2016 Michigan TOGA

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!

Esther working on her hand crank

Suzanne, listening to the demo

Patience, teaching the tension class (with Mary Ellen looking on)

Cathy and Shar, watching the tension demo

Diana, listening to the demo

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. 

waiting for lunch to be ready

raffle table

some of the machines for the raffle table

another machine, and goodies for the raffle

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.

Harry & Charlie

We had the block exchange.  Seven of us participated this year (no pictures of me and my block, sorry).

Sharon and her block

Carol

Beth

Diana

Linda

Suzanne

What's a TOGA without someone to host it!?!  Here is our hostess with the mostess!  Thanks for hosting us, Sharon!

Sharon, whom's home is where we meet

A couple local ladies also came.

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.

Diana made a headband with one of the ugly fabrics I brought last year

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

Carol used one of her ugly fabrics for her exchange block (I donated this fabric last year)

Carol with her quilt top, using all 4 of her ugly fabrics from last  year

my first ugly fabric, the large polka dots, made into a sewing machine mat

my 2nd ugly fabric, the polka dots.  I also made 2 'bonus' projects, but, forgot to take pictures of them)

Sharon with her 'hobo' purse, that she made with her ugly fabrics

Shar, with one of the aprons she made, with one of her ugly fabrics

Shar modeling her first apron, while the 2nd one is in the bag

Shar's 3rd ugly fabric apron

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.

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.

Sharon and Diana

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. 

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.

White Rotary case

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)

I wonder who these boys are?

more bobbins and a bobbin case

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!

Slow Stitching Sunday (and Monday and Tuesday)

I finished some UFO's, finally.  I started some pin cushion thread catchers way back, last year, when I taught a class at my little quilt guild.  I'd done everything that I could do on a machine, but, I still needed to add the sand/walnut shells, and stitch them closed.  I also needed to stitch closed the opening in the thread catcher part, where you turn them right side out.  Really easy, but, I just never got around to doing it.

On Sunday afternoon, my son helped me add the walnut shells (sand for a few of them) to the pin cushion part.  I've been stitching them closed ever since.

9 Pin Cushion Thread Catchers, finished

All 9 of these are done now.

On Sunday, I also made up some 'demo' pin cushion thread catchers, in various stages of assembly.  I'll be doing a demo at the Michigan TOGA on Saturday.

I have a tutorial on how to make these on my blog.  Since I only printed out the instructions, without pictures, I figured I needed some examples to show the steps. 

I'll have 6 more pin cushion thread catchers to finish, by the end of the weekend. 

Some of the pin cushion thread catchers will be gifts, some will be sold at my family reunion (there are always requests for them). 

2nd Bonnie Hunter quilt top finished!

I finished the 2nd quilt top from the Bonnie Hunter workshops.  Woohoo!  I took this Tulip Fields class on Wed, May 18th.  I did do prep work before the class.  I redrafted the pattern to make the blocks 'supersized'.  Bonnie's blocks finish at 7.5" (4 flower blocks with sashing) while mine finishes at 15".

my redrafted pattern

The Tulip Fields pattern is found in this book.

String Fling by Bonnie Hunter

Bonnie's version has LOTS more tiny blocks

Here is the center of my quilt (no borders yet).

76" square center of quilt

I made 70 string blocks for the border and also, for another project,  The border took 42 string blocks.

70  8.5" string blocks

string border strips, ready to be stitched onto the center of the quilt

Here is my finished Tulip Fields quilt top.

Tulip Fields quilt top

my son holding the Tulip Fields quilt top

I'm going to stitch the extra string blocks together to make a long, narrow quilt, to cover our pillows.  Hubby doesn't like pillow shams, so, this will make the pillow area of our bed look nicer.  I haven't decided if I want to make a few more Tulip blocks or not.  I have enough material.

All the fabric in this quilt, except the rust colored sashing, is from my stash.  It didn't make a dent.  I've used up most of the background fabric, but, I have yards and yards of the red left (and all the other colors, too). 

up close so you can see the background fabric better

 This quilt top was stitched on my purple Featherweight, Betty Sue.

Betty Sue, stitching on borders

It was fun using an electric machine, since I usually use hand cranks.  I gave Betty Sue a good cleaning and oiling before I started stitching the borders on.  This quilt will be for ME!  Other than some small wall quilts, or quilts from block exchanges, I don't have any of my quilts.  I always give my quilts away.  Not this time! 

Both quilt tops, from both Bonnie Hunter classes, finished, in a month!  That may be record breaking for me;)

Here is the other quilt I finished last week.

Happily Scrappily Irish

I have a mammogram in the morning.  I may take the day off from sewing.  I do have some things I need to get ready for the Michigan TOGA (Treadle On Gathering & Academy) June 10th-12th.  If you want to know more about the TOGA, here is a link to last years post.