Shirley Anne’s Heart

Posted By drsao on July 3, 2008

Singer Featherweight 221

I am really excited – on July 20 – I am getting a Singer Featherweight 221 – all the way from England from Graham Forsdyke (who I understand is the King of the FW and of the antique world – thank you, Peggy, for that insight!)  I have been wanting a little sewing machine to take to classes and on retreats…….and I considered a little green HELLO KITTY Janome – but then I decided that I really wanted a Singer Featherweight.  However, I was a bit reluctant to buy one on E-bay!  At the VIRGINIA SCRAPPERS Sew-In on Saturday I just happened to be sitting by Peggy (there are no accidents in this life) and Mr. Forsdyke had sent her one for someone who never claimed it.  AND…the rest is HISTORY!   I will post a picture when I get it!  TOO MUCH FUN!  Here is a little blurb from the internet.

Singer Featherweight Portables

I think it will look something like this!

by Carolyn M Ybarra
ISMACS News
Issue 27

SLEEK AND shiny with a simple, elegant, and compact design, the Singer 221 – nicknamed “Featherweight” – is the semi-precious jewel of the sewing machine world.

For those who collect toy machines, it’s too big, weighing in at 11 lbs 1 oz. (5.0 kg). For those who collect antiques, it’s too new, having been manufactured in the United States between 1933 and 1964 (with the white-colored 221K version made in Britain from 1963-68). For modern seamstresses, it’s too basic, sewing only a straight stitch without even a reverse setting on early models.

Even during the years of its manufacture it was sometimes ignored by the sewing public, as looking too much like a toy, and being too expensive for depression-era and wartime pocketbooks.

For modern-day quilters, the Singer Featherweight, like the baby bear’s bed in Goldilocks, is “just right”.

Quilt tops are pieced together from small scraps of fabric using quarter-inch seam allowances. Quilters, therefore, value a machine that can sew a straight lock stitch without the slight zig-zag that characterizes the straight stitch on most modern machines.

The featherweight, although constructed of aluminum and thus very lightweight, runs smoothly and quietly due to its well-balanced rotary-hook mechanism. This lightweight machine that comes with its own handy case (resembling and roughly the size of an old-fashioned cosmetics case or record case) is also valued for its portability, by those who attend classes and conferences with fellow quilters around the world.

Finally, its sleekness, elegance, and mechanical simplicity appeals to the design sense of women and men who appreciate the beauty of color, line, and texture in their quilts. Now collectors are starting to take notice, too.

Star Struck – GETTING READY FOR MY BONNIE HUNTER CLASS

I decided to make my Star Struck Quilt (in Bonnie Hunter’s Class August 2 in Williamsburg, VA) using my leftover stash of VINTAGE HOLIDAY fabric – and since the pattern is on the Quiltville.com website, I went ahead and made a couple of blocks.  Yes, I think I am going to like this.  I am having TOO MUCH FUN!

Rearranging Furniture

Then, I got this URGE to rearrange my sewing area – sometimes the MOVING FURNITURE BUG just bites me!  So here is my sewing and cutting area – it is almost like having a new room!  Isn’t it amazing what moving a bit of furniture around can do for your spirits!  Seriously, this really made me happy!

TOO MUCH FUN!

 

PINEAPPLE CRUSH MYSTERY QUILT

Inspired by my “new” work area, I decided to start sewing together the blocks for my PINEAPPLE CRUSH MYSTERY QUILT (my Orange Crush is at the long arm quilters already.)

And of course Cuddles tried her best to help!  She actually gets BETWEEN me and my sewing – in fact she just sits herself right smack dab on my sewing machine!  You can see how I actually accidentally sewed some of her tail fur into one of my quilt blocks!  She just APPEARS out of no where!

SHOPPING

Since I was having so much fun, I decided to expand my fun with a little shopping – so I went to The Quilter’s Corner to get my BLOCK OF THE MONTH pattern and fabric!  I will have fun making this – maybe later tonight!

