A package in the mail.

After I pin basted this quilt, I realized I didn’t have enough thread in the right color to quilt it.  I was going to buy more of what I had, and then thought about the weight of the thread, 35, and that it might look like rope on this small quilt, with it’s 7 inch blocks. 

 

I’m getting more picky about my quilting thread, tho I must confess that I will use just about anything that still has its strength to piece…I’m currently finishing a spool of polyester that was a hand me down, and was likely new when I was.  But, it’s darn near unbreakable, still.

Anyway, I like a 60 wt, 2 ply cotton thread for quilting.  Precencia makes a great one.  I had two 600m spools of cream colored, but they were just a bit too yellow for this quilt.  I ordered two spools of off white from Red Rock Threads, and they are the perfect color. 

Since I was paying shipping anyway, I decided to give some new needles a try.  I got a pack of their Organ brand, size 75 sewing machine needles and a pack of size 9 quilting betweens.  I took one of the betweens out of the pack and started using it this morning.  It is every bit as good as the Mary Arden needles of the same size that I was using.  I’ve had a hard time picking needles and have given up on Dritz.  A sharp needle, which I thought was my fave for hand quilting bends too fast, and a between is often hard to pull through the fabric.  Even the Mary Arden needles seemed to have a burr that caused the needle to catch, but after about a foot of hand quilting, that burr would wear away and the needle would be great for a very long time.  I generally use a needle until it gets unruly, and then I go for a fresh one.  I’ve probably got close to 25 hours on the Mary Arden that I was using.  I hope the needles from Red Rock last as long. 

Lots of people rave over the organ brand needles, so hey, I’m game.  I’ll give them a try and let you know.  I had been led to believe that they were very expensive, but they were about the same price as Schmetz and have twice as many needles in the pack.

Sydney has taken to a very vertical ringlet curl look that reminds me of Miss Melanie Hamilton in Gone with the Wind.  By the time she took this pic yesterday, the curls had started to fall in the humidity, but when she came to breakfast, I spoke in my slowest southern drawl and asked her if we were expecting Ashley Wilkes for breakfast here at twelve oaks?

And what the heck is up with that devilish look?

Melanie Hamilton wasn’t devilish.

Everybody have a great day.  I’m going to be playing soccer mom, rushing from her pre-op appt this afternoon, back to the school to try to get her in the basketball team pictures.  The coach is not being very accommodating of the fact that she rescheduled pictures yesterday, from yesterday to today, into the middle of the only appointment available, so Rob is going to ask her.  All we need is for Syd’s team picture to be the last one taken.  If they’ll make that one accomodation, I should be able to get her back in time.  If not, I won’t be a happy dad.  We worked hard for that yearbook picture!

Be well.  Have a great Thursday.  If you see an old man, with a girl changing clothes in the back seat, flying down a highway in a navy blue Prius, please distract the police.

Lane