Batesville, Arkansas

I've been to my family reunion, in Mountain View, Arkansas.  We just got back on Sunday evening.  We left the Sunday before, so that we'd have a few days to 'play' before the reunion. 

One of my 'play' days was in Batesville, Arkansas.  I met up with another vintage sewing machine collector at Marshall's Dry Goods.  I'd heard of this store, but, I wasn't prepared for the size of it.  They sell to the public, but, they also sell wholesale.  I didn't enter the HUGE wholesale area (thank goodness).  Thousands of bolts and flat folds of fabrics.  There were already thousands of fabrics on the retail side of the store.  When I arrived, there was a van with California plates, that was trying to figure out how to fit all the fabric in the back (it was STUFFED full). *(Hey people, they will ship).

Here is a picture of Deena and I.

me and Deena

I figured out that I purchased a little over 99 yards of fabric (Oh My)!  Thank goodness the most expensive quilting fabric they had was $4.99 a yard.  I purchased mostly $1.99 & $2.99 per yard fabrics, along with some $1 per yard scraps.  I do have plans for most of the fabrics.

probably for Quilts of Valor, etc

couldn't resist the 2nd from the bottom, and found more fabrics to go with it

sewing themed fabrics (yes, there were lots more, but, I was good)

background fabrics

misc fabrics I couldn't resist

After we left Marshall's. we went to lunch, then we went shopping at several antique shops in the area.  I only found a few things I couldn't resist. 

wooden toy hand crank

Of course, I found a great teapot.  Not only does it have a sewing machine on the top, but, it says 'Rosemont, IL' in two places (Rosemont is where the International Quilting Show is every year, and is only a bit over an hour from me).

sewing machine on top

one of the Rosemont, IL labels, and also London, that I've also been to

I love Jim Shore.  My mother in law bought this same figurine a few years ago.  I just had to have my own.

Jim Shore Thanksgiving figurine

These were just my Batesville goodies.  I'll have to meet up with Deena again, before the next reunion.  We had a great time together. 

I'll show more goodies in another post.  Hope you all had as fun a week as I did.

A Few New Things, and what I'm working on

I've gotten a few new things in the last week.

1927 Singer 15

 I went to a rummage sale last Saturday, and found this machine.  It's missing some parts (bobbin case, bobbins, clutch washer, etc).  It came in a cabinet (rough shape).  The cabinet is in the garage.  I doubt I'll keep the cabinet.

I spent the afternoon cleaning this machine.  Most of these pictures are BEFORE I cleaned the machine.  She does have some pretty decals. 

nice faceplate, old style tension, no bobbin case or bobbin, or bobbin slide plate

motor, foot control and wiring.  NO I didn't plug her in

lots of lint jammed in there.  I never could get the feed dogs out

cleaned machine in a base that hubby made last month

Despite all the missing parts, I 'borrowed' a bobbin case from a Kenmore (standard series 15 style), and got this machine to stitch nicely.  Now to order her a few parts, and some new wiring and a new foot pedal.



Yesterday I was asked to give someone a ride.  On the way home, I decided to stop at a thrift store.  I found this box.

Singer Monagrammer

for slant shank, zig-zag machines

everything was in the box, including the Styrofoam to protect the parts

every disk is there

This monogrammer will work on my Singer 401A slant shank sewing machine.  Woohoo!  I probably won't have time to play with this until early next year.

I also found a cute teapot that I just couldn't resist.

teapot

I love his antenna.  Isn't he cute!

I have been working in my sewing room.  I started some Christmas tree mini quilts.  I've appliqued around everything, and stitched all the ornaments onto each of the trees.

3 Christmas tree mini quilts

 I'm taking a break from sewing the binding on these.  They should be finished soon.  Two of these will be 'flying' off to Alaska soon.  One for my son, and one for his fiance'.  My son asked me to mail him a little Christmas tree for this year, when he moved to Alaska (like I'm going to pay a fortune to mail an artificial tree).  This wasn't what he asked for, but, it should work.  They can hang them on their walls (she is in a dorm, so, not much room).  I'm keeping the 3rd one for my sewing room.

