Needles...Makes A Difference!

Today I wanted to share with you a bit about needles. Many people have asked me what needles I like to use for different types of sewing. As a novice, I didn't think it mattered much, but as I got more experienced, I realized a good needle really makes a difference!

I have had my own brand of needles made.   You can buy them HERE!

 I use a size 10 or 11 depending on the light available at the time.  These two needles feel the same as they glide through the fabric, nice and smooth. They work well for Applique because they are thin enough to leave no hole in the side of the fold while stitching. A very nice smooth needle turned edge!

For English Paper Piecing I like the very same needles. They glide through the edges of the two pieces and the narrowness of the needle will not leave much of a hole. There is one difference here. If I am sewing the pieces together WITH the paper in, I use the size 10, which is a larger needle. The larger size will resist going through the paper and thus you can reuse your papers, plus, the stitches won't show on the front after the two pieces are sewn together. If I am sewing the pieces together WITHOUT the papers inside the pieces, which you know is possible if you've seen my starch basting method, I use a size 11 so that the needle can glide right through the edges of the pieces and will not show on the front. These needles are great for my handwork Piecing and Applique needs!

In the picture above you will notice that I also have branded Wool Applique Needles.  These are longer, sharper and thinner than most designers use for wool applique.  I like a sharp needle that I can hold onto and these work great!

The new Punch Needle And Primitive Stitching magazine arrived and I am excited to share my project fearured in the magazine, the Memory Keeper Journal Cover. Looks like this will be another great primitive magazine for all of us who love that touch of Prim! There are many darling projects in this Premier Issue!

L

Thanks for stopping by!
Take care,
Missie

Visit my web store www.TraditionalPrimitives.com

Life on the Beach...

A little sew'n...a little sunn'n...a little shopp'n...a little walk'n...life on the beach is so relaxing!

If only we lived someplace like this full time...some folks are really lucky!

The Gardens Of A King is coming along...borders are just about finished!

A little bit of English Paper Piecing, a little bit of Wool Appliqué, a little bit of Appliqué...fun fun fun!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Take care,

Missie

 

Posted with Blogsy

Busy Days!

Hello! I am back from the wonderful Hook In from Saltbox Primitives in Warsaw, MO. What a wonderful store and wonderful gathering of rug hookers. It was so much fun. I'm sorry to say I was so busy there was no chance for a picture while my mind was clear. The building was a community building over 100 years old and was stunning. The rugs were stunning, and the people there were all so very nice. It was a wonderful day! Saltbox Primitives in Warsaw, MO is worth the trip...a stunning shop of wool and fabric!

A few weeks back, I quilted the Charity Quilt that my Appliqué Group made for our guild's annual charity Auction. The quilting was pretty simple on this Lori Smith Design. The picture turned out terrible I'm sorry to say! But I am very proud to say it brought $575 for a good cause. Our guild brought in roughly $12,000 for 3 worthy charities. It lots of fun as well as lots of doing good!

 

I've been frantically trying to finish my next quilt! Above is a part of one block...this part measures about 3" across! I am using English Paper Piecing and Applique' techniques, making these intricate blocks Oh So Do-able! It will also have a bit of wool appliqué in the border and center.

And here you can see it as part of the 6" circle... These blocks are so very fun to make! In case you haven't read about these blocks I am making before, this is a reproduction of a quilt from the 1700's, the King George III Coverlet. I am in awe of the original maker who had none of the wonderful tools we have today...amazing! I look forward to showing you the entire quilt very soon! The pattern will be available in the near future.

The picture below is the next block I'm working on today...organized and waiting for some attention! I'm linking up to Kathy's Slow Stitch Sunday today!

Take care and thanks so much for popping by today!

Missie

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Great Travels...Good to be home! And Give Away Chance!

We're back home from a trip across the country to visit both sides of the family for a few weeks! It's so good to see everyone...living away from family makes you try to cram everything you can into a 4 day visit! We had campfires, fireworks, shot rockets high in the sky and chased them across the far, played cards and of course, we ladies did a little shopping in Downtown Bucyrus, Oh. These paintings are so beautiful, added to old downtown buildings to warm up the area and bring in tourists.