ANTIQUES – ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

Since I was ALREADY OUT SHOPPING and having TOO MUCH FUN I decided to stop by a cute little MIDLOTHIAN ANTIQUE MALL – very near the quilt store!  And yes, I found treasures…..a basket, refrigerator jar, and fabric! 

I just HAD to have this cute little basket to keep my bargello strips organized in (I absolutely LOVE BASKETS – it is on my LIST OF FAVORITE THINGS!)

And definitely on my LIST OF FAVORITE THINGS is old refrigerator jars.  Before Tupperware – people used to store leftovers in these.  I use them for my sewing supplies….and this latest one is to store my pincushion in (since CUDDLES takes the pins out of my pincushion and carries them all over the house – I figured that this would be the pefect solution!)

When I saw this fabric, I just had to buy it…..

I just KNEW that I would think of something to do with it!

Birth of a Sampler – LAST BORDER – Corner Pieces

My last project today was to make the four corner pieces for the final border on my BIRTH OF A SAMPLER QUILT……each block is 20″ square!

All of the excitement was just TOO MUCH FUN for Cuddles – she fell asleep on my bargello strip!  I guess I will have to work on something else!  🙂 

TTFN and HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA –

have a happy and safe 4th of July everyone!

 

Category: Birth of a Sampler, Cats and Dogs Furry People, My Favorite Things, Pineapple Crush Mystery, Singer 221 FW, Star Struck Quilt | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By drsao on July 2, 2008

I like it when a new month starts – it is almost as good as New Year’s Day – I get to turn the page on the calendar and start my new monthly TO DO LIST – carefully including all of the things on the list that I have already accomplished TODAY so that I can start by crossing things off….ah, the thrill of accomplishment….:):)

I mailed my JULY Log Cabin Blocks – check –

I washed my car – check –

I went to the bank – check

and then it was time for some real fun – quilting!

Fred’s Boxy Stars

I have now made NINE blocks of Bonnie Hunter’s BOXY STARS Quilt – and a number of other Bonnie fans started making this quilt today too.  This is our “IN BETWEEN MYSTERY QUILTS” online project! 

My brother specifically requested brown, gray and blue for his quilt –

so I am doing my best to make it in the colors that he wants – and hopefully it will look good in the end!

Cuddles Helps Me Search Through Stash

I had fun searching for fabric- and of course, Cuddles had to help!

COLONIAL PIECEMAKERS QUILT GUILD – BONNIE HUNTER (STAR STRUCK)

I am SO EXCITED…..I am enrolled in a class AUGUST 2 in Williamsburg, VA taught by BONNIE K. HUNTER herself!  We are going to make the STAR STRUCK quilt – so I had to search for some scrappy fabric.  Bonnie wants us to come to class with our strips cut – so I had lots of fun looking for possibilities. 

I joined the COLONIAL PIECEMAKERS QUILT GUILD (Williamsburg, VA.)  

They are sponsoring this class to be taught by Bonnie and Patsy put in a good word for me – and they let me in – WHOO HOOO!  July is starting out great!

COUNTRY PIECEMAKERS QUILT GUILD – POWHATAN, VA

AND THAT’S NOT ALL……I also joined the COUNTRY PIECEMAKERS QUILT GUILD in Powhatan, VA.  Goodness, in June I did not belong to any quilt guild and in July I have joined two!  I will be making CIRCLES AND MELONS (a class taught by Patsy) at the guild meeting and workshop on July 12.  This will be so much fun.  I hope sewing curves won’t be too hard…..and speaking of curves…..I think I need help!

Dear Jane – B-11 Melissa’s Cross

I think I need lots of help…….I made Melissa’s Cross (the red and white fabric is my PRACTICE BLOCK.)  Yikes – this was my first difficult block.  How could a 4 1/2″ block take so long to make!??  This Dear Jane Quilt is going to be a symbol of blood, sweat, and tears – and I don’t mean that figuratively.  I enjoy a challenge though!

