Considerations

I spent the last couple of days testing out most of the Necchi's decorative stitches. Here is a look at the cam and attachment box that comes with the Necchi Supernova Ultra. I spent hours constructing cams and selecting my favorite patterns.

These are my favorite decorative stitches that I feel will work well for finishing off my bindings.

During one of my breaks from testing the cams, I took Hank the Tank, Singer 328K, out of his new home and placed him in a treadle. I did this for two reasons. One, I realized that I most likely wouldn't be using my Singer 15-90 in treadle anymore for free motion quilting since I now enjoy FMQ with the Necchi. And second, there are about three decorative stitches from the Singer 328k that I would still like to use from time to time. So, hopefully Hank is finished moving.

After removing the Singer 15-90 from treadle, I swapped the spoke wheel and bobbin winder that had been on it with the Singer 15BG168 (RAF decals) hand wheel and bobbin winder. The Singer 15-90 retired to the shelf of honor, and the Singer with the RAF decals (shown in picture below) was turned in a hand crank machine. I removed the hand crank with the gaudy, gold Chinese characters off the Singer 66 (which was a weird mismatch) and attached the HC to the Singer 15 with the RAF decals. This setup looks a bit better.

The Stars Shine

Here is another BOM that I have suddenly plunged into. There is a group on the Quilting Board that I have been watching (I should say lurking) that are making the 50 state stars from the "50 Fabulous Paper Piecing Stars". Curiosity got to me, I had to take a peek of the book; so, I requested the book from the library. After thumbing through the book, my first thought was this is too much to tackle since I'm new to paper piecing. So, I decided to pick out three stars for me to work into a quick quilt. Delaware, Kansas, and Ohio looked easy enough to make with Ohio just requiring a bit more piecing. None were difficult to do!

Delaware Block

Kansas Block

Ohio Block

And....yes, I'm going to create the other 50 State Stars. For one quilt... maybe and maybe not... just depends on my direction.

Green Eyed Bandit

This year, I have decided to participate in Block of the Months to fulfill my goal of acquiring a broader knowledge of the construction of many quilting patterns that I have never attempted to tackle. Yes, I'm forcing myself to venture in a direction that isn't my design or style. Call this endeavor my learning curve. Somehow I will find a way to manipulate what I create into quilts that reflects my style.

Here is my second block from the one BOM (first block in that series is the snow flurry). The block was originally designed for four 6" sections with two of the sections being paper piecing cats with hearts and the other two sections are free for me to design. I decided to replace one of the cats with a face of a cat. I tried to modify a paper piecing face of a dog since I couldn't find a cat's face, but instead I produced Yogi the Bear...or maybe it's a green eyed bandit.

The layout of the PP face:

After all that work, I didn't like the harshness of the lines in the face. Plus, it didn't look like a cat's face. So, that section of the February block will be used elsewhere. I went with only one cat in the block since I lost interest.

My first two blocks from this BOM:

Hank's New Home

Hank the Tank has a new home! He is now living in the Necchi machine case. The hinge pins on the case are just a bit too large to fit into the Singer 328k. So, I had to tilt the pins out of the way in order for Hank to sit in the case. He looks handsome in this grey box with extension table. I decided to convert him back to an electric machine. I now have three vintage machines that are my e-machines: Singer 328k, Singer 401A, and the Featherweight. If I ever get around to taking a quilting class or joining a quilting guild, I now have one of these three serviceable machines to select and haul to the quilting projects that are created outside my home.

A Conversation with Eunice

I know, I know...I said my focus will be on vintage sewing machines that I had never before experienced. Treadles, those are the ones I will only rescue. And I did just that. I told myself that I'll concentrate on meeting more folks that sew with their vintage machines instead of me collecting more machines this year. And so, I added to my reading list by signing up to the Yahoo's vintage treadle sewing machine group for that search.

Yup, I did just that!

I decided to read from the summer of 2010, the time I started collecting vintage machines. I read until one post captivated my interests and brought me to a halt, "anyone wanting a Necchi Supernova to treadle contact me". I told myself, NO!!! And reminded myself that I grew up sewing with a Necchi Supernova; I know this machine. But that post haunted me for days... and I found myself researching Supernovas.

Well, I have always said that the machine has a way of finding its new steward. This one sat waiting patiently for me.

