Expo fun and some bloggy friends

This weekend was the Sewing & Quilting Expo.  I worked both the Quilts of Valor booth and also as an ambassador in the Make-It Center on Thursday and Friday.  The Expo was MUCH smaller than it has been in the past, but, it was still fun!  I didn't get any pictures of the Quilts of Valor booth (oops!), but, I did get pictures of what I got to make, then help teach at the Make-It Center.

Box Bag

Box Bag, open

Beth Bradley, from Sew It All TV was the instructor. 

Beth Bradley from Sew It All TV

This was a fun bag to make!  You can get instructions for a larger bag on the Sew It All TV site.  This bag is designed by Stacy Schlyer, and is on episode 704.  Here is a link to the instructions.  It takes about 45 minutes or less to make this.  This was my 3rd ever zipper. 

I'm not on Facebook, but, there are pictures on Sew It All TV's Facebook page (open to all to see).  Here are links to 2 pictures with me and my bag. 
Me, making my bag.  And me, with two of the ladies I helped (one is a friend from the quilt store Thursday sew-in's).

I got to meet up with a fellow blogger, Andrea (Sew Divertimento).  Andrea won my first ever giveaway.  Andrea knows that I love teapots (see the title to my blog, teapots came before quilting).  Andrea found a cute teapot for me, and brought it to the Expo (along with some great fabric for Quilts of Valor, woohoo!).  This is the teapot Andrea gave me. 

teapot Andrea gave me

It's so cute and little!  Guess what?!?!?  My mother gave me a teapot similar to this one, way back in 1995.  Now I have the 'mommy' and the 'baby' teapots.

teapot from mom and teapot from Andrea

Aren't they cute together?  So special!  Thanks Andrea!!!!!!!

Last weekend I went to Joann's.  Not only was everything I bought on sale (most of it at 40% off), but, I also had a coupon for another 25% off my entire purchase!  Woohoo!  I bought lots of batting, thread and some Minkee.  I also bought a magazine that I've been wanting, McCall's Quick Quilts.  Three of my blogging buddies have patterns in this magazine issue. 

McCall's Quick Quilts (April/May 2014)

First is Erin Russek from One Piece at a Time.  Her pattern is 'Go Fish!'

Go Fish! by Erin Russek

The second pattern is by Cory Yoder over at LMS (Little Miss Shabby).  Her pattern is 'Weekend at the Lake'

Weekend at the Lake by Cory Yoder

The third pattern is by Jean Kritenbrink over at Jean's Quilting Page.  Jean's pattern is 'Twist & Shout' (she also called this her Snake Dance mystery quilt pattern). 

Twist & Shout by Jean Kritenbrink

I like all these patterns.  Now to find time to make them.....


I have been sewing, just now pictures yet.  I'll have a post at the end of the month (Monday or Tuesday) with what I've been doing in March.  It's been a busy, non-sewing month for me, but, I have gotten some things done. 

Two New (to me) machines in the past few weeks

Well, so far, I've found a new (to me) machine each month in 2014.  I found the lovely 'Betty' back in January.

1941 Singer 66 converted to a hand crank

I sewed on Betty while showing off some of my vintage machines at my guilds quilt show earlier this month.

The end of February, I found a Kenmore machine in a cabinet at another thrift store.  The cabinet had $15.98 written on it (why do they use marker on cabinets?).  I drug it over to an outlet, and plugged it in.   It turned nicely, and the motor sounded good.  I took it to the check out, and, half price day!   It rang up at $7.99.  Woohoo! 

Kenmore Model 1358 (158.13580)

cabinet the Kenmore came in

This machine dates from around the time I graduated high school.  Dates for some of these machines are hard to find, so, I had to find a date on a parts diagram on the Sears parts website (1981).  That's the best I can come up with. 

