A Really Old UFO Top Completed

This quilt was a LQS BOM club / program that was designed and done by a quilter that was trying to break out into the professional quilt pattern designer world.  She eventually went on to getting published and I have made a couple of her designs, mostly because she is a local designer.  Her name is terri Staats, and her pattern design name is Sweet Treasures.  The sun had gone down by the time I got outside to get the picture.  The only place I have to take a picture of a quilt this big (85" X 95") is out side on my lawn.

Here is a close up of the quilt top to show the colors and background of this quilt.  Each big star block is a different pattern, as it was a way to build skills building stars and making points come together correctly.  Then the solid red stars are all the same throughout the quilt that were used as setting squares for the big focal star blocks.  This red dot on white print that is used as a background is one of my favorites that I have ever used as a background.  Not plain, not too busy.  Just right.

I had the top completed, but had not put on the borders yet.  Part of the problem was a couple of the setting triangles were too short along the outer edge.  So I opted to tear it out and add about an inch to make the sides all around even.  Then  I added the three borders, solid red, the pink print, and then the background red polka dot print.

This last picture shows the binding (red) and the backing, the pink floral stripe.  Just yummy!  The pictures don't do it justice.

I am sending this off to a Long Arm Quilter, as I want it to be nicer than what I can do on my domestic machine.

I will post completed quilt in a couple of weeks.

Warmest...

Plodding Along with the Cheddar Bow Ties

I have come a long way on this little project, since I last wrote a post about them.  I have about 500 little blocks done of the 700 I originally wanted to accomplish for a double size bed.  I have since changed my mind and want to do two twin sized quilts, so I calculated I would need 600 for each quilt.  So, to look at it on the positive side, I have the blocks almost done for one of the quilts, and then I just have to start over for the other one.

This is a pile of chain piecing.

A set of piles of pieces needing to be sewn.

And a pile of pieces needing to be added to the first part of the block.

I have piles of various different stages all around my sewing machine at any given time.  I am now working on sets of 50 in my chain piecing, so I feel like that I am getting big chunks of the blocks done at any given time I can work on them.

What is so nice about this type of scrappy project, it allows me the ability to just sit down, even if it is only for 10 minutes or so, to make progress.  It's repetitive work that doesn't require the need to look at a pattern, or be so precise in the stitching or joining of the pieces in the block.  

Warmest...

Home Again

I'm back home with my parents.  We have spent the first few days unpacking and settling in to the spaces I have made available for them.

My garden over flowed and I had to can tomatoes one day, while unpacking boxes.   I ended up canning seven batches for a total of 35 quarts.  I am glad summer is coming to and end and the tomato crop is slowing down.

I finally unpacked the last box today, and things will get back to some normalcy and I hope to be sewing again shortly.  Especially since I have joined the Farmer's Wife 1930's Sampler Quilt Sew-Along that begins September 28th, 2015 and lasts for a year.  If you want to participate, click on the button at the top right of my blog and join in the fun.  There is weekly newsletters to sign up for with this group, they have their own FB page, and several guest bloggers involved.  Once you click on the button, you will be directed to all the places to sign up and like and join.

It has been all the rage over the FB page to have the book hole punched and wire bound, so for the first time, I had this one done.  What a difference it makes!  Hubby had them add frosted plastic front and back to help protect the book, and it makes it really nice.  I also picked out my fabric from my stash.  If you remember, I have a rather large stash of 30's reproduction fabric, so I pulled from it as I want to stay true to the book of the 1930's era.  

Stay tuned!

Warmest...

Vintage Machine Addiction

I am fairly certain, I have been bitten and now addicted in obtaining vintage sewing machines.  I have obtained another vintage machine, and the story goes like so:

My SIL was at my parents house when I bought this vintage machine.

Upon explaining why I wanted to own an older vintage machine, she asked, very causally, would I like her Grandmother's sewing machine.  I off-handly said sure and didn't think much about it.

I have been sewing on this machine for about 5 weeks and just love how it sews.  Of course, then I just had to start following a couple of groups on Facebook regarding vintage non-singer machines, Featherweight machines, and Vintage Singer Machines.  (hope the FB links work, if not just type in these titles in the search part of your FB page.)  Reading all the FB posts about vintage machines, just moved me to appreciate these solid metal work horses!

I really didn't give my SIL's offer much creedence, as it was just said in passing.  Move along 5 weeks later when I come back to my parents house to do the actual moving of them to my home, my SIL again asks if I was serious about taking her Grandmother's machine.  This time, though, she said it was a "really old" singer, and I might not want it.  I again said sure, I would find a place for it and would love to have it.  I asked her if she knew the model, and she said no, but would take pictures and send them to me to look at, and then I could really commit or not in taking the machine, as then she tells me that it is in a big table/desk case.  At this point,  my excitement is growing and I am getting more curious by the minute.

