Gosh, I forgot all about this thread and came here to search "blanket" and found it again! Unfortunately I am still working on the quillows. In November, after I posted this thread, I cut my thumb with a rotary cutter I was using to cut the fabric for one of the pockets. The blade severed the extensor tendon and the capsule between the bones of the 2nd joint. A week later, I had out-patient surgery, then spent 4 weeks in a cast. Then, my thumb needed to heal and regain strength, so the quillows were set aside until just a couple of weeks ago when I started to work on them again. One is done, and the remaining three are getting there.... I just need to top-stitch the quillow part and add the pocket, then tie, and I'm done. My thumb is healing pretty well, though the joint is still swollen and doesn't have full range-of-motion yet and I'm wondering if I ever will. The doctor said to give it another 3 months for the swelling to go away. But, even if it doesn't, I can live with it as it is. Meanwhile, I have a scar to always remind me to be *extremely* careful with the rotary cutter! I came here tonight to look up blanket stitching. I abandoned the embroidery idea, and I'm now considering appliqueing the boys' names on a quillow corner or outside of the pocket, using the fabric from the other side of the quillow. Here's my idea: On one side of fusable web, trace the letters, iron to the wrong side of the fabric, cut out the letters leaving about 1/4" all the way around, and stitch to the pocket or quillow using a blind stitch, then use a decorative blanket stitch all the way around. Does anyone see anything wrong with that idea? Do you think I can get them done in my lifetime??? I think the boys' quillows will get a lot of use, and washings, so I want the applique to be durable. I can't machine applique because the layers are already sewn together with batting in between; if I sew through all the layers, the letters will appear in reverse on the under side. The blanket stitch looks easy and I think I did it eons ago. What I don't understand is how to space the stitches so that the first and last stitches (which will meet when I get all the way around a letter) are the same distance apart as all the others. Any tips would be appreciated. I'm also considering abandoning this idea altogether so I can get the quillows finished before spring... at the rate I'm going they might be THIS year's Christmas gifts! LOL! Thanks to everyone who offered embroidery suggestions and offered to help. Oh, about the quillows... just Google "quillow" and you will find lots of sites with instructions. These are some I bookmarked: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/1080/quillowcss.html http://www.marcusbrothers.com/makeit/projects/quillow/index.html The one I use: http://www.reddawn.net/quilt/quillow.htm Thanks, Jen

Thanks to everyone who responded about me sewing through my finger the other weekend... I got a cold or allergy attack right after that and didn't spend much time on the computer, but the finger has healed completely with no infection and I'm back to sewing... so glad I wasn't too traumatized to sew ever again! I literally *just* finished the a tote bag for an aunt whose birthday was December 11th... I was going to make a wall hanging, but after about 4 tries, I never got anything I was happy with, so I did a tote instead... I finally got all my "free favors" for friends done... hemmed pajamas, embroidered over a hole in some pants, and reversed a button and hole to turn a woman's jacket into a man's... I have a picture of the embroidery... my friend found some nice pants at a thrift store and the only problem was a hole in the back... so I gave him a link to check out some embroidery designs and this is what he chose... a cowboy hat... Here's the tote... I'm going to Heat N Bond a heart and the aunt's name (that I will embroider on another piece of fabric) and call it done... Every bit of the fabric was stuff I inherited from my grandmother... hopefully she's smiling down, glad it's being put to good use.

I mentioned in another thread that I finished restoring a Singer 301 this week. It belonged to a 96 year old lady who is in rehab for a broken ankle & moving into assisted living. She continued to sew until about 6 months ago on this 301. She is suffering from some dementia, and her daughter told me she talks about her sewing machine & what she plans to make everyday! First of all, I want to still be sewing at 96!!! Her daughter showed me some of her work -- gorgeous! She was a seamstress, did not quilt. The tablecloths and intricate lace, and rufflings, tatting, etc - all sewn on the 301. I don't even know what or how the accessories work. The machine was in excellent condition, except for the 50+ years of grime and nicotine(?) on the outside. I am assuming that's what all the yukky gold crud was --- ladies smoked and sewed - in high heels back in the day! Anyway, I am bonding with this machine today. I thought working on Virginia Bound blocks, a scrappy Bonnie Hunter strip piecing block would be the perfect project to work on while I get used to the knee lever, stitching and general nuances of my new 301. I haven't quite got the scant 1/4" consistent - got to work on that - so the Virgina Bound blocks with Miss Klara it is! Sharon~my heart goes out to Katie and her family! keeping them in my prayers. Mary~we loose electricity often. It is absolutely horrible in the winter. I know how you feel when you say your house temp was 40 - it is very scary for our pets! Glad your power is back on.

I agree with using fusable for applique. I have tried the techique of removing the center and didn't like the results, that is a personal prefrence, but I think if its being used on a quilt that stitching around the applique is important to adhere them. Teresa, when I mentioned the invisable thread I was refering to the way it could be done when using the fusable interfacing and the turning method, not something I was recomending. I think that you can us fine matching thread and a blind stich with equally good results. I agree it isn't very appealing for baby. quilts. Jayne