Where to get parts for Singer Featherweights:
Jean S. Lyle carries machines, tables and replacement parts. Contact her at:
Address: PO Box 289
Quincy, IL 62306-0289
Phone: 217-222-8910
Web site: JSLyle.com
Email: jslyle@adams.net
Alert for Jennifer Chiaverini fans: the seventeenth Elm Creek Quilts novel, THE UNION QUILTERS, is now for sale. Plot: In 1862, the men of Water’s Ford, Pennsylvania, rally to answer Mr. Lincoln’s call to arms, spurring the women of the Elm Creek Valley into their own battle to preserve the nation. Dorothea Granger marshals her friends to “wield their needles for the Union” and provide for the men’s needs. Her friend Constance Wright staunchly supports her husband as he is repeatedly turned away from serving in the Union army because of the color of his skin. A gifted writer committed to hastening the end of the war, Gerda Bergstrom takes on local southern sympathizers in the pages of the Water’s Ford Register, risking the wrath of the Copperhead press—and the jealous wife of the regimental surgeon she loves. Please visit Chiaverini's website at http://www.elmcreek.net for more information about THE UNION QUILTERS, including a sneak peek at Chapter One. While you’re there, click on the “Events” link to see if the book tour will bring her to a town near you, and click on the "Quilts Gallery" link to see a photograph of Dorothea's Dove in the Window, a quilt that plays an important role in the story.
Find Fabric: There is a fantastic new website created by Websites For Quilters that helps you find specific fabrics. FindMyFabric.com is an innovative fabric search engine that finds fabric and quilting supplies from hundreds of online quilt stores. You can search for products by either typing in words or by uploading a photo from a digital camera. If you use a photo, the search engine uses image recognition technology to find matching fabrics. Why is this so cool? Imagine you ran out of a specific fabric and need a little more to complete your quilt. The local shops don't have it and you don't know the name of the manufacturer, collection, or designer of that print. Try this site. Take a picture of the fabric, upload it, and within seconds locate an online retailer that has the fabric in stock. I love it!
Rotary Blades: This site has good prices for rotary blades and has free shipping in the U.S.: www.LPSharp.com
Care of Cutting Mats: Recently, while at a quilt show, I had the opportunity to speak with a representative of the Olfa company. One of the questions he asked me, after determining that yes, I did have an Olfa cutting mat and rotary cutter, was how often did I perform maintenance on the cutting mat? Cutting mat maintenance? What was that? Was I a bad mat owner? Obviously, I had that "deer in the headlights" look. He chuckled and told me that most people do not realize there is maintenance for the mat and through good maintenance, the mats will last many years longer.
He told me the maintenance is simple: #1. After cutting a project (or at least once a month), wipe off any fuzzies or debris from the mat. #2) Then wipe down the mat with a mild soap and water solution - dish soap in warm water is perfect and a sponge with a scrubbie side dipped into the soapy water and wrung out well will really do the job. #3. Wipe dry. He went on to explain that fabric tends to pull moisture out of the mats, resulting in them failing sooner. Deeper cut marks will appear and they can actually become very hard which can result in damage to the rotary cutting blades. Later at home I did scrub my mats as he suggested and was surprised as to the amount of moisture they absorbed and the amount of dirt that was removed. I had thought they were clean. My cutting mats that were getting that tired and worn look are now fresh and ready for the next project.