iPhone-o-Gram! The One Left Behind!

This afternoon after lunch I took some time to wander a new to me antique mall.

I spotted a familiar bentwood case and got closer to inspect it.

After raising the cover I discovered a machine I had never seen before. It looks like a three-quarter sized machine that's been motorized. There is no belt the motor bushing that's right up against the handwheel to turn the handwheel to sew.

It can't be treadles as is because there is no grill for the belt so that would need a new piece.

However it might be a great candidate for a handcrank!

I've never seen details like this or this brand and I'm greatly intrigued thinking I need to go back and get it!

But for now, my sanity kicks in and tells me enough is enough. For now, anyway.

Iphone-o-Gram! The Last Hexie in Place!

I'm sitting at the Toyota dealership. I've been here almost 2 hours. The best part is that it gave me enough time to sew all of the last 12 hexagons to my quilt section.

I'm also the only one in the dealership show room waiting area which gave me a great place to lay the quilt out for a photo opportunity! :-)

Who knows how long it will take them to finish fixing my car? I just might have this section sewn on by the time I leave! :-)

October is Anti-Bullying Month!

We tend to think of bullying as the kind of thing that kids go through at school.

I think at one time or another we’ve all had to go through the torture and torment of being a bit “different”.  And certainly when you are in the public eye, that also can make you a target for the unkindnesses of others who somehow get something out of picking others apart.

Bullying is also something that is running rampant on the internet ---- as we forget to put our filters on, both with with we say, how we reply, and how we react to things that are said to us. 

I just think this is such an amazing month for awareness after dealing with the aftermath of very hurtful unfounded emails.  What makes a person think they HAVE to send an email to anyone with a bullying tone?

By now I’m sure you’ve heard of the news anchor in Wisconsin who was bullied by email because of her weight.  The email sent to her was SO condescending and so hurtful ---and had NOTHING to do with how she does her job.  Her response stands for itself.  I’d like to play it back for you here, it really IS worth the watch, and putting into practice:

There are those that lead in the bullying --- and then there are those who jump on the bandwagon in the aftermath and continue to peck.  ((We've all heard the "Kick them when they're down" phrase))

Let’s not do this to each other.  We are better than this.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and soul searching and I *KNOW* there is room for improvement in my life, but again ----it is not anyone’s business to tell me so, nor to tell me what to improve.  Before you point out the flaws in my character, please take inventory of your own.

This morning I’m out the door early.  Shamu has an appointment for a tune-up.  I’ve also got to pick the BEST 4 quilts from String Fling to send to Kansas City Star for Quilt Market!

If you could choose only 4 --- which 4 would they be?  Help me choose!  I want the best 4 to promote my book.

Which are your favorites?

Quilt Cam Time! Yeah, more bow-ties!

Before I get started, I have a public service announcement!
I am teaching in Plano, TX at Fabric Fanatics over New Years ---I just found out there are some openings in the classes!  If you want please visit the Fabric Fanatics WEBSITE or contact Lisa Anderson directly by EMAIL.
SOMEDAY I will run out of these bow-ties won't I?  I hope so!  But if there is anyone who wants to keep me company while I sew these into blocks....come join in!
I'm going to leave the camera up for an hour or so.
Are you ready to sew? Bring a project, come hang out!
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iPhone-o-Gram! What's in YOUR cart??

Standing in a line at Sam's.

6 boxes of mailers, one new chair mat to replace the cracked one under the sewing machine chair---

And a treat for me: JK Rowling's new book, The Casual Vacancy---

Because SOME things are just best devoured one page at a time in hard back!!

Mmmmm! Love that new book smell!!

Treadle Practice!

It’s been a while since I sat down at Gae to do any stitching --- so many irons in the fire since I returned on Sunday.

It hit me this morning when I was firming up arrangements to meet with Karen for lunch that I really needed to sew some strip sets together to complete my 9 patches so that I could sub-cut them before handing the accuquilt cutter over to her and Lisa this afternoon!

Sew Bonnie Sew!


I started these strip sets out on the treadle, and I really didn’t want to switch to an electric machine in the midst of them. ((For the record, did you know that treadlers call electric machines a Machine with a TAIL!?? :cD ))  I need more practice.  I do pretty well on long straight stretches now.  It’s getting easier.  I don’t hardly think about my feet anymore…but I still have to watch for the hand wheel to be turning towards me because if it goes backwards ---- SNAP!

