Goodies and an Exchange

Sorry ladies (and gents) but, I have the best Daughter in law.  Want proof?  Well, on Thursday, a box arrived on my doorstep.  Inside (besides one of the sweetest notes) were some great things.

When I was in Anchorage last August, my DIL took me to 5 different quilt stores (twice EACH), but, she visited one of the quilt stores that we didn't get to, and found some patterns for me.

3 patterns

My DIL didn't know that I follow Barbara Brackman's blog (middle pattern) she just saw it and thought of me. 

Next in the package was something else that she just knew I needed.  Hmmm.... RED and with sewing notions on it.  DUH!  Check out this great wallet she found.

front

back

Lastly, on the very bottom of the box, was a tiny little box.  Inside, it had a necklace (silver, even though it looks gold in the picture).

says 'Grandma'

See, I told you I had the best daughter in law! 


In yesterday's mail, I got a pin cushion from a pin cushion exchange I'm participating in.  This pin cushion came all the way from Norway.

Front, see the bee?

fun print on the back

Thanks Turiid! 

This is the pin cushion I sent to Turid.

pin cushion made for Turid in Norway

You can find the pattern for the Ladybug Pincushion here.  Since I'm doing 5 pin cushion exchanges, I made doubles of some of them, so, you'll be seeing another Ladybug pincushion in the next few weeks.  Yes, it was made on a hand crank sewing machine. 

While paper piecing the Wendy blocks, and sewing the last seam, my machine didn't want to go thru all of the layers.  That was strange, since it usually has no problems with all those layers.  When I finished that seam, and turned it over, I found out the reason it didn't want to sew ( but did sew, with help).  I'd sewn thru the flower head pin, several times.

see the thread still in the pin head?

I had to cut the pin out, then restitch that seam.  Not sure most machines could have sewn thru this, but, that lovely, 92 year old machine did.  Hmmm....... after that, I think maybe I should change the needle on that machine.

Hubby is back home, safe and sound.  I took yesterday off from sewing.  Now to start a new block. 

Stitching & a few other things!

****Special Announcement at the very bottom of the post****

Between the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop, the Michigan TOGA and being sick (worst sick I've been in years), I haven't gotten a lot of sewing done the past few weeks.  I've felt better this past week, so, I'm trying to play catch up.

First, I finally finished the second set of blocks for the Family Reunion quilts.  I make 2 matching quilts, so that they can raffle off the first one, and, the second one is for me.  That means double blocks.  The quilt I'm making this time is from TheElecticAbuela blog, and is called String Crossroads.

98 blocks (2 quilts worth)

up close of one block

her version (pattern on her blog)

I'm making my quilt in 1930's reproduction fabrics.  I still have the string blocks to make.

blocks left to make

The reunion isn't until October 2018, and I only needed the signature blocks finished (the 98 blocks above), so, I don't think I'll get started on the string blocks for a while.

In making these blocks, I did get a bonus gallon sized Ziplock bag full of mini Half Square Triangles.  I haven't ironed or trimmed any of these.  There are 552 Bonus HST's in this bag.

bonus bag of HST's

On Saturday, hubby and I traveled about 2 hours from here, to pick up a long arm table with a machine, that a friend found for me. 

12 foot long arm table in our trailer

machine that came with it

The lady's sister bought this around 1985-91.  The lady got it when her sister died, a few years ago.  When we got home, we realized that the table is too long to fit in our basement :(  Other than taking the sides off the solid wooden base (they are screwed on, and also stapled on the base) I don't know how to get it in our basement.  Hubby is still working on this, but, I don't think there is anything we can do to make it fit around the stupid corner, to get it down the stairs.  This is an older model, unlike the newer models, that can be folded up, or taken apart.  Waaa!  Does anyone in the Chicago area want a long arm base (with 3 rods)?  The good thing, is that this was free, so, I didn't spend anything more than gas money to get it.  There was a bonus.  The lady was going to throw out a portable sewing table, similar to  this one (sorry, the picture won't work.  Someone had cut out the machine area (roughly) and added wooden extensions to the legs.  We removed the extensions (made it too high to comfortably sew with a hand crank) and hubby will make the cut out area neater, when he gets a chance.  I forgot to take pictures.  I'll do that when hubby has finished his part.

