SoTTT's CHAPTER 3: THE SORTING AND BEYOND!!

[Katie G.]

I've had permanent tape in my feather weight. I need to change it to 1/4" - it's been at 5/8" for about oh my gosh 50 years. Can the tape really be that old. I'm sure I've changed it throughout the years. The best simple solution ever - thank you Margo for reminding me of the good ole days.

[Kathryn S.]

Margo, you are the "Queen of Resources" for helping us find easy and inexpensive solutions to our sewing/quilting questions. My fave so far is when you demonstrated how to mark our sewing machines with blue painter's tape so we have an accurate 1/4" guide on our machines if we don't own a 1/4" foot! I used that for my Singer Featherweight in a recent quilting class and just love it! Thanx much, Margo! You ROCK! :lol:

Hugs,
Shirley

Oh yeah! Margo, you rock! I made a 1/4" seam guide with blue painters tape also. My Janome has a top loading bobbin, so I figured out to cut the painters tape so part is on the bobbin cover, and part on the bed of the machine. When I take off the bobbin cover to replace a bobbin, it goes back perfectly and I still have the good seam allowance guide! I'm also grateful for the pinwheel tutorial (lots of those in my HST quilt!), the twirling and pressing tutorials. My seams are are twirling and the quilt top is laying flat, no bumps! It's a miracle!
So glad you are getting together with some of the SOTT's, Shirley. This whole exchange has been such a gift to our community.
Kathy

[Paula Z.]

Margo and Shirley, thanks so much for the tips! I'm off to experiment.

[Dawn S.]

Okay, suppose I want to do this "turning" thing on a much smaller scale, and am too cheap, excuse me, THRIFTY, to buy a set of Fasturn tubes. I can remember when the kids were small we made a potato gun from a 1/4" brass tube and a brass rod that shot the potato piece out. Where can I get a foot long 1/4" brass tube. Has anyone seen something like this, that I can buy ONE of anywhere? Hobby shop? Home Depot? I spotted a supposedly Fastern 2nd on eBay for $5, with free shipping (from Oregon, Shirley!). But, his free shipping was kind of confusing. I mean, there was a place to plug in my zip to calculte my shipping costs. So, why would I have to calculate, if it is free? Anyway, I want to make a Fasturn loop/scallop edging for a UFO I am finishing up. Thanks!

Dawn
In beautiful Northwest Montana

[Dawn S.]

Dawn,
I am thinking the hardware store is your best bet for the brass tube. Maybe copper or as Margo said, (and I believe it is much cheaper) pvc pipe. Surely they will have the right size. Hey bring a tube of fabric with and show them what you are doing if you have to.
I have been using some long forceps my daughter sent me to turn some things. (they through them away once they open a kit even if they haven't been used.) I stick them way down in the tube that needs turning, grab a piece and pull. Don't think they would work on the really tiny tubes though.
Karen

[Margo C.]

Dawn, a piece of brass from anywhere will be costly these days! But check the hardware store for anything tube-like and maybe a dowel to slide through it. I have a collection of different sized tube things and stick-like things that I've saved through the years for just such purpose!

[Pamela O.]

Okay, suppose I want to do this "turning" thing on a much smaller scale, and am too cheap, excuse me, THRIFTY, to buy a set of Fasturn tubes. I can remember when the kids were small we made a potato gun from a 1/4" brass tube and a brass rod that shot the potato piece out. Where can I get a foot long 1/4" brass tube. Has anyone seen something like this, that I can buy ONE of anywhere? Hobby shop? Home Depot? I spotted a supposedly Fastern 2nd on eBay for $5, with free shipping (from Oregon, Shirley!). But, his free shipping was kind of confusing. I mean, there was a place to plug in my zip to calculte my shipping costs. So, why would I have to calculate, if it is free? Anyway, I want to make a Fasturn loop/scallop edging for a UFO I am finishing up. Thanks!

Dawn
In beautiful Northwest Montana

Agree that the hardware store would be the best place. I bought a brass tube there for another reason. You would still stitch one end closed and work the fabric onto the brass tube and use a rod or dowel to poke it thru.
I've had my Fasturn set for way more years than I want to admit.

Eleanor Burns uses a drinking straw. That would be thrifter yet.

Good luck.

[Dawn S.]

Thanks for the ideas! TQS members are the best! The PVC would work if I was working larger, but I want these tubes to be under 1/4" when turned. The PVC wall is too thick, as is the 1/4" black irrigation tubing, so the smaller inside diameter would make it difficult for pulling or poking it through. I'm liking the straw idea! I'll give that a try and see how it works. (I may have to look for smaller straws, though.) And, sugarmuffin, I'm fresh out of forceps! I guess I should have asked for some when I was in ER a few weeks ago! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Dawn,
In beautiful Northwest Montana

[Paula Z.]

Bingo! The straw works. I just tried it!!Thanks for the idea!!!

[Paula Z.]

[quote="Scoopie"]Thanks for the ideas! TQS members are the best! The PVC would work if I was working larger, but I want these tubes to be under 1/4" when turned. The PVC wall is too thick, as is the 1/4" black irrigation tubing, so the smaller inside diameter would make it difficult for pulling or poking it through. I'm liking the straw idea! I'll give that a try and see how it works. (I may have to look for smaller straws, though.) And, sugarmuffin, I'm fresh out of forceps! I guess I should have asked for some when I was in ER a few weeks ago! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Hey, Dawn, what about using those short cocktail straws we use to drink yummy tropical drinks. I think the diameter of them would be much smaller than regular drinking straws and would certainly be under 1/4". Unfortunately, they don't come in foot long lengths...or do they? :lol:

As for the free shipping from Oregon, could the man have been talking about NO SALES TAX?

What a free-style thinking bunch of quilters this group is!!! 8) :lol: Too much fun!

[Dawn S.]

Shirley - Nah, he definitely shows "No Shipping." I was kind of thinking cocktail straws, too. The larger ones. Not tiny like the coffee stirring kind.

Ladyz - Super! I'm glad you tried it and it works! My machine is set up for free motion quilting right now, and I didn't want to change it to try the straw idea just yet. Did you pull it through with a sewn cord or thread, or did you push it through with some sort of rod?

Dawn
In beautiful Northwest Montana

[Dawn S.]

Shirley - Nah, he definitely shows "No Shipping." I was kind of thinking cocktail straws, too. The larger ones. Not tiny like the coffee stirring kind.

Ladyz - Super! I'm glad you tried it and it works! My machine is set up for free motion quilting right now, and I didn't want to change it to try the straw idea just yet. Did you pull it through with a sewn cord or thread, or did you push it through with some sort of rod?

Dawn
In beautiful Northwest Montana

I was thinking that using a straw and instead of having a 'pusher'dowel if you cannot find one fine enough, firmly stitch a length of buttonhole thread to the end and drop the needle down the straw and then pull. Actually you can do it this way without the straw, but it is a whole lot easier with. However from what you have written it sounds as if you mught have tried this already. Hope you find something that works for you.

[Margo C.]

Would a shish-ka-bob skewer fit through your drinking straw???

[Roseanne M.]

Would a shish-ka-bob skewer fit through your drinking straw???

...or teeny size knitting needle?

[Roseanne M.]

I have always used the drinking straw and the rounded end of a "bodkin"...or is it a "bobkin"? Boy...don't feel I silly!