Weekend Stitching

I've been getting some cleaning and organizing done in my sewing room this weekend.  Despite that, I have gotten some stitching done.  

My husband wanted a little zipper bag.  He wanted one with the zipper slanted.  

zipper bag

zipper bag with business card in it

I wasn't sure this bag would hold what he wanted in it (credit card, DL, $$$) so I made him another one, just in case.

2nd zipper bag

Hubby loves the zipper bag with the slanted zipper.  I lined these with fusible interfacing, to give them more body and hopefully help them take more wear and tear since hubby will be using this as a wallet.

After making the zipper bags, I decided that I needed to organize my zippers.  I have a LOT of zippers.  I started collecting them for a wall quilt that I want to make (it's been on my to do list for about 15 years now).  I also started collecting zippers for the project bags that I make.  I had to divide the zippers up into 3 different boxes: one for smaller than 12", one for 12"-18", and one for 20" and longer.

While organizing (and looking for something) I found a project from many years ago.  My little quilt guild had a sew-in, back in 2016, and made walker bags. The first one I started, I stitched the velcro and the ties on incorrectly.  Instead of fixing the mistakes, I just put that one aside, and made 2 more (properly).  I'd totally forgotten the messed up walker bag until I found it today while looking for something else.  I decided to fix my mistakes and finish it.  I don't have a clue where the pattern is, so I just winged it. 

finished walker bag

Not to bad for just winging it.

Jennifer of Elefantz designs posted a new, free embroidery design on Friday.  Well, I'm making some mug rugs for the Missouri TOGA in June, and thought this design would go with one of the mugs I'd bought for the exchange.  I made the design smaller, to fit the size I wanted.  I've already started the embroidery.

Grace embroidery

I traced this off using Frixon pens in different colors.  The colors will help me remember what threads to use, since I'll be working on this while waiting for my client at his doctor's appointments this week.  It will be easier than trying to follow the pattern.  I'm using part of a cloth napkin that I'd cut the design off of.  No need to waste fabric.

I have other things that I should be working on, but I'm taking a break from those projects.  I needed a change of pace. 

What are YOU working on???

Weekend Fun and Things

 We went out of town for the weekend.  We went to a friends birthday party. 

Our friend and his dad cooked a 180 pound pig in their rotisserie cooker.  They have to wrap the pig in chicken wire so that it doesn't fall apart while cooking.

180 lb pig

It took 4 men about 1 1/2 hours to cut all the meat off the pig.

slicing up the pork

This party would be the first time I would be off my diet since I started it, back the end of January.  I was worried that I wouldn't be able to count calories or find foods that would work with my diet.  Part of why I was worried is that my weight loss has slowed down this past month (expected, but not appreciated).  I found lots that I could eat, and still stay with my diet.

my plate

I could easily count calories with these foods.  I guessed how much pork (2 servings, Yum!), and the other items were easy to calculate.  I was able to stick with my diet all weekend.

Our friends mother is a quilter and a friend of mine.  A few years ago I gave her a Singer 66 to put in her treadle base.  The machine she had was frozen.  During this visit, she gave me the machine that had been in the treadle.  I'll see if I can get it cleaned up and working.  She also sent me home with another machine to clean up and get working for her.  

front machine I'll clean for her, the back machine is now mine

She also sent 3 teapots home with me.  She remembered that I had a couple of vegetable teapots in my kitchen, so she gave me a bell pepper teapot.

She also gave me a pretty pottery teapot.

This copper and brass teapot has a longhorn cow on the spout.  How cute! Perfect for a (misplaced) Texas gal.

I got some sewing done before and after the trip.  I made 2 bumblebee blocks.  These will be made up into mug rugs.

On Monday, I received the Spring Basic TOBE (Treadle On Block Exchange) blocks in the mail.  Here are the blocks I mailed in.

4 sets of 8 blocks

Here are the blocks I got back.

