Increase Your E-Notion IQ - Wash-Away Applique Sheets

Ok, Wednesdays post on Thursday....I don't think any satellites will fall out of the sky do you?

Beth Ferrier, Apple Wood Farm Publications, was doing a demo at Quilt Market in Houston for her Wash-Away Applique Sheets.   More Hand Applique by Machine, is a great technique and applique pattern book that Beth wrote and it was published a few years ago.   (Not much for Carol Merrill's but I don't recall there ever being a Carol Merrill in the world of quilting...do you?)

Beth makes me laugh...she says she is a recovering perfectionist.  I'm not sure I've even entered the first phase of recovery so she is further ahead than I am!  Did you know you, even though she is in recovery you can still eat off her kitchen  floor?  That's because there is plenty of food on it....that's recovery for ya!   (Beth's words...not mine...but I also can eat off my floor :)

Having projects that are  portable  are appealing to Beth.  She has come up with some very manageable ways to do applique without getting poked with pins, loosing your pieces or fraying your small pieces of fabric.

This is an example of Beth's work and because it has not been washed, the fruit looks three dimensional doesn't it?

This one has been washed and the Wash-Away Applique Sheet has dissolved...so no three dimensional appearance.

Beth has been working on this applique border....good thing she is doing it...because I'd be the rest of my life attempting to keep all those pieces in one place.

This is the other end....isn't it beautiful?  I just love the layers and how neat and nice they lay.

We noticed some little black things on her flowers...I thought it was part of the design.  Silly me...nope....those are micro basting tags.  Yep, that's how Beth keeps all her pieces in place on her back ground fabric.  She uses Avery Dennison's Micro Tack Basting Gun.  It makes great sense to use the black Micro Tacks because they make it easier to see on bright fabrics. 

Look how tiny they are.  Beth said she has tried several basting guns and the Avery Dennison Micro Tack has the smallest needle and it doesn't leave holes in her fabric. 

If you decide to use the Micro Tack Gun, you need to put the needle through the fabric and back up again...like you would a pin...and it will hold your pieces of fabric tightly.  The best part is...you don't get picked by the end of the pins you would have used otherwise :)

To transfer your design, you can put the Wash-Away Applique Sheet into your ink-jet printer and the design transfers beautifully to the Applique Sheet.  You cut it out on the line and fuse it to your fabric...yep...you heard me correctly...it is also fusible.  Oh yeah baby :)  Cut 1/4 inch around your paper template that you have just fused to your fabric. 

Here, Beth is demonstrating how she uses a glue stick around the edge of the template.

She then uses her thumb to press the fabric around the template.  I should probably tell you the Wash-Away Applique Sheets have some body to them so they aren't real flimsy....I think that is important...I wouldn't want the fabric to be so flimsy that I would have a hard time tacking the fabric around the template.

After she gets the fabric around the template, Beth goes back and smooths out the fabric around the template with her "magic wand."  For those of you without a "magic wand" you can use your Applique Pressing Tool or a cuticle stick from the beauty supply store. 

Another tool Beth recommends is this portable light box.  It is a Light Box Globox and you put your pattern on top of the box so you can get perfect placement for your applique pieces.

It is just 5 x 9 and it is lightweight so it is handy while working on airplanes, sewcials, workshops and classes.  The light box I use is gigantic so there is no way I could sit on the sofa or take it anywhere....so this was a great lesson for me too.

 You can see it here..you lay your pattern on top and turn on the box and you can see where to put your applique pieces.  (Can you see me sitting in a plane trying to use the window?  That is just like me to do something like that....and then drop my damxx applique piece on the floor and have to bother the person sitting behind me to find it for me...LOL)

Since there was no electricity at the booth, she improvised....and it worked.  You can see how she laid the applique pieces on the pattern.

Being a visual learner, I wanted to stay and watch her do more pieces.  Here she had finished a part of the pear and then was adding the next piece.

Beth has numbered her pieces and many patterns have the pieces numbered so you can just print them onto the Wash-Away Applique Sheet and be able to find where each one goes in the pattern.

Then she joined one piece to the top of the next piece...as you can see here...that is how she gets them to lay so nicely and they appear perfect from the front side.  Then Beth puts it under her machine and stitches around each piece. 

