A BIG Finish!

I've been sewing TOBE (Treadle On Block Exchange) blocks into a king size quilt.  I'd designed a quilt top (previous post), but found out that I didn't need to add the Rail Fence blocks as borders.  This was a quick finish, since others had made the initial 4 patch and Half Square Triangle blocks for the many TOBE exchanges over the past 12 years.  

piecing the blocks on my 1927 Singer 15 hand crank

I did have help sewing this quilt top.  Westley felt he needed to supervise every step.

Westley checking my 1/4" seams

the supervisor napping on the job

checking out my cutting table

What we ended up with is this king sized quilt top.  It is 109" x 109".

on my bed

The blocks made a great secondary pattern when they are sewn together.  These are the two blocks I used to make the quilt.

4  4 patch blocks to make a 16 patch block

4 HST's to make pinwheel blocks

Last month I bought a bolt of fabric on sale.  This fabric spoke to me (I think you can figure out why).  Unfortunately, the designer used pink as the background, but, all the vintage sewing machines made this fabric worth putting up with pink.  

fun vintage sewing machines

This quilt top took quite a few people to make, and lots of machines. 

For the 4 patch blocks, there were 164 blocks made by 37 different people from 23 US states and 2 foreign countries.  The blocks were made on 70 different treadles or hand cranks dating from 1870's to 1964.

For the HST blocks, there were 166 blocks made by 40 different people from 20 US states and 2 foreign countries.  The blocks were made on 83 different treadles or hand cranks dating from 1862 to 1964.

Now to get the backing pieced and get everything to the long arm quilter.

PS:  This is my project for the 2022 UFO Challenge with my little quilt guild.  Woohoo!  I'm getting these UFO's done.  Not sure if I'll get to the Bonus UFO or not this month.  We'll see......

Are you getting any UFO's done this year???

Organizing UFO's, etc.

I've gotten very little sewing done the past 2 weeks.  I was preparing a lecture for my little quilt guild about 'My Quilting Journey'.  The meeting was February 7th.  I prepared a trunk show with more than 20 quilty things to show.  Problem was, when I went to pull everything out, I couldn't find 3 of the quilts.  They were supposed to be on the guest bedroom bed, but we'd done a bed swap early in January, and the quilts got moved.  Usually, they would be stored in the sewing room closet (where they belong) but I knew they hadn't gotten there yet.  After looking all over for the quilts, I finally decided I had to check the sewing room closet for them.

Let me explain about my sewing room closet.  It is the largest closet in the house, but, it is also where everything is dumped whenever someone comes for a visit, or when I need to get stuff out of my sewing room, etc.  When my grandkids were here last time, you couldn't even get in the door of the closet, it was piled so full of stuff (had to make room for 5 extra people in multiple rooms).  Very Scary!  Well, I started pulling everything out of that closet until it finally looked like this.

almost empty closet

The closet looks much better than that photo now, thank goodness.  By the way, I finally found the missing quilts in hubby's office, hidden in an IKEA bag.

Well, since everything from the closet (at least the middle of the floor) was out, I could finally get in there to see if I could find missing UFO's for my little quilt guild's UFO challenge this year.  I decided to catalog all the UFO's I have.  Oh My!  I found so many UFO's that I had totally forgotten about, along with some of the ones that I had listed already.

For the UFO Challenge, we are supposed to list 12 UFO's.  Since I knew I had so many UFO's, I listed the original 12, and added a Bonus UFO to each month.  Some of those UFO's were in the closet, some I still haven't found (yet).  I listed what was in the closet, and re-organized it, then started in my sewing room.  This is a very s-l-o-w project so far, since I'm listing the UFO, what's been done so far, and where it is located (ex: 2015 Modern TOBE (Kona Ash) – 30 blocks (10.5”) and ‘extra’ parts to make more blocks (no pattern, maybe saved on computer somewhere???) and extra Kona Ash material, in 2 plastic drawers in corner of closet)

Several of the UFO's on my list are from block exchanges.  I pulled all of those out, and figured out that I had almost enough exchange blocks to make a quilt for my new king sized bed.  I'd found a quilt I liked, using Half Square Triangles and 4 Patch blocks (two of the most common exchange blocks) and drafted a quilt to fit.

Inspiration quilt (too small)

draft idea, but can't use those borders (too much math)

what I drafted

As soon as I drafted that pattern, I found more TOBE blocks.  I have more than enough to make the full quilt and have lots left over.  Woohoo!  (I found even more blocks yesterday, too).

I'm still cataloging UFO's, but I'm up to 66 UFO's so far. As I go along, I'm pulling out things to put on the raffle table for the two different TOGA's (Treadle On Gathering & Academy's) I'll be attending in the next few months. 

Westley, the puppy, is growing like a weed!  He is such a good puppy.  He loves to play with Ziva, our Alaskan Malamute.  Here is a short video of them playing with each other (and my son).

