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Sunday, June 02, 2013

6/2/2013 Quilt-Cam!

This is Kathy’s dog Ernie...with his head on her treadle pedal…saying won’t you give ME as much attention as you do that machine?!?

She writes:

Hi Bonnie, I took this photo this morning! Our dog Ernie thinks that the treadle on my machine makes a very comfy headrest! Makes it a bit hard for me to sew!
Kathy from cold wet Western Australia

I don't know about you, but I am envious of Kathy's FLOOR!

This is the last Quilt-Cam time we will have until I return from Ireland! 

And because I’m on my way to Ireland, I’m feeling very EMERALD GREEN!

What do I have that is Emerald Green?  My new Elna Grasshopper of course!

Only…she is running VERY SLOW..even without the low gear attached…so I’m thinking, hoping that she just need a good solid running to break some of that old oil loose..I’ve oiled and lubricated her today and just want to run it to see if we can increase speed over time.

In the mean time…I think I can TREADLE faster!  But that’s okay….we need to baby this girl to find out if there is anything simple to help her sew faster – or if I just need to take her in to the vintage machine spa for a once over.

elna 007

Sew up and Ready to Sew!

elna 006sm

For those wondering about the Grasshopper’s size?
A bit taller than the featherweight with way more throat space!

Ready to sew with me? Click the arrow on the feed blow to view my live web-cam!  If you are here “after” the fact…it will be archived via youtube and ready to view as soon as they publish it upon completion!  Whether live, or recorded….I hope you will make some progress on SOMETHING while spending this time with me in my basement studio!



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46 comments:

  1. Hi Bonnie it's Bonnie from North Chesterfield Va. I am sewing with you this afternoon. I making string blocks out of selvages. Have a wonderful and safe trip. I look forward to seeing all the wonderful things you will be doing. I know you will find us some must have gadgets. Bonnie

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  2. I hurried home from church so I could hang with you while I am cutting out pieces for an Impromptu quilt quiltalong. I may have to mute you once in awhile so I can think! after that, I will work on my Easy Street.
    Rori

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  3. YIPPEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! I get to join in for Quilt Cam today! Hotlips is TOOOOO COOOOOOL! I am going to sit back and enjoy the show today and be inspired by your crumb strips. Safe travels to you and your friends going to Ireland! Have fun for me!

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  4. BOnnie,
    Just finished up a client quilt in time to watch Quilt Cam. You have helped me get some of my embroidery work done while watching Quilt Cam. I feel like I'm getting things accomplished while watching. Thanks for all you do.

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    Replies
    1. Forgot to mention I have a Grasshopper too. Love it.

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  5. New to quiltcam and love that I can catch up on you tube. Plsn is to finish last 3 of 72 10 inch log cabin blocks for a masculine quilt for 12 year old granddon.

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  6. Hi Bonnie, today I'm working on two quilt along blocks for Pieceful Nights sponsored by Jo Kramer of Jo's Country Junction. I also named my first featherweight "Bonnie".
    Have fun in Ireland.
    Sharyn in NJ

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  7. Hi Bonnie! Working on "Geese on a String" blocks on my featherweight while watching. Have a safe trip to Ireland!! Thanks for todays QuiltCam.

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  8. Hello again,
    Are you piecing these crumb blocks for a specific project or to have in the wings for something-someday?

    Rori in Calif.

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  9. I'm going to get my old machine out from the attic. Took some winter things up the other day and forgot about this machine,.,, my hubby must have snuck it up there. So, for my first quilt cam, I'll be giving it some TLC! :-)

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  10. What sizes papers are you using for your string piecing? I found an old telephone book and plan to use the pages for my string piecing ... I figure it will be easy to tear/remove.

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  11. Anonymous2:28 PM EDT

    Awesome Grasshopper! Watching in AK

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  12. Have had zero motivation today and then here you are...time to energize! Good to see you again Bonnie!

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  13. Hi Bonnie!

    Today is binding and tagging day. I'm hand stitching the tags on for Easy Street (finished a few months ago), Christmas Lights (that you gave permission for us to use as a guild mystery), and a quilt my daughter made for herself. Since she refuses to tag or bind, later this evening, I'll also be binding her quilt for her on a long car trip!

