a little whine

Friend of mine in another city lost her husband recently, plus finishing a
round of chemo for herself. Another friend, a quilter who lives nearby,
pieced a quilt for her using her husband's shirts. Simple pattern, just 5"
squares. The top is knit polo shirt fabric stabilized with thin woven cotton
fusible, and the back is a mix of dress shirts, some cotton, some
poly-cotton. I volunteered to quilt it. Hobbs batting. I'm doing an all-over
feather design, feathered hearts in the middle and plumes around the sides.

Now the whine -it's giving me fits! All those mixed fibers and rather thick
seams -ugh! Thread keeps breaking, no matter what needles I use. So it's
slooooow work. On the positive side, it's only lap size. And our friend
originally wanted to use the corduroy trousers for the back, but we talked
her out of it.

So please appeal to the quilt fairies on my behalf! Or at least send cheese
:-)
--
Roberta in D

I don't see, Roberta, where you've said whether you're quilting by hand or
machine. If by machine, perhaps you could try a different thread? Add some
silicone, just a drop or so on your spool and the bobbin. If by hand, how
about some swipes of wax or Thread Heaven to make the thread a little
stronger?
Either way, bless your dear heart for doing this. I know the little
quilt will be a treasure and a comfort. Wish I were close enough to come do
a round with you. Polly


"Roberta Zollner" wrote in message
...
Friend of mine in another city lost her husband recently, plus finishing a
round of chemo for herself. Another friend, a quilter who lives nearby,
pieced a quilt for her using her husband's shirts. Simple pattern, just 5"
squares. The top is knit polo shirt fabric stabilized with thin woven
cotton fusible, and the back is a mix of dress shirts, some cotton, some
poly-cotton. I volunteered to quilt it. Hobbs batting. I'm doing an
all-over feather design, feathered hearts in the middle and plumes around
the sides.

Now the whine -it's giving me fits! All those mixed fibers and rather
thick seams -ugh! Thread keeps breaking, no matter what needles I use. So
it's slooooow work. On the positive side, it's only lap size. And our
friend originally wanted to use the corduroy trousers for the back, but we
talked her out of it.

So please appeal to the quilt fairies on my behalf! Or at least send
cheese :-)
--
Roberta in D

Machine, of course! (Otherwise it would be a very long process for me.)
Silicone is a good idea. Thanks! Always helps to share troubles :-)
Roberta in D

"Polly Esther" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
I don't see, Roberta, where you've said whether you're quilting by hand or
machine. If by machine, perhaps you could try a different thread? Add
some silicone, just a drop or so on your spool and the bobbin. If by hand,
how about some swipes of wax or Thread Heaven to make the thread a little
stronger?
Either way, bless your dear heart for doing this. I know the little
quilt will be a treasure and a comfort. Wish I were close enough to come
do a round with you. Polly


"Roberta Zollner" wrote in message
...
Friend of mine in another city lost her husband recently, plus finishing
a round of chemo for herself. Another friend, a quilter who lives nearby,
pieced a quilt for her using her husband's shirts. Simple pattern, just
5" squares. The top is knit polo shirt fabric stabilized with thin woven
cotton fusible, and the back is a mix of dress shirts, some cotton, some
poly-cotton. I volunteered to quilt it. Hobbs batting. I'm doing an
all-over feather design, feathered hearts in the middle and plumes around
the sides.

Now the whine -it's giving me fits! All those mixed fibers and rather
thick seams -ugh! Thread keeps breaking, no matter what needles I use. So
it's slooooow work. On the positive side, it's only lap size. And our
friend originally wanted to use the corduroy trousers for the back, but
we talked her out of it.

