TREASURES FROM THE TRUNK

We all have them; we save them; we protect them in acid free paper; we shield them from sunlight and dust. We may even bring them out every year or so just to re-adjust the folds and admire them ... and then back into hiding for another long year or two.

I'm suggesting we rescue our treasured linens, quilts, our keepsake family heirlooms from the dark recesses of our trunks, attics, and closets. Bring them out and enjoy them. Fill them with love. Honor the makers of these priceless family gems, our connections to the past, be it our personal family legacy or our community of quilters and needle workers.

Respect, honor, and treasure all that is contained within these simple pieces of cloth - the workmanship, the love, the memories, and ties across the miles that say "I will always remember you; I will always love you; you'll always be a part of my heart and a part of my life."

Karen did so with her grandmother's cross stitch tablecloth ...




A word about the "technicalities" of quilting a piece like this ... I used the very lightest weight thread I could find and quilted right through the cross stitching patterns. I recommend So Fine for the top thread and Bottom Line for the bobbin area to work with minimal thread breaks and tension issues. Both are from Superior Threads.

I find I need very little adjustment in either area when working with these threads. I do have a bobbin case that is just for my pre-wound SuperBOBS so I don't have to reset the tension when using these threads, and I find I don't have to make any adjustments in the top tension when switching from King Tut to So Fine. Each machine is different. Don't be afraid to experiment to find the best settings for tension to make your machine "sing" when using these threads.