Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Quilt Making Frenzy

Ever since the wedding quilt frenzy, I haven't been able to let go of the desire to make more standard quilts. It has been partly because I realized my scrap pile was threatening to take over my studio. I also needed more room for fabrics that I use in my current work, not the wild multi-patterned novelty-type fabrics I had purchased in the past. So the old stuff had to be used up, because, of course, I couldn't throw it away!

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I also realized that I have been at our inn, the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn, for 6 years already and have only completed a quilt for only one of the rooms. I feel like such a piker! Here I call myself a quilter and haven't even made quilts for the rooms -- although my art quilts are all over the place! But I wanted to put "my mark" on the inn as an innkeeper - something that might last longer than I. (Although I am not planning any departure from the inn anytime in the near future!)

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I also just like assembling pieces of fabric and it is a very relaxing thing to do when you are too exhausted to think of anything else.

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Another motivator is that I bartered one of our workshops at Hudson River Valley Art Workshops for some longarm quilting services. The workshop traded is coming up and I don't have any of the quilt tops ready! So I'm piecing at every chance I get.

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Nothing like a pile of chain pieced triangles. If I'm lucky I might have one quilt top ready by the time the workshop is over.

I was approached by a distributor to try out a line of Italian thread, Curicini Tre Stelle. It is a 2-ply long staple thread, reportedly just like Aurifil, another line of fine Italian thread. I tried the 50 wt cotton for piecing. The difference between this thread and the much cheaper brand that I had been using was marked! The Curicini ran through my Bernina like silk.

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Now I'm curious about the Aurifil 50wt. I have some but was waiting until I used up the cheaper stuff I had (waste not, want not!). But with the difference between the finer thread being so immediately noticeable, now I want to see how the two Italians face off!

2 comments:

alexveronelli said...

Kim, I am Alex ( alex.veronelli@aurifil.it ) , Product Manager for Aurifil the Italian quilt and patchwork threads producer....and I cannot wait for read your comments about how the two italians face off ....

berardi said...

Kim: Excuse me for being partial to the Italians. I married to one! Cucirini Tre Stelle is a manufacture of threads, not just a marketing company. They have been in business since 1903. Currently
in Milan, Italy. Go to their web site at: www.cucirinitrestelle.it The man that started it was called Luigi Radire. Everyone knows the famous designer Garavani Valentino in the movie "Valentino: The Last Emperor" you will see Cucirini Tre Stelle thread in his studio. I think this is the best thread.
from: Mrs Berardi www.gilbreaththreads.com or www.carmenwarehouse.com