June 24, 2009 by rosewillow
Here is the latest addition to our sewing machine collection. This is a Singer 201K, manufactured on September 10, 1952, at the Kilbowie Factory in Clydebank, Scotland. If you know a machine’s serial number, you can trace its heritage here on the Singer site.
I’ve been wanting one of these machines for years, but they usually cost a small fortune. This time, I was lucky and just happened to be in the right place at the right time. The International Sewing Machine Collectors’ Society (ISMACS) says the Singer 201 “is considered by most collectors to be the best sewing machine Singer ever made.” They have an article about the Singer 201 with great photos and detailed information here.
We like to name our sewing machines, and this one is called Peggy. She came with a foot pedal and mains lead (electric cord), a knee control lever, an extension table, and a lovely case. We picked her up last night.
When my daughter got home from school today, she took Peggy for a test drive. My little one has just turned 8 years old, and she is already very interested in sewing.
I’m pleased to see that she has been listening to my talks about sewing machine safety, and she is keeping her fingers well away from the needle.
This is what she was working on.
Free motion stitching on a scrap of muslin. Pretty good for a first-timer. I think I can definitely see quilting in her future! 
Happy Sewing!
Posted in Sewing machines | Tagged Clydebank, free motion, ISMACS, Kilbowie Factory, quilting, Sewing, Singer 201, vintage Singer sewing machines | 5 Comments »
June 17, 2009 by rosewillow
We have lovely neighbours. Here they are, enjoying an evening snack.
The day before yesterday, we noticed one of these lovely ladies poking her head over the dry stone wall that borders our property, trying to eat the mint plants from last year’s vegetable garden.
Then, when I was making dinner yesterday evening, I happened to glance out the kitchen window, and I did a double take! Part of the wall had collapsed, with a great heap of stones crushing all the plants in the flower bed.
My husband called our “real” neighbour, the farmer who owns the cows, and he came right over. He and my husband rebuilt the wall in less than half an hour, and now it looks as good as new. I think these dry stone walls are so attractive. There must surely be a quilt pattern in there somewhere!
We suspected that one of the cows pushed the wall over, but no one actually saw it happen. And I thought that was the end of our little adventure.
But no! This afternoon, the culprit returned to the scene of the crime! Here is Little Miss Naughty checking out the wall for her private entrance to the garden of cow delights. I grabbed the camera and ran outside in the rain. This was too good to miss.
Just look at that cheeky face! She’s thinking about it…
and thinking about it…
and thinking about it…
and I’m shouting at her, “Don’t you dare! Don’t even think about it!”, all the while flailing one arm in her direction and trying to work the camera with the other hand.
At last, she decided to moove on. (heehee, sorry)
This is my daughter’s favourite cow. She calls her Mrs. Moo. She’s such a pretty cow, it’s hard to stay mad at her. And you really can’t blame a girl for wanting minty fresh breath. 
Happy Sewing!
Posted in Family, Quilting and Sewing | Tagged cows, dry stone walls, gardening, quilt patterns in nature, quilting, Sewing | 2 Comments »
June 12, 2009 by rosewillow
I have vertigo. It’s awful. I have wanted to sew, to post on my blog, to sit on a chair without having to hold onto the table because I think I’m going to fall over. At least I can sit upright now, but I still want to lay down all the time.
My clever friend Margaret in Texas always said, “Never stand if you can sit, and never sit if you can lay down.” I don’t think she was talking about vertigo, but it sounds good to me right now.
I thought I might try to design a quilt pattern called Vertigo, so I googled “vertigo quilt pattern” to see what’s out there in the big world. Aha! There’s a lot of this going around.
I found this post by SueR of north winds quilting from January 3, 2009. Bless her heart, she speaks for all of us. I could never have written a more accurate description.
Nancy Rink has an attractive pattern for sale called “Vertigo.” (She also has some pretty blocks of the month that are free.)
Elizabeth Hartman of oh, Fransson! featured an Alexander Henry fabric design called “Vertigo” in this post. I love this beautiful and inspirational blog. Elizabeth’s imagination soars on the wings of doves.
