Friday, August 30, 2019
Wide Backs
Here are Janel’s Wide Quilt Backs. Such pretty fabric! I am in the process now, of sorting, measuring and tagging. Looks like a monumental task but has taken such a huge weight off Widower Bruce’s shoulders. These pictures just out of my car are grouped by manufacturer. I think I have settled on a $10 - $12 a yard plus shipping. These are all 108” wide backs.
The thought of cutting and shipping all of this is pretty scary! But, I can do this!
Wilmington Prints
The thought of cutting and shipping all of this is pretty scary! But, I can do this!
Misc
Henry Glass (my favorite)
Moda
Riley Blake
Monday, August 12, 2019
It’s been three years!
I can not believe it has been three years since my last post. I am still quilting and sewing as my eyesight allows and still taking lots of pictures but, I think Facebook got in the way!
I have been sharing my projects, finishes and fun times but I think my family and friends have become quite bored with my constant posts. So, maybe my projects and finishes and toils and troubles belong where I can write them out for mostly myself.
There is no way I am going to catch up with any kind of chronological order so will play haphazard catch up. Maybe I shall go backwards!
Several months ago, I purchased a “new to me” 8-thread serger with the intent of taking my trusty little Baby Lock Imagine to Florida and leaving her there. Imagine my dismay when I took my little serger out of her case and found her to be all yellowed and ugly with age! I take good care of my machines! I went through a time in my life where even the thought of owning a nice sewing machine was a laugh. Now, through the grace of God, I am in a much better place and able to own a number of nice machines. But I take care if them !
I called Baby Lock and they assured me that “the plastic that they used at the time this little
machine was made, had a tendency to yellow with age. This should not affect the way the machine works”. Well okay, but it’s ugly. So I went to work to cover up some of the damage. She looks a bit better now and will go to Florida to live.
My next job was to learn how to use the new machine. The 8-thread serger is a Baby Lock (of
course) Evolution. She is about 8 or so years old but looks brand new. She also came with 6 or 7 additional feet that I have no idea haha how to use! So I went on the hunt for videos and articles about the machine. I was lucky enough to have seen a video done by Missy Billingsley, an independent Baby Lock educator and a webpage done by Evy Hawkins on a Twirley skirt made to teach the gathering foot, the rolled hem and standard 4 thread stitches on this machine.
So much fun! The first twirly skirt I made to fit Caris. She is the littlest of my granddaughters. She LOVED it. The second one at the request of granddaughter Elise. Yards and yards and yards of ruffles! An unbelievable amount of fabric goes into these skirts. A quilter would understand “a lot of fabric” if I refer to 76 jelly roll strips! I hope she is going to be able to hold the skirt up! It’s heavy!
I have been sharing my projects, finishes and fun times but I think my family and friends have become quite bored with my constant posts. So, maybe my projects and finishes and toils and troubles belong where I can write them out for mostly myself.
There is no way I am going to catch up with any kind of chronological order so will play haphazard catch up. Maybe I shall go backwards!
Several months ago, I purchased a “new to me” 8-thread serger with the intent of taking my trusty little Baby Lock Imagine to Florida and leaving her there. Imagine my dismay when I took my little serger out of her case and found her to be all yellowed and ugly with age! I take good care of my machines! I went through a time in my life where even the thought of owning a nice sewing machine was a laugh. Now, through the grace of God, I am in a much better place and able to own a number of nice machines. But I take care if them !
I called Baby Lock and they assured me that “the plastic that they used at the time this little
machine was made, had a tendency to yellow with age. This should not affect the way the machine works”. Well okay, but it’s ugly. So I went to work to cover up some of the damage. She looks a bit better now and will go to Florida to live.
My next job was to learn how to use the new machine. The 8-thread serger is a Baby Lock (of
course) Evolution. She is about 8 or so years old but looks brand new. She also came with 6 or 7 additional feet that I have no idea haha how to use! So I went on the hunt for videos and articles about the machine. I was lucky enough to have seen a video done by Missy Billingsley, an independent Baby Lock educator and a webpage done by Evy Hawkins on a Twirley skirt made to teach the gathering foot, the rolled hem and standard 4 thread stitches on this machine.
