Going in circles

I am trying to finish a quilt for my daughter that I started about 4
years ago until her boyfriend bought her an expensive comforter and I
knew I couldn't compete. (I wound up just giving her the nine blocks
I'd finished and told her she could sew them into pillows or
something...... Nice mom.) Anyway, they had their house broken into and
all their stuff (and their car) stolen. We think they used the
comforter for a loot sack, because that was gone. (I was excited that
now they needed a quilt!! Nice mom.....) Anyway, now I'm going to
finish this quilt for them for real.

I realized nine blocks isn't enough even with wide sashing, so I
decided on 20 all together. They are appliqued VW bugs in an assortment
of fabrics for each car, background and "road." This is really fun now
that I have more fabric!! My only trauma is how to make neat round
machine applique wheels. (I started this thing with machine applique
just doing a straight stitch and don't want to outshine the older
blocks with the fancier stitching of my new Pfaff.) The wheels are
about two inches across.

Anyway, so far I've been using a freezer paper template ironed onto the
back of the fabric, cut a quarter-inch around, clipped it slightly,
then pressed over the paper with my baby iron stick thingy. (Isn't that
a fun tool??) Then I pin it onto my block with a zillion pins and sew
really slowly. No matter what I do, it gets little pointy parts and
sometimes looks more like an octagon or something. How can I make this
process easier?? I have to squish my face down onto the piece to see
clearly in the first place (dang stupid bifocals are a piece of useless
junk @#$$%%) and I end up so tense I can only do a few at a time or get
a backache/neckache/headache. I know there HAS to be a better way!! I
have about 6 more VWs to go, which means 12 wheels. ARGHHHHH!

I've pretty much taught myself sewing over the years and I'm sure there
is an easier way to do most of what I do. Watching QNN has been an
eyeopener and this group is fantastic!!! Wish I had this 40 years
ago!!!

Tthanks for your help!!
Annie

Cut a round template of plastic. Place on fabric and draw around it. Cut out
leaving a 1/4" all around the circle. Hand sew a small stitch about 1/8" in
all around circle. Lay template on fabric circle and draw up the gathering
threads. Woylaaaa a perfect circle. Spray with spray starch and let
dry......then carefully remove the template and press the circle. Or if you
use Templar (heat resistant) plastic you can iron them dry.

Betty in WI who's made many tiny DJ circles this way.

"marbles_2" wrote in message
ups.com...
I am trying to finish a quilt for my daughter that I started about 4
years ago until her boyfriend bought her an expensive comforter and I
knew I couldn't compete. (I wound up just giving her the nine blocks
I'd finished and told her she could sew them into pillows or
something...... Nice mom.) Anyway, they had their house broken into and
all their stuff (and their car) stolen. We think they used the
comforter for a loot sack, because that was gone. (I was excited that
now they needed a quilt!! Nice mom.....) Anyway, now I'm going to
finish this quilt for them for real.

I realized nine blocks isn't enough even with wide sashing, so I
decided on 20 all together. They are appliqued VW bugs in an assortment
of fabrics for each car, background and "road." This is really fun now
that I have more fabric!! My only trauma is how to make neat round
machine applique wheels. (I started this thing with machine applique
just doing a straight stitch and don't want to outshine the older
blocks with the fancier stitching of my new Pfaff.) The wheels are
about two inches across.

Anyway, so far I've been using a freezer paper template ironed onto the
back of the fabric, cut a quarter-inch around, clipped it slightly,
then pressed over the paper with my baby iron stick thingy. (Isn't that
a fun tool??) Then I pin it onto my block with a zillion pins and sew
really slowly. No matter what I do, it gets little pointy parts and
sometimes looks more like an octagon or something. How can I make this
process easier?? I have to squish my face down onto the piece to see
clearly in the first place (dang stupid bifocals are a piece of useless
junk @#$$%%) and I end up so tense I can only do a few at a time or get
a backache/neckache/headache. I know there HAS to be a better way!! I
have about 6 more VWs to go, which means 12 wheels. ARGHHHHH!

I've pretty much taught myself sewing over the years and I'm sure there
is an easier way to do most of what I do. Watching QNN has been an
eyeopener and this group is fantastic!!! Wish I had this 40 years
ago!!!

