It's a sad tale. Yes, indeed it is. My Oliso died yesterday. I loved this iron. It had amazing steam, it didn't shut off after a few short minutes and it did a great job. I must admit that it was not easy to get used to the fact that I did not have to lift it upright when not in use. But....it is amazing how hard it is going back to one that does need to stand upright! lol I also was not crazy about how difficult it was to empty the water when finished using it. All the same, I will miss my Oliso. When I went to fill it yesterday the water ran out of the bottom of it and the red light keeps flashing. Now it is back to the old Sunbeam standby. Will I replace it? I'm not sure the price of it was worth the time it lasted. Mind you, I am hard on irons and tended to replace one every six months or so before Ms. Oliso. It's just a good thing Mr. Sunbeam has an alarm to remind me that I have left it flat!
It was a rainy weekend for us so that meant I had some sewing time. With Thanksgiving coming up this week I know I will not have that time as the week progresses. I had a lot of little HSTs leftover from my autumn stars quilt and decided to use them as the center of our
Minis and More project this month. This month's choice was a tutorial from
Sherri. It will look cute on the sofa for Christmas with my new Christmas tree skirt. Be sure to check both Sherri's and Michele's blogs on December 1st for the Minis and More Parade.
Also this weekend, I got out all of my great Spelling Bee words to try to pull them together. There was a lot of space to "fill in".
The little sewing notion paper pieced blocks were added next.....still more fill ins needed.
Looking better....... now to sew it together.
A few spacers were added and some blocks changed. Once it was all sewn together I felt as though I lost the words. Okay.....rip....rip...rip.
How about some striped sashing between the rows? Yes, the words look much better now. The quilt now measures 60x68 so I am not sure about a border. What do you think? The "spool" block next to the word "pattern" looks like two wine glasses to me. Guess that would be a good block for all the ripping I did.
I'm going to link this one up with Quilter's Monday.
If you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you will have a wonderful day. There is so much for us to be grateful for and it is nice to have a special day to remind us of that.
Just a suggestion--have you tried filling it with a different kind of water? My Rowenta acts up if I use only tap water OR only distilled water. I find I have to use a 50/50 tap/distilled ratio. I find if I use too hard water, I get leakage out the bottom of the iron and terrible spitting--if I use too soft (distilled), I get no heat at all. If either of these things happen, I simply use the opposite water and it magically fixes my situation. Here is an excellent article on water for your iron: http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog/quilting-2/four-myths-regarding-iron-water/ Don't know if this info will help, but good luck!
ReplyDeleteMy Rowenta has not been getting as hot as it used to (with or without steam) and the sole plate refuses to come clean. I just asked my sewing store to order me the yellow Oliso like yours...hope it lasts me a while.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about your iron! It is a very necessary and expensive tool! I don't hve good luck with them either!
ReplyDeleteYour pillow is adorable!
So sorry to hear about your iron. I've never purchased one of the expensive ones, and the old $20.00 Black and Decker I took to use at quilt ministry works better than the $35 replacement purchased for home.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about your iron; I'm sure it is one of those "quilter irons" that are outrageously priced-maybe you'll find it on sale over the holidays. I had to replace mine this last summer, got a new brand that I didn't like so took it back. It is hard to find an iron that works well with things you like. Love your pillow. Hope you are staying warm. It's cold here in Colorado and I'm anxious to get downstairs to sew.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Noreen
How annoying that your iron blow out and leaks...I always wanted to buy an Oliso but not sure now...
ReplyDeleteCute cushion.Good use of HST.
All your Word Quilt looks great with the smashing in between..
Oh golly how old was your Oliso? Love the pillow and the stripe on your work quilt is perfect!
ReplyDeleteMaybe your Oliso is defective and can be repaired on warranty. Great red pillow you have created. I am amazed at how jus changing some things can really change the finished quilt top. I really like what you have decided on with the words featured. Happy Thanksgiving to you...
ReplyDeletePeople do love you heir Oliso irons but hearI lots of tales about how quickly they break. Good luck with finding a replacement. Wow--I love that word quilt! I couldn't believe the difference that striped fabric made--bravo to you for ripping and re-sewing. I think the top looks great now! Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!
ReplyDeleteMy deepest sympathies on the loss of your Olisio... I once had a very expensive Bernina iron that I loved, so I understand how you feel. I just used a fabulous professional steam iron at the quilt shop--it costs over $300--but it was quite nice...
ReplyDeleteLove your sewing quilt! It came out great!
Pugs and kisses,
Nancy
Not good :( If it's less than a year old check out if the warranty will help. Or just call the company!!
ReplyDeleteLove the pillows!!
It's tough to find good irons....best of luck finding a replacement. Your pillow is cute....but your quilt - awesome!!