    I'm still working on my "Crumbin' Along with Jo," making slow progress. Lovin' what you're doing with these blocks, so I'm thinking I may be able to incorporate some similar into that project. Can't wait to try it! Thanks for all of the inspiration as always!

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  14. Hi Bonnie! Set up my cutting mat and ironing board in the dining room so I can cut and iron binding strips while watching today. I have 5 quilts ready for to finish right now!!! Mal in Peru, Indiana

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  15. Love your Elna, I was sewing on one almost identical to it this morning. I'm off now to the last day of our Quilt guild show in Jefferson City Missouri. Happy Sewing, Patti

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  16. I just got on and like what U R doing. What size of paper are U using.

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  17. Awwwwww, c'mon Bonnie....... You named her Hotlips Hoolihan! Let her be her sultry self and sew at her sultry, sexy pace! LOL LOVE LOVE LOVE that new machine of your's!

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  18. Hi Bonnie!

    I am not sewing along tonight, but cutting along... pieces for Pineapple Blossom and Jared takes a Wife need to be cut... I can barely wait to meet you on Friday and Saturday in Ireland!
    After 2 years of daily blogreading I finally get to meet you in person.
    My friend Sigrid who will be coming with me can barely wait too :)

    Greetings from Germany!
    Janina

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  19. Sorry Bonnie, I have to go cut the grass (unless it starts raining). I want to let you know that due to your influence I picked up a vintage White brand sewing machine off the curb the other day. It runs, but it's awfully dry sounding. It weighs even more than my Husky, so definitely not for travelling, but if I can get it going good it will probably be great for teaching my daughter to sew.

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  20. Our Bonnie quilts over the ocean
    Our Bonnie quilts over the sea....
    Our Bonnie quilts over the ocean
    Please say hi to Bonnie for me !!!!

    Thinking about you while I am pressing bowties and wishing you safe travels. Will miss you and glad we can get our fix with the archived episodes.

    Love you girlfriend!

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  21. Hey Bonnie, how about a day after quilt cams linky, with our machines and whatever we are viewing with? Love those shared images.I am piecing the backs for three Scrappy Trips twin size cuddle quilts today.

    Sharyn in Kalama

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  22. Hi Bonnie! So glad you are having quilt cam today! I need to get the rows of a quilt sewn together today and I was dawdling about getting down to the quilting room. The idea of quilt cam and someone to quilt with really inspired me to get on down here. Making progress and I hope to get it on the quilting frame today as it needs to be off in the mail this week. Nothing like deadlines! Next weekend is another got to do quilt but will be retreating with friends in Poulsbo, WA. So jealous of your grasshopper...I've been looking for one for awhile now. My lotus ran slow when I got her too...she needed a new foot control. Enjoy your trip! Debbi

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  23. Quilt Cam is never boring!! Love hearing about your life and what you are up to. It is like sewing with a friend!! Love quilt cam!!

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  24. Bonnie,
    We are all your biggest fans and can't get enough of your scrap using inspirations. If you write a book on improv crumbs, there will be legions of us out here learning do get crumby too!!
    Thanks for getting us all sewing.
    Angela -- soscrappy in sunny florida

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  25. How fun to watch you sew on Hotlips! I took your advise to cut up something. I got a bunch of scraps from my DIL's Grandma's old stash and since I'm making her a Baby Pink Quilt I'm using some of those. I needed to cut them down into the strips and scrap saver sizes today. I won't sew but I can CUT while watching you this Beautiful Sunday.

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  26. The idea of just patterns is ok. But adding a recipe to go on our own, would be more thought provoking. :) I like to use my old EQ5, just to test something different to a set pattern.

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  27. saw two Elena's at an estate sale. Only 75 each... not sure if they run...would it be s good buy. What for you think?

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  28. love the way you're grabbing pieces out of a bucket of scraps....just like the one i have (as do most quilters. such inspiration! and i've watched many of your quilt cams, and this is the first time i'm watching live! it's never boring!!
    i do so like that you use the vintage machines. made me look at my mom's singer last weekend..needs a trip to the spa

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  29. Hey Bonnie,
    Happy to be having a Quilt Cam with you before you head out. Today I'm working on piecing a Scrappy Mountain Majesties for my brother.
    Hope you have big fun in Ireland.Be safe~~

    Pam in Houston

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  30. Working on "Geese on a String" While watching!!!