I also discovered that Austin quilter Kathy York’s award winning quilt, “Vertigo”, has been featured on the cover of Quilting Arts magazine.
There are many other “vertigo” quilts, as well. I am treading on a well-worn path. Perhaps I’ll choose a nautical theme instead. I could call it “Listing to the Starboard Side.”
Happy Sewing! I hope to join you soon.
Posted in Quilting and Sewing | Tagged Alexander Henry fabric, Elizabeth Hartman, Nancy Rink, north winds quilting, oh fransson!, quilting, Quilting Arts magazine, Sewing, vertigo | 3 Comments »
May 25, 2009 by rosewillow
…for washing quilts and drying them on the clothesline. It’s so nice to finally see the sun in our corner of Yorkshire.
Happy Sewing!
Posted in Quilting and Sewing | Tagged I Spy Squares quilt, quilting, quilts on the clothesline, Sewing, Trip Around the World quilt | 2 Comments »
May 13, 2009 by rosewillow
My “new” sewing machine, purchased on eBay, arrived today. I have named her Sylvia. She is a Singer 507, and she was made in 1975. She is very similar to the sewing machine I had in America before I moved to England.
Sylvia came with a nicely-done instruction manual, which someone scanned from an original and printed on a colour printer, then spiral-bound. She also has a genuine Singer foot pedal and a new re-wired electric plug. My little daughter and I sewed on her all afternoon, and she works great.
Here are some photos, because I just have to show her off! She’s so beautiful…
Happy Sewing!
Posted in Quilting and Sewing, Sewing, Sewing machines | Tagged Quilting and Sewing, Sewing, sewing machine, Singer 507, vintage sewing machine | 1 Comment »
April 29, 2009 by rosewillow
I’ve joined another quilt-along, this time with Amandajean at Crazy Mom Quilts. This one is to make a colourful 9-patch top. Photos of the model with crisp white sashing are on her blog. We are supposed to make one block a day and finish it up by summertime. I haven’t started yet, but I have chosen some fabrics from stash that I would like to use up. Instead of white sashing, mine is going to have bright green sashing.
I am also working on the Ice Cream Social at Hugs, Melinda’s blog and made this little drawing of my mini-quilt-to-be. I don’t have fancy quilting software, so this is actually a colouring book-type page with Friendship Stars that have been coloured in to look like ice cream cones. My colour is chocolate, and I can use two other colours as well. My blocks are going to be set on a twist, using Mary Johnson’s instructions for Twisted Happy Blocks, and my little quilt will be 22.5 inches square when finished.
And, I am continuing with my blue-and-yellow interpretation of Judy Laquidara’s latest Stash Quilt Project. Step 3 of the instructions was posted yesterday, and the previous steps are also available on Judy’s blog.
I am trying to use up as much of my stash as possible this year, and it’s really good fun to participate in these quilting projects. I love the fellowship with other quilters and getting the chance to chat with new friends about our progress.
Happy Sewing!
Posted in Quilting and Sewing, Sewing, stash busting | Tagged 9-patch, ice cream social, Quilt-Along, Quilting and Sewing, Sewing, stash quilt, Twisted Happy Blocks | 1 Comment »
April 23, 2009 by rosewillow
Quilting people can do anything. We really can. Measure, measure, measure….cut, cut, cut…change the shape and put it all together again.
Today we had new flooring installed in our kitchen, following a plumbing disaster which ruined the old floor. We have a closet in our kitchen which I call the “pantry” and my husband calls the “larder.” We forgot to order enough flooring to include the pantry, so the fitter said he would try if he had a large enough piece left over. Well, he didn’t.
After he left, I went to tidy up the scraps and rubbish, and I found a large Continue Reading »
Posted in Fun Stuff, Quilting and Sewing | Tagged cutting mats, quilting rulers, unusual uses for quilting tools | 3 Comments »
April 19, 2009 by rosewillow
The fabrics for my Bears in the Art Museum quilt top are all from stash, but I didn’t have a nice backing, so I just had to buy some fabric this week. My husband helped me choose this fabric. It feels very soft and luxurious, and I think it will look pretty. It’s called “Imprints,” designed for the Balson Hercules Group.
