I attended the Michigan TOGA this weekend, in Battle Creek. The festivities start on Friday evening, with dinner out for anyone who arrives early, and end on Sunday morning, with breakfast for anyone who's still around. I was there for all of it
:)
A TOGA is a gathering of
Treadle On vintage sewing machine collectors (one vintage machine starts a collection). There are TOGA's held all across the country. I've been lucky enough to attend several of them, in several locations, over the years. This is my third year at the Michigan TOGA.
Saturday is the main day for the Michigan TOGA. We all meet at Sharon's home. LOTS of lovely machines in Sharon's collection for us to drool over (pictures of them at these two previous posts
here and
here).
Patience gave a great demo on sewing machine tension. I really needed this, since my
'Victor' treadle hasn't been working properly for some time now. During the demo, I finally figured out why. I bought a machine that uses a class 15 bobbin case, but, the bobbin case was missing. I 'borrowed' Victor's bobbin case, and put another bobbin case in Victor, later. The bobbin case I put in Victor was too tight. Everything stitches nicely now!
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| Esther working on her hand crank |
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| Suzanne, listening to the demo |
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| Patience, teaching the tension class (with Mary Ellen looking on) |
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| Cathy and Shar, watching the tension demo |
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| Diana, listening to the demo |
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| all the stitches I made, trying to fix Victor's tension |
Patience did a great demo class. We all really learned a lot about the tension on our machines. Thanks Patience!
Of course, at a TOGA, there is food and raffle prizes.
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| waiting for lunch to be ready |
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| raffle table |
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| some of the machines for the raffle table |
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| another machine, and goodies for the raffle |
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| hmmm....wonder what is in this sack? |
I didn't get the mystery sack, and, I wasn't in the same room as the person who won it, so, I don't know what was in it:(
A couple of hubby's also attended the TOGA.
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| Harry & Charlie |
We had the block exchange. Seven of us participated this year (no pictures of me and my block, sorry).
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| Sharon and her block |
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| Carol |
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| Beth |
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| Diana |
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| Linda |
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| Suzanne |
What's a TOGA without someone to host it!?! Here is our hostess with the mostess! Thanks for hosting us, Sharon!
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| Sharon, whom's home is where we meet |
A couple local ladies also came.
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| oops, I didn't get their names, sorry |
Last year, we decided to have an 'Ugly' fabric challenge. We could bring 1 or more 'ugly' fabrics, and exchange them. We had to make something with the 'ugly' fabrics we got, and bring them back to this year's TOGA. Here are the projects that came back this year.
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| Diana made a headband with one of the ugly fabrics I brought last year |
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| Suzanne used the ugly fabric she got, and also used one of her sisters ugly fabrics (that I donated last year) for the sashing for her little quilt |
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| Carol used one of her ugly fabrics for her exchange block (I donated this fabric last year) |
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| Carol with her quilt top, using all 4 of her ugly fabrics from last year |
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| my first ugly fabric, the large polka dots, made into a sewing machine mat |
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| my 2nd ugly fabric, the polka dots. I also made 2 'bonus' projects, but, forgot to take pictures of them) |
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| Sharon with her 'hobo' purse, that she made with her ugly fabrics |
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| Shar, with one of the aprons she made, with one of her ugly fabrics |
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| Shar modeling her first apron, while the 2nd one is in the bag |
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| Shar's 3rd ugly fabric apron |
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| Beth's quilt, using her ugly fabric (the pink in the left star) |
We also drew new 'Ugly' fabrics. Our projects are due at the TOGA next year. I lucked out again, and got a great fabric.
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| me and the fabric I drew this year |
I did a demo on how to make
pin cushion thread catchers. I didn't take any pictures (of course), but, you can learn by checking out the tutorial above. My two 'bonus' projects using my two 'ugly' fabrics were pin cushion thread catchers, to match the sewing machine mats. The pin cushion thread catchers were part of my demo, and aren't finished yet.
Here are some more random pictures from the TOGA.
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| Sharon and Diana |
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| Sharon and Cathy |
Somehow I missed getting a picture of Tina, so, I'm showing a picture of her from 2013. Somehow I missed getting a picture of her last year, too.
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| Sandra, Tina and Shar, at the 2014 Michigan TOGA |
I did want to show one of the items I got off the raffle table. It's the only machine I came home with this year, that I didn't bring.
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| White Rotary case |
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| White Rotary #FR2369345 |
I looked at the manual, and, some pictures fell out, along with an instruction sheet & threading hooks for a Singer Touch & Sew machine)
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| I wonder who these boys are? |
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| more bobbins and a bobbin case |
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| rewired White friction motor and a random foot pedal |
I did plug the machine it, but, something must be loose. Maybe hubby can figure it out later.
Hope all of you had as fun a weekend as I did!
