It followed me home....

Yesterday I was browsing Craigslist looking for vintage sewing machines.   I found several listings from one lady in Indy trying to sell her mom's quilting stuff.  I had to sell off my mom's stuff four years ago and empathized greatly.  I contacted her because I was interested in three of the kits.  I was just trying to be helpful.  I swear I didn't do it for me.

This morning after my doctor appointment I went to her home and bought those three kits.....and got directions to her dad's where the rest of the stuff was.  Well, I drove all the way there. It was out of my way.  It would have been foolish to drive there and NOT buy.  Right?  That is my story and I am sticking to it.

This is my "haul" from two locations.  Generally, I stop at a quilt shop when I go to the doctor.  Kind of like getting an ice cream cone if you got a shot when you were a kid.  Today I did not.  I figured I had done enough already.

That double wedding ring is all pre-cut.  The fabrics are 30s reproduction and it just screams MARY!  The one on the left is called Williamsburg, I believe.  If I pulled out the green and put a navy in, it would be very patriotic.

It is hard for me to resist a good buy on 30s stuff.....and red.  I love red.  I am not a fan of Sun Bonnet Sue but they are not preprinted.  So, I will make my own redwork!  Who doesn't need another charm pack at $3?

The reason these patterns look so red is because I was on my deck under the red umbrella.  Not taking them again.  I just couldn't resist the pump or the windmill.  I have always loved both.  The goldfish pond in my back yard recirculates through an old pump like I used until I left home.

Girl stuff is easy to find.  Some day I may have grand sons.

Okay, these aren't for me.  The snowman is for my aunt and patriotic is for my sister.

I think this will make a great baby quilt as will the Spring Babies on the bottom right of the first photo.

I also bought a crochet book,  couple of zippers, a ring for a lanyard and that preprinted piece for practicing quilting.

Jay and Amy were both super nice people.  I am glad to help them out.  But they may have been nice to me because I spent $218 on all this stuff! I let all this stuff hop into my Explorer to come home with me.

I have to start giving people whatever I make instead of what they request.  No more buying!  I don't want my family to be trying to dispose of my stuff in the same way.

I understand why people have give always, now.  It isn't just being nice.  It is making room for more!!!

Side note:  In March at retreat I said I had never bought a kit.  Today I bought six!!  I also ordered two last month.  At least, if I get fired tomorrow, I can sew without spending a dime for about 6 months.

Keep stitchin'  (it is necessary to justify the "keep buying"!)

Mary

Cyber Monday and Playing with the Treadle

Today has not been the best of days.  I had to go for my annual MRI.  It was very rough this time.  I can't eat for 6 hours before. It was at 1:30 this afternoon and I woke up at 8:00 a.m.  We ate afterward and I got sick within the hour!  Trying to remind myself of the good things of my 48 hours off.

On Saturday I mentioned my version of Cyber Monday - a sale at Connecting Threads.  They were sneaky.  I knew it would be samplers but they changed what they had available.  I also bought some clearance fabric for some projects.  I couldn't remember everything but this is what the email said today:

1 4970 * Batik Vacation Half Yard Sampler
1 4955 * Birchtree Lane Fat Quarter Sampler
1 4961 * Bits & Bobbins Half Yard Sampler
20 2187 * Bristol-Red
2 4949 * Canning Day Fat Quarter Sampler
2 4954 * Canterbury Fat Quarter Sampler
1 4589 * Christmas Cheer Stack
1 4590 * Christmas Cheer Strips
16 2901 * Cozy Indoors-Toffee
1 4599 * Fairytale Charms
1 4688 * Farmhouse Fat Quarter Sampler
1 4582 * Harvest Time Strips
8 2504 * Trees-Hollyberry
8 2505 * Trees-Leaf
1 4594 * Wilderness Strips

My SIL went to JoAnn's for me and got me 22 yards of Warm and Natural Batting.  I think my stash is full enough for most anything right now!  I have to confess when Moda's Cattails and Clovers became available I went to my LQS and bought enough to make a queen size Orion's Star for my DIL.  CT sent me an email that said thread is 40% off and they have added more samplers but I am resisting.  So far....

NO more fabric!  I am grounding myself!  Starting in January I am going to try to monitor my usage and post it here to keep me honest.  Wish me luck!

Now....playing with the treadle.  My treadle is a bit of an odd duck.  She is a Singer 9W7.  She was manufactured between 1910 and 1914.  Singer bought out Wheeler and Wilson but continued to make the same machines badging them as Singers.  That is what I have.

Mine really does look a little rough like that!  It does have the Celtic scroll work on it.  Thanks to my smart husband coming along behind me and jury rigging the problem that stymied me, she now sews!    This is what I did trying to fix her tension after the oiling and repair work:

It took some work but I got her lined out.  I think it might have been easier if Mike hadn't torqued on the tension knob!

After that I did some piecing.

I really need to work on those quarter inch seams!  It pulls the fabric really hard to the right.  I think the feed dogs need cleaned and adjusted.  But, I was happy to be able to say I sewed on her.  I am using these pieces to make place mats and potholders.  Very forgiving and then I am not wasting anything.

This is what her cabinet looks like right now:

She is a little rough!  I can make her beautiful again, I am sure.  In my sewing machine obsession I found two replacement drawers on eBay.  They are a perfect match.  Mike will put a new cross piece between the boards.  We won't have the beading work that was there.  I believe a mouse took care of that!

Someday, I hope she looks like this:

The cabinet, not the machine!

I don't feel the need for another treadle.  I love this one.  It is the first of Singer's full rotary hook bobbins.  I believe they got that technology from Wheeler and Wilson. She is quiet and had a nice stitch despite the fact she is still filthy.  I did find I can't treadle well on the carpet.  Mike made runners for under her and that made treadling easier.  He just called and said the power is out again.  See why I need a working treadle??

Keep stitchin'!

Mary

My "Black Friday" shopping

I am working all weekend.  Tomorrow Connecting Threads is having a sale starting at 0600.  I think I know what it is from the hints they gave on FB.  Same sale as last year.  I preloaded my cart!  All I have to do is log in at 0600 and buy it.  If I am right, my DILs will be very happy and I will be DONE buying fabric for quite some time.

At least I will try.....very hard.

I may have to try harder.  I bid on another sewing machine on eBay.  It was dirt cheap but I forgot about shipping!  Shipping is 2X my current bid!

Have to stop this nonsense!

Keep stitchin'!

Black Friday

Its another day so I won't feel too guilty about another post.

I am on night shift right now. God help me. I am going to leave here at 5:50 or so and go to the local JoAnn's for Black Friday sales. I wouldn't but it makes supporting my habit so much better if I go and stock up on batting, muslin, rotary cutter blades and some threads.

My darling DIL is coming up w/ my sister so that she can drive me home after the mess.

My list has grown as to what I need. Wonder how long this will take. I am taking a nap after and then sewing.

Hope your Black Friday was all you wanted it to be.