NeedleCraft Plus/needlecraftplusvolume1.iso/quilt/quiltfa2/qlt9303.15

Text File | 1993-03-15 | 10KB | 180 lines

==============================================================================
 BBS: The Transfer Station
From: BOO!PACBELL.COM!YALE.EDU!    Date: 03-13-93 (20:27)
  To: RON PARKER                 Number: 6166   [3] Internet
Subj: Thimble report             Status: Private
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply-To: PacBell.COM!yale.edu!mahe-marie-christine
From: boo!PacBell.COM!yale.edu!mahe-marie-christine
To: Multiple recipients of list <cornell.edu!quilt>
Subject: Thimble report
Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1993 15:44:35 -0500

Hi quilters,

Williamsburg was an ideal testing ground for me.  I had the motivation
(a very sore finger induced by 8 hrs of quilting in the car on the
way down from NY), and the means:  almost every possible sort of thimble
in our group, and more to be had in the show.  So, even though I'm
a very beginning quilter, I thought the rest of you might like to
hear the results of my scientific experiments.

First, a bit of background.  My grandmother tried to force me to use
an ill-fitting thimble, telling me it was impossible to sew without
one.  So of course I demonstrated she was wrong by sewing 30 years
without ever even owning one.  Part of the problem is that I'm a rather
large and big-boned woman, and that although my fingers aren't quite
as big as Scott or Jim's they're a decidedly non-standard size.
But that first exposure to hand-quilting demonstrated that I needed
to reform my ways, concede a small posthumous victory to my grandmother,
and call technology to the rescue.

What I tried personally was:

- the Nimble Thimble (494 Van Buren, Los Altos CA 94022, $5).
Soft black leather, comes in several sizes, adjusts very nicely to
the finger.  Small metal piece is very well-placed for me, and
allows pushing the needle with abandon.  Open tip for long fingernails
(well, no comment...) gave me the creeps at first, but the leather
over metal combination holds the needle remarkably well.  Very
comfortable, my favorite for the top hand.

- Elizabeth (Poole) had a rubber thimble she got at her favorite store,
that wasn't at any vendor of the show and that I've never seen for sale
anywhere.  It's a pretty classic thimble, except for the rubber which
is in my opinion more comfortable than metal, and with a 45o inclined
top, very deeply ridged.  Great needle control, a bit less breathable
then the Nimble, would have been my first choice if I hadn't discovered
the other.

- Clover ring leather thimbles (3/$3.50), with a hard plastic underlay.  These
are usually sold as one-size-fits-all, which is ridiculous.  The problem
is more likely that buyers don't read Japanese - they come in an
assorted pack of 3 (with a green small, a red medium and a pink large),
or in packs of 3 of the same size.  But most vendors carry only a single
kind, so watch out for the color that suits you (even the largest was a
bit constricting for me).  I liked this one
a lot, it helps to push the needle through thick layers, and is very
breathable and protective, the needle grabs well.  But as I improved
I found that I liked the control given by putting the needle on the
fingertip, which is why I switched.

- Quilter's Finger Wrap (1-800-52KWILT, 4/$1.59) is very strange and fun.  Most
useful for control fanatics who want to be sure to feel everything,
it gives slight protection but is much better than bare skin.
This one is excellent for hard-to-fit fingers, since it's a band
of rubberized fabric that you mold to your finger, kind of like
you'd do with a plaster bandage.  I loved the purple and hot pink colors,
but I personally felt that I needed more protection, a feeling that might
have been induced by my previous injuries :-).

- Dritz finger guard ($1) was a good find.  Easily adjusts to fit, and
provides a nice hard platform to not stick yourself with.  Good for long
fingernails obviously, it's only a ring with a tongue along the bottom of
your finger.  But I found that it cut off feeling more than the other
'hard thimble' varieties, because it's very open it's very breathable
but you don't have the best of control, and since the needle tended to glide
it had the potential for a very painful stick.  Much better than
nothing though, and cheap protection for the bottom hand.

- Quiltmate ($14).  This bizarre metal fan-looking thing would be useless
if you were quilting with a hoop, since it requires the attention of
your full hand, which can't help control the hoop.  But it's great -
if you are using it in some sort of static frame, and can keep your attention
on sliding it back and forth with every stitch, it helps stiches a lot.
I could immediately get about twice as many stitches as with any other
implement, much less bare hands.  Keeps your bottom hand entirely away from
the needle too, and strangely enough you can feel the needle quite well.
An investment, but worth it if you have a frame/standing hoop.

