Time for another, Tools Tuesday . . .

Today's tool is the Quilt Ruler Connector made by Guidelines 4 Quilting.

This is another one of those gadgets that I bought at a quilt show after seeing a demo, brought home, threw in my drawer, then forgot about.

But after getting it out and playing around with it today, I think it's a gadget I'll use again.  The purpose of this tool is to connect your rulers to make them bigger or longer.  For my test I connected a 6 1/2" x 18 1/2" ruler to a 6 1/2" x 12 1/2" ruler to make a 6 1/2" by 31" ruler!

It's very easy to connect the rulers.  First I aligned the alignment tabs and the lip edge on the edge of the first ruler. Once it was snugly in place I pressed down on the suction cups.  Then I slid the edge of the second ruler up against the first ruler, making sure it was also against the lip edge, then pressed down on the other two suction cups.

Once the connector is connected it is very sturdy and snug.

That's all it took to make this looooong ruler.

It was also easy to pick up and move around without falling apart.  And it stayed together just fine when I cut some fabric.  I was careful as I ran my rotary cutter next to the edge where the rulers were connected, but my cutter didn't catch or stop around that area.

I remember when I bought this thing thinking this would be a good gadget to take to class or a retreat, where you could take smaller rulers that are easy to pack and turn them into bigger rulers with this connector.  It's also great for making super long rulers for trimming the sides of quilts or borders.

It runs around $10, I think this is a keeper, it's going back into my tools drawer.

Added later:  

Jackie asked if this connecter could make two rulers wider as well as longer, and the answer is yes.  Here I have a 4 1/2" x 12 1/2" ruler and a 6 1/2" x 12 1/2".

And here they are connected to make a 11" x 12 1/2" ruler.

The width is exactly 11 inches, no space was added by using the connector.

Additionally, you can use more that one connector to make a wider and longer ruler.  The link to Guidelines that I provided above shows how to connect the connector and different combinations for using the connector.  It's a great resource for this tool.  And finally, you can also connect your rulers to make a corner square ruler (thanks Jean(i.e.)).

Here's another ruler I own that I'm curious about and thought I would do a little checking on before I spent a half a day trying to figure out how to use it.  It's a ruler to make pineapple blocks.  I bought it years ago because I've been wanting to make a pineapple quilt for years.  The companion book for this ruler has amazing pineapple quilt patterns and was worth the price alone.  I bought the ruler and book at a quilt show as a set.

Now that I've been sewing for awhile, I've figured out there are several ways to make pineapple quilts, you can paper piece them, sew and trim using a regular ruler, and sew and trim using a specialty ruler, like this one made by Possibilities.  

This sort of reminds me of piecing a log cabin block, and there are speciality rulers for that, but I've gotten along fine piecing my log cabin blocks without them.

Have you made a pineapple quilt, what method did you use?  Does anyone have any experience with this ruler?  It's sort of hard for me to use and rate this ruler when I've never made a pineapple block using any method!

Thanks!

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Summer of Fun Recap.. .

So, on June 20th I blogged about my idea of a stress free summer of sewing, set a few goals, named it "The Summer of Fun",  and topped things off with a yoyo guessing contest.  Since summer is officially over at my house I thought I would do a little Summer of Fun recap post.

Here are the goals that I set but didn't accomplish, at all -

*Hexies - I didn't make a single flower, didn't even get one piece out of the neat little travel bag that I organized to make making Hexies easier.

*Memories of Province - I didn't touch this project box all summer, but now that Northern Lights is done this is my next BOM Rehab project.

So that's it as far as goals that didn't get any attention at all, not so bad!

Here are the goals that I set and made some progress with, in some cases, very little progress!

*Farmers Wife - I'm sticking with my earlier decision to make a wall hanging, not a full size quilt, and I did get out the book and select  a stack of blocks that I thought I could easily shrink down to  4 inches, so I'm ready to make some blocks, but didn't manage to make any this summer.

