Last Blast of Winter

I have always said that the weather can change in a blink of an eye in Walla Walla. Last night, I was on a roll. I stayed up until 4 am hand stitching the binding down on a quilt. Sometime after 2 am, I put a load of laundry in the dryer. Our basement felt cold and damp - colder than it was when I put the load in to wash; like a winter fog had just rolled in. When I returned upstairs, I looked out the window in our living room from where I was curled up with the quilt over my lap, no sign of fog.

But soon a heavy slushy rain came pelting down. It was almost hail but not quite. It splattered and started to cover the ground. I stood and watched and all of a sudden, a huge thunder clap broke through the sound of the pelting rain and lightening lit up the sky followed by a sound that could have been a jet breaking through the sound barrier. The sound was so low and close, I almost expected to hear a crash but only silence came and snow fell heavily.

By the time I went to bed, there was probably over an inch of fresh heavy snow. When I woke up to blue skies at 8 am, it looked like there had been about 3 inches. But did the sun last? No! It is now snowing heavily again. There is always a last blast of winter at the end of February in our valley. It brings a cruel halt to the signs of spring and often surprisingly warm days.

And the quilt? The binding is on. I will do a label for it after it is washed. The batting is cotton, I like to see how the shrinkage shows up the quilting.

This quilt top was made on my Sweet 99, Minnie, a hand crank, on Christmas Day. We didn't get to be with family due to snow. I had to celebrate the season by making a Christmas quilt. And, I love sewing on hand crank sewing machines. There is just something so relaxing about the process. I forgot my disappointment over Christmas with every turn my hand made to stitch the quilt.

Postcard Perfect

Sometimes the right inspiration just happens. Our niece is attending a Journey with Christ retreat. We were asked to send her a card or letter with a special message.

Robin loves Irish dancing, so I spent an afternoon googling for an Irish blessing I could use on a quilted postcard. I found the perfect one and then found a Celtic Sun embroidery design with the symbol of the Trinity looped four times inside. Since St. Patrick's Day fabric is in for the season, fabric selection was easy! Now to get it in the mail. Trips to the PO are not my favorite thing to do.

Sew Funny

Another:

January, '09, Reader's Digest

In Seattle you haven't had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it is running.
Attributed to: Jeff Bezos, owner of Amazon.com and Blue Origin

First Quilt for First Grandbaby

This quilt is a first - first project made on the Davis Vertical Feed treadle (Victoria), first quilt quilted on the HandiQuilter 16, and first quilt finished for our first grandbaby to arrive in June!

Originally, I intended to quilt the top on a friend's machine on a quilting carriage and frame. I tested the set up and loved it!! I decided that a HandiQuilter 16 with their Portable Professional Table was the perfect quilting machine and frame for my needs and space.
I spent about three weeks bonding with my HQ16 and then loaded the baby quilt on the frame. Being a newbie, I didn't do everything just right. Despite the fact the borders were fine when I started quilting, I found I had too much fabric to ease in when I attempted to do them last (after watching Kim Brunner's video, I now know what my error was).

I took out the quilting in the borders and what looks like ruler-work on the HQ16 was actually achieved with individual arcs of freezer paper that I arranged repeatedly to create the rows of scallops. The batting is Soft and Bright by the Warm Company. It allowed me to use a hot iron to position the same seven waxed freezer paper templates on the quilt border. I stitched with a regular sewing machine, following the edge of the freezer paper template. (Note: Don't attempt to iron freezer paper templates with just any batting. You must test the batting between layers of your fabric, first. I have used cotton batting and Soft and Bright with great success for this method of marking a quilt.)
Now to get a label made for the quilt, a job for the Janome MC10K v. 3.

Finished!

Yes, I am late but we haven't celebrated Christmas with our family, yet! The snow kept us from traveling this year, so I have had a little more time to get my projects done. I just put a label on a quilt that I started in '01 or '02. I finished the top promptly but the back was not completed until I was in grad school. I finally quilted the project in October of '08 and designed the label soon after but I just finished stitching it down. I need someone to hold up the quilt so I can get some pictures but I thought you would like to see that I really do use a modern wonder once in a while. ;)

Just in case you are wondering, I make a quilt block with my embroidered design. Then I place the block face down on the fusible side of the lightest non-woven interfacing I can buy. I stitch all the way around the block with a short stitch length and trim the seam allowance with pinking shears. I slit the middle of the interfacing so I can pull the block through to turn it right side out. I carefully pull the block through the slit and push out the edges and corners. Then I press the block, interfacing side down, on a Teflon pressing sheet or a piece of paper from paper-backed fusible web. Make sure you remember to use the pressing sheet or the shiny side up on the paper backing. You don't want your quilt label stuck to the ironing board (or your iron)!!