Tomorrow is a Shop Hop.  6 quilt stores. Other than some backing for more table runners, I don't plan on buying much, since I don't need anything.  We'll see. 

Teapot Tuesday

It has been a long time since I've posted a teapot.  Here is my newest (to me) teapot.

I found this at an Estate Sale on Friday.  I didn't know that there was an Estate sale until I turned onto the street, headed somewhere else.  This teapot has a card in it that says:
"Happy Anniversary" on it.  The new owner of the teapot added a few notes to the card.  She wrote that they received it on 5/28/1980.  The teapot plays 'Tea for Two'. 

When I was growing up, my daddy would have tea parties for him and me.  He'd make cinnamon toast (his cinnamon toast was the best) and brew Constant Comet tea in a teapot that played 'Tea for Two' that my Aunt and Uncle had given my parents as a gift.  This teapot brought  back nice memories for me. 

When I showed some of the goodies I found last Friday on the last post, I forgot to show one thing.

Needlepoint

 

 

This needlepoint is DONE!  I paid fifty cents for it.  I am thinking that it would be a nice center for a mini quilt.  It does need a small bit of the black details to be finished, but, I think I can do that part.  I'm not familiar with needlepoint, but, I've done a bit of cross stitch before.  The kit does include the directions and extra thread.

Today is hubby's 50th Birthday.  Youngest son is off from school today, while the younger kids have testing, so, we're headed to take hubby to lunch.  I'll be taking him out to dinner with friends this evening.  We're having a big party on Saturday.  Oldest son is doing his best to get moved to his new dorm room (have to wait till the occupant moves out) so that he can drive in for the party. 

Teapot Tuesday! and some 'candy', too!

Newest teapot

Well, I'm still way behind on reading blog posts, but, I'm catching back up on posting here. 

candy tins

pincushion candy

pincushion candy

 This is my newest teapot.  My friend Betty sent me this teapot for Christmas.  She knows how much I love teapots.  The picture doesn't do it justice.

pincushion candy

pincushion candy

'white chocolate' pincushion candy

I have a pincushion exchange next Sunday for one of my guilds 'Holiday' party.  Yes, it is after Christmas.  That gives us all more time to relax and enjoy ourselves instead of stressing whether or not we can schedule in another party in December.  I saw some 'candy tin pincushions' on a blog a few weeks ago.  (Sorry, I don't remember which blog).  I thought they were cute.  I decided that I could make my own.  I found some candy tins at a thrift store, and bought some 'dark' chocolate, 'milk' chocolate and 'white' chocolate fabrics.  I used leftover cotton batting for the 'centers'. 

I just cut the 'chocolate' fabrics into circles, using the gold tins as a pattern.  I then folded batting and then folded the fabric around the batting and sewed it closed. 

For the little pieces, I cut squares of batting (about the same size as the tins) and brought the corners to the center a few times, then squished it together and wrapped the fabric around it and sewed it closed.  I then put each piece of 'chocolate' into muffin papers as I placed them in the tins. 

I made all of these pieces of 'chocolate' Sunday evening while I was at a Venturing meeting with my son and hubby.  I was only there as an 'extra' leader, so, I had plenty of time to make these.  The kids thought they looked like real chocolate turtles. 

Teapot Tuesday and a shop hop!

tiny dragon teapot

dragon saucer

Thimbles Quilt Shop quilt

panel from 'The Sew It Book Collection'

 This teapot is TINY!  I found it at a garage sale last week.  It's less than 2 inches tall, but, it's a REAL teapot, not one of the little resin ones.  This is actually made of china.  It has dragons on it, and it is hand painted.  I love the little teacup and saucer that came with it.  The details are so pretty, sorry they don't photograph very well.

up close of the panel

up close of the panel

Mrs. Sew & Sew

Punctuation by American Jane

Foundation by the Yard

doll dresses pan

Last week there was a 'shop hop' in my area.  There were seven shops in the hop, but, we stopped at eight shops, since the other ladies hadn't been to one of them before.  It is new.

