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Hang on to your butts and straighten your wedgies

Saturday, August 16th, 2008

Ricky Tims’ Kool Kaleidoscope DVD has arrived at SewThankful.com!

This is Ricky’s 3rd DVD.  If you are a kaleidoscope fan (I AM!), you are going to love this DVD. 

Ricky takes you step-by-step through the process of making an easy, strip-pieced kaleidoscopic quilt that looks anything but easy.  True to Ricky’s dynamic professional and personal style, he makes the process fun and encourages you to make your quilt in your own style while providing helpful hints all along the journey.

A large, color pull-out is included inside the DVD.  It provides printed instructions as well as a video reference guide to make the process even easier.

As a special bonus, Ricky has included an outstanding Kaleidoscope Quilt Music Video.  I’m totally smitten…having watched it several times already…I keep being drawn back to the music and the color and the Kool Kaleidoscopes.

I loved Ricky’s previous DVDs, but I personally think this is the best one yet!

Click here to see this and more Ricky Tims products.

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Posted in Quilts, Ricky Tims, Techniques: Kaleidoscope quilt making | No Comments »

Crazy Curves fans, do you know how to cut 20 FQs FAST?

Friday, July 11th, 2008

Learn Elisa’s easy, accurate and speedy template cutting technique for cutting 20 Fat Quarters (enough for 80 Crazy Curves blocks).

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Posted in Ideas, Quilts, Techniques: speed cutting Crazy Curves blocks, Videos | No Comments »

Want to perfect your quilt piecing?

Friday, May 16th, 2008

Check out this quick video clip on Sally Collin’s “Precision Piecing” DVD from C & T Publishing, available and ON SALE at Sew Thankful:

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Posted in Art Quilts and Art Quilting, Quilt Industry News, Quilt Piecing, Quilts, Videos | Comments Off

Frog Stitch practice…

Monday, May 12th, 2008

As I mentioned in my last post on Panto Progress, I had to spend some time frog stitching (rip it, rip it) because I learned lesson #1 the hard way (NEVER take your eyes off the panto design line…and when you do, make sure your needle is DOWN).

So, learning how to rip the stitching out was a good (notice I didn’t say FUN) experience for me.  I have a new favorite tool…my Superior Snippers.  They are PERFECT for handling this job. The very sharp, fine point is fantastic for getting under those tiny stitches and popping them out (always use care when using a seam ripper or sharp instrument on your quilt top).

FrogStitchingWithSuperiorSnippersHow do I frog stitch? I discovered that “for me” if I just pop about every 5th – 6th stitch and then reach underneath and PULL that bobbin thread out it goes the fastes.  For any straggling top thread bits, I use a lint roller (or a piece of packing tape works great too)…swipe across and they’re gone.  Quick spritz…let it dry and I’m ready to quilt again.

I finished the panto…but changed to a different top thread, a Superior LAVA thread; I used Magna-Glide bobbins on the whole thing…they are AWESOME!  Then I decided to “use” the quilted panto design (my rendition wasn’t that great) and “shadow quilt” over it again from the front (freehand style).  When I ran out of the blue LAVA thread, I decided to test a new thread (it’s the yellow one) which I really like.

Doing freehand quilting over the previously quilted panto design was a great way to practice the controls and movement on both sides of the machine…a sort of 2fer.  Oh yeah…I didn’t like how my points turned out inside the flowers on the panto quilting…so I filled them in with thread.  YAY!

This practice piece is small and very simple (I just used muslin)…but I’ll put a simple binding on it and use it as a lap cover this fall/winter when the weather turns cool again.  It will be fun to pull it out then and see how much I’ve learned over the summer.

Wanna see?

firstPantoPLUS

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Posted in Longarm Quilting Related, Pantograph patterns, Pattern review, Quilts, Superior Thread, Thread | 6 Comments »

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