Next, I place my block on the back of my quilt. I use Warm and Natural or Soft and Bright batting by the Warm Company. Even though Soft and Bright is polyester batting, I can press my label on the back of my quilt to baste it in place without damaging the polyester fibers. Then I hand stitch the label in place in three places, each ditch of the seam and the edge. I start on the inside seam and work my way out. The label is secure and looks so cool! Now to get two more quilts done for the other two kids and their spouses. But first to get two tops quilted for the first grandchild to arrive in June.

Scrap Happy

Did I tell you my Davis Vertical Feed is named Victoria? I named her after a lady on the treadle owners' list who helped me identify her. She sews beautifully and we have been having a blast making potholders. I have tons of strips of fabric already cut from my days as a strip quilter. I also have lots of self-made bias left from the placemats I often make for wedding and housewarming gifts. Along with scraps of batting from quilts, Victoria and I have made a pile of potholders. She applies that binding without a ripple. And I have become a real pro at treadling steadily and removing pins at the same time. Victoria's treadle pedal works well even at slow speeds so that is a big help.

Just call us the happy strippers! ;)

Just so the Pfaff 7570 doesn't feel displaced, I have been zig-zagging the binding down for the last step. The topstitching looks great and is a sturdy finish for the binding.

Converting to a Hand Crank

I have had many requests for instructions and information on how to convert a machine to a hand crank. This will be brief until I can get up all the instructions and pictures.

For converting, you will need a Singer or a clone with a standard wheel shaft and a motor mount on the outside of the column.

http://www.treadleon.net/sewingmachineshop/motorboss/motorboss.html

The Singer 99s, 185Js, and the 128s are the ideal Singer for portability to events. The kids and adults think the machines are cute but they are 3/4 size, fully functioning sewing machines. They are easy to use and unlike most crank toy machines, they all sew very well. The 185Js are fun for 4-H events because they are green!

The Singer 128s are a long bobbin and shuttle machine. They have a learning curve that goes with winding the bobbin and loading the shuttle. But once mastered, they are superior to the round bobbin models because they don't tangle the threads when cranked backwards and some think they crank easier than 99s and 185Js. Also, the bobbin winder works easily with the larger sized spoked wheel.

The late model Singer 99s and the green 185Js are easily converted to hand cranks with little or no tinkering with the bobbin winder. Early model 99s require an unusual adjustment and a skinny bobbin winder tire but I don't find I need to cut a chunk of metal from the adjustment slot as described in these instructions for converting machines to hand cranks:

http://www.treadleon.net/sewingmachineshop/converting/converting.html

The reproduction spoked wheels and cranks can be purchased for about 24 dollars for a set or 12 dollars separately if you don't need a spoked wheel. The solid wheels on the machines can be notched if you have someone to do the job (see the link above). Some suppliers lap the wheels to make sure they will fit properly but if not follow these instructions (most wheels require lapping so they don't stick on the shaft):

http://www.treadleon.net/sewingmachineshop/lappingwheel/lappingwheels.html

If you find a machine without a base you will need it. The 99s don't have all 4 legs to support them up off the table. Again you will find instructions at the Treadle On site:

http://www.treadleon.net/woodshop/buildingbases/buildingbases.html

The last little change I made was to add a short shank to all the machines that would accept standard clip-on feet. I like to use the straight stitch foot with two equal width toes and a thick fridge magnet for a seam guide. The original Singer feet have a skinny right toe. I like to butt the fridge magnet right up against the presser foot and the larger toe gives a generous 1/4 to 3/8 inch seam allowance plus the magnet does not rub against the feed dogs with the wider toe.

I will later add a link to the download the instructions for the bean bags. The bags were constructed without the need for backstitching. Catherine has field tested them for 12 years. They are sturdy and easily made by children.

You can now find the tutorial for the Sew Green 4-H activity here (the tutorial includes the instructions for the beanbags):

http://sewwonderful.wordpress.com/category/free-tutorials/