Quilt Scene Investigator!

Quilt Scene Investigator bag, isn't it cute!

 Last night at my 2nd quilt guild meeting, Quilt Scene Investigator, Carrie Sumski showed us lots of her antique quilts and other treasures that she has collected.  These are but a few of her treasures.  Isn't the bag cute, with the 'body' embroidered on it!  Carrie did a great presentation.  She wasn't supposed to come until April, but, she got moved up.  We saw the neatest vintage linens, and other items, too.  Her hubby was a great help, both with the presentation, and helping her collect several of the quilts. (Good Hubby!)  Her nickname is 'Queen of Green' for her 'recycling' efforts.  A well deserved name.  She made the thread holder using an old, painted shoe form, a piece of metal tubing (for the thread to sit on) and a 'found' quilting item she'd found at a garage sale, a Dritz Loop Turner.  She still has the price tag from the wooden foot on the bottom ($1.50 at Goodwill).  My friends call me the garage sale queen, but I'm not even in her league.  It was a great show!  If you know of a quilt guild in Illinois that needs a program, contact me.

antique quilt from 1871

Garage Sale find for $8 (antique)

$7 wonky cornered 9 patch quilt (missing top corner)

candle mat made from old wool coats, cost was approx. $1.50

1976 quilt found on Ebay.  Tells a family's history with the blocks

1930's Ocean Waves quilt. Hand quilted

Thread holder made from 'found' items

Lovely antique applique quilt

New Home Sewing machine find

 I found this New Home sewing machine at a thrift store yesterday.  I'm still trying to decide if I should go back and get it.  I'd love a hand crank, and, I'm trying to figure out if this machine could be turned into a hand crank.  The serial number is 3070826.  I called Janome (they sell New Home machines) and the lady said that IF the machine was made in Orange, Mass, it would date to 1910.  Orange made machines from 1890-1930's.  She said the machines made in Rockford, IL (1932-1953) didn't have serial numbers like this one's.  The machine has been electrified at some point.  I think it was also moved to a different case, as this case doesn't look like one from 1910.  I wonder if it was a treadle machine
originally?  The shuttle is in the machine, and the
machine turns easily.  The decals are beautiful, where
they can be seen.  I don't know what damage is under
the 'pin strap'.  Hopefully it isn't too bad. 

Shop Hop Finds

Old Sewing Machine fabric

I just love this fabric.  I already have some in the basement, but, I found this in the clearance section at one of the shops on the shop hop.

We had so much fun on the shop hop.  We visited 7 different shops in the western suburbs of Chicago.  There were 4 of us this time.  We all piled into my hubby's new car (NO not the totaled Jetta from previous posts).  He has a Nissan Murano SUV that is smaller and lower than my large SUV.  It was much easier for the other ladies to get into and out of than mine.

Chocolate fabrics for RRCB quilt

Civil War prints for the Disapearing 4 Patch block

Civil War prints for Civil War quilt

These chocolates and the greens are for the 'Roll, Roll Cotton Boll' quilt on Bonnie Hunter's blog.  http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2011/01/roll-roll-cotton-boll-part-8.html  I had already collected a dozen chocolate prints before the shop hop.  Visiting 7 shops, I guess I got carried away!  Oh well, I may have to make 2 of these quilts.

 

These Civil War reproduction fabrics are for the Treadle On Block Exchange (TOBE).  We are making Disappearing 4 Patch blocks.  I signed up for 2 different sets. These blocks will be made on my 1896 Singer 15 treadle sewing machine.  I could use the 1889 Singer 27 VSII, but, I haven't had time to mess with the tension on it.  I'm not a repair type person.  I just don't get the mechanics part of it.  I'll sew on it one of these days.    

 

The second set of Civil War reproduction fabrics are for the 150th Civil War quilt that Barbara Brackman is doing on her blog. http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/  She is adding a block each week all year.  Now that I have some fabrics, I guess I'd better start making some blocks pretty soon.  Sew many projects, sew little time!

