cutebuns

THat is good to hear, I have been playing with mine and it is so much fun,

kluedesigns

i put all my fabric inside a pillowcase and tie it off and throw that into the machine.

then i take all the fabric out of the pillowcase and throw it in the dryer.

so far its worked well for me, i even done this with jelly rolls and i didn't have that much fraying.

Tiffany

That is certainly a clever idea and much better then basting all around the edges of the fabric! I'll have to add this to my tip list. Thanks!

cutebuns

I imagine the mesh laundry bags work the same (we have a lot with DH being military (retired now))

kluedesigns

yes, its the same idea. i just don't have mesh laundry bags.

cutebuns

I think that there is a dozen or so here, they annoy me most of the time but they have been known to come in handy, they are nylon so they don't absorb the water which is nice and I imagine rinse well with it being mesh, DH has been known to have his clothes washed and dried without ever leaving the bag, yet again with all the holes, it can go straight into the dryer,

kosmos

One thing I learned the way was after put into a pillow case, if a long strip, pin your last end to pillow case. Then you know where to start to fold or what ever you going to do.

Tiffany

Now that is good to know! I'd end up pulling out a knot of strips and end up with that vein in my forehead beginning to pound. Lol.

bearisgray

You could just soak them in a basin or sink - swish them about a bit - drain the water - rinse - drain the water - if necessary, one can just lay the fabric on towels and let it dry. Or roll the fabric in a towel to get some of the moisture out so it isn't dripping all over everything. Then just lay the pieces on a dry towel and let them dry.

I would probably put the wet pieces in the washer just for the spin cycle - don't know if your machine will let you do that.

bearisgray

I like all of the blocks from the Dear Jane Christmas Swap. I learned something from every one of them.

Two of the blocks that I received sure raised the bar as far as I'm concerned for the blocks that I hope to make.

Alaskan Lady made B-2 - the one with the circle cut into eighths and G-1.

B-2 - The color choice is nice, the seams meet so nice and smooth along the rim of the circle, and it lays very flat. Notice the pressing on the back - the pressing has been alternated from towards the center and towards the edges on the wedges and then the other seams are pressed open. This makes for a nice, smooth block. Also, the seams are trimmed to the same width. The arcs are machine sewn - no puckers.

I haven't figured out how she assembled this - maybe she'll share?

G-1 - Also nice colors - a very soft, soothing look. The curved parts are hand appliqued to the edge pieces - notice the nice even stitches on the back. Also, notice the nice pressing and even trimming of the seams.

She had her sewing machine behaving well, too. The seams are laying nice and flat - her stitch length is appropriate - too long and the ends come apart - very short - and if one has to un-sew, it's a major challenge - and it's hard on the fabric

Don't know how she did this one, either.

They are just beautiful, Alaskan Lady.