Crazy Quilt Art World

What about those Scissors?

2016-03-14T20:48:00.003-05:00

I'd like to believe, that scissors can be found, in every home around the world! They are a tool that's believed to have been created in ancient Mesopatamia 3-4 thousand years ago. Can you imagine the wonder and sensation, this handy tool created for people? Shall we explore the world of scissors?

Cutting tools have been a constant for every culture around the world throughout the ages. They've been needed for cutting up meat (vs traditional tearing with your hands and teeth), found in use, for agriculture, textiles, shearing coats of livestock, food, and hair.

Practically, every industry can be found having a use for scissors, again, around the world. They were once, only available to those in Guilds and merchant circles.

Superstitions were created around scissors. Usually recommending and/or advising placing scissors under your pillow, or gifting scissors with money in return, to be wary and avoid scissors that could 'cut in half' friendships, pain, joy, luck and prosperity. These beliefs in the omens about scissors, were probably more to spread messages of, respect this tool. Do you notice how we, or others, take scissors for granted?

Where Scissors began?

The construction of scissors began, by connecting two blades with a flexible metal loop, that required hand strength, to perform a cut, called 'spring scissors'. This would be the basic design, for many years. It's believed that scissors had traveled through trade, exploration and with the Romans.

The Roman iron workers would eventually build upon, and re-design this tool, two crossed blades with a fulcrum but did not close. Even the doomed city of Pompeii, has been found to have had iron blades that were riveted to a bronze spring. In Finland, Fiskars would open an iron forging smithy, in 1649, manufacturing scissors, another company in Hangzhou, China made scissors since 1663 plus William Whitely and Sons (Sheffield) Ltd., would make scissors in 1760.

Today's modern pivoted design, is believed to have started in 1761, by Robert Hinchliffe, in London, and manufactured in larger numbers. They are still in business and considered one of the oldest scissor manufacturing company, in the West though there may be some disagreement. Scissors are still that one seriously awesome tool, that is greatly appreciated and worth owning.

Let's fuss about our Scissors

Ownership of scissors shows us two blades, made of steel. We also know, that steel can rust, and! through long time use, the blades will dull. As we have learned in life, all good things must come to an end, including our beloved scissors but! we can extend the life of our scissors with learning how to care for them. For this case, I will stick to fabric scissors aka fabric shears since I'm one of many, sewing enthusiasts. It's important to take care of our fabric scissors and/or shears, and recommended as follows:

Avoid water and moisture to help prevent rust. Rust spots can accumulate around the 'pivot' point (that little center screw), so use a steel wool brush, to clean it up.
Sticky with some sort of residue (glue from self-adhesive something or other?) then use a little water to wipe it off and dry thoroughly.
Wipe the blades regularly especially if cutting through brittle types of man-made fabrics. Pieces of fabric lint can build up around the pivot.
Keep blades sharp. A few various recommendations such as, cut through folded sandpaper, foil, or my favorite, use a diamond file, your friendly neighborhood professional sharpener or purchase scissor sharpener tool. Check to see what works best for you.
Store in a dry container.
Do not use fabric scissors for anything else other than fabric.
Keep extra scissors nearby for specific cutting of threads, paper, cardboard.
Pay attention to that pivot screw. It may need tightening or loosening but be careful since blade alignment may be set off.
Oil the pivot screw with 1-2-3 or sewing machine oil.

A few simple steps can help us preserve the life of our beloved scissors. My own sons, one day, heard a banshee, for the first time when I seen them cutting thick plastic packaging with my fabric shears, just because they looked big enough to handle the job. Has somebody in your family heard a Banshee too?

Learning with Video

Extra Reading

TeachingChildren To Cut - Scissor Safety

Bestfabric scissors: Ask the experts

15gifts for the sewing enthusiast

I hope you found this article informative. Please feel free to leave your comments, share your thoughts, and Share with others who may be interested. Send a Email if you would like to place a Order today or to say, Hello! Visit the Galleries! I hope you visit again.

Article (C) 2014, all rights reserved. Gin G. creates and posts articles online about Crazy Quilts, business development, second income idea's. Gin G. Is a graduate in business development, Nursing, and passionate about arts and crafts.

Fabric Water Proofing in the Sewing World

2014-05-12T17:49:00.000-05:00

The season of winter has passed and a few months of spring, summer and fall will be coming soon! We get to come out of hibernation and spend time outdoors. This is also the season for the few sewing enthusiasts, to consider updating their outdoor furniture. Do you update your patio furniture covers?

One of the problems faced with being outdoors are the elements of weather. It can get humid, wet from rainfall and/or morning dew along with exposure to the sun and can quickly damage the fabrics on our outdoor decor. It's time to pull out some available products specific to handling the elements of weather especially water-proofing.

Water proofing products are in the realm of science and chemistry with the production of designing a product to withstand water (A great career to consider, if I may add!) Many artists understand the importance of including steps, to safeguard the longevity of their work and slow deterioration. Products that can help provide that shield of water-proofing can be found in marine, crafts, RV, furniture upholstery, and auto store sections. There may be other outlets, please leave a comment to let others know! Thank you :)

A point to keep in mind with adding any chemicals to our projects is the surface will change and these products will or can be, costly. Remember to take a scrap piece of fabric and test the product FIRST. Allow your scrap to thoroughly dry and again, check the results. It's best to find out early if we are going to like the final results or try another product. Maybe a good time to ask if there are 'sample' products in smaller ounce bottle?

The following are products that can be found and are available in a store near you or online. Checking reviews and researching product sites, new reapplications of spraying, appears to be necessary after some time has passed. So, we must pay attention to eventual 'wearing off' of first applications of water-repellants, to our outdoor projects but they are re-newed after new applications. Now, that's great news. How many of us are guilty of 'falling in love' with our fabric choices?

One product brand that's recognizable amongst us 'artists' is Mod Podge. They have a product called 'Plaid Fabric Mod Podge'. It is a glue and sealer in one. Apply a thin coat to fabric with a brush and it's washable in cold water, air dry or gentle cycle dryer after 72 hours of air drying. I rather like air drying since there's a distinct 'aroma' that's quite lovely but that could just be me, since I live in the forest?

A second product is 'Thompson's Water Seal Fabric Seal'. It's specifically designed for outdoor decor such as cushions, umbrella's and pillows. It will prevent color fading and mildew since it has 'UV inhibitors and sealant' to block moisture. It's not designed for 'high foot traffic' items nor certain 'synthetic' fabrics. It allows fabrics to 'breathe' so it doesn't cause discoloration, stiffness nor stickiness. I think they've sold me!

A third product is 'Aqua Armor' and is availabe at Amazon, for online shopping. It provides water-proofing protection for many types of fabrics. It has been used on clothing, awnings, fabric gazeboes and patio furniture. It won't cause discoloration, no stiffness, provides water-proofing, allows fabrics to breathe. Research into reviews shows that it may require several coats and the spray pump nozzle may clog. There are MANY other water-proofing products available.

Fabric sealants for water-proofing has found it's way for many home uses. In depth research finds those products made with silicone provide the best water repellant qualities. We know it's used in bathroom construction therefore must be a great product. There is also one more method!

