'Wot RoTT' exchange

[Rita C.]

I was just wondering if the reels coming to the US have been mailed yet. I'm so excited to see them. I've been waiting to actually have them before choosing my other fabrics. It's kind of like waiting for Christmas.
Susan

[Rita C.]

Lorna is working at it, but it might take her more than one trip to the post office on base. :wink:

[Deborah W.]

Noreen -- I am so sorry for your loss and I was touched by your post. What a precious time to have with your brother and I am sure the quilt will be a wonderful reminder of this special time with him.

[Deborah W.]

Noreen,

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. There is no better quilt than one from the heart. It is a blue ribbon in my book! What a wonderful sister you are! God bless.

[Kathryn S.]

Noreen, I am so glad that you got to spend some quiet time with your brother during his last days. Being there must have helped him so much. Your beautiful quilt has so many memories stitched in to it.
Kathy

[Kathryn S.]

Hey, i just got an e mail from US postal Service that my package from Lorna is on its way! Woohoo!!!!! I am now so excited. We'll see how long it takes to get to California.
Kathy

[E.M. T.]

ME, TOO!

[E.M. T.]

Me three!! YAY!! I can't wait to get my precious lovelies!!

[Catherine S.]

I received a message too. Can hardly wait to receive them. I wish I had more time to sew, but caring for the grandkids is main priority these days. I will decide on the spool and background fabrics after I get the reels. It may take a while, but I will gradually get my quilt done.

[Brenda H.]

Noreen, Sorry for your loss, You are lucky to have such a great brother. He loved you a lot it is for sure. A peaceful time for both of you I'm sure. Memories stitched forever in time... God Bless you... Bren

[Brenda H.]

We use front-loading automatic washing machines here and usually the fabric comes out of the machine in a tangled mess. So what I am wondering is this, does anyone know if that thing of cutting a tiny corner off the fabric will prevent this and or will hand washing do instead? Margo and Michelle, thanks for the details of how you are doing it. I know that they will come in useful when I get back on Sunday. Rita.

Hi Rita,

I have a front-loading HE washing machine too, and I was really having trouble with fabric fraying and tangling in the wash! I did some research and found three options.
1) use pinking shears on the raw edges of fabric before pre-washing. (This would have been cool, except my hands cramped up!)
2) if fabric is not batiks or hand-dyes, don't use an entire wash cycle. Just use a rinse/spin cycle and dryer setting similar to what you'll be washing the finished product in.
3) since I mostly use batiks & hand-dyes, I got some of Dharma Trading Company's non-toxic Synthrapol alternative from their website, to suspend the dye particles in the washer, did a stretched out narrow zig-zag stitch on all the raw edges (some short yardage I just sewed raw edges together contiguously, which saved thread & fabric tangles, but later I felt like I just HAD to seam-rip 'em apart before pressing them), and used the "extra rinse" button on my washer. I ALSO threw in one of those Bounce Dye Catcher sheets (may have the name wrong) into the washer, and boy, did they turn bright colors, so I knew they were collecting the dye particles that the Synthrapol-alternative was keeping suspended in the wash water.

Number 3 has worked the best for me.... I've washed 10 loads of fabric just this week! No bleeding on the lighter value fabrics in the same color family. My hands don't cramp when machine sewing, and hardly cramp at all when seam-ripping (especially compared to trying to use my pinking shears).

Hope this helps, and I'd love to hear others' tricks for fabric washing in front-loader high-efficiency machines!!! :wink:

[Lotti D.]

I mostly use Lisa's nr thee method
Sometimes I cut the edge by using the pinking blade on a rotary cutter, great invention
I normally separate into general color groups and/ or lights / darks and always add a couple of the color catcher sheets
If I wash a quilt that had been made with unwashed fabrics I use a whole bunch of color catchers, half a box of those is a lot cheaper than trying to deal with a 'runny' quilt

[Lotti D.]

Noreen,
So sorry about your loss. Thank you for sharing your story and the beautiful quilt.

[Rita C.]

Hi Lisawantstoknow, Rita wants to know what was the name of the 'Synthrapol non-toxic alternative' that you got from the Dharma Trading Company?

Cathy, I hope you can find some time for yourself to quilt in between minding the grandchildren. I am sure it can't be easy right now. But do take care of yourself. I think of you often and hope things are getting easier for you as the days go by. We will all be reeling in the reels soon and then we can join Bren on the Show and Tell page. So exciting!

[Rita C.]

Dharma's " Professional Textile Detergent" is the alternative to Synthrapol - worked great for me and pretty cheap.

I just got my package, and the blocks are so pretty! It will be a "reel" treat to have so many wonderful fabrics in a quilt. Thanks again to Rosemary and Lorna, for their hard work and patience, and thanks to all of the ladies who have shared a part of their stash!

Sue