Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Stitching & a few other things!

****Special Announcement at the very bottom of the post****

Between the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop, the Michigan TOGA and being sick (worst sick I've been in years), I haven't gotten a lot of sewing done the past few weeks.  I've felt better this past week, so, I'm trying to play catch up.

First, I finally finished the second set of blocks for the Family Reunion quilts.  I make 2 matching quilts, so that they can raffle off the first one, and, the second one is for me.  That means double blocks.  The quilt I'm making this time is from TheElecticAbuela blog, and is called String Crossroads.
98 blocks (2 quilts worth)

up close of one block

her version (pattern on her blog)


I'm making my quilt in 1930's reproduction fabrics.  I still have the string blocks to make.
blocks left to make
The reunion isn't until October 2018, and I only needed the signature blocks finished (the 98 blocks above), so, I don't think I'll get started on the string blocks for a while.

In making these blocks, I did get a bonus gallon sized Ziplock bag full of mini Half Square Triangles.  I haven't ironed or trimmed any of these.  There are 552 Bonus HST's in this bag.
bonus bag of HST's

On Saturday, hubby and I traveled about 2 hours from here, to pick up a long arm table with a machine, that a friend found for me. 
12 foot long arm table in our trailer

machine that came with it
The lady's sister bought this around 1985-91.  The lady got it when her sister died, a few years ago.  When we got home, we realized that the table is too long to fit in our basement :(  Other than taking the sides off the solid wooden base (they are screwed on, and also stapled on the base) I don't know how to get it in our basement.  Hubby is still working on this, but, I don't think there is anything we can do to make it fit around the stupid corner, to get it down the stairs.  This is an older model, unlike the newer models, that can be folded up, or taken apart.  Waaa!  Does anyone in the Chicago area want a long arm base (with 3 rods)?  The good thing, is that this was free, so, I didn't spend anything more than gas money to get it.  There was a bonus.  The lady was going to throw out a portable sewing table, similar to  this one (sorry, the picture won't work.  Someone had cut out the machine area (roughly) and added wooden extensions to the legs.  We removed the extensions (made it too high to comfortably sew with a hand crank) and hubby will make the cut out area neater, when he gets a chance.  I forgot to take pictures.  I'll do that when hubby has finished his part.

Well, hubby is going hiking in the Uinta Mountains, in Utah.   He asked me to make a table runner for the lady who will be shuttling him and his fellow hiker.  I saw this table runner on the blog hop.  Unfortunately, it uses a specialty ruler, and, I haven't a clue how to use that ruler.  The blogger doesn't show how to use it, either.  After some guessing, I came up with these table runners.  The first one is in 'frost' fabrics, the other is in patriotic colors.
2 table runners
I still need to figure out what backing I'll use for these, and finish them.  Sorry about the picture.  The 'frost' one is really lovely, but, the picture doesn't make it very pretty.  It looks like ice and snow in real life.

On Sunday, I was given a great gift, from one of my beginning quilters, that I taught a few years ago.  She had vacationed in Wyoming, and brought this back from a local quilt shop.
perfect fabric for me, don't you think?

Row by Row pattern

another view of the blocks in the pattern

 Between the sewing machine fabric, and the boot in the Row by Row, she said that these spoke my name.  I've never done any of the Row by Row patterns before. 

My little quilt guild is having a name badge challenge.

Somewhere, buried in the basement, is my last name badge, with my first Wego Quiltin' car pin.  I put it up, in a safe place, years ago (remind me to NEVER put something in a safe place, since they always get lost that way).  The only rule is that we put our car on the badge.  Easy enough.

I'm in 2 quilt guilds.  I've been meaning to make a new badge holder for the larger guild, for a couple of years now.  This is what I've been using for the larger guild.

I found this at a thrift store a few years ago.  I added all the pins, over the years.  I knew I wanted something along these lines for both quilt guild badges.  Here is what I came up with.
Wego Quiltin' name badge, with my 'car' on a road

Pride of the Prairie name badge, with printed name tag in a plastic sleeve
Of course, I  had to put the pins on the new badges.  Here they are, with all the pins added. 


I forgot to take pictures of the backs, but, I used my practice piece, from my ruler class, as the backings.
ruler practice piece
No need to waste that practice piece.  Now it has become useful!

Well, at the very top of the blog post, I said that there would be a Special Announcement.  I was allowed to share this back on July 14th, but, I was driving to the Michigan TOGA, and the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop was going on.  I didn't want to add this to any of those blog posts.

I AM GOING TO BE A FIRST TIME GRANDMA!

The baby isn't due till February 15, 2018, so, I have plenty of time to start making things.  My daughter in law has chosen to decorate the nursery in Peter Pan.  I love Peter Pan, but, there isn't much out there to work with.  The last Peter Pan fabrics were printed in 2009, and I can't locate any (still) available.  I did find a great fabric at the JoAnn's in Battle Creek, MI, the night before the TOGA.
Pirate Map fabric
This fabric is on clearance at JoAnn's.  This is the only fabric I've found so far, that is good for Peter Pan.  I've bought all of it at 3 of 4 JoAnn's stores (one store was out already).  I should have enough to make several things now, for the nursery, etc. 

