Episode 163: The Stitch Twerker Episode

Welcome to this archive episode of the Off-Kilter Quilt Podcast (Where a Straight Line’s a State of Mind). My name is Frances, and I’m your hostess.

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bigstarbindBig Star–almost done, but I still have some binding to sew on. Please note threads, tape showing where I need to repair some stitches, etc.

bigstarb&wMoody, black and white Big Star.

 

This week’s links:

The 5 Most Wrong Things People Believe about Quilts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8XvD1rDvVM&feature=share

UNC-TV ran a piece on NC Folk, where I volunteer, Wednesday. It starts around 9:55 :

http://www.unctv.org/content/?hc_location=ufi

An interesting piece on altered quilts from Barbara Brackman’s blog:

http://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2015/04/altered-quilts.html

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

This week’s Save our Story from the Quilt Alliance:

http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/qsos/interview.php?kid=14-31-317        

16 Replies to “Episode 163: The Stitch Twerker Episode”

  1. Thanks for recording near the birdies even if they were a little quiet this time! We have a 10% chance of showers here in L.A. Friday. Woo woo…seriously, such a tease.

    Anyway – I was so glad to be reminded of the Supreme Slider. I forgot I had it and have been free motion quilting lately. It makes a difference.

    That is the way of many gadgets I get. I love them and put them neatly in a drawer and rarely use them – especially the teeny specialty rulers for this and that. For a spatially challenged, non-sensate lefty, I will look at them from time to time and wonder what they do. I have one called the Quilters Quarter Marker – no idea what it does.

    I very much like the Big Star quilt. Have a lovely NC weekend.

  2. The big star quilt looks great! I love the vibrant colors, and the straight line quilting. You were mentioning some of the lines being a bit ‘off kilter’ but I didn’t notice that in the picture. It looks very modern!

  3. Twearker = seam ripper ?

    SUPREME SLIDER …. try taping the edges down with low tack BLUE Painter’s TAPE …. works for me…. My SS got really old and picked up fuzz on the sticky side and that helps secure it into place so it does not shift…. WON’t hurt to try.
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    Back later … pizza is here .. no cooking for me tonight.
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  4. QUILTERS NEWSLETTER …. I went thru mine and tore out the quilt patterns and techniques I liked and put them into a three ring binder…. I KNOW SACRILEGIOUS …. but what I noticed there is very little NEW in the quilting world the majority of techniques quilters of today are dependent on were taught in QN over the years. I really do not need to buy a book because every technique I have ever used can be found in an article in QN.
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  5. Love the quilting on this! Oh man can’t believe you did that with no feed dogs! Stitcher twerker cracked me up and is perfect, you wordsmith you!

  6. Haven’t listened to the episode yet, but I promise I will! Just wanted to say Big Star is looking pretty darn good! I hope the moody picture doesn’t mean it’ll be a moody quilt and bring drama to whomever cuddles up under it.

  7. Now I’ve listened to the episode–woo! And about the Super Slider–if it’s not staying stuck, wipe down the back with water and a (preferably) lint-free towel. All that means is it’s getting dusty. I usually have to wipe mine down every couple of projects, and if it’s a bigger project, I may wipe it down in the middle of the project. All that fabric and batting running around on it build up more lint dust than you’d think. There was something else I was comment on, but I’ve forgotten now (listened yesterday). Meanwhile–bought that Fons and Porter binding tool yet? Really. Honest. Haven’t had an issue with a binding ever since I started using it. 🙂

  8. I am so excited and shocked with all the podcasting you are doing! I got out of the habit when life intervened for you so I am so glad I get an email every time you post. Thanks for taking the time!!!

    I was interested to listen to the first part of your podcast about quilt history and the mail order companies that existed int he 1930s. Somehow something you said coalesced in my mind and correlated that time with now and all of the small quilt designers, Etsy shops and quilt pattern designers. It would be interesting to consider the parallels further. I hope your research has come across Marie Webster. Her biography came out around the time I started quiltmaking and her designs are great. I have the impression that she also did not actually sew quilts — or did it very little. I don’t actually remember and could just be making that up.