So much fun! The first twirly skirt I made to fit Caris. She is the littlest of my granddaughters. She LOVED it. The second one at the request of granddaughter Elise. Yards and yards and yards of ruffles! An unbelievable amount of fabric goes into these skirts. A quilter would understand “a lot of fabric” if I refer to 76 jelly roll strips! I hope she is going to be able to hold the skirt up! It’s heavy!
Sunday, September 4, 2016
New Quilters - New Block Names
With each new generation of quilter, we see all of the old, old blocks or slight variation of the blocks with brand new names! It's often said that there are only just so many ways to arrange squares abd triangles, etc to form a block.
Several years ago the quilting world was all agog over a quilt block called "Swoon". Now, I'm pretty sure that the term Swoon was not used 100+ years ago. So, if you look at the block, it is a variation of those blocks we know as Carpenter's Wheel or Bethlehem Star among others.
So, Indecided to try my hand at the Swoon block. 69 pieces in one block! Thankfully the blocks are for the most part large (12-24 inches). My block worked out to be 16 inches and I will make more once my other quilting and sewing demands have been met. I probably shouldn't even have spent the day doing this one block with all of the sewing that I "need" to do before the holiday craft fairs begin.
Here she is, in Civil War Reproduction fabric, my first Swoon. I must admit it's kind of pretty but I'm not sure I'm "swooning".
Several years ago the quilting world was all agog over a quilt block called "Swoon". Now, I'm pretty sure that the term Swoon was not used 100+ years ago. So, if you look at the block, it is a variation of those blocks we know as Carpenter's Wheel or Bethlehem Star among others.
So, Indecided to try my hand at the Swoon block. 69 pieces in one block! Thankfully the blocks are for the most part large (12-24 inches). My block worked out to be 16 inches and I will make more once my other quilting and sewing demands have been met. I probably shouldn't even have spent the day doing this one block with all of the sewing that I "need" to do before the holiday craft fairs begin.
Here she is, in Civil War Reproduction fabric, my first Swoon. I must admit it's kind of pretty but I'm not sure I'm "swooning".
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Still stiching and now Vintage Machines!
I can't believe it has been more than 4 years since I have added an entry to this blog! I'm still stitching and have added the restoration of vintage sewing machines to my list of "fun things to do"
I think that Facebook has taken over as my platform for sharing my projects but there is just so much DRAMA! And adding in the political garbage just sucks the happy right out of me. So, let's see if I can make the move back to my blog.
My days back in Michigan before we head back South for the Winter seem to be running short. September 1st. The grandkids are already back in school! Where did the summer go? I had such big plans for finishing up some quilt UFOs and of course have even purchased a new kit. Why do I do that when I already have such a healthy stash? One of these days I am going to do a real inventory. I'm actually afraid of what I might find tucked away in my sewing area!
My summer has been spent doing:
That dreaded Yard Sale thing. What a LOT of time and energy that takes. I think from here on out I will maintain a bin specifically for donation items and when that bin is full, off it goes!
Bionic Gear Bags - another project that takes a bit of time. I love making them and I really love having one at each of my sewing machines. I have several ordered by Florida friends and it looks as though I better get on it! These bags were originally designed for quilters to take to their sewing events. Putting all of your "gear" in one bag made things so much easier! Soon, people started seeing these bags and decided they would be excellent make-up bags, jewelry bags for travel, mobile office supplies, gun and photography tools, etc. The list goes on and on! I do have several for sale in my Etsy store (if you are interested)
Necessary Clutch Wallets - I LOVE, love, love these wallets. They take a bit of time, but each and every one of them gets a little easier.
Lullaby Babies - another fun project that starts out on my embroidery machine and finishes on my sewing machine. And, I just happen to have a few nieces having babies this year so perfect gifts!
