Heidi will be 20 years old on April 24, 2025. She is very aware and engaged with me but her health is declining terribly. Her fur is horrible but she won’t let me brush or comb her – it must pull on her skin and hurt. She lives on Gerber baby food and a bit of special diet cat food. I have trimmed out some of her matted hair but she’s a mess. I am a firm believer in euthanasia for cats who are too out of it to live and we might be there this week. I don’t think she’s in pain but I do think she’s out of steam. She just wants to be close to me!
Tonight I made the Hank dog block.
I’m not happy with my block but it took me over three hours to make it. The book does not indicate whether a piece 7-1/2” x 8” lays vertical or horizontal and when you add the connector squares it’s very easy to get them wrong. Recutting many times – in fact I’m not sure I want to continue. It’s been a discouraging evening and I have nothing good to show for it.
I can’t even say TV was good – I don’t go to movies so the Academy Awards don’t mean a thing to me. I’m a real Debbie Downer tonite, aren’t I?
And with Heidi’s help I finished binding the pencil quilt. This would be so cute in a teacher’s classroom – I’ll enjoy bringing it out at the beginning of school next fall.
Reader photos
I asked for Jelly Roll ideas – this looks like a nice book.
And here’s my next question for you. What kind of sewing notions are essential to your quilting? I am not a notions person – one cutting board, one rotary cutter, one 6 x 12 ruler, one 6 x 24 ruler, one little scissors, ripper, little cleaning brush, and a few pins is about all I can list. I do have spares but I’m most curious about thimbles. Since I’ve done so much binding lately I’m fed up with every thimble I’ve ever bought. None will stay on my finger or else the thread gets caught on it in some way. I’m interested in what you use and what you like.
I did lots of needlework, but I didn’t use a thimble until I tried quilting. I started out with a leather one, which i liked; but it didn’t last long. I just happened to find a sterling one in a thrift shop, which fit me perfectly. Too tight thimbles are uncomfortable, and too large fall off; they have to fit well.
As for notions, I love them and have too many. I think rulers and templates are my major weakness; I like many shapes and sizes. I did buy many using a Joann coupon.
I am so sorry you are facing the Heidi decision—so sad.
Take Care, 🥰
I like Paula use a leather thimble.I first found them at the botanical center in Des Moines years ago. They were goat leather.I have worn out many. I could not find them any more so I cut the finger off a leather garden glove.
Hand sewing the binding is my favorite part of making the quilt.
My favorite notions have changed over time. Now I’m happy to have a seam ripper with a light and tiny magnifier to help me see what I’m doing. I also have a tweezer with a light that is very useful. I’ve used the purple “thang” as a stiletto, bamboo skewer and other pointed things, but a stiletto of some type is always helpful. I use a leather thimble with a small metal insert that fits over the pad of the finger tip to minimize inadvertent stabbing.
You weren’t just lucky to get a sweet dog in Keeper. He turned out that way because you raised him from a tiny pup with love and kindness and taught him how to interact and reciprocate. All my sympathy to you as you decide how to say good by to Heidi. It s such a gut wrenching decision to make. I had to take my two previous cats in to be euthanized. Took me years to be able to consider getting another cat, but now I’m so glad I did. Prayers to you.
Karen Cyr
My list for quilting is similar to yours. I do have cutting mats but they lean against the wall behind my ironing board held against the wall with boxes of stuff. Hard to get out and put back. What I have been using recently for my cutting mat is an old floor mat for the desk chair. I had my husband cut off the part that had been destroyed by the chair and I now use it most of the time. It is heavy enough that it can lean it against the wall and not need support. It sits most of the time in the corner of my kitchen. Handy because I use my kitchen table to cut on. The mat fits nicely.
I’m so sorry to hear about Heidi. It is always so hard when our pets age. When I do use a thimble I use a leather one. I push the needle with the side of my finger and it seems to work well for me. I have two favorite notions. An E Z stitch snip with a hook blade. I have two. One by my machine and one by my cutting board. My number one favorite notion is my cell phone. I use it when I am choosing fabrics. I take a picture and then turn it black and white and I can see if a fabric doesn’t work. Taking away color allows me to see value easier
Marie – your use of cell phone is a good one – I have also used mine that way. What a clear picture of lights and darks!