A few may not want to be using chemicals for water-proofing their projects. Another method is the use of bee's wax. Use a double-broiler method to melt and mix approximately 1/4 c bee's wax and 3/4 c olive oil. Once melted, remove from heat, let cool and harden. Spread this mixture on your fabric or item to provide water-proofing protection. This is only one alternative and am sure there are many other 'recipes' to choose. A last note, there may be discoloration due to the oil, so again, do a TEST on scrap piece of fabric first! most of all, have FUN! :)

Extra Reading

Waterproof Ratings and Breathability Guide

Waterproof vs Water-Resistant, explained

How to Sew Waterproof Fabric

Knowledge in Video

I hope you found this article informative. Please feel free to leave your comments, share your own observations, share with others who may be interested. Send a Email if you would like to place a Order today or to say, Hello! Visit the Galleries! I hope you visit again.

Crazy Quilt Gatherings

2014-02-28T16:21:00.000-06:00

The world of crazy quilting is fun and a fantastic outlet, for allowing freedom of expression and creativity. As we know, creativity refers to the ability to 'make something that has not existed before' through intelligence and skill. Quite a few of our world's wonders, small or large, can be credited to collective works, of a team behind the scenes. Why not round up a circle of friends, to create a crazy quilt?

A few quilt block swap activities can be found and seen online. We can also start up our own quilt block swap or donation, by sending an invitation to our friends and family. An invitation to create and contribute one or two crazy quilt blocks, for the assembly of a full quilt. After all, contributions from a collective can prove to 'speed' up the completion of a crazy quilt project.

Immense pleasure can be found working alone on a crazy quilt project, indeed, but, maybe there's a special occasion coming up. Gifting with a crazy quilt, by a group of friends, could prove an interesting surprise. Use of teamwork in personal or professional settings, has proven to provide benefits on quick completion of a project. In following this example, a group could have a full size crazy quilt as a gift in a short time.

The idea of creating your own quilting circle, can be quite useful towards providing a handcrafted one-of-a-kind gift, for any special occasion, civic or alternative holiday. Who says we can't start our own tradition for a holiday? Suggestions for new traditions is always an option for friends and family. A visit to your local library and research into non-traditional holiday alamanac's, may prove to be a fun group activity.

Setting up your own crazy quilt circle could also be useful for fundraising activities. A beautiful crazy quilt, can be quite an attractive and popular item for auction. Donating the quilt to a charity or non-profit, to raffle or auction off, can be a rewarding experience. Raising awareness of your skill may draw attention and too many requests, so thoughtful and shrewd consideration may be required, so not to be taken advantage or over worked.

The design of your crazy quilt can be a group decision. Share and exchange ideas for, choice of colors, design ideas, size, length, number of blocks per person, purpose of creating the quilt. Let the event, holiday or tradition be your guide to follow, but let everybody's personal creativity flow, for each quilt block. Once the blocks are brought together, layout of the blocks can also be a group decision or left to one, to produce the finished quilt. Once complete, it will be a surprise for the whole group.

Gathering a small circle of friends, into an informal quilting circle, can be a great activity for producing a crazy quilt. A step further may include setting up a Crazy quilt guild which is a somewhat more formalized group. This could be set up as a non-profit organization with memberships. Cash donations may be gathered for hosting classes, advertising, galleries, raffles, educational resources, and their own shows.

A quilting circle can be a formal or informal group but the goal of enjoying the creation of quilts remains true. Discussing a long term vision of your existing group would be best to explore the possibility and next step of action to consider. For now, enjoy your immediate quilting circle and have fun with your project.

Learning in Motion

Extra Reading

Establishing a Quilting Guild

Quilting Daily Forum

Quilt Guilds

International Quilt Festival -Facebook

Article (C) 2014, all rights reserved. Gin G. creates and posts articles online about Crazy Quilts, business development, second income idea's. Gin G. Is a graduate in business development, Nursing, and passionate about arts and crafts.

Crazy Quilt and Applique are like Sisters!

2014-01-07T15:10:00.001-06:00

The beauty of a crazy quilt can be quite breath taking and examining the details will reveal the amount of work that's gone into that quilt. There are some truly fantastic crazy quilts out there too as every artist is a unique individual. As I have said before about sewing, it can be quite therapeutic. It fills that downtime for those days when not in the mood to go visiting, or out. Just put on some music or the radio and work on your latest upcoming creation. So, how is sewing like a family?

A family as we know is a group of people that care for each other and don't have to necessarily be blood related, as adoptions and guardianships do take place also. In the world of sewing, we can find many 'relations' such as quilts, clothes, bags and totes, accessories, home decor, to name a few. These are all assembled together with fabric of all sorts and thread, either by machine or hand, en masse or by piece.

Crazy quilts, done traditionally, are sewn onto a foundation as are appliques and both are done for design and color. Appliques goes one step further and doubles as artistic embellishments. These can be added by purchasing a pre-made applique piece or from creating your own. They are available in a huge variety of designs too. We can find embroidered pieces, bejewelled with beads or sequins, in lacey designs, children and adult designs, or created with use of fabrics and in many colors.

Appliques can be ironed on or sewn down onto a piece whether it's clothing or, in my case, a crazy quilt, to add a decorative embellishment. A theme can be created with appliques to tell a story for children and/or adults with use of current or past, favorite trends. An embellishment adds decorative beauty along with creating a conversation with friends and family. What sort of theme do you think your family member would enjoy?

Inspiration for creating an applique can be found all around us. It can be based on themes from television, movies, music, holidays, emotions and over all likes and/or dislikes. One can draw their own designs, add an extra 1/4” edge, sew this raw edge under, by hand, then sew it onto your foundation. If purchased, you can sew it directly onto the foundation without worrying about raw edges. Another method is to use a satin stitch on your machine to edge your applique to hide the raw edges. Design ideas are limitless.

Extra Reading Resources

Make and Use Applique Templates

Buy an Applique

Machine Applique

The Applique Society

Learning in Motion

The world of a seamstress is full of art and color, love of the trade and hardly a dull moment. For the non-sewing persons, you do have the option to ASK for the services of the seamstress and yes, for a price, since it is labor and time that's required. Once you purchase the service, deliver your assigned task (i.e., sew an applique), then you just wait till your seamstress calls for pick up. Take a look in your local paper and telephone book to check for seamstress services and call for a quote. Contacting your local seamstress can provide an alternative to updating your clothes vs purchase of new ones and may prove cost saving.

I hope you found this article informative. Please feel free to leave your comments, share your own observations. Visit my galleries for inspiration. Send a Email if you would like to place a Order today.

Article(C)2011 GG9909, all rights reserved.

Managing my Blog for Newbies

2013-09-22T19:41:00.001-05:00

The use of Google Blog search engine will produce about 47.5 million results for the term 'Crafts'. In the world of blogging, we must do our best to get noticed and arrive in the top SERPs, search engine results page and preferably the first page. So just how does one set up to make such an arrival?

A common word of advice for writers with blogs, is to find great keywords for their 'niche'. Think of niche as a 'category' of just where and how to find your web site. As stated earlier, using the term 'crafts' brings quite a few results and one can easily get lost and tossed, probably to the last SERP. An extra tip, is to break down your chosen keywords further, and include sub-categories and other keywords 'related' to your niche. An example:

i.e., how to make edible finger paint - Blog title, tips and recipe for parents and family

art, parenting, pre-school children, jello finger paints, - Sample keywords

One other method to find keywords is to look at the 'cloud tags or labels' to get more idea's for keywords. This will require you to search and observe other sites, that are found on the first page of your intended niche. Record their keywords in a file and save it to your computer. Meanwhile, explore their site to see what other information they write about, that may help inspire you to write something similar, or write to counter the subject. This is checking out our competition and SEO, search engine optimization.

