It's Been a While and Then Some

I really don't think I have finished up that much in the quilting way as I have been busy working on parts of many projects for the LWC. Right now I am doing a stack and whack star with 10 blocks completed. I did enter 3 items in the Elko County Fair this year and earned a 1st place, 2nd place and a merit ribbon. My Magic Ribbons designed by Dorothy Young was my Blue Ribbon winner.

I did get my treadle serviced, but now need to refinish the cabinet but I don't want to pay over $300.00 to do it so will be trying it myself----will be a good fall project.

Hope to be back sooner than I was!

It's Been a While

Yes it has been a while since last posting but been busy here and there. Had two Gkids graduate from Pre-School, one here in Elko and one in Las Vegas. The sewing group has been working on aprons, kool-ties, flags and our own projects. Photos of items made will be in another post. The LWC just put on the Country Fair last weekend and boy is that a lot of work. Anyway have had DS and DGD up from Las Vegas for 2 weeks. Now I am getting items made up for the Art in the Park this next weekend (2-days).

Well I have been taking DH to garage sales on the last few Saturdays and bought a few items here and there. Best find was 10 yards of fabric for $1.00, up until today the 1st one we went to said craft stuff. Well as I wandered around their tables I saw a Singer Treadle sewing machine. Be still my heart as I have been looking into getting one and thought one was just going to have to fall in my lap----so to speak. Well I caught one today. From it's number it was made about 1909 to 1910, it has some scraps offs of the decal on the flat area but that just looks like it has been used a lot. It has a bunch of extra feet in a drawer and the cabinet has a bit of damage----looks like they had a plant on one corner. Well my feet have finally come back to earth ---- just can't wait to stitch up a quilt top on it.

Then the other thing I have been working on the last few days has been Watermelon Pickles. Getting the treadle was as big of thrill but to hear those 6 pints lids ping as I took them out of the canner---that was exciting also. It took over an hour to get that kettle to boil today---I think it has to do with the high altitude as it takes awhile to boil water for pasta.

Friend two Friend

A few weeks ago my Internet group, TQP, had a Homeboree Party as some were at the Jamboree up in Washington, anyway we had a quilting project offered to us. We could make any size we wanted from a small wall hanging, crib size or for a full size for a bed. I made the crib size. I used flannel for the front and back without batting as it has gone to Las Vegas for a friend's daughter's baby. As it is called Friend 2 Friend. It was designed by Liz, one of the members of our group. We also played games like Scavenger hunt where there was a sentence and we had to figure the name of the block, then we had make up a paragraph with as many quilt block names included, some posted recipes, and list our UFOs and how long they have been UFOs. Well I won for having the oldest UFO, which is my GFG that I started back in the early '70's. Those that signed up for the party received a quilt pattern book that was donated from ???? can't think of the company right now, and Sharen from Florida made book markers and cute crazy patch pins. I won the pattern called "Moose on the Loose" from Pat (?) and her mom's store B & B Creations----very cute.

Taking it easy this week

Yes I decided to take it easy for a few days and let the sewing machine have a break. After doing the 2 quilts with the Hawaiian dresses and this little wall hanging. Now this "Little" wall hanging came about because my mom's cousin was over and saw the one I made my mom and thought it was cute. So I was asked if I still had the pattern, which I did and asked my mom if she would like me to make one for her---so I did. This had some tiny-tiny pieces to it and after I finished it saw I pulled a seam out on one of the pieces---but you have to really look close for it. I used the border fabric for another quilt and just love the colors in it, so it was easy to pull colors to go with it. Now the cat was from some scraps that I found with help at the club house sewing day last week---I don't normally have browns in my stash. Next project is for the Homeboree Party over on the Quilt Pocket. You see I had planned to go to Renton, Washington, in 2 days, but with DH getting sick knocked the wind out of that sail. But I get to go to my DGS T-ball game on Saturday.

