This is totally awesome! I love the reds. They were my favorite team until my city got their own team, and I love them still. Drew Stubbs is my favorite reds player.

I like Stubbs too, but Jonny Gomes is my favorite...he's so funny!

Thanks for those tips about the invisible thread, Marmish!  I never would have thought about the orientation.  I doubt I will be using it again, since I don't make too many quilts, but it will be helpful to know just in case.

Here's my blog: www.bellstitches.co m

I think all those names sound good, but I like Luna Estrella the best.  It sounds interesting and elegant.  I suggest searching for seller/shop names on Etsy first though, to make sure no one else has that name or anything close to it.  I haven't opened my Etsy shop yet, but I went to great lengths to come up with a name that no one else had, because I wanted my shop name to stand out.

Thank you everyone!  I'm glad I'm not the only one who's had problems with the invisible thread!

I'm working on a baby quilt for my niece/nephew-to-be, and I plan to pin even more closely together, and use regular quilting thread.  I did use an even-feed foot, and I did start in the center...but when I got done with one row of quilting I moved all the way back up and started at the same end again for my next row!  It never occurred to me that I could start from the end and work my way back    That's a good tip!

My husband loves Cincinnatti Reds baseball.  I love sewing.  So a few months ago he mentioned that it would be pretty cool to have a quilt that looked like a baseball field.  I've been sewing for a long time, but I'd never made a quilt before.  I bought a quilting book and studied all about it until I felt pretty confident.  Here is the end product, and overall it turned out pretty well...but I had some pretty awful problems with the quilting process.



It is essentially a "map" of Great American Ballpark, with the major "landmarks" in the border, and his favorite players at each position.  I included the smokestacks, the home dugout, and the big screen.  The major piecing and quilting was done by machine, and just about everything else was handsewn.  It took me over a month!





The worst problem that I had was that I used invisible/clear thread to do the quilting.  That stuff is EVIL!!!  It kept bunching up in my machine and broke at least a thousand times.  I spent an eternity just getting it wound into the bobbin.  I will NEVER use it again!!!  Has anyone else had any trouble using this kind of thread?

The second problem I had was really awful wrinkling on the back, as you can see here:



I think the main issue was that this fabric was very thin and stretchy, even though it was woven.  No matter what, I could not get it to lie completely flat when I was assembling the quilt.  If it was flat in one area, it had wrinkles in another.  I used safety pins all over the quilt, spaced probably 8 inches or so apart.  Do you think this had anything to do with it?  Any tips for keeping my next quilt from ending up like this?

Regardless of the problems, my husband loved it anyway   And I have to say, not too shabby for my first quilt!

Help!  My needle has always been in the middle position.  However, I attached an even-feed quilting foot the other day for the first time, it shifted my needle to the right, and ever since I took it off I can't get it back to the middle position.  Somehow I was able to move it to the left position and it stayed there, but for the life of me I can't get it to stay in the middle.  There's nothing in my manual that mentions anything about needle position.  I have a Futura CE-150.  Does anyone know how to fix this?

EDIT:  Nevermind, I figured it out!  It's been a LOOOONG day...

That's a cool idea!  I would never have the guts to try it, but you did a good job     Also, I'm 99% sure the text on your iPod is from Gone With the Wind...am I right?  That's one of my favorite books and I know it cover to cover!

Turning tubes? Where can I purchase those? I don't really have craft stores near me, theres walmart... I have been ordering all online. Thanks so much for the info, I will have to look into one!

I spent like a couple hours sewing this (with breaks) and like... seriously 4-6 hours trying to turn the legs, my hands were in so much pain. So I have been trying to avoid it hahaha.

and thank you so much for all the wonderful compliments! Hah I think it's the eyes that make them a bit more cute. I'm a huge bug fan, and I always feel like they arn't ever appreciated so... I try to appreciate them hah.

Try JoAnn Fabrics website, I'm sure they have them!  I'll try to explain in a little more detail how they work:  You push the plastic tube inside of the fabric tube you're trying to turn, all the way to the end.  Then, you take the stick, and start pushing the end of the fabric tube inside of the plastic tube.  Keep pushing, and it will turn your fabric tube inside-out for you with minimal pain and frustration.  They come in several different diameters too.  I totally know what you're talking about, I remember trying to turn stuffed animal tails before I got my turning tools.  I think I probably threw them across the room more than once!

I use turning tubes when I have to turn skinny things like those legs...it's a tube and a stick together, and you use the stick to push the fabric through the tube, and it makes turning SO much faster and easier!!!  I used to lose my mind turning things before I got my turning tubes.  I'm sure you can get them at any craft store.

Very cute by the way!  I normally don't like any kind of bugs, but yours is adorable

This is just the cutest thing!  Did you make the dolls too?  They are adorable!

By the way, it looks like your hubby has the same sense of humor as mine...I collect dolls and occasionally I will find them in some inappropriate positions thanks to him!