Quilting Tips for the Disabled...

It's been a good four days for quilting lately, despite not being able to get to my Quilting Guild tonight because I couldn't park near enough for my lame self to get there. I've got my mammoth Serengeti Plain quilt, with faces of jungle animals, African plains grasses, very fine leopard print, pale elephant skin grey etc. etc. off to get "stuffed" (quilted). I've nearly finished Chapter Five of our quilting bees mystery quilt, in the colors of our bedroom drapes. I've made progress on my daughter-in-laws, television watching lap quilt, in antique fabrics. And made a good beginning on another grand-daughter's "stack the deck" quilt. Love designing and piecing. But still, quilting can be tough on those with disabilities.

I suppose there's already a book of hints on quilting for the disabled, if anyone knows of it, let me know! Just in case there's not -- here's what I've discovered.

You can cut anything sitting down. Even if you have to cut clear across whole widths of fabric. You just have to fold the fabric differently. Depending on the length this can be pretty easy to do. Just fold from side to selvage (usually it comes like this), but then, do it again. Now you've got four-fold (easy for rotary cutters) and not a long distance to traverse. I've found the simple dining room table makes a great surface (with mat, of course), and the dining room chair height is just fine for this.

Ironing, another bugbear if you've got disabilities. I've tried a little ironing board and mini-iron right by my side at the machine. That's just about OK for little seam pressing, but the better the fabric, the less successful it is. Missing the steam, don't you know. Luckily most ironing boards can be set to a seated height, and man, I can go all day that way.

But my main complaint is the dratted pedal. There is no way my knee wants to go up into the air in order to get enough pressure on my toes to push the pedal down. What works? Having the pedal backwards!! So all I have to do is lower my toes and off we go, no knee involvement at all. Now if the machine manufacturers would just take this to heart, and make a pedal where the cord can be inserted either side, what a treat that would be!

If you know any other good tips, please leave them here in the comments section!

Wonders of Technology

Just read on another UU blog that today, May 1st, is a day for some consciousness raising about disablism.

Well, as a disabled person, let me say consciousnesses certainly do need to be raised. Here, there, and everywhere.

But all sorts of good things are happening too. Oh, not with people's attitudes, they still suck as often as not. Like, for about one week after 9/11, it was safe for me to cross the street on my mobility scooter, people would smile, wave, slow down, stop, roll down the window, wish me a good day.

Following week? Honk Honk, drive my Hummer right at you, you embarrassingly weak being with no right to exist cause you scare me that this could happen to me.

Sigh. No, the good things happening aren't so much attitudes, or even conscious attempts at accessibility (there are some, and that's great, there are many others not yet even tried) ... but the assistance the sheer march of development can bring.

Like, I've just bought four great tops. And I haven't had to shop. That is, go into a store on my scooter. (Ever try that? Oh, honey, it's all about filling the aisles with displays to increase sales per square foot these days. Forget gimps getting around.) Let alone trying to get into a changing room???

Now, however, I could shop in the comfort, literally, of my own home. With amazing visual tools that let me zoom in, move the garments around, check every detail. Wizard.

Sure, it doesn't include trying on, but a little honesty about one's own measurements goes a long way to success here. And if not, well, the Post Office is a lot easier to use on a scooter than a store.

I won't stop being a noisy disabled activist, but there sure are some things that help these days.