We covered about 100 miles for this shop hop.  We've done more than that on another shop hop. 

One of the shops has a quilt hanging by the register.  It has their name above the little door on the quilt.  They even quilted some falling leaves on either side of the building.  They made this quilt a few years ago for another shop hop. 

My little guild (I'm in two guilds) is having a class to make ruler holders tomorrow.  Well, since I've been so busy with work, etc, I haven't had time to see if I have matching material to make the ruler holder out of my stash.  Oh No!  What's a girl to do?  I had to buy more fabric.  Terrible, isn't it ; )  I found some button fabric and some matching fabric at the first store.  Hmm... not enough color choices, guess I'll have to use the same fabric instead of over and over.  At another store, I found the panel that matches the button fabric, and the other matching fabrics.  Yipee!  Oh yea, the panel was on SALE!  I bought 2 panels, one for the lining, and one for 'later'.  I'm trying to decide if I should make an apron with it, or, fussy cut it for a pin cushion/thread catcher or, make a sewing machine mat with it.  Hmmm.... maybe all three (I tend to buy way more fabric than I'll need for a project).



I have a panel in my stash of the Mrs Sew & Sew.  I only have one pin cushion/thread catcher left, so, I need to make more.  I usually make about a dozen at a time.  I love these fabrics.  I may also make a sewing machine mat with them, too. 



Since I already needed to make some pin cushion/thread catchers, I'd found the off white Punctuation fabric in Texas last month.  I checked at each store to see if they had fabric from the line.  Finally, store #4 had some.  My shopping list was almost done.

Several years ago I tried to find some of this 'foundation by the yard' fabric.  One of the stores has it in stock now.  I bought the crazy quilt squares, since I want to make a crazy quilt one of these days.  I just need some more satins and velvets first.

A missionary couple at our church are having their first baby, a girl, near Christmas.  I'm hoping I can find the time to put some borders around this panel and machine quilt it before the baby comes.  I know, I know, I don't machine quilt.  I can do some 'in the ditch' machine quilting.  My friends all figured I could just quilt around the squares and where the 'rick rack' is.  Now if I can just find the time... I'm looking!!!!

I was a good girl on the shop hop.  I only bought one thing that wasn't on my shopping list (yes, I had a list).   I don't think there is another shop hop until February.  Oh well, we'll just have to make our own shop hop.  Yipee!

Teapot Tuesday & Something (re) finished

Art Deco cloisonné teapot

Ann's Train quilt top

I received this cloisonné teapot from a friends Aunt several years ago.   I had met her Aunt several times when my friend and I lived in Tulsa.  After my friend moved to Denver, I went for a visit, and we visited her Aunts home.  When her Aunt found out that I loved teapots, she took me into another room and handed me this teapot in the green box.  After oohing and aahing over it, she told me it was now mine.  This is an extra special teapot to me, especially since the Aunt has now died.

Top of Quilt top

 Ann's Train quilt is a re-do.  Ann had problems with this quilt top.  Serious problems!  The sashing was coming apart in lots of places, it also didn't fit properly in other places.  The block edges were torn in several places, too.  Ann gave this to me to see if I could fix it for her last fall.  A friend (thanks Kay) helped me to rip it all apart.  I had to cut the blocks down to save them.  I just couldn't fix all the rips.  I found some material that was a close match to the sashing and cornerstones and cut it to fit the new blocks.  I used the border fabric that had been on the quilt before I took it all apart.  Ann did lots of appliqué on this quilt top.  It was really hard to repair without sewing over the edges of the appliqué.  There are lots of bias edges in each square.  I brought this re-finished quilt top back to Ann in Texas.