So, I introduce Eunice, quiet, sweet, and innovative.

I figured a way around my dilemma with the bobbin winder cover and treadle belt. At first, I thought I could just remove the bobbin winder cover from the bobbin winder so that the treadle belt wouldn't hit the cover, but that couldn't be done.

I discovered after taking the motor plate cover off that the bobbin winder extends down to this point which then clears the bobbin winder out of the way of the treadle belt.

And so, Sebastian lends me a claw with a smile. He's my hero!

On this clear winter day, I marvel at my wintergreen Necchi Supernova Ultra and Sebastian...such an odd couple...and I'm sure Eunice approves.

Thank you Eunice Winters.

How Time Flies!

It's Christmas again...not.
I just finished the Christmas quilt. Yes, the quilt that became my headache when I tried to finish it up quickly in time for Christmas by shortening the time of basting the dang thing. Instead of my usual method of hand basting, I used the spray basting. Yes, that nasty stuff that likes to wreak havoc on a perfectly wonderful project. It seems that the chemicals in the spray baste causes the machine needle to get gummed up which then makes for skipped stitches and loops...and headaches. I had to take the layers apart, wash all layers numerous times, reassemble, and hand baste before I could do any quilting. I wasn't liking this quilt...and here it was Christmas and all should be so joyous. At first, I thought I would hand quilt it. Possibly, my second in a lifetime hand quilted quilt. I even started a section, only to find that I really hate hand quilting. So, I decided to do what is best...I ignored it until after the holidays were over.

Time apart always helps! Amazing how time heals all problems...or some. And even though this isn't my best machine quilting, I'm liking this quilt now that it is finished and washed. It's cute and comfy. Peace at last!

Way Cool!

...was the response from my teenage son. Yup, I have to agree that this bag looks so much better. It's me!

While killing some time yesterday, I went fabric shopping. It was my lucky day; not only did I find fabric, but a simple, cute pattern. Sew what did I do today?
Yes, I whipped this one up quickly...simply easy and quick...no frustrations for me this time.

Inside of bag.

Outside of bag, take note of the big, red button; it travels.

I do hope my BIG approves of this one. Already I'm planning on making a jean bag with this extremely easy pattern.

Just Hanging

Detours aren't always a good thing...or maybe they are.
I don't know what I was thinking when I started into this project.
I like the fabrics separately. I thought they would look good together.
Or maybe it's the pattern. The bag has a nice shape when hanging.

I embellished the handle with a cute, red, large button. And even added knotted pearl embroidery stitches to the sections were I had hand sewn the handles to the bag, since my hand sewing isn't the prettiest.

The inside fabric is cute.

I think some of my dislikes for this bag stems from the frustrations of working with poorly written pattern directions. I had to make modifications to the bag at the junctions were the handles attach to bag. I should have finish the mock-up bag, but I was too eager to get this project finished. If I had, I would have discovered this problem in the pattern and then compensated for the difference while cutting out the fabric. But I didn't. When I reach the point of attaching the handles to the bag, it was then that I realized I needed to make a correction. So, I pleated the outer sides and top of the zipper area for the adjustment.

Well, I now know what works and doesn't...what's me and what isn't. I also know that my future handbag project will be extremely simple in looks and construction. Nothing complicated for me this year. My mantra for the year is keep it all simple and sweet...otherwise trash the project.

Snow Flurries ...

and a cold, wintery day looking out a frosted cover window is a memory from my childhood when I look at this quilt block.

This is my very first paper piecing project. I'm participating in a BOM (block of the month) thread on the Quilting Board- which is another first for me. After admiring the lovely blocks on that thread, I decided to jump in. So, I watched the recommended you-tube video on PP, and went at it. Surprisingly, the fabrics all blend together well, and the pattern was easy to do.


The process:

Test Runs

So what does one do with all the fabric sandwiches that were made from practicing free motion quilting?

Use them as pattern pieces.

I'm testing out a purse pattern. Yes, I know the zipper is too short, and the quilting doesn't match, but that is the fun of a test run. It doesn't have to look good.

This is the lining and inside pockets.

I'm liking the look of the long lines with the little open boxes as the quilting motif for the fabrics.

Fabrics and zipper that will be used to create the bottom left purse on this pattern.

The zipper is going to need a decorative bead or ring to dress it up and make it easier to pull the zipper open.