Is ink jet printing really okay?  In my experience just using it for work and stuff, the ink isn't very stable and fades or even scrapes off after  a while.  Is this just because of the cheap paper I use for everyday printing?  And/or should I be using the photo ink cartridge?  (My printer has a black & a color cartridge, and for photos you use the color cartridge and a special photo one.)  And/or should I spray with something to set it?  I really like the idea of being able to make my own headlines, notes, etc. but I worry about the permanence and stability.  I've been searching all week for answers but am not really finding anything, so I'd love to hear some experienced thoughts.
Thanks!!

Hi all.  So, I've acquired scrapbooking as a new hobby, or rather it has been thrust upon me - DH has assigned me the task of the family archives.  Okay, fine - it does look rather fun 

My biggest quandary at the moment is greeting cards - we have saved a bunch over the years.  Should I de-acidify them before applying to my scrapbook page?

And I welcome any and all clever ideas about incorporating whole cards (I don't want to cut them up)!

All of my other nephews & nieces got quilts when they were born (or at least still toddlers) ... but this is the oldest nephew, and when my DH and I got together the kid was already a toddler so a quilt just never happened.  I'm having trouble finding good fabrics that will be youthful but masculine, and not juvenile, and I'm just not happy yet with what I've found.  So far I've got prints of:  lightning, planets/universe, skateboards, flames.  A couple of sports things that I'm indecisive about, but he does play a lot of sports.  He's starting to get into cars so I'm thinking of picking up maybe a muscle car print.  Any thoughts?

I hate measuring, following patterns drives me crazy, so I just cut up fabric and sew it together until it's done 


This was for one of the nephews, a frog theme (I didn't take any detail pics, unfortunately, the light blue fabric had really cool frogs on it).  The quilting is meant to represent ripples in a pond ....







And my niece got this one - pink with a cool black border, flower quilting, what more does a girl need?







Too many quilts for the kids lately, it's time to make one for myself!!

I'm making a table runner out of black silk dupioni .... would you just sew two pieces together?  Would you line it, or back it with a different fabric?

99.9% of the sewing I do is quilts, so I just don't want to end up with something wonky that is too obviously handmade (and not in a good way).

Thanks!
~kara

I've searched here, and tried googling, but I haven't found anything yet.  At the moment I'm specifically looking to make a belt holster for the remote control thingy to use with my new Wii Fit.  I'm thinking it shouldn't be too difficult, but it would be a lot easier if someone has already worked out the details

~kara

Hello everyone!
I've been quilting for a while but I just discovered Craftster, looking for more inspiration and motivation.  I tend to make one or two, then put it aside for several months until inspiration hits again.  Although I continue to collect fabric at all times! lol

Quilting is a relaxation for me, so I do straight line piecing almost exclusively.  And I hate following patterns (just like I hate following recipes when I'm cooking) so I just put pieces together until they look right.  And I do the quilting by machine, I don't have the patience to do it by hand.  I don't try to make them any particular size, I just go until I think it's done; so they're for snuggling and enjoying.

I really like the projects I'm seeing here, you are all so talented!!

I put pics in my profile of the last two quilts I made, but I guess I can't post them here yet since I'm so new.  I hope you like them

~kara