Mary, thoughts are with you as Heidi lives out her final days.
Love the pencil quilt and can’t wait to see the completed doggie quilt.
I don’t use a thimble because they don’t seem to fit me well. Instead, I cut off the fingers from old leather dress gloves and they protect me well. Have done so much hand binding with them.
Hope your cough is better and that you escape the storm predicted for Tuesday!😀
Vicki – leather gloves! How clever! As many quilts as you make, I wondered if you did hand binding or machine. I can see that I’m not the only one who has issues with thimbles!!!
I’m so sorry about Heidi. Making that decision is always gut wrenching but, in the end, has always been the right one. We had to say goodbye to our Misty March 13, 2024 and I miss her antics every single day.
I had so many rulers and templates I never used. I had such grand plans for them all and in the end they became dust collectors. Now I have one each of the size you have. I love my rotary cutter but we have a history…I cut my hand wide open with it one day (14 stitches) when I sneezed while cutting! Now I’m petrified of it and even though I now have one of those gloves you can’t cut through, I’m still afraid. I resort to scissors!
Mary…so sorry about Heidi. We had to put down our (last) kitty in 2010. Fond memories.
THIMBLES: I hv used the same (sterling) thimble (w/hole) for at least 25 yrs. Bought it @ International Quilt Show in Houston. Love it!
I hv a funny thimble story…there was a time that I tried a different thimble. (I hv fake nails so require a hole to fit.)
My dentist made several for me…dipped my thimble finger in a cup w/solution used to make night guards. They were great, until they had so many needle holes, they became useless. 🙀
I guess I never looked at the completed difference between a sewn on binding by machine and one done by hand. My quilts are grandkids and our adult children, I’m hoping they are using them and loving them. I do table runner binding by hand. But if they are going to be washed and snuggled with I think the sewn on binding is more durable, just my opinion, not right or wrong, no quilt police 😂
I’m sorry about Heidi the kitty. So sad. We even missed Fluff the Siamese mama outdoor cat when she died. She got really snarky in her elderly years….maybe it’s the name 😉
Gadgets in the sewing room….weell, I would really miss my curved little scissor and seam ripper! As for a thimble, i have used one especially when fixing jays leather glove!
As for the weather, the temp this afternoon is 56* but It sure doesn’t feel like it! Tomorrow it’s suppose to blow and maybe rain or snow. I hope we get moisture!!
Have a good one!
Joy – I am totally on board with machine binding on quilts. I’ve been finishing several quilts that I will use in my own home and enjoy mostly on the wall. I have so enjoyed finishing quite a few this winter – gives me permission to start something new!
I keep looking at the ‘Hank’ block you made, wondering how I could rework it to become a poodle. The one in the pattern has too much fluffy hair around its muzzle. So I wonder if I change that center piece, so it angles from the outer corners of the eyes to the outer corners of the nose … it might give a narrower profile to the snout. That could work for your ‘Hank’ block too, since the real Hank isn’t very fluffy-faced. Just thinking … I guess I’ll have to get the pattern! As far as notions go, I’ll always use my 60mm rotary cutter … I love it. I have way too many rulers that don’t get used, but I thought I had to have them, lol! But maybe my most-used (and cheapest!) notion is a bamboo skewer I use for a stiletto. It’s not as pretty as those you can buy with a lovely wooden or beaded handle, but if my sewing machine needle accidentally hits it, the skewer will just split, and not wreck my machine like hitting a metal stiletto.
Candy — I use a bamboo skewer as well. I use it a lot when I am sewing the binding on a quilt. I agree about the metal stiletto. I have one a friend made, but never use it.
Jeanine
Candy – you should invest in the book – I think every kind of dog is presented, even poodle. If I could just change a couple fabrics in my Hank block I’d like it better and different shades of fabric are needed to see the parts of the dog. I’ll go back for another dog block after some mindless sewing….and then there’s my March Madness project which I’m researching now.
