2026 Pride of the Prairie Quilt Show

My large quilt guild, Pride of the Prairie, had it's quilt show this past weekend.  We only have about 60 members, but 36 of those members entered 282 quilts & items.  I showed the 17 items I entered in the previous post.  I also had a booth with 14 of my vintage sewing machines (12 were hand cranks).

Here are some of the quilts from the show.  This first quilt is just one of the group quilts that the guild made for Quilts of Valor this past year (we made 3 Churn Dash quilts plus a few others, too).

Sharon won 1st place for her jacket.  I won 3rd place for my duffle bag in the same category (Miscellaneous).

Cathy won 1st place for her applique quilt.  You can easily see why.  I got 2nd place in the applique category.

Sandy made this Dresden Plate quilt.  I wish I'd taken a close up photo of her centers. The centers are fussy cut sewing themed circles.

Eileen likes Granny Squares, so she made this quilt. 

Look at all the hexagons that Lynn made.  Lovely!

I love how this pattern weaves around in Carol's quilt.

This quilt won for hand quilting.

Check out the 3-D effects on these quilts.

My friend Carole won 1st place for her Japanese Fans quilt.

The guild just celebrated 40 years.  There was a challenge to make Red & White mini quilts to celebrate.  Here are a few.

I had a booth with 14 of my vintage sewing machines.  My booth was in the perfect place.  It was the first booth you saw as you entered the vendor mall.  My booth was packed most of the weekend with people looking at the machines, and asking questions about how they can get their vintage sewing machines up and running.  I don't sell any of my machines in my booth (those are my 'special to me' machines), but I gave out LOTS of business cards so that they can email me questions about where to find parts, how to get the machines working, etc.  My friend, Annamaria helped me in my booth most of the weekend (and learned LOTS about my machines) while also working on a BOM quilt top for my other quilt guild (Wego Quiltin').  I used several of my oversized notions in my booth as decorations.  I made them for the Wego Quiltin' Annual Tea last September (lots of photos in last years blog posts).

I made the LOTR quilt in the background on a hand crank

I hope you enjoyed the quilt show.  

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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.  

2018 Missouri TOGA

I drove to the Missouri TOGA this past week.  A TOGA is a Treadle On Gathering & Academy (get together for vintage sewing machine lovers & collectors).  No, we do NOT wear sheets and party like crazy college students (like in Animal House). 

The day before the TOGA started, those of us that came early drove to Mansfield, MO, where Laura Ingalls Wilders home is (the one she lived in till she died, not any of the ones from the books).  It is the home where she wrote her books. 

Laura Ingalls Wilder home

It was a fun day, with eating, the museum, shopping and friends, new and old.  One of the things I bought was a prairie dress, made by Thelma, who came to the TOGA on Friday.  I think it will be fun to wear this dress at some of my vintage sewing machine demo's.

Thelma (who made both dresses) and me

On Friday, the TOGA started.  We had some of the people at the TOGA on both days, and some that could only come on one of the days.

I taught a class on my pin cushion thread catchers on Friday morning.  After that class, I did a demo on how to convert an electric machine to a hand crank.

Friday at the TOGA

still getting set up

Susan teaching someone how to hand crank

Stephanie watching Dennis work on a machine

Beth and her daughter, working on a pin cushion thread catcher

Stephanie

Missy, our hostess with the raffle quilt behind her

On Saturday, I taught a class on sewing machine mats.  The penguin mat and pin cushion thread catcher were made as a gift for Missy (who didn't have any time to make anything, since she was running the TOGA).   There were other classes and demo's on both days, too.

paper piecing class

paper piecing class

Several of us brought quilts to display around the room.

some of Stephanie's bags and mini quilts

quilts displayed, and some machines for sale

We have a raffle table at all the TOGA's.  Money from the raffles pays for the venue and any expenses to hold the TOGA. 

raffle tables

raffle tables

Of course there are vintage machines at the TOGA.  I didn't get pictures of all of them, but, here are a few.  I forgot to take pictures of the machines that I brought.  I only brought 3 machines to this TOGA (and didn't come home with any 'new' machines for once).

After the TOGA ended on Saturday night, and after we'd all packed up, the TOGAteer's who stayed in town, went to eat BBQ.  Here are the last of the bunch.

Dan & Sarah

Stephanie

Scott & Susan

Susan & Missy

I didn't get pictures of the raffle table items I came home with, or the fabric, etc, that I bought on this trip (yes, Ava has a GREAT quilt store in town). 

There were people from Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois and Ohio at the TOGA. 

It was a Great TOGA!  I can't wait till next year!  If you are near Missouri, contact me, and come to the TOGA next summer.