After sewing the strip sets and pressing them….I accomplished what I set out to do.  I loaded the strip sets cross-wise on the Accuquilt Studio and cranked them through.  You can’t see it, but there are parallel lines on the foam of the die to help me line them up nice and straight.  I don’t want parallelograms when I’m done…they need to be straight.  Crank crank crank – and I had a whole pile of sub-cuts ready to be attached to my other pairs of parts..

Ready to roll!

The hardest part for me is sewing short seams, and stopping where I need to stop.  Sewing 9 patches is the perfect way to learn.  I nest the first seam….and holding it with my fingers, stop with the needle down right after I cross that seam.  Align the next seam to be sure it is nesting, and get going again, sewing to the end of the 9 patch.  I’m not a big pinner when it comes to nesting seams --- never have been!  Most of mine are pretty good, there are a couple I’m going to have to re-do ---but all in all I’m happy with how sewing short seams has become easier, the stopping and starting more natural.

Okay, so this morning I only had to re-thread the needle twice after sewing backwards and SNAP!

My chain is growing!  I hope to finish these 9-patches tonight.  It’s another “project in my mind” I’m not sure of a layout, I just started it as a way to learn to use the treadle ---and it’s doing a good job in teaching me!

I’m headed out in a few to meet up with Karen for The Big Accuquilt Switch.  The girls are going to play while I'm away!  From there, it’s errands – you know the drill --- Sam’s club, bank, etc – and I’m ending my afternoon with a massage.  There is a long drive ahead for me on Sunday and I have been having deep tissue massage with heat on my hamstrings.  It seems to be helping.  Oh, and it’s not ALL painful – there is a lot of good relaxation massage mixed in there too!

I’m hoping for QuiltCam tonight – around 9pm eastern.  I know it sounds boring, but those bow-ties?  They STILL need to be sewn together.  If you can keep me motivated, I’ll get them done!  So bring a project and sew along.

Catch you later!

Losing my Mind ---

Remember when I said we’d do QuiltCam on Sunday around 2pm?

Guess where I’ll be at Sunday around 2pm?  DRIVING TO PENNSYLVANIA! 

I looked at the calendar wrong – or more like, I looked at the calendar telling me that I have a speaking engagement on the 8th ---but I can’t drive all day on the 8th and be coherent for a 7pm lecture.  Which means – I’m driving the 7th!

So --- can I interest you all in QuiltCam on Saturday afternoon about 2pm Eastern time?  I should have the van all packed and ready by then and we should be good to go, just one day earlier than I planned.  I’ll draw for the winner of the Quiltmaker Magazine issue too, on Saturday afternoon.

This last drive home my maintenance light came on, so I've got an appointment for an oil change and tire rotation on Thursday morning.  The big question is – do I take hexies and finish that last 12….or take a the Nearly Insane and FINISH THAT BINDING!? I hauled it all the way to Kentucky and didn’t do a stitch by hand there. 

And since blog posts without photos are not that interesting, here is a VERY cute and quick project shown at class at the Bluegrass Quilt Festival!

It looks like an ordinary shirt cuff, doesn’t it??

The raw edges on the upper edge where the shirt was cut off are turned in and stitched..then the whole thing folded over and topstitched…leaving the buttons and button hole free, and turning the cuff into a little pocket-case for “small stuff”  It’s perfect for a stack of business cards, or small notions.  It’s CUTE as can be!  You can decorate this up too, if you want.  With Christmas coming, it would be fun to whip up some of these, stick a pack of needles inside,maybe a small pair of scissors and hand them to friends as gifts!

I just thought this was so cute…

Today I’m hoping to get Dirty Dagny clean and shiny.  I’ve also got a binding to go on another quilt destined for Quiltmaker – I finished the machine quilting on it last night, but you know – it’s one of those things that I can’t show you right now.  I made good progress though, and I know you are going to LOVE it.  Be watching in the spring!

Have a great Wednesday, Everyone!

iPhone-o-Gram! Chow Time!

The numbness is gone. A bit tender but not too bad.

Not bad enough that I want to take the Vicodin and be loopy. I'd rather deal with ibuprophen and be functional!

I'm working on the orange string blocks I started last night on QuiltCam. I have an idea in my head for them but nothing to share yet. If it works---I'll share! If not--you'll never hear about my ugly "nice try!!"

Dinner is also ready---and oh so yummy! It's been simmering for 6 hours and the aroma is heavenly.

No QuiltCam tonight but we'll cross fingers for tomorrow, okay?

Have a great evening everyone!

Rainy Day Crockpot Stew!

This is me at the dentist before being shot full of numb and drilled to within an inch of my jaw.

