Mystery Quilt Delays

I was all caught up w the Mystery Quilt, Grand Illusion.


So I started to work on an older quilt that will be for one of my nieces. It's mostly in Batiks, and I scored some on a sale BOGO! can't beat that!  During the GI hiatus, I cut the remainder that I needed out, and started putting them together.
I'm not sure of this layout yet this is my first placement.
I might move some around.



Then came this past w/e. We had to go do some Christmas stuff. I was also making batches of Cookie dough for what my DD call "Cookie Armageddon".

                                                                                                                                                                 Some of the Grands came over and were very good at making the cookie balls, and conservative w the ones they ate and brought home.

 Truthfully last year was Far Worse.

Friday I was able to start sewing and Saturday. But this is all the farther I have gotten on the GI mystery quilt.

Mystery quilt Link up part 3

Thank you Bonnie for an easier step three. Step one and 2 were challenging, but I made it through them. Step 3, I though was going to be a breeze, but still I had some difficulty getting them done and with the black square in the left hand upper corner. Once I did it in the middle.
OPPS where's that ripper!



Towards the end I was scrambling to find enough neutrals, then found
whole box full of cut 2" squares and rectangles!

There was one point when I was approaching the LAST SET, that I dug through my trash to find some more green. Not wanting to cut anymore of the strips to get 1 square.
I also was able to find a Large box to put all of my finished pieces into.

 Now on to cookie dough making and MAYBE just Maybe I'll start quilting the quilt that has been on my frame for 2+weeks, Bc I was out of batting (that I know have!)

 Hi all I've had a lot of issues getting photo's to load.... it's a search and find thing. I posted on FB and Janet Mercer helped me out. As I've been unable to post pic.... Now to go back and ADD pic to some older blogs!
We went to the Horse parade in Lebanon, Ohio and also to Waynesville, Ohio. I saw a few antiques sewing machines there. None came home w me, but I know many are interested in machines. I thought the note on the treadle was interning. "key and 2nd shuttle and mysterious accessories in #13 locked case"! LOL it was $175! Not sure if it was worth it.

Wilcox seen at Mulberry street antique store, in Lebanon, Ohio 

1950's worn to silver decals

1950+'s Feather weight case it's seen better days

Also this WILCOX machine and wooden case. I think the price was $350. I  could be wrong. I'm not that interested in it. They also had a very pretty 1950's feather weight, but it was pretty expensive for my taste. $350. I didn't see a box and now am upset that I didn't ask.
BC later in Waynesville I did see this worn to silver and beat up case of $250. I think it should have been for sale fro a lot less.

As for my Mystery quilt hook up... Here's some fabric I bought in Waynesville at The Fabric Shack.

I didn't choose any of my fabrics with Bonnie's paint chips, I decided the Friday it started, when I found  these at a shop in Madison, Indiana. It's called  'Fabric Store'!  None of his fabrics are recent, looks more like buyouts. But I'm OK w that. Here's what I got there :

and did this with:

This is step 1 completed, and the beginnings of step 2.... Now enough of this fiddling around... I've got some sewing to do!

Mid June, the garden is doing well this yr. Peas have been producing enough for us, and the green beans look like they are ready to flower.
I did get a few salads out of the garden this yr, but no heads of lettuce. I really don't know how they are produced. I think earlier planting for one and less seeds for another. I pulled them up last w/e as we are now getting 90 degree temps. I knew that they would bolt. My Potatoes are growing like crazy. I have had to add wood to their raised beds 3 times! Rethinking my plan for next yr. As they are getting so high. I think I need to make a 4 foot high bin!

Quilting has been going slowly. I'm working on another donation quilt that is the Road to Arkansas design. I have several babies due in Oct and am thinking about how to use my scraps, and the numerous 1/2sq triangles that it has produced. So far they are too small for what I had planned. For the baby quilts.

I also have a baby quilt on the frame. I need to add the batting and pin down the top. So far this week all I have done is get the backing on the frame!

