I'm not sure how many green blocks I made, but its been fun! Please see everyone's green projects at SoScrappy.
While sewing today Fons & Porter TV program was on. They talked about threads on the back of your project, and using a "spider". I've never heard it called a spider, I've always heard "thread bunny" or "thread mouse". Or leaders and enders. I can't do L&E, I am easily distracted and soon I'm sewing ONLY L&E and not the project I started with.
Its just a scrap of fabric you sew onto when you piece, say at the end of chain piecing. No long threads to trim, your machine doesn't come unthreaded when you sew your next piece. They talked about your finished top back looking "like the inside of a pumpkin after you remove the seeds", all the strings hanging loose. I had never thought about it, I always use a thread mouse and usually there are very few threads that need clipping on the backs of my tops.
I didn't make any goals this week, we finished planting (hurray!) and I am packing for the camper. My Mojos have been working overtime, I started a new project.
Star Struck by Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville.com. Its a free pattern (thank you Bonnie!) I'm using mostly dark blues, lights/shirtings and red as the accent color. It uses 2.5" strips/pieces--I like that. I'd say its making a dent in my blue stash but sadly I don't think a very big one! 240 of the 396 units are made. It will make a great camper project. A good camper project is precut and easy to piece. Mindless to sew. Yup, my kind of project! And setting the blocks together is pretty random mindless too!
The weather is more like April than May. Chilly and raining off and on. But rain is much better than baking and dry.
~Lori~
7 comments:
Enjoy your expedition.
I like the looks of that new project and I imagine it will grow quickly once you move the camper and have lots of evenings to sew.
The leaders/enders idea is one that I think has saved me a ton of time over the years. I always call them crumbs and often it is a little bit left over from a binding strip. Last week though I used some triagles trimmings as my crumbs and now I have a few more HSTs. I really hate seeking out stray threads on my seams so the crumbs are a great time saver.
Your sewing looks nice and that new one will be really striking. You got some beautiful new stash to work with too. Have fun camping.
I use a scrap of fabric, too, but never knew it had a name. Sure saves thread.
No Leaders and Enders projects for me: I tried it once and it became my primary project. ;o)
That new project of yours is one I want to make too. I also agree with you on the rain...except we've had almost 4" since the middle of the week. Wish it could be spread out a little more. My brother was jealous. He lives over between Creighton and Bloomfield and only got .10". I'm ready for a little warmer weather too....tired of listening to the hubby complain about how cold it is! Speaking of packing the camper & camper projects, I have a whole bunch of the little 3" Spools cut....just don't have the camper. LOL They were a project one day in Feb. that I had to spend listening to eight hours worth of Webinars for library continuing education credit. I cut those and 2" squares from a bunch of scraps. Sure made the day go faster and now I have something to sew when I'm in the mood for something that's ready and fairly brainless to do.
I'm at a place where I need pretty mindless projects too. I can almost make Ohio stars on auto pilot now that I've been making them for my RSC this year.
I started with the thread spiders years ago (only I didn't call it that; I don't remember how I referred to it) but now I use leaders and enders. I know what you mean about getting distracted though. I use my L&E for true scraps and scrappy blocks. I just let them pile up until I figure I have enough to pull a quilt top out of them!
LOVE your quilt!! A friend just finished Star Struck. Between your and hers, my bucket list just got a little longer!!
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