I received 48 blocks from 2 countries (USA & Canada) from 12 participants (not including myself) from 10 states made on 17 different people powered sewing machines (treadles or hand cranks).  I love to participate in Treadle On block exchanges. 

I saw the weight loss doctor yesterday.  35 pounds lost so far.  She pointed out that I have met my 6 month goal in just 4 months.  Woohoo!  I celebrated with (frozen) lasagna, mushrooms, garlic toast and ice cream.  Don't worry, my calorie count for the day was right on track.  

I haven't gotten any sewing done in the past few days, but hopefully, with a 3 day weekend, I'll get lots stitched.  

March till now sewing

 Not nearly enough sewing has been going on since I posted in March.  Here is a quick catch-up.

I've had reproduction (Chinese) hand cranks to use on my sewing machines for many years. I found an original hand crank at a quilt store that was going out of business, several years ago, but the handle doesn't lock in place, so I haven't used it. I've been wanting an original hand crank, but hadn't come across another one.  Well, I ordered 2 of them from Helen Howes in England.  Helen is a parts supplier for vintage sewing machines, and also an art quilter.  She is very knowledgeable about vintage sewing machines.  The hand cranks arrived the end of March.

2 hand cranks in great condition

I installed one on my main hand crank.

1927 Singer 15 with an original hand crank

up close of the hand crank

Boy, I didn't know that there would be such a difference between a reproduction hand crank and an original hand crank.  The original hand crank is very quiet, turns easier, and doesn't have any 'loose' feel.  Now to figure out what machine will get the 2nd hand crank.

In April, I taught paper piecing to my little quilt guild, Wego Quiltin'.  I taught it on Zoom.  I clamped my phone so that it would be over my work surface, and tested the whole demonstration for my husband (I wanted to make sure that everyone could see what I was doing).  I could watch what I was doing on my laptop.  

testing my demo

bad lighting

better lighting

When you demo something, you need to make several samples.  I finally finished sewing all the different parts I used, together to make 6 butterfly blocks. 

my 6 finished blocks

I love to participate in block exchanges with my hand cranks and treadles.  Treadle On has several different exchanges each year.  Our Spring Basic exchange was 4 patch blocks.  We always try to have 2 'simple' exchanges each year, so that people who are learning how to use their treadles and hand cranks can participate.  I made 4 sets of 8 blocks each.  I like to use sewing themed fabrics for many of my block exchanges.

Spring Basic exchange blocks

I finished my March Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks (dark green).  I skipped the April blocks (light/bright blue) and started the May blocks (red).  I'll get back to the April blocks sometime this summer.  My dark green blocks look almost black in this photo.  They really are green.

March RSC dark green blocks

I finally finished all the blocks for the Harry Potter Castle quilts for my new grandson.  I've been so distracted lately that I kept making lots of mistakes and had to redo some blocks.  

One block was very frustrating.  The pattern says it makes a 10.5" x10.5" block.  Nope, it makes a 20.5" x 10.5" block.

WAY too big for this quilt

both blocks

I need the wand and quill to fit in a 4.5 x 10.5 window in the Castle.  These blocks will probably be put on the back of the quilts.  (yes, I make 2 matching paper pieced quilts for each grandchild, one for now, and one that I can put in my guild's quilt show, and save for later).

I finished the Hogwarts Crest blocks.

Hogwarts Crest

both blocks

Howler blocks.

Howler

both blocks

Hufflepuff  and Slytherin blocks.

Hufflepuff

both blocks

Slytherin

both blocks

I thought I'd finished the Gryffindor blocks, but they were missing something.

Oops!  Missing something on these blocks

Gryffindor blocks (correct)

both blocks

With the Ravenclaw Crest, I cut one of the corners on one of the blocks wrong.  Another stupid mistake because I was distracted.  You can't add a 1/4" seam allowance back, so I had to rip that block apart (very hard to do when the machine stitches at about 25 stitches to the inch) and re-make 2 parts of that block.  

Ravenclaw

both blocks

Since the wand and quill blocks were way too large to use, I had to make more blocks.  I chose the Elder Wand and Umbridge's quill.