So please appeal to the quilt fairies on my behalf! Or at least send
cheese :-)
--
Roberta in D

Did you try top-stitching needles? When my thread was breaking with my
quilting a few weeks ago, Sally said she had tried (or been told?) that
top-stitching needles with their groove at the back took a lot of the
strain out of difficult fabric. We both bought some at Malvern. Have
you got some to try? They seemed fairly easy to get hold of.
..
In message , Roberta Zollner
writes
Friend of mine in another city lost her husband recently, plus finishing a
round of chemo for herself. Another friend, a quilter who lives nearby,
pieced a quilt for her using her husband's shirts. Simple pattern, just 5"
squares. The top is knit polo shirt fabric stabilized with thin woven cotton
fusible, and the back is a mix of dress shirts, some cotton, some
poly-cotton. I volunteered to quilt it. Hobbs batting. I'm doing an all-over
feather design, feathered hearts in the middle and plumes around the sides.

Now the whine -it's giving me fits! All those mixed fibers and rather thick
seams -ugh! Thread keeps breaking, no matter what needles I use. So it's
slooooow work. On the positive side, it's only lap size. And our friend
originally wanted to use the corduroy trousers for the back, but we talked
her out of it.

So please appeal to the quilt fairies on my behalf! Or at least send cheese
:-)

--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

A couple other suggestions. Use a tear-away backing to give it
firmness or using a slightly more than warm iron and press every thing
really flat....without ruining the batting, of course.

I don't envy you.

Rhoda
http://home.att.net/~rewicker


On Sun, 8 Jun 2008 14:47:52 +0200, "Roberta Zollner"
wrote:

Friend of mine in another city lost her husband recently, plus finishing a
round of chemo for herself. Another friend, a quilter who lives nearby,
pieced a quilt for her using her husband's shirts. Simple pattern, just 5"
squares. The top is knit polo shirt fabric stabilized with thin woven cotton
fusible, and the back is a mix of dress shirts, some cotton, some
poly-cotton. I volunteered to quilt it. Hobbs batting. I'm doing an all-over
feather design, feathered hearts in the middle and plumes around the sides.

Now the whine -it's giving me fits! All those mixed fibers and rather thick
seams -ugh! Thread keeps breaking, no matter what needles I use. So it's
slooooow work. On the positive side, it's only lap size. And our friend
originally wanted to use the corduroy trousers for the back, but we talked
her out of it.

So please appeal to the quilt fairies on my behalf! Or at least send cheese
:-)

Tried top-stitch, jeans and macrotex -the top-stitch does seem the best, but
still plenty of breaks. Need to get some silicone tomorrow. And now I
realize I haven't tried the green-band quilting needles, not that I have
great hopes of them!
Roberta in D

"Patti" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
Did you try top-stitching needles? When my thread was breaking with my
quilting a few weeks ago, Sally said she had tried (or been told?) that
top-stitching needles with their groove at the back took a lot of the
strain out of difficult fabric. We both bought some at Malvern. Have you
got some to try? They seemed fairly easy to get hold of.
.
In message , Roberta Zollner
writes
Friend of mine in another city lost her husband recently, plus finishing a
round of chemo for herself. Another friend, a quilter who lives nearby,
pieced a quilt for her using her husband's shirts. Simple pattern, just 5"
squares. The top is knit polo shirt fabric stabilized with thin woven
cotton
fusible, and the back is a mix of dress shirts, some cotton, some
poly-cotton. I volunteered to quilt it. Hobbs batting. I'm doing an
all-over
feather design, feathered hearts in the middle and plumes around the
sides.

Now the whine -it's giving me fits! All those mixed fibers and rather
thick
seams -ugh! Thread keeps breaking, no matter what needles I use. So it's
slooooow work. On the positive side, it's only lap size. And our friend
originally wanted to use the corduroy trousers for the back, but we talked
her out of it.

So please appeal to the quilt fairies on my behalf! Or at least send
cheese
:-)

--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

Hmm -never have used backing for quilting. I'll try out a practice piece.
Roberta in D

"R. E. Wicker" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
A couple other suggestions. Use a tear-away backing to give it
firmness or using a slightly more than warm iron and press every thing
really flat....without ruining the batting, of course.

I don't envy you.

