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Post by sandrainsydney on Jul 6, 2010 11:56:08 GMT
well, I just finished cutting the pieces - from my own fabrics! I ironed all Sue's pieces & my bits in the same tones (purples) & snipped off small bits to try the colours. Then I decided I didn't want to use purples but blues as in the original inspiration, so went thru MY stash & found enough!
Sue's fabrics are folded up & back in their bag. I wonder if she will be disappointed to get them all back.
I didn't go out at all today (eek, no daily paper - I wonder what news I missed? it's not all on-line) I spent a fair bit of time last night researching dryers - dunno if it will be best value to just buy a new one or call the the repairman bloke & pay his fee then buy a new one ... (signed Indecisive)
A plastic disk sounds stronger then cardboard. If you have a woodworker in your circle they might have or be able to cut a wooden disk & slits.
sandra
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ragdall
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Post by ragdall on Jul 7, 2010 3:57:03 GMT
Sandra, It's amazing that you actually did have enough bits in your own stash. I'm guessing that Sue will greet the return of her pieces with mixed feelings and will be happy to find them all ironed. Good luck deciding whether to repair or buy a new dryer. At some point, the money spent on repairs totals more than the cost of a new machine. I decided that 33 years was long enough for me to keep the one that I had, which was second-hand to begin with. In some ways I liked my old one better, but for the most part I'm happy with the new one. Perhaps you could beg the paper from a neighbour who has finished with it? Joan kindly saves her papers for us so my husband can do the crosswords and recycle the rest. The idea of making a wooden disk for the braiding is intriguing. I have round saws in various sizes that would cut the disk. Making the cuts around the edges could be tricky, but I think I could do it. I'll add this to my "to do' list. I think it will be number 13,678 on my list. rags
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Post by sandrainsydney on Jul 7, 2010 8:51:16 GMT
Sue barely noticed the return - she arrived late & washed out. A TV researcher called just as she was ready to leave (one of her collections will be included in an antique/old wares show) & quizzed her relentlessly about it, then I barely saw her for the next 3 hours.
Most of the group is working on 2 charity quilts & they were nose down tail up - machines buzzing, scissors flying, iron going ... The knitter & I sat at the next table (did I say I'm not a quilter, I just make small patched & quilted pieces!) doing our own thing, along with a multi-talented member who is a quilter, but was working on an embroidery.
As I'll be using my braiding thingy a lot in the future, I'll investigate getting something more permanent, tho I don't know any woodworkers, but all I need is a disk with a central hole & 8 slots. I have some very stiff plastic page dividers from the olden days - one of the types of plastic that were made before recycling was even a spark in it's inventor's brain.
sandra (who probably has more than 13,678 items on her to-do list)
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Post by sandrainsydney on Jul 7, 2010 13:10:48 GMT
it works! well, the yarn is acrylic & it doesn't sit as well as the sample I made at the Craft Show using real wool. The centre hole in the CD was too big so I taped a piece of cardboard over it - cardboard was perfect cos it has a lovely hanging hole in it! First CD was clipped using paper scissors (not my best dressmaking scissors!) into triangles & didn't hold the yarn so a second one was cut with 2 slits which were bent back using pointy pliers. Then it worked. Some hints - don't put it down before it's finished & tied off without doing so very carefully - grabbing it from under something that ended up on top of it does the braid no good. Pull the growing braid gently after each movement. Pull each thread down occasionally to tighten the braid. Eventually I'll be using silks & other threads & different weights of thread, too. sandra ps. use it shiny side down to avoid blindness!
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ragdall
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Post by ragdall on Jul 8, 2010 11:45:36 GMT
Sandra, This is brilliant! You could probably market them. What a great use for old CDs!
rags
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Post by sandrainsydney on Jul 8, 2010 16:23:02 GMT
it would be the perfect use for old CDs - wot a shame I threw one out last week!