The use of keyword generating tools and/or software, is another method to create keywords to help get your blog noticed. A popular tool is Google Adwords Keyword tool. These tools can also be used to discover extra blogging idea's for future use. It's recommended that you create and keep such a list on standby, for those days when you're experiencing a sense of 'writer's block'. It's important to observe and consider the 'too popular vs low popularity' keywords being used.

The use of keywords is important in the blogosphere and preferably for generating 'organic' traffic. This refers to visitors finding you through a 'natural' search effort though some people will say, only those that 'pay' for advertising or hosting, are the ones who land first in the SERPs or getting first page SERP depends on one's 'popularity'. Well, there are a few more steps needed, that may help.

A lot of blogs depend on generating TRAFFIC. I believe this is definitely a major qualifier for getting noticed online. Paid advertising also depends on the keywords chosen, to get quality SERP landing and usually for the lowest price, for targeted traffic. A few idea's to help generating traffic to your site, can be through 'networking' by joining groups on other sites such as Ning, blog networks, and those that are related or in your specific 'niche'.

Others will say, article marketing. Write and post articles about your niche and point back to your own site. The point is that you get to leave your 'site URL' in available 'signature' or 'author bio' space but over all, it's to sprinkle your blog URL around the internet and again, generating 'organic' traffic. It's important though to be on sites with a 'market' that is INTERESTED in your niche. Do you notice the 'badges' that can be found on some sites and how it says, 'member of blah blah'? It could be another source of generating traffic and interest, in your site. Again, check your competitions' web site for clues.

Now, if blogging to SELL products, it's important to list yourself in your local, regional and national business listings. Using these sites will help point prospective 'customers' back to you. In the world of arts and crafts, it's best to also join local, regional and national Art groups. Some are niche specific and may also find a 'badge' that you can add to your site. These sites may help to give your own site better search results, after all, business caters to people and search engines like to help businesses. It's also important to note that some business listings may require 'business license' numbers of one sort or another. Both these choices help give your own site, a sense of 'legitimacy' in the eyes of prospective customers.

Social media is also very popular to use to help generate traffic. Tools such as LinkdIn, Twitter, Facebook, Ning, to name a few. Again, use it to FIND people that are interested in your niche. Then be assured every time you make a post to your various 'social' sites, there's going to be a few fans of your topic.

An item to consider, is the 'presentation' of your blog. A few questions to examine while viewing our blog such as:

is it 'visually' appealing?
Is it hard or easy on the eyes?
Is it easy or hard to read?
Is it too busy? Flashy? Undressed?

Upon landing on your blog, how do you think your audience will see it? Does it look sloppy or semi-pro? People will say, it's only 'window dressing' but we know how 'appearance' can create a quick judgement, of pass or fail. I would suggest, less is more. Simple design and small splashes of color rather than something that looks like a gloomy graffiti wall (no offence to graffiti artists intended!) we just want a site where a reader will feel comfortable and relaxed, to read, without major distractions.

Last but not least, is your 'voice' behind the writing. There are types of writing that people enjoy and others, that cause them to hit the 'back' button, to disappear in the internet stratosphere. It's highly recommended to write, as if you're in a direct 'conversation' with your best friend. Natural emotion and self, is the best tool to use when writing on your blog. People get to know you as they read more and more of your posts. They will see glimpses of your life, personality and we can't forget to add HUMOUR. The best medicine for one's Soul. ☺

Extra Learning

Extra Reading Material

Blogs Tips and Tricks

My Blogger Tricks

Free Download -Keyword List Generator

Blogging Tips and Strategies

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Sewn with Care

2013-03-03T23:43:00.002-06:00

A few research studies have shown, that doing acts of kindness towards others, benefits both recipient and the giver. It improves their over all emotional and social well being. If we take a closer look at our circle of best friends, we may just find that we all give and take from each other. We may also find ourselves measuring others, by their ability to give and take to their fellow man. A successful marriage may very well provide clues to this very act, as quite the bond between the couple. It is a quality that we find within ourselves and may unconsciously, seek out in others.

Today's world has thrown many natural disasters at us, and many people stepped up, to help those in need. Unfortunately, we have no control over the weather and according to the latest news reports, it's going to be the 'new normal'. The prospect of future 'super' storms does not excite me nor instill any real sense of security in our world. It is something that many of us will have to learn to prepare and survive these unforseeable events. Yet, again, we will also find others who will step up to reach out and help. It is definitely one of Mankind's top qualities.

Next to strange weather systems we have all the too common various illnesses, that afflict our children and where again, we find people performing acts of kindness. We have web sites that are dedicated to teaching and inviting others how they too, can give, provide and show their support. This can be learning to sew clothing items, blankets and toys next to offering financial donations. We will find people from one side of the world, reaching out and helping a child, on the other side of the world. Can you imagine the feelings this stirs for the child?

Other areas, where we will find acts of kindness performed daily, will be in other social areas. We will find women in shelters escaping domestic violence or homelessness, youth shelters providing help for runaways, shelters for homeless men, homes for the mentally challenged, our homeless pets, and importantly, helping our military personnel, at their own times of need. Thankfully, the internet has opened the information highway for us to find them, and them, to find us, who will be quite happy to give our support.

A person with sewing skills, no matter their level of experience, is one of the many types of supporters that can be found often requested. They are sought out, for their ability to piece together different items such as clothing, toys or blankets. If you take a look at a sewing guild online, you may find certain times of the year, announcements are posted, about a sewing project needed for a charity they support.

The strength in numbers, as can be found in a guild, can prove invaluable for charities and pooling their work together, brings in the extra number of projects. These announcements can also usually be seen in sewing forums or reference to a charity included in photo's. These projects may not look grand or unique and be simple, to the trained eye but that's not the point. It's the smile that lights up on the face of the recipient of these projects, that makes the time spent by the charity and unknown seamstress, that gives back that sense of great satisfaction. If you're part of guild, ask if they'd be interested in supporting a worthy charity, at your next meeting.

Charities can be found in great numbers online and in many different areas of interest. It is critical to ensure you examine their privacy polices and check out their ratings. A few sites are available which are dedicated to ensuring that the public, is NOT abused. For the seamstress, if you use 'sewing for charity' in Google, you will also find many available sites to choose. Ensure you research each one and your own available time, that you're able to dedicate, for project requests.

Extra Reading

Sewing for Charity

Charity Watch

BBB- For Charities and Donors

Active Learning Video

I hope you found this article informative. Please feel free to leave your comments, share your own experiences or observations, share this article with your friends and give your Vote. Visit my galleries for inspiration. Send a Email if you would like to place a Order today.

Designing for More Space!

2013-02-16T15:13:00.001-06:00

The world of sewing whether for clothing, accessories or quilts and even the arts and crafts world does require that we have a fantastic work surface. Some of us are fortunate and don't mind plopping ourselves onto the floor though ensuring we don't lose our 'tools of the trade' amidst the mess we make, may become somewhat problematic.

A search around the web and we will find many idea's for creating our own DIY tables and desks. Most consist of using existing pieces of furniture and attaching a piece of plywood, counter top or a door as the work surface We can shop around at garage sales to pick up pieces of furniture or visit a nearby store. Some pieces of furniture that's popular to use are cubby hole shelves, 3 shelf units, small office machine stands or small 3 drawer dressers. These work great for adding extra storage and keeping our supplies near at hand.

