a new tool

I tested out a new (new to me) gadget a couple days ago.  It is the Hot Hemmer, made by Clover, sold at Bear Patch.  It was an item featured last December on our 12 Days of Christmas event.  So a bunch of customers purchased it, and I hope they like it as much as I do.  I needed to press a double folded edge 1" deep on a pillow back that I was making.  I wanted it to be really nice and straight for a professional-looking finish.  I used the longest straight side inside the fold, bringing the raw edge right over to the 1" line.  The surface of the Hot Hemer is sort of fuzzy and really helps hold the fabric in the right spot so there is no slipping while I run the iron across the fold.  After that first fold was all pressed in place, I again used the Press Perfect on the inside of the fold while I brought my first folded edge up to the 1" mark.  I really worked well!  I had a real nice crease to topstitch down.

I have been spending some time on some designs that incorporate the Quilt MN 2014 fabrics.  Here is a sample of something I am putting together--

Still a lot of work to do, but we are headed in the right direction!

Last weekend we had a fun anniversary getaway up to the North Shore of Lake Superior.  We stayed at a place with a view right on the lakeside--

There was still some ice floating around on the lake in some spots, like little icebergs.  And snow along the hiking path in the trees.  There was a lot of water in the streams, actually over the banks of some streams.  We stopped at some of the falls near the highway to get a good view.  The woods are so lush and thick, until we traveled up the Gunflint Trail north of Grand Marais.

This is a large area of the forest that looks like another world!  Several years ago a severe storm blew down almost every single tree for miles and miles.  Then maybe 2 years later, all that dead wood ignited in a huge forest fire.  Now it looks like this--

 with some new growth started, but starting over from scratch will take a long, long time to get back to what it used to be.  Maybe my grandsons will see the re-growth when they are adults and canoeing and camping up there.