I made the REAL BLOCK out of my Civil War Repro fabric……and together these two blocks took FIVE HOURS……and the SAD thing is that they really  don’t look that great!

Now I understand what people mean when they say

“AT LEAST IT IS FINISHED!”

I had a lot of trouble with the 2nd block – I have no idea why because I had already practiced – but for some reason I had to RESEW one of the seams 6 times and I finally just gave up and left it AS IS!

Well, this is it – with all of its imperfections!

To cheer myself up I ate an ENTIRE PAPAYA – and that did the trick!  I am happy again.

July has been a good month – so far!  🙂

Category: Cats and Dogs Furry People, Dear Jane Quilt, Fred's BOXY STARS, Star Struck Quilt | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By drsao on June 29, 2008

I got lots done today in my quilty world (even despite the fact that my cats were extremely helpful!)  Don’t cats just LOVE to be in the middle of quilting projects!!!

LOG CABIN – COURTHOUSE STEPS ONLINE SWAP BLOCKS

I am in an online block exchange – a monthly decentalized log cabin swap – and for July our block is COURTHOUSE STEPS with a red center…..so I finished my 12 blocks today!  It always feels good to get something accomplished ahead of time……

….and this was no small feat given that I had to share my cutting mat with my feline friend, Cuddles TINKERBELLE….she not only lounged on my cutting mat but she also decided to chew up a pen (that is better than eating pins, which she has also tried to do!)

FRED’S QUILT – WINDMILLS AT NIGHT – FIRST IDEA

My younger brother, Fred, finally told me what colors that he wanted for his quilt.  He chose browns, greys and blues – so I got together some fabric and after looking through MILLIONS of pattern books and online patterns, I found a pattern that I decided would be perfect –  from the QUILTS OF THIMBLECREEK series – Windmills at Night by Donna Heppler.

I have learned to make a sample block (rather than to cut material for an entire quilt) and so I carefully cut and labeled enough PARTS for one block….again with the help of my kitties who decided to nap on my cutting mat! (When I MOVED my cutting mat to the floor – the cats MOVED WITH ME – making this ONE BLOCK took a long time! :))

Another reason that it took so long was that there were several ERRORS in the pattern…..there was an insert in the front of the book with corrections – but I didn’t think to look for an error notice….  So I had to figure out the correct cutting instructions on my own (thankfully I did it right – a real miracle!  :):))  And TA DA….here is the first (and last WINDMILL BLOCK.)  I actuallly LOVE THIS BLOCK but it was challenging to get all of the points going in the right direction (and for someone who is spatially challenged this would have ended up on my LIST OF NOT SO FAVORITE THINGS.  Thankfully my brother doesn’t read my blog, because if he saw this block he would probably like it…..:)

FRED’S QUILT – BOXY STARS – SECOND IDEA

 I wanted to make Bonnie K. Hunter’s BOXY STARS QUILT with the online group starting July 1st – and so I said, ‘SELF, why not make it with Fred’s colors!”  And so I made a BOXY STAR BLOCK – and I really like it…..SO FRED’S BOXY STARS  is a GO!  I love making these blocks.

I made the next block using some blue material from my nephew, Joey’s undershorts.  He is 16 and he would probably be less than thrilled to know this tidbit of INFO was being made public – TEE HEE.  Joey is Fred’s son – so I thought that it would be great fun to include this block in his quilt.

I enjoyed making these stars so much – that I made three today!

EGG MONEY QUILT

I am taking a six-month class (taught by Susan) at THE QUILTERS CORNER starting July 20 – we are making one of Eleanor Burns’ Egg Money Quilts.  It is going to be a great class – lots of fun.  I am going to use 30’s repro fabric……and I had lots of fun selecting the fabrics today…….here they are! 

 

BINDING

My intention was to cut binding for another quilt tonight too – the quilt is back from Val (my long arm quilter) at A NEEDLE RUNS THROUGH IT – and since I was on such a roll, I decided to do that too….but alas, Cuddles decided to sit on the material…….maybe when I finish writing on my blog, she will have moved on!