Today, I got a text from my SIL and it had pictures.  I started to look at the first picture, and my heart started beating hard, and I am saying to myself, "Can it really be what I think it is going to be?  Please, please, please let it be what I think it is going to be..."  BAM!  There it was, big as day, a Singer 500A.  I could not believe my eyes.

Can you believe it?  Yes, it is the model that the sewing community calls the rocketeer.  It is one of the most coveted models (in good working condition of course) in the quilting world.  And check out the cabinet that comes with it.  A nice solid piece of furniture.  

My SIL tells me that she remembers her Grandma always sewing on it, and knew it was in good working order the last time she had seen it working.

See there, Model 500A!  

UPDATE:

My SIL sent a new picture of all the attachments:

I am astonished, as it has all the original feet, cams, buttonholer, manual, and the case that holds it all. Look at that oval pink case that holds the buttonholer!!  It's a case that has the same shape as the head of the machine.  Most of the time these little things get lost in the shuffle from the many years and owners it goes through until it lands in a safe place.  I am still pinching myself over the package deal it am going to end up with in my home!

It is going on the moving truck and on it's way to my house!  Whoo!! Hoo!!

When I told my SIL how excited I was about the machine and its model number, she was excited in return because she is glad that someone was going to enjoy having it and possibly putting it to use.

Yep, that would be me!

If you want some nightly reading, or more interested in this model, this blog post is most informative about this particular model.

Warmest...

New Featherweight Sewing Machine

I was out of town a couple of months ago, and my husband sent me a picture of this:

Then asked if I wanted it?  Wanted it? Of course I wanted it, I have been wanting a Featherweight for years.  On top of that it came with bobbins, extra feet original manual, original lube tube and original oil can.  Then, it also came with the original tray that fits in the original box.  I was jubilant!   

These are the pictures he took and then texted me when he got it home.  Believe it or not he found it at a gun and knife show.  Yep you heard right a gun and knife show.  It's not the first time we have seen one at these shows.  The featherweights in the past though have been totally out of my price range of over $400.  My husband picked this one up for $300.  

According to this expert web site regarding Featherweights, this serial number means that this machine was produced and released for sale on April 22, 1947.  It is not possible to accurately state the manufacturing date of any Singer Featherweight. Singer claims to be able to do this, but the information the  company gives out refers to the dates on which large batches of serial  numbers were released to the various factories. It's pretty safe to assume that  a particular machine was not made before its "birthdate" but it could have  been produced considerably later.  They made 20,000 of them that year. It is amazing to me on just how many they made the whole time they were making the Featherweight, when they are so rare today???  

One of the biggest problems with the old "suitcase" boxes is they stink.  And when I say stink, I mean stink!!!  Apparently the boxes and it's lining were glued with old fashioned glue.  This old fashioned glue is made from animal hooves.  Over time this natural animal hoof glue decomposes and starts to stink.  I researched and researched over the web to see if there was a way to get this stink gone permanently.  I used this method to try to get the stink out.  Basically it uses a 150 watt light bulb to burn off the smell (kinda like baking it out in the sun) for 8 hours.  

So 8 hours I did, and yes the stink was downgraded to just a smell.  Still not a pleasant smell, but not a stink.  It was recommend that one might have to do this procedure more than once.  So when I get back in town I will be doing it again.  I have also placed a shaved bar of dial soap in the box while I wait to try the the light bulb again.

I did get a minute to see how well it sews, and it purred like a kitten, but it wasn't threaded, so I don't know what kind of a seam it will be sewing.  When I get back home and get my parents settled, I will be working on bringing the machine out and seeing how well it sews.  Supposedly, Featherweight owners name their machines, usually old fashioned names like Beatrice, so I will have to think about a name.   I'll  have more pictures then too!

Warmest...

Swapped Fabrics

Back a few posts ago, I talked about a blog friend SLIKstitches who sent me some scraps from the United Kingdom.  I showed that I had cut most of them up and here is a set of ten Cheddar Bow Ties all sewed up.

Didn't they sew up nice and pretty!

Warmest...

What's Up at My House

I am traveling out of state again, for the next few weeks, to prepare my parents to leave their home and come and live with my husband and me.  One of the many things we have done in our home is to fix them up a room to sleep.  We had an extra spare room so we cleared it out, painted, added a light/ceiling fan, and I made some new curtains for the two windows.  I scored this gray fabric, which is one of my Mom's favorite colors, and made four panels. 

I only wanted the length to come to the edge of the windows, as I didn't want the curtains to get in the way of the beds that are going in the room.  The picture didn't come out so well, as the sun was directly coming in the windows this time of day.

I also have been busy with this year's harvest.  Remember when I posted about all the little seedlings raised in the greenhouse?  And then planting all those plants in the garden?  Well, all of those seedlings/plants have produced.  Boatloads of produce!!!!

Tomatoes, about a bushel.

 Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans:

That came off of these plants on the trellis that had peas on it earlier this year.

So the tally for the day was 18 quarts of tomatoes, and 9 pints of green beans.

Fall is going to really be busy for me this year!  Hang on for the ride with me....

Warmest...