Restocking my Charity Quilt labels

When I started working on quilting my charity tops, I knew that I needed to go ahead and get going on the labels as well.

I was down to 4 as I mentioned before. I also had 4 quilts in the living room waiting to be bound.

So, in essence, once I bound those four, I would have 0. That won’t do.

So, here are a few photos of what I’ve been doing there.

Obviously I need to make a minimum of 100 - as that is how many quilts I have left to do for this year to meet my minimum goal.

However, as long as I’m in the swing of it, I should just keep doing more. I would love to have more than just what I need for this year. Having those extra labels that I had has been such a blessing. I’d like to do that again - make plenty!

A couple of years ago now, a lady named Malgosia brought me a whole brown paper bag full of white second-hand fabric. Upon closer inspection, a lot of them were tablecloths, and when I realized that, it was such a relief. I had used up all my tablecloths before for my labels. The heavier fabric is better for labels than regular quilting cotton. They are perfect for using for these. Some of them have yellow stains on them, but it makes no difference for my purpose. I am so grateful for them. The Lord worked through Malgosia to get them to me as they are exactly what I needed.

So, I’ve been cutting those tablecloths up as I need them and making my labels. Then, as I finish them, I’ve been cutting them into the individual labels and putting them in my box.

 

As of this writing, I have made quite a few labels. In fact, so far I’ve got 113 done. That’s a relief. I will keep working on them and would love to be able to do another 120 at least.

I’ve been making a lot in various colors - green, pink, tan, aqua and plan to make navy, and some other blue. Maybe I’ll make up some red ones as well. I usually try to match the color of the writing (if possible) with the back of the quilt.

I did make up the label a few years ago now and saved it as a file for the embroidery machine. Since it’s just a simple font- no actual image, it goes sort of quickly.

If you look, you can see that I have this one set to take about 70 minutes currently. I had it at 60 but it was going so fast, I was constantly afraid I would have issues and I’m leaving this alone for quite a bit of time as I go off into another room to work.

So I slowed it down a bit. I think at full speed, it would probably do it in about 45 min.

Here are some photos of this work in progress.

It’s mostly a matter now of making sure I have enough wound bobbins and being around to replace them as needed, fix things if I do have a jam and just generally keep moving the project along. I am winding my bobbins on my other Janome so I don’t have to stop and wind on the 12000.

So I’ve been getting the machine ready so that when I head downstairs for breakfast, it is running. Then I can go change the bobbin after breakfast and then head down to the long arm. Now the embroidery machine is upstairs and the long arm is downstairs. So…obviously I do not run back and forth changing bobbins. I just leave the embroidery machine until I am finished with the long arm. By then I’m a bit tired and am grateful to be sitting down in the afternoon - either working on hearts on the Janome 8900 or sewing on the Juki industrial - both of which are in the same room as the embroidery machine.

Anyway…there’s that progress. Since I’ve already done 113, I’m okay for this year.

I know that’s it’s not hard. But the constant noise can be an issue. I am happy to stop the machine after say 3 or 4 of these files because of the noise. It can be tiring if I were to run it from morning til night. That, plus the noise of the long arm while I do the charity quilts means that I am “machine noised out” after a while.

I feel for you long-armers. I’m gaining a new appreciation for you all every.single.day that I spend several hours doing it.

Thanks again for coming along with me on this journey!

Have a great day wherever you are reading!

I currently have 62 quilts left in the

“Quilt 90 charity quilts in 31 days challenge”

(August).

Sadly - still haven’t trimmed any, though. :(

I think I keep telling myself I can always invite others to help me do this. Or maybe I just need to get going. If I trim 5 a day, I can catch back up and it’s not a huge deal. I know I can’t wait and do too many at once as it is just ‘too much’.


Becky Petersen6 Comments