Blessings -- Part II

I have completed the Blessings mini. I came in from work today went straight to the studio! I put on the borders, quilted it, made binding and I just got finished. Awwwww......quilting......the best therapy there can be!!!!!! A February finish! 2009 is off to a good start!

Sew, What's Up?

Sew, what's up with everyone? I've really been in a slump lately. It is the 10th day of July and I've not even touched my applique nor have I turned on the sewing machine!!! I usually do at least one of the two every day. I guess I'm just tired. We spent all last week at the lake. Then we come home on Sunday and Tuesday friends come in to stay with us so they can go to a funeral on Wednesday morning. My son, d-i-l, and grandkids also come in to stay as well for the funeral as well as a little league tournament.

The funeral was for the Fire Chief of Teague, TX, who was killed in the line of duty. This really hit home with me because my son is a firefighter with the Houston Fire Dept. I pray daily that he is safe.

My granddaughter was playing in a little league tournament so we went to that in the evening. It was SO HOT!! Her team is out of the tourney now so they will be returning home today.

I am so hoping to get my life back to normal and to get some sewing done!

Yippee!

Yippee! I'm doing the happy dance! I went to the doctor today and he removed the staples from my abdomen (there was a bunch of them, too!) It's been two weeks today since my surgery. I'm feeling so much better. I am released to return to work on June 16 so I still have some time to heal and hang out at home. I hope I will get to do some sewing. I did some over the weekend, but stopped every little while as I would get really tired.

On the way to the doctor, dear hubby took me to Suzys Quilt Shop in Garland, TX. I had not been to this shop before, but had heard lots about it. It was a nice shop. I bought the pattern Anna's Garden -- applique! I also bought a number of reproduction background fabrics to use to make this pattern. While in Williamsburg, VA, during Christmas Holidays, I purchased the Williamsburg line of fabric and plan to use it for this pattern as well. It will take me a while complete this quilt but it will be fun.

I'm Back!

Well, I've been AWAY for a while! May has been a wild month for me. First off, May is National Older Americans' Month. As the Director of our County Senior Services Program, I was very busy planning, decorating and hosting a luncheon for all senior citizens in the county. We had close to 300 people to attend!!!

Second, the following weekend, was the County Relay for Live Event. I was the Survivor Chairman so there was lots of work to do -- registering the survivors, planning survivor reception, sorting and distributing shirts, etc. We raised over $100,000 and still counting!

Then the following week, I went into the hospital for surgery!!!! I'm now on the road to recovery -- still sore and tire easily, but I think things are going to be okay! I will be returning to work soon :(

I have done a bit of applique today == yea! I feel so much better after doing a bit of sewing. Be sure to watch my blog for upcoming pictures! I hope to get some things posted to the blog and become more active during the month of June.

Applique Thread

The verdict is in! I have tried the following threads for applique:
1. Gutterman Silk 30 wt. (the pink thread)
2. YLI Silk (the taupe thread)
3. Mettler Cotton 60 wt. (the green thread)
4. DMC cotton 50 wt. (the blue thread)

My thread of choice is the DMC cotton 50 wt. It is a very thin thread and works nicely. I like the YLI silk too, but it frays too much when using. The Gutterman Silk ($3.60 for 110 yds) was good too, but it is more difficult for me to get and it costs more than the DMC ($2.80 for approx 5oo yds). I'm sure that I'll be using all of these brands as I have several spools of each, but future applique thread purchases will be the DMC.

What Thread Do You Use?

What thread do you use for applique? I have always used silk thread for my applique -- usually Kinkame (sp) or YLI. I recently took an applique class with Robyn Pandolph and she recommends Gutterman Silk thread. She suggested when cutting off a length of thread, you should hold both ends and gently "pop" it to prevent twisting. This is something I've not done before, but seems to help. Robyn also stated she uses Thread Haven to condition the thread; this is something that I do.

I have tried the Gutterman silk and it seems to not fray as much as the Kinkame or YLI thread. It is a heavier thread, but with the right color match it looks nice.

I am curious about what thread others use for applique. Any comments??