Friday night was sew night at quilt club, 2 hours to finally do some sewing ... something that's been sadly lacking since Christmas! I managed a grand total of 3 squares ... the very observant amongst you may notice a conspicuous correlation between that and the number of needles I managed to thread in that same 2 hours!
I had arrived full of optimism, having found my new self-threading needles quite simple to thread in a recent blog update. I was also armed with a nifty Clover tabletop needle threading device, very thoughtfully sent by Quilter in the Gap, who happened to have a spare one and saw a comment from Susan suggesting I might find one useful.
So I sat down to thread my first needle of the evening, and promptly discovered that getting the thread through the eye was easy, but lining up the two ends of the thread ready for knotting wass less so! To cut a long struggle short, next time I tried knotting the thread first and then parting the thread so I could slide it into the eye of the needle (remember these needles have a tiny slit by the eye so this is possible) ... however it took me an age, well about 30 mins, to accomplish this .... and when I tried to repeat the trick for needle 3 I gave up! it doesn't take long before you find yourself wondering if you actually just knotted the end of the thread and didn't get the other end into the knot, and therefore whether you're trying to separate a single bit of thread!
Now you all probably well know that I take a long time to ask for help! I did have a willing helper this time but I had to try on my own so that I can find a way to master this without depending on somebody to help! I did ask for help figuring out the mechanism for the threading machine, but neither of us got very far with that, so I have no success to report there either! .. before giving up on that though I will try with a conventional needle and also by looking for instructions online ...
I also have to report no success grappling with the sewing machine today. Having had trouble pushing the fabric through past the needle in a straight line and without any bunching, I thought I'd turn the machine around so I'm sitting behind the needle as it were, and therefore would be pulling the fabric through which would hopefully avoid the whole bunching problem .... well I struggled to work out exactly where I'm lining up the fabric under the needle ready to start, so I definitely need to play around with some scraps before ruining any of my rainy day quilt squares! ... I'm not too hopeful because all the controls are now facing away from me (the needle raise button and the dials etc) but we'll see, it might still work!
So that's my dismal sewing update! At least I got 3 squares hand sewn on Friday night, but it'll take me a lifetime to finish my second quilt at this rate! ... I have had a lot of other things going on though so it's not all been my lousy skills that have been getting in the way of my stitching!
Not giving up yet though .... and I'm determined to get going on my Hanuary quilt block (an asterisk and a wonky pound sign) for the Craftsy.com tutorial I've signed up for! I've even been thinking about how I can embelish it to make it a nice little mug rug style affair!
How to sew a straight line when you're blind or have low vision, and other adventures. Follow me as I try my hand at sewing after 25 years, beginning with quilting class .
Well, at least you haven't given up. Just get someone to tell you if you've knotted the two ends so that you know you're not trying to split a single piece of thread! ;)
ReplyDeleteGo and put the kettle on, no biscuits mind! ;)
Oh Giles that sucks. I dont have any advice I'm afraid, no idea how to sort it. Well done for persevering, and do try again! :-)
ReplyDeleteOh arse, well, at least you got 3 squares done, better luck next time!
ReplyDeleteDon't let the turkeys (or needles in this case) get you down...good luck for your next attempt!
ReplyDeleteThere is an easy way to thread needles. It's a knack. I put the thread over the index finger of my left hand (I'm right handed) and if you feel the eye of the needle you will feel a groove in the right side to do this. What you do is you lay the thread over the index finger holding it down with the next finger and you rub the eye of the needle with the grove over the thread and voila it just threads itself. I have another blog called www.tapestry-of-dreams.blogspot.com andI think I might have spoken about it there - I will go and look and let you know tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteNow about the sewing machine and the bunching up. You don't push the fabric through you let the macine take it. All your job is, is to make sure that both pieces of fabric are together correctly and let the macine do the work. So turn your machine back around again and have another go on some rubbish fabric and let me know how you get on.
Love
Patti xxx
Hi Giles
ReplyDeleteI looked all through my stitching blog and unfortunately I haven't put a thread tutorial on there YET. I will tomorrow and take photos whilst I do it and hope this helps you.
Love
Patti xxx
I hate that it was so frustrating. I have a question but think I might know the answer. I will ask another time (like when you reply to this). I wish the needle threader was of more assistance.
ReplyDeleteOh and I wish you would ask for help more readily!! LOL Maybe I just wish you lived closer so that I could help you!
BTW I got some test results...email me friend!!
Hi, Giles - sorry it was a down week. I've had some blah weeks lately, so I commiserate. But, hey! I chose you for my Liebster Award list. You can see it here: http://whatahootquilts.blogspot.com/2012/02/liebsters.html
ReplyDeleteOh, I thought you had the sewing machine part down. Well, don't give up! There's got to be a way. I used to thread needles for my grandmother. Here's what I did. I put about a dozen needles on the thread coming off the spool, pushed them all down to the spool, and tied a knot so they wouldn't come off accidentally. Then when she wanted one, she would slide one down to the knot, pull the thread out as far as she wanted it, push the needles back to the spool, and knot that, THEN cut so the knot was on the spool with the needles, and her needle was threaded, with one end knotted. You'd have to figure out the knotting part, but maybe you could get someone to put a dozen needles on the thread for you and go from there?
ReplyDelete