Tuesday Night Fun!

I love Underground Railroad Club - everyone is working on different projects and we all just ooh and aaah over each other's work.  I was busy putting the finishing touches on my Challenge quilt for the guild meeting (Wednesday Feb 10th - tonight actually) and I definitely got the approval from the girls.  They actually helped with the binding.....

Cheryl was busy handpiecing and this is one of her blocks....I can't wait to see this quilt finished....

Annadel is busy working on this masterpiece.......which I beleive is almost completed....

Laurissa was doing applique - I didn't get a picture but it's her own design and it's absolutely gorgeous!  She got a few tips on stem stitch and she's almost done now......  Fiona had her monochromatic quilt blocks which are all different sizes and she is now piecing it all together - again no picture ( Whaaaat!  I was busy quilting for a change! - Next time I promise!)

Rosemarie is working on her Underground Railroad Quilt (the Eleanor Burns version I believe) and it really is gorgeous!  I love her fabric choices.....

Here's a close up of the block.....

I finally got pictures of some more of my Farmer's Wife blocks - here's Block #6 -  these fabrics were from the store - one I used in Block # 2 already.

This is Block #9 - both of these fabrics cames from my stash.

....and the last one for tonight is Block #11 - both fabrics are from the store.  The plan of course is to use similar fabrics to the ones in the original quilt and I am really having fun doing this.

The unfortunate thing is, due to other "quilting" priorities I have had to put this project aside temporarily (which I knew would happen) but I do intend to address these priorities quickly so I can get back to this.....

Last Tuesday I had meant to share a Tip of The Week with you but alas, other things got in the way so here is a great tip from Barb, who really did some research here:

TIP OF THE WEEK

Tips for avoiding marking heartbreak.

As most quilters are aware, no one has yet invented the perfect pen/pencil for marking quilting designs.  The person who can do this will no doubt become a millionaire!

So here are a few tips for you to consider when selecting and using marking devices.

ALWAYS test your marking pen/pencil on some scraps of fabric that you used in the quilt to be marked.  It is recommended to use the lightest colour marker that will show on your quilt top and apply with the lightest possible pressure on the pen/pencil.  If using chalk markers, ensure that the drawn lines don't brush off so easily that manipulating the project during the quilting process removes all your lines before you get to them.

If possible, leave your test pieces for a few days or longer before removing the markings.  We know they will likely be there for awhile as the project is worked on and it would be nice to know that they will stay on and also come off once the project is complete.

The next step is to remove the markings according to the manufacturers directions - steam, fabric eraser, washing, brushing off, etc.  Many things can affect these results.  The weight of the drawn lines (the pressure you used), the colour of the marker you used, and whether any heat was applied (as in ironing over the marks).

There are no definite answers in the mine field of quilt marking.  Although doing all that testing is tedious, it is worth it to avoud the heartbreak of markings that you can't remove after hand quilting that queen size bed quilt!

At Cock A Doodle Quilts we endeavour to "test drive" any markers we are considering stocking in the store.  If you have a favourite one we don't carry, we'd love to hear from you.  And conversely, if you have one that you feel was not good, we'd like to know your experience with that as well.  Just leave a comment here on the Blog or send us an e-mail.

Hope you are enjoying these tips and I do hope to have something to share at least once a week....in the meantime I am off to quilt!

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann