Thursday 6 December 2012

The F word. Fusible that is.

My what a sweary sewing day today.  Honestly, I might just have surpassed myself with the variety and ferocity exhibited today.

It started with getting up early and packing up a quilt to be basted and all the kit and caboodle required to do so and trudging ever so slowly and carefully through the icy inch of snow to ... well.... nothing.  It was supposed to be a quilting group meeting -  something very new to me, primarily attended for the massive tables to be honest, I take a long time getting to know actual people however nice they are....  Anyway.  Dicey, slow, painful trudge to get there, and there's nothing on.  D'oh!  Should have thought that it'd be cancelled if the pavements and roads were icy.  Numpty.

So. Hip hurt, and no way to baste.  Plan B, continue work on my Soda Pop.  I dont know if I've shared much of that with you.  I did put a wee picture of the half made quilt top on my Finish Along List.  Well, we got the top pieced a couple of days ago, and mum has been a massive help in drawing and cutting 150 more petals for me!

If you are not sure what in the name of the wee man I'm on about, I'm talking about making the fabulous quilt by the equally fabulous Ms Katy Jones, featured in the, again, fabulous Fat Quarterly Shape Workout book.  Here is a photy (nicked from Allegory  co-incidentally fabulous also).  Allegory also ran a Quilt Along, which is when I started this... I didn't officially join in as I was, rightfully, a bit dubious as to how quickly I could  do it - not very quickly at all it turned out!  Anway.  This is the masterpiece I dream of...



With all my basting issues, I bought a queen size fusible pack of batting for this one.  With my trusty un-built coffee table laid out in quilting mode



mum and I painstakingly fused the quilt top, and back, to the fusible batting.  (We had towels wrapped round the boards, just in case you wondered).


No cat was pressed in the making of this quilt.  Not for the want of her trying though.


One row at a time, we fused and quilted / raw edge applique'd the petals.  My god it is an absolute freakin' hateful nightmare.  (Must state, this is NOT how Ms. Jones tells you to do it!  Must also state that although it is the method Allegory used, I sincerely doubt she did the same way I've been attempting - my sweariness and foul temper are my own fault entirely and only directed inward I assure you!).  

My petals wont stick right, they keep lifting off.  I keep completely missing the points, then they get folded over on themselves at the very last minute and sewn in place like that.
My walking foot, despite NEVER being too happy to assist me in getting straight lines straight, is even less happy with the notion of doing a gently undulating wave.
The fusible batting gives the quilt sandwich a temporary crispiness, which makes it very difficult to wrestle through a sewing machine.  The fusible batting has also UN-FUSED itself.  It apparently doesn't like to be quilted.  Bit f****** useless then wouldn't you say?!  Don't get me wrong, I've used it in bags and pillows and wall hangings etc, and its been fab.  But a quilt?  It is not playing nicely with the other children at all.

Back and shoulders now as sore as hip, time for plan C.  Get on with the second bag commission.  Typically enough, it just didn't want to play nice either.  I was trying to do this style of zipper again.

Knitting bag interior pockets

This tutorial, but this time I'm making the zip about 2" longer at the end instead of splitting it up.  The fabric pieces either side of the zip.  Just could not do it!  5 times I've sewn it and had to unpick.  I've pinned it.  I've starched it.  I've used bondaweb on the edges of the zipper to fuse it in place (might have known that wouldn't work today!).  I've tacked it.  Every single time I end up with a big (more than 0.25") bump of fabric on the top being chased by the needle...  I just don't understand it.  

So, there has been a big blue sweary cloud round my head all day!  Thankfully, mum is still here.  She cooked me dinner, we put the fire on, and did nothing - absolutely nothing all evening.  So much happier now!  

Sorry bout the not-so-good photos today, and also if you've commented and I've not replied I apologise; I'm a bit behind.  I do read them and I do appreciate getting them, thank you!

28 comments:

  1. Just have a bit of a shout, throw something heavy (not elliecat), change your sewing machine needle and thread, and start again :o) xxxx

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  2. OOhh a sweary session, you are not alone. In a moment of madness I decided to back a quilt for my daughter with minkee. it was alive and wriggling, 2 days, 3 changes of thread, 4 new needles and a lifetimes worth of tension adjustments later I threw the towel in the ring. I unpicked and hand quilted. My face was scarlet, the air was blue and both my dogs hid under the coffee table. My daughter loves her quilt, I never want to see it again.

