Friday, April 11, 2014

Tools of the Trade and a finish

As a hand quilter I have certain tools I like to use , one of those tools I mentioned in a previous post but I guess I left you without an explanation so I will try to do that now . This little gadget is what I am talking about ...
 Can you figure out how this works , it is really quite a simple but effective tool , here is how it works.
In this photo you can see that I have taken a few stitches and then I have placed the needle in the hole at the bottom of the tool and at the top you will see a little button with a spring below it , well I am compressing that button which in turn places pressure on the needle preventing it from coming back out of the tool , then it is simply a matter of pulling on the tool to bring the rest of the needle through the quilt . This saves much time but more importantly frustration  ;-)
 The other very valuable tool I love to have on hand when hand quilting or doing any type of hand work is this little caddy .

This is so handy dandy , a place for my thimble , a dowel for my thread and a little pincushion which I normally keep three needles threaded and when they are empty it is time for a break . This caddy was a gift a few years back from my friend Lynda and has had many hours of use and is something I love to use :-) You should stop by and say hello to Lynda , she is fairly new to blogging and has recently shown some of her beautiful work , I know she would love to see you . 
 Now for my finish , I have completed my garden flag , a pattern by my talented friend Annette  who generously sent me her pattern to test for her . It is a great pattern and I can see me making this again sometime .
Thanks Annette for the opportunity to give this pattern a try .I also made my Aurifil block for April , this one was quick and easy .
And here are the first four together 
I am loving this so far , oops I see I have my block upside down , oh well :-)
 That is it for me today , I do hope you are enjoying some creative time today , thanks for stopping by .
 hugs Sheila

14 comments:

  1. not that little yellow gadget is pretty neat. sometimes it is hard to pull a needle through the many layers. Lovely projects.

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  2. I love that needle puller! I had no idea what it was in one of your earlier posts. I use those rubber needle grabbers, but it's still hard to pull them out. Thanks for the tip... I'll be on the look out for one. My sore fingers thank you. :)

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  3. That is a. Veryneat tool...never saw one before!! I use a rubber finger on my index finger..LOL
    Love the flag Sheila

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  4. That needle puller is a handy gadget. Must see if i can get one. Love the flag. Hugs,xx

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  5. Nice to see hand quilters have gadgets too - it sounds very handy :-) Annette's pattern is gorgeous and you have made a beautiful job of it. Your other blocks are looking good too.

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  6. thank you for the pictures.... it all makes sense now.... amazing the tools there are...
    lovely work...
    Hugz

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  7. Hi Sheila what a wonderful tool I haven't seen one of these before,thankyou for sharing.xx

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  8. I've never seen a needle puller likt that; it's so cool. I love your heart caddy; what a nice gift that was. Your flag looks great and I love your Aurifil blocks; nice fabric. Have a happy weekend.

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  9. I love your little wooden caddy. I would have to have one if I saw one! It looks very useful. I collect embroidery tools expecially wooden ones and it is always good to see something new. Love the finished banner. xx

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  10. very nifty gadget, thanks for the explanation of its use.
    great blocks for your bom and your garden flag looks lovely too

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  11. Well, how nifty!!! I've seen those little gadgets before but never knew what they were for :) And your Garden Flag is just beautiful!!!

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  12. Awesome little gadget! I'd never seen one before! You've certainly been busy! I'm slowly making my way 'home'....just a few more weeks!!

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  13. The needle puller is an invention from my friend Anneke, a dutch lady living in France. if some one like to contact her:info@needlepuller.com or via internet: www.needlepuller.com.
    Hugs from Belgium. Martine

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  14. That needle puller is a handy looking gadget. I also love the tip about threading three needles and taking a break when they're used. I'll be following that one. Annette's pattern is lovely and I adore the colours of your Aurifil.

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