Robert Kaufman Quilter's Little Helper App Review

Have you used the Quilter's Little Helper app from Robert Kaufman Fabrics?

I have tried a few of these apps that supposedly figure out measurements for you, but the ones I've tested so far have numerous glitches.  I would never really trust them, so what good are they?

However, I understand the urge for an app that you could pull out in a quilt shop when you find that perfect fabric and don't have a pattern or graph paper with you.  Or when you haven't had enough coffee to do math.  You know what I mean.

It looks like the people at Robert Kaufman Fabrics have finally done it right.   There are links to their social media channels, blog, and collections, plus a store finder for retailers near you.

My top three favorite features include:

• The piece count.  This is fantastic if you are making something scrappy.  Let's go back to my example of the Circle of Love Quilt. I need 128 dark and 128 light 2 1/2" squares for my four patch units.  I have a collection of fat quarters I would like to cut them from.  Let's see how many 2 1/2" squares I can get from one fat quarter.  

• Pieces to Yardage Area.  For the half square triangles, I want all of the white and lime green triangles to be the same.  I have to figure out how much yardage I need.  Remember, I need thirty-two 5 1/2" squares of each color. 

If I find the perfect fabric in my stash or in the shop, how much do I need?

•  Set-in and Corner Triangles.  My third favorite thing is for a quilt that is set on point.  I hate doing the math for the setting triangles, and I always end up with a lot of waste because I cut the fabric too small and have to start over, or I cut it way too big and chop off the extra.  This part of the app lets you put in the block size and automatically calculates the size square to cut for the corners and for the sides.  Thank you!

The cons?  Well, for one thing, just like the Quiltivate website, this app defaults to fabric being 43 inches wide.  This makes me grind my teeth.  It also makes me want to go measure all of my Robert Kaufman fabric and see what it really measures.  I'll bet it's not 43 inches! [I did measure.  It's 43" unwashed and including the selvage.]

The only other thing that doesn't work as well as it could is the backing and batting calculator.  It just takes the path of least resistance, and figures out how to use two large pieces of fabric to make your back with no regard for waste.  The app or website that truly comes up with a way to calculate the most efficient way to piece a back will have my heart forever.

These cons aren't much of a down side, especially for a free app.  I look forward to using this one more.  Try it out and let me know what you think.

Tweet

On My Design Wall

I think I have too many projects going at once.

Brye Lynn at Sew Stitch Create just did a great episode on why WIP's are like broken windows. You should listen to the whole thing, but the gist of it is that the more things you have unfinished, the easier it is to leave something unfinished to go work on something more interesting. You get into or out of the habit of finishing. Okay, so she explains it better.

But it was a timely episode because I've got a lot of balls in the air. My guild's annual challenge is due in 18 days. I'm not totally in love with how the blocks are turning out, plus I realized that I didn't turn the blocks consistently in the same direction, so some of the logs aren't lining up. Does it actually matter in the long run? I'm not sure.

My challenge blocks, so far.

I'm feeling very rushed for time, which is ridiculous since a) I came up with the challenge and am responsible for it, and b) it was presented in January and I knew then what I planned to do.  But the first one is officially done and arrived in the mail to me today from a quilter who has to miss the November meeting.  Seeing hers finished gave me a bit of an anxiety attack, although it did prompt a two hour sewing session. 

For leaders and enders I've been making strip sets, light and dark, out of 2" strips for one of the three (!) baby quilts I need to finish by mid-February.  They will be the scrappy four patch part of the Jacob's Ladder quilt I'm making, similar to Piper's Circle of Love quilt. 

Leaders and Enders

This is all in addition to the knitting project, the twin bed sized quilt I'm trying to finish for Mom for Christmas, and the other holiday gifts I have going.

I think I need to fix some windows before the graffiti and stolen car parts take over. 

Spring Quilt Festival

In case you are living under a rock and haven't heard about Amy's Spring Quilt Festival, then thank you because mine is obviously the only quilt blog you read. Either you know me and don't really care about quilting or - seriously - you need to get out more. There are soooo many other, better blogs that I hope mine will be like when it grows up!

Anyway, I'm late to the party but couldn't resist joining in. While I'd be hard pressed to pick my favorite quilt ever, I decided that my favorite that I could easily find a photo of is my Circle of Love quilt that I made last summer for Piper (can you believe she's almost 1? Me neither!).
I wrote all about it here but the reason I picked it is because it is so bright and happy. Also, because it was made 100% from my stash AND I designed the layout myself. I had always wanted to do a Jacob's Ladder block, but I didn't actually have a pattern for the quilt. I was so pleased with how it all came together, and so happy to pass it along to Piper.

Also, I think the name "Circle of Love" kind of goes with the theme of Amy's quilt festival - all of the different blogs showing off their favorite quilts and linking back to one another is like our own circle of quilting love. But now I'm getting sappy...

