Space, Time and Lots-O-Stuff

I'm so excited!!  Let's get started:

Let's start with SPACE

Nice, huh.... I wish...

 I've been lucky enough to (almost always) have had my own sewing space.  As a new bride in a new "country" (1980 in Portland, OR) with a husband in grad school, my sewing space was a teeny, tiny closet in the basement.  I could literally sit at the sewing machine, swivel my chair around and press my seams... I gained a lot of weight that year...   Fast forward a few years when both my kids were still home; my space was a "wide" hallway.   When I found myself in the "empty nest" I had a very nice sewing room.

But then I moved and downsized and now I'm back to sharing my sewing space with my home office.  But, it is a dedicated space.  And you will need that because you will not want to put all your stuff away between sewing sessions.

This is probably pretty realistic...no, it isn't mine
(but, truth be told, mine isn't far from this)

Now that we have our "space" let's fill it up with quilting stuff!!!  This is the fun part.

If you are a sewer or a crafter, there are things you will already have:

Sewing machine

Pretty much any brand you like.  Honestly, it doesn’t matter.  I had a metal Kenmore for YEARS.  It was heavy as sin but it served me well.

When I started quilting I bought my first Janome for $100 on Craig’s list.  Come to think of it, that’s where I bought my current, second Janome. (It's a bit nicer than the first one...paid a bit more.) You DO NOT need a $5,000 sewing machine.

If you have not had your sewing machine serviced in eons, now is a good time.  Check with your local quilt store or Angies List for a good sewing machine shop.   

(Portland peeps…Montavilla Sewing Center) 
(Orange County peeps… PALS  on Harbor Blvd in Cost Mesa.)
 

Iron and Ironing Board 

Whatever you have is probably fine.  Make sure the iron face plate is clean.

Check out Pinterest for good cleaning ideas…skip the white-vinegar-on-a-soft-cloth idea… doesn’t work.

  

Scissors

I want one...

Good, sharp scissors.  The brand doesn’t matter much. They need to be sharp and dedicated to cutting fabric, only.  (You may have to hide your "good" scissors from your husband when he's looking for something to use to cut that screen.)

Well, maybe the brand does matter, some… not too cheap.  Those packages of "three-pair-in-a-pack" scissors you get at Costco are good for paper and above-mentioned screen repairs, but not for quilting.

I have two pair; Marks and Gingher.  I've had my Marks for ages and I love them  I purchased a pair of Ginghers recently from Jo-Anns when I thought I'd lost the Marks. (Turned out they were in a bag of fabric I was collecting for my niece.) (This is where that 50% off coupon will be handy.)  

 

Just a note:  These Ginghers are not as nice as an older pair would be; not made by the same company. Having them sharpened right away will help.  If you can find a pair of Ginghers in a second-hand store and they look old...buy 'em.  If they are "original" Ginghers, they are VERY very good and will last the rest of your natural life.

If you have not had your scissors sharpened in a while…do it now.  (Not at Jo-Ann’s)  I met a man at Piecemakers in Cost Mesa:  John Mackie of Sierra Sharpening. If you are in So. Calif. call Piecemakers and ask for the next scissor sharpening day.  $5 a pair. It’s a steal. (And, he's fun to chat with. too.)

AND, while you are there, don’t forget a tissue because you will drool over all the cool stuff at Piecemakers. 

If you are not close to Costa Mesa, CA, call a quilt shop near you and ask who they recommend.  (I.E. people, Quilters Cocoon in Riverside is a nice store.)

Final Word:  Thread

This is UBER important!!  Your five-for-a-dollar thread is junk... throw it away.  Make room for good, new stuff.

There are a lot of good quilting threads "out there."  I don't know all the brands.  I use Aurifil almost exclusively.  I do still have some Finesse and Gutermann in my thread drawer that I use occasionally. For quilting, I use one color thread 75% of the time:  Aurifil "beige" Color number 2600.  50 weight.

My Bowl-O-Thread

When I moved to "the O.C." two years ago I had a hard time finding Aurifil thread so I signed up for a "thread of the month" club with my good friend MaryJo Boyd.  She has an on-line quilt shop "The Quilt Bear."  Sign up...every month you will receive two spools of Aurifil thread (and usually a small surprise, too) for $23.  It's fun getting a package in the mail with pretty, new thread!!

Tell her "Charlotte sent me."  

This year the thread club will include fabric for a project.  You'll have to read about it.  If you want January's "packet" so you can get the project pieces starting with January, just let her know.  And, Let her know you are new to quilting and would like the "beige" color thread.
Quilt Bear Thread Club Sign Up

Here is a good link that explains the difference in thread and why you don't want to use cheap thread.

Link to You Tube explaining different thread brands.

Whew!  That's it for today...hope I didn't scare anyone off.