My plan this week was to just do one post per day, and it would be on the give-away. That way people wouldn’t have to look for the current posting to comment on because it would be first. Than means there have been no Out My Window postings this week. So I’m going to cheat a little. I’m going to include a little Out My Window in this posting before I get to the give-away. Bird photography is one of my favorite things, but I didn’t think of including anything bird related in the give-away, so consider this a post-within-a-post!
There were at least 15 Cedar Waxwings in the next-door neighbor’s crabtree today. The crabapples have been gone from our tree for a month, and at this rate the neighbor’s tree will be stripped of its little apples in no time as well! Another neighbor (Hi, Betty) said the Cedar Waxwings have been flying into their kitchen window, so these apples may be a little wine-y *hic*. They were even eating them off the ground, and I’ve never seen them do that before.
Last Sunday I had a glimpse of a hummingbird. That’s all it took for me to jump out of my chair and cook up some syrup, get the feeder from the basement (after the syrup cooled) and get into the business of enticing that hummer back into our tree. Nothing. Next day, nothing. Next day . . .
a juvenile cardinal male house finch! (Thank you, pdudgeon, you are absolutely right. This guy doesn’t have a crest, and when I checked my book, it’s a very good match to a house finch. And I learned something else: purple finches aren’t purple! They are also rose colored and here in MN, but they don’t have the brown streaks on their tummies and have forked tails. Correction added 9:23 cdt.) He sat there for a while, tried to take a drink with his big fat beak, then took off. Can you guess which little branch is no longer on this tree? It was in the way in EVERY shot of this guy. *snip*
Okay, enough birds. My favorite quilt I’ve done for quite a while is a very simple quilt: blocks of fruit prints with a wicker-looking sashing. Here is the unquilted top:
This is going to go into the trunk and will be a picnic/going-to-the-beach quilt. Here’s a close-up shot of the border.
It’s the Fruit Ladies stripe. And it made me wonder, how much of this fabric do I have left? I found it (no small feat, considering the disorder in my sewing room), and I have about 2 1/4 yards. So each bag will get slightly over a yard of the Fruit Ladies stripe. If you win it and you don’t care for it, just pass it on to someone else. I do know it doesn’t appeal to everyone, but it does tickle me. So each prize consists of the fork pins, Best Press, cookies, tea, placemat bag, and a yard+ of Fruit Ladies fabric – so far. Three more days of prizes to go! (Sorry this picture is so bad. I should have taken it during daylight.)
The fine print: 1. Give-away runs Sunday 4/26 through Sunday 5/3. 2. You may enter once each day by posting a comment on that day’s new give-away posting (that’s what THIS is). 3. Each day I will add an item to each ”basket” (there will be two); to have the most entries in the drawing, check back and add a comment each day. 4. There are two baskets because there will be two names drawn on Monday May 4th. 5. Be sure to include your e-mail when you make your comment so I can contact you if you are one of the winners! 6. I will close the comments on this post at midnight CDT (sorry, West Coast, but that’s the latest I can stay awake). Also at midnight CDT the next day’s give-away post will come up, so if the comments are closed here, go to www.suehecker.com/blog (unless it is after May 3rd — then you’re too late!).
So for a chance to be one of the two people’s names drawn on Monday, please leave a comment to this post, and also please comment on what thread you use? Are you faithful to a single brand? What about color, do you match the predominant color or go with something blendy? Thank you so much for playing so far this week — this has been a lot of fun. Good luck! Oh, and I like Gutermann cotton thread (although I will use leftover dressmaking thread ‘cuz I’m cheap), and I use a lot of tan, light gray and dark gray.
SORRY, THE GIVE-AWAY IS OVER.
My new favorite thread is auriful, I love it for piecing especially! I usually use a gray or tan color. Love the fruit ladies fabric and how you used it on your quilt.
I use Gutermann for piecing. I use a very light tan or gray for most piecing. I do use a darker one if all I am piecing is darker colors. I love all different thread for machine embroidery. I am going to have to search the internet for the fruit ladies, I think that fabric is so cute.
I tend to use neutral thread and buy either the Connecting threads brand or the big spool at JoAnns( when I get there since the closest is 79 miles away). I love that wicker look border. but don’t care for the fruit ladies but would never turn down fabric if I won it! And I’ve said it before- I love the bird pix!!!!!!!!
I use Gutermann more often that not also. I have all different colors I use, just depends on the fabric.
BTW…I LOVE the fruit ladies fabric!!!! Tooo Cute!!!
That fabric is so cute; I haven’t seen it before.
I’m an Aurifil 50wt devotee; love the stuff. I admit I haven’t tried others since I first tried Aurifil 5 or 6 years ago. I use the same three shades (light, med., dark) of gray over and over for all my piecing and a cone lasts forever! I also love Aurifil 28wt for machine quilting, but I’m more willing to try other quilting thread than I am piecing thread. I tried Signature 40wt from JoAnn’s for my last quilting and I like it, but will use something thicker next time.
I love the bird pics too… I live in a condo and we’re forbidden(!) from hanging anything that attracts birds.
