Thread/Lint catcher for my sergers

 I have two sergers, one with black thread, the other white thread. 

If you are not familiar, a serger seals the raw edges of fabric so it does not fray. 

There is a very sharp blade that cuts the fabric even as it sews. This creates a real mess. 

Previously I had a paper bag taped to the table to catch the threads and cut off fabric bits. This did not work well, I ended up with a lap full of lint. 

In November, serging the raw edges of the Japanese quilt, there was a huge quantity of lint. I had to vacuum myself. My black pants were covered. 

I found this, it works like a charm -

It is not attached. The weight of the serger holds it in place. So it is easily portable to a sewing bee or retreat. 

The ornament tradition, part one

I gifted an ornament to granddaughter last year. 

I plan to give one to her each year. 

The first one, from 2024, was wooden-ish and blends with their tree decorations. 

The first one was just under $18, including shipping.

All the people and pets from our immediate family, the year she was born, are on the ornament. We wrote her name, the year, “first Christmas” on the back.

Black Friday Fun Purchase

Some streaming platform services offer Black Friday deals. 

This is my annual opportunity to catch up with BritBox and have something extra over the holidays when the networks are showing reruns.

In 2024 I purchased two months of Discovery+ and BritBox for $2 each per month. These deals were commercial free thru Amazon Prime.

This week I was watching and grabbed two months of BritBox as soon as I saw the $2.99 ad. 

This year/2025, I purchased thru my Roku because it is easier to turn off the automatic renewal. 

I am watching for a second deal. 

This is a great gift idea!

Once a month, I have a bit of a panic

 My studio, with its little closet under the stairs, works very well for me. 

I am used to sewing at home. 

Once a month I load up my stuff and join a group at the downtown library to quilt for the day. I like this group.

Part of this is easy, I have a good rolling cart. I have a portable sewing machine. I have a small bag of supplies. 

Here is where the panic comes in - I never know what project to take to sew. This is fresh in my mind, because my group met this past Saturday. I was in a panicked scramble Friday evening and early Saturday morning, trying to figure out what to take. It was unpleasant.

I work on one project at a time. My project is usually organized on a table and doesn’t feel easily move-able. 

I waste an enormous amount of time scrambling to find something to take. 

I am over this panic. 

I am organizing myself, so that I always have something packed in advance, for these Saturday events. 

My first project is actually four projects. Hopefully this takes me through the end of 2025 and well into 2026. 

I just ordered four alphabet panels (Windham Fabrics), identical to this one, on Etsy -

If this quilt (above) looks familiar, I made it, June 2024, for granddaughter. 

I am repeating this quilt, four more times, for upcoming extended family babies. My husband’s cousin’s kids are now having babies. 

Notice how many colors are in this quilt panel? I plan to use up fabric from my stash in making these baby quilts (borders and backing and binding).

I have double nap flannel on a bolt at my house. This needs used up also. It takes up a lot of room on my shelves. I plan to use the flannel, instead of batting, in a quilt-as-you-go style. This will avoid long-arm quilter fees. 

I did buy the alphabet panels. Since I bought four, the shipping was free. I hope to not buy anything else/extra for any of these baby quilts. 

I am also making coordinating swaddling blankets to send with each package. I may have to buy flannel for the swaddling blankets, I like to send three for each baby.

Quilt labels

A quilt label is sewn on the back of a quilt to identify the maker, year made and usually the location. Middle feels very strongly that my quilts need labels. I prefer machine embroidered labels.

In 2022 or 2023 I went on a quest to find someone to machine embroider quilt labels for me. I had a very hard time finding anyone. 

When I finally did, I had her do very short labels with just my first initial, last name and the year. That is 9 characters total, very simple. I had her make labels for 2023 and 2024

That shop is now gone. 

Since my long arm quilter stall appears to be over, I need labels for 2025. I have a lot of quilt tops in progress.

I went to my local quilt shop and explained my problem. Owner said her DIL would make labels for me. (The last time I was looking, it was too close to the holidays, everyone was backlogged.)

I texted with the DIL, dropped fabric, and a sample at the shop for her. 

So I should have 2025 labels shortly.

I have one label left from 2023 and lots left from 2024. I can cut the year off these labels and just put my name on the back of non-family quilts to use up the out-of-date labels.

Board books project

Board books are toddler books with cardboard pages. They are sturdy. Little hands can turn the pages more easily. 

When middle taught preschool for two years, she owned a classroom library of board books. The preschool board books have been in bins at my house since 2018. 

We also had family board books. 

I have sent a few board books to granddaughter over the last six months. 

February/March 2025, I realized I needed to sort the board books and communicate with oldest/DIL so they did not purchase board books we already have. (I did this same thing with the Dr Seuss books last summer/2024. Sorted and shipped Dr Seuss books to them so they did not buy duplicates and to get them out of my house).

Middle hauled board books out of her old closet and our living room shelves and helped me sort. 

There were duplicates. The duplicates immediately went to middle’s clinic. 