My birthday was earlier this month.  Hubby got me an Ultrasonic Cleaner that I had been wanting, to help clean the removable parts of sewing machines.  I also got a book, The Art of Manipulating Fabric by Colette Wolff.  This book will be great for the Attachment TOBE later this year.

I've also found more attachments and added them to my list I'm working on. I had to ask Mary (from Treadle On) what these were.  Mary is a wealth of information on attachments.  She even knew what machine these attachments go to.

White Hemstitcher

White quilting foot.

For my UFO Challenge from January, I got a late start on the Bonus UFO's.  I was late since I spent my time preparing the 'My Quilting Journey' lecture instead of working on these.  Way back, about 15 years ago, I got an idea for a table runner at a quilt shop that doesn't even exist anymore (Tammy Tadd Design's Quilt Shop).  I'd made 8 placemats and 3 different table runners using this idea (no pattern).  One table runner I finished years ago, quilting spiderwebs by hand.  One table runner was thread basted, but I hadn't started quilting it.  The rest were waiting to be basted and quilted.  Well, I decided that I was NOT going to quilt more spiderwebs on these (too much work) and decided to spray baste them and straight line quilt these.  The quilting is very simple, and I spray basted them and quilted them February 1st (only a day late).  Since I want these out of my sewing room (I already have enough UFO's in there), I made binding for them yesterday and stitched it onto one side of the placemats and last 2 table runners.  I'll glue baste the bindings down and stitch the last part by machine, too, just so that I can get them done.  We don't have to finish our UFO's each month (thank goodness), we just have to work on them.

As soon as I finish this post, I plan on starting on that king sized quilt I drafted.  Hopefully all those exchange blocks are sized correctly, so that I can spend my time sewing, not trimming blocks.  

How many UFO's do YOU have????

Only a bit of sewing this week

 I haven't done much sewing this week.  I did finish the second Striped Circle quilt top.  It finished at 59 1/2" x 77 1/2".  

2nd Striped Circle quilt top

The Striped Circle quilt top was my 'January' challenge for my little quilt guild's UFO Challenge.  I did pretty well, considering I finished TWO quilt tops, not just one quilt top.  All we had to do was work on the January UFO during the month.  We didn't have to complete it.  I have so many UFO's that I also have a 'Bonus UFO' listed for each month.  I haven't worked on my January 'Bonus UFO' yet, but, I still have another day.  I have worked on another month's 'Bonus UFO' and I'm almost finished with it (stitching Pin Cushion Thread Catchers closed).  I only have 2 of the 10 I made, left to stitch closed.  Not bad.

I also made 2 fabric postcards in a Zoom class today.  They were fun to make, and pretty quick.  

front of both postcards

back of postcard

Yes, these can go thru the mail.  The stamp has to be sticky backed, not a 'lickable' stamp (those have to be sewn on or glued).  

My Treadle On group is having an Attachment block exchange. For this exchange we have to use one of the attachments that fits one of our treadle or hand crank sewing machines (ex: ruffler, tucker, binder, etc.).  I've never used any of my attachments before, other than a zipper foot.  I didn't even know what attachments I had.  I started going thru the attachments that I've collected at thrift stores and antique shops over the years.  I decided to make a list of what I have and keep it on the computer.  I listed the name of the attachment, who it is made by (if known) and the part number, along with the shank info (low, slant, high, top or back clamp).  This will be a work in progress for a long time, since I keep any attachments that came with a particular machine, with that machine.  I do know that the random attachments I've collected are many.  I'm also listing them by 'box' or 'tin' (ex: Red metal Accessories tin) or what machine they are with.  This way I'll be able to find specific attachments when I want them.  Next I'll have to learn how to use these attachments to make blocks.  A nice learning experience for me.

My 1913 Willcox & Gibbs treadle  has been busy traveling this past week.  Last Saturday it was picked up in Flagstaff, AZ by a friend of my nieces and driven to Albuquerque.  On Monday, my sister-in-law picked it up from my niece.  That evening, she passed it on to someone else to drive to Silver City, NM.  On Wednesday, it was picked up in Silver City.  My friends who picked it up will have it until late March, when they will be heading to Wisconsin, which is when I'll finally get it.  Woohoo!  Till then, it gets to visit Texas, Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois (in their RV).  

Some quick finishes

I made some project bags last week.  One was for a friend's birthday.  It matches the pin cushion thread catcher she got at our large quilt guild's December Pin Cushion exchange (she picked the one I made).

Marilyn's project bag

rotary cutter zipper pull

I also made 2 more project bags using pre-quilted backs that I got at one of the Michigan TOGA's (I think Gina stitched them).  They were 1/2 inch too short, so I just cut the whole project bags down by half an inch.  These will go on the raffle tables at the Texarkana & Missouri TOGA's later this year.  I decided to put the 'white' part on the inside, since you won't be able to see the inside of the project bag when it has projects in it.  