I seldom use a thimble, but when I do, I use a leather one. It fits my finger and is long, almost like cutting a finger from a glove – that type of long. I do have an old metal thimble in the fingertip in case the needle decides to come through and that has happened when the thimble is getting old.
So sorry to hear about Heidi, but she’s had a great life and you will do the right thing by her!
My heart melted when Mary sent me the King Hank photo yesterday. It’s now my wallpaper on my cell phone LOVE IT.
Hank’s mom – we are all a family by now – everybody knows the other guy and what they’re going to do. Hank loves the cats – I am so sorry he can’t have a cat at home.
Great question. Could not do without a seam ripper with a good size handle as it is also a stiletto and to cut seamed pieces off the presser foot/feed dogs. It is often misplaced so the handle helps find it.
Roxanne thimble for 25 years. Had three that became too small a couple of years ago and Colonial Needle exchanged them for me which was so nice.
A favorite needle has been a Tulip size #10 big eye applique needle.
Found a great thread for machine piecing – Signature 60wt Solid Cotton Thread (1100 yd).
I am so sorry to hear about Heidi that is always so sad. My favorite sewing notion will always be a rotary cutter. I just purchased a new cutter for cutting out appliqué pieces but haven’t received it yet. So I will see how that works for me. I have made two Elizabeth Hartman baby sized and they can be a little frustrating. To me they were worth the effort because they turned out beautiful. And yes I did have to undo things that I sewed wrong.
extra lights (adhesive strip on machine and tabletop), rubber fingertips (office supply type. can cut to make larger), and QTips (always removing fluff from bobbin area. do love my flannel!)
I really struggled to find a thimble that worked for me. When I learned to quilt, almost everyone was hand quilting. I learned to hand stitch and do needle work at a very young age and no one I knew used thimbles. I don’t use one to sew down binding. I do use them to quilt. The only one I’ve ever found that works for me is the Skin Thimble. It is no longer being made. It has a patent and was made by IAP, Inc. – Skin Thimble in Rochester, MN. It seems finding the perfect thimble is like finding the perfect needle. It is a very, very personal/unique choice and takes a lot of attempts to find the right ones.
HI Mary, I understand about Heidi. My sister got her kitten, Fluffy JIll, when she was 5 and I was 3. 22 years later, my mother sent us each a letter saying Fluffy had died. Our mom could not bring herself to call us she was so sad. The last few years of Fluffy’s life she had oatmeal and eggs for her food and seemed pretty good for an old girl. She truly DID use her 9 lives, too.
Thimble. I will take a photo of the leather one I like. When JoAnn’s said they were bankrupt the first time, I bought 6! I spit on my finger before I put it on and it stays. The notion I love is a seam ripper my husband made on his lathe out of Maple. It fits my hand perfectly. Of course, I rarely have to use it–ha.
Keeper–what a doll. Yes, you two were made for each other:) Hank IS handsome. I am going to put together our son’s quilt today and I hope to take some pics of baby clothes and quilts.
Also, I read an article comparing Amazon and Temu which is often an ad on the Blog. The article said that often people are disappointed with Temu b/c what they ordered turns out to be less than what it appeared. I have never ordered from them so I can’t say. I don’t order much from Amazon either; I am hoping more stores will stay open with my little “bit” of help.
I have a lot of thimbles – stick-on, plastic, silicone, silver, cheap metal, expensive metal, leather…the one I keep returning to is a cheap Dritz one, with the rim around the top.
Two things I’ve found to help them fit better – smash it a bit in a vice so the opening is more of an oval, and buy a size larger and put a small strip or two of stick-on moleskin on the inside at the opening. It’s non-slip, gives the finger pad a recessed spot to sit, and it seems to keep my finger from getting sweaty.
Sorry about Heidi. We’ve had several cats that lived into their late teens, and the last couple of years their decline was noticeable. Worst was the cat that got attacked by a raccoon trying to evict her from her heated kitty hut. She spent a couple of months in the laundry room trying to recuperate, but she was desperately unhappy inside, and not healing well. That was a hard call to make, not that it’s ever easy.
