This is where I’ve been since Friday afternoon.
Isn’t it glamorous? HA!
This little cottage doesn’t have an ‘eat in’ kitchen, we eat all of our meals at the dining nook table – it’s really not even big enough to call a dining ROOM. But it has been cozy and sufficient for our needs – except when I am deep in the throes of nearly a weeks worth of playing “Mail order catch up!”
Whatever I could fill before the post office closed at Friday went – and I continued. What could go by the time the post office closed at noon yesterday was also dropped off.
The remainder goes on Monday!
As of last evening, all was done….and Sundays are usually a slower pace of “incoming” as folks take Sunday to spend with their families, and I’ll be happily on top of everything until I go out of town again.
And through it all, I let the knowledge that there would be evening sewing time ahead spur me on. I had a date with a my machine!
A sea of aqua blue and turquoise. I’ve got a need to SEW!
These string covered bits are for my Straits of Mackinac Quilt. If you have Quiltmaker’s 100 blocks by 100 designers, vol 14 you can make these right along with me.
I’ve been string piecing sets on phone book paper.
Also piecing on triangles I cut with the Tri Recs Rulers.
I could get a lot done on the pages, but there were always small pieces of fabrics left over that I wanted to use up, and I started using the cut triangles as the “leader & ender” for the bigger panels.
I found I can get 3 cut triangles out of each panel based on the size of my phone book page.
Aren’t these going to be fun?!
I will be back at the Grand Hotel Needleart Seminar on Mackinac Island in May of 2019. This project was designed after my visit there last year – and I am slated to be teaching this AT the seminar, so that is why I am kicking it into hyperdrive. It not only needs to be finished, but needs to be published and available by then. It takes time for things to appear in print. There is no time to waste.
While thumbing through my Facebook feed the other day, I discovered some quilty friends discussing various ways that they dispose of used rotary cutter blades. I thought it would be an interesting topic of discussion.
How do YOU dispose of your used rotary cutter blades?
I found this video by Olfa:
There were several other ideas shared by others and I liked this one shared by Kathy at the Cotton Cellar:
CLEARLY a great idea!
I’ve heard of people wrapping blades in duct tape, or putting them in sharps containers in public restrooms (I don’t want to carry used blades in my purse!) or simply taping the blade case shut and disposing as in the Olfa video above. But I like Kathy's solution:
"I use an empty Kraft Parmesan Cheese shaker container. I just leave it sitting next to my machine, so as I come across a bent or dull pin, I can just drop it into the container thru the shaker holes. And the half-round opening on the other side is just right for used blades.
Once the container is full, I can just snap the lid shut and throw the entire thing in the trash and start a new jar. Safety note: make sure to always keep the lid shut if you have young children or pets around..."More thoughts: Blades are metal, and can be recycled. Another hint was to keep them in an all metal tin, whether it is a tin for mints, or even as large as a metal cookie tin. This can also be taped and the whole thing can go in your recycling box. Just be sure to LABEL it so those who deal with it next can do so safely.
Do you have any other ideas to share on how you dispose of sharps safely?
Quilt Cam TODAY at 2pm on Facebook Live!
Be sure you have liked and are following my Quiltville Facebook Page. If you are anywhere within Facebook, you should get a pop up announcement that Quilt-Cam has started and you can just click the announcement to join in. OR, you can come to my Quiltville Facebook page (not Open Studio, that is a group – but my OWN page) and find the feed. It will appear as the first post, but you may need to refresh the page until it shows up if you are there too early.
And yes, the tablet is charged to 100%!!
After we have aired, I will embed the video into a post here on the blog, and also link it in the archives so those who missed it can find it later.
Quiltville Quote of the Day!
Always remember that you are strong enough to handle your challenges, wise enough to find a solution to your problems, and capable enough to do whatever needs to be done. But don't forget to breathe!
I love this vintage quilt found in Texas last week, lavender and cheddar? Bring It on!
Have a great Sunday, everyone!
I save the cans that mints are in and when empty I fill them with bent needles, used needles, blades etc when full I wrap them in duct tape so they can not come open and toss in the trash - I have been told that people should not put their sharp objects in the "sharp containers" at rest rooms and doctor offices as they have to pay to have these emptied every so often and would rather not be paying for things other than needles filling them up -- some might think that is a safe place to put them but it is costing someone else money if you do that. A mint container or something like that doesn't take much for a quilter to purchase themselves.
ReplyDeleteThe round Orbit Gum containers are what I use. They are just the right circumference for my 45mm blades and smaller. Love your Aqua and Blues. MAY is when I get to Sew with you! Can Hardly wait. QuiltCam gets me through the waiting...
ReplyDeleteCannot wait till Quilt-Cam today!!! Missed the last one and still did not watch it. But today I will watch for sure! I have a bin of scraps to tackle. As for my sharps I tape into duct tape and then place in a empty jar of mayo and in the garbage it goes. Have a beautiful day and see you at 2pm!!
ReplyDeleteI take medication that comes in just the right size bottle to hold used rotary blades. Perfect!
ReplyDeleteI take medication that comes in just the right size bottle to hold used rotary blades. Perfect!
