A Peek!

Busy getting ready for TOGA event. I have three sewing machine covers and exchange blocks all ready to go. I need to decided on what machines will travel to the event. I'm thinking sweet and simple...like my very first machine, Thistle Marie...since she started all of this. And I'm hoping to complete a baby quilt this week.

From Yard to Home!

I have made numerous lavender sachets that have traveled to homes as far away as Tokyo and all the way to Baltimore, and none have managed to stay in my home -until today! This cute sachet is made with lavender that grows in my garden.

Lavender cuttings

Lavender tops removed

My special sachet

Reversible Sewing Machine Cover Tute

This reversible sewing machine cover is a great way to use up scraps of fabrics and batting. Ties can be added or not; it's all up to the look that you want. These instructions are without ties since I like the look of just draping the cover over the vintage machine. I will also give instructions on how a couple of the Treadleon exchange 6 ½ “ blocks can be used as part of the decorative strip for one side of the cover.

Materials:
Large leftover fabrics from previous quilting projects; some about ½ yd. in size.
leftover batting size 22”x25”
exchange blocks 6 ½ “ x 6 ½ “
contrasting thread or variegated thread
buttons

Directions:

Start with well starch fabrics.


Step 1 ( side 1)
I'm using leftover muslin along with some exchange blocks that I made up for this decorative strip.
Cut muslin into 2- 6 ½ “ x 3 ½ “ block and 1- 6 ½ “ x 4 ½ “ block.
Sew a 3 ½ “ block to the bottom of each of the exchange blocks. Be careful of direction that the blocks will be positioned on the decorative strip. Have the writing on block in opposite directions. These blocks haven't been signed.
Sew a 4 ½ block to other ends of each exchange block. This will make up the center area of the decorative strip. Press.

Step 2 (side 1)
Cut 1- 3” x 23'' strip and 1- 11” x 23” strip ( these strips are about a ½ '” longer than the sewn decorative pieces). Sew strips to sides of decorative strip.
Press all fabrics.

Step 3
Cut out batting to size of finished side 1.
Pin into place or spray baste in place batting to wrong side of side 1.
Run a straight stitch in one or more of the ditches to hold batting to side 1. If you want to run more lines or any decorative lines then do so. And stitch around perimeter of side 1.

Step 4 (side 2)
For this side you are going to use some other fabric/s so that the motif on this side is different from side 1. You now have a choice of keeping it simple by just cutting a printed fabric the same size of the entire front, or making a more detailed side. I'm going to give directions for making this side with a solid color strip added to a print. You will need to decide what direction you want your decorative stitch to run. For this project I will have the strip run horizontal, and measurement below are for this direction.

Cut 1 13” x 19 ½ “ printed fabric
Cut 1 4” x 19 ½ “ horizontal strip solid color
Cut 1 7” x 19 ½ “ printed fabric

Sew printed fabrics to both sides of strip.
Press all fabrics.

Look at finished sides and how they are positioned.

Directions for border with binding:
Put side with batting on top of wrong side of side 2. Run as many stitches or decorative stitches to hold sides together. Cut strips for binding and sew together to form 2 ½ “ x 90" long strip. Fold strip in half, iron, and attach binding. You can finish of binding with decorative stitch. Decorate cover with buttons if you wish.

Side 1

Side 2

AND...
Directions for cover that doesn't have a binding.
Put right sides together of finished sides, then square up fabrics and pin.
Run a stitch around perimeter leaving a 3” opening for turning the piece inside out.
Turn inside out. Slip stitch opening close. Iron.
Run a straight-stitch down the length to hold side 1 to side 2 in either a ditch or somewhere for a decorative look. Add buttons.

Examples from my first cover done with this method.

Another One!! It's like eating chocolate.

This time I did more quilting using one of the decorative stitches from the Singer 328K. I also added the border that was finished with the same decorative stitch that had been used in the body to care that motif. I prefer the look without the border since it's less work. This was a test run.

Reverse side

Modest Crew

I made another sewing machine cover. Now why would I want to do that since these vintage ladies and gents are past the age of being modest. I'm not trying to camouflage them since I don't need to hide them from my husband. Well, I'm testing out different ideas for the sewing machine project that I will be demonstrating at the Treadleon Gathering. I love the look of this side! Yes, you read correctly. Even though I would have never purchased this fabric for use (scraps from my mom's stash), I'm very surprised at how elegant this side of the sewing machine cover looks with the vintage cabinet.

A Reversible Coat

Three different looks from just one sewing machine cover.
This reversible sewing machine cover made from scraps is a test cover. I used my new vintage lady, Rose (Standard Rotary), for piecing and quilting.

A look at each side. The little sewing machine is a button.

Close up of decorative stitching made from Singer 328K in treadle.

She's up and running!!!!!

Rose! She is a sweet machine!
After I got the cabinet and machine all cleaned up, I gave her a test drive. Well I tried to give her a test drive! At first, I couldn't get the machine to pick up the bobbin thread. I looked online for a manual with no avail. My first thought was that the bobbin must not be in correctly. So, I read White Rotary manuals, Domestic Rotary manuals, and any other rotary manual for a treadle machine that I could find on the internet. The Standard bobbin looks just a wee bit different from the Whites, but not too much of a difference in technology for me to understand the correct direction and threading of the bobbin. I decided that the bobbin wasn't the issue and decided to study the mechanism for picking up the threads. Well, a light bulb went off! I realized that I needed to turn the hand wheel away from me, just like if I were using a White Rotary.

She sews a pretty stitch. I'm looking forward to making a cute baby quilt with her.

Finished Twisted 60

Finished in time for my daughter's birthday! This quilt will grace her bed in her new college room.

Forget the veggies...

..bring on the succulents! I killed my veggies!!! I guess watering would have help, but it's a bit difficult when the surrounding plants are all drought tolerant. Going ROGUE, all my flower pots now have succulents, and the entire yard is drought tolerant.

Oops, how did this one get by me...not a succulent, but the herb spearmint.

Basting Away in the Summer Time

My dinner room table makes for a wonderful workbench for this project. I extend the table to hold the two long pieces of wood that the quilt top and bottom gets wrapped around; the Sharon Schamber method. I find that I can sit for a couple of hours basting while watching tv. For a large quilt, like the one I'm working on now, the fabric is laid out on my kitchen floor where I roll the fabrics onto the boards. Once the fabrics are on the boards, I then move the project over to the dinning room table to do the basting. I prefer this method over pinning or spray basting. It does take a bit more time to do this than the spray basting, but I like the result much better. Plus, it is healthier for me than inhaling all the chemicals.