Good morning, Mary! I have fat fingers so no thimble works for me. I have had splits in my fingertips this winger and have used bandaids to help them heal. I just finished binding two quilts and I was surprised at how well my Bandaids worked as a substitute thimble! I used heavy duty fabric bandaids. I use two, one over the top and another around the width of my finger, this way the one bandage does not catch on anything. So, you could try that. Going forward I will always do this. One good thing, your finger(s) won’t sweat either like can happen with a thimble.
My favorite thimble is “The Comfort Thimble” made in Oregon. They are flexible and stay on my finger, once I found the correct size. They are difficult to locate. I sent an email to the company asking if I could order directly from them. Waiting to hear back. If you find one that fits, don’t lose it!
I just love the red quilt behind Handsome Hank. So sorry about Heidi. We had to put Winston, our Bassett hound, down in 2003 and we haven’t been able to bring ourselves to own another pet since. We have a granddog and we feed the strays and find a home for them and that’s good enough for now. Perhaps someday we’ll try again. So about the thimble problem, I have lots of them but only use a couple. I have found that if I touch a damp paper towel with my thimble finger before I put it on, it stays put! My Grams taught me that trick when she taught me to sew fifty years ago. I use binding needles from Primitive Gatherings. The most wonderful “notion” I’ve added is an LED light stuck up under the machine throat. I can see to sew black fabric again! Wishing you a better day today.
So sad about Heidi, I know you will know when it’s time, we love them and have to do what’s best for them even though it’s devastating for us!
I have the same problem with thimbles, but when I was doing applique at my last sew together a very kind lady offered me those leather/suede dots that you put on your finger and oh my! what a game changer, they really stay on and can be used several times over and over! I saw them on Amazon so will order very soon myself.
Love your pencil quilt, also the dog blocks, maybe try doing one more and see how it goes as it does look like it could be an awesome quilt!
It’s ok to be Debbie Downer. That’s why we are here. We are all sorry to hear about Heidi. It is heartbreaking!
My son and daughter-in-law went to Iowa City yesterday for the Women’s basketball game. I went to their home to stay w/ my grandsons and dogs. The game was on Peacock so we were able to watch it.
When you asked about sewing notions, my mind went in circles because how can you pick one thing?
Love and prayers for Heidi.
Your description of the 20 yr old kitty made me think of myself. My hair is white and if i were not for Taffy and hair spray, I would look like your old kitty. I know I am old too but I keep on with the groomed look as best I can. This ties in with thimbles! I have a hard time keeping one on too but some of that is my own fault as I see my nail gal once a month and I always have pretty fingernails but fake. It’s my bad habit so a thimble is difficult for me. I have a Roxanne especially made for long fingernails. It does not stay on either.
Notions. I have some favorites! But I often purchase something and don’t care for it and usually give it away to another quilter. I have duplicates but that’s because I keep some stuff packed as I go to so many quilt retreats and I would surely leave something behind or forget to pack it. Reminder: I am old like your kitty!
And speaking of retreats, wasn’t I? It’s day time retreats (less distractions than home) in a community center in nearby town Tuesday thru Friday. Heard we are to get storms. Glad I will be close by home.
I love the dog blocks Mary!! And your pet antics always make my day😁. You’ve been a great Mom to them all. You’ll know what’s best for sweet Heidi.
Both you and Keeper are lucky you have each other. I remember that he almost didn’t have a home with you. He definitely turned out to be a “Keeper “.
I came across a YouTube video where Jan Patek recommended the Clover metal and silicone thimble. I purchased it but, have not used it yet.
Your dog quilt is going to be great. Keep at it.
I really like my Clover Coin Thimble. For foundation PP I really have to have my add a 1/4 ruler. For piecing the 1/4″ foot is my go to. I also like my triangle rulers. Have a good day.
We had a cat that lived 20 years. It’s so hard to know their quality of life is diminishing.
I use a clover thimble too with the metal top and silicone sides cause arthritis affects my fingers. I also use my grandmas silver thimble with an indent on the sides from all her years of sewing. I can’t bind without a thimble and I even use one when tieing quilts with my group today. I have a lot of favorite notions and particularly like the 18mm rotary cutter most now as I feel better gripping it and cutting the blocks with the smaller version.