- Magic Quilting Thimble ($5).  The thimble from Mars, this one is
rigid plastic and sports a large ledge that works as the above Quiltmate.
Has a lot of potential, but doesn't really work for me because it
comes in one size and allows for long fingernails.  So try as I might
to cram my poor finger in there (and the hard plastic makes it
quickly hot and painful) I can't get the ridge near the end of my
finger, which gives me lousy control.  Well worth trying for someone
with the standard dainty fingers though, it could help as much as
the Quiltmate and would also function with a hoop.

In the non-thimble but useful accessories, let me sing the praises
of Bag Balm ($4/oz), which had been recommended on the list previously.
it's the only reason why I didn't get septicemia, and why I could
keep quilting past the reasonable limit, it speeds healing tremendously
and lowers pain.  We also found Needles Grabbers (2/$1), little
rubbery disks, to be very helpful in pulling the needle through when
it was stuck.  I'll use them next time I hem jeans or sew upholstery.
Almost all of the above is also available from Keepsake.

That's it, experiment on your own and have fun,
Marie-Christine
[e-mail]


==============================================================================
 BBS: The Transfer Station
From: BPERRY                       Date: 03-14-93 (05:45)
  To: RON PARKER                 Number: 6176   [3] Internet
Subj: Let It Snow, Let It Snow,  Status: Private
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply-To: PacBell.COM!bingsuns.cc.binghamton.edu!bperry (bperry)
From: boo!PacBell.COM!bingsuns.cc.binghamton.edu!bperry (bperry)
To: Multiple recipients of list <cornell.edu!quilt>
Subject: Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!
Date: Sun, 14 Mar 1993 08:34:45 -0500

Hi all,
  Let's hear it from all you snow bound eastern quilters.  Did you spend
your weekend of enforced isolation profitably?  I hope no one was
seriously affected by the weather.  I myself am looking out my window at
periodic white-outs alternating with views of the place my driveway and
front yard used to be.  I think around 2 feet fell with more to come,
but it is hard to tell because of all the drifting.  The kids left the
shovels outside last night.  This was a bad move, because now there is a
drift against the back door and someone (not me) will have to climb
through it to get to the shovels.
  This is what winter should be. I say, if it's going to snow, then let
it SNOW.  I'm tired of this 3-5 inches at a time that you have to knock
off your car and drive through to get to work.  Unless the wind dies
down pretty soon I don't think too many people will be going to work
tomorrow.  I doubt if I will be able to get out of the driveway before
then :-)
  Friday I finally finished the top that I have dubbed Dyslexic's
Nightmare.  It is a 6-patch (or 36-patch depending on how you count).
20 of the 36 squares are two-toned, made from 2 equilateral right
triangles.  There are 4 ways to place this type of square, 3 right and 1
wrong.  I think I tried and ripped out a large number of the 4**20
possible combinations before I got all these blocks right.  At one point
I was sewing two seams for every one that I got right  :-{  A person who
can't reliably print the letter d without printing a b first and then
erasing it should never have tried this design.  Live and Learn!
   Next I did all my mending!  I even sewed a new lining for a coat that
has needed it for 2 years and put elastic thread around the cuffs and
hem of a sweater that was all saggy.  I say this cautiously because I
believe that nature abhors a vacuum.  Soon, probably today, something
will loose a button or something and will appear at my door ready to be
fixed.
   Now I am working on the sashing for my collection of Round Robin
Exchange blocks.  This is going to be a lap quilt made from 12 squares
that I can keep myself warm in during the coming winter months of April
and May.
   Why all this industry?  Well, I have a friend coming to visit next
weekend and we plan an expedition to a quilt fabric shop about an
hour from here (any Elmira NY area people want to meet at the Strawberry
Patch next Saturday, weather permitting?).  I have promised myself not
to start another quilt until I get some of my UFO's under control,
so....I am trying to do that before we go.
  To all my eastern friends, enjoy the snow and take care.  To all you
from sunny California, I'll make a snowman for you...when I can get out
my back door again :-)

Betsy Perry
--
Brian Perry
[e-mail]
SUNY Binghamton, Binghamton NY 13902
School of Management
[phone]