It's been such a long time since I wrote a blog! WEEKS! WE went on a trip to Florida, I can't say it was a vacation, bc we are retired! (LOL we have nothing to vacation from!) the weather was crappy for the first 3 days. Although it was hot on Wed, the water was so rough it felt like we were getting beat up! Then storms came on and 2 days of cloudy windy rain. So what's a girl to do? we went shopping. I only bought fabric at one store and that was bc it was on sale. We drove to Dunedin, to Rainbow's End which is one of my favorite places, but I didn't see anything I wasted to buy. (that's a lie I want to buy the whole store, but I don't have a current project in need of fab.) Alma Sue however is another story I bought some sale fabric there and could have spent a whole lot more. Also drove to Clearwater and went to Country Quilts And Bears.

Then On the Friday it was clear and blue and WINDY high of 70 there was no way we were going to freeze at the beach. So what's a gal to do???? I started looking up quilt stores and found a link to the Old Sewing Machine Guy He has an awesome little museum, and he let me pick his brain about my featherweights. I also bought a plastic tube of grease for the machines that I have not been able to find locally, and an oiler that has a spout on it! It was a long trip to get to Ocala from Sarasota, but I thought it was well worth the trip. I think DH enjoyed it too.I saw machines there that I have never seen b4 and I was kicking myself for not having my camera w me. Other than the weather finally cooperating w us for Beaching and Floating (I don't really swim) I think it was the highlight of my trip.

He also has a fabulous repainted Featherweight. I loved it DH wasn't a fan of it. But he told us what all he goes through to get them painted. I really had never thought about it, but he takes all the 'guts' out of the machines and sands them all down. on the outside to prep the machine. That's such a lot of work! And of course then comes the re assembly after the coats of paint are reapplied, the decals, and the clear protective coat of paint. I truly had no clue as to what all it entailed! So thank you again Johnny Johnston and his wife! I can't remember your name but she showed us her sewing room, and her long arm NICE set up! I wish mine was so clean I wouldn't mind having people DROP IN!!!!

Since I've been home, it's hard to get back into the swing of sewing and gardening and cleaning. SIGH never enough time in the day. But here's what I've been up to.Except I Don't Seem TO BE ABLE TO ADD PICTURES TO MY BLOG TODAY!!!!
SIGH, maybe next time.

Spring has finally sprung, the flowers are blooming, and the warmer... and cool breezes too are coming in through my window.

I've not been working too much on my quilts, as I have been working on my garden only  to have the deer break in once again and ravish my plants! DH and I took up two posts. Literally pulled them out of the wet ground and replaced them this W/E, Then I replaced the deer fencing. hopefully reinforcing it enough to KEEP THEM OUT! My peas are up about 1 inch too.

I've almost finished the Road to Arkansas quilt for Linus. Pinned and needs binding sewn.










I really liked the Road To Arkansas pattern, and I can see me making it again. It's a great scrappy quilt, easy to do.

I bought an attachment for my Nolting 16" so that I could use rulers. I also ordered a Baptist fan ruler and used it on the Linus quilt to practice. Not too bad for a first try! Charity Quilts are so good to use up scraps, and to try new things with. Here's the ruler and the RULER MATE

Today I stopped in at Sam's club to obtain some frozen berries. They have the best price, Strawberries, cleaned & sliced! I found a present for myself A NEW IRONING BOARD! It's more stable than my old one, and is wider 18". I like that it is adjustable too. My old one used to be, but w age all things become less flexible!

Design Wall Monday.

I have been absent  from the blog for a while. I picked up a nasty cold that triggered my asthma and most of March I was ill.

However I still carried on and did a bit here and there  on my quilts Now I have a top that is ready for the quilting, and one on the design wall. The picture on the left, is Trip to Arkansas, or maybe Road to Arkansas. I saw some one post a pic of it, and I was tired of making 4 patch charity quilts so I changed it up a little. It is all charity fabric donated to the local Seniors Center, w a few of my scraps thrown in too.

Then I have Judy's "Oh So Blue" that I saw in Quiltmaker Magazine. I knew I liked it. if I had it to do over again, I would choose a less busy light blue. However it still works. You can also see on the rt of the pic the red fabric I bought for the backing.

Here's a better pic of the borders. I really liked the pattern, it did take a little bit of thought to figure out what I was doing, but as I cut and marked the fabrics it worked it self out. I also liked having the borders "planned"  for me and cut out when I got to that part. It is something that always stalls me. I don't seem to be able to plan ahead for that.

