I did throw on my running shoes yesterday morning and headed out before anyone was up –I encountered a few people out walking their dogs also enjoying the gorgeous morning, and I also encountered some dogs out walking THEMSELVES! I walk with a full water bottle that has great squirt capacity for such reasons. That, and a good stern NO! ((Can you see me shaking my finger too in no uncertain terms?)) will usually set a dog off in the other direction.
Aren’t these gorgeous clematis just WONDERFUL!? I love walking wherever I go, wherever I am ((weather permitting of course)) and seeing this beauty! This time of year nature is just blooming all over….
Some of my favorite flowers of the summer??
These blue hydrangeas
This was an especially HAPPY bunch! Don’t you love that color?? Talk about “Blooming where you are planted!!” This bush is doing it gleefully. I think there is another Life Lesson in that, don’t you?
Upon my return home to Diane’s….I quickly showered and got ready for the day because we had an AGENDA!!
It was time for me to graduate from hand-cranking to….TREADLING! And let me tell you, it is harder than it looks! I kept getting stuck between backward and forward. And I have to confess, even though you see me with fabric under the needle? Look closer! Can you see what is MISSING?!?
Hint….look at the top of the machine……any idea now?
I was sewing WITH NO THREAD!!! LOL! It was the easiest way to see which direction the fabric was feeding, to get the rhythm, etc, but to not have thread breakage to deal with should the machine start going backwards on me. And let me tell you, this uses muscles that I am not used to using either!
I’m still happy as a clam chugging along, even without thread! That meant I didn’t have anything I had to rip out either!
Go feet Go!! Note to self: Flex the ankles, and don’t push too hard! Gentle rocking is all it takes…..easy does it…keep going…..
Soon we were on the road for a bit of shopping and lunch on the town!
Isn’t downtown Winchester cute!? There is a huge store on the right side of the courthouse square called HAMMERS and it is a BLOCK LONG..It takes up the whole block! And there is everything from clothing to house wares to hardware to fabric in there….and …tada! They were having their Memorial Day sale!
Yes, for 2.88 we did some damage here….there was everything under the sun! I found 2 pieces..one a blue/cheddar stripe, and one black on white print that I wanted. I really tried to reign it in!
We hit a couple other antique/junque shops and I rewarded myself for my restraint in the fabric section of Hammers…with a $5.00 zebra print purse that I am over the moon for!
We then headed to Decherd for a bit more shopping here:
This little shop has great fabric at very reasonable prices! We were still on a mission here..Diane was looking for a backing fabric for this lovely antique top:
Bad picture, too much light from the windows, but can you SEE these stars? The diamonds are about 1” per side!!
Click the pictures to see the variety in these stars…they are fabulous! I love how the centers in some radiate out in uniformity…but then go to scrappy tips! Some of them are scrappy random through out…..it’s a GORGEOUS top in great condition! I would love to do one of these some day….
We ended the day with my lecture last night..followed by some hand stitching while watching “Men In Black II”…..
Today? It’s a Virginia Bound workshop! Diane and Johnny are bringing their treadles for sewing, and I know a few other ladies are ready with their featherweights and their vintage card tables ready to roll too! It’s going to be a great day!
And tomorrow? I’m on the way home!
Back in the dark ages when I took Home Ec in high school, we all had to start with on one of the 6-8 treadle machines before we could "graduate" to one of the electric machines (highly desired / not enough to go around). What a come-down from my mother's electric Singer! Oh, how I remember having to learn to catch the fly-wheel to keep the thread from breaking and giving it a start when I began to sew so it would go in the right direction. Still have the curler bag I made as my first project on the treadle machine...
ReplyDeleteLove that stars quilt of Diane's. It's gorgeous! I love the randomness of the fabric, too....it makes it sparkle!
ReplyDeleteLove the handbag....and it's a sign of true 'deal' shopper....more store-savings-tags than keys on a keyring! lol Love it!
You've had quite an adventure on this trip. Love the antique crank sewing machine, it is an absolute treasure! I am working on my Pineapple Blossom blocks from the class in Florence. They are going together great. I've decided to make it bigger and spent yesterday cutting more pieces. I hope you enjoy your time at home for a few days before heading out for your next adventure.
ReplyDeletewell my comment is gone as is most of the comments I have tried to leave all week.... what is blogger doing? I don't want to sign up for a blog and I get angry that it does not leave a comment and boots me off of my reader.... so for get a name and I will see what happens when I use anoymous..... fingers crossed.....
ReplyDeleteLove the star quilt! Thanks for sharing. Curious how you would make your stars for this quilt
ReplyDeletegee, my great-grandmother made many, many quilts on a treadle..when she was older, it was converted to electric because of her arthritis, but she treadled many, many years!
ReplyDelete'nother great post, Bonnie.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I noticed - your feet on the treadle.
I noticed your feet are next to one another, I found it was easiest to treadle with one foot slightly ahead of the other - made the co-ordination more efficient.
IMHO
hugs,
Gerry
btw, thanks for taking us along for this merry jaunt.
Just think, Bonnie: if you use that treadle enough, you'll never have fat ankles! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI have my grandmothers treadle and always thought I would love to make at least one quilt using that dear machine...but i really lack the co-ordination , my hand go back and forth and my mouth opens and closes!! Such a sight I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteYou do find some good bargains.
Diane's quilt top is beautiful...will you show us what kind of backing she ends up choosing?
ReplyDeleteThere are so many quilt tops, blocks & pieces out there that aren't finished. Women 100 yrs ago must've had UFOs just like we do.
Hint* put one foot on the front of the peddle, and the other foot on the back of the peddle. It makes it more like walking, and easier to get a rhythm to your peddling.
ReplyDeleteI have a Japanese treadle, a Janome... all of the directions are in hmmmm funny thing, Japanese! So, I've never really tried it b/4 and was wondering how you know how to sew forward or backwards? On any treadle for that matter!
ReplyDeleteWow what fun shopping. I love that purse.
ReplyDeleteFancy sewing without thread! lol