Dear Dritz

I recently purchased your product Sew On Painted Treasures. However, your product gave me a great deal of grief and exasperation. While it printed well, and photo result was acceptable, removing the paper was absolutely awful. No way was that paper coming off in anything but shreds. Even tweezers didn't loosen it in anything but shreds, nor did steaming over the teakettle.

Searching the Internet and my Quilt Guild, friends, and Local Quilt Shop gave me no solutions to this problem. Your instructions on the package are clear and concise, but do not mention possible problems, such as this.

Only my own blog post gave me an answer, which was, "heat the printed sheet back up with a hot iron, and this would loosen the paper. Perhaps including this suggestion on the package as well as "add several score lines across the back" would be very helpful to your sales, product development, and marketing people. Even with the heat, I wasn't able to remove all of the remaining paper in one action.

After days of frustration, I hardly think the product was worth the effort.

Exasperating!!!

I bought Printed Treasures Inkjet Printable Fabric Sew-On to copy photos onto fabric. My first effort was a test was with a few labels only and while the print quality was OK, removing the paper was a nightmare. It's supposed to peel off, I'm presuming something like Contact Paper. NOT!

Just like directions say, I printed it, then after one minute (per instructions) I scored the corner and started peeling the paper off, only to have it pull away in shreds.

A SEARCH on the Internet indicates that people love it or hate it for the same reason. Uhhh, what makes the difference? My test sheet says to me, "Don't do that again!" but ya know that package costs $19.99 with 5 sheets, and could I have done something wrong?

I tried steaming it over the teapot (iron is well past it's steaming years) with nary a difference, except burned fingers.

Yes, I live in a dry climate -- can that be the difference?

I tried it again, thinking I'd score it numerous times, seemingly to make the removal easier. No luck. I'm really frustrated and angry. What a mess!

The instructions give no indication of possible problems My Quilt Shop did not have an answer.

I've spent almost $100.00 on this Challenge project, and it looks like it's getting the best of me!

Solutions??? HELP!!!

Two finishes, QOV Rebuilt Log Cabin, and Kaleidoscope

I've shown this Rebuilt Log Cabin in process, but it's DONE -- DONE -- DONE! This is the quilt that I had quilted the borders in an overall leafy viney pattern and the result was awful! The organic thing didn't "go" with the patriotic style, and was too eye-catching. So I took out all the border quilting - not as hard as it sounds as my tension was terrible on the back, very loose, making it less difficult to remove. I redid quilting between the borders as plain Stitch-in-the-Ditch, a vast improvement. Next is a short wash to eliminate holes from previous stitches.

Again, you've seen this kaleidoscope quilt but it's all quilted and full of texture. I LOVE it and it's intended as a gift.


Both of these quilts were made from stash. I DID purchase batting.

Jody Barrows Presentation

Saturday afternoon/evening I attended a Jody Barrows presentation of her Square in a Square sewing technique, family history, novels, quilts, rulers, DVDs, and fabric lines. This gal is a dynamo and entrepaneur - I had no idea she was doing all these things! Additionally, all those talents are intertwined in her family, novels, quilts, and fabric. Do you think I had a good time? 8-))) Her husband Steve and CEO (Carrying Everything Out) helped load and unload stuff.

This program was organized by Country Quilts of Scottsbluff - thanks Mary Eldridge!

While my photos are in reverse order, as soon as I walked in the room, I knew I was in trouble - quilt trouble! Many of the quilts featured in her Instruction books, and in her novels are already kitted up and ready for you, with her new fabric line. I came home so inspired. If she travels near you, take the time to see her stuff - you'll like it!













Square in a Square Technique.

Twisted Sister, Practice Block

Next week I'm taking a class with Ami Simms, Twisted Sisters, so this morning I made a practice block. Works for me! I especially liked that dimensional center! Yeahhhhh. All my colored fabric has bits of light or white, so this looks good to me! But I only have 1 yard of this white/cream background. I'm going to town today, so I can get several yards of another creamy white.

The purpose of my trip today is for yet another quilty event -- Jody Barrows (Square in a Square) is demonstrating her rulers, also in town. ("In Town" is 120 miles round trip!)

Another Kaleidoscope!

My colors are much prettier than this photo shows. I've used up 4 bobbins so far. I spread it out on the floor - oh yeah, for self gratification, but it's also fun to see how far I've gotten, and I also check for 'holes' -- areas that have been accidentally left unquilted. My usual method is to start at a corner and move along one border, the move back the other way, eating up another expanse of space. I don't see why one should start in the middle if it is basted well, but I don't push THAT rule too hard and try to get to that center before all the sides are quilted. No sense asking for trouble!

I began the machine quilting this morning for an hour or so before work. For those who don't know, this is done on my Janome MC 6500, that's a regular DSM, (DSM = domestic sewing machine), no stitch regulator. Those stitches and swirls make me feel good. This one will be a surprise.

Done

This one is DONE and I'll be mailing it off soon, as a QOV. I removed all my leafy/viney quilting stitches in the border - it was OVERDONE and inappropriate. Some of the stitch/needle holes were still visible so I spritzed it heavily and hung it out to dry. Looks pretty good now. I did a simple stitch-in-the-ditch between 2 of the borders. This is much simpler and more in keeping with the stripes. I couldn't believe I actually had this backing in my stash - 4.75 yards. How perfect is that!

Washed just fine!

Despite my worries, and some evidence of a maroon fabric bleeding when the quilting lines were spritzed, it was time to wash this big quilt, finished over 2 years ago. Size is about 86" x 104", and I only had my home- made detergent when I got the urge to wash the dang thing! Yes, I know I should use Orvus and with all the horses around here, you'd think I'd have some but no, no Orvus, just plain old homemade laundry detergent.

I had absolutely NO problems washing it, on cool, and even the original bleeding problem disappeared. Drying it (dryer) left it so nice and crinkly - Whew - one less thing to worry about.

Looking at the photo, I see a wrong block, in the lower right on the inside of the border. Funny! Even a wrong block looks kinda interesting.

This is called Pinwheels and 4-Patches, or similar. Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.com had one, Better Homes and Gardens had one, Mary Johnson (Heartstrings) made one, and I found one in one of my books, so I don't know who should get the credit. Anyway, if you look closely, the quilt is made in rows, pinwheels and 4 patches (or 16 patches) then the next row the pinwheels go the opposite direction as well as the 4-patches. The 4 patches, have a light in one row, upper left, and the next row is dark in upper left. Can't get much easier, or simpler. Do you see the bright blue? I was hesitant about using it, but when finished, that bright blue, which "doesn't go", gives the quilt spark.