A couple of tips for you today

I was working on my baby quilt ~~ the same one I've done before ~~ and I looked at the rabbit and couldn't decide how to quilt it.  I had taken pictures of the first quilt I did so I took them out and decided that as I quilted each one, I would tape the photos of them to the side of my machine for reference.  I didn't do the exact same thing, but it was pretty dog gone close.

This is my quilting machine.  She doesn't have a name.  Poor thing.

A few weeks ago I did a product review on my new little sewing machine -- Hedwig.  I mentioned that I didn't like the fact that I couldn't use cones of thread on it.  I was purchasing the new thread cone holder from Superior.  I have it.  It's in my hot little hands.  You can buy one like this, which I had at one time, and its no where to be found.  I think I gave it away cause I didn't like it.


You can purchase fancy ones like this, but I can't see the point in it and darn it, they don't come cheap. 







Anyway, this is it.  The cone holder from Superior.  I love it.  I put it together and then put the cone of thread in place, wound the bobbin and started to sew.  By the way, it doesn't take great intelligence to put it together.  Anyone can do it.

It doesn't wiggle.  It doesn't wobble.  It sits there and doesn't make a sound.  You can stand it up, you can lay it down.  It doesn't matter. 

I put it at the back of the machine and brought the thread up over the top and lead the thread through the hooks and tension holder just as if the spool of thread was on the machine.

A perfectly wound bobbin.

Now I can buy cones of thread and I won't be buying thread quite as often.

Last tip.

I was working away on the sewing machine organizers.  That's why the Amish Red thread.  (I love this colour)  I tried something new.  I've said before I use masking tape to mark my stitching lines.  It sure saves time.  I did a line one way and then the other to hold everything in place.  Then I looked at it.  I thought of a pattern I had just used and changed it slightly.  Here it is.

The criss-cross goes right through the middle, then I started to work in one section.  I used one width of tape for the next line of stitching, then I used two widths of tape.  Back to one and then double again.  I rather like the way it turned out.  It's different.  I have to come up with something else for the next one.  I don't want 7 organizers all the same and when you are working on something small you can afford to try new ideas out.

Okay, I'm done.  I tried to photograph the fronts of the organizers but you couldn't see the lines very well,  so I flipped them over.  This photo looks small but you can click on it and it will enlarge.  All of these were marked with masking tape.  It's the easiet way I know of to mark your quilting lines.