A reader had asked about paper piecing and as I was doing a post to answer her questions, being the intuitive blogger that I am (NOT!), I knew someone would ask why I was using pink bobbin thread so I’ll explain it before anyone asks.
Strips for Four Patches
When I’m strip piecing and going back and making second cuts, I like to line my ruler up on the seam line to insure that I’m keeping everything as straight as I can keep it.
Cutting Strips
The first thing you do is pray the cat’s tail doesn’t move just as you’re zipping along with the rotary cutter! Seriously, I don’t cut if Boots is anywhere near my table because I know how fast and unpredictable he is and how slow I am at spur of the moment movements. It seems like my head is saying “The cat’s tail is in the path of the rotary cutter. STOP!” and my hands are already in motion and don’t listen to my head so I know . . move Boots or find something else to do if he’s determined to sleep on the cutting table. I keep a little spray bottle of water and if I just pick it up, he’ll usually go off and leave me alone.
Boots – Leaving Me Alone
Every time I post a picture of him sitting in those deep windows, I say “You need to clean those windows and get all that paper off!” It’s only been 6 years and really . . who cleans windows that often? 🙂 Then I was going to say “Remind me when it’s not so hot to clean those windows” but when I looked up, all the paper is on the inside of the glass. Who knew?? Well, I would do it today but . . the arm . . I probably shouldn’t! 🙂
Back to the topic . . if I’m aligning the horizontal line of the ruler up with my stitch line, it’s very hard to see white thread on white fabric, or pink on pink, so I’ll use a color that’s just different enough that I can see it but not different enough to show through seam allowances. With white, it’s pretty easy because the seam allowances are almost always pressed towards the darker color.
Just a slightly different color gives me enough contrast to be able to see the line easily.
Jackie says
What a great idea! For the life of me I didn’t know why you were doing this but now I do. Thanks for sharing.
Diann Smith says
When I paper piece I use up all my old bobbin threads no matter the colors. Then same for almost empty spools that need to go. Has never showed through and gets rid if what I don’t know what to do with.
Diann says
I have paper pieced thirty years or more and when I do I use up old bobbin threads and spools with just a few yards left on them no matter what colors they are or if they match together. I have NEVER had shadowing or any problem doing this and it sure empties spools where you wonder ‘what am I going to do with THAT”.
Bon says
Great idea.
Susan says
I like the way you think!