*Minick and Simpson, my goal was to make something using my my Minick & Simpson stash,  my attempt at making Free Spirit Medley using that fabric was my biggest disappointment of the summer.  It wasn't fun, and did not look at all like I thought it would.  But I learned a few things, mainly that the busy Free Spirit Medely pattern needed simpler fabric with a smaller print.  I'm thinking I may give this pattern another go using Old Glory Gatherings by Primitive Gatherings for Moda.  I also learned that just because a fabric is in a fat quarter bundle, you don't have to use it! This isn't the end of the story for that pattern or that fabric.

*Tools Drawer - My goal was to clean out my drawer (check) and to figure out how to use the tools in that drawer that I didn't understand how to use or had never used.  I think I have 4 tools left that I need to research and determine their fate as a keeper or a loser.

*YoYos - my goal was to make as many as I could, I made 27!  That definitely wasn't as many as I could make, I intend to make more and fill that vase, sometime!  Amy guessed 128 and wins the contest, even though she was off by more than 100, but that was soooooo much closer than so many of you!  Amy drop me an email so we can discuss your layer cake choice at cupcakesndaisies@gmail.com.

Here are the goals that I set and accomplished!

*I made my sewing machine cover!

*I made Spools and to add to the fun some of you made one too!

*I finished Northern Lights, meeting this goal, after sitting on on those BOM packages for years made me very happy.

* I made my summer Schnibbles; Leap Year for June, Hubbel/Hubble for July, and Dimestore for August.

So that's it for the goals I set, but I also accomplished some things that I didn't even think about way back in June:

*I organized my thread!

* I learned to work with wool!

* I met Paula Barnes from Bonnie Blue Quilts!

* I visited the Temecula Quilt Company!

* Had a grand old time at the Buggy Barn!

And that my friends is how I spent my Summer!  Whew, I think I'm done setting goals for this year, whatever I do, that's what I get done.  But it sure was a summer of fun for me, thanks for following along!  And after reading your comments from last week, I'm happy you had a summer of fun too.  

What do you think, should we do it again next year?

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A few winners . . . . . .

I found a winner for my thread storage dilemma!

I got so many great suggestions it took a few days to research them all so I could make my decision.  I thought it would be easier and cut down on my options if I could decide if I wanted to store my thread standing up or laying down.  I decided I wanted to store my thread laying down on its side, so I could see all the colors and more of each color.  I figured it would be easier to match my thread to my project storing them that way.

So once I decided that I wanted to store my thread on its side, I then needed to decide if I wanted to store the thread individually in compartments, or side by side with no dividers.  I went with the compartments because I thought it would be easier to keep things neat removing and replacing the thread if they were in compartments.

So then all I needed to do was find some sort of storage device that had compartments big enough for my thread to lay on its side.

Based on some of the suggestions I received, I was prepared to look at a sporting goods stores tackle boxes, storage containers at Target and Staples, and Toys R Us, for those car boxes.  However my first stop was JoAnn's, and it was my last stop.

Here is the container I chose, the Creative Options Double Sided Thread Organizer.

Each box has 46 compartments, a handle, and opens from both sides.

Not only does my thread fit in these compartments, I'm able to also store any bobbin thread that I may have from that same thread in the same compartment.

I decided to sort my thread by color only. There are different types of thread within each color, for example my brown cotton thread and brown silk thread are by each other, I don't have a silk section and a cotton section.  I figured I would look for thread based on my color need first, then decide if I needed a specific type of thread.

For right now I can get by with just two boxes, that fit very nicely in my closet.

These containers are currently 40% off and run $8.99 each!  Click here for details.

It sure makes me happy to have that mess cleaned up!

Another winner, 246 folks stopped by to tell us about their Summer of Fun, wow, thanks!  I'm glad I picked a such a popular give-away.  We were a busy group this summer, when we weren't sewing we were traveling near and far, moving up to a bigger house, moving down to a smaller house, or enjoying a variety of outdoor activities.  But the most popular theme in the comments was the fun we had spending time with family, me included.  

And the winner of the Buggy Barn kit is Janelle who left this comment,

 "I've been enjoying a fairly laid back summer. One memorable night though was sitting in our yard watching an amazing lightning storm with my husband. We don't get a lot of lightning where I live in Washington, but this was great, almost like watching fireworks!"  

I can't believe that kit flew to my house only to be shipped back to Washington.  Janelle, I need your mailing address, please send me an email at cupcakesndaisies@gmail.com.