I read a blog post too like Candy mentioned where machine straight line quilting seemed to be more popular this year at Quilt Con. You’ve been doing it for years and now it’s the trend.
I think Hanks block looks good cause you’ll balance out all the dog colors to make a spectacular quilt just for you to remember your buddies.
Kathy – haha! Yes, I’ve been straight line quilting for almost 20 years – because I’m no good at anything else and the quilting doesn’t interest me much. I like the pattern, the fabric, the color, the piecing but not the quilting. I should look up QuiltCon to see some of those quilts.
Mary, I use a Thimble-it little piece of leather dot with adhesive on the back. I push the needle with the side of my middle finger so I can position this perfectly. And you can use over and over and probably put a piece of tape around it and your finger if the glue gives out before you lose it!
You can get them on Amazon if you don’t have a LQS.
Rosalie – funny, I remember having these years ago and now where are they? Hmmmm….
I don’t use thimbles either because they felt too cumbersome. I bind by hand so I purchased a Bohn needle threader and Primitive Gatherings binding needles and life was great again. The needles glide into the fabric so nice. Really enjoy binding by hand. A week of summer weather is going to come to an end tonite when winter returns to NW Nebr. carol l
Oh Mary my heart hurts thinking of sending little Heidi off to the rainbow bridge. It’s just so darn hard letting go. I know you will do what’s right for Heidi.
I think your Hank block is just fine. Don’t give up. When all the blocks are put together he will fit in just fine. When I made the dinosaur quilt I had to make one block 3 times before I got it right. In the end I’m glad I persevered as the quilt turned out great. Keep on Mary you too will be glad you did when it’s all done. BTW that picture of Hank surely shows off what a handsome guy he is!
I bind by hand. I don’t use thimbles but my fingers surely pay the price!
Along with everyone else, I had nothing but trouble with thimbles until I found Roxanne thimbles available from Colonial Needle. Yes, the thimble is very expensive ($55. when I bought it 25 years ago) and well worth every penny. They come in sizes. The only adjust I made was to put a piece of medical tape inside as a gripper. Colonial couldn’t be a nicer company to work with. The thimble changed my life.
Janet – so how would I determine my size? Can I order online and return if it doesn’t fit? I’ll look them up. Thanks
Mary,
A piece of fabric wrapped around my finger is 1-3/4″
The silver Roxanne Thimble is a “3”. It was about $55 many years ago.
The thimbles that were exchanged used to be a “2.5”.
Sorry I didn’t reply sooner. If I remember correctly, you put a piece of string around your finger & mark it with a pen so you would have the inches needed. About returns, yes they are so very helpful. If in doubt about anything, just call them and they will make sure you will be happy.
I have bought antique sterling silver thimbles that fit me for years now. You might say I have a collection, but each has served me well. I hated using thimbles until I acquired one of these. I also have enough size variance for fat and thin days.
Dear, sweet Heidi … she still has love in her eyes for you. I think she’ll let you know when it’s time to let her go. FluffyBun is going to be PricklyBun if she sits any closer to that pin cushion! I rarely use a thimble, but I do have a rubber one that I use occasionally… and it doesn’t stay on! I thought of you today, Mary, as I was looking at a blog with pictures from QuiltCon. It was pointed out that many of the quilters who enter do straight-line quilting, as it doesn’t detract from the modern design. I’ve always admired your straight-line quilting … I love the simplicity of it. More is just more … not better. Hope you’re feeling better this next week!
Candy – someone else just mentioned this to me – it’s what I’ve always said – all those fancy curlycues detract from what I want to see in a quilt. I’ve been doing it for 20 years, I think. Oh, Heidi – I’m going to the store today to see if I can find some liquid type food to keep her going. She looks awful but I just don’t think it’s time yet. I could be wrong.
Mary,
I’m so sorry to read about Heidi. Pets are SO HARD to let go (remember my GP, Ellie?) I still get teary when I think about her. But, I digress.
On a more positive note – Fluffy Buns is very regal sitting atop your sewing machine.
Regarding thimbles – the one that works best for me is a flexible leather thimble made by Clover. I hope you find one you can use. I know it took me a long time to land on just the right one for me.