Quilt Guild last night

 Margaret Hornback presented a trunk show at guild last night.  The top picture is her 'My Kinda Girl' quilt she created.  She won a blue ribbon for this quilt.  The second picture is a quilt she made from her husband's clothes after he died.  She used the cuffs and collars of shirts, vests, suit coats, ties and labels off of his clothes.  She added his watches.  One of the watches was still running when she attached it.  What a wonderful memorial to her dear husband.  The third quilt is a dresden plate quilt she purchased at a garage sale.  Can you believe someone would sell such a beautiful quilt?!?  What an interesting way to set the dresden plates.  Margaret showed us so

 lovely quilts.  She plays the accordion, and created an accordion quilt in honor of her former music teacher.  She showed us the quilt her husband made from her scraps the last two months of his life.  He did a great job.  Margaret creates most of her quilts only using a pattern for the basic blocks.  Her colors and style are great.  She hand quilts most of her quilts.  She does a fantastic job  with her hand quilting.  There is so much detain in each quilt.  Margaret is one of our Quilts of Valor ladies in our area.  http://lolqov.blogspot.com/

This is going to be another busy, but fun week.  Quilt guild on Monday, Meals on Wheels on Tuesday, Sew-in on Thursday and shop hop on Friday.  Sew many quilts, sew much inspiration, sew little time!

Fun Finds

This is a funky teapot I found on Saturday. I haven't bought a teapot for quite a while. I've been being a good girl (only where teapots are concerned). This was at a rummage sale and it was 1/2 price. Not bad for only $1.
While we were out, I also stopped by a thrift store I don't get to very often. It is a great store. When I walked in, they had FABRIC!!!!!! New fabric, all cotton fabric! Most of it was panels, but, I found a few panels I couldn't live without, and I also found a few large cuts of fabric and even some fat quarters. I even found some 30's reproduction fat quarters. They had a few baby blankets (NEW, samples) for between $3 & $5. Of course I had to get some. You never know when someone is going to have a baby and need a gift. I even found more fabric for the 'Roll, Roll Cotton Boll' quilt. I'm gonna have to stop buying fabric for that quilt, at least I will after the shop hop this week. I still need some chocolates. At this rate, I'll have to make more than one quilt.
Last night, during the Superbowl, I addressed engagement invites. Running late on that. After I addressed the invites, I went thru a quilt book a friend gave to me (thanks Ann) a while back that Ihaven't used yet. It is about string quilts. I found it earlier Sunday afternoon. Good timing, since Rita gave me 2 big boxes of strings from the Quilts of Valor leftovers. I guess I'm in charge of making string quilts for now. Good practice for the RRCB quilt. I found several projects in the book that should be pretty easy, and keep me from getting bored. Now to cut more foundation papers. I have foundation paper, thanks to Marilyn.

SNOW!!!!!!!!!

Oh my goodness!  The blizzard of 2011 was big!  Our back yard is filled up to less than a foot from the top of the fence.  It is over the seat of the swing in the yard.  John shoveled the brick path from the patio to the fence gate, and it's over 3 feet on either side of the path in most places.  John had to shove the glass door open to let me out the front door to start shoveling.  It was over a foot against the glass on the front porch.  I used the  yardstick on the front walk (had to guess where it is) and it was over 23" deep.  There were drifts by the garage door, where it blew, that were over 40" deep.  I had to dig that out before we could open the garage door.  Thank goodness John came and helped me.  I drug (too heavy to shovel) some of the snow away so John could start using the snow blower.  After over an hour of snow blowing, half of the driveway is done.  Still have to do the rest of the drive after a rest.  John has to work, so, he can't help me anymore. 
Connor's doctor's office called while I was trying to get to the garage.  The doctor can't get out, so they canceled the appt. to get Connor's cast off.  Poor Connor, but, after trying to shovel, I understand.  I'm not sure we could even get out of the driveway or out of the subdivision, anyways.  I'm just trying to get us out for tomorrow.  Temps today are near 20 degrees, falling this afternoon.  They will be -17 degrees in the morning, with wind chills in the -30's. What a frigid birthday it will be.