Friday 3 September 2010

I really should take notes

Last year I watched Sharon Schamber's youtube video about how she bastes a quilt. I still like pins, I know thread works for her and who am I to argue but I'm sticking with pins. Her method should work with either. Last Christmas DH bought me two 6 foot banquet tables and two long lengths of wood so I could copy the method. This quilt is only 60" width so one table shall do the job. I went out yesterday to buy the lengths of wood. I was certain they should be 6" wide. Nope they are 3". Hey ho, I expect it will still work. Or it would if I hadn't hurt my back getting the table up.....
See her video here


There is a part 2 to the method which you can find on the same Youtube page.

 I'm so proud of these! I planted a grape vine last year to shade the bricks of the house. This was not a special vine, just one for decorative purposes, but we have sweet grapes. I didn't even know we could grow desert grapes in England. If I had I might have done the thing where you remove half the bunches a month or so back so they grow larger.
In comparison to the imported ones, they are tiny, more like currants. But I am very proud of my crop!

8 comments:

  1. Your grapes look like concord, which are smaller than those red grapes you show, even here in the US. But they are delicious, although seedy.

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  2. Oh, please do let us know how the basting turns out. I have watched her video many times, and still can't convince myself it would actually work, it seems so simple!

    Thanks, Becky

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  3. A friend taught me this method a while ago and I have never gone back to pinning on the floor. It is a true back-saver and makes the process enjoyable. I do find that taping the quilt top and bottom to the boards is beneficial - especially if making a big quilt. I used this method today and had a 60" quilt basted within 2.5 hours - cutting down the process by about 3 hours with pinning. I hated pinning - and I did hate tacking until I started using this method - i find it strangely relaxing now. Hope you enjoy the process.

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  4. Brilliant. Thank you. I have a quilt to baste this weekend and I've been dreading that grovelling on the floor part. I would think that the 6" boards might be better for a large quilt. I'll be interested to see how your basting goes.

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  5. I think it's been a very good year for grapes - for the first time ever, we have so many bunches hanging from the pergola it looks quite Mediterranean & we may have to learn to make wine!
    Better than the potatoes.....which were delicious, thanks!

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  6. I've used this method of basting and I really loveit, so much that I'd all my quilts the same, I even bought the table but I had the wood. I love your blog, it's very inspirational.

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  7. The grapes look wonderful. I dont think it matters if they are small. I have just finished drawing my design on the fabics, have one more lot of starch to go on the backing fabric... and then will cut the batting. I have the wood and the table ready to go...and hope to get it basted in the next week or two as per Scharon Schamber. I have made one quilt this way and it worked so well without the pins. Hope your back is better and improves soon.

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  8. Your grapes are beautiful. Trimming would not change the size of the grape, as it looks to me, that this is a small type of grape (for making wine, not so much for eating, but they are delicious too). Just enjoy it. (a former wine grower)
    On the other hand, your blog is beautiful. I'm glad I found you.

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