2016-03

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2016/02/great-minds-great-solutions.html


Recently, Bonnie Hunter blogged about a solution to a common problem quilters have with the pedals on their featherweight sewing machines.  You can read about it here:



I too dislike the tiny button pedal as it makes my toe cramp after a while. So I showed the picture to hubby.... 

and voila!  I too have a new, easier to use foot pedal.

I've made a little progress on my Trip Around the World Quilt for my niece.  

I've completed the first quarter of the quilt and was working on the second when my treadle decided to hiccup.  For some unknown reason it decided not to stitch correctly.  I tried suggestions from my online treadle group to no avail.  I am now waiting for Ted, my Singer "doctor" to make a house call and diagnose the problem later this week.

The parish annual yardsale was last weekend and I worked all last week with the ladies of the parish getting everything set up.  The room was full, the tables groaning and when we opened the door at 4pm on friday we had 137 people (yes we counted) stream in the door.  By the time all was done saturday afternoon the tables were quite bare and our coffers were almost $4000 richer.  And we still had to haul off 3 pick-up trucks and a trailer full of boxes and bags to the local thrift shops.

I even came home with a few lucky purchases!   

another sewing table (although
I have no idea which or what
machine I will put in it.  I just
couldn't let it sit there or be hauled
off to the thrift shop
Also, a Jim Shore nick-nak... a cute
singing dog

While I was busy with the church yardsale my husband got busy working on that backyard tree stump/root again....  He has been cutting away at it since last July and finally removed the last remaining bit!  Once we get the piles of dirt back in the hole, I will plant myself a flower garden this Spring.   And hubby will begin work on the second stump (it's burried under the pile of dirt at the top of the picture!

   

A Sewing Vacation

I have really enjoyed my vacation this past week.  We rented a cabin on Lake Barkley in KY.  One bedroom, a couple of pull-out couches... just perfect for the three of us.  It was a bit crowded when my daughter and grandsons came for a visit mid-week, but we're family and it's good to be close... once in a while...for a short time.

Although I've taken pictures with my camera, I forgot the cord to connect and download to the computer, so for now, these pictures are emailed and downloaded from my phone..a bit blurry, but good enough.

I set up my little 221 featherweight in the corner behind the kitchen table and had a blast sewing away on UFOs that I never could find time to complete at home.

    

The most important project of the week was to embroider a face on Bunny.  I had made this bunny as an Easter present for my oldest grandson from one of his receiving blankets when he was 2.  He was always carrying his blanket around and tripping over it.  So, rather than have him looking like a bruised up Linus, I decided a stuffed toy would be easier to carry.  Now that he is 5, he has been asking me to give Bunny a face.

 



He was thrilled to arrive at the cabin for a visit to find Bunny with a face laying on his sleeping bag.

I also made both boys a pair of Lightning McQueen pajama pants.  I have more fabric to make a matching top, but that will have to wait.  They have gone home and I have no T-shirts of theirs to use as a pattern.

First quilt done was Cracker Barrel... a UFO from 2007.  I had been working on these blocks as a leader/ender since January.  The rail fences were made and all the white triangles sewn on.  Several hours  of happily chain-piecing while also  watching the World Cup games and the blue triangles were sewn on too.  The blocks and rows were quickly assembled, borders on and call it done (except for the quilting!)

Next up was my Quiltmakers Block Party swap blocks from 2012. I had gone to Williamsburg, took Bonnies three classes and participated in the swap and haven't touched any of it since returning home.  

I had made and received 12 blocks, but some of them just didn't seem to fit the designated color-way and I just couldn't include those odd-balls in this quilt.  I  raided my stash and found the pink for sashing.

Next was to sew together another pink charm-square quilt.  These are my most popular item I have made and sold for the last 5 years...and I need a few for the upcoming shows in the fall.  I collect various pale pinks, cut 5inch charms, a white inner border and then find a final outer border.  It's an easy quilt to piece together in just a couple hours.

 

 

This next project is a BOM designed by Pat Sloan.  I made the first block back in January when the sew-along began... and then just never found time to make each additional monthly block.  I am really happy to be able to get caught up with these.  The first block is a 24in center and other blocks are 10in and will surround the center block.  I am all caught up  now and ready for the new block in July.

 

 

 

 

This next quilt I made from some blocks I had in my stash.  I had made these blocks several years ago, but not really liking them, I put them aside.  I decided now was the time to do something with them. I am sure I had more of this fabric to finish the quilt, but it has disappeared over time.  While I don't love this it is done, and maybe someone will have a little baby boy that can love it.

  

 



There are more pictures and projects to show... but I'll save that for another post.

 

 

Monday Linky

Monday was the day to link your blog to Bonnie's and report in on progress with Celtic Solstice. You can view and check the links to other blogs here:

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2013/12/celtic-solstice-mystery-monday-link-up-1.html 

I haven't made any progress since some cutting on Friday (see my last post     here... http://madakamom.blogspot.com/2013/11/black-friday-play.html

But that's because I drove to Indianapolis this weekend with the family to see the Colts vs Titans game.  Unfortuantely for us, the Titans lost again.  But it was a fun trip spending time with family.

We did make a couple of very important stops...

First, on the way to Indiana was a stop at the Goodwill in Bowling Green, KY where I snagged another handful of blue plaid shirts for my backing, one yellow, one green and a couple of neutral shirts for my stash.

But, even more exciting... on the way home we stoped at an antique mall boasting over 600 booths! (exit 76B off of I 65)  I promised I would just make a quick run through to see if there was anything of major interest. An hour and a half later I hadn't  seen even half of the booths, but I did spy many antique quilts and sewing machines... several Singers.. some in bentwood cases, 3 treadles, one iron Singer treadle table, a Morse, several Whites and.... be still my heart... TWO featherweights!  They were both in excellent shape and locked behind glass doors.  I thought long and hard, consulted with hubby and finally decided one just had to come home with me!

I paid a little more than I would have liked, but it was in excellent shape and I've been wanting one for some time.  Her serial number is AH 435380 which indicates she is a model 221-1 born January 1948...she looks real good for a senior citizen!