We all have favorites. Favorite foods, books, movies, people, sayings, things, etc. Sharing these favorites with others makes them even more special. Just like everyone else I have my own list of favorites I’m just bursting to share. So I’m hereby declaring Friday’s as my favorite’s day. Be watching for my first installment.
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Safety First!
Hobbies & Hazards
Hobbies, no matter how enjoyable, have some sort of risk or danger associated with them. Take for example these hobbies and their inherent dangers:
- Woodworking:
- sore finger from a hammer swing and a miss
- cut to skin or loss of digit from saw
- Stained glass:
- hazardous fumes from solder
- cuts to fingers/skin from glass and/or the tool used to cut the glass
- Even quilting has a few dangers associated with it:
- pin pricks
- finger caught in sewing machine needle
- buying too much fabric = empty wallet (jk)
- skin burned by contact with hot surface of iron and/or steam
Rotary Cutters
The occupational hazard I think about most is the injuries that can occur from a rotary cutter. Rotary cutters are incredibly sharp. The thin round blade attached to the handle easily and quickly cuts through fabric. As a result, they can cut through many other things as well. Of the non-fabric items that I have sliced through, these are the two things that come to mind:
- My cat’s ear: My cats just love to be by me, no matter where I am. One of my cats found out the hard way just how sharp a rotary blade is and how quickly damage can be done. After trying to discourage her presence, on my table, too no avail, I gave up and went about my business. As I prepared to swipe through a segment of fabric she just happened to slide her head and her ear in the direct path of the rotary cutter. The tip of her ear and the blade of my rotary cutter ended up in the same place at the same time. Needless to say the rotary cutter won out. Cat = 0 Rotary Cutter = 1
- My skin
Two Kinds
There are two kinds of rotary cutters. The first and older version of the rotary cutter has a safety guard that must be manually unlocked/locked. The fancier rotary cutter has an automatic guard that slides out-of-the-way when the two-part handle is squeezed together. I have the manual version.
Never Fool-Proof
The built-in manual safety feature isn’t fool-proof for obvious reasons. In order for it to be affective it must be engaged. The other reason is, even with the safety on, one can still get cut by the blade. I had first-hand experience with just such a mishap.
As is usually the case, the manual safety for my rotary cutter was engaged. Out of clumsiness I dropped the rotary cutter off my table. When it landed it first hit my leg, then the floor. The floor was not damaged but my leg was. The “protected” cutting blade somehow cut my skin. So to those quilters that insist that a covered blade is a safe blade I say hog-wash. Never assume a rotary cutting blade is safe.
No matter what activity you enjoy, always observe the safety measures associated with the hobby. The safeguards are there for a reason. While careful observance may not completely protect you from the inherent dangers, it will certainly eliminate most of them.
Before You Start Your Quilt
This is an open letter to all of my customers past, present or future.
Anyone that has made a quilt will attest to the incredible amount of time and money it takes to go from start to finish. The unthinkable thought of ending up with a finished project that is not what we had hoped for or dreamed of is both frightening and devastating. Often times the difference between a pleasing outcome and one that we would much rather hide away in a closet could have been access to reliable assistance.
With the advent of the internet we have, at our fingertips, the ability to peruse an endless list of topics. Finding just the right one that will address your questions or concerns can be a very frustrating process. Sometimes finding the answer, to what seemed like a simple question, can end up consuming a huge block of time with little or no satisfaction.
I believe I just happen to have the solution to many of your problem. Filed inside my archives are documents addressing the most commonly asked questions. To make it easy to access the resources I have included links to some of them below. So next time, after you’ve selected your pattern and purchased your fabric, before your start, consult with these resources. I think you will be very glad you did.
Topics
- Should I Square Up My Quilt Blocks
- The Frame Around Your Quilt
- The Filling Between The Sandwich
- What’s behind your quilt: A discussion of quilt backings
- So You Are Ready To Ship Your Quilt
- A Note to My Customers: Tips to help make sure your quilt is ready for longarm quilting
- Caring For Your Quilt
- Displaying Your Quilt
For further assistance check out the categories labeled Tips.
Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to your return visit. Any questions? Add a comment.