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Friday, May 09, 2008

I bet you didn't see this happening!





I just couldn't stop. I just had to keep sewing! I had 16 basket blocks, and started auditioning sashings.

Sometimes when things are SO busy, in order to calm down the busy-ness, I turn to solids. I love solids. I love how the quilting shows up on them better than on prints. I love the richness of the colors.

I found this olive-y green in the remnant bin at Mary Jo's when I headed to Florida. There was only 1.25 yards, but it was enough to get sashings for a quilt this size, and have enough left over for binding.

I decided to play up the Pennsylvania Dutch feel of the quilt by accenting the green with cheddar orange inner border, and finished it off with a rusty red.

The 4 patch cornerstones came from a box that is nearly full with them. I got a bit carried away and made WAY too many of them from 1.5" strips about 8 years or more ago. Every now and then they show up in projects. And they still aren't used up yet!

The fun part of this quilt....I got out my grandmother's machine to see if it ran. It does! I cleaned it, oiled it, changed the needle. It's got the "slows" as far as the speed goes.....but I sewed blocks on it. It's a Singer 15 from 1942. It belonged to my great grandmother, who gave it to my grandmother, and my grandmother sewed baby clothes for my mother on it. My mom learned to sew on it. Years ago my aunt gave it to me and it sat in it's dilapidated case until I put it out for display here at the new house.

Four generations have sewn on this machine. I think that's pretty remarkable!

However, I love the speed of my Bernina, and I put the Singer back on the shelf when it came time to add the borders! *LOL*

This little quilt only used 128 bonus triangle squares. :c| Not nearly enough! I added what was left to the other baggies of triangle squares waiting to be sewn into something, another time, another day, another quilt!

14 comments:

Betty J in OKC said...

You *will* be posting directions on how to make this scrappy treasure on your website, won't you????? {pleading, begging, and grovelling} I LOVE the way you put scrappy combos together!!!
O2bquiltn2 AT yahoo~dot~com

Patty said...

WHOA! I looked before I went to be and there were just block- now this morning there is a quilt - You must have little elves at your house! Wonderful!

Tazzie said...

Hey there Bonnie hon - that quilt top is just so pretty! And I love that you're sewing on your vintage machine. Your Singer is so much more special than any of mine, because it's actually from your family. I have to say I loved seeing your Tazzie mat there too!
*hugs*
Tazzie
:-)

Quilts And Pieces said...

WOW! I just LOVE this one! I really, really do!

Cassie said...

I have two wonderful old Featherweights, and I still use my Bernina all the time. It's wonderful, though, that you have that family heirloom machine and can use if (even if only a little bit).

Candace said...

Another beautiful quilt. I agree with the other lady who wondered if you have elves at your house. Your little four patches work so well in your sashing, it is like a colorful little surprise.

Lynn said...

How lucky you are. The old featherweight in my family was given away (dopey cousin)- breaks my heart, it still worked and sewed 4 generations of clothes. I need to let it go, but it's nice to find others who understand about this kind of thing.

Diannia said...

Bonnie, it's beautiful...I want to be you when I grow up...haha! I love everything you do. I'm still a newbie to quilting...less than a year but am sooo drawn to scrap quilts! I did my 1st one last fall and my DH wants me to make another one for a raffle for work. I started cutting scraps for the Orange Crush but had to put it on hold to do the one DH wants...thanks for all you do and share w/us...I try to spend time w/you every day!!!

Lori said...

Oh, I love it!! Love the green, the cornerstones are great...brings the business of the block to the outside - but not too much. You must be running on nothing but caffeine, woman!!! lol

StitchinByTheLake said...

Great quilt but love, love the machine and the memories it must bring you! I love handed-down things....

Sharon said...

Hey, sometimes you just gotta sew something! It is cheaper than therapy! Love the quilt and the Penn. Dutch colors. It's great!

Karen said...

Bonnie, you've outdone yourself! (again)!!! I love this quilt and someday would like to make one like it...hint, hint. Sewing the blocks together with your vintage Singer makes the quilt even more special!

Malagueta said...

The scrappy setting triangles are so vibrant and add so much movement to the quilt. Just lovely!!

woolywoman said...

The wiring that the machine plugs into just needs to be changed. A machine mechanic who loves vintage machines can do this easily. Cures the slows every time. According to my machine mechanic, the 201 is one of the best machines ever made by Singer.

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