Journey to Nebula

I am so happy that I will be making projects with my Tula Pink Collection and Jaybird Rulers. The Projects start in September and go through December. Then the Nebula Block a Month starts in January 2021 

I'm really that I will be learning how to use these fancy Jaybird rulers as I bought the super Jaybird Sidekick and fabric a few years back to make the one block wonder quilt for my sister and was to chicken to try and use it. I somehow had missed the opportunity to take the class.

I have built up quite a little stash of Tula Pink fabrics over the past few years after I first noticed them in a cute little fabric store in Plant City, FL called Inspire Quilting. I also picked up some in Lakeland at Fabric Warehouse, along with gathering a few from online stores in Etsy. I just love the vibrant colors of Tula Pink.

A New Year, a new Me, A different Blog

It's been almost 3 years since I last wrote anything for my Blog. I have tried to keep my personal life out this and only write about the crafts and such that I enjoy and keep me happy. It's been 2 years come May 25th that I had open heart surgery. My problems had started almost a year before, I even went to the ER and checked out of the ER AMA (against medical advice). Me being the stubborn person that I am chose to ignore the symptoms. It caught up to me just over a year later.  I was tired all the time, had no energy and sometimes I felt like my heart was straining to beat.
So…I went to my doctor who did three EKGs. He didn’t like the looks of either of them and sent me to the ER.  No, I didn’t have a heart attack which was good. A Cardiac Heart Cath done the next morning showed that I had a 95% blocked main artery that was blocking two of the three arteries that supply the heart with blood. I had a widow maker. Scary huh? Yes, but for some reason I was very calm when told this. The next day I had surgery. I ended up with what is known as a CABGx2 (pronounced cabbage). It was a rough few days, weeks and months. It’s also been hard these past two years. I still have good days and bad days as I also have other health issues.
The main reason I wanted to put this in my blog is because Heart Disease is the number 1 killer of women. Most of the times our symptoms present differently than men’s. Doctors don’t always take us seriously when we complain about chest pain or numbness in our arm, or even back pain.  (Oh, it’s just gas or a strain).  We as women are always so busy taking care of our families that we don’t stop to take care of ourselves or listen to our bodies. So, please if you notice that you aren’t your normal cheerful or bitchy self, just pop in to your doctor’s office and tell them you want your BP checked. And don’t balk if they say to go to the ER and have it checked out. Just do it. It may be nothing, but then again it could save your life.

365 Quilty Group

I have joined a group on FB and the challenge is to do one circle block a day for 365 days to make a quilt. It's been one month and everyone seems to be staying on track. SS is making square rounds and the initials of her loved ones, HB has started adding yoyo's to her grouping. CS has added fishes of the sea, JS is doing black and white, and SG is using a red background. I am using white on white, white on cream and tans as my backgrounds. I just started doing reverse applique this month. It's definitely different. I think I am really going to enjoy doing this as there will be a group of us keeping each other on track. You should be able to see my progress in my Flickr album. https://www.flickr.com/photos/sewripandsewagain/

HEXIE TO GO BAG!!!!

Well, for some reason I can't for the life of me think why I haven't written about making this wonderful bag before now.   Last year I was in an ornament swap for Christmas, but I decided that I wanted to do something a little special for the friend I was sending to. I had found this wonderful instructional tutorial over on The Zen of Making  on making hexagons and this adorable bag to carry them in.

This is the one I sent my friend. From what I understand she loves it and takes it with her traveling.

I got to thinking a while back, that I could use one of these to carry with me to the hospital and all doctors offices I seem to be waiting a lot in lately. Last year I started making the Lucy Boston Patchwork of the Crosses. It seemed everything I carried was to bulky, to small, to open and everything would fall out.  So here is the one I made for myself. 

I really love these colors. I used them as one of my blocks and for a block swap that I'm also in. 

I kind of went all out on this one for me.
I painted the altoid tins to match, made a scissor
case and needle book too.

Here you can see the items I have chosen to put
in the tins.

