Friday 13 January 2012

Another Doohickey

Way back when I started quilting, and took a few classes, I also took up buying everything the quilt police recommended I do so at the time. Most of the stuff ended up in the bottom of a box to 'keep it tidy' and never saw the light of day again. I delve into that box occasionally just to see what is in there. Recently I even retrieved an item and have been using it. It has been a very useful little doohickey.

I finished the stitching around all the applique hearts on Emily's quilt.


And now I have moved on to sewing hearts randomly on the quilt, some in white, some not, and sometimes a combination of the two.


The white.
The not.
The combination.

And this was when my little doohickey thing finally earned its keep about five years after its purchase. Because my doohickey is a hera marker. Yes, I did have to look up the name because I didn't remember it!


The hera and a template (also bought in those early years).
A quick mark around the template and it's perfectly outlined.
Just have to stitch before it disappears,
which it doesn't do as quickly as I feared it might.
So, those quilt police, they know what they are talking about a lot of the time. I am sure that they would not appreciate some of my methods of doing things now, but they gave me a good foundation to build on and the confidence to believe I could do it on my own. That's no bad thing!

Susan

23 comments:

  1. The quilt is looking prettier and prettier every time you show a bit more. A Hera Marker is on my shopping list, and has been for ages, but I never seem to see one when I'm at a fabric shop!

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  2. Fabulous Susan! I use a Hera marker to draw lines for machine and handquilting and I love it! It’s one of the tools I had to buy for my handquilting class that I actually use a lot.

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  3. My hera marker is my most used thing (second only to seam ripper...) Quilt is looking better and better, love the hearts :-)

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  4. I really want a hera marker... for some reason I've never got around to buying one!

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  5. what is a hera marker? Is that a plastic thingy with a sharp knife type edge on it to use with marking? Or is it the actual template you pictured? I have a knife edge thingy that I recently purchased and I LOVE it. Makes straight line quilting at funny angles so easy too because you can mark them all and then do it.
    Kids still awake btw. 10pm.
    GAH!

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  6. Sounds like I should be on the look out for a Hera marker...

    Your quilting progress looks lovely!

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  7. I wonder what the quilt police say about binding a quilt and then quilting it? LOL hehehe snicker snicker.

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  8. Beautiful!! I'm wondering if a plastic knife that came with a play dough set will do the same job or is there something I'm missing?!! I will be using the word doohickey in a sentence today ;)

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  9. For those of us that don´t have any shops nearby, I was wondering the same about a plastic knife...would that work?
    Your quilt is looking great :)

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  10. I'm with Kat. What's a hera marker and do I need one? Does it just crease the fabric? (that kind of mark) or does it draw a line for you (the other kind of mark)? I'm lost....
    The quilt, though, is looking good :)

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  11. V.clever! I've never come across one of these & I went to P&Q school!!! Jxo

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  12. I love my hera marker! I got it when I was making my sashiko sampler and I wouldn't be without it. I also love watercolour pencils and my chalk propelling pencil for marking quilting lines. The quilting looks fabulous!

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  13. I got one too after it was recommended, don't use it much but funnily enough lent it out just yesterday.

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  14. Your quilting is looking fab. I have a Hera marker but don't use it often enough. It's a very good doohickey. You reminded me I have some of those templates in a box somewhere, I'll have to go search them out. They are not with my HR fabric!!!!!

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  15. I have often wondered whether the Hera was worth the money!? Maybe I'll get one- after trying the plastic picnic knife first! Good for you!

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  16. never seen one of those before, what a great idea! The quilt is looking fab

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  17. Have one of those - have used it a bit but tend to do things freehand at the minute - no idea where it is though!

    Glad it is coming along beautifully and that you are making good progress! It will be finished before you know it!

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  18. I've never heard of a Hera Marker before - but I think I would use one a lot. How many other things have I never heard of that I REALLY need?

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  19. I think eventually we use most things we buy (I have two bias makers that have yet to see the light of day though )

    I love how that quilt is coming together.

    You know I'll have to run out and buy a hera marker now dont you?

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  20. Now if you are feeling adventurous you can get the same effect with your rotary cutter with the BLADE IN!!!

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  21. When I went looking for a hera marker the quilting shop did not know what I was talking about. It is a great little doohickey (things like that makes me sure you are Canadian!). What size perle cotton are you using, the quilting looks great!

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  22. i've hot one of those - they're excellent for what you've described - and your quilt is looking gorgeous

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  23. That Hadley can be evil!! Love the Hera marker - I`ve never seen one!

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