Only a bit of sewing this week

 I haven't done much sewing this week.  I did finish the second Striped Circle quilt top.  It finished at 59 1/2" x 77 1/2".  

2nd Striped Circle quilt top

The Striped Circle quilt top was my 'January' challenge for my little quilt guild's UFO Challenge.  I did pretty well, considering I finished TWO quilt tops, not just one quilt top.  All we had to do was work on the January UFO during the month.  We didn't have to complete it.  I have so many UFO's that I also have a 'Bonus UFO' listed for each month.  I haven't worked on my January 'Bonus UFO' yet, but, I still have another day.  I have worked on another month's 'Bonus UFO' and I'm almost finished with it (stitching Pin Cushion Thread Catchers closed).  I only have 2 of the 10 I made, left to stitch closed.  Not bad.

I also made 2 fabric postcards in a Zoom class today.  They were fun to make, and pretty quick.  

front of both postcards

back of postcard

Yes, these can go thru the mail.  The stamp has to be sticky backed, not a 'lickable' stamp (those have to be sewn on or glued).  

My Treadle On group is having an Attachment block exchange. For this exchange we have to use one of the attachments that fits one of our treadle or hand crank sewing machines (ex: ruffler, tucker, binder, etc.).  I've never used any of my attachments before, other than a zipper foot.  I didn't even know what attachments I had.  I started going thru the attachments that I've collected at thrift stores and antique shops over the years.  I decided to make a list of what I have and keep it on the computer.  I listed the name of the attachment, who it is made by (if known) and the part number, along with the shank info (low, slant, high, top or back clamp).  This will be a work in progress for a long time, since I keep any attachments that came with a particular machine, with that machine.  I do know that the random attachments I've collected are many.  I'm also listing them by 'box' or 'tin' (ex: Red metal Accessories tin) or what machine they are with.  This way I'll be able to find specific attachments when I want them.  Next I'll have to learn how to use these attachments to make blocks.  A nice learning experience for me.

My 1913 Willcox & Gibbs treadle  has been busy traveling this past week.  Last Saturday it was picked up in Flagstaff, AZ by a friend of my nieces and driven to Albuquerque.  On Monday, my sister-in-law picked it up from my niece.  That evening, she passed it on to someone else to drive to Silver City, NM.  On Wednesday, it was picked up in Silver City.  My friends who picked it up will have it until late March, when they will be heading to Wisconsin, which is when I'll finally get it.  Woohoo!  Till then, it gets to visit Texas, Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois (in their RV).  

Some quick finishes

I made some project bags last week.  One was for a friend's birthday.  It matches the pin cushion thread catcher she got at our large quilt guild's December Pin Cushion exchange (she picked the one I made).

Marilyn's project bag

rotary cutter zipper pull

I also made 2 more project bags using pre-quilted backs that I got at one of the Michigan TOGA's (I think Gina stitched them).  They were 1/2 inch too short, so I just cut the whole project bags down by half an inch.  These will go on the raffle tables at the Texarkana & Missouri TOGA's later this year.  I decided to put the 'white' part on the inside, since you won't be able to see the inside of the project bag when it has projects in it.  

I also put the apron and 2 of the pin cushion thread catchers in the mail yesterday.  I did remember to take photos of the pin cushion thread catchers this time.  These look just like the ones that were given away in December (when I forgot to take photos then).  The one on the left is the same as the one that Marilyn got in our guild's pin cushion exchange.  If  you want to make a Pin Cushion Thread Catcher, I have a tutorial here.

I found more striped fabrics that I'd pulled out when I started the Striped Circle quilt.  I may have enough to make backings for both quilt tops, and enough to add to the 2nd quilt top to make it larger.  

For those that are keeping up with my 1913 Willcox & Gibbs treadle pony ride, the machine is moving from Flagstaff, Arizona to Albuquerque, New Mexico today.  I'm working on options for getting it the rest of the way to me.  Hopefully I'll know something later this week.

First finish of 2022 & More

 It's been hard to get to my keyboard these past few weeks.  The puppy wants to lay in my lap, and that blocks the keyboard.

laying in my lap, blocking the keyboard

We named the puppy.  His AKC name is Dread Pirate Roberts, but we're calling him Westley.  His name comes from the movie The Princess Bride. Westley has been supervising what sewing I've been getting done this year.