Afterwards, I was thinking about wall hangings.  I don't wash mine, I just shake the dust out.  If I wanted to do a wall hanging and have parts of it look dimensional without doing trapunto...but flat dimensional....I could just wash the background pieces and after it dries, I could sew another layer and keep the Wash-Away Applique Sheet in the fabric so it would look like the pieces were popping.  Either way...I really like Beth's method...it is right up my alley.

Here you can see Beth has printed some hexagons on the Wash-Away Applique Sheet and has fused them to fabric and she is using the sheets for paper piecing.  No need to remove the paper...it just washes away :)

I found it interesting that Beth had to samples of paper piecing.  She did a whip stitch on the first one and the second one she did a running stitch.  The running stitched one looked so much nicer from the front.  (e-mail me if you need pix for proof :)

Check out what else Beth has done....

Foundation paper Piecing too!

I'm sure there will be more uses for the Wash-Away Applique Sheets.   There are always new uses for products that we don't think of until we are in the middle of a project wondering how we can accomplish something and we need just the right tool.

A quick recap for ya...Wash-Away Applique Sheets

• Can be used with an ink-jet printer for applique templates or foundation piecing patterns
• Transparent enough to trace your applique designs onto
• Washes out for a soft end result or can be left in and it gives a dimensional look (it does soften over time)
• Can be used in paper piecing-you just fuse the first piece on and then you don't have to rip the paper off...just wash it away :)
• It gives a crisp clean edge for applique stitching

Now you know why it takes me so long to get all my posts up!!  I download all the pix...organizing them...watermarking them...uploading them...and then writing the post...spell checking...a tiny bit of editing etc.....so I'd appreciate it if you'd not talk behind my back about how I claim to do a Wednesday post and then post it on Thursday....:)

Giggling and Smiles,

Kelly 

Now it's back to all that Floriani thread!!!  Oh yeah....Don't forget the Pre-Holiday Beam N Read Light Giveaway going on now...leave your comment Here for your chance to win :)

I'm Alive...But Buried in Floriani :)

I know ya' all think I've left the country to hide away with all the new thread, designs and stabilizers that arrived here at IHAN....but I didn't.

A big ole semi pulled up yesterday  and I just about passed out.  I thought to myself...oh dear God...where am I going to put all that?  Then the fella only unloaded this one pallet....instant relief :)

Yes, Floriani...Floriani Thread, Floriani Stabilizers, and Floriani Software galore....where is the army who is going to inventory all this?

 I have almost finished checking in the order and then I'll have the joy of arranging it in a fashion I can easily see and find the threads to fill orders.

Just look at all those colors....YES I have every single one of them...and not just one spool of each either....nope...I have at least 5 of each one...the world is looking so colorful right now :)

While I'm buried in thread..... I had to speed clean the house because I had invited some friends for lunch and the guest of honor was Lyn Gladwin, the gal from Australia who visited our guild meeting last month. 

I've not hosted a lunch in I don't know how long....really...it has been years and I have no idea why I don't do it more often because it was such a treat.  There were 7 of us and some of the gals brought some quilts to show.  I'm only going to post Lyn's quilts because I need to get back to all that thread!!

 This is a quilt that Lyn made for her son and she "pinched" it off his bed before she came over.

 I really liked the way she cut her fabrics...and the bead is fun too.

I thought the quilting was interesting...the border and how she lined up each of the stars...I just know it would not be that straight had I been in charge...yikes.

This is a quilt Lyn made for her new daughter in law.  It is different than the one I posted about previously.  Unfortunately, the light from the window takes away from the beauty of this quilt.

 This is the view from Lyn's house in AU.  She can see the ocean...oh I can only dream of living somewhere so beautiful.  My camera and laptop are having an argument so I can't post the rest of the photos right now....but suffice to say there were lots of beautiful quilts and great women right here in my house....that was very cool indeed.

I know it is Wednesday and I am working on an E-Notion IQ post....that will be coming soon ....I'm roller skating as fast as I possibly can...I promise :)

Smiles,

Kelly

Beam N Read Pre-Holiday Gift Giveaway Nov. 14-21, 2011

Who is on your gift list this holiday season....I really do want to know.  Who would you want to receive the gift of a fantastic portable light?