Well, hubby is going hiking in the Uinta Mountains, in Utah.   He asked me to make a table runner for the lady who will be shuttling him and his fellow hiker.  I saw this table runner on the blog hop.  Unfortunately, it uses a specialty ruler, and, I haven't a clue how to use that ruler.  The blogger doesn't show how to use it, either.  After some guessing, I came up with these table runners.  The first one is in 'frost' fabrics, the other is in patriotic colors.

2 table runners

I still need to figure out what backing I'll use for these, and finish them.  Sorry about the picture.  The 'frost' one is really lovely, but, the picture doesn't make it very pretty.  It looks like ice and snow in real life.

On Sunday, I was given a great gift, from one of my beginning quilters, that I taught a few years ago.  She had vacationed in Wyoming, and brought this back from a local quilt shop.

perfect fabric for me, don't you think?

Row by Row pattern

another view of the blocks in the pattern

 Between the sewing machine fabric, and the boot in the Row by Row, she said that these spoke my name.  I've never done any of the Row by Row patterns before. 

My little quilt guild is having a name badge challenge.

Somewhere, buried in the basement, is my last name badge, with my first Wego Quiltin' car pin.  I put it up, in a safe place, years ago (remind me to NEVER put something in a safe place, since they always get lost that way).  The only rule is that we put our car on the badge.  Easy enough.

I'm in 2 quilt guilds.  I've been meaning to make a new badge holder for the larger guild, for a couple of years now.  This is what I've been using for the larger guild.

I found this at a thrift store a few years ago.  I added all the pins, over the years.  I knew I wanted something along these lines for both quilt guild badges.  Here is what I came up with.

Wego Quiltin' name badge, with my 'car' on a road

Pride of the Prairie name badge, with printed name tag in a plastic sleeve

Of course, I  had to put the pins on the new badges.  Here they are, with all the pins added. 

I forgot to take pictures of the backs, but, I used my practice piece, from my ruler class, as the backings.

ruler practice piece

No need to waste that practice piece.  Now it has become useful!

Well, at the very top of the blog post, I said that there would be a Special Announcement.  I was allowed to share this back on July 14th, but, I was driving to the Michigan TOGA, and the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop was going on.  I didn't want to add this to any of those blog posts.

I AM GOING TO BE A FIRST TIME GRANDMA!

The baby isn't due till February 15, 2018, so, I have plenty of time to start making things.  My daughter in law has chosen to decorate the nursery in Peter Pan.  I love Peter Pan, but, there isn't much out there to work with.  The last Peter Pan fabrics were printed in 2009, and I can't locate any (still) available.  I did find a great fabric at the JoAnn's in Battle Creek, MI, the night before the TOGA.

Pirate Map fabric

This fabric is on clearance at JoAnn's.  This is the only fabric I've found so far, that is good for Peter Pan.  I've bought all of it at 3 of 4 JoAnn's stores (one store was out already).  I should have enough to make several things now, for the nursery, etc. 

The few Peter Pan things I've been able to find, are some paper pieced patterns at Fandom in Stitches.  They have a Peter Pan block, 2 different Captain Hook blocks, Smee, and the Crocodile.  They also have a Tinkerbell block.  I made the Tinkerbell block a few years ago (another thing that I put up in a safe place, and now can't find).

missing Tinkerbell blocks

I messed up those Tinkerbell blocks (looks like she has white eyeshadow, where is should have been flesh colored material). 

Now I'm looking for Wendy, and some of the other characters, so that I can make a quilt.  If you know of anything, PLEASE let me know.  I do have a couple of the Tinkerbell fabrics, but, since we want it to be gender neutral, I can't use very much of those fabrics. 

I finally joined a social media site.  I joined Pinterest, so that I could save ideas and share them with my DIL.  I have a whole folder of Peter Pan nursery ideas.  I'm listed as Cheryl Parker, if you want to find me.  (contact me, and I can give you more info).

I'd better get back in the sewing room, since I have several projects due before the end of August.  I"m behind again!

Trip Goodies, etc!

I went on a 2 week trip.  What a great trip!  I started off by visiting a friend in Texarkana.  What a great few days we had!  When I was there, I saw a lovely 1940's buffet that she was selling.  Guess what came home with me?