I also started working on Judy Laquidara’s new stash project. She is doing her quilt in bright colours, but she said we could use any colours we like. Mine is going to be all blue and yellow. I’ve been dreaming of ways to use my collection of blues and yellows together, and this pattern will be perfect. I have finished 16 Flying Geese blocks already. Judy recommended Patti Anderson’s method for No-Waste Flying Geese, and I think it is brilliant and so easy to do.
Since it’s time for the Weekly Stash Report, I’ve also been thinking about ways of reporting stash usage. I’ve changed my mind again about how and when to count fabric used. I think Judy Laquidara’s method is really the most sensible for me (actually counting it when I use it — otherwise I will forget), so I am going to count my Bears fabric in this week’s stash report. That will bring my totals for Week 16 to:
- Bought 6 yds
- Used 8.5 yds
- YTD Bought 16.75 yds
- YTD Used 76 yds
Happy Sewing!
Posted in Bears in the Farmhouse, Quilting and Sewing, Stashbuster Report | Tagged Bears in the Farmhouse, blue and yellow quilt, fabric design inspired by Paul Klee, Judy Laquidara, Judy's Quilt-Along, no-waste Flying Geese, Patti Anderson, Quilting and Sewing, Sewing, Stash Project, stash report | 5 Comments »
April 9, 2009 by rosewillow
My Bears in the Farmhouse quilt top, now renamed “Bears in the Art Museum,” is finished!
This project was part of Judy Laquidara’s Quilt Along. Finished quilt tops by other participants can be viewed here. Judy said about 300 participants started the project, and more than 150 carried on through the final step. Judy now has the pattern for sale on her website.
Thank you, Judy, for this beautiful pattern. I’ve learned some new techniques and a more efficient method of assembling a quilt top. This is also the most technically perfect quilt top I’ve ever made — and I had to unpick a few seams and redo them to make sure of that!
It was really good fun, too.
Happy Sewing!
Posted in Bears in the Farmhouse, Quilting and Sewing, Sewing | Tagged Bears in the Farmhouse, fabric design inspired by Paul Klee, Judy Laquidara, Judy's Quilt-Along, Quilting and Sewing, Sewing | 6 Comments »
April 5, 2009 by rosewillow
I’m making progress on my Bears in the Farmhouse quilt from Judy Laquidara’s Quilt Along. The half-square borders are on all the way around, and I have started on the second orange border.
I’m obsessed with this quilt. I want to work on it all the hours there are, but you know how families are…..they are always wanting to eat, and to wear clean clothes. Bless ‘em.
While I’ve been working on these borders, I’ve been thinking about how I want to quilt this top. I’ve seen a pattern that I like in Charlene C. Frable’s book, Quilt as Desired, and I’ve been practicing. 
However, my focus fabric is a bit busy, so a plain meandering pattern might be better. We’ll see. I’ll be doing the quilting on my domestic sewing machine, a Janome 6500 P. I’ve also decided to call my quilt, “Bears in the Art Museum,” since my focus fabric is a design inspired by the work of Paul Klee.
My Stash Report for Week 14 has only changed by 1/4 yard used, which was binding on a UFO that I finished for the Stashbuster UFO Challenge. I’m waiting until the Bears in the Farmhouse quilt is finished before I count that fabric.
- Bought 0 yds
- Used 1/4 yd
- YTD Bought 10.75 yds
- YTD Used 67.75 yds
Happy Sewing!
Posted in Bears in the Farmhouse, Quilting and Sewing, Sewing, UFOs | Tagged Bears in the Farmhouse, Charlene C. Frable, Janome 6500P, Judy Laquidara, Paul Klee, Quilt as Desired, Quilt-Along, Quilting and Sewing, Sewing, stash report, Stashbuster, UFO Challenge | 7 Comments »
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