Tacking Quilts At Bishop Maginn

 

 

Tacking one of the quilts at Bishop Maginn today.

I never would have thought that the biggest challenge to tacking the quilts at Bishop Magin today would be threading the needles.  It’s not something I even think about.  But the kids who wanted to try kept at it.  I showed them two different ways and eventually, they all were able to thread at least one needle.

I did anticipate that it might be hard for them to pull the yarn through the three layers of fabric.  Depending on the fabric, this is often even hard for me.  But we worked through that too and by the time I left most of one quilt was tacked.  And there were two students and one teacher who knows just what to do so they would be able to show other kids how to work on the other quilts.

That said, I’m going to send some more needles with larger eyes and embroidery thread to hopefully make it easier for them.

I did love the kid’s enthusiasm and perseverance. There were three of them that just wouldn’t give up.  And a few other kids came and went, helping out for a little while.

Later in the day the local news station was coming by to see all the packages of blankets and towels and sheets that have been donated to help all the Refugees, including the Afghan Refugees who have recently come to Albany.

Some of them will be getting the quilts that we were tacking today and that many of you helped make possible.

Sue asked me if I would come back and teach the kids how to make something small like potholders, placemats or pillows.  I told her I’d love to.

4 thoughts on “Tacking Quilts At Bishop Maginn

  1. Hi Maria,

    One trick I learned in college when I was taking bookbinding classes…

    You can run your thread (or yarn) across a solid hunk of beeswax. Place the thread or fiber on top of the beeswax. Then put pressure on it with a finger and pull across, gliding the fiber on the beeswax under your finger. It will slightly slice it. You then roll the fiber between your fingers so it will fit through the eye of the needle.

    The awesome thing is that the beeswax block heals itself. I’ve had mine for over 10 years.

    Always excited about your endeavors!

    With kindness,
    Colleen

    1. You know Colleen,I’ve never heard of that. THank you. I have a piece of beeswax in my studio and I’ve waxed my thread before so it doesn’t twist a goes through the fabric easier. I’m going to try it with the yarn. Also, I learned from Lena that they wax their needles. I wonder if that would make a difference. Or maybe that would make them harder to grip. Lots of things to try. I can just imagine your hunk of beeswax, like a living thing….

  2. Curved needles yes!
    Here is a story for you.
    I remember the birth of my first child, back in 1961. I had been sewing on a chair covering the day before and I commented to the doctor ( home births in the UK at that date) that the needle he used to give me a few stitches was just like the ones I used in sewing sometimes. He said ” oh no, these are special surgical supplies” so we compared–aha! Same company, same needles, only his had cost at least 10 times more.

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