Another String Quilt

I started another String Quilt.  Kay at Borderline Quilter has a great String Quilt Tutorial on using old telephone book pages as the foundation papers.  I used muslin as the foundation for the first string quilt I made, and it made the resulting quilt top rather heavy, so I thought I would try a new method.  Trouble is -- telephone books are in short supply these days!  Not to worry-- I did find one that I expect to be a lifetime supply of foundation papers for quilting!

 Here's the initial "test" block.  The paper rips off easily and without much fuss.  I had to test this, as I've used some paper that was more trouble than it was worth.  Telephone book pages work well for this application.

The colors aren't showing true in the photo above.  The purple is a little too plummy, and the blues are a little too cool ....   Now I just need to collect some more blue and purple fabrics!

The great thing about Kay's tutorial is that she shows the many ways these versatile string blocks can be laid out.  It's worth a look -- Go see ...

In another post, Kay has a wonderful tip for DIY Linen Water :
Kay at Borderline Quilter shared a great idea for making your own spray starch for pressing fabric.  It's so simple!  Just a little Vodka with tap water (or distilled water, if you prefer) in a spray bottle.  It works because vodka is made from potatoes.  Apparently, there's enough starch left in the distilled spirits to make it work in this distilled form.   Only Vodka will work.

In a spray bottle, mix 2 capfuls of straight Vodka in 1-1/2 cups water (tap water works, but you could also used distilled).

For a heavier starch,
mix 3-4 capfuls of straight Vodka with 1-1/2 cups water.

I suppose you could add a drop of your favorite essential oil for a nice scent. 

So many good and economical ideas out in Blogland!