one quilty thing leads to another, or is it just CAD?

I found this really cute book while browsing blogs:
 

 I'm sure many of you have already seen it because when I went to Lori Holt's blog,
"Bee In My Bonnet"...I found out that there was already a wonderful Quilty Fun
sew along that's been going on for quite a few weeks.  But, you can still visit and
see all that has been going on.  I would, if I were you!  It's quite quilt-inspirational!

Then, I decided to stroll (um...er...shop?) on over to the Fat Quarter shop to see if
there were any of those cute fabrics of Lori's. LOW and BEhold! yep there shore
were...this is one of my FAVs...aren't the retro clocks cute?  And they have them in
more colorways too...oh...and, with more cute coordinates!

 

Then...I went to Jolly Jabber YouTube of Lori Holt...
It's when they visited her here in Utah.  Oh! more darling things, ideas and instructions. 

Next?...well, I'm off to the actual YouTube place looking for more Lori Holt
instructional and ideaVideos. Wow...lots more Lori Holt videos there! One of them
got me shifting tracks (yes, again!) from YouTube...to...

...searching for a sewing machine template called the Angler2.  Click here
to watch Lori's great video on how to get an exact quarter inch.  Over the years
(40 some odd), I've not had to terribly-hard of a time, sewing the quilter's quarter.
But, this looked like a fun and easy way to be even more accurate. 

Digging through drawers in my sewing room for about 30 minutes
like a dog looking for last weeks year's bone,  I found that sweet leeetle template:



After reviewing the video a couple of times, I figured a way to use glue-stick,
(I didn't have any of those special tacky thingies mentioned in the video) the
template tightly/accurately to my machine's slide on table.  Picking out a few
scraps from my bin, I lined the sides together and began to sew the quarter inch
seam using the Angler2 guide.  It lined up perfectly with the template, my
presser foot, and needle.  ~~except   =(

~~except... and, this is no fault of the template or Lori's instructions -
But, my sewing machine has a throat plate with a 9mm opening for decorative
stitches.  If I line up my fabric so that the perfect quarter inch is created with
this template, only one feed dog is working with the presser foot to feed the
fabric thru.  I find that I need to move the needle position to the right so that I
can move the edge of my fabric over to the side of the presser foot.  This makes
it so that both feed dogs are evenly helping the presser foot.  My machine just
likes it better this way. 

For me, this template doesn't work as well for the 1/4"...on my machine.  It's
very possible that it would work really good, on yours.  It was SUPER nice to
have that line to follow before it went to the needle. It would definitely be worth
your while to check out her video about the Angler2.  And, while you are there.
you might find quite a few other fun ones of Lori's!

 Now...I'm bummed.  =( 

Oh, wait.  A sad thought was leading to creative thought.

I could create my own line on the machine's table so that I could have my
own guide line when the needle position was moved to my machine's sweet
(1/4") spot.   This thinking leads to more household searching...I'm again a
dog on a hunt for a "bone".  I need a tape that is reposition-able and quite
flexible.  I didn't want painter's tape because it was the "wrong" color...
(blue...nope-nope-nope...my machine is white with a red face/black lettering).
Duck tape won't work...to harsh of a sticky-ness. 

Yep, more searching...upstairs, downstairs, leads to a search in the garage. 
That leads to searching in the Laundry room cupboard.  I found it...in the
cupboard! The black electrical tape.  Being very flexible and black (this was
a good color), it was also reposition able without leaving any residue.

Here is what I came up with:

 

I used a silver inked Sharpie to write on the electrical tape.  I made it so I can still

slide my table on and off, as well as, take off the throat plate.  I layered the electrical

tape in front of the needle 4 times.  That way I had a ridge to run the fabric along. 

 

Maybe you've already seen something like this?  I think I have...sometime,

somewhere. I just didn't remember the details on what they used to create the line. 

But, this works great for me!  We'll see if my fickle sewing heart will still be

doing the "happy dance" about this idea...a few weeks down the road.  =P

 

It's your turn  - 

It would be awesome to hear your ideas/methods for getting that "perfect" 1/4"

quilter's seam allowance. You, most likely, have even MOE BUDDER ideas

than the one I shared! 

 

WELL, that certainly was a trip down the "CAD" lane...meandering through blogs,

and YouTube videos, etc.  You might be asking just what IS "CAD"???

---it's Crafter's Attention Deficit.  =P  I don't think any of YOU would ever get

that sort of disease, right?

 

This really is such a fun book! I went right to Lori's etsy site and

purchased one!  I can visualize many ideas for all these cute quilt blocks

that she's designed. 

 

It's such a great book...what about a...

 

...GIVEAWAY?  an autographed copy??

 

Yes?  okay...here is what you would need to do to enter:

 

1) please click on this link to visit where it all started and

see all of the PDFs for the different week's blocks

 

2) and/or visit Lori's blog for week 13 click HERE

I know it's a bit into the activities.  But, there are still

quite a few fun things in store.  You can read older

posts on the the blog for previous week's quilt along

info

 

3) come back here and leave a comment about some of

the fun things you saw!

 

**Only leave one comment, thanks =)

 

Entries will close -

February 21st...Friday mid-night, mountain time.