I don’t mind dentists –my grandpa was a dentist and they are usually kind caring people and I know the more I cooperate the sooner they can get the job done and send me on my way.

I love my dentist, Melanie.  She often comes into the room humming, and has the most beautiful singing voice.  I bet YOU were never lulled and comforted while having your tooth reamed while your dentist hummed Motown beside you?

She came in with a cheerful greeting of “How are you today, Sunshine?” And I started singing right off ((Because I have a habit of being a juke-box this way)) “I’ve got Sunshine --- on a cloudy day….”  And she sang the NEXT line “When it’s cold outside –I”ve got the month of May …” FUN!

And then she cursed me for putting that ear-worm into her brain and thanked me that it would follow her all the day long.  So while she worked on me, she hummed “My Girl”  and I proceeded to find myself numb from my chin to my nose.  I'm not complaining ---when it comes to dentistry?  NUMB IS MY FRIEND!

It only took about an hour, and we were able to get by fixing that cracked molar with a filling, no crown needed for now, thank heavens!  It was still pretty deep, and the nerve was affected so off I went to the pharmacy for a zpac and pain meds.  While those were filling I ran next door to Food Lion and that’s where this post becomes relevant

It’s been rainy!  It’s very fall-like out there even if the temp is still hovering around 70.  I am in the mood to pull out the crock pot and let something simmer all day.  I know I’m going to need comfort food --- soft food---for dinner.  How about some Rainy Day Beef Stew?

The ingredients are simple:
2 lbs beef stew meat cut into small cubes
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp pepper.

Shake flour, seasoned salt and pepper in a bag.  Toss in the beef cubes and shake to coat evenly.

All coated!

Brown the beef cubes in 3 Tlb vegtable oil, turning occasionally to brown meat on all sides.

Place the browned beef into the crockpot and add veggies of your choice.  I added:

1 cup peeled baby carrots

1 cup sliced celery

1 medium onion chopped

4 small potatoes, washed and unpeeled, chunked.

Season with:

1 bay leaf

1 Tbl Worcestershire sauce

2 beef boullion cubes

3 cups water

1 can low-fat cream of mushroom soup.

Cover and cook.  On low heat it will take 8 to 10 hours.  I set mine on medium, it should take about 6 hours for the veggies to be tender and the beef to be falling-apart yummy.

Ready for the lid and hours of simmering!

Season to taste after cooking – remember there was already salt in the flour, and the bouillon cubes are salty too.  If more thickening is desired, dissolve some flour in a small amount of water.  Turn the cooker up to HIGH and when it is boiling, stir it in.

An easy hearty rainy day meal – perfect with cornbread or biscuits from the oven.

Enjoy!

Fun Stuff with Quiltmaker Magazine!

While I was in Kentucky, I started getting emails and comments saying things like “LOVE your quilt in Quiltmaker!”

OH!!  This is the month that Texas Tumbleweeds was being released in the magazine, and I hadn’t seen my copy yet.  I was going to have to wait until I got home.

Yesterday morning I dug into all the mail, the boxes, envelopes and mailers that were waiting for me after a week away, and there were my two copies.  YES!

I tore into them, showed my son Jeff --- and he said “Wow!  Top of the cover, mom!  Cool!”

**NOTE** The QUILT on the cover is NOT mine -- just my name at the top.  Confusing, I know!

You know, there is no greater feeling than having your children proud of what you do.  Other than being proud of who THEY are of course.  My children are a constant wonder and joy to me every day.  But the fact that they love to give ME high-fives and support me in what I do is just amazing.  If you had asked me how they would be 10 years ago….I would have rolled my eyes and thought the situation was hopeless.  But even tough-to-raise boys do grow up and I love where we are in our lives now that we can share with each other and really know WHO each other is.

And I’m rambling on a tangent --- I’m just sitting here typing away with my morning tea ((spicy chai!)) while I try to get this post out.

Texas Tumbleweeds!

I had a great time making this quilt.  It was originally the mystery that I taught in Texas last New Years, and again this summer at the Vermont Quilt Festival.  Both groups did WELL to keep it under wraps!  So – if you’ve made this quilt and want to shout it out on your blogs now, feel free to do so.  I mixed batiks, starting with a Bali Pop that Lisa had gifted me ---along with a wide variety of neutrals in different textural looks – mostly tone on tones – and combined them with a wood block print in brown as my constant – that had been living in the stash FOR. EVER. 

I spent my time in Oregon in July 2011 putting the whole top together while retreating with Lori and Randy ---that’s my big push time for Mysteries --- and here it is a year and a half later and it finally gets to really see the light of day.