This first picture depicts Lady Liberty holding a wounded soldier, signifying respect we have for our brave soldiers. It is absolutely stunning...

The next painting is next to a park and the painting is of the city itself, many years ago. It shows the view you are standing in as you gaze at the painting and also shows that agriculture and industry have influenced the area. What wonderful artists to create such masterpieces!

 

We went to my husband's church and hanging on the wall is a quilt given to the church in honor of his parents. You can't really see it, but quilted in the bottom border of the quilt is their names. The makers did a wonderful job!

I also took a little road trip to Sandusky, OH to visit a new quilt store! M&E Quilt Shoppe is right on Market Street and is a wonderful shop! What a joy it was to meet these two friends who decided to open the store together. They really have a good thing going!

Lots of displays...and a beautiful check out counter. You can't see too well in the picture, but they glued buttons on the front of the counter to add a few swirls to the front. It is really unique!

Very cool fabric shelves. One of the owners said her father used these ladders long ago to work on this very building. She came across them, added some plant hangers to the sides and is now using them in her store! How cool is that?

If you are ever in the area, be sure to stop in to see these ladies! They are lots of fun and have a great selection of beautiful cottons and wools. And now they are carrying many of Traditional Primitives patterns as well. I'll be sending quilts their way for a trunk show ASAP!

 

We saw the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile as we passed through Indianapolis. Years ago, when my kids were in elementary school, we saw this fancy mobile while staying in a hotel in Omaha. And I have a tinly little whistle of an Oscar Mayer Weiner Whistle in my box of my favorite toys...somewhere in the basement. Brought back some fun memories!

 

Ginger had enough of the bucket seat and climbed into the back to lay on some of our soft sided suitcases! Do you see her?

I managed a wee bit of sewing while away from home. Here's a few more sneak peaks of the next quilt I'm working on! This quilt will have elements of English Paper Piecing and Appliqué. It's coming together nicely, but I need a bit more done before I can show off the actual blocks...

 

I really can't wait to show you this new quilt! I hope to show you next week! It is wonderful to be able to create again after being so busy for months! It is so exciting to have a project you just can't wait to pick up and get to work on!

Don't forget to go back a post or two to find the give away post! I'll be drawing in a few weeks for that cute little sewing box! I've found a few things that fit inside and I'll be sending it to someone who lets me know they have shared my blog on their sidebar or copies me in on an email as they share my blog with other quilters. I'm trying to grow my blog a bit, so help me out if you care for a chance to win this cute little box filled with a few goodies! Thank you!

Take care and thanks for stopping by today!

Missie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Minnesota Quilters Show! And, A Give Away!

As you know, I did a little vending in Minnesota in the last few weeks! It was a great experience for me. I love sharing tidbits of Appliqué, English Paper Piecing and Punchneedle with others! It is so rewarding to see faces and eyes light up when they see that yes, they can do these wonderful arts! I think we need to lure in as many quilters as possible to keep these arts alive for the generations to come. Thanks to my friend Marcia for helping me once again at a show. She is a great help! I couldn't do it with out my wonderful helpers, Geri and Marcia! (And occasionally, my dear hubs, Jeff!). Ginger helps me too as you see below! She keeps me company as I am packing up for the trips to vend. Here, she KNOWS something is up and that her "mom" will be leaving again. She guarded and watched me the entire time I was bringing things upstairs. After a while she parked her caboose in the middle as she got tired of following me up and down, up and down. She stayed there like that for over an hour! Haha! Most of the time her head was laying on the step as comfy as could be. Ah, the life of a dog!

The show was filled with beautiful quilts from all over the country. Very many were absolutely stunning! Two quilting friends asked me to look for their judged quilts and let them know if they won a ribbon...low and behold, they both won ribbons! The first I came across in the aisles belonged to Karen Woten. She won a ribbon for 2nd place in the Large Appliqué category! Congratulations Karen!