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  31. I love the idea of a collaborative book between you and Tonya. I'm trying to do one right now, using both Tonya's book and your book, String Fling and other patterns of yours to try and come up with a pleasing design to honour my mother and her love of Christmas. I would love to see how you two would break down doing the individual improv designs, then work on a somewhat formal layout (like you, I can do improv but need the final layout to have some organization to it!)

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  32. Watching from the UK, propped on the bed (NO PICTURE!)hand quilting a wedding gift that should have been delivered over a year ago! lots of individual hearts about 2 1/2". This is my first attempt a hand quilting, now I know why most quilts have wide sweeping patterns, I spend a lot of time wrestling it it circles!

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  33. You are in my kitchen while I make a Pavlova (merginue) for dessert tonight. Maybe while it is in the oven I can continue on my oldest UFO. I am at the machine quilting stage!!

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  34. hi Bonnie
    I am watching but too tired to join in, its nearly midnight, thank you for your enjoyable work, blog and ideas, very encouraging and happy landing in Irland.
    quilting greetings from Switzerland

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  35. How do you intend to use these scrappy blocks? With alternate blocks? sashed scrappy blocks? other ideas?

    Linda (Seymour Beach, Ontario, canada

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  36. love the snippit of blue and white quilt in the pic with your two machines. i've got 4 churn dash blocks just hanging around waiting to be put into something, so a quilt like the blue and white one may just be the ticket. thanks for the inspiration, and have a fun time in Ireland.

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  37. I adore your Grasshopper! I love the name too, I was a Mash Fan in my teens. Thanks for today's quilt cam. I'm still working on my spider web quilt. Such fun to piece with you today!

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  38. Bonnie, I was catching up on QuiltCam this evening. I think the idea of recipes for quilts is perfect! After all, don't we change and customize each pattern as we make it? We change colors, we change borders or sashes or settings, to make each quilt our own. Suggestions for additional customizing would only spark our imaginations even more! We make each recipe our own by adding or deleting ingredients...it doesn't detract from the original recipe at all. I think it's a great idea!

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  39. Hi Bonnie,

    I believe I Have the same Elna, isn't she a Russian Military sewingmachine? How exciting to see her on the web.
    Greetings,
    Sylvia

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  40. Hello Bonnie, I do not know if all sewing machine repair men would agree about this method but when I taught middle school Home Economics the one repair man would put something heavy on top of the foot pedal control after oiling to have the machine run and warm up to spread the oil throughout the mechanisms. Our machines were all cleaned at the END of the school year and they would not be used for months. His theory was the oil would get gummy through the hot summer months if they were not used. I must admit, when he serviced the machines they seemed to start the school year in better condition than when other technicians did the cleaning.

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  41. I should have mentioned no thread at all in the machine while you do the above. And you may need to use some bungee cords to push in on the knee control. Hope this helps. Although, even my 1972 Elna does not run that much faster than yours is doing. The Singers at school would take off much faster which was not always good for middle schoolers learning to sew. They sure had fun though as I did too.

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  42. Enjoying your while I eat breakfast today, Monday! Thanks for the quiltcam. I'll be praying for you during your Ireland trip! Have fun. Those Irish gals will be so pleased to learn from you. Glad you are feeling good. Angelia who hopes this goes thru. My comments seem to get caught up "loading" & never came to your blog. They are out there in cyberspace!

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  43. First time to watch one of your quiltcam videos. I will definitely start trying to watch you live. I'm just starting on my scrap organization. Can't wait to actually start using what I used to throw away!

    Can you share what iron you're using in your video? I'm looking for a small one that I can take with me and use next to my machine when I don't want to use the large iron and ironing table.

    Thanks in advance, and have a safe and fun trip.

    Terri in AZ tdwoverton at gmail .com

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  44. Hi Bonnie,

    First time visiting quiltcam and am really enjoying it.Looking forward to catching you on real time.

    Maybe hotlips has been quiet for so long that's why she's abit slow. I'm sure she'll surprise one day and speed away!! LOL!!

    Enjoy your Ireland trip. Wish I was able to attend.Ireland is on my vacation list. School still in session. Need to find one your doing for summer vacations.Thanks

    Sue G in NY

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