This machine sews very nicely!  It has 10 different stitches (no cams needed).  Kenmores are really easy to use, even without a manual. 

practice stitches from the Kenmore

This machine only has one problem, and it can't be fixed, unfortunately.  The clutch knobs sometimes 'freeze' and can't be unfrozen, no matter how hard you work at it.  I tried oil, Liquid Wrench, heat, and lots of time, but, I only succeeded in breaking off the clutch knob on the machine.  Back to the Sears parts site.  Oops!  Replacements are no longer made or sold. 

what is left of the clutch knob

where the clutch knob should be, still stuck tight

After a week of messing with this, I gave up.  Bobbins will have to be wound on one of my sidewinders.  I was hoping to send this machine off with one of my new quilters, if they decide to keep on quilting. 

On Friday, I stopped off at another thrift store, on my way to the fabric store (40% off sales, with another 25% off total purchase coupon from Joann's, boy did I have fun)! 

I turned the corner at the thrift store, and saw this.

filthy dirty machine case

priced right, even if only for the case

Of course I opened the case....

cute green machine inside

I snapped that machine up!  Gee, even if the machine didn't work, the case is worth $5.

When I got home, I found out just how dirty that machine was.  How do machines get this dirty when they are in a case?????

dust and dirt

motor runs nicely, belt in nice shape, lots more dirt!

underside of machine, and inside of case

light works, more dirt!

Lots of cleaning done on this machine.  The motor works nicely, and isn't noisy.  It cleaned up well.

don't you just love the matching foot controller

This machine stitches, but, I can't adjust the stitch length for some reason.  The feed dogs move and adjust, but, it just doesn't feed well.  I'll have to play around with it and see what I can do.  Now to find a manual for this model (if there is one).  This is a straight stitch machine.   No zig-zag.  Great for a new stitcher (if I can get it to feed nicely). 

I have been sewing, but, I haven't taken any pictures lately.  I have a busy week coming up (Sewing & Quilting Expo in Shaumburg in the Quilts of Valor booth this weekend).  If you attend, stop by the booth on Thursday or Friday and say HI. 

My ladies in my beginning quilting class are starting to show some progress on their blocks.  Most of these ladies have never used a sewing machine before.  We only meet for 2 hours on Saturdays, so, not much has been accomplished in that time.  Other than material, most of the ladies have been using my supplies at our classes (cutting mats, rotary cutters, rulers, even machines).  Hopefully there will be something to show soon. 

PoP Quilt Show and Vintage Sewing Machine booth

This past weekend was my larger quilt guild's bi-annual quilt show.  Pride of the Prairie puts on great quilt shows, with great quilts, raffle baskets, silent auctions, baked goods, book & magazine sales, appraisals, knife & scissor sharpening, and lots of great vendors.  The guild has also let me have a booth in the show for the last 2 shows.  My booth is some of my vintage sewing machines.  I sit and stitch all day, both days, and, chat with people who have questions about vintage machines, and how to fix them.  I also let people sit and stitch if they want to.  My goal is to get people to get out the old family machine and get it up and working.  I don't sell anything, so, the guild gives me the booth for free.  My booth was very busy this year.  Here are some pictures of my booth.

my booth is down a hallway (hard to photograph)

On Saturday, I did most of my stitching on my newest hand crank, Betty.

'Betty' my 1941 Singer 66 hand crank

On Sunday, I did most of my stitching on a treadle, Victor.  Most people had never seen a blue treadle, so, Victor stopped lots of people in their tracks (that's why he was the first machine they saw).

'Victor' my Post WWII Japanese treadle

I had several other machines at the show, too.  In the background of the pictures below, you can see some of the toy sewing machines that I also had at the show. 

Eldredge chain stitcher

'Tinkerbell' 1925 Singer 99 hand crank

1959 Singer 192K 'Spartan' hand crank

1914 Singer 66 'Lotus' hand crank

1921 Singer 66 hand crank

There were lots of great quilts at the show.  The first quilts are from a member challenge.  You could pick a bag with a Kona fat quarter in it (no choice of color), and, you had to make a quilt, no larger than 31" square using only solids, and, that fat quarter that was in the bag, had to be the 'focal' color of the quilt.  There was a tag with the bag, that you had to attach a piece of your focal color to, and hang with your quilt.  I only took pictures of some of my favorite challenge quilts.