Her quilt is the Emily Monroe Quilt, which she drew from a picture seen in a museum book. She is very talented, don't you think! She used wool on cotton for this quilt and quilted it with an old fashioned spider web design. It was stunning! Wool appliqué has become one of her favorite hobbies, along with hand appliqué and hand quilting.

Then, around the corner was the other friend's quilt! This one is Julee Prose's Civil War Bride Quilt. She also won a ribbon! Well, actually TWO ribbons! She won 1st Place in the Large Appliqué Category along with Best Hand Quilting! Congratulations Julee!

She used interesting cotton shirting a as her backgrounds to give her own spin on this quilt made by many. It's lovely! Her hand appliqué is stunning, and so are her hand quilting stitches!

I am so proud to know both of these ladies who continually win ribbons in large shows. The talent in the Des Moines area is so great and inspiring! There is always a reason to attend sewing groups because the inspiration is overflowing! I am blessed to have so many talented women in my life.

While I travel, I do love to stop at McDonalds for coffee or a large diet coke while I drive. I have not paid attention to the happy meal toys for quite some time, but the current toy caught my eye...the theme for the girls is American Girl and the toy that caught my eye? A darling sewing machine box! We have made a few trips lately and my dear husband so nicely stopped at McDonalds for every meal as we traveled across the country, so that I could see if they were giving away this special toy yet! FINNALLY, we found a resturant that was giving this as the Happy Meal toy! I was so excited!

I thought it was so cute, I got a few of them! I will be doing a give away for this cute little sewing box. How cute will this be with small sized sewing supplies inside! A thimble, a few bobbins full of thread, some paper pieces ready to use, hand sewn pieced blocks ready to sew and some small embroidery scissors... What fun!

I will fill this little sewing machine box with goodies and mail it to one lucky winner. I would like to put out a request for you to share my blog with someone. If you have a blog, please consider adding me to your blog roll on your sidebar. All you need to do to be entered in the drawing is please make a comment to let me know that you've followed my request to add me to your blog roll on your side bar or that you have shared my blog with someone. If you are not a follower, I'd love to see some new faces in my "following" gadget! I will keep posting pictures of what will be added to this little box in the coming weeks. Maybe it will even overflow with goodies! Help me grow my blog by joining in the fun.

I always try to include everyone in a giveaway here at Traditional Primitives. So, everyone who participates will get a little something by email. Be sure I have access to your email address when you post so I can send you a little freebie! I'll be showing that in future posts as well.

Thanks for stopping by today and have a great week ahead!

Take care,

Missie

 

Posted with Blogsy

One Last Post About Texas

I just have a few more inspirational pictures to show you from my trip to San Antonio. You know how I love STARS! It wouldn't be a good showing of pictures without a few more stars! I think this one is one of my favorites...it is on a railing in the airport...sure wish it was on my back porch!

The others were in a few shops I found during the trip. Isn't this a nice star clamped onto that pole for fancy jeans? I like those jeans too, but I like the star better!

Here's that Texas Star again on this rack of cowboy hats. Can you just imagine that square unit as a quilt block? I do have a Texas Star Quilt started...only a few block are in the makings when I have a few moments.

I'm sewing it the old fashioned way using the Ardco metal templates, a pencil and sandpaper for easy marking of the lines. It's very peaceful sewing. Can you see those lines drawn on the back of that fabric on the left? I love these templates because they are so easy to trace around. One side is rough so it grabs the fabric a bit. You will only need one because they don't wrinkle or fall apart!

I've shown examples of the metal templates above for several blocks, but I think a friend has the templates for this block. I have plenty drawn to keep me busy for a long while!

 

All of those 10" squares of fabric have the backs filled with shapes ready to be cut and sewn by hand. If you look close, you can see the faint pencil line drawn on the back of the top fabric. This makes me excited to get this bundle out and start sewing on it again! Maybe this will be my next no brainer stitching project! I wish I had some extra time so I could work on it, that's for sure!

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by today!

Take care,

Missie

 

Posted with Blogsy