Doing a Little Twisting

I'm ready for this weekend...the pool opens which mean, kids are outside and I have inside time with my machine!! WHOO HOO!!


Have you seen this notion:

Well, I decide to try it out and make a example of the technique for the shop.  Let me say I was very impressed!

All you do is sew 5" charms together, add a 3" border around your charms:

Then, you take the little square using the lines and match up to the seam lines on your "sudo" top:

And cut out all the squares:

Resew the new squares in the same order and you get the tessellating effect:

Finished top:

I think using Kaffe Fasset fabric doesn't have a good design element for this project because they are small.  I think fabric with more solid colors - verses multi-color will show the pinwheels.

Now I just followed the pattern that came with the notion, but you can easily make this larger and make a baby size quilt. They also have a larger Twister avaiable for layer cakes - which I'm considering purchasing.

I'm planning a project with this new technique in mind and can't wait to share it!

Thimbles?

I found another new thimble, that I'm so in love with.  I have tired several different ones over the past few years, but since I've dived into hand work this year, I have tried more.   And I have discovered some thimbles are just better suited for specific hand work projects due to how I manage and handle the specific handwork task.

I have been using this open back end Clover thimble for a couple of years (I have even had to put fingernail polish on the inside of it because it tranishes my finger).



Well, Clover has been making several new thimbles this year and from Spring Quilt Market, we ordered their new jelly looking ones and I used it for my applique work and LOVED it.  I like how it hits the side of the rubber and stays when I'm pushing in.  On the open thimble above the needle slides and "doesn't catch" right.  The open thimble though is still good for binding hand work, because it is a stronger needle for me pushing a needle through several layers of fabric.  This new rubber thimble is soft and I don't need a lot of "pushing force" when doing applique.



Again, Clover came out with a new leather thimble, which I've never been a fan of leather thimbles.......until now!  This fits sooo nicely and snuggly on my finger, I completely forgot it was there.  It truly feels like you have a thick finger pad! I purchased it yesterday from the shop and used it on basting for my hexagons and I just love it!!  I'll try it on some applique work tonight to see what it's uses will be.  I think it might be good enough for binding work as well.  I just am so impressed with it, I had to share.



What thimbles do you use and why?