Tthanks for your help!!
Annie

You can also cut the template from a manila file folder. The down side is
you can't reuse the template, so you have to make a template for each
circle. The up side is that it can be easier to get hold of manila file
folders than template plastic.

--
Kathy A. (Woodland, CA)
Queen of Fabric Tramps
http://www.kayneyquilting.com ,
remove the obvious to reply


"Betty in Wi" wrote in message
...
Cut a round template of plastic. Place on fabric and draw around it. Cut
out leaving a 1/4" all around the circle. Hand sew a small stitch about
1/8" in all around circle. Lay template on fabric circle and draw up the
gathering threads. Woylaaaa a perfect circle. Spray with spray starch and
let dry......then carefully remove the template and press the circle. Or
if you use Templar (heat resistant) plastic you can iron them dry.

Betty in WI who's made many tiny DJ circles this way.

"marbles_2" wrote in message
ups.com...
I am trying to finish a quilt for my daughter that I started about 4
years ago until her boyfriend bought her an expensive comforter and I
knew I couldn't compete. (I wound up just giving her the nine blocks
I'd finished and told her she could sew them into pillows or
something...... Nice mom.) Anyway, they had their house broken into and
all their stuff (and their car) stolen. We think they used the
comforter for a loot sack, because that was gone. (I was excited that
now they needed a quilt!! Nice mom.....) Anyway, now I'm going to
finish this quilt for them for real.

I realized nine blocks isn't enough even with wide sashing, so I
decided on 20 all together. They are appliqued VW bugs in an assortment
of fabrics for each car, background and "road." This is really fun now
that I have more fabric!! My only trauma is how to make neat round
machine applique wheels. (I started this thing with machine applique
just doing a straight stitch and don't want to outshine the older
blocks with the fancier stitching of my new Pfaff.) The wheels are
about two inches across.

Anyway, so far I've been using a freezer paper template ironed onto the
back of the fabric, cut a quarter-inch around, clipped it slightly,
then pressed over the paper with my baby iron stick thingy. (Isn't that
a fun tool??) Then I pin it onto my block with a zillion pins and sew
really slowly. No matter what I do, it gets little pointy parts and
sometimes looks more like an octagon or something. How can I make this
process easier?? I have to squish my face down onto the piece to see
clearly in the first place (dang stupid bifocals are a piece of useless
junk @#$$%%) and I end up so tense I can only do a few at a time or get
a backache/neckache/headache. I know there HAS to be a better way!! I
have about 6 more VWs to go, which means 12 wheels. ARGHHHHH!

I've pretty much taught myself sewing over the years and I'm sure there
is an easier way to do most of what I do. Watching QNN has been an
eyeopener and this group is fantastic!!! Wish I had this 40 years
ago!!!

Tthanks for your help!!
Annie

Circles are not too bad at all, Annie.
Draw a circle the correct size for the wheels onto some card (not too
thick). Cut it out *very* carefully, so there are no 'pointy bits'.
Cut your wheel fabric into a circle (doesn't have to be accurate), about
half an inch larger than the card. Place the card on the reverse of the
fabric and gather the edge (running stitches about a quarter of an inch
from the outside edge). When you have finished, pull gently on the
thread (pulling across the circle is better than pulling straight up -
you'll soon see the best angle), while pressing down on the card. The
edge will gather in and fold over the edge just beautifully. You do not
need to clip it. If there is any unevenness, you can just tweak it a
bit. Then press it - probably with steam would be good for this
-*while* the card is still in the centre. Once it is safely pressed you
can release the thread and take out the card - then, on to the next one.
It's much quicker to do than to write about g

If you want to use freezer paper, you can, but you do have to use
several layers, pressed together. I do prefer card though.
..
In message . com,
marbles_2 writes
I am trying to finish a quilt for my daughter that I started about 4
years ago until her boyfriend bought her an expensive comforter and I
knew I couldn't compete. (I wound up just giving her the nine blocks
I'd finished and told her she could sew them into pillows or
something...... Nice mom.) Anyway, they had their house broken into and
all their stuff (and their car) stolen. We think they used the
comforter for a loot sack, because that was gone. (I was excited that
now they needed a quilt!! Nice mom.....) Anyway, now I'm going to
finish this quilt for them for real.