My little quilt guild, Wego Quiltin' is having a UFO Challenge this year.  I had everyone list 12 different UFO's.  Each month, I will draw a number, and everyone will work on that UFO for the month.  Since I have soooooo many UFO's, I listed at least 2 different UFO's for each month.  We drew #12 to work on in January. This is my #12 list:

12.  Striped Circles Shadow quilt (Wego Holiday Party– Dec 2019) *BONUS – Halloween table runners (3) & placemats (Fall 2010 on 1896 Singer 15 treadle)

Back in December 2019, I was given the striped charm squares that Thelma won at my little quilt guild's Holiday party.  We're supposed to bring a finished quilt top by the next Holiday party, but, since I didn't win the charm squares (Thelma won them), I didn't get my quilt top finished until last week.  The blocks have been done since late Spring 2021, waiting for me to get back to them.  Sorry for the photos, but I haven't had a place to take photos.  

Striped Circles quilt top

After I took this photo, I noticed that I accidentally got 2 matching circles next to each other. 

Oops!  2 matching circles next to each other

Since these circles are all hand appliqued onto each square, this was a simple fix.  I just took the bottom circle off and put another circle in it's place.  

corrected

finished 'corrected' quilt top

Woohoo!  My first finish of 2022!  Well, I still had lots of charm squares (I'd cut out dozens of them after the Holiday party) and I also still had leftover striped circles.  I figured I'd use them on the back of the quilt.  

1st stack of leftover striped charm squares

2nd stack of striped charm squares

stitching striped charm squares together on my 1927 Singer 15 hand crank sewing machine

All the circles had been stitched on the machine above, so I figured everything else would also be stitched on the same machine.  I did hand applique all the circles onto the background squares.

Well, I started laying out the rows of striped charm squares, and was trying to figure out where to use the rest of the striped circles.  After looking at the rows, etc, I began thinking that this looked like a whole other quilt top, not a backing.  Hmmm....

looks more like another quilt top than a backing

I've been sewing the circles onto the cream strips.  I have Ladies Crafting at church today, and that is my hand project that I'll be working on.  I'm slow at hand work, so this will take me some time to get all the circles stitched down.  Do you think this should be another quilt top, or just the backing of the Striped Circle Shadows quilt????  Let me know what you think in the comments below, please (my email address is listed under my profile, if you can't comment below).

Back in December, I made an apron for the lady who picked up my 1913 Willcox & Gibbs treadle in Santa Monica, CA.  Nancy held the treadle from October until early December.  We'd chatted that she had an apron that she loved, but it needed to be replaced.  It didn't tie, but instead, it had straps that crossed on the back.  Well, I found an apron pattern online that sounded like the apron she wanted replaced.  

Tessuti Apron pattern

The Tessuti Apron pattern was a free download.  The pattern suggests a heavier fabric, but I wanted to use some of my sewing themed fabric.  It worked well.  I did change how the pocket was done, since I used black fabric, and I wanted the pocket to show up.  I added piping and lace around the pocket.  I also added one of my tags to the pocket. Since regular quilting cotton fabric isn't wide enough for this pattern (it calls for 60" wide fabric), I had to piece the fabric to make it work.  I carefully added fabric where needed and felled the seams so that it would look nice. This apron will be headed to Nancy next week.

front of apron

back of apron

piping & lace added to the pocket

my tag

back of my tag

felled seams, to make the fabric wide enough

I also picked up another sewing machine in December.  A lady in the Chicago area was selling all of her Willcox & Gibbs sewing machines.  I got first pick, and I bought an electric (yes, electric sewing machine).  Now I own all three styles of Willcox & Gibbs sewing machines (hand crank, treadle & electric).  This is my new electric.

1925 W&G electric

W&G with the foot pedal

The foot pedal on the electric W&G is HEAVY!!!  I think that it weighs at least 10 pounds!  The machine, in it's box, with the motor and foot pedal weighs 40-50 pounds.  You have to be strong to haul around the electrics.  The hand crank, on the other hand, only weighs 1.5 - 2 pounds total.  

When I picked up my new electric W&G, I also picked up 4 other W&G machines for a friend (treadle, electric in a cabinet and 2 more portable electrics).  

Lisa's treadle

Lisa's electric in cabinet

Lisa's electric #1

Lisa's electric #2

On Christmas Eve, I picked up another machine, from another local person.  I'm holding this machine for someone on the East Coast.

German hand crank

I'll be taking all 5 machines to the Texarkana TOGA later this Spring.  

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Weight Loss update:

Woohoo!  I have now lost 82 pounds.  I'll be going on maintenance, also under doctor supervision, after my next appointment (next Wednesday).  I'm down in size 12 pants (and a few size 10's, too).  My goal was to get to size 12 again.  I'll be on maintenance for 6 months.  I can't wait to add more calories to my diet.  The changes I've made are lifestyle changes, but I will get to re-introduce some favorites back into my diet, even though I'll have to be careful what I eat from now on.  The thing I'm missing the most the last 6 weeks is my Meijers Purple Cow Chocolate Frozen Yogurt.  It's even out of stock online.  Darn all these food supply chain shortages.  

Don't forget to let me know what you think about the Striped Circles quilt tops!