Chatterbox Quilts’ Blog
Helping Quilters Learn and Improve
Remembrance Day is a day to reflect on those who have sacrificed their lives so we can enjoy the lives we do today.
I hope you'll take a moment to reflect and remember those who have fallen in previous conflicts and those in our military today who continue to keep us "The True North strong and free".
Remember when I bought that card table, which just happened to actually be a table for the Singer Featherweight 221? If you haven't read about that purchase, you can read all about it in this blogpost. I was thrilled with the find, but the table needed a bit of sprucing up. I managed to get to that this past summer and I'm excited to share the results with you.
While the wood top was in good condition, the sides of the table, which were painted black, needed repainting desperately. I picked up a black semi-gloss latex paint that I thought would work okay.
Before I could repaint, I had to sand down the areas where the paint had worn off to feather them into the remaining paint. I did this carefully with a palm sander and a sanding block. You can see one of these areas, after sanding, in the photo below.
Before painting I had to tape all around the edges to prevent the paint from contaminating the wood top. I used a foam brush to minimize the brush strokes. Painting isn't really my forté.
I needed to apply two coats to completely cover the bare wood areas. You can see a portion of the repainted area in the photo below (paint is still not completely dry).
The table looks much better than when I purchased it, although the paint is not as shiny as it originally was - maybe I should've gone for the glossy finish, although it would show wear easier.
Here's another shot of the repainted edge.
I was pretty pleased with my efforts and the painting didn't take much time at all. The sanding took the longest as I was careful that I didn't sand off too much table!
I also found that I needed to tighten up the screws on the table legs - that made a big difference in the stability of the table. I guess things can get a bit loose over the decades of sewing.
Now my little card table is ready to start stitching - I just need to add the machine.
Creatively,
Craftsy is having a one day only sale today. ALL craft supplies are discounted with savings of UP TO 70% off! This includes project kits, yarn, fabric, art supplies, cake decorating / baking supplies and paper craft supplies.
Don't miss out on this great opportunity to save on craft supplies to make Christmas gifts and holiday decorations.
Shop soon as this sale is only on today, November 8, 2015.
Happy shopping!
Creatively,
P.S. If you're a quilter, you'll want to check out Hobbs 80/20 cotton batting at 35% off - a great time to stock up.
Disclaimer: I am a Craftsy affiliate and will receive compensation if you purchase an item using the links in this blogpost. This helps me to continue to create videos and tutorials for you. Thank you.
Welcome to Telecast Thursday!
Are you a coffee addict? Have to have your morning coffee before you're sociable? I'm not a coffee drinker, but I do have coffee in my house - to dye fabrics with, of course!
In this video I'll show you how to use coffee to create a lovely vintage effect on vintage linens or natural fibres. You can even have a cup yourself if you'd like :)
You can watch the video below or on my Youtube channel.
Subscribe to my Youtube channel to receive automatic notifications when new videos are posted. You can also click on the Chatterbox Quilts logo in the lower right corner on the video itself to subscribe. If you like what you see, please like and share my videos with your quilty friends.
Creatively,
On-line courses are one of my favourite ways to learn and they are certainly a popular way to learn for other creatives as well. It got me thinking about reasons to take an on-line course and I've come up with 7 of them. Here they are:
1. You can learn in your pj's - without make-up. Okay, maybe I'm the only one with full make-up on when I leave the house, but I doubt if anyone shows up for a quilting or stitching class in their pj's! With an on-line class, you don't have to get dressed up - or dressed at all - to learn.
2. You can access your on-line course anytime night or day. Can't sleep at night? Put on your earbuds and learn. You can learn on your schedule, whenever it is convenient for you - day or night.
3. You have one on one access with the teacher. As an on-line instructor I receive emails from my students with their specific questions. I can answer their questions and spend as much time as needed to ensure that their questions have been fully answered. No more waiting in line to talk to the teacher - and you don't need to bring her an apple :)
4. You don't have to pack up your supplies and sewing machine to attend an on-line class. Just gather the required supplies and stitch in the comfort of your own home at your own sewing table.
5. You can save on class supplies. I have enrolled in "live" courses where I've bought all the supplies on the materials list only to find that I really didn't need all of them. With an on-line course, you can watch the course first and then determine the supplies you will need to purchase before starting your project.
6. You have continuous access to the course. You can watch the course as many times as you like. Halfway through the course and then have to stop and attend to other matters? No problem, just pick up the course again and start watching when you have time. Not sure about a technique? "Rewind" to watch that section of the video again. I often start and stop videos as I stitch along with the instructor.
7. You can enrol in an on-line course no matter where in the world you live. If you're in England or Spain, you can still join me in any of my on-line courses. Of course if you'd like me to come to you to teach the course, I could be persuaded to do that, especially if you live in a warm, tropical climate:)
These are my top 7 reasons to enrol in an on-line course. How do you feel about learning on your computer? Let me know your thoughts on the subject in the comments below.
(Don't forget to enrol in any of my on-line courses at Curious.com - thanks!)
Creatively,