And yes everything fits nicely inside for traveling and fits neatly in my carry all bag.

Tiffany

I have a new vintage machine that I found on CL a few months ago. Her date of birth is Jan 20, 1926. She was really dirty and in a really ugly carrying case. I have since cleaned her up and changed her motor out. I took the motor and foot pedal from Granny the 66 and put it on the Tiffany. I took the 66 out of the Sears cabinet and put in the Tiffany 15-30. This is the before picture. 

Here she is after being all cleaned. Wow! There was tons of nicotine and crud on her. Her decals are beautiful and multi-colored not just gold. I used to want a 66 Red-Eye, but I think this machine is so much prettier. The motor I changed out is super quiet too.  I had to chip out a small area for the slide plate to slide away to access the bobbin area. Since this picture I have stained the area to match better. Some day I hope to find the perfect treadle table for Tiffany that will do her justice.

Kennie and Mr. Kenmore

What? More machines? You say?  Yes... I have quite a few more. It seems that I have started a small collection of sewing machines. Do I use them all? Well, currently I am not using them all. I am trying to rotate them through and use them after they have a good cleaning and oiling. 

Kennie, My first Love...I got him brand new in the middle 70's, either 75 or 76, I don't quite remember. It might have been our first Christmas together ( my first husband and me) The Kenmore, as I always called it is Model no. 158.19410  DOB 1975  freearm and heavy as the dickens. It still has it's original plastic case that was bought at the same time as the machine. It has feet galore. I would go to our little Sears store just to see what kind had come in. I bought every one that I could find and afford at that time, walking foot included. I made everything on this machine for many many years. Clothes for me, maternity wear. Clothes for my children. Toys, curtains, a bridal gown, baby blankets, any thing I could think of. He has been passed around to be used by different members of my family, but he always comes back to me. He was my first and I'll never ever let him go. He still sews as well as the first day I brought him home.

Mr. Kenmore, now this is a machine. See the pictures below. Sear Best Kenmore it's called, Model no. 158.19142  and DOB 1976/77.  He is also a freearm. I never knew this machine existed until one day I was looking through Craigs List. $45.00 was all the lady wanted. It had belonged to her mother. I had to drive to Pinellas Park to pick him up. I missed the exit and got lost . I ended up in St. Petersburg. lol I finally found my way to lady's house I brought Mr Kenmore to his new home. There were three large boxes of accessories and attachments that came with the machine. It looked like most of the accessories had never been out of the box, much less been used. He does need a little bit of TLC. I cleaned him up and he sits on top of the Kenmore cabinet with a Singer in it. Unfortunately he won't be able to sit in the Kenmore cabinet. Here is Mr. Kenmore, he takes cams and does monograms. Isn't that cool? I have really got to take the time to get him up and running. So he can be put into the rotation to be used. 

  

Just look at all those built in stitches, plus cams, monograms and buttonholes. This is one awesome 70's machine.

Look at those accessories and feet. I am in love with all of them.

Oh and by the way there are a few more machines to come. ;)

Treadle Quilters Quilt-A-Long

I have joined a group on Facebook called "Treadle Quilters" They are doing a mystery BOM. One has to make the blocks on a treadle or a handcrank machine. I have both, but I chose to use this machine as I am using Civil War Reproduction fabrics. I plan on this to be a quilt for my son and his wife.  They are into doing Civil War Re-enactments. This is January's block. I made two so that the quilt will be big enough to fit their bed. This will be more a scrappy style quilt using many different fabrics. It will also be a type of sampler quilt too as each month the blocks will be different.

For now I am piecing this quilt on my "New Domestic Treadle". I bought it last spring while visiting my sister in Darien, GA and brought it home with me. It took me all summer and fall to get her cleaned and up and running. She has a beautiful stitch.

This is what she looked like when I purchased her.

 Here she is in my sewing room plus two extra drawers that I found on eBay. Isn't she just  as lovely as she can be?  She has been given the name "Dominique"

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