The End is Nigh!

This is it! No, not Y2K or 2012 and the world ending crisis. It is the last day to enter the Fall into Fall Blog Hop and win some great prizes. I’ve got three prizes lined up and I am making the draw first thing in the morning tomorrow.

I have to say that I love all the comments I’ve been getting about my posts. I wish I could reply to them all, but I don’t have that kind of time. But let me say, I’ve learned a lot about organization, and am delighted to discover that I’m not the only quilter who works best in a slightly untidy space. What is it that makes it so hard to clean up after myself? Am I just lazy? No, that can’t be it, I’m pretty sure that the mess just inspires me. Well, at least that’s the excuse I am using. Now if only the sweeping fairy would show up and get rid of those dust bunnies for me. Are dust bunnies and endangered species?

Rulers: Just a few words about rulers today. We all have them, they are a vital tool of quilting. Pull out your favorite ruler. Look closely at it. Is it all chipped and dinged? Are the lines fading? Are they gone? Did you drop that ruler on the way to class and chip off a corner? Yikes. You had better consider replacing that old thing. Those missing lines are what help you get accurate cuts and if your edges are rounded, how can you possibly cut correctly. And, tell me how in the world you expect to get a nice clean cut at the corner if you have to pretend that the ruler is not missing a chunk. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.

Ruler care is quite easy really. If you find it is getting a little harder to see the lines, try washing it in nice warm water with a bit of dish soap. Rinse and dry well.

Is it slipping when you try to cut? Try putting some Wonder Tape or Invisigrip on the back to help it adhere to the fabric better. Both of these are thin plastic films that add gription. (Yeah, I know that’s not a word, but I love it anyway.) I’ve tried those little sticky dots and the sandpaper dots, but find that they add gription where they are, but raise the ruler in other places and the fabric can slip where the ruler is not tight against it.

I store my rulers laying flat in the drawer. I have one drawer for big rulers and one drawer for wee rulers. This works well for me as I am not constantly knocking them off the table. Because my studio is always a mess, I find that those ruler stands don’t work well for me. All they do is allow me to knock all the rulers off the desk at once. I have a friend with one and she loves it, but then again her studio is spotless. If you have lots of wall space, consider hanging your rulers on the wall to keep them from getting damaged.

There you have it, ruler care in a nutshell. Keep them clean, unbroken and keep them put away. And don’t forget they break when you drop them, but they shatter when you drop them in extreme cold. Just ask me how I know! And people, if your ruler is trashed, suck it up and go by a new one. Your accuracy can't help but get better.

Think how slow things would be if we were back in the "good old" days of quilting and had to hand trace templates and scissor cut everything. I would NEVER get anything finished.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: How much would would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Best answer gets an extra draw entry.

Fall into Fall

So the blog hop continues. It is great to have you all popping in, and wonderful to hear from new visitors and from old subscribers alike.

Check out the last two postings for September for details on how to enter to win! Fat quarter bundles, patterns and …

Love those fall colors.

Fish Creek Park

Hubby and I try to walk in the local park a couple times every week. I love the fall. I find the pretty colors, the crunching of leaves and the rustle of dry tree branches very peaceful. I’m busy blanket stitching a fall table runner. It is fairly small, but then my coffee table is small. And, I don’t want anything too large on the kitchen table as that just encourages the cats to sleep there.

I finally heard from APQS. The computer boards from my longarm are finally back in the mail. It is only two weeks late. I guess there was some trouble with the servicing of them. But I am glad they are coming back. I’ve got stacks of customer quilts to get finished. The Christmas quilting rush is due to start any day and I want to fit in the projects I finished while the machine was down. I might be putting in some long days in the studio. But, that’s okay. I love my work. It is time consuming, occasionally frustrating, the pay isn’t all that I would like it to be, but I love it. It allows me to be creative, to set my own hours. I can work early or late as I choose. Really, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Tonight I shall hit the studio (after a day of fence building) and work on my fall table runner.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Do you like applique? What is your favorite technique? Hand? Machine? What is your favorite edge stitch method? If you had to choose a season, what season would you choose and what types of things would you applique onto a table runner to celebrate that time of year?

Welcome to the Fall into Fall Blog Hop.

This is your chance to find some great new inspirational quilting blogs and maybe win some prizes. Check out the host site Quilting with Debi (http://www.debiquilts.blogspot.com/). You can do this by clicking on her link, or by clicking the scarecrow picture. On her site, you’ll find a full list of the particiapating blogs. Be sure to check them out. I know I’ll be reading at them all.

As for the contest, I am going to give you at least 3 prizes and 5 ways to win. I’ll add another prize for every 25 entries I receive.

1. Sign up for my blog. (3 entries) If you are already a member and want to enter, make a comment and let me know you have already signed up.
2. Become my friend on face book. When you send your friend request, mention the blog in the comments. Or, after I have accepted your request, tell me that you have entered the contest. (1 entry)
3. Sign up for my mailing list on my pattern website http://www.pinefreckleforest.com/ by sending me an e-mail and mentioning this blog. (2 entries)
4. Comment on my blog. (1 entry)
5. Answer today’s blog question. (2 entries)

Remember that you can receive an entry for each comment you leave so check back tomorrow and comment on tomorrow’s topic.

As for me, I’ve been busy cleaning out my studio. In the interest of making room for new fabric and patterns, I am going to give away some of the patterns I have published, and some that I have purchased and never used (occasionally I like a pattern so much that I accidentally buy two copies.) I’ve got a couple of small fat quarter bundles as well.

With my longarm machine down for maintenance, I’ve found a lot of time for other things. I’ve been finishing up old projects and tidying things up a bit. So far, I’ve finished six UFO’s and spent two days mucking out bins. There is a lot of fabric going to Piecemakers for their charity projects. Piecemakers is the guild I belong to here in Calgary. The guild will make great use of it, and I’ll have space to put things away. Some of the fabric is quite dated, some of it is just small bits great for a scrap quilt and some of it is "what the heck was I thinking" fabric.

It is my goal to only purchase what I need for a fabric, but still I can’t help but purchase wonderful, inspiring fabrics that I see, even if I don’t yet have a use for them. How can I resist those pretty angels and fairies. And I think I’m addicted to Alexander Henry’s nearly naked men. Mmmmmmm. Some day I’ll turn those buff men into a quilt that will give a friend the best dreams she’s ever had.

Today’s question: How often do you clean out your studio or sewing space and what organizational method works best for you? Give me your top five organization tips.

Fall into Fall Quilter Blog Giveaway

I am so excited.

I've joined the Fall into Fall Quilter Blog Giveaway! You really need to check this out. A group of quilting bloggers are getting together to have some great giveaways on their blogs. Its time to do some blog hopping and see what there is out there to see.

It is being hosted by Quilting with Debi (http://www.debiquilts.blogspot.com/). She has a great blog chock full of tips, tidbits and great reading. You should check her out.

As for me, stay tuned for the rules on how to win a prize. I'll be giving away at least two prizes. But you'll have to check back for details on how to enter.

Our little contest starts October 1st and the prizes will be drawn October 15th.

Stay Tuned and Good Luck to you all!

Cath