Using Unusual Materials

Hi - Has anyone ever tried to use spun straw in their quilting work?

Min

No, but it would make a pretty embellisment! Is it washable? possibly not...
A dear friend used to own a straw braid factory, and has shown me through
his museum several times, so I know whereof you speak :-)
Trivia for today: the French word for "sequin" = "paillette". "Paille" =
straw, and the original sequins were stamped out of flattened straw and used
to decorate straw bonnets in the 18th century.
Roberta in D

"Min" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
ups.com...
Hi - Has anyone ever tried to use spun straw in their quilting work?

Min

I have just embarked on a self-teach hand quilting course ... please help.

How soon do you expect your needles to bend?? I am achieving about 15" (at a
stunning 4 stitches per inch) before the needle becomes deformed! I have a
small sandwich in a hoop (not too tight, I don't think) and am going in
(sort of) straight lines rocking the needle with my upper middle finger
(sometimes).

At this rate, I shall be bankrupt before even completing the samler!

Cheers for now
Tutu
Cape Town, South Africa

In article ,
"Tutu Haynes-Smart" wrote:

I have just embarked on a self-teach hand quilting course ... please help.

How soon do you expect your needles to bend?? I am achieving about 15" (at a
stunning 4 stitches per inch) before the needle becomes deformed! I have a
small sandwich in a hoop (not too tight, I don't think) and am going in
(sort of) straight lines rocking the needle with my upper middle finger
(sometimes).

At this rate, I shall be bankrupt before even completing the samler!

Cheers for now
Tutu
Cape Town, South Africa


Tutu, "not too tight" could still be too tight. G I generally have my
quilt sandwich pretty "saggy" in the hoop -- loose enough that it looks
as though my QI Dexter has sat on it. You should be able to make a
hill with your underneath fingers without any strain; that will help get
your stitches even and will help prevent your needle from bending as
quickly. HTH.
--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
my ISP is earthlink.net -- put sfoster1(at) in front
http://home.earthlink.net/~sfoster1

AKA Dame Sandy, Minister of Education

Along with making sure it's not too tight, are you trying to quilt through
seams? That will bend my needles if I try to do the rocking stitch through
them. If I'm not trying to quilt through more than the three layers (top,
backing, batt), though, I can quilt for a long time without them bending.
What brand needle are you using and what size?

--
Louise in Iowa
nieland4 at mchsi dot com
http://community.webshots.com/user/louiseiniowa

"Sandy Foster" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Tutu Haynes-Smart" wrote:

I have just embarked on a self-teach hand quilting course ... please
help.

How soon do you expect your needles to bend?? I am achieving about 15"
(at a
stunning 4 stitches per inch) before the needle becomes deformed! I have
a
small sandwich in a hoop (not too tight, I don't think) and am going in
(sort of) straight lines rocking the needle with my upper middle finger
(sometimes).

At this rate, I shall be bankrupt before even completing the samler!

Cheers for now
Tutu
Cape Town, South Africa


Tutu, "not too tight" could still be too tight. G I generally have my
quilt sandwich pretty "saggy" in the hoop -- loose enough that it looks
as though my QI Dexter has sat on it. You should be able to make a
hill with your underneath fingers without any strain; that will help get
your stitches even and will help prevent your needle from bending as
quickly. HTH.
--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
my ISP is earthlink.net -- put sfoster1(at) in front
http://home.earthlink.net/~sfoster1

AKA Dame Sandy, Minister of Education

Sandy said"
Tutu, "not too tight" could still be too tight. G I generally have my
quilt sandwich pretty "saggy" in the hoop -- loose enough that it looks
as though my QI Dexter has sat on it. You should be able to make a
hill with your underneath fingers without any strain; that will help get
your stitches even and will help prevent your needle from bending as
quickly.

It is pretty saggy - hills I can do. Even stitches, especially that dang
first one, are currently impossible. I shall try "more" saggy tomorrow (by
which time my underneath finger will have stopped bleeding).
Louise added
Along with making sure it's not too tight, are you trying to quilt through
seams?

NO seams - it is wholecloth - two layers of muslin with cotton batt in the
middle.

Oh dear!!
What brand needle are you using and what size?
Currently I am working my way through a packet of John James(?) size 11 -
before that it was some Piecemakers and other unidentified needles. We don't
have a great variety here ... so I have a fairly rag-bag selection of
(mostly) gifts!