In addition, I finally mastered putting that prepackaged satin binding on the edge of the fleece blanket part of the Lullaby Baby. Babies love the way that satin feels and while I'm not a big fan of that stuff for regular quilt binding, I'll use it for the babies.
The Ionia County Fair also played it's normal part in my summer. While the fair is so broke that First Place ribbons only pay out $1, it's become a bit of a competition between me and some of my quilting and sewing friends. This year was an awesome year for me! Lots of blue ribbons, a few best in class and one silly quilt that took such a nice ribbon that I won free VIP parking for all days in next year's fair!
American Girl doll clothes, Not as difficult as Barbie Clothes but hold a certain amount of frustration. ha ha ha!
Having my HQ16 serviced was a big thing off my "to do" list! I wasn't feeling to excited about tearing that big thing down and getting it in the truck to take it for a much needed cleaning and service. When I called for the appointment, I was told that they would be happy to come and get the machine head, service it and return it when it was done for an additional $26 fee. Money well spent! Several days before it was time for the service man to get here, he called me and asked if he could do the service here? Same price, all he needed was a table to work on. You Betcha! So, he came. He serviced AND he cleaned and tuned up the carriage
Restoring Vintage Sewing Machines! Let me explain.... I did not set out to try to restore an old machine or two. I did set out to find a vintage machine that would sew through some of the tough seams in both the Bionic Gear Bags and the Necessary Clutch Wallets. I was told that the Singer 201-2, made in the late 1930's would be perfect. It was known as "The Rolls Royce of Sewing Machines". Finding one wasn't that hard, in fact I found two. But, they needed work. Any machine that sits in an attic or a basement or heaven forbid, a barn in Michigan for 60-70 years is going to have wiring ripe for starting a fine! In addition, no one works on these things! Sewing machine repair technicians will most likely tell you to buy a new machine - one costing $10,000-$15,000! I have a few of those. They won't do the job! So, you learn to fix them yourself.
I acquired the necessary tools and I learned to take apart and put back together one of these old mechanical machines. Then I learned to braid electrical wire. I learned to solder and I learned how to put rebuild a motor and put new electrical leads in place. Then I learned to put these newly rebuilt motors back in place.
Pretty as a picture and running like a top!
In addition to refurbishing two Singer 201's for myself and one for a friend, I also did a National Rotary machine from the 1920's. My sister-in-law found it at a yard sale in a cabinet for $7
She's all redone and so pretty!
Do you see any quilting here? Me neither. But, I still have some time before I pack to head South for the Wnter.
Lullaby Babies - another fun project that starts out on my embroidery machine and finishes on my sewing machine. And, I just happen to have a few nieces having babies this year so perfect gifts!
In addition, I finally mastered putting that prepackaged satin binding on the edge of the fleece blanket part of the Lullaby Baby. Babies love the way that satin feels and while I'm not a big fan of that stuff for regular quilt binding, I'll use it for the babies.
The Ionia County Fair also played it's normal part in my summer. While the fair is so broke that First Place ribbons only pay out $1, it's become a bit of a competition between me and some of my quilting and sewing friends. This year was an awesome year for me! Lots of blue ribbons, a few best in class and one silly quilt that took such a nice ribbon that I won free VIP parking for all days in next year's fair!
American Girl doll clothes, Not as difficult as Barbie Clothes but hold a certain amount of frustration. ha ha ha!
Having my HQ16 serviced was a big thing off my "to do" list! I wasn't feeling to excited about tearing that big thing down and getting it in the truck to take it for a much needed cleaning and service. When I called for the appointment, I was told that they would be happy to come and get the machine head, service it and return it when it was done for an additional $26 fee. Money well spent! Several days before it was time for the service man to get here, he called me and asked if he could do the service here? Same price, all he needed was a table to work on. You Betcha! So, he came. He serviced AND he cleaned and tuned up the carriage
Restoring Vintage Sewing Machines! Let me explain.... I did not set out to try to restore an old machine or two. I did set out to find a vintage machine that would sew through some of the tough seams in both the Bionic Gear Bags and the Necessary Clutch Wallets. I was told that the Singer 201-2, made in the late 1930's would be perfect. It was known as "The Rolls Royce of Sewing Machines". Finding one wasn't that hard, in fact I found two. But, they needed work. Any machine that sits in an attic or a basement or heaven forbid, a barn in Michigan for 60-70 years is going to have wiring ripe for starting a fine! In addition, no one works on these things! Sewing machine repair technicians will most likely tell you to buy a new machine - one costing $10,000-$15,000! I have a few of those. They won't do the job! So, you learn to fix them yourself.
