Batavia Quilt Show

I went to the Batavia Quilt Show this afternoon.  It will also be open on Saturday and Sunday.  I haven't gotten to attend this show for a couple of years, since it was the same weekend as the Michigan TOGA.  The TOGA was moved up a month this year, so, I got to attend again.  I also put a quilt in the show this year.  

I took lots of pictures, but, this is only part of the show.  The theme this year is quilted memories (weddings, births, special events, etc).  Not all quilts had to fit this category.
(you can click on each photo to make it larger).

 This next quilt is all  hand pieced.

 The next quilter is a quilty friend of mine. There are quilts by several of my quilty friends in this show.

 Next is the quilt I entered in the show.  I know you have all seen it before.  Intertwined, my son's wedding quilt. 

 This is the third quilt show this quilt has been in this year.  This is the first time that they have shown the back of the quilt (fully).  It got lots of comments while I was around it.  

The next quilt was a total surprise to me.  I'm a member of Treadle On.  It is a group for treadle and hand crank machines.  It was started around 1998.  I've been a member since 2009.  Treadle On has block exchanges frequently.  This quilt is from one of the earlier exchanges, yet, I recognized several of the names, and people I've received blocks from in later block exchanges.   Two of the blocks below are from the founder and former leader of Treadle On, Captain Dick.  What a special quilt!

 I guess I need to get my Treadle on blocks out and make something with them.  

Here are more quilts.

 This next quilt is HUGE!  I've never seen anything like it before.

This next quilt is similar to the Rectangle Island quilt I made last year.   

There were a few vintage baby quilts, too.

I've had several family members live in Albuquerque over the decades.  We were there in May for a family wedding.  Of course, this quilt caught my eye.

I have this pattern somewhere.  I really need to find it and make it.

There is also a vendors mall at this quilt show.  I was excited, since I needed book #4 in the Bunco Club Series, by Karen DeWitt.   I met Karen at this quilt show, several years ago, when her first book came out.  Her last book came out this Spring.  

Karen DeWitt, author

 Karen and I follow each other's blogs, and see each other at various quilt shows.  We've been vendors at the same show twice now (my large quilt guild, Pride of the Prairie).

I highly recommend reading Karen's books.  They are about a group of Bunco players and friends, and they also quilt.  Karen has done a wonderful job of character development throughout the series.  You'll want to read each book, to find out more about each Bunco character.  

I hope you enjoyed the quilt show.  I'll be heading to Ottawa, IL in the morning, to attend another quilt show.  Yes, I'll be taking pictures.

 

Walker Bags

My little quilt guild, Wego Quiltin', is making walker bags for the Illinois Veterans.  We used to make lap quilts, but, they get lots and lots of those. 

On Saturday, we had a sew-in.  I finished 2 walker bags.  I would have finished a third, but, I sewed the velcro on the wrong side, and didn't figure it out till I had the lining attached.  One of these days I'll unstitch all of it, and finish that one.  I use a tiny, tiny stitch with my vintage machines, so, I hate to rip the stitches out. 

Here are my two finished walker bags.

1st walker bag

2nd walker bag

There were a total of 23 walker bags turned in at last nights meeting.

stack of finished walker bags

We'll be making these for a few more months.  We will take them to the Veterans Administration in November. 

I finished the embroidery on the 2nd block of my Be Attitudes blocks.  I started block 3 yesterday.  Here are the first 2 finished blocks.  Remember, they still need buttons for eyes and Santa's hat.

first two Be Attitude blocks embroidered

I'm enjoying working on these blocks, but, I think I'm using them to avoid working on my projects that have 'due dates' on them.  I'm just not motivated to start on those. 

Some things for Me

I've been meaning to make myself a couple of items, but, I never seem to have the time.  Yesterday I took the time. 

First, I've wanted a travel pillowcase for myself for a long time.  I made two for hubby way back in Jan 2014.  Yesterday, I finally made one for me.

travel pillowcase for me

I don't like zippers

Second, I made hubby some travel trays last summer.  I've been wanting one ever since, but, haven't taken the time to make one for myself.   When we were in Albuquerque in May, I found the perfect fat quarter for this project.  I added some sewing themed fabric to it, and....

4 travel trays

travel trays, layed flat

Two with the glasses fabric up, and two with the sewing themed fabric up.  I used little velcro dots for the corners (NOT sticky back) and stitched them. 

I had some extra fabric from the project, so, I played around and made a couple of other things.  I made two different sized glasses cases, and, I had a tiny piece left, and made a scissors holder with it.

front of cases

back of cases

I've also been working on my Be Attitudes stitching.  I finished the first block.  It just needs some beads for Santa's eyes and a button for the end of his cap.

