Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Embroider This!! Part 7 (Final) (Seasonal Wall Hanging)

Don't forget to join us on Facebook!!
Click here --->> QUILTING REVOLUTION ON FACEBOOK <<--- Click here

Last Summer I presented a Block of the Month (BOM) pattern for the girls at my local quilt guild. The idea behind this pattern was to use Machine Embroidery or fussy cut fabrics, or even hand embroidered blocks into a traditional style wall hanging.   I'm hoping to use this pattern over and over again for different seasons, themes, whatever!   I wanted to take a moment to share the final wall hanging.  You can take a look at where it started here.

The post for the Month 1 Unit is here.
The post for the Month 2 Unit is here.
The post for the Month 3 Unit is here.
The post for the Month 4 Unit is here.
The post for the Month 5 (Final) Unit is here.

Here's the final pattern


And here are some of the finished tops that were made!

Pam W
Mine



Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Autumn Victoria

If you have been following my blog this past year, you've probably seen pieces of a very "October" looking quilt in progress.   The quilt is finally complete, in Loving Memory of my irreplaceable Bestie - Vicki Steffenhagen.   1950 – 2015

I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one, I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when life is done.
I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways, of happy times and laughing times and bright and sunny days.
I’d like the tears of those who grieve, to dry before the sun, of happy memories that I leave when life is done.

“Thinking about you a lot today as I look through your unfinished projects. Reflecting on how amazing you were. How big your heart was, how vast your mind and how kind your spirit. Always learning and always teaching. Together, we were an unbeatable team. There will never be another like you. I love you and miss you every day. But I'm doing better. Day by day, week by week. I feel your watchful eye on me. Your silent strength and I love you for it. Thank you for your unwavering friendship for so many years.”

Quilt Name:
Autumn Victoria


Piecers:
Vicki R. Steffenhagen
Janet A. Mercer

Amazingly talented
Long Arm Quilter:
Kim Werth


The "Story" - Once upon a time, the Lord graced the world with a special Angel. Everything she touched, everyone she met, was better, forever changed, because of her. She was my BFF, my soul Sister, my guardian angel. She bought this pattern almost 2 years ago (Glacier Star + Queen Borders by Judy Neimeyer), signed up for classes at Mt. Pleasant to stay focused on it and set to work.   Ray, her husband, shared “I remember spending an entire day going to one shop after another looking for the right fabric and colors so my bride could make this quilt. At the time it was nothing more than a lot of shopping bags.  As she began to sew the sections I saw the idea she was embracing. She never got many areas complete before the Lord called her home.”

Before Vicki passed away, she had completed the large center star pieces, the inset squares and had begun working on the spiked star outline pieces. The pieces were lovingly folded into a carrying box with all the tools needed to pick it up and work on it whenever the mood hit her.   I inherited many of her beautiful things and this quilt was the one that I decided to focus my effort on to complete in time for her guild's show.  My tears are woven into this quilt. Some of my healing came from this quilt. Its beauty is nothing compared to the beautiful soul we had the opportunity to know.

Special thanks to more of my besties that also laid their hands on this quilt. Kim Werth (The Long Arm Quilter),  Mary Christopher & Kathy Case (the paper-puller-offer-team), Lois Marvin, Lori Zappala, Charlotte Hawkes, Kathy Rochette, Lona Mahoney, Denise Hare, Anita Kile, Jerilyn Prentice (the CHEERLEADERING TEAM!!)   Whether it was to position pieces, make color choices, change things, change them back, encourage me, sit and peel papers off, do the breathtaking quilting and help to stitch the binding.      Friendship....is what quilting is truly all about. 
…………….    “Do What Matters!” ……………….




Vending at the Brockport Quilt Show!

What a FABULOUS experience I had vending for the first time at a local Quilt Show.   The Show was in Brockport, NY and called "Ladders to the Sky".  I've done lectures, classes, demo's, talked people's ears off in grocery stores, but never my very own booth at a show!   They were running short on vendors and asked me if I'd be interested in filling a spot for them.   Well why not??



My shop\service is usually people bringing Classic Singer Sewing Machines to me and I give them life again.  I love everything about them.  The look, the workmanship, the nostalgia.   So it didn't take me long to figure out that my "booth" wasn't necessarily going to be to "sell", it was going to be to make people EXPERIENCE what Singer was all about.   I decided to bring 4 machines with me and set them up, threaded, ready to go and make people WANT to try them.  They gave me the sweetest sitting room to set up in!


To the far left, we have "Queenie"....my classy Vintage Singer 201-2 Sewing Machine.   People have been listening to me go on and on about this beauty, the quality, the ROYAL feeling to this amazing machine.   This was my opportunity to really make them understand.    I brought her in a Queen Anne Style Singer Cabinet No 40, and had the foot pedal mounted for the knee bar.   The ooh's and ahh's and GASP'S when people used her was so satisfying!!  



My Suzie Centennial Vintage Singer 99.  Was disappointed that no one tried to use her, but since she was my first restore and is my PRIMARY piecing machine, she had to come with me.


A Vintage Singer 15-91 in the back.  She has the sweetest "ticka-ticka-ticka" sound. A Card table full of reproduction feet and LED bulbs.


And of course a few Featherweights (Singer 221).   Everyone seems to want those!   I also had with me several Vintage Featherweight Card Tables.   Only have 3 left now!


And for nostalgia purpose, a sweet simple treadle.   On top I had a Singer 66 Red Eye that is "in progress" of restoration.   Coming out beautifully I might add.  :-)



One of my besties took it upon herself to make me an official BOOTH Sign the night before.  She decoupaged pieces of Singer Sewing machine manuals to the background.   Just LOVE it!

I would definitely do it again.   I really enjoyed myself!  And I think all my visitors did too!