Karen's UFO Quilt Along

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Comment by Annie on November 18, 2009 at 11:42am

Only got half of the sashing done on the baby quilt. I ran out of bobbin thread then proceeded to have THREE THREAD SNAFUS!!!! But I am officially half way done hand quilting space geese.

Comment by Ronda on November 17, 2009 at 5:51pm

I agree with Cat Lady regards scissors...true left handed scissors are a gift from heaven in my opinion, after having used right handed ones for many years and getting a sore, sore hand! Rotary cutters I use are easily changed for my left hand and fit so nicely...

So...I decided to UFO, but have to buy backing fabric before I can go further...but ya'all are right...finish the UFO's first!!!

Comment by Cat Lady--MO on November 17, 2009 at 12:58pm

Yes, after his stroke he had to learn to do many things left handed. He quickly learned there is a difference between a pair of true left-handed scissors and ones that say they can be used by either. He does laugh at me because he had to change his "mouse" settings so he could use it left-handed, and I just learned to use mine with my right hand.

Comment by Collette Batten on November 17, 2009 at 12:47pm

CatLady MO Hmm. I never even looked at left or left & right scissors. I just always cut right handed. Was it your husband that had to use his left hand because he couldn't use his right? Well, I like that when I grew up I just had to use my right for things that were design for right handed. Even so, thank you. Kiss your cat for me, Happy Quilting.

Comment by Cat Lady--MO on November 17, 2009 at 12:37pm

Collette: I find the main difference between using true left-handed scissors and ones that say they are made for either right or left handed people is the side of the blade I am looking on as I cut. There is also a difference in the way the blades cut, I call it the way the are torqued, but after cutting for a while with the so called right-or-left ones, my hand can tell the difference. I can cut a long time with true left-handed scissors and not feel any hand strain at all. You also need to make sure that the person you have sharpening true left-handed scissors knows what they are doing, as there is a difference in the way they are sharpened.

By the way, many (but not all) rotary cutters can be formatted for left-handed use. I showed this to another lefty one day and she later commented that her ability to cut precise pieces dramatically improved just by making her rotary cutter correct for a left handed person.

Comment by Collette Batten on November 17, 2009 at 12:02pm

Cat Lady Mo I must of been typing while you LEFT your comments. Thinking the same thing! Do you use left handed scissors? I never could use them.

Comment by Ruthann on November 17, 2009 at 11:52am

Rebecca, the sewing machaine lessons should be fun, remember in school learning to sew paper circles, squares, collar shapes without thread in needle till were used to it and learned not to have a lead foot on sewing pedal.
smart idea cat lady...

Comment by Collette Batten on November 17, 2009 at 11:51am

Rebecca, I am a lefty and I have a twin sister who is right handed, wait a minute, no one in my family is a lefty. I think a person should learn any thing from the best and to do the best. Practice Makes Permanent! So practice it right from the beginning. You might not do it right but you need to know the difference. Now, I told another group that I started out as a child with paint by numbers, then my mother took me to see the Masters. When I got the love for art in my heart. She sent me to the art classes. I was told to master pencil before oils. I have never done any thing other than pencil. I never thought I mastered it. My sister went on to do oils and every medium, she had her art in shows in San Francisco at 14 years old. Made her living with her talent. I still just do pencil. It's what she would expect from herself that I think has to be added to the mix in what you do for her. And we don't know her like you do. Simple thing forget she is a lefty and sit across from her instead of next to her and your right will be her left and she won't give it another thought!

Comment by Cat Lady--MO on November 17, 2009 at 11:39am

Rebecca, being left handed, this is how I teach right handed people. Have her sit across from you (knee-to-knee) when teaching hand work, including quilting. Her left hand then will mirror image your right hand. Remember that she will probably be stitching clockwise to your counter-clock-wise. Also remember there is more than one way to hand quilt (not everyone does a rocking stitch, and not everyone uses their thumbs and under fingers in the same manner, not everyone puts a thimble on their middle finger). As far as teaching someone to use a sewing machine, I have never found there to be a difference in the human being right or left-handed, the difference is more in the machine and how it works. Now scissors are another manner!

Comment by Rebecca Keith/VA on November 17, 2009 at 10:11am

I have a question for you wonderful lefties out there in weallquiltland., I have a friend who is learning to quilt with my assistance and she has her top ready to start basting, and she is a new sewer as well, we are working on her seam allowances and stuff while she is mastering hand piecing, as she does not have a machine...my question is this, What is the easiest way to help her learn to quilt? I use the rocking method with a little stab stitch thrown in for good measure...but since she is only beginning I don't want to scare her off by being to technical, but I want to show her the "right"way to make her quilting stitch that will require the least amount of unsewing.....She also wants sewing machine lessons after Christmas, and I am a very much righthanded person and I really want to help her...Any hints would be appreciated as I know she is serious about learning.....

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