    You know what I think makes the Big Star quilt? The orange and the blue. They are across from each other on the color wheel and think you got the tones just right.

    Get yourself a color card for American Made Brands solids. Then you can just order them online. They are not only completely grown, but also completely made in America. I know I sound like some right wing crazy, but I think it saves the environment to have goods not be sent over the ocean in big ships. Since we are in a drought here, our air quality is much worse and I think about those things.

    If you haven’t already done so, you might check Leah Day’s site and see if she has an FAQ for supreme Slider problems. She may have some tips or it may just need some tape! 😉

    I can relate to tie tying. Of course DH has showed him and pre-ties the ties sometimes, but due to organizational deficiencies (we won’t say any more about that), more often than not my Young Man gets out his iPad and plays a YouTube video when he needs to tie a tie.

    I am so thrilled that you got some positive news from AQS. I am wondering if they know you are a writer and have a bunch of books under your belt? Did you send them a resume, etc with the package. I don’t remember you mentioning that.

  9. Girrrrl, you had me laughing at your stitch twerking. I second Jaye’s recommendation on the American Made fabrics. I picked some up at Mary Jos the other week and it has such a nice hand to it and was only $5 and something a yard. I have been very happy with so far. As a fellow North Carolinian I have really enjoyed hearing about the folk history and quilt history around our state. LOVE your podcasts and can’t wait to hear more about your upcoming quilt related book series. Thanks for the podcasts!!

  10. I adore how the Big Star quilt came out! So fresh! So modern! I know your friend will love it.

    I bought a cheaper version of the Supreme Slider and I think it actually makes my sewing surface “stickier” instead of “slipperier” (is that a word? I just couldn’t get over the cost of the Supreme Slider. I may have to reconsider now. I do have the bobbin washers in my machine, and frankly, I’m not really sure if they are doing anything. Let’s just assume they are.

    I hope you got all the other, more relevant comments that I made in my head, because I can’t think of them now 🙂

  11. I am laughing out loud at your stitch twerker comments! I just had to rip stitches all day because I was breaking your rule and quilting while I was tired.

    Thanks for your kind words about my podcast. I want to get back to it but life and a lack of a microphone have gotten in the way.

    Your quilting is so lovely. Thank you for the pictures!

  12. Yes, straight lines are no easy to do perfectly. That’s why I like to wash my quilts to get them to shrink just a bit. Those quaint wrinkles cover a lot of errors. I think you did a beautiful job on the Big Star quilt.

    I have enjoyed the birds singing in your podcasts, too. Lately I’ve been listening while doing yard work so I get to hear your birds singing along with the ones in my yard.

    And, while I enjoy your voice and the birds, I find Travis’ barking quite startling. Is there any way to edit any barking out in the future?

  13. I have 4 quilters newsletters for you, if interested. June 1973, January, February and April 1974. Enjoy your pod cast.

  14. So behind on listening, and you aren’t helping by podcasting regularly! (keep going! I’ll catch up!)

    Love the “stitch twerker” – that will be its new name around here. Gotta give a big AMEN to both comments above about your supreme slider. You do need to rinse the lint off the back at times, but I also do secure it with painters tape every time. I don’t trust it not to move, but it makes my FMQing so much easier.

    I’m also really enjoying the quilt history you are sharing. Some I know and some is completely new to me. Congratulations on the book proposal! I hope they will make a good offer, but the idea of you and The Man starting your own press also sounds exciting.

  15. hi Francis, love the podcast you always make me laugh. I am waiting to see Wolfhall when it comes to Australia I have however read both of Hilary Mantel’s books, Wolfhall and Bring Up The Bodies, which were both fantastic reads, try and fit them into your reading schedule if you can i don’t think you will be disappointed.

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