for keeping your […]

The post Sewing Room Organization: 7 Practical Thread Storage Ideas appeared first on A Quilting Life.

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May 17, 2022
Dancing in the rain from Crazy Quilter on a Bike!

It was an exciting morning. I was prepping to leave the house to walk Murphy, and I saw the ominous-looking clouds and grabbed an umbrella. Then I checked the weather app, and it didn't look like we'd get rain for at least an hour. So I left the umbrella in the house, and we were off. 

BRRRR!!!!   It was a tad chilly outside. Can you tell me how we went from HOT to cool overnight? I had shorts on but wasn't going back to change. 

I stopped to take this picture of a beautiful tree in bloom ...

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May 13, 2022
Thread of the Week from Terificreations's Weblog

Twist! A few years ago I hosted a quilted block of the month and now I’ve started with the thread of the week or month depending on what’s going in my immediate world. As you know I love thread, how it holds things together and how it dances over the surface of a quilt. Sometimes… Continue reading Thread of the Week

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April 19, 2022
A winter wonderland from Crazy Quilter on a Bike!

So what happened yesterday? This is April -- the Easter Bunny has already come and gone, and we get this? 


A winter wonderland

Thankfully, the roads and sidewalks are dry this morning, but we do NOT need this snow. The landscapers are supposed to come and open my pond this morning, and I was going to clean up the backyard (from the dogs), and well, I was out when it started to snow. So the yard didn't get cleared. Sigh..................


I'm happy to report that I was able to finish all the quilting on my Cherrywood Challenge with the ...

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April 5, 2022
Aurifil Thread Weight Comparison from Fat Quarter Shop's Jolly Jabber

With so many thread weights on the market, it’s tough to tell which one is perfect for a project! We’re here to help you distinguish between those tricky little spools with some descriptions and up-close stitch comparisons of Aurifil threads.

Selection of Aurifil threads

Print out this post and keep it as a reference sheet in your crafting room, or bookmark it for the next time you’re at a fork in the road when it comes to selecting thread! We have a special week-long sale on all Aurifil threads that starts today! Read on for all the details.

Selection of 80wt Aurifil threads for quilting and embroidery

Aurifil 80wt Thread ...

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