ReplyDeletexxx
Love you projects, Mary...sad about your iron, they aren't cheap either. Hoping Lisa's idea works!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun quilt Mary! Sorry about your iron, I always use cheap or old irons as I seem to go through them too fast to spend the money on an expensive one.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the demise of your faithful iron. It is difficult to get used to a new one. I love your cushion. Looks like Christmas is acomin. The words quilt is amazing. Such a lot of work went into that. The striped sashing does a good job. I see what you mean about the spool blocks, but I had to search after you mentioned it, so not obvious. Happy Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteIt is so sad to hear you have lost a loved one...I have lost a few in my day too. My favorite iron, not too expensive, and even comes with a carrying case for classes on the go is my Panasonic. I bought it for it's pointy tip, and I think I would cry if it broke. I have had it for almost 4 years...so it's time is coming, but it is my favorite iron. It looks like you had your fair share of ironing putting that quilt top together. I do like it with the borders Mary. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteHi Mary, if you contact Oliso, they have you send it back with a check for around $65.00 for repair. They always send back a new iron! I've dobe this 3 times. I can't live without my Oliso!
ReplyDeleteCheers!
ohhh rest in peace OLISO...I have not been lucky with these either, I was given 3 of them all of them DIED within a year...nothing reliable about them lol. they are pretty though....same thing happened to mine...welll here is new steamier days...
ReplyDeletelove the word quilts...something about letters that makes me think of reading more lol
We are blessed
ReplyDeleteI think the striped sashing was a stroke of genius! And I have no problem with blocks that look like wine glasses :) I'm sorry about your iron, though. I have a cordless iron that I really like, and it also rests horizontally in the cradle that charges it. It would be hard to start setting an iron up on end again!
ReplyDeleteGreat top. I love the striped sashing. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteOh you dashed my dreams if your iron quit working I don't think I could justify the cost. Love your sewing words quilt. Happy Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteit is so hard to keep a quilter in irons. I have had Rowenta's that I loved and now have an Oliso. Hoping it lasts. a gal cant be without her iron now can she? love the stripes. I love it and would call it done the way it is. fab quilt! and love those "wine glasses" lol
ReplyDeleteOh every quilter's woes...the death of their iron. I was temped by that iron once but resisted and after reading tons of stories like yours, I'm glad that I did. I really love how your quilt is coming along and can't want to see it finished.
ReplyDeleteQuilters & irons sometimes have a hard life. I absolutely love your Spelling Bee quilt!!
ReplyDeleteI've been waiting to see your word quilt at this stage...,.love it!!! ("Wine glasses" and all) cute iron story....you are to funny!
ReplyDeleteOh the words and the stripes. That is a fantastic quilt!!! As for irons and prices, an Oliso certainly should last longer than mine did, less than a year. The company replaced it only to have a different problem with the new iron less than 3 months after receiving it. I now use an inexpensive no steam iron and I use a spritz water bottle and it works perfectly. I didn't think I've every become a "no steam" girl but I'm a convert now. LOL
ReplyDeletegoodness....sorry about your iron....but wow I love the the striped fabric and I LOVE the "wine glasses"! Now that we are done with Thanksgiving the Christmas Season is really upon us! Your pillows are perfect!
ReplyDeleteI think the quilt with striped sashing looks better.
ReplyDeleteI love the pillow, Mary. Beautiful colors, great quilting and lovely pattern !!!
It's always a sad day for a quilter when an iron decides to quit working. I've worn out several irons so I keep my cheap iron on the shelf just in case. It never seams to quit! Even my Reliable iron decided to sputter and die...that was a sad day. My purple Oliso is still happy, so I'll keep my fingers crossed. Beautiful pillow next to that cute bird pillow!
ReplyDeleteCutest little pillow!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love how your Spelling Bee words came out! Thanks for sharing your process. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Strangely enough my Rowenta didn’t last that long either, but my cheaper Panasonic iron is still going strong after multiple years. Because of paper piecing, I am pretty hard on irons too. The cushion cover is beautiful, Mary. I love the combination of grey and red and the quilting is perfect! I like the addition of spacer blocks in your Spelling Bee and the sashing definitely made the words stand out a lot more. Looks beautiful!!
ReplyDelete-Soma
Sorry about your iron Mary. I use a cordless iron and I love it. Your pillow is so cute! Thanks so much for participating in the Parade :-) I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Oh and your word quilt is amazing :-) Have a nice weekend!
ReplyDeleteYour words are awesome....my iron bit the dust a few months ago as well...lost control of its bowels too.....good that you had a stand by
ReplyDeleteHi Mary! I just love the way your Spelling Bee quilt is turning out. Especially those cute spacer blocks. And the colors in your pillows are just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThat is a bummer about your Oliso. If you are in the market for a new iron, I can tell you that I love my iron and it's the best I've ever worked with. It doesn't turn off as fast as most others and you can iron in both directions. It's a Panasonic NI-W810CS Multi-Directional Steam/Dry Iron with Ceramic Soleplate.
How great to have a rainy weekend in southern California!