The use of plywood can be easily cut to size, to fit across the width of which ever piece of furniture you choose as a base. Other idea's include buying a collapsible buffet table, the ones where the legs will fold or another popular idea, the ping pong table. One can even pick up parts to make their own version of a collapsible table with buying the 'legs' and a piano hinge. We can have fun with 're-covering' the surface of a plywood board with a layer or two of batting and fabric or vinyl covering. A few people have converted a closet or armoire into a compact 'sewing' corner. We just have to make sure they are sturdy.

Storage and organization of our supplies is important. It helps us with sticking to the task at hand, working on finishing our project. A few extra idea's are as follows:

curtain rod with S hooks to hang a container
decorative plant hangers
pant hangers
make a wall hanging with pockets
hanging shoe/closet organizer
magazine holders as brackets to hold a shelf
toilet paper/paper towel bar

The idea's for storage are endless for the four walls and ceiling in our 'work' room. Take a look around and check for area's you can create extra storage space or to enlarge your floor area. Go online and explore the many idea's available to us which we may be able to apply or modify to our own needs. It's an area that can be quite fun, decorating our sewing/craft/work room.

I am a fan of Peter Fallico and watched his 'Home to Go' series whenever possible. One idea he presented was using five doors and attaching them to make a unique little 'office' area which we can morph into our own little 'work' corner. Refer to my 'rough' (very rough!) drawing of how he had put it together using hinges. It was designed to be portable and functional. One can add all sorts of storage design idea's to the available space around it.

One last item I recommend that I noticed one day receiving a visitor. I had nowhere for my guest to sit and she was forced to stand! How rude of me! I would suggest maybe adding one of those little ottomans with 'storage' space or a comfy bench (with storage) in your 'work' room for such situations as they may arise unexpectedly. It's always nice to share 'shop talk' with others.

Extra Reading

Do It Yourself Craft Desk

Pinterest – Sewing/Craft Room

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Holiday Cheer and Safety

2012-12-26T08:41:00.001-06:00

Christmas has gone by and the New Year is next. Gifts, family, friends and food is shared and even contributions, to the less advantaged have been donated. A few of us crafty artists have even scooped sales and/or been busy with creations to fill orders.

Holidays is a wonderful time for all of us. I hope your Christmas went well! A few traditions for bringing in the New Year are practiced and one of them is 'Count downs' and of course, parties. A glass of bubbly Champagne is a tradition to make toasts for the New Year and sharing of resolutions. Did we even make or accomplish our last years resolutions? It's never too late to begin anew so don't feel too guilty.

One of the major tips for holidays is keeping our safety in mind especially when alcohol is involved. Preventing accidents or endangering our life or lives of others, is of utmost importance to many, including our own family.

Let's keep this tradition alive and well and some suggestions:
- don't drink and drive
- hire a Designated Driver (advertise at local AA meeting place)
- hire a Body guard
- pool your monies together for a cab
- make sure all candles are out
- make sure all lit fires are out
- respect when somebody says 'No'
- dress warmly

It is always best to be safe than sorry. Preparing ahead of time shows great common sense and care for self and others. Let's continue this tradition and pass along the tips so our New Year is safe and fun. I hope your New Year brings prosperity and joy for you, friends, family and Peace for our world. Let our children slumber without a care knowing we are safe. Let's keep our resolutions realistic and within reach next to fun. Stay safe and God Bless!

I hope you found this article informative. Please feel free to leave your comments and share your thoughts. Send me a email if you have a request on a topic of interest, place a Order or to say hello. It's FREE to join my Fan club, subscribe by Email or my RSS Feed.

Article(C)2012, all rights reserved. Gin G. creates and posts articles online about business development, second income idea's, health, science, technology and society.

Value of Records in Sales and Shipping

2012-09-18T06:18:00.002-05:00

Keeping Track of Transactions

The operations of a small home business requires detailed records be kept for protection of self and your customer. Setting up your business presence online will generate sales by mail via the internet therefore ensuring evidence of your product, is on it's way, is a priority.

A few options are available for us to use, that will be quite beneficial for the business owner, no matter your size. A few services are as follows:

Insured Mail

The customer must provide a signature for the item delivered. This signature provides proof of delivery and will withstand any court of law and is acceptable by business regulators or government group(s). A 'Certificate of Mailing' form is provided and available free at your postal office.

Recorded Delivery for Overseas

A service provided also by your post office. A numbered yellow ticket (USA) is available for free and again requires a signature from the customer and records are also kept by the Overseas post office department. Evidence is provided with your own ticket and records in the post office.

Express Mail

Use of next or second day delivery with express mail. You are provided with a $500.00 insurance coverage for each item shipped, as part of the standard fee you will pay. A signature is required from the customer to receive the delivery.

Courier Services

The use of courier services such as FedEx, UPS, Airborner, etc. Each service offers a minimum insurance coverage and again, requires a signature upon delivery UNLESS you, as the shipper chose to not require a signature.

Personal Delivery

Keep a receipt book (with carbon copy) on hand, and again, request their signature. This provides proof that delivery was completed.

Keeping a record of sales and deliveries, will provide you with 'physical' documented evidence, that your customer did receive their goods. This practice ensures that a customer cannot make claims, that they did not receive their order.

A few benefits of the service you choose to use, will provide a 'date stamp' to show when you sent the order to your customer. Compliance with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the USA, requires that orders be delivered within their '30 days' rule. Another good service that's available, is access to 'tracking' where your product is en route via online, which you can share with your customers.

Providing detailed evidence, to government regulators or groups (FTC, Better Business Bureau, FBI, IRS) will show that you care about your business and your customers. Orders placed by customers can be forgotten and a record of the order helps dispel any misgivings and legitimizes you, as a serious business owner.

One last note to pay attention while doing business online. Do not ship orders until cheques or money orders have cleared. Talk to your bank and make certain the monies have been drawn and inform your customers that their order will ship, as soon as the monies are recieved. This practice will ensure you do not recieve fraudulent cheques or money orders. I'm sure we've all experienced 'bounced' cheques at one time or another.

Operating a business requires attention to details and especially transactions. Staying legal and safe with laws, ensures maintaining a good business reputation. Good record keeping of documents are valuable for all businesses and owners.

Read related --> here.

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How to make a Crazy Quilt

2012-07-26T09:29:00.001-05:00

feather stitching

Learning to Crazy Quilt

The time and skill to make a quilt whether it's geometric or a Crazy quilt requires time and patience. Add a cup or two, of love and we have a passion, that may even be considered an addiction. At least, it's a constructive activity that can bring great joy to the artist.

Constructive activities are preferable in today's society and what better way to pass time than through creating one's own crazy quilt? The choice of size and type of project can range anywhere. A few idea's to apply crazy quilting can go as follows;

- Clothing, vest, jacket, skirt, ruffles
- Home Decor, bedding, table runners, place mats, sofa throw, wall hanging
- Accessories, purse, travel bag, storage tote
- Pets, pet couture, pet carrying case, pet bed
- Holidays, tree skirt, stocking, wall hanging
- Gifts, birthday, anniversary, congratulations, baby shower, bridal
- Sports, yoga mat bag, sport tote bag, golf sock

Creating a crazy quilt doesn't necessarily have to stay in the realms of a quilt. It can be applied as a decorative edging to any project. Let your imagination explore the possibilities. I hope you share your idea's and projects here also. I'd love to hear from you.

