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.