Tag You're It Charming Girls!

 Hard to believe it's time for our second monthly tag already.

Okay, several people said the questions were tough last time, so I'm going to make it easier this time!

1. Share your favorite quilting or sewing tip.

2. Share your best tip for managing time more effectively (what works best for you)!

3. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Okay, I'll go first. 

1. My favorite quilting/sewing tip is something all of you may already know, but I just learned it recently.

Did you know that thread has a grain?  So, you want to thread your needle with the end that was cut off at the spool:

that along with running your thread through some bee's wax:

will prevent fraying and knotting when you applique or whip-stitch your binding to the back of your quilt.

2. Favorite time managment tip??  Okay, I'm just going to be honest here -- I stink at time management -- so that's why I'm asking you ladies for some ideas. 

If I had to choose one--I guess it would be keeping a calendar, and checking things off as you go--at least it sounds like a good idea in theory.

3. If I could go anywhere in the world, the first place I would go is:

And, then I'd go to France, England, and then Australia and New Zealand.

If you don't have a blog, just comment here.  If you have a blog, you can post on your blog, and comment here with your link, or just post a comment here.  Whatever works for you!

Remember -- you get an extra entry in the drawing for answering the tag -- and that's how Michelle won her $25.00 Gift Certificate last month!

Looking forward to your answers!

TTFN,

Kelly

Comments

[Rene]

I posted my answers. you can find them here
http://luv2kreate.blogspot.com/2009/08/tag-you-it-charming-girls.html

[Lindsey]

1-When cutting out freezer paper templates, turn the paper - not the scissors.
2-When making blocks, (Dear Jane specifically), I sew the block until all is finished except the handwork, like the applique or even hand piecing,put it in a sandwich baggie (have a stack of filled baggies waiting)and take a few with me to sew while waiting at ballet or other kid's activities.
3-Anywhere in the world? - Italy

[Carol R]

My answers to this tag. Thanks, Kelly, for another fun tag. I'm looking forward to reading the answers from the girls.

http://sewperfectlybagged.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-tag-from-cgqc.html

[Michelle]

I've posted my answers. I can't wait to read everyone's answers!
http://thel7quiltco.blogspot.com/2009/08/cgqc-members-have-been-tagged.html

[Susan Ramey Cleveland]

See how rattled I am? I just put my comment for this post on the wrong post. What I said was: "Time management" Are you kidding?"

[annieb]

My answers are on my blog. I look forward to reading everyone's answers!

[JudyC]

YES! I did know that tip and it's fabulous! I pull up the end and thread the needle, make my long piece and clip and knot! Ah, love to see anything in Europe too!

You can find my answer to the tag list here on my blog:

http://ragdollquilting.blogspot.com/2009/08/clug-tag-answers.html

[Elizabeth Modde]

1. I'm going to start & make a practice square before cutting out the whole quilt & head off mistakes.(good thing I had ordered more fabric from you)
2. I have to make lists. You should see my list of to do quilts.
3. I think I would like to go to Ireland.

[CJ]

Here is my post
http://astitchnaprayer.blogspot.com/2009/08/tagged-again.html

[Erin]

Great questions!! My answers are on my blog! :) :)

[Joan Tufts]

Three questions answered and posted on my blog! Enjoying everyone's answers.

[Kelly@CharmingChatter]

Deb from NE, a new reader to our blog, sent me an e-mail with this answer to our tag, and I thought I'd share it with you guys:

1) Favorite quilting/sewing tip: don't take an anxious husband with you to the quilt shop. It's NO fun.I've learned this the hard way. Husbands have a tendency to say "do you really need that?" My sister NEVER says that. She always suggests I get an extra yard "just in case."!
2) Best time management time: try to sew a little bit everyday. It's amazing how much can be done by just allotting 15 minutes everyday to sewing. It doesn't always have to be a marathon. What's the best way to eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
3) If I could go anywhere in the world...I'd love to go to France. I want to see the countryside...experience the food...see Paris...the Eiffel tower...drink French wine!!

[Linda from California]

Oh Kelly, I didn't know that thread the needle tip - I'm probably the only one! LOL!! My tip is also one that everyone knows - to wind several bobbins at one time.

Best time management. Don't try to do too much in one day. When I only have one or two portions of a quilt on my to do list, I don't get overwhelmed. I'm able to finish it (and sometimes more) then I feel good about myself.

Oh, ya'll are going to be jealous: I lived in Italy for a couple years and visited many of the surrounding countries. It was so great, the food, the people, lots of wine. :-) I would love to travel (cruise) to Alaska.

[Esther]

1)Invest in a straight stitch throat plate for your sewing machine(it has a small round hole for the needle rather than the larger opening that a zig-zag stitch requires.) It makes piecing a breeze because the fabric cannot be pulled down into the bobbin area, especially at the beginning of a seam or when working with really small bits of fabric.

2) I, too, am terrible at time management which is probably why my sewing room is over-run with UFO's and projects that I have yet to begin. Summertime is the worst because I hate the heat and turn into a slug until Fall rolls around and I get my energy back.

3) Hong Kong and China. They are both amazing places and I'd love to go back and see more of them, especially Hong Kong since I only got to spend one day there. I'd also go to London and Boston, two cities that I absolutely adore and can't get enough of.

[stef]

http://blackberryquilts.blogspot.com/2009/08/charming-girls.html

I posted here, and I am so looking forward to reading everyone's answers!

[pammiejean]

My favorite tip is a tool. Wonder Cut Ruler
by Walter Times Two, used to make half square triangles in a strip, perfect every
time and REALLY fast, 1-6 inches. Couldn't
quilt without it.
2.No time management suggestions. I'm retired, there are advantages to getting old.
3.If I could travel anywhere I wanted it
would be Italy, all the coastal towns and the countryside (like Under the Tuscan Sun)
2nd choice would be Tahaiti.

[Melody]

http://quiltymama.blogspot.com/2009/08/charming-girls-tag-2.html

[Lucy]

1. This is a little thing, but a lot of good ones have already been stated. When doing hand sewing in front of the TV or at a ball game or anywhere away from my sewing room, I always had a problem with dropping the little snippets of thread and such. Now I have started cutting little pieces of leftover batting. The batting holds onto the threads and then I can throw the whole thing away.
2. Time management - I always like lists and breaking projects into small parts, like many of you have already said. It helps to add to the list all the things you actually did that were not on it and cross them off, too!
3. My hubby asked me this question several months ago and I told him I would like to go back to Chile where I lived as a teenager (50 years ago). So, for our 40th anniversary, he gave me: 1) Chili sauce 2) Chili powder 3) Chili hot sauce 4) Canned chili and 5) an itinerary for a flight to Chile. We go in November. If I didn't pick going there, I would have picked the Isle of Man where some of my ancestors came from.

[Amanda]

My tag and my finishes for August are in the same post. You can find it here:
http://busylittlequilter.blogspot.com/2009/08/finshed-ufos-for-august.html

[sherri]

Hi Kelly...here's the link to my tag...it's the same post as my finished project! Thanks again!

[sherri]

Oops..forgot the link...here it is!
http://aquiltinglife.blogspot.com/2009/08/just-in-time.html