1940's buffet

I had a great desk in that corner, but, the desk didn't have any storage, just a few tiny drawers.  Everything was stacked under the desk.  It was very 'crowded' on that desk. 

desk that was in that corner

Here is the cute desk, empty.  I'll have to find a new owner for this desk, since I don't have room for it. 

empty desk

What an improvement now....

new space

I still have room in the buffet for more storage.  This area will be a 'work in progress' for a bit, till I decide what I want out and what I want hidden.

Next, I visited my aunt and uncle, along with my cousin, her son, and all of his family.  Oops!  I kept forgetting to take pictures. 

The reason for the trip was to be at my step father's 80th birthday party!  I was his 'surprise' guest.  Boy was he surprised, when I walked in!  I don't know how it was still a secret from him, since most everyone else in my hometown knew I was coming (mom, in laws, BFF of 40 years, brother & family.....).

mom and Melvin, the birthday boy

I visited friends in Tulsa, on the way home.  What a great trip!

Of course, I visited a few shops on the trip.....Can't miss out on the shopping!  I was really good, and didn't get much this time.

sewing thread holder, tiny painted iron and vintage sewing box

vintage hankies and cute wooden shoe

just a few pieces of fabric, and a vintage needle threader

I think these are button hole scissors

a few patterns

a baggie stuffed with doilies

a couple of cute pot holders

vintage magazine and crossstitch

small table topper that matches my aqua machine

I did get some big scores, too!  I found a jumbo ziplock bag full of pre-cuts for $5.  Of course I grabbed it.  All but one piece of fabric came from Hancock Fabrics (sadly, now closed).

pre-cuts for $5 total

I also found a couple of quilts.  The first one I found in Little Rock.  Yes, it is pink (not my favorite color) BUT, if you look closely, you'll see why I had to have it.  TEAPOTS!

teapot fabric

signed on the back

And, my biggest score was a vintage quilt at a garage sale in Tulsa, only a couple of blocks from where we used to live.  I didn't even open the quilt until I got home. I just saw the corners. 

price tag I saw

corner I saw

what I saw when I got home

Someone had put a new binding on this, but, it's not a good binding.  I'll be replacing it when I can find material in one of the colors that is in the quilt (maybe the green).  Other than a few small stains, it is in great shape!  All hand pieced and hand quilted.  This is a large quilt (at least full sized).

When I got home, there was a package waiting for me.  I had participated in a HST exchange with Treadle On.  These are the blocks I made, sitting on the machines that I made them with.

2 sets of HST's

other 2 sets of HST's

These are the blocks I received.  Sorry, I haven't had time to set them out, so, you can't see them very well.  They are grouped by 'maker' (9 different makers). 

first 2 sets

2nd 2 sets

I have more of these, from other exchanges with Treadle On, and with different TOGA (Treadle On Gathering and Academy) groups.  Now to finally put them together into a quilt (or several).  Each block is 6.5" and is signed with the exchange it is from, the maker and their location, and what machine the block was made on.  I have blocks from all over the USA and even from a couple of different countries.  All blocks must be made on either a treadle or a hand crank sewing machine. 

Last night, was my little quilt guild, Wego Quiltin'.  We had an UGLY Fabric exchange back in January.  Last night was the 'reveal' of projects.  Oops!  I forgot to take pictures of all the great things people made.  Lets just say that we had everything from quilts (duh!) to sun dresses, bottle holders, tea cup/ teabag holders, purses and bags, placemats, zipper bags, etc.  What a creative group!  Not everyone that participated could attend, so, we are all bringing our projects back to the July meeting.  Maybe I'll remember to take pictures then.

Here are the items I made.  I brought 2 UGLY fabrics, and took 2 UGLY fabrics home.  The first UGLY fabric is a Thimbleberries fabric (she was tired of Thimbleberries).  The placemats will be for Meals on Wheels.  This quilt guild collects about 100 placemats each year, to be handed out near Christmas.  We try for holiday on one side, and neutral on the other side. 

UGLY fabric is folded on top of placemats

Ugly fabric is folded on top of project bags

As for my project bags, I gave 2 away on the trip, and I have 3 of them filled with projects.  That is half of them.  Hmmmm..... I might have to make a few more project bags......

This week is FULL.  I have 2 different quilt guild meetings, a quilt guild class, and Ladies Crafting on Saturday.  That is just he sewing things planned this week.  I was supposed to be at Quilts of Valor today, but, I'm just too tired! 

What have YOU been up too?