eBooks by Fons & Porter, "Build Your Best Log Cabin"

Recently I was asked if I’d like to review a free eBook, "Build Your Best Log Cabin" created by Fons & Porter Love of Quilting and would I, once reviewed, be interested in writing a brief review? Of course I was interested!

ETA- I was given permission to share the link since it isn't yet on the web page so here it is. :)
http://www.fonsandporter.com/landing/free-log-cabin-quilt-patterns 

I’ve now had a chance to read through the eBook and I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised. Not because I wondered if the eBook would be any good, I pretty much expected that. I mean, Fons & Porter Love of Quilting. I haven’t come across any patterns or instructions by them which have disappointed yet. Heck, all the foundation piecing I do now is courtesy of having learned from Fons & Porter Love of Quilting and I’ve got a love of foundation piecing now for it.

So, I was expecting good. I assumed it. Here’s what I didn’t expect. I didn’t expect the easy read. I also didn't expect to get a little background on the history of a log cabin or to receive some non-log cabin related tutorials such as bobbin quilting and binding with typing.

There are several quilt patterns included in the eBook and I find myself eager to make a log cabin quilt after reading through it and seeing how well Fons & Porter Love of Quilting have simplified the log cabin block by way of explanation for how the blocks are traditionally built. I am not typically a log cabin gal but I have ideas swirling now. I’ve got an idea to use the Bear Paw pattern by Ricky Tims that is in this eBook. I can’t stop thinking of which fabrics I should use for it and the only thing restricting me from pulling fabric is that I have too many projects going at the moment. Won't be long, though, before I start. I'm sure of it.

I found, as I read through the patterns that the tips and tutorials provided and were easy to understand. I think in picture and so often translate words into images when I read and therefore, it's important to me instrcutions are conscise but thorough so I should add that on the couple of occasions I caught myself pausing, the picture and diagrams quickly cleared any hesitancy I might have felt. I think this is why I’m so eager to make a log cabin quilt now, I have a “hey, I can do that” mentality now.

I didn’t know Fons & Porter Love of Quilting offered these short eBooks (this one is 24 pages with mostly pattern instruction) for free on their website or that you can download them off the website once you are registered there (also free with no obligations). I plan to explore the other eBooks soon (Batik Quilt Patterns, Civil War Quilt Patterns, Blockbusters: 100 Quilt Blocks, Handmade Christmas Ornaments) to see what other inspiration strikes thanks to these little gems!

If you find yourself with a little time, I recommend stopping over at Fons & Porter Love of Quilting and having a look at what’s available. The Build Your Best Log Cabin eBook is not available just yet online at the . I’m guessing you will be pleasantly surprised, too.

Cheers!
Becky

Marking Pen Update

For all of you who commented on my last post, thank you. I'm sorry I have been unable to get individual reponses to you yet but I will.

For everyone else, if you haven't read the comments on the previous post, I'm providing this update.

1) The pens have, in some cases, on color, caused the color of the fabric to disappear also.
2) Even though you heat the pen dye off the fabric, there is the ever so faintest sheen where the line was. This is so miniscule it doesn't matter on my bed quilt however, I would really check twice on a test piece if I were to hang in a show or hang elsewhere, just to be safe.

Which brings me to my next point. As always, before you mark the crap out of your hardwork, take some of those leftover scraps andTEST each time.  I thought that might go without saying but then, I wouldn't have thought of testing myself if it weren't for using a different method of heating the pen from the initial post I saw it on.

The pens are so inexpensive, though, that it's worth giving it a shot.  And just to keep you incented, here's some photos of my first row of quilting after using this pen to mark it.  I'm  still pleased as punch and wish I had more hours in the day.

Okay, and another feather shot b/c I free-handed these and think I rock! (Well, for a first-ish time with feather-like quilting, anyway.)

Cheers!
Beck

I'm doing my part to expose a very big secret - Pilot Frixion Pens

Are any of you readers like me and hate, absolutely hate, using the chalks (all varieties and colors) and even all the different pens and pencils out there for us quilters/sewers to draw on our fabric with? Whether it be for a quilting motif or a applique placement marking?

If you haven't tried any of these yet or if you have and don't mind using them, let me explain why I hate them and why I've begun feeling frustrated at my quilting frame.

Why I hate:
1) Some don't write well.
2) Some don't come off well and I hate rubbing with a damp cloth over quilting stitches!

Why am I starting to feel frustrated at my frame?
I'm not a good artist. I draw stick figures and my sense of spacing and design have not yet improved enough to free-hand/free-mind quilting motifs into all my quilts.

I read Green Fairy Quilts, blog and I am jealous.  Flat out, green-eyed monster, jealous of her creativity the designs she not only comes up with but executes.  I love her work and found myself thinking, "I should send a quilt out to get quilted like that one day." Of course, I immediately could not justify the expense b/c it would be a quilt for me, and not a show or anything and don't I have a 17" throated machine named Midge sitting on Mr. Sumo the frame?  Why yes, yes I do.  Then I sat down to figure out why I was so jealous. I realized it was because I felt I didn't have the freedom to set up designs like she sometimes does, meaning, I didn't think I had the patience or desire to do custom quilting.  I felt it was a chore to draw the designs before I quilted and get them off.  The alternative is to quilt over designs printed on paper and tear away the paper (lots of work). I suppose I could also use water soluable stabilizer but that would get expensive, don't you think?