OR NOT….  🙂

 

Category: Cats and Dogs Furry People, EGG MONEY QUILT, Fred's BOXY STARS | 2 Comments »
Tags:

Posted By drsao on June 28, 2008

I am happy to say that I have finished my Thimbleberry’s Club assignment for this month!  It is nice to have a SMALL ASSIGNMENT – I love marking these things off my TO DO LIST!

Today I spent the entire day with the VIRGINIA SCRAPPERS having a wonderful time sewing!  I met some new friends and missed some old friends (SHEDDY AND CARMEN.)

Look at this “antique” Birthing Quilt that Peggy brought.  Isn’t it wonderful!  It is so intricate and it looks like the original quilter made it PILLOWCASE STYLE.  (I had a lovely picture of Peggy too – but somehow my program has decided to cut her head off……….oh how I wish that I had a techie brain – I would fix it!) 

At least I only cut off the top of Nancy’s head – she made this very cute purse and matching billfold….the billfold has lots of very cool compartments……I loved it!  Nancy also made this wonderful wall hanging – all today!

   

Patsy was working on putting the finishing touches (ala binding) on her Circles and Melons quilt.  I LOVE THE FABRICS that she used.  I have never done any circular piecing and HOPEFULLY  I can get into her class July 12!

   

I actually took a picture of the entire REDWORK QUILT OF ANTIQUE SEWING MACHINES but it came out blurry – too bad!  But I did get a corner of it (THANKFULLY) with Linda’s smiling face…..aren’t quilters just some of the happiest folks around!  Linda embroidered these sewing machine blocks BY HAND!  Such an inspiration!

And last but not least – here is the HELLO KITTY QUEEN – look at that cute little green Hello Kitty sewing machine!  She added the Hello Kitty Stickers too!

It was a good day for Susan (at the Quilter’s Corners) today – two more people at our table signed up for the EGG MONEY QUILT CLASS starting July 20….it is going to be lots of fun! (There is nothing like word of mouth advertising!)  🙂

Today I finished the binding on my ALL THE RAGE QUILT for my grandangel Harry.  Since binding is my least favorite part of quilting, it is more fun to do it with friends.

I also spent some time working on my Grandmother’s Flower Garden Quilt.  The hexagons look a bit off color – that is because the papers are still there – showing through.  I have been using old business cards and magazine subscriptions cards to cut the hexagons….it is now kind of fun to do the English paper piecing task – more fun than just sewing around plain old card stock.  It was a good day!

Category: All The Rage Quilt, Future Quilt Inspiration, Grandmother's Garden, Quilts Completed 2008, Thimbleberries 08, Virginia Scrappers | 1 Comment »
Tags:

Posted By drsao on June 27, 2008

Our nine months are almost up for our BIRTH OF A SAMPLER QUILT (class taught by Sherry Whitfield at “The Quilter’s Corner.”   Sherry designed this – and I am pretty impressed.  

I must say that I was a bit apprehensive about making a 20 inch bargello border…..but I plunged right in.   It takes eleven 2 1/2 inch strips each of ten fabrics……this is going to be a spectacular (and very large) quilt!

I think I had strips of fabric draped across every chair in sight!  It took awhile to get all of these strips sewn together – making sure that the seams were all going in the same direction!  Actually it was pretty easy – but at the same time it was not really exciting…..lots of sewing in a straight line…..I am afraid to do the math……..11 x 10…..x (this is hard on the brain!)  It is better not to count!  AND….it helps to have TIVO!!

After cutting all of the pieces into different widths it was time to sew – dropping each new column down by 1/2 block.  I was so excited to get one “wave” finished!  And then two….. 🙂

 

And in between Grandangel Sarah’s swim meet and practice, and Vacation Bible School, I managed to get one side of the barbello border on….THREE CHEERS!!!!!!!  I really like it.  One down – three sides to go.  Then I make four large star corners – and it is a quilt!!!!  🙂

Category: Birth of a Sampler, Quilts in Progress | 1 Comment »
Tags: