Messages

I always hand sew the backs on (I don't use blind tacking strips)
I even hand sew on the front arm panels

yes
the string is smaller than button twine

I find that I have much more control over the gathering when I use string

I can gather as much as I want, and as little as I want
and where I want

The gathering stays put while I sew seams together

I have a LOT less bulk than with elastic

the string is also a faster technique

sometimes I use elastic

sometimes I zigzag over a string, and pull the string

the string is the weight used for balloons (is that the same for kites?)

I use a verrrrrry narrow zigzag.  It is just wide enough to go over the string
The string is knotted at the begining of the seam and
the left side of the zigzag stitch will be at the seam line (all the stitch and string is in the seam allowance)

Then I pull the string to the length I want the seam to be
Works great

imagine that you could go to a completely hand tied spring assembly and lift the already tied twine off the springs. Of course, in reality this would be impossible, since the twine is looped around each spring wire, but if you could do this, you would have a pre-made (I'll call it a lattice) arrangement of twine that would resemble a tennis net. If you could buy this pre-made lattice, you would cut off the length you needed (the width would probably be standard for most applications) and lay it over the springs. The points of intersection between the lattice and the spring coils would then be clinched using whatever fastener would quickly bind the two. The attachment to the wood frame might be done before, during or after the spring connections depending on what worked best. I'm sure a standard procedure would emerge with experimentation. When done, the whole assembly would be just as flexible and durable as hand tying, but it would take much less time to construct since there would be no threading around and over the spring of each length of twine.

Isn't this defeating the purpose of a custom job
Doing something like the above, is going the way of China
Make something quick and cheap

The purpose of custom work, is to deliver a quality job
That means hand tying springs.

Have you always given out certificates?
Is it only for those who come in 1st place?

I came in 2nd place last year, and never got a certificate?

I realize that the UJ can only print one picture of the winning entry
but
would it be possible for them to post all the pictures that were sent in by the winners, of their piece,
on the web site somewhere?

I did the same thing to my machine
so
I went to my local fabric store, and bought a bobbin winder
The biggest problem many people would have with it, is that it's pink
but
it's great for winding bobbins
it's real small  (about 7" wide, 3" tall and about 4" deep)--don't have it in front of me now, so can't measure
it's kind of cheaply made, but gets the job done without any chance of clogging your sewing machine

money well spent

Glad I could help someone

Try Dubois
they have some of the discontinued gimp

If, the first person you talk to says they don;t have it, have them double check
When I called a couple months ago for a discontinued gimp, I was told they didn't have it, then they called back a few minutes later to say that they did, in fact, have it

414-483-1002
I believe is the number

One of the biggest problems (other than the original cost) is the fact that you HAVE to buy your nails from them.

they can charge you anything they want to
and
if they don't have the nails you want to use---you're out of luck
and
if you want to put in tacks that are bigger, or smaller than the gun uses
again, you're out of luck