The few Peter Pan things I've been able to find, are some paper pieced patterns at Fandom in Stitches.  They have a Peter Pan block, 2 different Captain Hook blocks, Smee, and the Crocodile.  They also have a Tinkerbell block.  I made the Tinkerbell block a few years ago (another thing that I put up in a safe place, and now can't find).
missing Tinkerbell blocks
I messed up those Tinkerbell blocks (looks like she has white eyeshadow, where is should have been flesh colored material). 

Now I'm looking for Wendy, and some of the other characters, so that I can make a quilt.  If you know of anything, PLEASE let me know.  I do have a couple of the Tinkerbell fabrics, but, since we want it to be gender neutral, I can't use very much of those fabrics. 

I finally joined a social media site.  I joined Pinterest, so that I could save ideas and share them with my DIL.  I have a whole folder of Peter Pan nursery ideas.  I'm listed as Cheryl Parker, if you want to find me.  (contact me, and I can give you more info).

I'd better get back in the sewing room, since I have several projects due before the end of August.  I"m behind again!



21 comments:

  1. I enjoyed the announcement at the bottom of the post the most! Congratulations! I really like the reunion quilt and look forward to seeing it completed. A free long arm table that won't fit into the house is horrible 😩. I hope you can figure something out. ~Jeanne

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  2. Ah, now the fun begins! Sorry I don't have anything Peter Panish to share.
    With all you have going on. I don't know how you found time out to be sick!

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  3. Busy Busy!! Enjoyed seeing all your projects. Lucky family reunion folks...I know they appreciate your contributions. Congrats on being a new grandmother. Good job on finding some Peter Pan fabrics. I remember there being several Tinkerbell Prints in the last few years. May have been in Fleece, though. I know it was a licensed print by Disney. The longarm looks like a heavy duty machine...I've not seen one this age before. Glad you are feeling better.

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  4. I had a 12 ft table to go into the basement too. We ended up putting it through the basement window.

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  5. I would recommend shading the "white eyeshadow" on the Tinkerbell blocks with paint or maybe Inktense pencils - when you find them. (and you will -although this quilt may be finished before then...that is how it goes for me.)

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  6. Congrats!! on the MAJOR announcement!! Sorry about the challenge of the long arm table and the path to your basement. Here's hoping there is a solution!

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  7. Fun times ahead for you as a new grandma, Cheryl! It looks like you've been so very busy, even though being sick stinks! I sure hope you find a way to get that long-arm into your home. "Free" doesn't usually go with the price of a long-arm. I love your reunion quilt too, especially with those vintage prints. So pretty!

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  8. Oh congratulations. Neat table runners, and love your name badges. I am supposed to have one for guild too. I cheat.....Maybe you could find Jake and the Neverland Pirates fabric. That is related to Peter Pan.

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  9. I have been doing row by row for the last 4 years. the second year my girl friends and I went crazy. I will never get them all done. Last year I limited it to the closes ones that I liked. This year I could not find 8 that I liked to make a quilt to enter in the contest. I did that the first year and won a gift certificate and a fat quarter bundle. This year I found one in California that I liked and happened to have an internet friend that lived in that town. She sent it to me! I saw one in the Texas panhandle that I likes and a friend was going to send it to me, but she had to have emergency brain surgery to remove a tumor. I do like that one from Wyoming!

    I will check my Disney stash for Peter Pan. I do not think I have any, but will check. Also I will check for patterns!

    Congratulations on the Grand Baby. We have 8 and none of them are babies. they range in age from26 to 4!

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  10. That is the best news, Congratulations! I searched Peter Pan Fabric on ebay and a few things came up and "Neverland" brought up a few more. Good luck, you're going to have so much fun :)

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  11. Congratulations, and good luck on your hunt for patterns and fabric. I love your new name badges.....fun there too.

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  12. First off, congrats of this fun Grandma news!! Can you take out a window to get that LA table in the basement? Or can you modify, as in cut, the table length? Love the name badges.
    Safe places-apparently I have one of those...I was looking for a jacket pattern yesterday, I know exactly where it was before I cleaned my room last Feb. now I can't find it and a whole lot of patterns that was in the same area, grrrr.

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  13. Congrats! You might be able to find some Peter Pan fabric if you do a search on Instagram at #thegreatfabricdestash. People all over the world will search their stashes for your fabric. Good luck.

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  14. Congratulations! We went from zero to three grandchildren in 15 months!!I hope you can find your fabric. I know it can be a challenge.

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  15. Congratulations! How exciting that you will be a Grandma!
    WIll keep my eyes open for Peter Pan!

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  16. How fun! Cheryl the grammy. You will love being a grandma. I'm so happy for you.
    I'll keep my eyes peeled for PP prints and paper piecing.
    Hugs

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  17. I am so happy for you!!!! Woo hoo!!!! 👶

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  18. Wonderful quilting projects, so sorry about that table. I hope you get it figured out. Congratulations on your news!

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  19. This is a three-in-one blogpost, Cheryl. So much happening. I am glad you are feeling better and thrilled that you are going to be grandma. Other things will eventually sort themselves out. They always do. Not too familiar with Peter Pan but TinkerBell is adorable :-)

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  20. Many, many, many congrats to you and your family! I am sure you can't wait til the little baby arrives! I am sure the newborn will be blessed by many quilts!

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  21. Congratulations, Cheryl!

    Thanks, too, for the mention of my blog--I am so excited to see someone making a String Crossroads quilt (or two!) from the pattern! :) I look forward to seeing your versions.

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