Stitching! Stitching! Stitching!

I've been busy stitching the past 2 weeks.  Here is the proof.

Bear Paw QAL

So far, I've prepared 560 of the 960 Half Square Triangles needed for the Bear Paw Quilt Along.  I've also cut out what is needed to make all the Bear Paw blocks.  I've stitched 4 blocks so far (lots and lots left, of course).

First 4 blocks stitched

This is what 560 1.5" HST's look like.

560 HST's

Of course, I still need to cut, trim, iron and pull papers on another 400 HST's.

10 pages of Triangulations, ready to be cut into 400 HST's

Here is what else I've cut, so far.

squares for blocks

sashings for blocks

I can relax now, now that I have so much cut, ready to stitch. 




At the Fall Festival, I worked on several projects.  Of course, since I was demo'ing some of my vintage machines, I had to use several of them.


I started straight line quilting on this baby quilt, on my 'Victor' treadle.

baby quilt

Post WWII Japanese Class 15 treadle 'Victor'

I started making some more purses, too.  I only got this far on two of them.

parts of purse, stitched

parts of purse, stitched

I had started on 2 other purses, the week before. 

OU purse #1

OU purse #2

These purses are being made on 'Betty Sue'

1939 Singer 221 Featherweight 'Betty Sue'

This is what the finished purses will look like.

Finished purse from August

I also started on a wall hanging, and got the top of it finished on Monday.

wall hanging

All the fabrics, other than the solid purple, are sewing themed fabrics.


This wall hanging was stitched on a hand crank. 

1927 Singer 15 hand crank

I'm also using this machine to stitch the Bear Paw blocks.  I love my hand cranks.  Sew relaxing to stitch on. 


Not bad, considering that I had to set up, and take down the booth at Fall Festival last weekend, too.  Yes, all the machines were put up quickly. 

Lyon's Farm Fall Festival Demo 2016

This weekend is the Lyon's Farm Fall Festival.  This is the fifth time I've set up my machines for this festival.  My friend, Marilyn came today and stitched with me for a while.  I started off the day by working on the quilting on this baby quilt.  I only got about half of the quilting done on it.

Post WWII series 15 treadle 'Victor'

Here are close up pictures of the machines on this table

1880 Willcox & Gibbs chainstitch hand crank (my oldest machine)

1923 Singer 128 hand crank

 This next machine is the one that I let all the kids try out.  Some didn't want to quit hand cranking.

1914 Singer 66K hand crank

1927 Singer 15 hand crank

And here are close up pictures of the machines on this table

Early to mid 1880's Wheeler & Wilson #8

Early 1900's Gritzner VS hand crank

1950's Betsy Ross toy chainstitch (electric)

1911-1912 Bradbury VS hand crank

Post WWII Precision Home Mark Super DeLuxe (electric)

I hung a quilt from the PVC quilt frame that hubby made me a few weeks ago.

Grandmother's Flower Garden

My ironing board and iron (vintage for both, of course) sat near the display of an antique bedroom that is a display in the building.

bedroom furniture isn't mine, just the ironing board

And last, but not least

Up close of the last 2 machines.  The treadle is the one I've been working on restoring.  I finished the wood a few days ago.  I think it turned out pretty nice.  I still haven't had a chance to see if it sews or not.  This is my oldest treadle.

1881 Singer 12 treadle

1881 Singer 12 Treadle head

After lunch I started making purses on 'Betty Sue', my purple Featherweight. 

1939 Singer 221 Featherweight

While Marilyn was helping me in my booth, I got a chance to check out what else was going on at the Festival.  In the foundry, the man was selling these cute quilt hangers.  His wife is a quilter, and asked him to make large safety pins for hanging small quilts.  Of course I had to get one. 

jumbo safety pin quilt hanger (holds up to 19.5" quilt sleeve)

The festival was much quieter this year, than it has been in the past.  I'm hoping that more people show up tomorrow, since there will be an antique car show on Sunday. 

Bear Paw QAL and other things

I've just finished stitching 24 pages of Triangulations to make Half Square Triangles (HST's) for the Bear Paw QAL.  I'm making the large quilt, and it needs 938 HST's.  Using Triangulations, I'll have 960 HST's.  Of course, I'm using vintage machines for this Quilt Along.

1914 Singer 66K with Lotus decals

I love using hand cranks for any kind of paper piecing.  Yes, Triangulations is a form of paper piecing.  The HST's are 1.5" unfinished (1" finished).  I can get 40 HST's on each page of Triangulations.  That means that I sewed 24 pages of Triangulations.

24 pages of Triangulations, stitched

I still have to cut and iron these open, and pull out the papers.  I have Ladies Crafting tonight (at church), and hopefully I'll get lots done then.

I stitched these while watching The Sound of Music.  We lost Charmian Carr this past weekend.  She played Liesl.  The Sound of Music has been my favorite movie since I was tiny (yes, I'm older than the film, but not by much).

Charmian Carr as Liesl

I have been busy doing other things this week, too.  I assembled a baby quilt top, and got it basted (both spray basted and pin basted, just in case).

baby quilt, ready to be quilted

 I'm hoping to straight line quilt it at the Fall Festival this weekend, where I'll be demo'ing  some of my vintage machines.  I've decided on 12 machines to take.   I've been getting them ready.

some of the machines, how I'll display them

If anyone is near Yorkville, IL this weekend, stop by the Lyon's Farm Fall Festival (Rt 71), and come say 'hi' to me. 

Quilt Show

This afternoon I went to the Heritage Quilt Guilds Quilt Show.  They are celebrating 35 years.  I've always enjoyed this quilt show.

The Quilt Guilds Quilt

They had a challenge.  Evidently, everyone had to make a 2 color quilt, using cream and orange.  I didn't take pictures of who made each challenge quilt.

Also, on quite a few of the quilts, from the front door, to the back of the quilt show, had this attached. 

Tom can hang out on my quilts anytime

Now, on to some of the quilts.....

This next quilt was HUGE!  Her comments are touching.

This next quilt also had some touching comments.

This next quilt looks like stained glass.

And this quilt is for all of you cat lovers.

This quilt shows a great way to 'save' your childs baby clothes.

I did a double take when I saw this.  I just had to take pictures of it.

Gee, can you guess why I took pictures of the next 2 quilts????

I spent most of the day, before heading off to the quilt show, at my large quilt guilds sew-in.  I've been cutting out purses, and, today, I started sewing 2 of them together.  Each purse takes about 5 hours, just for the stitching.  Making 2 at a time is almost as easy as just making one (as long as the thread color is the same).  Here are some pictures I took while assembling the purses.  I still have lots left to do on each purse.  Hint, both of them are OU (University of Oklahoma) fabrics.  They are similar, but, slightly different.

one purse front (no pocket yet)

pocket for the purse

inside lining with pockets and trim

I'm not sure when these purses will get finished.  Next week is busy.  I have a sewing machine demo on Saturday and Sunday, at the Kendall County Historical Society's Lyon's Farm Fall Festival (say that 10 times).  So far, I've decided on at least 10 different machines to take.