Saturday, July 16, 2016

Found in Maine

     On our vacation, I was looking for a large thimble. I recently decided to do big stitch hand quilting on my colorwash quilt after seeing how someone had quilted this way on one of Wanda's quilts. Locally, I could not find size 8 pearl cotton or needles to do this. My old thimble is way too small. Joann's had white, black and ecru in the store, but nothing else. 
     I visited Knight's Quilt shop in Cape Neddick, Maine, but found nothing to help me or any different fabric to tempt me. I visited a needlework shop in Kennebunkport with no success except to get the name of a wool store in Kennebunk. I bought a needle threader there that does not fit the eye of the needles I had bought online which I can't get the pearl cotton through.
     Camp Wool, in Kennebunk, was a great store and the owner was terrific. She had DMC and Valdani pearl cotton in many colors at a reasonable price. I bought some gold chenille needles there that are easy to thread, but are a little thick and harder to pull through the fabric. She carries tons of wool for applique and such, but no thimbles. She was a great help. She also had some cotton fabric there, and I bought a precut half yard of coffee cups and fat quarters of handwriting. If they were on a bolt, I would have bought more. 
     I really prefer to buy my supplies from brick and mortar stores, but it is so hard to find what I want. I like to see the real colors and textures. I lost two local quilt stores in the last year.


Handquilting I did on vacation, much more to go. But now I have different colors. 


4 comments:

donaleen said...

Been waiting for this post. I think the quilting shows better in a photo from a somewhat side angle.

I bet you will always think of your trip to Maine when you see this quilt.

JustGail said...

for threading needles with perle cotton, would it work to cut tiny strips of paper and fold it over the end of the perle cotton then push that through the needle eye? I've used the method successfully with wool thread for crewel embroidery, but the needles I used may have had larger eyes than those you are using.

Lara B. said...

How wonderful to go to Maine! Your colorwash blocks are so pretty Linda! I too love the look of Perle cotton. This isn't brick and mortar, but I found some on Etsy once. I've never found a larger thimble I like. I just use two bandaids, LOL.

Betsey Kuzia said...

Nice, hope to get back up to Maine with Marlene!! I too try to support our local shops!