Then I was reminded by the Man up in the sky, that when one sits down to get rid of an ugliness (like jealousy) in oneself, good things come.  I opened up a blog post the next day by Susan at Quixotic Crafter. She commented on tessting out a pen (a pen you can buy at Staples, Target, and probably even Wally World, too) for her applique marking.  She wrote on the fabric and then, with her embossing gun, applied heat. The ink disappeared. As she mentioned (and I later read on the box), it won't reappear unless the quilt is exposed to 14 degrees or less temperatures.  No kidding!!!!

That's the secret, folks. This WORKS!!!! I'm so ecstatic.  Really, I'm beyond ecstatic.  I need to send Susan wine, or chocolate, or fabric for sharing this.  I need to send the person who figured it out something good!  And, Pilot, the manufacturer, are you reading? You should be marketing yourself in the quilting community!  Holy extra profit, batman.

 These are erasable pens and Pilot's niche is the ink is developed so the heat from the friction of the eraser on the paper, removes (erases) the ink from the paper. Obviously, some clever crafter somewhere thought to try this on fabric and use an iron or a dryer.  (At least, Susan's post says you can use an iron for heat but I haven't tried it.)

I tested it on scrap fabric (blue, red and black ink) with a blow dryer on the high setting.  Worked like a charm.  So, I started marking up my Double Wedding Ring. 

Then I quilted and then I erased.

Of course, then I remembered I loved you and I know I like it when I see something in action so I showed you the simplicity of this all.  Similar videos but in the second, I count out the 4 seconds it took to get rid of the ink.

Video One

Video Two

What do you think? Are you adding these pens to your shopping list now? I'm seriously thinking of stocking up on more than the initial 3 I bought.

This solution is great because it enables me to see what a block will look like "all done" and whether I like it. In this instances, I felt the center of the ring didn't have enough quilting so I added more of a design to it. 

In the wedges, I tried out several designs and erased all until I got to the feathers and liked them.  I love these pens! 

Hope you try them out, too and let me know your thoughts.

Oh, and by the way, I am not jealous of anyone anymore. I found my block and have a solution. I am not as good of a quilter as she is, nope, but it doesn't bother me in the least. I am so stinking happy to be able to move to my own next quilting level, that's really all that ever mattered.   We forget, too often, that it's the journey that is so rewarding.
Cheers!
Beck

What iron do you use?

My husband and I had a discussion today. It went something like this:

Me: "While we are out, I want to pick up a second ironing board."
Hubs: "Why?"
Me: "So you can iron your uniforms in the bedroom and not in my sewing room. So there aren't hangers and tags laying around."
Hubs: "Oh, okay. Then I need an iron."
Me: "No, we have one from when we were in our other home that you bought, remember?"
Hubs: "No but that's fine. You can have that one and I'll take the one in your sewing room."
Me: "What? Why? No you are not."
Hubs: "But I love that iron. It glides so smoothly. It works great."
Me: "I know. I spent more money than I ever spent on an iron to get one that would be jsut want I want for quilting."
Hubs: "Then let's buy another."
Me: "Try the one you bought last year first."
Hubs: "I'll give it a try."

-intermission while we shop for other items-
Later at home, I'm sewing away and in comes hubs. He unplugs my hot and in use iron and plugs in the one he "loved" last year. 

Me: "Excuse me."
Hubs (taking my iron): "This one is better."
Me: "Well then I'm buying a new one."
Hubs: "okay"

Hubs goes back upstairs to iron his unifor and I try to press 1, JUST ONE, lousy seam open and I turned his iron off. Unplugged it and hollered to hubs.
"Bring that downstairs when you are done, please."  He laughs, "See? I told you it was bad." 

What's so great about my iron and what's so bad about hubs' iron? Well, nothing really. They both function and function well. I'm sure are many of you with many different types of irons so let me preface the following by telling you that this post is only about MY personal preference.

Here are the irons in question.

Primarily the thing hubs and I love the most about the first iron is the surface on the iron that touches the fabric.  The second one is a bit more like teflon and doesn't glide over fabric with only the slightest pressure. You have to use more pressure with hubs' iron & frankly, for me and my seams, I  have to pay more attention to the way I press the seams.

On mine I also like the slightly less bulky point and the extra steam holes (for wehn I do want to steam).  The hubs' is good for steaming a hanging garment (which is one of the reasons hubs liked it to begin with).

So, it now looks like I'm in the market for a new iron. I can buy another Rowenta and I probably will but part of me wonders about those Olisios I've seen out there or maybe one of you has something else you would recommend.

Do you? What do you use and do you love it?

Cheers!
Beck