It’s National Sewing Machine Day!
Did you know that?
I didn’t know until I read it this morning on the news --
Celebrated annually on June 13 is National Sewing Machine Day. This day honors the invention of the sewing machine. It is hard to imagine having to sew things together by hand….. stitch by stitch.Skilled cabinet-maker and English inventor, Thomas Saint, received the first patent for a design of a sewing machine in 1790. It was meant for leather and canvas, was never advertised and no evidence of it, other than his drawings, could be found.
In 1874, William Newton Wilson found Saint’s drawings in the London Patent Office, made adjustments and built a working model. This model is currently owned by the London Science Museum.
Industrial use of the sewing machine reduced the burden that was placed upon housewives, moving clothing production from them and seamstresses to large-scale factories. This also resulted in a decrease in production time which caused the price of clothing to drop considerably.
- Walter Hunt invented the first American lockstitch sewing machine in 1832.
- John Greenough patented the first sewing machine in the United States in 1842.
Today, many people are again becoming interested in the art of sewing and making their own clothing. Crafts fairs and flea markets are filled with booths full of beautiful sewing machine-made clothes along with numerous other sewing machine-made items.
Quilters across America are known as sewing machine experts! SourceSo I am thrilled that we get to celebrate our love the sewing machine together with Quilt Cam today!
I’ve brought Barbie out to play – feeling PINK!
Oiled, cleaned, new needle, wound bobbins AND set her seam allowance by test sewing together a couple of 2” squares. Yep! It reaches 3.5” so I am good to sew!
I tell you, I had to really THINK on what I could quickly throw together today. Where did I last leave off on the LAST UFO??
THESE!!
I’m not sure which trip I was on when I ran out of pre-cut turquoise pieces. But it’s been a while! I cut some more, and I am ready to finish up the last 6 blocks before I can think of how I want to set this quilt together.
Barbie is a badged MODERN machine, Made in Japan sometime in the 1950s. She is straight stitch only, but full of style!
Get a load of her nobs…
And who doesn’t like a pink machine??
Ready to sew with me? Click the arrow on the screen below to start the feed!
42 comments:
Your hair looks awesome!
Happy Sewing,
She Smith
Working on my mini Chunky Churndash blocks.... making small blocks is so addictive!!! Have a great day girlfriend!
Working on scrap log cabin blocks!
Sherry Denton
Yeeehaw!!!! I'm hiding out in the classroom....Bob has the shop duty (he's such a good guy).....I get to finally spend some time with you!!!
Hugs from Floreeedah!
Hi Bonnie This is my first time watching you live. I have been to your website and love it. I am a first time quilter. You are very inspiring.
Natalie Aggarwal from Sugar Land, Texas
natalie-aggarwal@hotmail.com
I Can't believe it I am actually watching you live! Home with a migraine so just watching and listening! Love quilt cam!
I love quilt-cam. This is my second time watching.
Just came in from helping hubster with firewood. UGH!
Time to turn on quilt cam and celebrate the day! See you in a few minutes. :)
Home in Market Harborough in UK watching you live on my TV. So lovely to catch you live. Working on cutting and basting my first ever hexies to make a crochet hook case.
Hi Bonnie.
I am getting ready to make the shirt tails quilt from your book. I'm using my brother in laws shirts who passed away in March. I'm naking it for my sister. In the pattern it says to cut 4 7/8 in squares and 3 5/8 in squares. What size strips do i use if im using the easy angle ruler. Thank you.
Becky
Hi Bonnie, i am cutting pieces for a bee block for a few minutes break from the weeding on this beautiful day, will catch the rest in the archives!
Hi Bonnie,
joining as Barb in Mi now in Hungary. What a treat for a Saturday evening live quilt cam! While I don't have a vintage machine here, I am glad to have a supermarket Singer to sew on LOL
Currently working on butterfly blocks from a quilt kit - which was the easiest to pack for an extended work stay in some village an hour south east of Budapest. So glad to be able to join even if my connection is slow and no pics are possible. Have a great weekend and safe travels. One day we will meet at Detroit airport!
Barb
I am just sitting on the couch being lazy on this hot and humid day watching you work. I am already tired of this weather and am looking forward to fall. But during the summer I do tend to get busy on quilting because I can stay inside and be cool.
Bonnie Bonnie Bonnie!! I am so excited, I get to meet you on Monday in Auburn California at your workshop with the Foothill Quilters Guild! Yippee! I cant wait, its going to be a blast! I am working right now, but had to pop in and say hi and share my excitement! So Shhhhh!!
Thanks for quiltcam on a Saturday morning (it started at 11 am here on the West Coast!) It was just the incentive I needed to get into my sewing room. I have to finish some little girl dresses for my grands, then I'll tackle my scrap bins today!
oh boo! I never realize that there is Quilt Cam until it's done and over with, or almost over! At least today I've been able to watch the last little bit! It's been MONTHS since I've been able to watch :(
HOPING to get some sewing time in tonight! Might be tough since I've got my twin 1 year old granddaughters for the night! Love having them here, but NEVER get anything done.......and once they're in bed, I crash too
Great to hear what others are doing, and of course, I love watching you make things too Bonnie!
Sherri in Shrewsbury, Ontario, Canada
As to a next L&E project, what about an old Addicted to Scraps pattern that is already on your free pattern site? Or I've always want to do a Churn Dash scrappy!
Thanks for quilt cam today. It's hot and humid here in sw PA too. So of course I'm putting binding on a flannel snowman quilt. Thank goodness for a/c! The flannel quilt was donated by our LQS and will be raffled off in the fall to help our local library.
Sarah
Would love a planned 2 color leader ender! Just found u back in early may. Your way of thinking and scrapping and organizing has blown my mind! The leader/ ender concept has revolutionized the way i sew!