Elder Wand

both blocks

Umbridge's quill

both blocks

Not nearly enough progress for almost 2 months sewing.  I still have the other baby quilt (Fractured Diamonds) to quilt.  I did at least get it basted. 

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Weight update:

I've lost 32 pounds so far, since the end of January.  The weight loss is slowing down now.  The doctor warned me that it would slow down after the first month or two.  It didn't start slowing down until the beginning of the 4th month (May).  I still have a long way to go.

For All of my Email Subscribers

 (This is a duplicate, since the other post got deleted with the Google blogger debacle yesterday).

Google is transitioning feedburner (how you currently get emails of my blog posts) as of July.  They are closing down the email subscriptions part at that time.

Several different bloggers have been working hard at finding a solution for this (that doesn't cost the blogger an arm and a leg).  Barbara over at Cat Patches found us a solution.  I suggest reading Barbara's blog post, especially the part about your settings.

Follow.it (the new subscription service) will be importing all of my subscribers to the new platform.  Until those new emails start arriving, I'll keep feedburner active (I don't want anyone to miss a blog post).

According to Barbara, there may be some ads at the bottom of each blog post email.  Follow.it has to pay the bills somehow (and I don't want to have to pay a fortune for everyone to keep getting my blog posts, especially since I don't make any money off the blog).

Thank you to all of you who subscribe to my blog.  

*I've added the NEW subscribe by email widget to my blog (right hand side, just below my followers list).  If, for some reason you don't start getting my blog posts from Follow.it (should be with this blog post), then please sign up with that widget.

Trials & Tribulations & New Family Members

 Sorry I haven't posted since March 26th.  I also quit reading blogs on that day (I did just get caught up with all the blogs I follow).

March and April were difficult months for me.  We lost a sweet young lady, Rachel, the beginning of March.  A day later, a friend was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer.  He died a month later.

March 25th, Debbie of Stitching Therapy sent an email to a few of her followers, to let us know that she had been diagnosed with cancer.  We lost Debbie on April 20th. 

Within a few days of Debbie's email, I found out that 2 more friends had cancer.  One has an aggressive brain tumor, and they have called in hospice for her.  The other one is doing well, so far.  

All of that dealt me some big blows.  As far as blogging was concerned, I just shut down.  

*don't look at the next 2 photos if you are squeemish...

Easter Sunday, my oldest son's birthday, he and hubby went to play disc golf. Someone thru a wild disc and yelled 'look out'!  My son turned to see what to look out for, and the disc hit him on his eyebrow and cut it open.  These disc's can travel 50-70 mph easily.  They have a hard edge, unlike a frisbee, which has rounded edges. 

The man who thru the disc apologized, and didn't finish his round.  Our son doesn't have health insurance, so hubby brought him home, and we fixed him up with butterfly bandages. 

AFTER we cleaned all the blood off

starting to heal

Thank goodness my son has healed well and only has a thin scar now.  

***Ok, you can see the rest of the photos now.

I also managed to get vaccinated during March/April. No side effects, either, thank goodness, other than a sore arm with the first shot.

NEW FAMILY MEMBERS:

April 16th, we adopted a dog.  Our last Alaskan Malamute, Ratchet, died last summer.  It was time to find a new one.  Meet Ziva, a 5 year old female Alaskan Malamute.

Ziva with her new family (Us)

Ziva

Our old dog, Katie, wasn't sure what to do with a new dog, but they are co-existing.  Katie is old (13 years) and doesn't play.  Ziva wants to play.  Ziva loves to go with my hubby and son to play disc golf.  

On April 20th, we got a new grandson!  Declan Asher is our 3rd grandchild.  

Declan Asher

Declan's big sister and brother love their new baby brother!  What with Covid and the fact that they all live in Alaska, we're not sure when we'll get to meet Declan face to face.  I also haven't finished Declan's baby quilts.  He's been using his brother's and sister's quilts.

I'll get caught up with my sewing in another blog post.