Yesterday I needed to make a gazzillion half square triangles…Normally I would be saying “UGH”…all that pairing up and then drawing stitching lines from corner to corner but not this time…
I have THE ANGLER 2 (said in my Superman Voice!) I had never tried The Angler 2 before and what better time than NOW!
So I read the instructions…cut out the key (see the left cut out- YOU CAN’T EVER lose this!)…I lined it up and taped down the plastic sheet right onto my machine bed. I was good to go!
Not as easy as it sounds…you’ve got to line up the squares with the side lines and the corner nearest you with the middle line…I had a hard time seeing where the needle was going…and as a result the seam started off too wide! Three had to get ripped out and re-sewn.
I was starting to think that perhaps marking the squares was a better idea when I ran out of bobbin thread! Which means the plastic sheet has to get taken off…new thread put in…get the KEY out, reline the plastic sheet and tape it down again.
Now maybe it WOULD have worked great…I think it’s one of those products where practice makes perfect…and perhaps after a gazzilion half square triangles I would have perfected where to put my needle and where to line up the fabric…but I had an Audio Tape waiting and I wanted some mindless sewing…
So instead of getting my pen out…I turned to another product~
Stitching Lines by Marin & Colusa…Strips of paper guaranteed to make your stitching lines fast and accurate. I received these as a gift from Mary (you can read that post HERE…and follow the link to see Colleen using Stitching Lines at The Sands in Desert Hot Springs)
You lay the strip of paper from corner to corner…lining up the points to match the centre lines (takes half a second) and sew on the dotted line. Sheesh…my dog can do this!! I put on my Audio tape and in five minutes…
I had THIS pile…ok maybe not five minutes but I was so caught up in my book it FELT like five minutes!! Hours of mindless stitching done easily and quickly…oh and PERFECTLY!! And not one stitch had to get ripped out!!
Now you might thing removing the paper took a long time..NOT so! The paper is thin and textured just right…fold and pull..presto off! AND I was at an exciting part in the BOOK….
Now I have these…
So my review…The Angler 2 given more time and more experimenting would probably work…I’m thinking now maybe I should have moved my needle over a fraction…but it was ANNOYING to have to untape the plastic sheet to put a new bobbin into the machine. Wouldn’t it be lovely if your machine came with the Angler already painted onto your machine…if the sewing machine companies were smart they would be looking into that!!
As for the Stitching Lines…LOVE THEM!! I will DEFINITELY be buying more! ( YOU can order them here at Mary’s online shop) I still have over half a package left…so I will keep my eye open in all the shops…it gives me a purpose…and all quilters need a purpose to go into a Quilting Shop…right? It’s my DUTY to go into as many shops as possible until I find these!! :o)
Have a thrilling Thursday and Happy Quilting!~P
good way to keep the quilting economy going!!!..whoo hoo!..nice work..and nice colours too!!
ReplyDeleteIF you do see them please let us know where. And which dog could sew them?
ReplyDeleteI've will keep an eye out for The Stitching Lines now too, anything to keep our quilting projects humming along.
ReplyDeleteI have a great thing for half square and quarter square triangles. It is Brenda Henning's Triangulations 2.0 through Bear Paw Productions. It is a software program that allows you to print off papers. You slap together your two fabrics, then a printed sheet for the finished size squares that you want. You sew the lines, cut and produce tons in no time at all. I've had it for several years and use it all the time. I print onto newsprint, shorten my stitch length and away I go. I think I paid about $25 for it. It is by far the best money I've spent on gadgets. I highly recommend it!! Conny from Red Deer, Alberta
ReplyDeleteI don't care for the Angler..but you can bet I will be searching for those papers!!
ReplyDeleteThis really looks interesting! Thanks for the information.
ReplyDeleteI have a Viking Lily machine that's about 14 years old and it has the Angler painted right on the machine. I think I heard there was a copyright problem and they had to stop doing that. I feel very lucky I got one before they quit putting that on them.
ReplyDeleteBeing quite a sucker for anything gadgety (you'd never have guessed that would you?) I did try the Angler, and really did not like it for the same reasons as you. Since I often need to make HST's I'm going to have a look at these papers now. Tattybye for now.
ReplyDeleteI've used the Angler and had the same problems that you did and it was frustration. I've used Thangles and Triangulations, but I'm definitely going to have to get these strips. I have about a bazillion HSTs for my civil war quilt and these will be just the ticket!!
ReplyDeleteJust picture me jumping up and down on my angler each time I needed to fill the bobbin...on the other hand the paper is very intriguing. will start searching!
ReplyDeleteVery pretty HST's! Love the fabrics! :-) I'd love to see a photo of your dog sewing... LOL Have a happy day!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this review Paulette. I too found the Angler 2 annoying for a couple of reasons. It seems my vision is not quite good enough to get it lined up exactly right without taping, and retaping, more than once. And just when I get it right I have to change a bobbin. :( I've been using Thangles whenever possible because I won a bunch of them one time but I'll keep an eye out for these - they sound great. blessings, marlene
ReplyDeleteGreat review - and lots of good work!
ReplyDeleteOh that's really neat, I have heard of that angler and it looked like a lot of work! LOL* I like the stitching lines - are they like thangles?
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with the suggestion about Brenda Henning's Triangulations disc. The 3.0 version also has flying geese included. You can print off half square triangle papers from 1/2" to 7 1/2" in 1/16th" increments. The flying geese can be printed in sizes from 1/2" x 1" to 3 3/4" x 7 1/2". It also includes quarter square triangles. No matter the size you need, the papers are always as close as your printer...sandi
ReplyDeleteI love using the angler - it's worth the effort to get it right. And no papers to rip. Aren't we glad there is more than one way to make these little darlings????
ReplyDeleteI've been using Stitching Lines for a couple of years and LOVE them. Save the strips you tore off, they are great for snow ball corners or if you use cheater corners for flying geese.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reviewing these products! I've seen both and wondered... but I still draw the line (ha ha)
ReplyDeletePlease do your duty...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comparison test. I am happy to see my Stitching Lines come out ahead and so glad they work for you.
ReplyDelete