Saturday, June 3, 2017

Economies of scale


It's Saturday morning!  Bright and early - well not so early. We've already been to the dog park for over an hour, we've all eaten breakfast, loaded two quilts on the long arm, made two battings and sewed up a bunch of half square triangles and it's not even 9 AM!!!!

Let me explain.

Helen Anne is coming over to quilt up some of those Ronald McDonald quilts for the guild. I got two tops and two backs at the meeting so I could have everything ready to go this moring. The tops are the same size so I sewed the two backs together one after the other, not side by side. So technically when I loaded the "one" back, it's really backing for two quilts. I loaded one top and when that one is done, the next top goes on - no need to load the second backing because it's already there.  That's easy to do because they are the same size.

I said I would donate the batting for these two (and more if I need to). I sorted through all my batting left overs (which are marked with the size - bet quilting tip EVER!!!)   I found SIX pieces of batting that sewn together would make the battings for the two quilts.

Tags from the used up pieces of batting


Having each piece marked with the size saves so much time.  I don't remember where or how I came up with that brilliant idea, but it's been a fabulous thing!

Instead of using the fusible tape to put the pieces together, I decided to sew them together with a triple zig zag.  It's fast and easy. These pieces are not huge so it works well on the sewing machine. and I LOVE that curved edge extension table on the Husqvarna Viking Desinger Topaz 50 because the batting pieces just glide over the surface.   In very little time, those two battings were made. One is already loaded on the machine waiting for Helen Anne to arrive.

Piecing the batting together on the sewing machine


The temperature is gorgeous outside and I'm a bit envious that I won't have time to get out on my bike. But that's a decision that I made. I did play hookey all evening yesterday. Sat out in the gazebo for a bit and read. No quilting, no work!

However, the amount of work to do - well there'll always be a lot of work. I can't help it - this is all my parents' fault.  Ideal hands are a bad thing!  But I thought I would try something different. You see, I now have a magic wand. Whenever someone at work asks for a new project or a new pattern designed and written - I can wave my magic wand, say some enchanting words and POOF - a finished project!  DH wants to know if it will replenish his beer mug.  I said "NO - don't be silly! It only works for quilting". Now wouldn't that be cool if it actually worked?  But then where is all the fun?

My magic quilting wand!


Well enough silliness for this morning. It's time to pull the rabbit out of the hat and get to work. There is no time for dilly-dallying today. We've got quilts to quilt, battings to piece together, half square triangles to trim and tops to sew together.  There is NO time for play!  Well maybe just a  little, but much later in the day.

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

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