Anyone want to come to Cape Town and teach me:-)

Cheers for now
Tutu

"Louise" wrote in message
news:yDEig.25726$1i1.7988@attbi_s72...
That will bend my needles if I try to do the rocking stitch through
them. If I'm not trying to quilt through more than the three layers (top,
backing, batt), though, I can quilt for a long time without them bending.

In article ,
"Tutu Haynes-Smart" wrote:

Currently I am working my way through a packet of John James(?) size 11 -
before that it was some Piecemakers and other unidentified needles. We don't
have a great variety here ... so I have a fairly rag-bag selection of
(mostly) gifts!


Size 11 may be too small to begin with. Why don't you try some size 9 or
10 instead, if you have access to them. John James is generally a good
brand, though.

Anyone want to come to Cape Town and teach me:-)

I can't, unfortunately. How about you come here, and I'll teach you
here?

Oh, one other thing. What kind of batting are you using? In all honesty,
a poly batt is easier than cotton for learning to hand quilt. Sometimes
the cotton ones will sort of grab the needle, making it a bit more
difficult for a beginner. I hear that wool is wonderful, too.
--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
my ISP is earthlink.net -- put sfoster1(at) in front
http://home.earthlink.net/~sfoster1

AKA Dame Sandy, Minister of Education

I use Clover 'Gold Eye Quilting Needles between (No12)', and they are
only just under 1" long. Could this be the problem? These just aren't
long enough to bend, and they really make the stitching easier.

I've just looked quilting needles in my Quiltmaking Tips and
Techniques Book, and Sharyn Craig says she uses Piecemakers 12
betweens because they don't bend easily, have big eyes so you can
thread them easily (which the Clovers don't!) and are very short which
is helpful in making tiny stitches'.
--
Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~ (uk)
http://community.webshots.com/user/sallyswin

On Sat, 10 Jun 2006 20:19:03 +0200, "Tutu Haynes-Smart"
wrote:

I have just embarked on a self-teach hand quilting course ... please help.

How soon do you expect your needles to bend?? I am achieving about 15" (at a
stunning 4 stitches per inch) before the needle becomes deformed! I have a
small sandwich in a hoop (not too tight, I don't think) and am going in
(sort of) straight lines rocking the needle with my upper middle finger
(sometimes).

At this rate, I shall be bankrupt before even completing the samler!

Cheers for now
Tutu
Cape Town, South Africa

Howdy!

Only to keep the camel busy while I work.

[I just hate it when I have to keep moving him away while he
tries to inspect the quilt. Camels are so persistent!]

How 'bout you, Min?

Ragmop/Sandy

On 6/10/06 1:59 AM, in article
, "Min"
wrote:

Hi - Has anyone ever tried to use spun straw in their quilting work?

Min

Howdy!

Me, too, what the other Sandy said. g

Try a bigger needle; for years I worked w/ a Between #9,
it just felt comfortable. Finally moved to a #10, stayed
w/ those for years before picking up a #11 last year. It's great.
But the #12s I've been given, several brands, are just too flimsy,
they bend and break and eat up the thread (sometimes the eye isn't
polished very well and the jagged edges cut thru' the thread).
As Sandy also says, poly batt is easier to use when learning to
handquilt, and we won't jump on your for trying it. g
But right now you're in the middle of this project so you stick
w/ what you have. You know me & the Hobbs Heirloom... g .
So what if you're only getting 4 stitches to the inch?
I never count. I don't care about the number of stitches;
I prefer that the end result look smooth, flat, consistent.

Would love to come and demonstrate my handquilting, share your
cooler weather, sleep under your lovely quilts. But for now,
email me your addy, Tutu, and I'll send you a little sampler pkg
of needles, thread, batting.

Cheers!
Ragmop/Sandy--happy to aid & abet hand quilting ;-D


On 6/10/06 3:36 PM, in article
, "Sandy Foster"
wrote:

In article ,
"Tutu Haynes-Smart" wrote:

Currently I am working my way through a packet of John James(?) size 11 -
before that it was some Piecemakers and other unidentified needles. We don't
have a great variety here ... so I have a fairly rag-bag selection of
(mostly) gifts!


Size 11 may be too small to begin with. Why don't you try some size 9 or
10 instead, if you have access to them. John James is generally a good
brand, though.

Anyone want to come to Cape Town and teach me:-)

I can't, unfortunately. How about you come here, and I'll teach you
here?

Oh, one other thing. What kind of batting are you using? In all honesty,
a poly batt is easier than cotton for learning to hand quilt. Sometimes
the cotton ones will sort of grab the needle, making it a bit more
difficult for a beginner. I hear that wool is wonderful, too.