Harbor Freight Tools!!

Today I reluctantly went with my DBF to a tool store called Harbor Freight....  All I can say is Wow - What great prices!  I found some wonderful "Quilting" Tools!!

Painter Tape - $3.49
LED Magnetic Head Lamp $4.99  - I can wear it on my head or place it on the head of the machine with with magnet. I'll let you know how works out. 
Ceramic Block Magnet set $1.49 - Hold my hand sewing needles

Round Magnet - $3.99 - Hold my quilt pins. I used a small metal pet bowl and the round Magnet on the bottom.

Pins in Bowl

Magnet on the bottom

Pick Set - $3.99 - I will use these to remove quilting stitches, but they are super pointy! So I know I will have to be careful with these.







Orange Suction Cup -$ 3.29 - To hold ruler in place








Vacuum Attachments - $8.99  (plus used a 20% off coupon)!!- I have been looking for something like this, but didn't want to pay too much for it. I can use my regular vacuum to remove dust and lint from my machine!! Yes!

Telescoping Magnet Wand - $4.99


One pass under my sewing table and look at all the pins!  And I swept under there today! How did I miss them??



Cutting Scissors 14 in - $3.99
The true length of the blade is about 81/2 inches.  Cuts the batting nice and straight!  What a find!!

Grand Total:  About $35.


One thing I forgot to look for were rotary blades. 


I also found this Sewing Basket at a Yard Sale for $5!!  I am going to remove the handle because it gets in the way when you swing the draws open.  Love it!

Lone Star

I finally had time to add the border on the Lone Star Quilt....

Now to put together the Dinosaur Quilt.

A Fellow Quilter /Machine Embroiderer

~ My Quilting Journey ~ 

I received a message from Mary today who said she was excited to meet a fellow quilter/machine embroiderer! I started to laugh because my Quilting Journey started with a Mouse.

 Up until about 8 years ago I was strictly a home sewer.  I loved making slip covers, curtains, clothing, pillows that sort of thing. The sewing bug would come and go depending on if I got bored with my decor.

I was also a very physically active person loving the outdoors: biking, rollerblading, swimming, camping.  While at work (I was coaching gymnastics) I suffered a very serious neck injury and needed spinal surgery.   I was in a neck brace for over 5 months and physical activity was out of the question!! Needing to find something to do with my time at home I turned to sewing.

My daughter was very young at the time and loved Mickey Mouse and anything Disney! I saw a Brother / Disney embroidery machine for sale at WalMart and thought “Hey, I can do that”!  I can put all the Disney characters on her clothing. Well…………. I had no idea what I was doing and I ruined more shirts than I like to admit too!  Mickey & Friends weren’t  looking so good. 

I found a small sewing store inside JoAnn that gave lessons on machine embroidery. I joined their embroidery club and loved it.  I had a wonderful teacher named Dorothy.  Not only was she my teacher, but I am proud to say she will be my lifelong friend!   She was very supportive and kept encouraging me to take a quilting class.  I was a little apprehensive having never having quilted before, but I took the beginner class and was hooked!  I have been quilting ever since! As the saying goes "It all started with a Mouse!! "


Here are just a few of my machine embroidered quilts. 

 Jenny Haskins ~ Beyond The Color Purple

 Center Block

Orchids and Roses

February's Free Motion Quilt Challenge - Feathers


February FMQ Tutorial, by Diane Gaudynski “Echo Feather Plume”


I love feathers but I haven't mastered  quilting them ....  Yet.... that is.....  LOL.

For me, mastering the paisley shape is the hardest thing to do. But then as a child I could never draw a good looking heart.  I drew pages of paisley shapes and practice feathers in my sketch book. One day I will get good at it.   

Sketching these were fun, because I really didn't have an idea 
in mind, I just doodled.  


I did the free motion on my DM. 

The feather below I quilted on my my quilting frame during the summer.  I was really happy with it, but it's not great.... but 

Even though its not perfect it still received a blue ribbon.  It was a Queen Size Kit from Connecting Threads called "Wildflower Quilt"  

Moving Along

Dinosaur Quilt

I finished embroidering my dinosaurs.  Aren't they cute? The designs are by Anita Goodesign.  

While these cute designs were sewing out I was busy making the Lone Star Quilt.

Lone Star Quilt

Never having made a Lone Star Quilt before I was kind of at a loss.  So I went on You Tube and found a wonderful video.  I was kind of hesitant at first, because it was a paid lesson.  It was GREAT! 

The name of the DVD / Video lesson was Jan Krentz Teaches You to Make a Lone Star Quilt.  It was a 72 hour rental... only for $3.99.  Well worth the price.  Its about a hour and half long. You can find it here at: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3klJB7PRts&noredirect=1

I used Jan's method through the whole process.

I cut my strips and sewed the strip set pieces together.

Each set was cut into individual strips.

Then sewn into a diamond shape. 

Following Jan Krentz's instructions, I made a smaller diamond shape to use as a guide. I cut out small diamonds out of scraps and used a glue stick to make the template.  I then numbered each strip so I wouldn't make a mistake while sewing the diamonds together. The smaller piece is used to help line up proper placement while pinning the strip sets. 

Here is my completed diamond.  Perfect points!!! 

I then blocked each diamond set.

And here is the center block! All I can say is Wow... It was very easy. Great instructions.  Can't wait till its finished.