Those who watched QuiltCam last night -- -caught a glimpse!

Quilt measures 75” X 83”

 

Of course, my regular Addicted to Scraps article is also included ---Spin Cycle blocks are made from the bonus half-square triangles from Texas Tumbleweeds!

So guess what I am going to do with the extra copy??  I’m going to have a GIVEAWAY!  Leave a comment below ----remember anonymous comments don’t work anymore.  I encourage you to either get a Google ID, an open ID, a Blogger ID, a Wordpress ID – or any of the others that will work as “registered”. ((It’s free to do so and you don’t have to HAVE a blog to have a blogger ID.  It just allows you to comment freely.))  It only takes a few minutes and you will be set to comment.

I will be announcing the winner during Sunday Afternoon QuiltCam  SATURDAY AFTERNOON QUILTCAM time at 2pm Eastern!  I’m leaving for Pennsylvania on Sunday Morning, so it will have to be SATURDAY.  This is an updated announcement :)

I’ll even sweeten the deal by throwing in a Summer Breeze charm pack by Moda!

And since we are talking about Quiltmaker Magazine..I want to plug the Quiltmaker’s Block Party that is happening in Portland, Oregon March 20-23!  I’ll be a keynote speaker along with Jo Morton and Carrie Nelson!  Click HERE to find out more and SIGN UP!

And with that – I’m off to the dentist.  I’ve got a molar with a bad crack, and they are going to try to repair it – but if that doesn’t work, it will be prepped for a crown.  Oh JOY.  I think I’ve had every kind of doc appt that a girl can have in the past month – the only thing missing is a colonoscopy, and that is on the horizon – my physical is at the end of the month and I know scheduling one is on their agenda!

Have a great day, everyone!

QuiltCam Time!

It's Monday evening ----post cortisone shot in my hip. I have new appreciation for those who have had this in other joints like knees and shoulders and low backs.  It's not pleasant!
I've iced down, I've rested -- but I am itching to sew for just a bit.  No treadling for me tonight though, that is just too much movement!  I've got some paper foundations, some Autumn colored strings and I'm just going to mindlessly string piece for a while.
Are you ready to sew? Bring a project, come hang out!
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Simply One Hour of Needle & Thread Round-Up!

It’s Monday! And it’s OCTOBER!  So we say good-bye to the official “NATIONAL” sewing month, September, for another year.

But just like Christmas, why can’t we keep the spirit of Needle & Thread alive all year long?

I was supposed to post this link up this morning.

I wrote my blog post for this morning last night after getting home from Kentucky so excited about getting that treadle fixed and running.  I hope you forgive me for being a few hours late with this post.

It’s not a long post.  I just returned from the Orthopedic doc after having a huge steroid shot right into the bursa of my right hip.  There are not many things that can keep me from sitting, but this is one of them.  I didn’t know they were thinking of doing the shot today, and it might effect QuiltCam time tonight if I can’t sit for very long.   Because of the movement, it’s not likely to be a treadle night anyway.  But I’m hoping by morning that the medicine is doing its trick in making me feel better.  I have one week before I leave for Pennsylvania and that’s another long driving trip.

So let’s get down to it!  I was gone a week, the hand quilting did not come with me…but the hexies did!

One Row to Go!

I am twelve hexies away from completing this last section.  Just TWELVE hexies.  And then I can get it together and be done with this top.  I think instead of hurrying I am purposely dragging my tail on it ---I haven’t fully thought of what project I’ll start traveling with yet.  If I can get excited about something, then there is no stopping me.  Maybe I just need to play with graph paper and come up with a new design and keep hexing?

If you have participated in our Simply One Hour of Needle and Thread through the month of September, please link to your post below!  Thank you so much for playing along and sharing your progress with us ---and if sewing for an hour a day has become a habit and you are enjoying seeing your progress, by all means, don’t stop just because September is over ---keep up the good work!  I’m planning on it!

Iphone-o-Gram! Welcome to my morning!

It's a rainy one for sure.

I'm typing this while working my leg on the stationary bike at physical therapy. All the hours of sitting in the car to and from Kentucky Locked my leg up again.

So today it is physical therapy, a bank run, lunch out with Karen and Lisa, and a trip to the orthopedic doctor.

Not such a bad way to spend a rainy October 1st, is it?

This afternoon I tackle book orders.

And tonight let's hope for some QuiltCam time!

Look What Came Home!

When it Rains, it Pours!

Or when you open yourself up to bringing people into your life, those people can turn right around and bring you into theirs and leave you all the happier!