Brenda – yes, I do remember your GP – sooo hard. FluffyBun might be getting more agreeable – we’ll see.
I now use the Clover thimble, silicone with metal tip. You can push the needle with the tip, or there are a few dimples on the side. If I have trouble pulling the needle, I can grip it with the silicone part. The silicone also stretches as my arthritic knuckle varies on any given day.
The rest of my collection is on display – the oldest one is silver, and has Patent no. 8 stamped on it. It belonged to my maternal grandmother.
Pauline – I have several antique thimbles – one beautiful one has my initials engraved on it and it was gifted to me by a reader. I treasure it. So many have mentioned the Clover thimble – I think I will try to look at one.
Have you ever tried a Hera marker? I love it for straight lines. Thimbles….I found one that stays on my finger…Clover with rubber on the sides. I bought the yellow rubber one…size large.
I have had the worst day. I was going to sew and listen to the Oscars (did not see one movie) but my remote control would not work. Changed the batteries..nothing. After spending 3 hours on the phone with FRONTIER AND ANOTHER 15 minutes with Vizio, “I” figured FRONTIER updated their equipment and made mine obsolete. I think we’re about the same age…May 76’ yrs , and I am about over fighting with everyone. I been a customer since 2006 and they are going to charge me a service call & more for each remote. Total jerks….I got absolutely nothing done today. It wasn’t either of our days. Mary
Mary – oh good grief! I hate it! The tv is so hard to watch anymore – like you, I spend more time trying to find the program than I do watching it. Everything is streaming – I pay a fortune for several but it’s my only entertainment. Our cable company is good about coming but it’s always one thing or another. Right. Ow one of our remotes won’t work either.
I am so sorry about Heidi. I went through something similar with my beautiful Lady D. It was too hard to watch her decline. She was 18. Fluffy Bun is so beautiful! Hank and Keeper are adorable. I wish I could know them all. I have too many notions and I need to donate some of them. I agree with you about the thimbles, having never found one that fits or feels natural. I have tried the metal ones, the leather ones, etc. I have seen those that just stick to your finger pad, but I am thinking they would be a waste of money as well. Perhaps someone will help us!
Thimbles wouldn’t stay on my finger either, Until I found the silicone orange thimble with the dimpled metal top. It actually stays on, and it’s very comfortable too. Be sure to get a snug one because they do stretch a little. I am on my third one but I will not be without them. I still applique and hand bind about half the time, so I really need one.
I knew a lady with a 20-year-old cat and her fur looked a lot like Heidi’s. Her owner claimed that really old cats lose the saliva needed to clean their coats. So sad. 20 sure is old for a cat.
Love your pencil quilt.
I’m a confirmed thimble user. My grandma taught me to sew when I was 9 or 10, so I’ve always used one. I have several also, weather affects the size of my finger these days. I bought a couple of silicone ones at the quilt shop, I got a couple sizes, and I have them in my travel sewing kit, and at home. I have a collection, about half useable, and then there’s the pretty ones. The ones that were advertising ones in the old days. They were plastic but I love them. I love your babies. Take care, they say the weather is going to be ugly later this week.
Mary,
No thimble needed when you completely bind by machine. I say life is too short to bind by hand!
Love my Roxanne thimbles….. have a golf and silver one!
Also love the binding needles from Primitive Gatherings….. very sharp, strong and don’t bend..
Love my 3 1/2 x 18 Creative Grid ruler!
Our previous cat Missy – all white – lived til 24…. We had to put her down….. vet said it was time!😢
are your thimbles from brick and mortar or online ??? I have always used a thimble and had been quite happy with my g grandmothers hand me down until thyroid issues began a few years of drastic ups and downs with the weight.
I realize the thimbles have to be kept sanitary but encased in hard plastic with stiff paperboard is a downer for determining whether one is going to fit and then STAY ON ONES FINGER WHILE IN USE.~~~~
Tina – the only quilts I bind by hand are those that I love and want to hang in my house. Everything else is bound by machine but it always looks flat and not as nice as that rounded edge of binding – to me.