So I'm off to lose time daydreaming over all of the other gorgeous quilts. You should really swing by for a look. They are FABULOUS! Thanks, Amy, for pulling it together. You rock!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Chance You'll Live to 100: 68%

100 is looking pretty likely for you right now. You've made your health a priority. So kick back, keep doing what you're doing, and enjoy the great life you've made for yourself. And you might get to see what the world is like 70, 80, or even 90 years from now.

Will You Live to 100?

We're having a lovely, lazy week. We met Piper and gave her the Circle of Love quilt. Andi loved it and was so appreciative. Monday was guild night, and we had our annual Quilt Olympics. Every year we sew for a charity, and this year we made pillowcases for ConKerr Cancer. By the end of the night the guild had 116 pillowcases, and many more of us brought home kits to finish. Gracie had a great time sewing with Mom and me, another generation of fabric fondlers on the way!


Today DH took the kids out shopping, so I have some quiet time to blog and sew. I'm hoping to get the border blocks cut for Kaleidoscope Dreams, but it will require some concentration and functioning brain cells! I'd love to get it to the longarmer and back in time for our guild show in September.

I hope you can squeeze in some sewing time this weekend.

Done!

Is there anything so wonderful as a newly finished quilt, fresh from the dryer? Anything so soothing or infused with love? I don't think so.

Yes, Piper's quilt is done. As in "done done." All the way done. Bound, with a label. Wrapped even. Good thing since we will be seeing them on Saturday and the entire extended family is expecting to see it!

I think is perfect. I quilted it with this yummy lime green variegated thread in a spiral pattern to emphasize the illusion of curves. The spiral is very primitive and imperfect in an effort to break up the geometry of the blocks. (Okay, and because I was too lazy to mark it!)

I decided to name the quilt "Circle of Love." If you look closely around the edge of the label, I added the quote, "Our family is a circle of love and strength. With every birth and every union the circle grows. Every joy shared adds more love. Every obstacle faced together makes the circle stronger." [author unknown].

I found this quote especially apt since, as I mentioned, we haven't always been particularly close with this side of the family. We all get along, but we just don't see each other that often and aren't entwined in one another's lives. Over the last couple of years that has begun to change, especially since Andi's wedding (Piper's mommy) when almost everyone was able to come and make it into a sort of reunion. Also, Andi's brother is newly engaged, the last of the grandchildren to be married, while the first great-grandchild is spreading her wings as she finishes her first year of college. Then my father-in-law faced a health crisis over the last several months and I have taken the lead on sending updates to his extended family. The Independence Day picnic has always been a reunion in memory of Granddaddy and Grandmama G, but I know this year's will be particularly sentimental. Piper arrived not a moment too soon, and we are thrilled to get our hands on her, pass her around, coo over her tiny fingers and toes, and argue about whom she looks like.

It's the everyday miracles that make us appreciate life, even in the challenging moments. I hope you have a moment today that fills you with joy, even if it's as simple as opening the dryer door on a newly finished quilt.

Fabraholism...Hi, My Name is Jenny!

The first step towards beating any addiction (and who's to say I even want to?) is to admit that I am powerless over it. I'm so there! I haven't posted all week because I've been having way too much fun sewing and fondling fabric and even playing with heating elements of all sorts to distort and mutilate textiles to satisfy my illness. It was wicked fun!

First I had a conversation with my wonderful MIL about a cousin whose baby is due next month. I realized that, while each of my cousins' babies have received a quilt from either mom or me, none of DH's cousins have. Oops! The timing has always been a little hairy and we just aren't as closely entwined with their lives. Sooo...I felt it was high time to remedy the situation. In honor of my new fascination with Bonnie Hunter, my introduction to the Easy Angle ruler, and Andi's love of lime green, I decided to make a scrappy Jacob's Ladder with a green focus. Here's the block so far:

On Tuesday I finished whipping down the binding for the Team Tomato prize quilt. Last year for Mother's Day I gave my mom, MIL, and cousin one of those Topsy Turvy Tomato Growers. They had a contest, and Cousin Judy won by a landslide. This Mother's Day her gift will be this cute little tomato quilt and basket (by Dawn, of course) to

gather her harvest. Shhh...don't tell her! Thanks to the Stashbuster poster who suggested the "Just Leaf It" technique of free motion quilting. You can't really see it that well, but it worked perfectly for this little quilt.

On Thursday, Mom and I went back to our Kaleidoscope class. We learned how to make the alternate blocks that really make the design pop. Check out "My Design Wall" on the right to see how this quilt is coming along.

Then on Saturday (yes, my house is a wreck - don't call DFCS on me) I went to an awesome class with Jan Girod from Fiber on a Whim. It was incredible! Calling it a quilting class would be a bit of a stretch - it is definitely in the Art with a Capital A category. We worked with foiling and bone ash, Tyvek, cellophane, organza, metallic mesh, buttons, beads, and all kinds of pretty threads. We had irons, heat guns, and soldering tools generating some serious creative energy. It's not ready for photos yet, but I hope to have it up soon.

Plus Step 2 for Orange Crush has been posted! I'd better get back to work! Have a great week.