I also put the apron and 2 of the pin cushion thread catchers in the mail yesterday.  I did remember to take photos of the pin cushion thread catchers this time.  These look just like the ones that were given away in December (when I forgot to take photos then).  The one on the left is the same as the one that Marilyn got in our guild's pin cushion exchange.  If  you want to make a Pin Cushion Thread Catcher, I have a tutorial here.

I found more striped fabrics that I'd pulled out when I started the Striped Circle quilt.  I may have enough to make backings for both quilt tops, and enough to add to the 2nd quilt top to make it larger.  

For those that are keeping up with my 1913 Willcox & Gibbs treadle pony ride, the machine is moving from Flagstaff, Arizona to Albuquerque, New Mexico today.  I'm working on options for getting it the rest of the way to me.  Hopefully I'll know something later this week.

First finish of 2022 & More

 It's been hard to get to my keyboard these past few weeks.  The puppy wants to lay in my lap, and that blocks the keyboard.

laying in my lap, blocking the keyboard

We named the puppy.  His AKC name is Dread Pirate Roberts, but we're calling him Westley.  His name comes from the movie The Princess Bride. Westley has been supervising what sewing I've been getting done this year.

My little quilt guild, Wego Quiltin' is having a UFO Challenge this year.  I had everyone list 12 different UFO's.  Each month, I will draw a number, and everyone will work on that UFO for the month.  Since I have soooooo many UFO's, I listed at least 2 different UFO's for each month.  We drew #12 to work on in January. This is my #12 list:

12.  Striped Circles Shadow quilt (Wego Holiday Party– Dec 2019) *BONUS – Halloween table runners (3) & placemats (Fall 2010 on 1896 Singer 15 treadle)

Back in December 2019, I was given the striped charm squares that Thelma won at my little quilt guild's Holiday party.  We're supposed to bring a finished quilt top by the next Holiday party, but, since I didn't win the charm squares (Thelma won them), I didn't get my quilt top finished until last week.  The blocks have been done since late Spring 2021, waiting for me to get back to them.  Sorry for the photos, but I haven't had a place to take photos.  

Striped Circles quilt top

After I took this photo, I noticed that I accidentally got 2 matching circles next to each other. 

Oops!  2 matching circles next to each other

Since these circles are all hand appliqued onto each square, this was a simple fix.  I just took the bottom circle off and put another circle in it's place.  

corrected

finished 'corrected' quilt top

Woohoo!  My first finish of 2022!  Well, I still had lots of charm squares (I'd cut out dozens of them after the Holiday party) and I also still had leftover striped circles.  I figured I'd use them on the back of the quilt.  

1st stack of leftover striped charm squares

2nd stack of striped charm squares

stitching striped charm squares together on my 1927 Singer 15 hand crank sewing machine

All the circles had been stitched on the machine above, so I figured everything else would also be stitched on the same machine.  I did hand applique all the circles onto the background squares.

Well, I started laying out the rows of striped charm squares, and was trying to figure out where to use the rest of the striped circles.  After looking at the rows, etc, I began thinking that this looked like a whole other quilt top, not a backing.  Hmmm....

looks more like another quilt top than a backing

I've been sewing the circles onto the cream strips.  I have Ladies Crafting at church today, and that is my hand project that I'll be working on.  I'm slow at hand work, so this will take me some time to get all the circles stitched down.  Do you think this should be another quilt top, or just the backing of the Striped Circle Shadows quilt????  Let me know what you think in the comments below, please (my email address is listed under my profile, if you can't comment below).

Back in December, I made an apron for the lady who picked up my 1913 Willcox & Gibbs treadle in Santa Monica, CA.  Nancy held the treadle from October until early December.  We'd chatted that she had an apron that she loved, but it needed to be replaced.  It didn't tie, but instead, it had straps that crossed on the back.  Well, I found an apron pattern online that sounded like the apron she wanted replaced.  

Tessuti Apron pattern

The Tessuti Apron pattern was a free download.  The pattern suggests a heavier fabric, but I wanted to use some of my sewing themed fabric.  It worked well.  I did change how the pocket was done, since I used black fabric, and I wanted the pocket to show up.  I added piping and lace around the pocket.  I also added one of my tags to the pocket. Since regular quilting cotton fabric isn't wide enough for this pattern (it calls for 60" wide fabric), I had to piece the fabric to make it work.  I carefully added fabric where needed and felled the seams so that it would look nice. This apron will be headed to Nancy next week.

front of apron

back of apron

piping & lace added to the pocket

my tag

back of my tag

felled seams, to make the fabric wide enough

I also picked up another sewing machine in December.  A lady in the Chicago area was selling all of her Willcox & Gibbs sewing machines.  I got first pick, and I bought an electric (yes, electric sewing machine).  Now I own all three styles of Willcox & Gibbs sewing machines (hand crank, treadle & electric).  This is my new electric.