I acquired the necessary tools and I learned to take apart and put back together one of these old mechanical machines. Then I learned to braid electrical wire. I learned to solder and I learned how to put rebuild a motor and put new electrical leads in place. Then I learned to put these newly rebuilt motors back in place.
Look at this melted wiring under the receptacle where you plug it in!
This foot pedal has crispy wiring too!
uck! 70 years of old grease and lint.
Pretty as a picture and running like a top!
She's all redone and so pretty!
Do you see any quilting here? Me neither. But, I still have some time before I pack to head South for the Wnter.
Still stiching and now Vintage Machines!
I can't believe it has been more than 4 years since I have added an entry to this blog! I'm still stitching and have added the restoration of vintage sewing machines to my list of "fun things to do"
I think that Facebook has taken over as my platform for sharing my projects but there is just so much DRAMA! And adding in the political garbage just sucks the happy right out of me. So, let's see if I can make the move back to my blog.
My days back in Michigan before we head back South for the Winter seem to be running short. September 1st. The grandkids are already back in school! Where did the summer go? I had such big plans for finishing up some quilt UFOs and of course have even purchased a new kit. Why do I do that when I already have such a healthy stash? One of these days I am going to do a real inventory. I'm actually afraid of what I might find tucked away in my sewing area!
My summer has been spent doing:
That dreaded Yard Sale thing. What a LOT of time and energy that takes. I think from here on out I will maintain a bin specifically for donation items and when that bin is full, off it goes!
Bionic Gear Bags - another project that takes a bit of time. I love making them and I really love having one at each of my sewing machines. I have several ordered by Florida friends and it looks as though I better get on it! These bags were originally designed for quilters to take to their sewing events. Putting all of your "gear" in one bag made things so much easier! Soon, people started seeing these bags and decided they would be excellent make-up bags, jewelry bags for travel, mobile office supplies, gun and photography tools, etc. The list goes on and on! I do have several for sale in my Etsy store (if you are interested)
Necessary Clutch Wallets - I LOVE, love, love these wallets. They take a bit of time, but each and every one of them gets a little easier.
Lullaby Babies - another fun project that starts out on my embroidery machine and finishes on my sewing machine. And, I just happen to have a few nieces having babies this year so perfect gifts!
In addition, I finally mastered putting that prepackaged satin binding on the edge of the fleece blanket part of the Lullaby Baby. Babies love the way that satin feels and while I'm not a big fan of that stuff for regular quilt binding, I'll use it for the babies.
The Ionia County Fair also played it's normal part in my summer. While the fair is so broke that First Place ribbons only pay out $1, it's become a bit of a competition between me and some of my quilting and sewing friends. This year was an awesome year for me! Lots of blue ribbons, a few best in class and one silly quilt that took such a nice ribbon that I won free VIP parking for all days in next year's fair!
American Girl doll clothes, Not as difficult as Barbie Clothes but hold a certain amount of frustration. ha ha ha!
