SM Number 25 is a Wrap

The last Stitchin' Mission lesson was at Faith Lutheran Church on Thursday. We had a nice turn-out, though I fear we "lost" a few newbies along the way. However, those who saw lessons through to the finish are just as proud as can be about their quilts, and rightly so! 

Photo thanks to Jim Ridge

Sadly, at least four quilters who made quilts are missing from our group picture.

One of our Rebekahs (helpers) made a "John Deere" quilt using fabrics that had been donated to Stitchin' Mission. When she took the finished quilt to work, to show her co-workers, she was offered money for it! Happily, instead of a quilt, House of Mercy will be getting a $100 donation! I'm sorry we don't have a picture of that quilt.

During show and tell, we saw some beauties - quilts, and quilters!

Co-coordinator, Jeannette

Made by Debra

Made by Debra

Made by Debra

Jane

Crystal 

Betsy

Norma 

Charlotte

Cheryl 

Sarah

Christa 

Mary

Laura

Suzanne

Sara

Susan

Anne

Rachel

Sue

Zane 

Co-coordinator, Peggy

Forty-five quilts were turned in Thursday evening! Temporarily, the quilts were laid across three room partitions.

They made an impressive and colorful display. 

Another 20 quilts are expected to be finished.  

All 60-plus quilts will be hung in the sanctuary at Faith Lutheran Church beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday, November 19. If you're available to help hang quilts, Peggy would appreciate it.

To see the quilts displayed on November 19-20, you're invited to attend one of Faith's three worship services: Saturday at 5 p.m., or Sunday at 8:30 or 10 a.m.

Thank you all for your hard work. You're a blessing, especially to the children at House of Mercy.

Stitchin' Mission #25, Fourth Lesson

Thursday evening's lesson was all about binding. How to:

1. sew together fabric strips

2. press binding

3. machine sew binding to the quilt and make mitered corners by folding the fabric

4. conceal the binding start and stop "in a tent"

5. trim off excess batting and backing

6. and, hand sew binding to the back of the quilt.

A story board visual aid helps students review after the lesson.

Questions?

Tied Up!

One of our newbies emailed to say she was having problems tying her quilt. She was finding it difficult to pull the darning needle, threaded with yarn, through the quilt sandwich.

This is an occasional challenge. The issue isn't always with the thickness of the yarn, it's with the polyester batting. It's not nearly as difficult to pull yarn through cotton as it is through polyester.

Here are a few solutions to this problem:

1/4" to 3/8" stitch length

If you're trying to take a stitch through an intersection (where four blocks meet in a corner), make sure to take the stitch diagonally through the blocks where the seam allowance is not. Feel with your fingertips, to locate the less thick area and stitch through it.

Or, take a tie stitch in the middle of the block where there aren't any seam allowances.

Try pulling on the needle using a "cap snaffler." It's a rubbery type thing used to open jars. Or, use rubber fingers or a thread gripper (found in a sewing store). If all else fails, you can pull the needle with  needle nose pliers. First, wrap the nose tips with duct tape so ridges on the pliers don't damage the needle. 

From top L-R: kitchen "cap snaffler;" thread gripper; needle nose pliers with duct tape on the tips

Instead of using yarn, try using perle cotton. Size #5 or #3 are ideal. Perle cottons come on a ball or a skein.

Red #5 on a ball; green #5 on a skein; gold #3 on a skein

 Size #5 (the top thread) is less thick than size #3 (the bottom thread).

Top light blue size #5; bottom darker blue size #3

If you're still unable to tie, try making a simple sewing machine satin-stitch/short zig-zag stitch in the same places you wanted to put the ties. Be sure to secure the threads by shortening the stitch length before clipping.

I hope this is helpful information! I'm looking forward to seeing some beautiful finished quilts by Nov. 10. Linda

About Quilting

With credit to singer Cathy Miller and QuiltbirdStudio - You Can Quilt That Out