How Often Do You...

Change your sewing machine needle?

Have you ever experienced a popping noise when sewing? You know that

pop pop pop of the needle as it tries to push it's way through your fabric.

Your very dull needle is asking your machine to work double-time stabbing

your beautiful fabric over and over, shredding the fibers and hacking at the thread.

Does this sound awful?

Don't believe me?

Check out this picture...

photo courtesy Schmetzneedles.com/blog

Over on the Schmetz Needle blog I came across this post and

I love what Rhonda says at the end of the post...

CHANGE YOUR NEEDLE

I change my needle after each big project or every two bobbins. I can

hear when I've waited too long to change my needle so I came up with the bobbin

rule so I don't over work my machine or damage my fabric. Needles are inexpensive, machine repair is not...so be kind to your machine and change your needle.

Until Next Time

Be Kind

Kelly Ann

Wordless Wednesday

Until Next Time

Be Kind

Kelly Ann

Throwback Thursday

Circa 1979

And YES I still use it...

Until Next Time

Be Kind

Kelly Ann

Wordless Wednesday

Until Next Time

Be Kind

Kelly Ann

Martha Stewart to the Rescue

Several years ago ... and I mean several ... I was watching the Martha Stewart show, the pre going to jail Martha. She was talking about pressing clothes and she would mist all the laundry that needed to be pressed with water and placed it in basket and pulled it out one by one. The idea was that the water would soften the wrinkles and make the whole pressing easier. 

So I got to thinking...if this worked for clothes why not quilt fabric. You know when you purchase fabric at your local quilt shop and they take great care in folding your fabric, you bring it home and it sits on your cutting table for awhile and you go to use it and it's loaded with creases? And even with steam you have hard time getting the wrinkles and creases out, even using Best Press there is still a hint of wrinkle. 

I grab my water bottle and go to spraying...

see all the creases?

I laid each fat quarter on the ironing board and heavily sprayed each one, layer them as I sprayed. I rolled them and let them sit for 10 minutes. I then pressed each fat quarter separately and laid them on my cutting table to be sliced up for a mystery project I'm working on.

So you tell me...does this work?

I often take yardage and spray the center fold with water and let it sit, or if I've pre-washed fabric and it's loaded with wrinkles from the dryer I give it a good spritz before I press.

So...what do you think...do you think you'll give this a try? 

Let me know if it works for you

Until Next Time

Be Kind

Kelly Ann

Spring

SPRING...

There are several images that come to mind when I read that word...

google.com/images

I love springs, the rustier the better...what do I do with them? nothing but one day

I will find the coolest thing on Pinterest and there will be no stopping me.

Another image that comes to mind is what most people think of...

 google.com/images

We all love the beauty that spring brings..the bright flowers and greens that pop

out after winter. I'm super excited to be out in the yard this year because it's

been a very long and cold winter here...and I mean...loooonnnnnggggg and 

COOOOLLLLLDDDDDDD...

One image that pops into my mind that I do NOT like...

google.com/images

Springing the clocks forward...Why can't they just leave the time alone?

I do love the days being lighter in the afternoon when I leave the shop but

losing that hour of sleep...I just do NOT like it. And to make matters worse this year

there is still snow on the ground as we do push our clocks ahead by one hour. 

So here is your public service reminder...

Move your clocks ahead by one hour before you go to bed on Saturday night...

change the batteries in your smoke alarm

and pull out those flip-flops because after all

Spring starts the season of

FREEING THE TOES!

Until Next Time

Be Kind

Kelly Ann 

Throwback Thursday

My first quilt

Until Next Time

Be Kind

Kelly Ann

Wordless Wednesday is Back

'nuff said...

Until Next Time

Be Kind

Kelly Ann