How to make a Crazy quilt

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Article(C)2011 GG9909, all rights reserved.

Who is my Customer? Learn Types of Shoppers

2012-07-09T22:08:00.001-05:00

A business at home or working a brick and mortar shop selling to the public, requires one to know the customer. They are the consumers of your products and learning about their motives and reasons to shop, can increase your own sales. Offering the opportunity for conversation or listening in on one, can open the door to learn more about your customer. Can you identify the various type of shoppers?

Planning a strategy for effective selling requires us to know our customer needs and how we can present the benefits of our products, to make sales. Learning about the customer can start with your own shopping experience and observe the answers, to some of the following questions that arise, prior to purchase ;

‒ What do I need?
‒ Where do I find it?
‒ Price and quality?
‒ Price and quantity?
‒ Why do I need it?
‒ Do I need help to find it?
‒ Who offers extra specials?
‒ How long is the store open?
‒ How far is the store?
‒ Do I need delivery?
‒ Is there a sale?
‒ Charge it or cash?

The process in thinking of buying goes fairly quickly through our minds. We have a good idea of the needs and where, when, what, who, and how to buy the product. We go to a particular business that can usually offer the best item at the most comfortable price. Our customers will also share the same process of thinking to arrive at their own decision whether to buy or not. It will be our responsibility to attract and convince the customer, to buy from us.

Designing our own selling strategies should vary, to appeal to the different customers that arrive plus answer their needs. Sometimes it’s difficult to determine which possible buyer is the real consumer and attempting to satisfy the entire market is overwhelming but catering to a particular group of people (market segment) is attainable. Again, knowing your customer is of great importance.

Providing service to the customers available to us can be sorted into various ‘shopping’ types and they will consume, according to their income and needs. A few customer profiles that arrive may be the following types :

Low Interest - shopper has a low interest in shopping and little concern in price, service or product selection. Discerns for best price and quick service.

Active - high interest in shopping. Enjoys many activities including browsing. Price, quality, fashion and selection are important.

Service - usually found in middle class with dependents. Friendly, helpful service and prompt attention is important. Time constraints may be in place.

Traditional - enjoys outdoors activities. Shopping is not interesting, they aren’t demanding and not too concerned with price. May be loyal to brand quality.

Impulse - usually DIY personality and characteristics. Most likely to try new products, not into brand loyalty, rely on print media. Low interest in radio or television advertising.

Price Sensitive - usually found in older, married or single, middle-class shoppers. They go out of their way to find a bargain. Rely heavily on all forms of advertising to find the best prices.

Repeat - depends on your price, quality and service. Returns regularly for ongoing needs. Important to place high value on these shoppers.

Customers will not have these specific characteristics but may exhibit a mix of them. Learning to identify the basic shopping behaviors will help you develop your own business marketing strategies to create sales and repeat buyers. Identifying the benefits of your products to match the needs with the type of customer you require, is of great importance to your business success.

I hope you enjoyed this article. Please feel free to share this article with friends who may also be interested. Read related –> here.

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Embellishments, Crazy Quilts and Projects

2012-05-21T09:54:00.001-05:00

The artist in the world of crazy quilting, has a passionate affair with embellishments next to embroidery and sewing. One cannot imagine the delight to be found in this particular area of quilting. Mind you, embellishments aren’t just relegated to a crazy quilt but have been around in the clothing industry for - well, a very long, long time as mentioned in my Sewing Chronicles article.

Fabric offers the artist, a blank canvas to work upon. Now who wouldn’t take delight in filling up all this ‘space’ with this, that and the other thing? how many people would get bored, just looking at a ‘empty’ space? how long would you last? I’m not suggesting hoarding, but least, we like to hopefully ‘decorate’ a space at least, pleasing to the eye for not just ourselves but for others to enjoy.

Embroidery is a embellishment and applied in a variety of colors and stitches on, over and around, the seams of each quilt ‘block’ in a crazy quilt. It can be applied to other sewing projects besides quilting. It does require patience and care in use of colors, for visual appeal and interest.

Embellishments to add to a crazy quilt besides embroidery can be an array of objects or more stitchery. Items such as the following can be added ;

- beads - sequins
- rhinestones - cabachons
- lace - appliques
- buttons - charms
- tatting - ribbons

Sources to locate these items can be craft stores, sewing supply shops, thrift stores, craft guild members, family and friends. There will be costs to consider therefore best to investigate first before deciding upon your purchases. If you have other idea's, please share them in the comments.

I highly recommend visiting your local quilt show and visit a Crazy quilt booth. I am positive you will find them irresistible and beautiful. Every quilt on display will vary in design and embellishments so pay attention to the details. As I’ve said numerous times, no two quilts are the same. Also, don’t be shy to speak with the artist about their quilts, and if interested in purchasing one, enquire about payment options. One can also visit museums to view antique crazy quilts.

Extra Resources

Needlework Tips and Techniques

The Embroiderers Association of Canada, Inc.

Sublime Stitching

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Open a Craft Store Free

2011-12-27T08:33:00.001-06:00

The handmade crafts business whether full time or part time, is growing. The need to start a craft business can be due to job loss from staff down sizing, business closures, poor economy, etc. So the artist will need to find a outlet to generate sales for their various projects.

A big problem that many find upon starting a craft business at home, is to realize that more monies may be required for various costs. These may be for hosting a domain, inclusion in a high ranking directory, advertising, to name a few. It makes one wonder how on Earth does one sell successfully online?

I will assume that a business plan has been done. You have the what, where, why, when and how of your craft business on hand. Now, I will share a few sites with you to consider that will help further the reality of your own online store. They are FREE with limits but have the option to upgrade for more services PLUS a few also listed that are low cost. They are as follows ;

- Shophandmade , requires HANDMADE items, Paypal account, single or group use, no Fee’s
- Handmadeartistsshop, $50/yr subscription or $5/month, handmade items only, require Paypal
- Yardsellr, Paypal required, small fee deducted upon sale
- Ecrater , Google checkout partner, free store
- GLC Mall, free basic store, $12/month upgrade option
- Webstore, free store with limit or auction, many payment options
- iCraft, $25.00 one time sign up fee, Free store with limit, $5 - $15/month upgrade option

A majority of these sites require HANDMADE products only. They will not accept mass produced commercial items which I think is great, since it’s our crafts that we would like to get noticed and have appreciative buyers. There may be advertising on your store which gets removed upon upgrading. Now, who would really mind the advertising when the chance to remove it, is just around the corner when you’re making regular sales?

One other factor to take into consideration is that these sites have good page ranks. This means that they get traffic whether it be genuine prospective buyers, wholesalers or the curious, your store will get noticed. One last tip to share is this - list your store in business directories for your area and related niche market. They also have good page ranks which may in turn, boost your own site.

I know there are many more sites out there and may have missed some, maybe you can leave a suggestion in the comments row. For now, I wish you the best in starting your own store. :)

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Holiday Gifts Crazy Quilt Wall hanging

2011-12-13T20:50:00.000-06:00

The Christmas holidays are upon us and ideas galore swim through our minds. Some gifts are easy to choose for friends and/or family whereas ideas for others may leave us stumped and we wander through store after store trying to get inspired.

