Member postings for Margaret S

Well, what did you think of the GBSB 2019? Personally, I found it a bit dull. It was all about who was best under pressure when speed sewing and the result was likely from programme 1. I liked Joe as a presenter. Esme seems obsessed with bows and had lost her edge. I was amazed that the 'experts' had never heard of a 'hong kong seam', although we called it something else when I was young. Don't get me going on the use of pattern weights or rotary cutters!

Don't think that they produced a Stuart Hillard or Charlotte in this run. Slightly disappointed.

Margaret

Sorry no one has replied Nicole. Don't know why but it took 10 days to appear on my phone, maybe the same for others.

Best to work out what features you are going to need for both dressmaking and quilting and then try before you buy. It's not a case of one machine suiting everybody.

Personally, I wouldn't touch a Singer. I only know 2 quilters with Brother, 1 happy the other not so happy. I have no experience of Juki. Janome have a huge range and I own 2, neither of them being the machines you mention.

Good luck with your search. Sewing machines have got very expensive of late!

Margaret

Edited By Margaret S on 29/03/2019 12:03:07

Well done Rosemary. It's huge and wonderful. Hope the quilting goes well for you. Should be much easier with your latest machine.

Margaret

Talking to a quilter yesterday about the lack of appreciation by some people for our craft. She knows somebody who put a lot of thought, time and effort into making a special quilt for a dear friend. On a later visit to the quilt's recipient she found that the quilt had been cut in half and put in the dogs' beds! Apparently, she is still a friend.......just!

Margaret

Brenda from Oz features in the Daily Blog of the Quilt Show today. She took part in the International Miniature Quilt Exchange.

Love your OBW, Brenda and also the quilt that you received in exchange.

Margaret

What a fantastic, unique gift, Brenda. I do love Mola set against black. I'm sure your friend will love it.

Margaret

Maria, I am sorry that your Crohns is being a swine. I can remember the agony dh used to be in. Now, minus a lot of tubing , his drug regime keeps it mostly under control. I presume that with your other health problems that they cannot give you something so aggressive to fight it, although treatment seems to have altered a lot in the last 35+ years.

Hope it soon calms down for you and gives you some peace, and that the ecg and ct scan go smoothly too.

Margaret x

Edited By Margaret S on 18/03/2019 19:14:10

Winnie, dh says 'thank you' for your get better wishes.

I admire your dedication to frog-stitch. I would have been tempted to make the pleated back a foundation and put another piece of fabric over it as a new backing!

Margaret

Well done Rosemary and Eileen.

I have been ill for the past fortnight with a very bad cold. Think I got it at my quilt group. Given it to dh, which is bad news with his Crohns. My energy levels are very low so only managed 1.5 hrs yesterday and the same today doing big stitch hand quilting.

Margaret

Virus Shawl in Caron Cakes, an aran weight yarn with a 5mm hook. Colours looked less strident on web page. Used 2 balls and had 39" left. Measures approx 77" along top edge and approx 35" deep. However, size is not important as you make it as big as you want to. Chart I used is american terminology whilst instructions are english terminology.

Plan to make it again using a cone of 4ply machine knitting yarn and a 3.5mm hook. You follow the same instructions whatever weight yarn you use.

Margaret

My first attempt at crochet after a 40 year gap! A Simply Crochet pattern by Hannah Cross. This is 'best as' because the instructions seemed to miss bits out. Caron Tea Cakes yarn, a super chunky so it will need a Siberian winter to wear it! Like the border and cowl looking knitted when it is actually all crochet.

Margaret

Edited By Margaret S on 17/03/2019 11:27:41

Well, it would have to be my Pfaff QE 4.2. I don't know how I managed before without that extra space to the right of the needle.

Apart from my machine, my favourite gadget is my 100" quilters' tape measure. I never use any other type and it is amazing how many quilter friends ask to borrow mine!

I've finished my crochet Virus Shawl so I am back to big-stitch hand quilting my Ribbon Quilt and will be working on it over the week end.

Margaret

Lovely Eileen. Before you do a total reveal here, have you thought of offering it as a possible project to a magazine?

Margaret

Jayne, what a lovely gift for your cousin. Been there,done that with a mother who was less than understanding regarding illness so can understand your cousin's stress. Hope she will find much comfort wrapping herself in your quilt.

Margaret

Rosemary, I hadn't thought about what to do with the money, though I have had a lucky 3 weeks. I've had 3 numbers on the lottery, a small amount of birthday money, a premium bond and now this sale money. Need to put thinking cap on.

Carol, sadly the space has already been filled with other hoarded stuff that had not been put away. I've put my name down for another table in about 6 months.

Sadly, even at 50p books were not selling.

Margaret

Sorry, the 'Letter Challenge' is not for me, although I will enjoy seeing yours. At the start of the year I did think about it when quilters were talking about 'Inspirational Word of the Year' mini quilts, but I have a set of Sizzix alphabet dies!

Yesterday, one of my local churches had a 'Craft Room Clearout Sale'. I had a table and took £71, which was £63 profit. I thought that wasn't bad for not having to do any work other than sort out some stuff I no longer used/wanted. I would have been happy to have just covered the cost of the table.

Margaret

Love your ordered approach to quilting, Eileen. I am much more 'in my head' rather than on paper. Look forward to seeing this one as it is a very interesting idea and I have a mental picture of what it will look like.

Margaret