I realized nine blocks isn't enough even with wide sashing, so I
decided on 20 all together. They are appliqued VW bugs in an assortment
of fabrics for each car, background and "road." This is really fun now
that I have more fabric!! My only trauma is how to make neat round
machine applique wheels. (I started this thing with machine applique
just doing a straight stitch and don't want to outshine the older
blocks with the fancier stitching of my new Pfaff.) The wheels are
about two inches across.

Anyway, so far I've been using a freezer paper template ironed onto the
back of the fabric, cut a quarter-inch around, clipped it slightly,
then pressed over the paper with my baby iron stick thingy. (Isn't that
a fun tool??) Then I pin it onto my block with a zillion pins and sew
really slowly. No matter what I do, it gets little pointy parts and
sometimes looks more like an octagon or something. How can I make this
process easier?? I have to squish my face down onto the piece to see
clearly in the first place (dang stupid bifocals are a piece of useless
junk @#$$%%) and I end up so tense I can only do a few at a time or get
a backache/neckache/headache. I know there HAS to be a better way!! I
have about 6 more VWs to go, which means 12 wheels. ARGHHHHH!

I've pretty much taught myself sewing over the years and I'm sure there
is an easier way to do most of what I do. Watching QNN has been an
eyeopener and this group is fantastic!!! Wish I had this 40 years
ago!!!

Tthanks for your help!!
Annie


--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

I do this but use a piece of freezer paper cut to the circle size. I
cut the circle 1/4" bigger, do the gathering but then leave the paper
in when I draw up the threads and then handsew in position. If I
remember I remove the freezer paper just before I stitch the last bit
of the circle down. If I forget I make a tiny slit in the back and
remove it (no one will ever see)

--
Sally at the Seaside~~~~~~~
http://community.webshots.com/user/sallyswin

On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 16:22:07 GMT, "Betty in Wi"
wrote:

Cut a round template of plastic. Place on fabric and draw around it. Cut out
leaving a 1/4" all around the circle. Hand sew a small stitch about 1/8" in
all around circle. Lay template on fabric circle and draw up the gathering
threads. Woylaaaa a perfect circle. Spray with spray starch and let
dry......then carefully remove the template and press the circle. Or if you
use Templar (heat resistant) plastic you can iron them dry.

Betty in WI who's made many tiny DJ circles this way.

"marbles_2" wrote in message
oups.com...
I am trying to finish a quilt for my daughter that I started about 4
years ago until her boyfriend bought her an expensive comforter and I
knew I couldn't compete. (I wound up just giving her the nine blocks
I'd finished and told her she could sew them into pillows or
something...... Nice mom.) Anyway, they had their house broken into and
all their stuff (and their car) stolen. We think they used the
comforter for a loot sack, because that was gone. (I was excited that
now they needed a quilt!! Nice mom.....) Anyway, now I'm going to
finish this quilt for them for real.

I realized nine blocks isn't enough even with wide sashing, so I
decided on 20 all together. They are appliqued VW bugs in an assortment
of fabrics for each car, background and "road." This is really fun now
that I have more fabric!! My only trauma is how to make neat round
machine applique wheels. (I started this thing with machine applique
just doing a straight stitch and don't want to outshine the older
blocks with the fancier stitching of my new Pfaff.) The wheels are
about two inches across.

Anyway, so far I've been using a freezer paper template ironed onto the
back of the fabric, cut a quarter-inch around, clipped it slightly,
then pressed over the paper with my baby iron stick thingy. (Isn't that
a fun tool??) Then I pin it onto my block with a zillion pins and sew
really slowly. No matter what I do, it gets little pointy parts and
sometimes looks more like an octagon or something. How can I make this
process easier?? I have to squish my face down onto the piece to see
clearly in the first place (dang stupid bifocals are a piece of useless
junk @#$$%%) and I end up so tense I can only do a few at a time or get
a backache/neckache/headache. I know there HAS to be a better way!! I
have about 6 more VWs to go, which means 12 wheels. ARGHHHHH!

I've pretty much taught myself sewing over the years and I'm sure there
is an easier way to do most of what I do. Watching QNN has been an
eyeopener and this group is fantastic!!! Wish I had this 40 years
ago!!!

Tthanks for your help!!
Annie

There is a basting thread which disolves
with the steam of an iron. Use this
thread to sew your tires to a scrap of
fabric, right sides together. Trim to
1/4 inch and clipping doesn't hurt.
Carefully cut a hole in the scrap side
to turn the shape right-side-out. Press
the shape with steam, smoothing the
edges carefully. When you are
satisfied, pull the two pieces of fabric
apart. Voila! A prefolded tire.