One gift idea can be giving a handmade home decoration such as a Crazy quilt wall hanging. Now why choose this? Home decorating can be fun for everybody but will depend on personal taste and styles. One has to like color, details and whimsy since a crazy quilt encompasses these qualities.

The days of yore with castles and monarchies, wall hangings and tapestries, of all sizes, were used for decorative purposes. Royalty, monasteries, nobility, wealthy merchants and farmers were the main patrons of fiber artists to provide these decorative pieces for their homes therefore were quite splendid and beautiful. These wall hangings and tapestries also sharpened the acoustics of a room. This particular piece of home decoration slowly diminished over time changing fiber crafts into industries.

A crazy quilt wall hanging can be made in various sizes, colors and embellished with embroidery, ribbons, beads, buttons, lace, charms, and assorted embroidered designs. Fabrics can range from simple cottons to expensive silk, satin, velvet and brocade. It’s the finished product that will provide the visual delight, interesting topic of conversation, become a art collection, and one-of-a-kind showcase gift.

Crazy quilt wall hangings are gaining popularity amongst art collectors due to the skill and labor involved in the creation not to mention, no two quilts are the same. We can give three colors of fabric to three individuals and each will piece it together with their own distinct style and therein lies the beauty of a crazy quilt.

A crazy quilt wall hanging can be found online with a search query. Numerous quilting guilds can also be found online and in our telephone books. It’s considered a textile and/or fiber art and can be a collector’s item. As I mentioned before regarding choice, it’s best to choose one for somebody who can appreciate something beautiful and unusual. I wish you a Merry Christmas, safe and Happy New Year!

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A Tripping Date

2011-10-27T21:15:00.000-05:00

The world of quilters have a common passion for quilting and all that encompasses the craft, to produce their quilt. A store related to sewing will capture their imagination and stir excitement. A fabric, notions or quilt store is wonderful eye candy. Would you consider adding visits to such shops while travelling?

Travelling to another region within our homeland or abroad overseas, opens the door to explore new markets. Along with exploring the regular tourist destinations is the opportunity to inspire learning new quilting methods, patterns and designs or integration.

A couple of methods to locate these shops will require planning ahead of time. As we know, travelling starts with the destination. Including this information gathered ahead of time will make travel that much smoother and stress free. A few methods to locate shops:

- Search engine, to bring up general highlights
- Advanced search, use keywords for specific information
- Yellowpages online
- Online Directories, will list participating shop sites
- Quilt Event Calendar plus your destination search
- Quilters Directory book from local book store

Once you have your shop list(s) compiled -take a few more steps. Visit the US Customs websites to learn what is allowed vs prohibited items to bring back home and the duties that will be required. Plan to find out early if the retailer can ship the item home for you as they may be more adept and knowledgeable with shipping brokers and customs. Ensure you gather all tracking forms and documentation. Exchange contact information for yourself and the retailer in the event there is damage or loss.

Planning ahead is always good advice to follow. One last stop before beginning your trip is to visit your FedEx, UPS sites. Explore the international costs of shipping home from your upcoming destination
point. As has been mentioned before about shipping -include your insurance costs.

The costs of international shipping may be high so consideration to budget must be followed. We must ask ourselves would I pay this price at home? is the over all cost worth it? Using a shipping service vs risk of lost
luggage is another factor to consider when packing purchased gifts in your suitcase.

Foresight and pre-preparation planning is important. Other sources of information may be found with;

- Embassy newsletters
- Tourist brochures
- Flight/Cruise booking agent

A safe journey and enjoyable shopping will only be part of a trip but to have potential risks overseen will only make the experience so much better!

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Quilt Fashion Sense

2011-10-17T13:25:00.001-05:00

The rules of fashion is individual as each person in choosing their clothing style. History tells us that clothing has been been used to send the message of our place in society and express our identity without verbal communication necessary. Fashion trends are known to change when the style has saturated the market and ceases to be distinctive.

The world of sewing includes the fashion world therefore only natural that a touch of our quilting skills get added. This may be the simple addition of applying a applique, quilt blocks or embellisments with embroidery. Not everybody wants to follow the crowd of fashion trends so adding or creating our own finishing technique can help set us apart. Look at how the many music bands and singers will have their own fashion styles going on.

Quilt blocks can be added as decorative edging, insert, or a whole garment. Colors will coordinate, complement or add contrast and change the overall appearance. We can have clothes that are fun and playful, romantic, daring, conservative and whatever mood happens to inspire the creation. It's a process that's open to the imagination of the owner. Even people with no sewing skills will seek out somebody who can make the addition to their garment -same as the fashion designer assigns such tasks to the seamstress.

Applique designs are added atop as a layer to the garment and can be simple or complicated depending upon the effort one wants to apply. Appliques can be sewn by hand or machine and embellished with embroidery, fabric paint or beads for a extra decorative effect. Decorative embellishments such as the afore mentioned can again, be simple or complicated depending upon the effort one is willing to put into producing the finished product.

One project involving my joy of Crazy quilting -I up-cycle some skirts for myself,friends and family is with adding a crazy quilted ruffle to A-line skirts. This changes the length and I enjoy wearing semi -long skirts. We know that crazy quilting can have a haphazard look therefore one will get a 'distinctive' appearance with the various shapes and colors. The addition of embroidery and other embellishments allows the 'artist' in me to get creative. I prefer not to add a lot of embellishments since I don't want the weight of the ruffle to have my skirt hanging wrong when wearing it!

Ruffles on a skirt come in different shapes and are easy to add. We can take any skirt with a ruffle pattern and convert it into a unique piece to call our own. Other gals admired my skirt and requested skirts of their own and each one is different and I don't have to worry about a 'duplicate' skirt to compete with my own. I use a very light fabric for the foundation to lay my crazy quilt fabrics and line the back before attaching it to the body of the skirt. Lining the back will hide my sewing and embroidery threads.

The profession of the clothing designer is competitive and associated with creativity and glamour. Who doesn't want to create their own 'haute couture' fashion statement that may lead to inspiring a trend? So go ahead, take a look around and see how you can set yourself apart with your own project and step out with your own personal fashion statement.

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Strategies to Sell Handmade Crafts

2011-10-08T22:40:00.001-05:00

Blogs

Artists of all ages and diverse skills in creating handcrafted gifts can be found online in great numbers. Do you stop to look at the number of results, located under the search bar, after you typed in your query? Monitoring this number helps writers online with tailoring their articles with keywords for a better and competitive search engine results page (SERP). After all, who doesn't want to land on the first page of a search?

The next time you blog, use the search bar to find the result numbers for that search term (your title). Other methods include using a keyword search tool. The point is to keep an eye on the numbers for the keywords. We don't want to compete for a search query that has 3.5 million other sites using the same ones.

Shipping and Handling plus Insurance

I am sure we are all familiar with shipping and handling fee's that arise. Selling handmade crafts online requires paying attention to the cost of shipping our products which is usually done by weight. Ensuring against theft or damage requires adding insurance which will change the over all price of our products. Enquire at your local Post office, UPS and FedEx offices or online and get a copy of their prices. Work on calculating your numbers to ensure you can integrate a reasonable and fair price to earn a profit yet also cover this expenditure.

