Thursday, March 22, 2018

2018 AQS Lancaster, Ironing, old school...



"Contentment" is having a good time up in Pennsylvania!  It took a 2nd place ribbon in its category this week at the AQS Quilt Show in Lancaster.  How fun!  

It would be cool to be there with all the quilts...and SNOW.  If any of you are going to Lancaster, I would love to have a picture of "Contentment" hanging there.   :o)


There is a mess in the quilt cave, which is a good sign.  There must be some sewing going on in there.



I am finishing up the outer borders for the crazy "diet" quilt.  The bottom border is completely done and soaking in water to get the glue out at this very moment.  The rest of the borders are mostly done.

I am thinking that this wordy border will be the outer border.  I really don't want to do too much with the borders.  I don't want to distract from the applique or message. 


I am also getting backings together for three quilts...this one, my Little Treasures top, and the chocolate rabbits.  I also have to get the wordy borders done for the second "diet" quilt (I need to finalize a real quilt name).

You know how I love to use my little vintage pattern weights while doing my version of hand applique?  Well, they are fabulous, but I have found an additional vintage item that further helps me weight down prepped applique pieces after glue basting...


...these are HEAVY!  I found vintage irons that are PERFECT when working on a large border with lots of pieces.  I can either use them right on the fabric, or in combination with a ruler to keep everything flat and weighted until my glue baste has dried enough to start stitching.


They are clean, smooth and totally safe to put right on the fabric.  At some time, I may put some felt on the bottoms, but I am totally digging them "as is" right now.


Some people decorate with these irons or use them as a door stop.  Each one of these cost between $5-6...cheaper than the sets(6) of individual weights I find on Ebay.  Both have their purpose. 

The irons are easy to find in your local antique or second-hand shop.  I've been tripping over them for years and never thought I would have a use for them.

I used to just pile the individual pattern weights on top of each other to achieve the same results.


Thanks for all your great comments and emails.  I have missed all of you over the past three months!

In stitches, 
Teresa   :o)

24 comments:

  1. I saw a cartoon just yesterday that showed the correct way to weigh yourself. Showed a lady laying on her back with her legs up in the air. The scale was on top of her feet. Cute! Your diet quilt made me think back to it.

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  2. I love flat irons for weights too - they really work!

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  3. yes congratulations on your quilt, I miss you on your blogging, glad you are back.

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  4. My mother used to collect flat irons and used them as doorstops. I still have one and now I know what I can do with it!

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  5. Congratulations on your win!! It's such a wonderful quilt - well deserved! Glad you're back stitching again :0)

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  6. Congrats n the quilt win. Glad you are at it again. Missed your posts. Chris

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  7. I have a couple of those irons from back in the day when Mama actually ironed with them! Not in my lifetime, though.

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    1. Oh, yes, Congratulations on the win. It'll be home one of these days and you can hang it somewhere.

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  8. Congrats on Contentment. A well deserved win.

    I live your iron idea. Very practical and thematically correct.

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  9. Teresa... congratulations!!! I am sooo excited your quilt did so well and you have been sewing away... I had been a month without blogging myself as we have been in the midst of a crazy move that didn't go as planned but wound up being a good thing... in the end. I love seeing your sad iron aquisition for applique... I will be looking at your blog posts to remember the " fine print" of how to do it all again as we have a new home to decorate and I want applique to be a BIG part of that .. your way :D I will be looking for sad irons to weigh down my project in the drying time... I don't have pattern weights actually... so I guess I will need some as I don't want to use boxes! lol I want to never see boxes again after this move... a month in a motel with our pup was NO FUN!!! Take care of yourself and have fun and again CONGRATS on the win.. hope someone that is there shares a pic back with you :D Kathi

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  10. Congratulations on your win!! So glad you’re back to posting. I really enjoy your news.

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  11. Congrats on your win! Lancaster can be tricky this time of year- sometimes snow, sometimes beautiful refreshing spring. This is a way better use for the irons- clever. Better than tripping over them, as you noted!

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  12. Congratulations on your second place for Contentment - it is beautiful.

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  13. Congratulations on your well deserved win! More money for fabric - woohoo! I love those vintage irons and I never thought to use them for weights. I use heavy books, but these are much better!

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  14. Congratulations on your 2nd place finish. I saw your name on the list of winners in the AQS email yesterday, but it was late so I didn't send you an email then. It's a beautiful quilt full of wonderful memories.
    I love your stack of lime greens, too, and I have some of that multi-color stripe fabric. I've used it as binding on a kids quilt.
    Pat

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  15. Congratulations on the ribbon for Contentment!! Well deserved win!!! Love the way you use your antique irons!!

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  16. Congratulations on the ribbon, way to go. Love your applique. That is a really neat idea with the irons especially adding felt. Thank you for sharing.

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  17. How very very awesome!! Congratulations!! Enjoy the reward!

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  18. Congrats on yet another Contentment win. I wish I was at Lancaster as I have never been. Appreciate the weight tips.

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  19. I sent you a picture Teresa... congratulations! I love your quilt and was so happy to finally see it in person and with a ribbon, too. It was snowing heavily the first day of the shoe, so attendance was off but I was able to get great pictures of all the quilts. Xox

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  20. For weights I use bricks covered with a layer of batting and fabric. The irons look like they work good, but much harder to find than a brick.

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  21. I have 4 of the old irons, all sitting on my wood cook stove. I use them everyday. Being off grid, they are wonderful for ironing. And they work great! 😁

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