That portable light just so happens to be a Beam N Read 6 LED Light! 

(the older I get the more light I need)

I don't know what I did before I had my Beam N Read 6 LED Light (the IHAN clan now has four in our emergency bag)  Who would have ever thought that a portable light would come in handy for so many things.  Certainly not me....but all of that has changed.

The Beam N Read Lights are indispensable during bad weather.  Our electricity went out and I grabbed our emergency bag and took out our Beam N Read Lights and each one of us put one on.  Our hands were free because the lights are on an adjustable strap around our necks.  It is tough to use your hands while holding a flash light...our Beam N Read Lights just hang around our necks.

Ok...on to the much more fun ways to use a Beam N Read Light......
They are wonderful for counting all that money you just stole from your local bank (where else are we going to get the money we need for all the fabric we desire?).  You're gonna be hiding under that bed for a very long time ya know.

And ya can't exactly use a lighter while hiding under a bed in the dark now can ya? 

(Me disguised as a man hiding in my closet....I'm getting ready to increase my stash big time :)

I know many of you are not prepared for robbing banks so I thought I'd let you know the Beam N Read Lights are  perfect for all hand needle work, sewing, reading, taking evening walks, and camping.  I use mine while we travel too. 

Now you have some great ideas for using a Beam N Read Light....

Who would you give one to this holiday season?  Leave a comment on this post  telling me who  you want to give a Beam N Read Light to to enter the giveaway.  You don't need to leave a person's name...My Dad, Sister, Quilting Buddy....etc. will do just fine.  You do need to be an IHAN blog follower to qualify and leave your comment before Nov. 21, 2011.

Can't wait?  Order your Beam N Read Lights NOW at I Have A Notion (IHAN)  and I'll pay your shipping...yep...Free Shipping in the US only ...hurry because I'm only feeling generous until midnight Nov. 21, 2011  :)  Coupon Code for Free Shipping on Beam N Read Lights Only is:
Free BNR Shipping

AND

If you have not checked out Patsy Thompson's blog post about how she uses her Beam N Read, you better head over and check out how she uses her light.

Smiles,
Kelly

 

Quilt Market 2011 - 6 Quick Points Rulers and Jillily Studio

Veteran's Day:  My sincere appreciation goes out to each and every person who has served their country and their family members for all the sacrifices that each and every one of you have made.

Busy day here at IHAN...sorry this post is up so late in the day.  If it ya really want to know...I've been working on it all day between everything else I do :) 

 Who else but the Queen of the IHAN Nation with Janet Platt from Quick Points Rulers.  Yes, she is the genius behind those amazing Quick Points Rulers and now the Scallop Rulers too.  Janet is one smart cookie .... there is no other way these rulers would have been thought of...they are really great tools in my book.

Before I go further, I'd be terribly remiss if I didn't introduce you to Brian, Janet's really fun and helpful husband!  Ya always got to point out the great ones!

Quick Points Ruler Booth, Houston 2011

The photos are out of order...but you probably would not know unless you were following me around....I think there was only one person with me...Karin....so pretend you know all about the out of order photos, OK?

Janet's School House presentation was excellent!  One of the things I really like about Janet and Brian's presentations is that they actually use the rulers right in front of you.  No pre-made samples that lead you to believe it is so easy.

(This is surely one of the things I notice while at Market or Shows: I am always making sure the person is actually using the tool right there in front of me...so I can see if there is anything that may be dificult for me to do when I get home.   I don't like those demo's where everything has been pre-made and you are shown just the samples.  How do I know it really works or if when I get home, I'll be so frustrated that I don't ever use the product.  If they are not actually cutting/stitching/ironing etc. I ask if I can do it...I have to be sure it is what it says it is and will do what it is advertised to do.)

 This sample board shows you exactly what you can make with the Quick Points Ruler and the Scallop Ruler.    I should probably tell ya that Janet also has the Teflon Pushers that help make your scallops smooth when you turn them right side out.

 This is Janet showing every one how she just used the Scallop Ruler and is turning it right side out.