Direct Selling Methods

Art Shows, Fairs, Exhibitions, Flea markets, Craft Bazaars - offers you the opportunity for direct contact with customers. Costs will vary and have rental fee's for booth, table, commission, registration fees as well as indirect costs of travel, hotel, and gas. Bring lower priced craft gifts for extra sales. Hold a Draw at such 'n such time for attention to your booth (yes, worked for me!) Success can and is, found in using this method of selling handcrafted products. Ensure you have a budget in place to start this route.

Street Vendor - a few cities offer Vendor permits and locations for Vendors to sell to the public. You will need your own display supplies and props, patience and friendly presence. These permits can be found usually at your Town hall.

Home Party - advertise to the public, send invitations with a +1,2, and host a Gift party at your home (or others) to display and sell your products. Dress and act professional as this is a business affair for you. Include a contest or draw and use extra gifts for surprise prizes. Bring along smaller gifts with lower price to entice further sales. Always include your business card for prospective future contact.

Consignment - offer to let a store display and sell your product. This will require a contract with terms to protect you and the store and recommend visiting a lawyer for assistance. The store will display your product and upon purchase by a customer, monies owing to you are given and the store, get their own commission. General practice is the store will add an additional percentage on top of your asking price but practices may vary.

Payment Options - offering payment options is good for any business. Offer to rent, rent-to-own or layaway. Use a contract to ensure terms for all parties are included and recommend legal advice from a qualified lawyer. Provide this contract online for free download and snail mailed (regular postal service) to you.

Indirect Selling Methods

Blog - a Web log maintained by a writer usually to share and bring attention to their handcrafted products. It's important to learn about search engine result page (SERP), search engine optimization (SEO), generating traffic, social networking, linking and available web tools, like Google Analytics (FREE) to monitor your traffic. Learning these skills will help get your blog and YOU, noticed.

E-commerce store - there are quite a few good ecommerce sites online that are free but may include advertising until you upgrade your account. Prices will vary so ensure you find one within your budget. These sites will allow for displays, have a shopping cart, a blog, be part of a shopping mall, allow to include forums. Explore the available sites and their options. I would recommend one that requires annual fee's rather than monthly.

Social Networking - building contacts with people in related industries but not competing with you. Quilt wallhangings may be considered by Interior designers, bath products by spa providers, jewellery with costume designers and the list goes on. Make a list and brainstorm with friends, family, co-workers and even your Yellow Pages telephone book. Once you have a list then go online and look in directories, bookmark sites, and all available social network sites to again, get noticed.

I am sure there are many other ideas and I've only scratched the surface. Promoting aka marketing strategies is part of the process in running a business even if only part time. Selling handmade crafts is a $14B industry and helps many people offset and maintain their costs of living. I hope I've provided some inspiration in developing your own craft business.

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Sewing Chronicles

2011-10-04T03:13:00.001-05:00

Sewing is the use of a thread and needle to stitch two pieces together forming one piece. Sewing has been around since the Prehistoric ages. I'm sure we are quite familiar with the fashions of the Homo sapiens neandertalensis, Cro magnon, Ardipithicus ramidus, Homo habilis and other homonids listed in the standard taxonomy of human evolution. We can always visit our local museum.

The types of 'thread' used varied from fibres, sinew, veins, and plants. Fibres were gathered from different parts of a plant such as bark, stem, leaf, husk, seeds, and even grass. Sinew and veins were gathered from animals. Unfortunately, very few samples from ancient civilisations have survived since natural fibers are perishable.

Needles were made with bone, ivory, wood, and thorns. They served only utilitarian purposes only. Some were made to serve more like awls and most likely to puncture tough materials such as bark and hides. Eyes in needles would not be invented until about 17,500 BC.

Today, Threads usually consist of two or more plys of yarn and twisted tightly
together. They are spun onto spools or cones and labelled with length, type of fiber, and name of the manufacturer along with the price. Some threads are made of basic cotton while others are used to match the fabric such as silk. Dyes provide us with every color possible but that's a different topic altogether.

Needles have also evolved to serve different functions. We will have beading needles for seed beads, upholstery needles, embroidery needles, yarn needles. Each needle will have their individual manufacturing process to withstand their designated use. Stitching by hand was done for thousands of years till the invention of the sewing machine (1845, Elias Howe & Singer) which changed the whole industry.

The world of Crazy quilts, embroidery evolved from sewing. As we know, sewing is stitching and embroidery is the use of decorative stitching and adding ornamentation. Embroidery adds a sense of quality and durability that no amount of printing or painting can achieve.

Hand embroidery can be expensive because it's time and labor intensive for the artist whereas costs are lower with the machine embroiderer and service is far quicker. The overall value of which type of embroidery is preferable - will be the personal choice of the customer.

I hope you found this article informative. Please feel free to leave your comments, share your own observations, share with others, link to me and give your Vote. Send a Email if you would like to place a Order today.

Fabric Foibles

2011-09-29T21:56:00.004-05:00

The world of quilting regardless the type of quilt being assembled starts with notions, a sewing machine, a pattern, fabric and the artist. If you peruse through the many available blogs online or even have a neighbor, who quilts, a common foible can be found with fabric.

As we know, fabric is any woven, knitted or pressed cloth, such as velvet, satin, canvas, linen, silk, felt and flannel, etc. They all have a different texture and quality all their own.
Fabric has been discovered to be around since prehistoric times and has changed over time especially during the industrial age. Read the interesting history of fabric --> here.

Today, fabric can be found in many colors, textures, qualities and designs. For the quilter, fabric is eye candy and wildly stirs the imagination and creativity. Peek into their work room and you may find shelves overflowing with fabrics of one color after another. Why? each one of those fabric pieces may already be a part of a quilt, in the mind of the artist.

Unfortunately the world of fiber art now has it's contraints too. Fabrics can be stamped as a 'Not for Commercial Use' product. A fabric designer has decided their fabric cannot be used towards creating a new product for resale. It will be considered copyright infringement.

The idea of freedom to express oneself with fabric in the quilting world, now forces one to approach with caution when shopping for fabric, to respect the rights of another artist. Many question this practice since it seems to put up a roadblock regarding the fabric. Curious questions arise. On one side is the fabric designer, they will allow for private use only. One can make a dress, curtains or whatever for private use whereas the clothing, home decor or quilting artist cannot use it in their own creations, for resale to the public. What if a client buys the fabric but commissions another artist to create a product? A fine line indeed to consider. All I can suggest is that we double check when shopping for fabric, to prevent finding ourselves in trouble. Just look at the selvage on the bolt of fabric to find out if it's been stamped.

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Article(C)2011 GG9909, all rights reserved.

Care for your Crazy

2011-09-21T08:34:00.004-05:00

A Crazy Quilt (and all other quilts) whether vintage or new requires care when handled or stored. As mentioned earlier - time and love have gone into the creation of the quilt. The final product has captured your imagination and desire to bring it home for display and admiration for you, friends, family and all who gaze upon it.

The purchase of a Crazy quilt is an investment of a product known as Fiber art. As with any piece of Art, knowledge in preservation and care must be gained. Yes, fabric has it's own rules that require careful consideration just the same as paintings.

Do you really want to lose the vibrant colors? One of the best and recommended practices for displaying your quilt will require you to hang it in the shade. Sunlight will cause premature aging (imagine that!) and fading, disintegration or discoloration of the fabric color.

Humidity can also cause growth of mold and mildew. We don't want those dreaded black spots. Hang the quilt in a well ventilated area with steady temperatures of 60-70 degrees and NOT a outer wall. Storing the quilt is best done using acid-free boxes or papers. Never use a plastic bag since it may capture moisture and encourage growth of mold and mildew.