I have been busy

I can't believe I let so much time pass since writing here. But I have been busy. Just after the last post I got a call that DS#1's friend's mom was coming for a visit in April---she has arrived as of yesterday. Well DS gave me his DD's dresses that were given to them from this friend's mom who lives in Hawaii and yes they are baby Hawaiian dresses. DS gave them to me a year ago and I said I would make something from them. I hunted for something to do and they got put away until about a month ago when he said she was coming. We had planned to go to Las Vegas for DGD's birthday but DH was sick the weekend before and spent 3 nights in the hospital---doing fine now just had to get his sugar numbers in order. Anyway I got busy making these 2 wall hangings. I was given 8 dresses and found these two patterns on www.fatcatpatterns.com . The centers are just the shapes of the butterflies or angels since only having the 8 dresses. They are quilted/applique stitched by the block and then I sewed then together. The butterflies have just a single strip of green and then I used fancy stitches from my sewing machine to hold it down on each side. The angels I used the Cotton Theory (not sure if this is right as I borrowed a book from a friend) where I added the green---what looks like sashing---to each side of the block and then it is stitched down the middle and both sides of the green. Kind of clipped some angel wings as I didn't know I needed to make my blocks larger. Plus I have been working on projects for the LWC-sewing group each Thursday.

My Work for the Week

Yes I have been busy this last week. First the apron is for one of the lady's in the LWC. We are making aprons for us as the LWC used to be call the Lamoille Homemaker's Club, and this will be the 90th year for the group. I already have an apron but some of the ladies do not sew, so the sewing group is helping and making them for others. As is I am working on another one today.

Now the bright colored quilt is for a Cancer center in Washington for when I go the end of April---this will be the 2nd one I have finished. The Hopscotch pattern is so easy each block needs 18" each of a background and print, then is cut into 4.5" pieces and sewn together in a pinwheel block. Everything for the top was pulled from my stash---I only had to buy the 3 yards for backing. It is on the puffy side as it has polyester batting, I normally use an 80/20 as I like them a bit thinner.

The quilt in the middle is only 10" x 15" and will be a doll quilt for DGD-Kayona's birthday as it is coming up next month.

Then another project I have for this week is to make curtains for my new-DIL's apartment as she wants apple curtains to match the place mats I made her for Christmas---well need to go and buy the fabric first.

Two out of 19 done

Yes since the contest the end of January, that a LQS had for the most unquilted tops---I didn't win, I have quilted 2 of my quilts. The black and white is from a BOM back in 2005. We were to pick a color and then use 4 hues of that color. My mom had just finished making a black and white quilt from a retreat and suggested I try those colors. It is quilted with a verigated red and black thread.

The Flower Trellis is from one of the ladies in my sewing group. She saw a quilt a few years back and when she got home she wrote up her own directions. So when I started with the sewing group some of them were just getting started on theirs --- so I had some 8-inch fabric squares from a swap from about 2 years ago that I used some of them and added some from fabric I had. The white is from fabric that I had asked for on my Christmas list in 2007. The only thing I bought for it was the border and thread to use on the top.

I have 2 more lined up to quilt in the next few weeks. I load the quilt on the LA and then have to wait a day to get my nerve up to start quilting. The flower Trellis was the 1st quilt that had no problems in the quilting.

Still around

Yes I am still around. Quilting was put on hold as one of the LQS had a contest for un-quilted tops---I took in 19 but didn't win as the top three winners had 30, 29 and 28. They took photos of our tops and ooohed and aaahed over them, they also asked about the patterns. Then about a week later we got copies of our quilt tops and I got a 20% off coupon to use in their store. I did finish up 2 more tops before the contest---one was a king size log cabin that my mom bought a kit back in 1982 from Woman's Day magazine----like I needed them as I had 4 that weren't large enough as they had a minimum size requirement. I also made the Gkids Valentine pillow cases. So I have stayed busy. Now I want to start getting some of them quilted.

Christmas Mystery Done

Yes I have finished my Christmas Mystery. Only took about 6 days from cutting to stitching the label on. Well it is only about 34" square, but I didn't work on it the whole 6 days. It is a Dorothy Young Design that she put up from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day. We had the choice of about 4 sizes and I did the small size. I don't have large pieces of fabric in my stash so when I came across the card fabric I decided to make a wall hanging. It may go to DH's buddy's place that they play cards at when we get to Beatty.