I'm not the only one looking forward to the first Sunday of football!

Enjoy your weekend, we plan to!

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BOM Rehab - Northern Lights, DONE!

So when Sinta started her BOM Rehab, and I took stock of the BOMs that I had on hand, Northern Lights was the one that I wanted to finish the most.  

Northern Lights is a BOM designed by Marti Michell.  I signed up through a quilt shop, collected my monthly blocks and threw them in a project box because I didn't care for the fabric I received, it looked nothing like the fabric in this picture, which I did like.

So with Sinta's encouragement I got the patterns out, selected new fabric and started piecing the blocks.

Here are the blocks, all together.

And here's the finished quilt with the borders.

This quilt looks very different in person than in this picture, between the cloudy skies and the inability of my camera to capture the colors accurately, this quilt looks dull, but believe me, it's not, it's amazing, in a serene and calm sort of way.

I could not be happier with it.  Maybe after it's quilted I'll be able to get a better picture, or maybe you'll just have to stop by my house to see it for yourself!

This is Lifetime Quilt Number 93.

The pattern is Northern Lights by Marti Michell.

The majority of the fabric is by French General for Moda, mainly Lumiere de Noel and some Park Avenue by 3 Sisters for Moda.

It finished at 81" x 105" and has approximately 928 pieces.

Next up, my Memories of Provence BOM, it sure would be nice to have that one done by the end of the year!

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Are you ready for . . . .

Are you ready for some Buggy Barn Quilt Show Pictures?

As if hosting a week of classes isn't enough fun (and work) for the folks at the Buggy Barn, they wrap things up with a quilt show and folk art festival on the weekend.  On Saturday and Sunday, what is normally a farm in the middle wheat fields, is converted into an outdoor exhibit hall.

This is the Buggy Barn Shop, each side covered with quilts.

Here's another barn, also covered in quilts.  That flag at the top of the barn is a quilt!  Doesn't it look just perfect up there!

Clotheslines and fences are also used to display the quilts.

It's something to see in person.  We could not have had a nicer day for an outdoor show.  This show has never been rained out!  Pam and Janet, their families, and the staff at the Buggy Barn, get up at 4 am Saturday morning and start hanging quilts in order to have the quilts on display by 10, when the show opens.  The quilts then come down for the night and they do it all again Sunday.

There was a nice variety quilts made by folks from everywhere.  Out of all the quilt shows I've ever attended this one had the best light and most room.  It was a wonderful change of pace.  I sure hope I get to go back.

And hey, are you ready for some.....FOOTBALL!!

Yes, it's finally here, football in America officially kicks off tonight.   Edy's icecream and Nabisco were nice enough to commemorate the occasion with some nice football themed food that I couldn't resist picking up.  I enjoy most sports but football is by far my favorite.  I root for three teams but enjoy watching almost any team play. And as much as I enjoyed my Summer of Fun, there's nothing like football in the fall to keep me smiling.

What about, are you ready for a  . . . Giveaway  !  

To celebrate the start of football season, and the fact that sometime over the summer I posted my 400th blog post, accumulated over 400 followers, and surpassed 800,000 hits on my blog, AND because I was so busy with my Summer of Fun that I didn't have the time to respond to all my comments but you kept stopping by and commenting, and to give someone who didn't get a taste of the Buggy Barn a little  morsel, 

I'm giving away this kit to make this pattern, Harvest House.  The fabric is from the Buggy Barn's line Harvest House and is full of fall colors, prints and plaids. 

To be eligible to win this pattern and bundle of fabric just leave a comment on today's post telling us what you did this summer that was the most fun.  It can be something as simple as sitting on your porch and watching the fireflies to an amazing trip, to whatever, it was your summer and I'm sure you had some fun.  The contest will close midnight, CDT, September 7th, with the winner announced Saturday, September 8th.  If the United States Post Office will deliver to your address you are eligible to enter.

Finally, thanks for all the wonderful thread storage tips, I'm researching your suggestions and will let you know what I decide when my thread is organized. And thanks also for the 3 or 4 brave souls who admitted to having the same storage system that I have, that just made me smile!

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