The end of my trip, and the closing of a chapter

I did get some sewing done, while on my trip.  I  had to finish the bindings on two quilts, so that they could be delivered.  I finished the binding on Sarah's graduation quilt (only a year late) less than 2 hours before my son graduated.  I'll do a whole post on this quilt when Sarah finally receives it in June.  It is waiting for her at my inlaws.

Sarah's finished graduation quilt

backing and label on Sarah's quilt

On Sunday, my youngest son and I drove to Oklahoma, to pick up his stuff from his dorm.  I wish I had pictures from that.  It makes the pictures of my car filled with quilts look EMPTY!  The next morning, I spent some time with a special friend in Tulsa.  Betty and I learned how to quilt at the same time.  Betty doesn't quilt anymore, since it is just too hard for her, with her age and health.  Betty now crochets and knits.  A while back, Betty asked me to make a quilt for her, that was a free online pattern from a magazine (it isn't online anymore, but, I saved it, thank goodness).  It is called Fat Cats in the City.  Betty loves cats, but only has one cat now.  Here is Betty with her new quilt.

Betty with her new quilt

I finished the stitching on the label and the binding on Monday morning, shortly before I drove over to see her.  I wish I had taken pictures of some of the quilting.  I quilted mice, chasing each others tails in the border.  This was hand quilted.  Can you see how happy Betty is with her new quilt?!

Betty sent me home with a few of her washrags, that she's been making.

washrags from Betty

more washrags from Betty

I was  a good girl, and only stopped at 2 antique stores after leaving Tulsa.  At the second store, in Illinois, I found 2 small items, that I couldn't live without.

antique hankie and antique dress pot holder

$3, see, I was a good girl.  Unfortunately,  I turned into another room in the store, before heading to the desk to check out.  At the very first booth, a lady had just unloaded a sewing machine.  I had to check it out (as I do ALL machines I see).  It was a Singer 201-2 electric, with a knee lift.  In the drawer were the manual and attachments along with lots of extra needles and bobbins.  The lady said she was going to put the price at $30.  Oh my!  I've heard such good things about these machines, and, the cheapest one I've seen was $130.  SOLD! 

You should have seen her hubby and I trying to take the legs off the cabinet so that I could fit it in the front seat of my car (the only place that had any room at all).  We had to buckle the cabinet in, then stuff everything else around it and on the floor board.  The only room left in that 7 passenger SUV was my seat and the armrest. 

Singer 201-2 with built on motor, Reversible feed and lock stitch

AK381784, 25,000 were allotted on April 26, 1951 in Elizabeth, NJ

The attachments that came with it

the manual

extra needles and bobbins, etc

So far, the light works, but, the motor doesn't run.  We had to disconnect the wiring in order to get the machine out of the cabinet.  I may not have put the wiring back in the correct place, or, the motor just may not work.  I didn't even ask at the store, if the motor ran.  Hopefully I can get a replacement motor, since I haven't a clue about motors.  I don't think this version of this model can be converted to a treadle or hand crank.  I'll have to check on that. 

Sitting on a shelf, close by to this machine, was another item that I couldn't pass up, now that I own a couple of Pfaff machines.  The screwdriver that was included in this box came in handy when we needed to take the legs off the 201 cabinet.

Pfaff accessory box

items from the accessory box

When I got home, Tuesday night, I had an email and a letter about one of our favorite quilt stores that is closing, due to retirement.  They were having a sale for their customers, starting on Thursday morning, a week before they advertised the closing in the papers (that is why I didn't mention the name).  My friend Marilyn and I arrived 20 minutes before the store opened.  Oh my!  I was #212 in line.  Only 50 in the store at a time.  I'll be honest, the prices weren't that great on regular priced stuff (20% off fabrics, 10% off notions).  Since the cutting and checkout lines were so long, I headed into the sale room, to get in the cutting line, while Marilyn headed for the backing fabrics.  I found 4 fabrics in the sale room (50% off, with another 20% taken off that price) that I could use in projects that I've already been collecting fabrics for. 

2 different blues of the same 'map' fabrics

These map fabrics will be the 'background' fabrics for some travel and boating/camping fabrics that I've been collecting for a quilt for my brother.  I never started on the quilt because I just couldn't find any background fabrics that I liked.  Now I have them. 

notions and buttons fabrics

I've been collecting sewing themed fabrics for a while now.  The cream notions fabric will be great as the background fabric.  The buttons will be used for pin cushion/thread catchers. 

Three hours after we arrived, we got checked out.  Almost all of that time was spent waiting in 3 different lines.  My feet ached this morning (how I hate arthritic feet).

This was a great quilt store.  I've heard that the sale will be going on for up to 8 weeks.  I wish the owner had tried to sell the store instead of just closing it down.  It will be greatly missed by thousands of local and non local quilters alike. 

I will be spending the rest of the day converting my dining room into a sewing space.  Oh my!  With at least 6 machines already in there (and I've already moved 2 out) I'm having a hard time figuring out where to put everything.  Glad my son is here to help me move stuff downstairs.  I want to get this done quickly, so that I can sew sometime this month.  On Saturday, I'm working the Quilts of Valor booth at a local quilt show.  I'll try to take some pictures.

Happy Mother's Day! if I don't get to post again before then.

PS:  Oh yea, I kept forgetting to take a picture of another goodie that Michelle gave me last week.  She gave me this cool 3 suction cup handle for my ruler.  I have a 2 suction cup handle, but, this one is even cooler!  I can't wait to try it out!

3 Suction cup handle for my quilt ruler