A problem with folding your quilt for storage is that creases will occur. Creases can be prevented with use of acid - free tissue paper rolled and inserted where corners occur. Another option can be using a plain cotton or well-washed muslin sheet also. Using trunks with wood can cause damage too. Again, wrap your quilt to prevent touching the surface of the wood and preventing transfer of oils.

A favorite method I use is rolling it up and wrapping it in a plain sheet. The quilt is rolled with the back of the quilt showing on the outside - then wrapped in the plain sheet in a dark, well ventilated area. I find this method space saving too. I also recommend taking the quilt out every few months for airing easily done by letting it lay on the bed a few days, on a sheet and covered with another one on top if you want to place it outside. Again, not in direct sunlight or under trees - one never knows what might 'fall' out of the tree.

Insects and larvae are another consideration we must watch for. The best method to overcome this possibility is to lightly vacuum the quilt and steam cleaning. Caution must be taken with steam since again, this is moisture. Keep this process light and continually moving so not to be in one spot too long. At least the steam will guarantee a end to any unwanted insects and larvae. Once done, let your quilt 'air' out to ensure a drying time.

Cleaning your quilt with water can be a simple process. Soak your quilt in the bath tub, for 20 mins in luke warm water, with a gentle cleanser. It's recommended that we don't 'wring' the quilt but 'blot' the water out of the quilt with sponges or towels. This is to prevent putting any strain on the fabrics. Once you have as much water blotted off - lay it flat to dry and again, NOT in direct sunlight. I hope these tips prove helpful for the care of your quilt.

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Labor of the Quilt Artist

2011-09-19T18:05:00.004-05:00

The art and skill of a quilter has to be greatly admired. The time, effort and over all labor involved in the production of a quilt is intensive especially when handcrafted. It takes a genuine passion and love of the skill to produce - literally - a work of art.

One thing that cannot be forgotten is that the repetitiveness of movements can also produce strain and minor injuries. A quilter can develop fatigue in muscles leading to pain in their hands, wrists, shoulders and back and even their fingertips. Luckily, there is relief found in sewing supplies that offer protection along with use of our common sense.

Now, use of the various supplies available will require getting used to such. I know that I'm not comfortable having to use a regular thimble. My own thimble is one of the little metal sort with dimples. I have found that while doing my embroidery - threads may stick or get misaligned in the needle and create havoc trying to keep them straight and royally annoying - gasp! - if the threads become entangled and knotted altogether.

For now, I've settled on the leather thimble. Mine sits on my finger like a ring and use it on my most prickled finger. I would guess that it acts as a protective pad against punctures and needle pricking. It has taken some getting used to - like wearing a wedding or engagement ring? but at least I'm assured of no further injuries to my fingertips.

Other available tools of the trade include finger cots (look like condoms, oops!), adhesive pads, leather thimble, and gloves. I'm sure there are other options too and if you have suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment and share it. Thank you.

Fatigue of muscles and tendons also occur for the quilter. Remaining in a stationary prolonged position and repetitive motions can cause discomfort. I highly suggest taking intermittent breaks while quilting to stretch and relax your muscles. Better yet, if you have a partner, get h/im/er to give you a massage or use one of those electric massage tools.

I know how difficult it can be to 'have' to stop for a break especially when in the throes of artistic creativity but for maintaining health - do stop and take a break. Fatigue can result from exertion of muscles and tendons, need for energy, lack of calcium and/or vitamins and minerals or other health disorder such as arthritis, diabetes, etc. Pay attention and your body will let you know.

I hope you found this article informative. Please feel free to leave your comments, share your own observations and give your Vote. Send me Email if you would like to place a Order today.

Passions of Learning

2011-09-15T14:59:00.009-05:00

I had mentioned earlier that I enjoy the art of crazy quilting because of the 'freedom' it involves in choosing colors, layout, from start to finish of the quilt. I noticed while reading up on history of this particular style of quilting - that mistakes were deliberately made and acceptable. Wow, what?

Mistakes were expected to come with any finished crazy quilt because it showed a sign of humility. After all, pride is not a admireable quality. Now, if you think about those times - least for America - their main provider for moral direction - is the church, well, doesn't practicing humility, make sense?

Today, crazy quilts are not quite what they used to be and even become commercialized. Quilts are presented in near perfect craftmanship to rival one done by a machine.

I just have a problem with the idea of 'perfect'. It doesn't exist and believing in such a concept would be akin to the idea of raising ourselves to a level that is unequal to others. We are merely human beings. I don't think arrogance and pride are quality characteristics for anybody and should be avoided, just my thoughts.

The flip side though is finding acceptance of such a idea especially from paying customers. General and accepted purchasing practices has been - lower prices for defective products. Now, how would one convince a customer - the flaw, however minor, in the quilt is in fact, a historic practice and tradition of the crazy quilt. Is there an answer?

I believe the answer lies in the fact that - a crazy quilt is individual as the artist behind it. If a 'gallery' of quilts was to be shown (I just may do this ) calling for a specific color. We would find no two quilts the same but they would all be equally beautiful and mesmerizing.

Crazy quilts would qualify as 'fibre art'. Wikipedia states that 'fiber art focuses on materials and manual labor involved'. As we know, art is chosen by a customer and their reasons will vary. It's been said that crazy quilts, historically were not functional but for display purposes only.

Today, a crazy quilt can be used but adds the function of being put up for display. Both types can be available and as stated earlier, is one of a kind as is the artist.

I hope you found this article informative. Please feel free to leave your comments, share your own observations and give your Vote. Send me a Email if you would like to place a Order today.

Passion for the Crazy

2011-09-10T17:16:00.015-05:00

Today's world has brought technology which makes creating a crazy quilt fast and simple. We have our sewing machines and then, we have Embroidery machines.

Some people may view hand crafted items as products of low value while others will appreciate the art and work - behind the creation of the quilt. Some will realize that a crazy quilt is one of a kind and not easily mass produced.

I enjoy the time it takes to choose the colors, lay and sew the pieces, and add the embroidery. I use one main stitch for the quilt and may add other stitches. This produces a 'laced' appearance to the quilt - as can be seen on the photograph but I do like the overall effect.

Normally, a crazy quilt will have a variety of embroidery stitches on every seam with additional embellishments such as ribbons, buttons, and charms. It is a crazy quilt and canvas for whatever crosses the mind of the artist. This has been the appeal for me - whatever crosses my mind.

One other thing I have noticed in creating a crazy quilt is that - it's really difficult to guage how your quilt will truly turn out. We have a 'idea' or hope of how it will be in the back of our mind but during the creating process - it may look really dull but voila! upon near completion - there is a piece of something beautiful starting to appear. This part is the best. What looks like a ugly duckling turns into a beautiful swan. Imagine that. :)

I have created a few crazy quilts mostly for friends who are new parents at baby showers. They absolutely love their quilts and especially that they can hang these quilts as a heirloom for their child. I had forgotten that quilts can be used as decorative hangings in our homes.

The opinions of what makes a true crazy quilt will vary especially today but the true value will lie with the recipient of the quilt. I prefer to stand back and let another person decide for themself - their impression of the quilt. For me, most have been mesmerized with the colors, layout and over all finished quilt.

I hope you found this article informative. Please feel free to leave your comments, share your own observations and give your Vote. Send a Email if you would like to place a Order today.