Challenge Quilt by Christie Hardt

Challenge Quilt by Sue O'Connor

Challenge Quilt by Terri DeLano

I was going to participate in the challenge, but, I couldn't find my fabric until it was too late.

Here are more quilts from the show.

Rider's Journey by Linda Kennedy

This quilt is from a fellow blogger and friend, Mary Winegar of I Piece 2-Mary.

Mary Winegar

In The Meadow by Lynn Poulos

Bonnie Hunter came to our guild in 2012.  Several people had quilts in the show from her workshops.

Midnight by Lynn Poulos (from Bonnie Hunter workshop)

Up, Up and Away by Susan Baldwin

Included in the show were some 'extra' quilts.  This one is a signature quilt.  I included a close up of the center square below the full quilt.

Signature wedding quilt

Wedding Signature quilt center block

Susan's Folly by Sandy Fuehrmeyer

Catherine's graduation quilt by Jennifer Beatty

Finale by Barbara White

Dave by Sandy Piatak

Churn Dash and Shoo Fly by Anita Marsh

Run to Color by Anita Marsh

 The quilt below is one I have as a screen saver on my phone.  I've started some of the tiny 9 patch squares for this quilt.  If I can figure out where I put my fabric for this quilt, I just might get started on more blocks.

Omigosh! by Sandy Fuehrmeyer

 This next quilt is a 'house a day' quilt.  Since it was made during a leap year, it has 366 tiny houses in the quilt. 

A Year of Scrappy Houses by Christine Williams

Fantasy Garden by Barbara White

International Sunbonnet Sue by Jo Sheppard

Sisters from Another Mother by Loose Threads Bee

Virginia Bound by Sandy Fuehrmeyer

Cactus Flower by Nan Connors

Scrappy Baskets by Sandy Piatak

Scrappy Baskets by Sandy Piatak, upclose

 I just love Dresden plate blocks.

Dresden Star with Flowers by Eileen Diercks

Penguins go Marching, Dressed to the Nines by Carol Marland

Checkmate! by Sharon Nichols

Twisting 'n Turning Weathervanes by Christine Williams

Christmas Traditions by Laura Eggers

 Another Dresden plate quilt.

Dresden Symmetry by Beth Higgins

Snowflake by Cathy Lucas

Which Way? by Barbara Wenker

Sampler "5" / Salt Box My Way by Linda Kennedy

Grandmother's Flower Garden by Jodie Nidey

This next quilt won 2 awards, Best of Show and 1st place in machine quilting.  The quilter who pieced and quilted this quilt, also quilted both my nieces quilt and my son's quilt (way down at the bottom of that post) and shams. 

Not My Colors by Julie Karlak (Best of Show & Machine quilting blue ribbon)

The next quilt was purchased as a quilt top, then finished by the quilter who purchased the top.  She hand quilted this top.

Vintage 1940 Pieced quilt, unknown piecer, quilted by Geri MacRoy

Minnie Mae by Jan Mueller

I had to include this next quilt.  Another fellow blogger, Barbara over at Cat Patches, is working on this same quilt design.  When I saw this quilt, I thought of Barbara.

Embroidered Snow Ladies by Christie Hardt

Old MacDonald by Carol Marland

 There were two of this quilt in the show, each slightly different in colors.  The maker has twin granddaughters.  I'm just showing one of the quilts.

Ania's Tumbling Monkeys by Lynn Poulos

Owen's Railroad by Lynn Poulos

 This is the finale quilt.  I've seen this quilt before, and would love to make one like it some day.  Wouldn't it look great in my booth?

The Quilter by Nan Connors

I hope you enjoyed the show.  Sorry I couldn't include all the quilts.  My poor camera was tired by the end of the show.

PS:  I had two book authors near my booth.  One I'll post about next month, after she presents at my little quilt guild.  The other author posted about the show, and included a picture of me on her post (thanks Karen).  I have her first book, The Bunco Club, and am now waiting for the next book to come out.  Check out Karen's blog post.