Hi Bonnie!
It's the first time in over a year that I get to watch Quilt Cam live! Oh what a pleasure!
I am working on some more "Pineapple Blossom" blocks - for the quilt that I started in your class at the International Quilt Festival of Ireland in 2013... this is definitely an UFO that hast to be finished!
Greetings all the way from Germany! Janina
Hi Bonnie!
I watch you first time live :) - from Prag, Czech republic. Thanks for the inspiration :)
I'm LOVING that 1000 pyramid idea!
I'm working on trimming a customer quilt today as I watch, need to bind it for her, I'll probably use my vintage Kenmore 95 with a Kenmore walking foot to add it. My customer is 56 and has inoperable brain cancer. Really puts things in perspective for me, life- and quilt-wise.
Connie - Boise, ID
For the leader/enderproject, I like the idea of a split rail block. I have never tried a leader/ender before, so I'd want to keep it simple. In fact, I may just do that on my own. đŸ˜‰
Sarah in PA
I love Barbie, such a pretty girl. Pretty in Pink! Thanks for the lozenge quilt binding instructions. Great job. You took the "scary" out of that. I would never have thought to put a lime green binding on that quilt! It looks super. Can you teach us how to choose a color like you did for the lozenge quilt?? Hugs.
Loved watching Quilt Cam live in the UK. Had a busy day as we took our daughter and granddaughter out for the day, then back here for a roast dinner. DH took them home in time for me to settle down with a cup of tea to watch you. No sewing for me, too tired! Really funny, I just thought what a lovely top you were wearing ( my kind of colours) when you said you didn't like it, that you were turning into your grandmother! Well, I'm certainly not old enough for that label, but I still like your top! Safe journey to California, fingers crossed you get your upgrade.
Just finished watching 6/13/15 quilt cam, I love the idea od a two color quilt and/or the snowball/9 patch leader enders. Enjoyed Q-C a lot. Have a great July.
Barb in IL
I'm out on the deck in 80 degree sunshine working on Texas Tumbleweed using Martha, my 1954 Featherweight. Just popped in to check out what's happening in computer Land---now back out I go! I'll watch QuiltCam when the sun isn't calling my name!
Jody in Soldotna, Alaska
I've watched you live for the first time. I'm Pascale in the UK, and I met you last year at Quilts UK in Birmingham in August.
I love your hair and your projects are awesome, except I want to start them all when I should be finishing my UFOs.
I've been working on my Dear Jane while watching you. I'm nearly half way after a year and a half. Enjoying the process.
Love,
Pascale
Frenchpatchworker@googlemail.com
I like the idea of 1000 pyramids. I have a lot of those already cut. I think that would be a great leader ender project and I could cut more and clear out some of my stash. Please pick 1000 pyramids!
Yes! national sewing machine day. Just found a mint 99K at a Volunteers of American for a great price. She was born the same month and year I was. Think she needs to be a Betsy.
enjoying my featherweight today to celebrate! FInal day for my qguild show, several quilt from your patterns were displayed. All beautiful!
Quilt-cam was awesome this morning! And I now have a Chromecast stick so I can "cast" it to the TV!
To the gal who wanted to know what size strips to use for Easy Angle, I would recommend watching Bonnie's tutorial and you can find out there. I think it's the size for unfinished triangle, but check to be sure....
How about Broken Dishes as a Leader/Ender project? That could use up bonus triangle squares from other projects. It could be done either in total scrappy or a more controlled scheme.
Hi Bonnie, Thanks again for QuiltCam today! It kept me going while I finished that little cottage. I am itching to do a leader ender project with you, while I get under way with a wedding present quilt I am about to start. I have a growing bag full of one and half inch half square triangles that I have accumulated from my own projects, and my friends' - as I managed to swipe them before they just threw them away! I am also wanting to do a blue and neutral project, so a two tone pattern would be great too. Happy sewing. Janet.
I was so looking forward to your LIVE quilt cam Saturday night at 7pm, but would you believe we had a power cut from 8am until 9.20pm so by the time I got onto the net it was too late grrrrrr :(
I'm so glad I popped on here tonight...how fun to learn it's National Sewing Machine day and my dear hubby gave me a beautiful Singer featherweight machine today for our 28th wedding anniversary. I'd been wanting one for so long, after seeing so many in your blog pics. Now I don't have to be in the basement to sew all the time and can go outside on the deck!
hi Bonnie, greetings from Australia - I have you on the computer and I'm sewing along. Love your quilts - jealous of your travels, grateful for your knowledge and sharing .xxxx
Hi Bonnie. I'll be at your workshop in Auburn tomorrow and am excited that I'll be finally meeting you. Am enjoying Quilt Cam and wanted to let you know that a rail fence leader ender would be a good idea. I have so many 1 1/2" strips that it would be a great way of using them up. Also the two color idea was a good one too. What about a two color rail fence? Thanks again for quilt cam and so many great patterns.
Hi Bonnie,
This is exactly the pattern I was looking for from you for those floral 2" watercolor squares I asked you about!!! So excited that now I have a plan. Not sure what color will be the outside triangles yet. Thank you for posting the pictures.
Your friend in quilting,
Trina in San Antonio
trinahinsa@yahoo.com
Hi Bonnie. I am new to Quiltcam. But I always follow your blog. I love the leaders and enders and have also started doing it. I also love scrappy quilts. Best wishes from a cold and wet day in Cape Town, South africa xx Zelda
Two colour quilts are my absolute favorite. Of course, I am in the middle of making both Jamestown Landing and Talking Turkey. That being said, I would still love to make another two colour quilt as a leader-ender along with you!!
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