Be Attitudes blocks, stitched

I've started on the second Be Attitudes block (yes, I'm working backwards, from Dec).  I did more stitching on it after I took the picture last night.

stitching on Be Attitudes block

I have several projects with 'due dates'.  I decided I'd better make a list, so that I can get started on them.  Lots of other projects didn't get listed, since they don't have 'due dates'.

my To Do list (partial)

The Reunion quilts are at the top of the list.  I'm making two identical quilts.  I  had family members sign two blocks each.  One quilt will be raffled off, and the other quilt is for me.  Hubby says I can't finish the raffle quilt till my quilt is finished.  He figures my quilt would never get finished otherwise (smart hubby).  The family reunion is in October.  I guess I'd better get started on these. 

Saturday, my little quilt guild is having a sew-in.  We will be making walker bags for the Veterans homes in Illinois.  I've pulled out some fabrics, but, I still need to cut them out, and gather the supplies. 

What are you working on this weekend?

Keeping Busy!

We went to Oklahoma, June 21-27.  Our youngest son and his wife flew down from Anchorage, for a wedding.  We were his chauffeur and rental car for the week.  We stayed with friends, and I brought a machine, and some projects, but, I didn't get as much sewing in as I planned.  Hubby had to work from our friends home for several days, while we were there, so, I figured, since my son would have my car, I'd have lots of time for stitching.

I did get started on a baby quilt for a friends great-great- grandson, that is due in November.  I fussy cut some cute baby jungle animals, and, made some churn dash blocks.  I just love churn dash blocks for baby quilts.  I made 2 of each animal in each block.

12  12" blocks make a perfect size for a baby quilt.  I'll back it with Minkee.  All of this is from my stash (including the Minkee).

Thursday evening was Ladies Crafting at my church.  I didn't want to take a machine this time, so, I pulled out an old project that I won last year, and started on it.  I won these blocks from Kathy at K's Qwilting Korner last October. I found embroidery floss to match the fabrics in the blocks, last fall, and, its all been sitting in the bucket, just waiting for me to pull it out and work on it.  Well, I've been stitching away since Thursday evening.  I stitched for several hours on Sunday.  Our dogs don't like the fireworks, so, I turned on the DVD player in my sewing room, and locked us all in there, to muffle as much fireworks sounds as I could.  After all that time stitching, this block is almost done.  I'm sure there will be another marathon session of stitching tonight, too, since there will be more fireworks going on in our neighborhood.

almost all stitched

Last summer, at the 2015 Michigan TOGA, I won a 1881 Singer 12 treadle off the raffle table.  The machine was frozen, and someone had painted 'antiquing' paint on the already antique treadle base.  I got the machine head un-frozen last fall, after lots of work.  I also got a shuttle and bobbin for it.  I couldn't test it out, since I didn't have needles for it.  Well, Tina sent me some needles for this machine.  Now I HAD to finish restoring this treadle.

1881 Singer 12 treadle, with the ugly 'antiquing' paint on the base

1881 Singer 12 treadle head before any cleaning

I've been stripping the wooden base for a couple of days now.  It took 3 trips to Home Depot before I finally found a product that would actually strip the paint off.  I tried 2 different 'Environmentally Safe' products first.  Waste of time and money, since neither one even started to strip anything.  Third time was the charm.

top of un-stripped treadle, with the antiquing paint on it

up close, you can see where they painted this with the fiddlebase machine still in the cabinet.  I cleaned the paint off the edge of the machine when I cleaned it last fall. 

only place on the whole base that looked almost nice, with that ugly 'antiquing' paint on it

they only did part of the drawer cabinet, where the treadle irons go

front of drawers with paint on them

I forgot to take pictures of the coffin top lid before I stripped it.  I'd forgotten it when I stripped the treadle base.  The coffin lid is broken is several places. and, I'll repair it after it is stripped and sanded.  You can see the ugly paint on the coffin lid in the first treadle picture.

Here is what the base and coffin lid look like now, after stripping.  I still need to sand several areas before I can stain the wood.

bottom of coffin lid, after removing the paint, unfortunately, it took most of the decal off, too, since they painted heavily over it

top of coffin lid, after removing the paint

top of treadle base, after removing the paint

This is the product that I used.

Yes, I used chemically safe gloves.  Unfortunately, I kept getting a bit of the stripper on my arm, above the gloves.  It didn't burn on Saturday, when I got it on my arms, but, it did this morning. OUCH!

chemical burn on my arm from the stripper

Today is the last 'cool' and 'dry' day around here, so, this project won't get much done on it in the next week.

I want to finish this treadle so that I can display and hopefully use this treadle at the next Lyon's Farm Fall Festival, in September.  I didn't get to be in this festival last year, since I was in Texas.  I have lots of new (to me) machines to display this time.