Such is the case that happened when I met Terri in my class at the Bluegrass Quilt festival.
We started talking about things we had in common.  And you know, us Quilters --- we have LOADS in common!

And then she popped the question ---
As in “I have a ((Fill in the blank)) that needs a good home.  Would you be interested??”

It’s a good thing it wasn’t a puppy or a kitten because I would have had a hard time saying no, but I would have had to. As it stood…..

If I show you THIS photo…can you guess what it is?

I’m sure you already know….but aren’t you the least bit curious to see just a bit MORE?  Okay – how bout THIS peek?

Precious cargo gets tucked in with a quilt and a bag full of class room supplies making sure she is secure!

If I show you THIS ----are you gasping and cheering yet??  And Terri, I’m sorry I took the photo without dusting off the dust and spider webs from the foot pedal! LOL!  We’ll call it early decorating for Halloween.  If the saying goes that “A rolling stone gathers no moss”  it stands to reason that “A rocking treadle gathers no webs!”  But I spent last week cleaning them off my long unused treadle base here in the basement, so I’m not worried about them!

If I show you THIS --- will you jump up and down with me?

I checked the Singer Website’s dating chart  and according to the serial number, this baby was made in 1893.  Holy MOLY.  And are you looking at those decals?

How about this glimpse? :cD

And this one!  Forget me knots on the belt guard!

This is the back side --- are you excited now?

The front side!

She is nearly perfect in every way.  Her movement was a bit stiff, but Terri said she’d had her a long long time and hadn’t used her ---so I knew that was going to take a bit of work.

We also discovered that the take-up lever had been snapped off.  Here's the broken off part taped to the face plate for safe keeping.  This worried me a bit, but I also had on my mind a spare parts machine that was waiting at home.  It had to my memory ---the same kind of take-up lever arrangement, and I crossed my fingers all the way home.  ((Dear Ila, your gifted old beat up machine has been worth its weight in gold for salvageable parts that keep other machines running!  Thank you thank you thank you!))

Close inspection of the parts machine and the part from the new machine showed that they “LOOKED” like they were the same part and would be interchangeable.  It took a lot of oil and some WD-40 to get the frozen up parts machine to let loose of the much-needed lever, and pretty soon DH was in on the act too.

Here they are!  The broken one ---and the replacement one from the parts machine.

The center holes where the big screw goes through was the only thing differing in size slightly --- see the newer one has a slightly bigger hole, but the screw head from the parts machine was also bigger to fit it!  A lot of monkeying and we replaced both the broken lever and the screw with the replacement lever and screw ---and wonder of wonders --- it went up and down like it was supposed to!

From that point on I began to clean and oil.  And when I felt everything was moving free and easy, I put the machine head into the treadle table.  It was time to see how it worked with the belt.  The belt was in fine shape, but slipping a lot and it was too loose to run the bobbin winder for sure– so we shortened it by 1/4”, drilled a new hole into the end and replaced the staple.  Tested it again….great!

Grainy picture, but it was taken by phone at night!

Would you believe the shuttle bobbin had THREAD on it?  I had no idea if the thread was any good still, but I was just going to sew on test scraps, so I changed the needle, threaded the machine….brought up the bobbin thread, and prayed!

IT SEWS!!  I only had to monkey with the tension just a bit and I think it’s only because the aurifil thread I put on top is a finer weight thread ----There is still a squeak in the moving parts of the foot pedal itself, I’ve oiled, but there is a determined squeak in there that will have to be dealt with.

1893?!??  I’m too tired to find out what model of machine this is.  I need a manual.  I need to know how to work this bobbin winder.  I have a couple extra long bobbins that came with it.  I just haven’t seen a winder wind this way.  The belt evidently goes in the little wheel thing to turn it to fill the bobbins. 

Another grainy picture.

This pic is for Terri, to  show her where her machine now resides!  I’m just THRILLED.  It’s right off the dining room, and I can see myself here this winter watching TV with the family while I treadle away.

1893.  She needs a name.  And I’m feeling brain dead.  DH’s grandmother was born in the 1890s.  Her name was Hannah.  She gave me my first cardboard quilting templates for a churn dash block ((before rotary cutters!))  when DH and I had only been married a year.   She was a quilter through and through.  And maybe, just maybe – I name this machine after her.  She lived until she was 104.  I think she would have gotten a huge kick out of the direction quilting has lead my life too.

Come New Years and 2013, this machine will be 120 years old.

And it is sewing for me to beat the band.  AWESOME!