Featherweight to the Rescue!

The other title to this story could be The Shame of the Computerized Machine. But I like a rescue better. So what happened?

I was working hard on a mini bow tuck bag for my mom. My wonderfully wonderful computerized machine decided it was tired and didn’t want to sew through all those layers of handles and triple and quadruple batting and fabric. She’s done it before – we’ve made several mini bow tucks and several full size bow tucks with no issues. I guess she was just not feeling up to the tasks.

After much debate about how the heck was I going to finish this purse and changing to every type of needle and thread I have, I was about to give up when the light bulb went off. One of my sister-in-law’s had given – yes I said GIVEN – and we’ve been doing really well getting acquainted.

And it’s a 100 year anniversary machine!

I’ve been working on a Bonnie Hunter for my first quilt on it. Fitting, don’t you think? Anyway, I grab Petunia May and shoved Big Bertha to the back and Petunia said “This isn’t a challenge!” and zipped right through it.

While I let out a heavy sigh of relief, I ran out of bobbin thread – of course. Last 4 inches of sewing and I need to wind a new bobbin. Okay! Easy enough. When I pulled the bobbin out, there’s another color of thread on the bobbin. I had been sewing with black. Now there is gray.

Okay – let’s just get the seam ripper out and get all of this off the bobbin. There was red and white and more black and tan and more red and green! I was laughing! The green must have been no more than 12 inches and was the last color on the bobbin. Wonder why the previous owner didn’t just take it off? Probably was just too intent on sewing and just wound what she needed.

To end on a good note, Big Bertha did work wonderfully on two little purses for my niece and grandniece. This pattern is Ruby’s Party Bag from Moda Bake Shop. Cute little purses!

Happy quilting!!

Bonnie Hunter Finish Up

Reading on Michelle's Romantic Tangle - LOVE LOVE LOVE her blog, I found a Bonnie Hunter finish it challenge. It's on Jo's Country Junction, another blog worth visiting every day!

I have several in process and have completed her Happily Scrappily Irish Chain except for getting it quilted. I need to send it out for quilting but that probably won't happen until next year. I'd love to complete the other projects as all the blocks are made. Here's where they all are:

Split Nine Patch - center is complete. Add a second border and determine the look of the final border

Sister's Nine Patch - all blocks are made. Cut out setting blocks and triangles and have at it!

Rick Rack Nine Patch - all blocks are made. Cut out setting blocks and triangles and have at it! Should have just said ditto!

How about you?

Until later, Happy Quilting!

OOPS! Monday To - Do List - on Thursday

I forgot to do my to do list! Speaks to how well I'm organized lately! I'll blame work. It's been really challenging the last few weeks and is taking away from my sewing time. I suppose I can't complain because it does let me buy the fabrics I love!

1. Bind Double Hour Glass quilt
2. Make Mom's Mini-Bow Tuck purse
3. Make purses for grand-nieces
4. Figure out next border for Little Women's Scrap Quilt
5. Finish center of the Album quilt

I think this list will have to go for next week too! That is too much to get done by Monday now! Number 1 is done. Working on 2 and 4. 5 is frustrating. I pulled an old, old, old pattern out and the center calls for an 8" finished center BUT it should be a 7 1/2" finished center. Working on cutting it down then it's a breeze! Why not just go with it? Because it is the center of a feathered star and the sides don't fit. ****SIGH****

Life without challenges would be no fun at all and we'd never learn!

Until next time, keeps those seams at 1/4"

Bonnie's New Mystery Quilt

Do you think Lowes and Home Depot and other paint stores are wondering why women are staring at the paint chips and not buying paint?!?!

IT'S ON!!

Celtic Solstice

I didn't do last year but am ready and pumped to go this year!

Monday To-Do List

Well, I didn't complete everything I had on my list but some done and some projects just jumped ahead of others. Here's what I was supposed to do:
1. Complete the center of Bonnie Hunter’s Summer Sew Along - DONE
2. Layer and quilt Soldier’s Cot Quilt - DONE
3. Bind Soldier’s Cot Quilt - DONE
4. Layer and quilt Half Scrap Log Cabin
5. Bind Half Scrap Log Cabin


So this week, I have to start out with the leftovers:

1. Layer and quilt Scrap Half Log Cabin
2. Bind Scrap Half Log Cabin
3. Layer and quilt Double Hour Glass quilt
4. Bind Double Hour Glass quilt
5. Make Mom's Mini-Bow Tuck purse
6. Make purses for grand-nieces


Notice I change the name of the quilt on the first 2 things to complete. That's because I had it wrong last week!

My center of the Bonnie Hunter Split Nine Patch:

Keep Stitching Away! And Smile!!

Little Women - October Meeting Pictures

Second post for our Little Women group. Marie's work deserved its own post. The slide show is the quilts and other work by our group. We are working out of Kathleen Tracy's Civil War Sewing Circle book. The group was also asked to bring their Halloween or Fall quilts and their counted cross stitch to share as we are celebrating the fall season. As always, the group came through!

Customize your own slideshow

I could not let Joy's witch quilt go without a full picture:

Until next time, Happy Quilting!

Jo Jo's Little Women - Special Treat - Marie Driskill

The second Saturday of the month, we have a group that meets at Jo Jo's Quilt Shop in Chesterfield, VA. The group is Little Women. We had a guest who came to see if she wants to join us in 2014 - Marie Driskill. Marie is a delightful woman. She owns Blackberry Lane Designs. This is a counted cross stitch place of uncommon beauty! With her permission, we took pictures - lots and lots and lots - of her trunk show she had just received back from a shop in Waynesboro. Please enjoy!

The captions under the pictures are mine - I don't know the official names of any of the patterns. I'm sure you can find them on her website - which is have some work done so be patient if a link doesn't work properly!

Customize your own free slideshow

Split 9 Patch

It was wonderfully rainy and windy here today. After work, I started putting together my Split 9 Patch. It's going to be so cute! The fabric is from 2008 - 2010; somewhere in there! It's Happy Howlidays. Very fun!

Now to finish piecing and determine what kind of border it gets.

Happy quilting!

Make-A-List Monday Link Up

I told my friend, Mary, I would join her in organizing my quilting with my Monday quilting to-do list. I realize it's Sunday as I post this but I like to plan a day ahead. So here's what I want to get accomplished this week:

1. Complete the center of Bonnie Hunter’s Summer Sew Along
2. Layer and quilt Soldier’s Cot Quilt
3. Bind Soldier’s Cot Quilt
4. Layer and quilt Half Scrap Log Cabin
5. Bind Half Scrap Log Cabin

Linking with Confessions of a Fabric Addict!
Stay tuned for design wall Monday to get your first look at my Split Nine Patch. I should have a picture posted tomorrow.

Happy Quilting!

Status of 2013 Quilting

I've been busy this year but just now getting back into my blog. Here's where I am with my projects:

2013 New Quilt Projects - 41
2013 Completed - 27

UFO’s 1/1/13 - 48 - Still adding as I find them!
UFO’s Completed 2013 - 5

Total Square Yards Used - 77.9

I need to get some pictures of my latest projects and my design wall.

More to come!

Happy Quilters - Sept 2013 Retreat

Here is the slide show from our weekend quilt retreat. I didn't get pictures of everyone's work - I thought I did but I didn't. I didn't even get my own work! I can post that later. Enjoy!

This free slideshow design generated with Smilebox