This is a beautiful table topper Janet has made.  Not only is it fun...but check out the scallop edges....so much cheer was added with that one addition.

 If you look closely here, you will see the flowers were made with the Scallop Ruler and the trim on the outside is too. 

Want some deep scallops?  Check out this really great apron Janet made.  I just love that apron.

 If I'm not mistaken, this is another apron...could be pillow case...sometimes I forget...what ever it really is....the scallop separates those fabrics beautifully.

 Ok, I do know this is another apron...LOL :)

 Halloween Treat Bags anyone?  You know that Ghastlies one is way too much fun.  There are so many Ghastlies Fans now!

This is a baby quilt...the scallops are turned inward...neat isn't it?

Back to Janet's booth now. 

Believe it or not, when I got to the Quick Points Ruler booth, Janet was out shopping.  David was sitting and pressing all the prairie points he would manage.  Ya gotta love a husband who will sit and demo for you while you are out shopping!!

Now, on to Jillily Studio Booth

 When I visited the first time Jill was not there so I took my photos and came back later for the demo's.

This is a demo of Jill's Appli-Glue.  There were a few excellent points about the Appli-Glue that I thought folks would want to know about.  First, it is acid free and water soluble.  The dry Appli-Glue will even dissolve when soaked in water.  I really liked the tip on the glue bottle.  The tip is tapered so when you stop squeezing the bottle, the glue gets pulled back into the bottle and doesn't dry in the tip.  I have had that happen with other glues and I really don't like that one little bit. 

Above you can see the tiny dots of glue being used...they stick very nicely to the next leave and to the background fabric too.  If you are in need of some new applique glue...I definitely recommend the Appli-Glue.

These are Jill's Poke-A-Dots.  Can you guess what they are for?  The gal in her booth asked me that when I walked up and I immediately replied, " they are finger thimbles".  I guess a lot of folks don't know what they are.  (On a personal note...ya gotta love that they are red :).   They have adhesive on the back and you  put it on the tip of your finger when you are doing hand stitching.  You use that finger to push your needle through the fabric.  They have a textured surface which makes it really nice for pulling a needle through fabric too.  Have you ever had  a dog-of-a-time pulling your needle through (be honest)?  The Poke-A-Dots grip very well and makes it much easier to pull that needle though.  They can be used over and over again because of the quality adhesive that is on the back.  I typically park it back on the paper and use them over and over again.

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!  I'll be gone tomorrow to the Machine Embroidery Guild to demo all my Sizzix Cutters.  You know I won't pre-cut that fabric before I go....I'll have it ready to go and I'll let them cut the fabric so they can see how nicely the Sizzix Fabric Cutters work!

Smiles,
Kelly

Floriani Comes to I Have A Notion (Quilt Market 2011 5th edition)

Hooping of a different sort!! :)

If you love Machine Embroidery then you are going to absolutely love Floriani Embroidery. 

IHAN is now a distributor for Floriani Embroidery Threads, Stabilizers and Designs.  I know what you are thinking....yep..."how is she going to fit all of that into her "warehouse?"  Was I right?  For many of you have visited you know just what I'm talking about.  For the record, I don't plan on knocking out any walls...just yet!

All of the inventory is on it's way to IHAN and I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.  Everyone I know who is into Machine Embroidery tells me Floriani  is the Mercedes/Lincoln of Machine Embroidery Threads, Stabilizers and Designs. 

Check out these beautiful Halloween towels....come visit next Oct. 31st and you'll see these hanging in my kitchen and bathroom :)

 Most of you know I'm a newbie to Machine Embroidery and I have a lovely friend who has loaned me one smart Embroidery Machine.  The first one I bought is so old I can't get the technology to make it work.  Beware....when I say ME is addictive....I'm telling you the honest truth. 

Oh yeah....time to Hula Hula Hula....skip to my Lou and all those fun feelings...because I will have 24 hour access to all this thread....I feel like I have helium in my veins!

Oh yeah....then reality hits...I have to load all these products to my website.  Holey Schmokin' do I have a lot to do between this minute and when the doorbell rings.  I better get movin'.

Colorful Smiles,
Kelly