Betsy Ross

Clever idea! I'll have to try it.

Betty in WI

"Betsy Ross" wrote in message
ink.net...
There is a basting thread which disolves with the steam of an iron. Use
this thread to sew your tires to a scrap of fabric, right sides together.
Trim to 1/4 inch and clipping doesn't hurt. Carefully cut a hole in the
scrap side to turn the shape right-side-out. Press the shape with steam,
smoothing the edges carefully. When you are satisfied, pull the two
pieces of fabric apart. Voila! A prefolded tire.

Betsy Ross

I know I must really be tired when I about someone sewing scraps of fabric
to their tires! I thought I had gone to the Jeep newsgroup until I found
the original posting.

--
Alice in NJ, Royal Cybrarian
http://www.ourcyberfamily.us/
http://www.ourcyberfamily.us/RCTQ/index.htm (add a recipe)
"Just about the time a woman thinks her work is done, she becomes a
grandmother." Edward H. Dreschnack



"Betty in Wi" wrote in message
...
: Clever idea! I'll have to try it.
:
: Betty in WI
:
: "Betsy Ross" wrote in message
: ink.net...
: There is a basting thread which disolves with the steam of an iron. Use
: this thread to sew your tires to a scrap of fabric, right sides
together.
: Trim to 1/4 inch and clipping doesn't hurt. Carefully cut a hole in the
: scrap side to turn the shape right-side-out. Press the shape with
steam,
: smoothing the edges carefully. When you are satisfied, pull the two
: pieces of fabric apart. Voila! A prefolded tire.
:
: Betsy Ross
:
:

Wow!!! Thanks everyone!! I can give each suggestion a try with the many
various tires I'll be making. Sadly it will be a few days until I can
get back to this project because we're going to go watch granddaughter
play fastpitch softball in a Little League State tourney all weekend
(when I'm not working). Maybe if I get up early I can cut circles to
baste while I'm at the games.

Annie

Probably someone has covered this but the way I do circles is to cut out the
correct size circle in fairly stiff card .cut thr fabric larger and do a
running stitch all around the outer edge ,draw it tight over the template
and press.After removing the cardboard there should be a perfect circle!
Estelle uk
"marbles_2" wrote in message
ups.com...
I am trying to finish a quilt for my daughter that I started about 4
years ago until her boyfriend bought her an expensive comforter and I
knew I couldn't compete. (I wound up just giving her the nine blocks
I'd finished and told her she could sew them into pillows or
something...... Nice mom.) Anyway, they had their house broken into and
all their stuff (and their car) stolen. We think they used the
comforter for a loot sack, because that was gone. (I was excited that
now they needed a quilt!! Nice mom.....) Anyway, now I'm going to
finish this quilt for them for real.

I realized nine blocks isn't enough even with wide sashing, so I
decided on 20 all together. They are appliqued VW bugs in an assortment
of fabrics for each car, background and "road." This is really fun now
that I have more fabric!! My only trauma is how to make neat round
machine applique wheels. (I started this thing with machine applique
just doing a straight stitch and don't want to outshine the older
blocks with the fancier stitching of my new Pfaff.) The wheels are
about two inches across.

Anyway, so far I've been using a freezer paper template ironed onto the
back of the fabric, cut a quarter-inch around, clipped it slightly,
then pressed over the paper with my baby iron stick thingy. (Isn't that
a fun tool??) Then I pin it onto my block with a zillion pins and sew
really slowly. No matter what I do, it gets little pointy parts and
sometimes looks more like an octagon or something. How can I make this
process easier?? I have to squish my face down onto the piece to see
clearly in the first place (dang stupid bifocals are a piece of useless
junk @#$$%%) and I end up so tense I can only do a few at a time or get
a backache/neckache/headache. I know there HAS to be a better way!! I
have about 6 more VWs to go, which means 12 wheels. ARGHHHHH!

I've pretty much taught myself sewing over the years and I'm sure there
is an easier way to do most of what I do. Watching QNN has been an
eyeopener and this group is fantastic!!! Wish I had this 40 years
ago!!!

Tthanks for your help!!
Annie