Featherweights

 Recently I commented on a FB post on Quiltville's open studio about several Featherweights that I own.
I have 6 and would like to sell 4 of them. So after messaging back and forth w 2 ladies, I decided I needed to write a new post w pictures of the machines I have for sale.

SOLD!
So here goes. This is a 1946 Scroll face. She runs well. I've used her, and despite the handle on the case it is a strong tape job! I have bought parts for my machines here: 221 parts and they are honest and have a fast turn around.Even for little screws for the bobbins! A new handle will cost about $20.00, but frankly I just didn't worry about it. It's true what they say, grey tape can hold the world together.
AG881282:I'm selling her for $250.00

The next machine is a 1945 AG527124
She has practically no decals, but her box is nice and she runs! I actually took her to my senior quilt group last week. She was a little hesitant but after a few stitches, she was right there too! As you can see most of her decals are worn off in the front and there are a lot of pin scratches. However her box has been replaced at some time because it looks brand new. I'm offering her for $250.00

Millie Has been sold.

Millie is a 1949 machine that came to me with a seamstresses information, or at least it seems that way Her number is AJ192236. She has been used a lot, but still runs. She has a lot of attachments that I have no idea what they are or what they do! I really only quilt! Occasionally I might do a hem or a seam. She has a newer case, but for some reason it has a poke hole through it, obviously a SPINDLE problem. Millie has a lot of attachments and despite her (age) scratches on her decals, she still sews wonderfully. I'm offering her for $250.00

box with spindle hole. 

Sale Pending 

The last one is by far the nicest! she doesn't have any attachments, and her decals are almost spotless.AM162337 is a 1955 ( early 1955 from what I can tell) and I doubt that she was used much. However she does have a original booklet. Because I paid the most for this one, and she is the nicest. I would like to get $300.00 for her. 

 If you are interested in any of these machines you can contact me through here. I do have a pay pal account. I would expect the buyer to pay for shipping. It can be calculated on FedX. or UPS. I will not ship this through the US postal system, or out of the lower 48 states. (sorry my intercontinental
 friends).

OH SO Blue

I saw this quilt and didn't realize it was by Judy Laquidara http://www.patchworktimes.com It's a Blog I really love. And she has Monday Linkups for what's on the design wall, or in my case the design bed. Once a quilt gets to this size I no longer can keep it on the little closet door I use for my design wall.

Hopefully I will get it done and on the Long Arm before the month is over. I have actually started sewing the larger blocks together. No fabric was bought for this quilt UH this year! LOL I actually bought these fabrics in December. Well maybe not as it came out in the Jan/Feb issue of Quiltmaker magazine.

This is my Grand (Drama) teen! She turned 16 this month. Hard to believe. Her aunt my DD3 loves to decorate cakes and made this one for her.  I loved the 2 pics I took of it so I added it to the blog. It was tasty too!

Finishing.

I've been finishing quilts lately. Mostly because 2 of our 3 computers have either died, or are very ill! I have lost most of the pictures I had on the laptop. But am hoping to have the hard drive looked at and have them pulled off. Still I know I have lost a lot of things. I have an external hard drive, that was backing up both computers, but I can't seem to get the info off that for the laptop onto the sick computer. (really it just OLD). We did buy a new iMac mini, which is still in the box. DH was going to put it together, and use the monitor from the desktop. However my attempts to 'save' the info I have on it took 2 full days! now a month later, I'm still trying to "Find" my saved items.

While waiting to down load items, I have managed to quilt a donation quilt,

Donation quilt

and finish 3 of the 4 quilts for the " wild women".

The second one is done w the quilting, but still on the frame.

I have 2 more to quilt,

Eleanor Burns Pink Lemonade

and one to make for the grandson. I don't want to leave him out of the process. I was thinking of making Bonnie hunters dancing 9 patch but I finally choose a pattern called Slanted triangles. I  changed the design on the quilt for the grandson's quilt called slanting triangles. But I have decided to change the design as the directions are not accurate, nor was it big enough.

Back after quilting