As you can tell, I'm on another trip.  This is the last one for a while, thank goodness.  We came to Texas for my nieces wedding.  It was a wonderful wedding.  While I've been here, I've visited several thrift and antique stores.  LOTS of vintage machines, but, most of them are way overpriced.  I've also seen lots of lovely antique quilts.  I wish I'd taken some pictures.  I did buy one small wall hanging.  I'll take pictures of it when I get home.  I haven't bought much, but, I've sure had fun looking. 

Bottom of quilt top

New (old) things

Sewing Bird

 I have a Sewing Bird!  I'd heard of these, but, I'd never seen one, or, at least I hadn't since I knew what they were.  My mother gave me this one.  My mother who doesn't sew (AT ALL).  I'm not sure where she got this from.  It could have been my grandmother's (I doubt it) or it could have been my great aunt Clara's.

1889 Singer Treadle with Coffin Lid

1889 Singer 27 VS2 Fiddlebase

Darner box

Darner and box

antique curling iron

Mom has lots of Clara's things.  Personally, I don't think it looks like a bird, I think it looks like a dog, but, it's still a sewing bird.  I attached this to my oldest treadle.  I have three treadle sewing machines.  This one is a 1889 Singer 27 VS2 (vibrating shuttle) fiddlebase.  It was given to me last September, along with another treadle machine  I'll post about another time.  It is a lovely   machine.  I cleaned the irons and the wood base, but I still need to clean the head and adjust the tension.

I found the darner, in it's original box when I picked my oldest son up at college this week.  The original price states 50 cents for the darner, and 25 cents for the extra spring.  The box and the darner are both in really good shape.  Mine didn't come with the 'spring', but, since I probably won't ever use it, that is ok.  I'm sure I could use it on one of my ZZ (zig zag) machines. 

Japanese teapot

vintage table runner

vintage doilies

wood 'foot'

The curling iron came from my grandmother.  Mom has had it for quite a while.  Mom's been remodeling half the house, and wants to get rid of some stuff.  Since I love vintage things, I got the curling iron and the sewing bird.  They will both live in my guest bedroom, which is full of antiques and quilts. 

I found the Japanese teapot in the Goodwill store in San Angelo, when I was in Texas over Spring Break.  They had it behind the counter, but, they had a great price on it.  I love teapots, so, I just had to have it.  I am showing it from the back so you can see where  you put a candle in it to keep the tea warm.  In the opening there is a little china insert that will hold a tealight candle. 

I found the 1930's table runner at an antique shop in San Angelo.  It is damaged, but, still nice.  It is hand pieced and hand quilted.  I was surprised at how little they had it priced at.  I snatched it quickly before they could change the price ; )

I also found lots of doilies while on Spring Break.  I found some in Iowa, most in Missouri and some in Texas.  The ones at the bottom are more spool pin doilies, like I've posted about before (Thanks, Linda).  I couldn't believe I found them.  Now I can pick and choose which one I want to use on each machine.  The teal and the gold & cream doilies are just a bit larger than the spool pin doilies, but, I can use them on my white Janome e-machine.  The cream spool pin doilies don't show up on the e-machine.

I want to use the wooden 'foot' to make a thread holder like one I showed in an older post.  The other thread holder uses 'found items' to make the thread holder.  Now I just have to 'find' a few more pieces. 

*An update to an earlier post.  My friend's home is safe, thank goodness.  The fire stopped and turned just a mile from her home.  Unfortunately, another friend's ranch burned.  The firefighter's saved the house, but, everything else burned, including the barn that held his parents antiques.  Luckily, the 'Wildcat fire' didn't have any homes burned, but, it burned through over 158,000 acres.  There are still several wildfires burning throughout Texas, and more start every day.  Tornadoes throughout the South and Southeast, and flooding in several places.  So many people to pray for.  Now to find ways to help.