1925 W&G electric

W&G with the foot pedal

The foot pedal on the electric W&G is HEAVY!!!  I think that it weighs at least 10 pounds!  The machine, in it's box, with the motor and foot pedal weighs 40-50 pounds.  You have to be strong to haul around the electrics.  The hand crank, on the other hand, only weighs 1.5 - 2 pounds total.  

When I picked up my new electric W&G, I also picked up 4 other W&G machines for a friend (treadle, electric in a cabinet and 2 more portable electrics).  

Lisa's treadle

Lisa's electric in cabinet

Lisa's electric #1

Lisa's electric #2

On Christmas Eve, I picked up another machine, from another local person.  I'm holding this machine for someone on the East Coast.

German hand crank

I'll be taking all 5 machines to the Texarkana TOGA later this Spring.  

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Weight Loss update:

Woohoo!  I have now lost 82 pounds.  I'll be going on maintenance, also under doctor supervision, after my next appointment (next Wednesday).  I'm down in size 12 pants (and a few size 10's, too).  My goal was to get to size 12 again.  I'll be on maintenance for 6 months.  I can't wait to add more calories to my diet.  The changes I've made are lifestyle changes, but I will get to re-introduce some favorites back into my diet, even though I'll have to be careful what I eat from now on.  The thing I'm missing the most the last 6 weeks is my Meijers Purple Cow Chocolate Frozen Yogurt.  It's even out of stock online.  Darn all these food supply chain shortages.  

Don't forget to let me know what you think about the Striped Circles quilt tops!

My Christmas Present to Myself

I hope you had a nice Christmas.  We had a very quiet Christmas, with just the 3 of us (hubby, oldest son and me).  I did get to watch my grandkids open their presents, thanks to Skype.  The two oldest loved their aprons I made for them, and the chefs hats that I sent (sorry, I can't take photos when I'm on Skype).

Back in early August, we lost our beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Katie, after 13 years. Katie was a fixture in my sewing room, and was my 'velcro' dog (she followed me everywhere).

Katie

Well, I've been looking for another Cavalier.  There weren't any puppies anywhere.  We met with a breeder in Oklahoma, when we were there in October.  Then, in late October, a breeder in Illinois announced that there would be puppies in the next week or so.  These were born on November 2nd.

mommy & her puppies (the top black & white one is mine)

the sire

The puppies were 8 weeks old on Tuesday, so we could pick up the new puppy.  We drove 1.5 hours north, and arrived about 10 minutes after the snow started.  This is our drive home.

the snow shortly after we started driving home

puppy snuggled up to me

snow on branches

visibility on the drive home

We made it  home safely, thank goodness.  Now our biggest worry was if our Alaskan Malamute would take to the puppy (the puppy was used to large dogs, since the breeder also has a large dog).

So far they are getting along.  We have to be careful, since Ziva could hurt the puppy easily.  Ziva is 93 pounds while the puppy is 6 pounds, and will only get to 13-25 pounds when he is grown.

The puppy is settling in nicely so far.  For safety for the puppy, I got 2 pack-n-plays off of Freecycle, and made some sheets for them (good use for that red fabric that bled dye). Who cares if the fabric bleeds on the puppy sheets?

I finally got some stitching done yesterday (had to finish sewing the velcro onto the last 2 puppy sheets), and set up a pack-n-play in my sewing room.  It's a tight fit in my sewing room, since the puppy wants to be right next to me while I sew.

chewing on toys in my sewing room

sleeping during our supper

Our biggest problem now (other than not getting anything done because we're too busy playing with or holding the puppy) is a name for the puppy.  It has the 2 white streaks on it's back, so hubby thinks we need a name that goes with the white streaks, but that isn't a necessary thing.  This puppy is really fast when it's loose on the floor.  We are starting a list of possible names.  Any suggestions????  I'll let you know what we name it.  

Here are a few more photos of the puppy.  As I've been writing this blog post, the puppy is asleep on my lap.  

puppy (top left black & white) with it's litter mates

puppy at 1 month old

puppy at 6 weeks old

snuggled up to hubby's ankle

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Update on my weight loss:  I weighed this morning.  I've lost 81 pounds since the end of January (337 days of dieting).  We ate Chinese with friends on Christmas Eve, I skipped my diet on Christmas day, and we ate lunch at Red Robin on Sunday, with more friends.  I'll skip my diet again on New Year's Day (I do NOT want to know how many calories are in Aeblskiver's, our traditional New Year's Day breakfast).

PS:  Please pray for my friend/client's family that I was the caregiver for.  His wife lost her mother 38 days after she lost her husband.  It has been a really rough couple of months for her and their families.