ReplyDeleteI put used blades in the container they came in, marked USED. When full, tape it shut and in the trash it goes. Pins and needles are stored in a marked lidded prescription bottle. It takes a long time to fill one of those! I like Ashley's idea of dating the container, so you truly remember when you changed the blade. Time flies when you are having fun!
ReplyDeleteWe also get a med that comes in bottles the perfect size for 45mm blades. There is a man who comes to Smoky Mountain Quiltfest in Pigeon Forge who sharpens scissors, and sells resharpened blades. I just give my pill bottles filled to him. Remembering his name is Hayward and he lives in Richardson Texas. Really does a super special job on our scissors.
ReplyDeleteIs the Post Office closed this Monday? Lincoln's birthday I believe.... you are one wildly gifted woman to handle all of the many jobs you have Bonnie....
Smiles
JUlieinTN
I exchange my blades for new ones through LP Sharp Co. in Gilman, MN. Have dealt with them for about 20 years. I've found their prices to be the lowest anywhere.
ReplyDeleteFor pins/needles: I keep a medicine bottle in a drawer and when I need to retire one, I put them inside. When the bottle is full, I put the cap on it and take it to the local quilt shop and put them in a 'sharps' container that she keeps under the counter for all of us to use.
ReplyDeleteFor rotary blades: I save the older plastic containers that they come in. I use a Sharpie to write 'old' on and store them there until it is full. Once I have enough I take them to the same shop as I take the pins to for disposal. When we owned our beach house, I needed to change blades one day and didn't have a spare container so I taped the used blade to the top of a tuna can (from the recycling bag) and took it home with me that way so I could dispose of it without anyone getting hurt. Then ... I put on my list of things to bring back a proper container for old blades.
I never put these things in my garbage/recycling since I never know for sure who will be handling it.
I put my used blades in an empty prescription bottle that I have removed the label on. I use a size that they lay flat in and can get a lot in one bottle.
ReplyDeleteI use a plastic Icebreakers container for disposal of my used blades. It holds about 20 blades so I don't have to keep it around too long and I get the mints too!
ReplyDeleteI watched the video to see what Olfa recommends. This is new information, but it's very close to how I dispose of used blades. I don't want my family, or our service providers, or anybody getting cut by a discarded blade. I do the same procedure as Olfa describes. I save the empty blade container. To dispose of the blade, I place it in the empty container, tape it closed with package tape and place it in the household trash. I feel this will protect anyone, who handles the trash from here on, from accidentally getting cut.
ReplyDeleteI use my Olfa yellow containers and write used and New on the top. By the way, do any of you resharpen your blades. I have a Tru sharpener. Works great! The blades are too expensive to use once! That way I do not mind changing my blade more often. And it helps the environment not throughing a ton of blades out.
ReplyDeleteI return used blades to LPSharp and get a reduced price for new blades. They recycte the used blades.
ReplyDeleteI put my blades in an empty prescription bottle. I have a tall bottle that fits them perfectly. Thanks for all you do, I am in awe of all you do. I love your blog and you help keeps me motived.
ReplyDeleteI take Juice Plus supplements. The container they come in is the perfect size to drop used blades into. Takes very little place on my cutting table and my travel kit.
ReplyDeleteI use empty gum canisters. I think they call them car packs? I didnt know I could get refils for the gum so I kept buying new ones. I love having a little sealable bin for needles.
ReplyDeleteI use an old presecription bottle for needles and pins and use the container the blades come in marked "used" for old rotary blades.
ReplyDeleteIf you know someone who is diabetic they might let you use their red hazardous waste disposal container. Or- just drop them off at the Dr or Dentist office. I was a Nurse Practitioner and let quilty folks use my containers for disposals.
ReplyDeletei store my old blades and needles in used prescription bottles, then take them to the doctor or dentist with me to dispose of with their SHARPS.
ReplyDeleteI also recycle my blades by sending them for exchange to LP Sharp. Very pleased I found that service.
ReplyDeleteI put my used blades in their original container and then throw them in the general rubbish. We don't have special containers for metal; all household rubbish except glass goes to a recycling plant and is separated automatically there.
ReplyDeleteI save mine in a Christmas cake tin and when it gets full in about 13.5 more years I will recycle them.
ReplyDeleteI put mine in a large "Better than Bouillon" jar. It holds the 60mm size as well as the 45. I haven't filled it yet, after several years! I do save some of my used blades for paper.
ReplyDeleteBonnie:
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Your aqua string blocks and triangles!
Used blades: at the shop, we put them in containers marked used. I sharpened them, when I had time, downstairs in the kit room. We also kept a large clear snack container for those that decided their blades had to go, during classes.
At the VA- I asked for an empty Sharps container to use, and they said I could have one. At home, I collect them until I have time to re-sharpen, also. BUT, eventually, they have to go.
We can turn things like that into recycling, or we have a Saturday in the spring that we can turn things in like this to a safety place, like the PD or FD.
Happy Valentines Day!
Donna
Kasilof, AK
Lovin' the aqua!!! Speaking of rotary cutter blades, someone came into the quilt shop last week and said their rotary cutter wasn't working very good and she had just changed the blade. She opened it up and discovered she had put 2 blades in at once!?! It was one of those buy 2 blades at once packages.
ReplyDelete