I love Aurifil thread for piecing. It’s great in the bobbin as you don’t have to refill it as often. I try to match the color I’m using the fabric but no always. I find I mostly used white or black or tan threads.
i use the connecting thread brand of thread as well, and I have a spool of each color (except the blended ones)on my thread holder. i realized that as i was piecing my quilts i just didn’t have enough different colors of thread to quilt the tops. So i bit the bullet and ordered my first group of threads. i liked them so much that i went ahead and ordered the rest of the groups and put them on my standing thread holder (got that at wal-mart)according to the order on the web page.
i usually piece in either white or tan for the light and medium colors, and black for the dark colored fabrics, so i order those 3 colors by the 6 pack.
love the bird pics. i had never seen Cedar Waxwings before, but many years ago i was awakened by their chirping. there was a flock of about 30 or so sitting in a neighbor’s old apple tree. the combination of birds singing in a blooming apple tree was a real treat. they were migrating of course, but i was glad they stopped by for a visit that morning.
your second bird looks like a male house finch to me.
My current favorite piecing threads are Masterpiece and Aurifil. Aurifil is probably edging out as my very favorite. I usually just buy a range of greys and white. For quilting I use mostly Superior threads and my favs are So Fine, King Tut and Rainbows.
I use connecting threads for piecing because I bought a whole bunch and it doesn’t work on my quilting machine since I upgraded. For my quilting machine I use signature 40 wt in lots of different colors. I try to match the quilt top and back (connecting threads in the bobbin) when quilting, but when piecing, just use whatever thread I have handy. Since you don’t really see the thread, I don’t think it matters too much what color thread you use to piece.
When I was a kid, we had cedar waxwings come through in So. Cal. Now that I have moved to No. Cal, they no longer migrate through this area. I miss them
My main thread is Mettler 50/3 silk finish. I lived overseas, and good thread was hard to come by, so I ordered a spool in every color that Mettler made. I try to keep that replenished, by saving all empty spools until I get to the LQS to replenish that color. Obviously, I like to match my thread to the fabric!
I do love Aurofil for piecing, and use neutral colors for that. I’ve tried Presencia, and I like it as well. For my humble attempts at machine quilting, I’m still shopping around.
I use anything 50-60 weight…….usually in a taupey/grey color unless I’m working with white background……
I think your right about the drunk cedar waxwings…….I think they like the fermented fruit the best.
Karen L
I just use the Coats & clark for sewing regular stuff. Usually a tan or light gray color. For actual quilting – I’m not sure what my mom has bought, but we have definitely decided it’s not getting replaced once it’s used up.
And I LOVE that fabric! It makes me giggle each time you post it!
I was on a mission last year at a stash buster bazaar to buy thread. I came home with 40+ spools of all different brands of quilting thread. When I am string piecing, I use a spool from that collection–colors are mostly pastels so they work fine. I usually use a cone of Signature thread-gray, ecru, cream colors are my favorites.
I love the fruit lady fabric!!! I think it hilarious.
It cracks me up that at 9am I’m already post #14!! What a bunch of early birds! I have no idea what brand my thread is, but I do try to match the colors to what I’m sewing. Unless I purposefully want it to show.
I use So Fine from Superior Threads. I live near their warehouse and get to go there. Boy, talk about a candy store!!!
I usually buy Coats & Clarks. I bought some quilting thread that was on sale (not a good idea, it keeps breaking, sometimes being on sale isn’t a good thing). Anyway, I like to experiment with different colors but use a lot of tans, it seems to go with everything.
I love the fruit ladies!
I used the tan when I did the wall hanging and I like that a lot, because it goes with so many colors. I have a friend that uses the Gutermann thread and really likes it. Maybe I can get back to doing some quilting shortly(I hope)!
Favorite thread to piece with–Aurifil. Favorite long arm thread–probably plain Signature.
I tried to comment on the bag post, but had a terrible time accessing your blog. I just made a small zippered bag to hold all my cords for phone to computer, camera to computer, extra phone plug in line, etc. I also made a “manly bag” for my husband to carry his stuff in, like newspapers etc. He works overnights and sometimes it’s pretty quiet.
Love the bird photos….no birds flying into my kitchen window today…no surprise there since there are no longer any fermented apples left on our tree! Fruit ladies would have gotten a giggle out of these “drunken” cedar waxwings! My thread color is lt. gray, or cream unless it is definitely a black or white block. Brand most often used is Gutermann and sometimes Star.
What great bird pictures….such fun having them all come back this time of year.
I’m sitting here wondering which one of the fruit ladies I look like from behind when I’m in my bathing suit. No, no, no….please don’t answer that….!!!
For piecing I most often use Gutermann, and it’s lt. or med. gray, unless it’s a very light fabric…then I’ll break out the cream.
Hey, Sue! This is my first ever response to a blog, so I have you to thank for dragging me into the 21st century! I think I was the last person in Burnsville, where I lived then, to get a cell phone, too! Your bird pictures are precious. I am waiting for the hummers, though. Now, as to thread– you would be a better person to ask than me. I have only done small machine quilting projects (like bags and wall hangings) and have liked Gutterman and Sulky. See you tomorrow!