The CDs I used were the installation disks for my iMac & Printer- dunno if they really count as old CDs, but the Mac expert who upgraded my computer & printer used his own memory thingy with latest versions of software cos both are sooo old (does anyone still use a 7 year old computer & printer in today's throwaway world?)
hint for leaving braid safely on braider - pull braid & threads down firmly & twist a bit & hold in place with a wooden clothes peg/pin.
sandra
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Post by sandrainsydney on Jul 14, 2010 2:38:26 GMT
Today is the highlight of my week - Craft Group & I'm at home wasting time on the computer. I have a nasty cold but that's not the main reason - a large bit of a front tooth fell out after brekkie! Fortunately my lovely dentist had a vacant spot at3.30 (so he & his nurse don't have to stay back as they did when a filling fell out last year.) His receptionist suggested getting a nasal decongestant so I could survive in the chair, so I'm not sniffling & spluttering as much now. When I log off I'll get on to crafty stuff (Wednesday is Craft Day & this is my first sick day since I retired! I had packed my commercial Vest pattern & some pattern paper to get help fitting it & reshaping it. So I can't do that, but I can work on my applique or maybe cut the silks for Dolls Quilt #4 or ... Dot's bag was finally finished yesterday! The fringe came from a supplier at the Craft show who advised "look at price before cutting" as some of her wares were very expensive. She had wonderful French braids & ribbons - some folded into flowers - & other exquisite stuff up to $64 per metre! The fringe was one of her cheap lines - only $7.50 per metre! ps. the bag was hand quilted around the design elements using a Coats Rayon machine embroidery thread that was gold & brown (it looked like a diffraction pattern on the reel!) I also bought one that looked like braid on the reel as it is gold, red, green & blue.
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Post by Joan on Jul 15, 2010 6:55:12 GMT
Wow! what a beautiful bag. what a talent you have. Joan
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Post by sandrainsydney on Jul 15, 2010 9:32:13 GMT
thankyou - like me Dot loves purple, I've previously made her a scarf & beanie in purple stripes. One of her friends didn't have any purple yarn to make her 70th birthday pressie, so made her a green shawl cos green goes with purple!
ps I wasted most of yesterday - all I did in a crafty fashion was put something small into my bag as I headed off to the dentist then a committee meeting several hours later. I had just finished my lunch (6pm - lunch is second meal of the day!) & was ready to fill the rest of the time sewing when a member arrived. I'd forgotten we were supposed to arrive 90 mins early to finish the stocktake. Naturally I didn't tell her I'd forgotten & naturally we finished the stocktake.
Tonight I will be sewing! As soon as I create an ad for my folk club next week.
sandra (7.30pm Thurs)
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ragdall
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Post by ragdall on Jul 16, 2010 4:58:11 GMT
Sandra, The bag is breathtakingly beautiful! What a precious gift for Dot!
Good that you were able to see your dentist the same day that the piece came off your tooth. I hope that you'll soon be recovered from the cold. It doesn't seem to be slowing you down much, though. What a busy life you have!
rags
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Post by sandrainsydney on Jul 18, 2010 5:30:57 GMT
my busy life does include a lot of time wasting!
Last night I started quilting a little drawstring bag (to hold my 2 LED camping lights, about palm-size each) I stitched inside the appliqued motif (about palm size, too!) & will add 10 similar stitched shapes then sew it up. It will be finished soon (as long as I don't waste too much time!)
sandra
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Post by jennieg on Jul 18, 2010 23:23:55 GMT
Sandra, time you enjoyed wasting is not wasted time!
That's a gorgeous bag, I'm sure Dot will love it.
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Post by sandrainsydney on Jul 19, 2010 15:09:07 GMT
Applique bag finished - front!
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Post by sandrainsydney on Jul 19, 2010 15:10:43 GMT
& back!
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ragdall
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Post by ragdall on Jul 19, 2010 18:13:13 GMT
Sandra, The camping light bag is very pretty! It also looks very useful. How did you manage to sew the shapes (quilting?) so accurately on such small curves?
rags
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