I photographed all the remaining board books and texted the pictures to oldest/DIL. They already had a few of the board books, but not many. 

DIL marked duplicates or books that did not interest them, with an X on my photos, and texted them back to me (examples below). Those rejected books also went to middle’s autism clinic.

Middle saved a couple board books at her house. I saved a couple at my house also. As granddaughter out grows board books, they will pass them on to other families. None of these books are coming back to our houses. 

I started mailing books, I mail one box each month -

The first March 2025 box was 100% books. I included the titles that DIL was very excited to get (Richard Scarry). I got a lot of board books in a medium flat rate box. 

(A second March 2025 box was also 100% books. These were all YA books that youngest saved for granddaughter when she cleaned out her books a year or two ago. The pile was sitting in my garage. I mailed them book rate.)

I mailed the April box last week. I got a lot of board books in a recycled Amazon box and shipped it book rate.

The May box will be a flat rate box with board books and a variety of other things for granddaughter’s birthday month. 

I have sorted boxes for the rest of the summer and fall. They are taped/labeled and ready to go. I wrote the month, each is to be mailed in pencil, on the outside of each box. 

Here are part of them -

 

All the reject Lottie blocks

My good with color friend commented, as the Lottie blocks were being made and rejected, that all the extra blocks would probably work together as a second Lottie quilt. 

Actually the reject blocks are the start of four additional quilts. 

As soon as I finished piecing the original Lottie (above, late January 2025) I gathered all the reject blocks and the remaining fabric.

I divided them into rows/piles. Yes, my xmas decorations were still on display. But they are now down and put away for the year. 

From left to right -

Starting with 2 blocks of 9 needed, green/tan/off white, headed to oldest/DIL.  Flannel print backing.

Starting with 4 blocks of 9 needed, gold/rust/off white, headed to Youngest’s best friend since kindergarten. Flannel print backing.

Starting with 2 blocks of 9 needed, red, headed to youngest. Flannel plaid backing.

And Lottie II on the far right will be middle’s back up quilt. I am starting with 3 of the 9 blocks needed. Goal is to make the top and binding for her to put away. At whatever point Lottie I wears out, she can find someone to quilt it for her. She knows how to bind.

Super pleased, to be organized (below). So fabulous to use up these nicely blending fabrics. 

Shipping quilts

I originally mentioned these quilts in previous posts (January 14 and 15, 2025). Both quilts are now complete and headed to my niece.

I recently took both of these quilts to show and tell at the local quilt guild. 

And then I shipped them to my niece. Niece is watching the tracking info and will work from home on the day the box delivers. 

Niece only knows the Indigo quilt is arriving. She picked the fabric and the pattern. 

The Grandmother’s Flower Garden is a surprise. 

She has been waiting since the fall of 2023 for the Indigo quilt, she deserves two!

I made extra/replacement binding for both quilts for her. Binding is the first thing to wear out on a quilt. I have started making extra for each quilt. 

Niece’s Grandmother’s Flower Garden
Hand Pieced by Ollie years ago
Vintage fabric 
Quilt stitch pattern is Baptist Fan 

Niece’s half square triangle quilt
Made with indigo fabric. 
I think of it as the Indigo quilt 
Quilt stitch pattern is Spiral Scales

Photos from the back of the indigo fabric showing the fabric stamps -

The Lottie quilt

This quilt is for middle. She chose the pattern and the fabric. The backing will be solid bleached muslin.

It is a scrap quilt, made with blending fabric of different colors. I purchased the bleached white muslin. The other fabric is mostly from my collection and a friend’s collection. 

Many people have made this quilt and posted photos online. Googling “Lottie Quilt” and then choosing “images” will yield lots of photos. 

This is one of the posted pix and is our inspiration -

We purchased the digital pattern -

I made myself color key cards (one for each block) and a placement sheet to keep track of the pieces. 

I increased the size of the pieces. Mine are an even 4” unfinished, so I could use a 4” rotary square (above) to trim my sections. So I cut my fabric at 5”, paired and sewed diagonally, and then trimmed to 4”. (The instructions used 3.75”.)

Each quarter section of the block is a 9-patch -

We realized we only need 9 blocks, not 16, partially because I increased the block size, and partially the way middle makes her bed.

As this posts, I am still sewing.

Tomorrow is National Gift Card Day

 

The indigo and white quilt

This quilt is currently at my long arm quilter’s. 

When it is finished, it is headed to the same niece who is getting the Grandmother’s Flower Garden. She picked the indigo/white fabric and also the half square triangle design. She knows the indigo quilt is coming. The Grandmother’s Flower Garden is a surprise.

This is the long arm stitch -

Indigo is a very specific fabric, usually made in South Africa. It has labels on the back, identifying it. It comes in small pieces, not on a bolt like regular yardage, in my experience.

All the blue fabric in the photos below is indigo. I paired it with (regular) solid white and white background prints.

I cut 8.5” squares, paired them, and used the diagonal sewing method that generates two half triangle squares from each pair. I trimmed these blocks to 7.5” using a 7.5” rotary square with a diagonal guide in the center.