Rhoda
http://home.att.net/~rewicker


On Sun, 8 Jun 2008 14:47:52 +0200, "Roberta Zollner"
wrote:

Friend of mine in another city lost her husband recently, plus finishing a
round of chemo for herself. Another friend, a quilter who lives nearby,
pieced a quilt for her using her husband's shirts. Simple pattern, just 5"
squares. The top is knit polo shirt fabric stabilized with thin woven
cotton
fusible, and the back is a mix of dress shirts, some cotton, some
poly-cotton. I volunteered to quilt it. Hobbs batting. I'm doing an
all-over
feather design, feathered hearts in the middle and plumes around the
sides.

Now the whine -it's giving me fits! All those mixed fibers and rather
thick
seams -ugh! Thread keeps breaking, no matter what needles I use. So it's
slooooow work. On the positive side, it's only lap size. And our friend
originally wanted to use the corduroy trousers for the back, but we talked
her out of it.

So please appeal to the quilt fairies on my behalf! Or at least send
cheese
:-)

In article ,
"Roberta Zollner" wrote:

Friend of mine in another city lost her husband recently, plus finishing a
round of chemo for herself. Another friend, a quilter who lives nearby,
pieced a quilt for her using her husband's shirts. Simple pattern, just 5"
squares. The top is knit polo shirt fabric stabilized with thin woven cotton
fusible, and the back is a mix of dress shirts, some cotton, some
poly-cotton. I volunteered to quilt it. Hobbs batting. I'm doing an all-over
feather design, feathered hearts in the middle and plumes around the sides.

Now the whine -it's giving me fits! All those mixed fibers and rather thick
seams -ugh! Thread keeps breaking, no matter what needles I use. So it's
slooooow work. On the positive side, it's only lap size. And our friend
originally wanted to use the corduroy trousers for the back, but we talked
her out of it.

So please appeal to the quilt fairies on my behalf! Or at least send cheese
:-)


Appeal duly sent to those quilt fairies, who must have been on vacation
while you've been quilting this piece, Roberta. It's so good of you to
do this for your friend at this terrible time for her.

--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
sw.foster1 (at) gmail (dot) com (remove/change the obvious)
http://www.sandymike.net

I didn't hope that you had a sample of the fabrics for a practice piece. If
you do, give standard Coats & Clark poly covered cotton a try for your
quilting thread. It just might be a little stronger and not shred. And oh
my, yes. Do give the green-band needle an opportunity. I rarely use
anything else. They usually survive everything here. Polly


"Sandy" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Roberta Zollner" wrote:

Friend of mine in another city lost her husband recently, plus finishing
a
round of chemo for herself. Another friend, a quilter who lives nearby,
pieced a quilt for her using her husband's shirts. Simple pattern, just
5"
squares. The top is knit polo shirt fabric stabilized with thin woven
cotton
fusible, and the back is a mix of dress shirts, some cotton, some
poly-cotton. I volunteered to quilt it. Hobbs batting. I'm doing an
all-over
feather design, feathered hearts in the middle and plumes around the
sides.

Now the whine -it's giving me fits! All those mixed fibers and rather
thick
seams -ugh! Thread keeps breaking, no matter what needles I use. So it's
slooooow work. On the positive side, it's only lap size. And our friend
originally wanted to use the corduroy trousers for the back, but we
talked
her out of it.

So please appeal to the quilt fairies on my behalf! Or at least send
cheese
:-)


Appeal duly sent to those quilt fairies, who must have been on vacation
while you've been quilting this piece, Roberta. It's so good of you to
do this for your friend at this terrible time for her.

--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
sw.foster1 (at) gmail (dot) com (remove/change the obvious)
http://www.sandymike.net

Mine was breaking with jeans needle. I didn't bother changing, as I
thought they would be the best of what I had. If that silicone
application works, could you please post on here, because that would be
a very handy think to know for the future. I have had a couple of
missed stitches yesterday (with tight and close satin stitch); might
help there, too?

I don't really want to stop experimenting!
..
In message , Roberta Zollner
writes
Tried top-stitch, jeans and macrotex -the top-stitch does seem the best, but
still plenty of breaks. Need to get some silicone tomorrow. And now I
realize I haven't tried the green-band quilting needles, not that I have
great hopes of them!
Roberta in D
--
Best Regards
pat on the hill