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  3. Hmmmm....I hope your hip, shoulders, and bits feel better....**she says timidly from the corner while grinning sheepishly**

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  4. Oh, wee dude! That is crap. Or bloody crap. OR bloody hellfire in a dish crap. Imagine the fecking fusible batting unfusing! The Mother Hubbard.

    And I was wrestling a zip at 7am this morning (my only sewing time just now!) and have decided they are the work of Satan. And buttons are prettier. So there, zips, stick that right up ya! Cannae beat a vent. ..

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  5. sometimes doing nothing is the only option, especially when the sewing goddesses seem to be conspiring against you. regroup and breathe (and eat cake, obvs) then have another go

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  6. I'll swear repeatedly on your behalf. Pillows don't mind you punching them repeatedly, either ;o)
    On a less aggressive note, I absolutely love your soda pop patchwork, gorgeous!

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  7. Oh what a nightmare! No wonder the air's been blue! Thank goodness mum was there to make it all better again! Aren't mums great! Hope you have more success tomorrow! Jxo

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  8. I had the same trouble myself yesterday. The day before I made a cushion cover with a lovely VW campervan appliqué using Liberty prints and yesterday I attempted to make a 'house' cushion cover. I couldn't get the right size and I couldn't find suitable fabrics that I loved. I ended up with a room strewn with all my fabrics and scraps. I gave up and shut the door on it and went to bed. Then I couldn't sleep for thinking about it. What a wasted day that was!

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  9. I hope today goes better. I can only suggest less pressure on your presser foot for the zip, it really does not make sense. A new needle might also help. The rest, well, some days are just rubbish, swearing and a night off are my approach too.

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  10. I've never used fusible batting, but I have used spray glue and that is useless too (IMHO)

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  11. The fusible batting I've used before was absolute shit too. I'll stick to spray basting.

    Have you cleaned out your walking foot and under your needle plate? Sometimes my machine starts sewing like its drunk and it's usually because there is lint galore around the feed dogs. Sometimes it's because I've had an extra glass of wine :)

    Everything is absolutely lovely, as always.

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  12. As I started reading I though 'genius, why haven't I used fusible batting?' but I'm not thinking that any more! Poor you to have a day like that. Hope the zip starts co-operating too. Juliex

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  13. Oh darn. She says when she really means something down right filthy. I hope you get it sorted tomorrow.

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  14. I hate those kind of days....when you feel farther behind then when you started.

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  15. We all have days like that now and then.
    I like the sound of big tables for basting - have been trying to figure out how I'm going to baste my quilt. My current idea is to pull apart my sofa (it's modular) and push them to either ends of the lounge for a day so I can use the floor.
    Fusible batting. Just the thought makes me shudder. I hope you get it sorted so you don't have to take it apart and replace the batting.

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  16. It feels like the world is against you when we have days like yours today. Thank goodness you have your lovely Mum to look after you and share your pain. Di x

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  17. I had a helluva time on the petals on my Soda Pop. They unstuck after HOURS of ironing.

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  18. I sympathize! I would have definitely given up those petals by now!

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  19. Well big fat hairy b*llocks to all of that!

    Hope tomorrow is better, less snowy and less sweary...

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  20. You should have been Christmas shopping with me in Milton Keynes instead. I think that was equally sweary but we could have talked each other into Yo! Sushi and abandoned the nightmare shopping. It would have been much more fun.

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  21. Ms Ellie looks like Alien Cat now. Blue air & alien eyes. Scary!!!!! =:-0
    How's abaht knitting?

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  22. I still swear by the 505 spray glue for basting - I've even used it to applique on a few bits too!

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  23. Oh poor you. I've decided that a good swearing session is good for the soul that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
    Wee man made me smile :)

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  24. Is it going any better yet? You have my sympathies, it sounds like a blooming nightmare!

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  25. I haven't tried spray basting - perhaps I won't! Hope things are going better...

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  26. Well I'm sending you a complimentary 'oh bugger' to add to your day xxx

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  27. Sometimes it is good to give something a good kicking - but always wear steel toecaps when you do! And preferably choose something yielding and inanimate to kick....better luck today Sarah!

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  28. My goodness! That concealed zipper? Can't say I've tackled them but to have to umpick 5 times?!?!!? I'd cry and give up after 2 attempts :(
    I can't answer what's going wrong but I hope you kik it's butt into place soon! <3

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