Having my HQ16 serviced was a big thing off my "to do" list! I wasn't feeling to excited about tearing that big thing down and getting it in the truck to take it for a much needed cleaning and service. When I called for the appointment, I was told that they would be happy to come and get the machine head, service it and return it when it was done for an additional $26 fee. Money well spent! Several days before it was time for the service man to get here, he called me and asked if he could do the service here? Same price, all he needed was a table to work on. You Betcha! So, he came. He serviced AND he cleaned and tuned up the carriage
Restoring Vintage Sewing Machines! Let me explain.... I did not set out to try to restore an old machine or two. I did set out to find a vintage machine that would sew through some of the tough seams in both the Bionic Gear Bags and the Necessary Clutch Wallets. I was told that the Singer 201-2, made in the late 1930's would be perfect. It was known as "The Rolls Royce of Sewing Machines". Finding one wasn't that hard, in fact I found two. But, they needed work. Any machine that sits in an attic or a basement or heaven forbid, a barn in Michigan for 60-70 years is going to have wiring ripe for starting a fine! In addition, no one works on these things! Sewing machine repair technicians will most likely tell you to buy a new machine - one costing $10,000-$15,000! I have a few of those. They won't do the job! So, you learn to fix them yourself.
I acquired the necessary tools and I learned to take apart and put back together one of these old mechanical machines. Then I learned to braid electrical wire. I learned to solder and I learned how to put rebuild a motor and put new electrical leads in place. Then I learned to put these newly rebuilt motors back in place.
Pretty as a picture and running like a top!
In addition to refurbishing two Singer 201's for myself and one for a friend, I also did a National Rotary machine from the 1920's. My sister-in-law found it at a yard sale in a cabinet for $7
She's all redone and so pretty!
Do you see any quilting here? Me neither. But, I still have some time before I pack to head South for the Wnter.
Lullaby Babies - another fun project that starts out on my embroidery machine and finishes on my sewing machine. And, I just happen to have a few nieces having babies this year so perfect gifts!
In addition, I finally mastered putting that prepackaged satin binding on the edge of the fleece blanket part of the Lullaby Baby. Babies love the way that satin feels and while I'm not a big fan of that stuff for regular quilt binding, I'll use it for the babies.
The Ionia County Fair also played it's normal part in my summer. While the fair is so broke that First Place ribbons only pay out $1, it's become a bit of a competition between me and some of my quilting and sewing friends. This year was an awesome year for me! Lots of blue ribbons, a few best in class and one silly quilt that took such a nice ribbon that I won free VIP parking for all days in next year's fair!
American Girl doll clothes, Not as difficult as Barbie Clothes but hold a certain amount of frustration. ha ha ha!
Having my HQ16 serviced was a big thing off my "to do" list! I wasn't feeling to excited about tearing that big thing down and getting it in the truck to take it for a much needed cleaning and service. When I called for the appointment, I was told that they would be happy to come and get the machine head, service it and return it when it was done for an additional $26 fee. Money well spent! Several days before it was time for the service man to get here, he called me and asked if he could do the service here? Same price, all he needed was a table to work on. You Betcha! So, he came. He serviced AND he cleaned and tuned up the carriage
Restoring Vintage Sewing Machines! Let me explain.... I did not set out to try to restore an old machine or two. I did set out to find a vintage machine that would sew through some of the tough seams in both the Bionic Gear Bags and the Necessary Clutch Wallets. I was told that the Singer 201-2, made in the late 1930's would be perfect. It was known as "The Rolls Royce of Sewing Machines". Finding one wasn't that hard, in fact I found two. But, they needed work. Any machine that sits in an attic or a basement or heaven forbid, a barn in Michigan for 60-70 years is going to have wiring ripe for starting a fine! In addition, no one works on these things! Sewing machine repair technicians will most likely tell you to buy a new machine - one costing $10,000-$15,000! I have a few of those. They won't do the job! So, you learn to fix them yourself.
I acquired the necessary tools and I learned to take apart and put back together one of these old mechanical machines. Then I learned to braid electrical wire. I learned to solder and I learned how to put rebuild a motor and put new electrical leads in place. Then I learned to put these newly rebuilt motors back in place.
Look at this melted wiring under the receptacle where you plug it in!
This foot pedal has crispy wiring too!
uck! 70 years of old grease and lint.
Pretty as a picture and running like a top!
She's all redone and so pretty!
Do you see any quilting here? Me neither. But, I still have some time before I pack to head South for the Wnter.
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