Ok, 2 posts in one day! But this is a special post and I wanted it by itself.

Last fall I was asked to help create a special quilt that would be raffled off for our city of Savanna IL. I of course said yes. This quilt was inspired by a quilt pattern Kyoto Garden made by Judy Martin.

We have dubbed it 'Savanna Star' and it was made the Beautification in Motion to benefit Savanna's Parks and playgrounds.

Myself, Peg Dauphin and Sandy Wurster cut and pieced the quilt and I longarmed it. We have been showing the quilt since May at businesses in town as well as on FB.
Starting August 2 we will have a booth at the Carroll County Fair in Millidgeville IL in the Commerce Building. We will be there all week selling tickets. Tickets are $5.00 apiece or 5 for $20.00. Drawing for the quilt will be August 23, 2015.

Its a queen size approx 98x114. Contact me at giggles2@mediacombb.net if you want tickets!

Quilts, Longarming and more

Blogspot has been difficult! Its been over a year since my last post, time to catch up. I got that career position I wanted at the Post Office. Still not full time but them I need time to quilt!

My Longarmimg business is picking up and I am enjoying that. Its something I has always wanted to do, shame I had to wait till my 50's before it was realized.

I painted a Barn Quilt for my studio. I love it!

I have working on Common Bride by Edyta Sitar. Have the center done and portions of the outer border.

Thats my camper in the back. I took my sewing and featherweight with for a week and got a lot done.

Here's another pick of the living area of my camper. Perfect for 2 people. It has a full bedroom with queen bed as well.

Here's the most recent customer quilt I finished,

 

I am currently quilting my Antique star top for the Carroll County Fair in Millidgeville next week. 

This is the quilt I took first place in Machine Quilting last year at the fair. Colonial Pine, or Tree of Life.

I never did get a full shot picture if this one!

I also placed with my Double Delight and Lamb Applique quilt.

I will have only one quilt entered this year. Just not enough time!

I'll have another post in a few minutes about a raffle quilt, so back in a few!

June already!

I can't believe half the year is gone already. Where does the time go?

I have found that working for the Post Office is challenging. I am always training and learning new things. Hopefully there is a new job in the near future that will give me career status with more benefits and more pay and of course more training LOL. I love it.

My longarm business is moving along. Hard to sew when you work full time but for me sewing has always been a stress relief. Here is Alice's quilt I just finished yesterday. Quilting these preprinted panels lets you really play with the design. I love it when my customers that say 'Do what ever it needs!'

So much fun. I wish I had gotten a picture of her holding the quilt. It always seems the pick up is rushed so I never get one.

I have a great Chicago Bears quilt finished and ready for pickup by another customer. I need pictures of it yet. Its a big one!

Now to sew for myself a little. Will I get one done for fair entry this year? I have a month to go............so maybe.

The flowers are blooming. I need to do some division on my carnivorous plants. So much to do and so little time. We are painting the outside of house and I have been doing some landscaping at the studio.

Off to sew!

Wow. It's been a long time since I've blogged here. Had a great retreat weekend with friends in DeWitt Iowa at the Lutheran Grace Camp put on by the SewMuch quilters. We retreated from Friday till today.

We even slept on bunk beds. Well bottom ones anyway.

I made a colonial pine block quilt top. I did not take a picture so will have to post that later.

Now i

April Showers...................makes quilting time!

Here we are again, another month gone! Where does all the time go? I finished my sisters quilt.

 

She wanted black and white but I had to throw in the red corner stones to give it some life <G>. And then used quilted circles to soften it. Have to get it mailed!

 

Then I dug out my Double Delight, a Bonnie Hunter pattern. I finished it last year and then put it away. It still needed borders so got them on and realized I'd forgotten a border. It was supposed to have a narrow border of dark blue before the final wide rose one. Oh well. I'd cut and mitered those borders so they are not coming off!

 

 

I love that stripe fabric. This quilt is now on my longarm and the first row is done. I get to play all weekend!

 

This was supposed to be Shipshewana retreat week but due to car issues I had to cancel my trip. Nice thing about having a studio separate from the main house is that I can do a private retreat where my family cannot bother me <VBG>. Well they can but are mostly too lazy to walk the 200 ft to get to me! I will plug in my IPod and turn up the tunes and my machine and I will create away.............

 

On my machine upstairs I have 'Alex Grey All Wrapped Up' A design I created for my Alex Grey art loving son.

 

 

This is my EQ design for it. Its going to be a fun quilt to put together. All batiks.

Well enough for one night!

Treadle Challenge!

Ready......Set.........Sew!
My sewing groups of friends decided to have a Treadle sewing machine challenge in March. Those of us that own a treadle need to get it out and do SOMETHING with it to qualify for the challenge. That means uncovering it, cleaning it and maybe even sewing on it if able. So many of us have lovely treadle machines that work as a table and nothing more.

This Treadle is from 1915 and a Singer Red Eye 66. Once a year I dust it off real well and oil it but its been years since I sewed on it. It was given to me in 2003 I think by my FIL when he moved from his home to my SIL house. This machine was owned by my MIL and before her it was owned by her mother. So it has not been sewn on since I brought it home in 2003 and probably not since the 1980's in my in laws home.

I opened her up last night and took it apart for the first time. Alot of hard dried up gunk! Between my hubby and I we cleaned up the parts, drenched it all in oil and thoroughly cleaned it.

 

Isn't she pretty? I have decided to name her Dory after my MIL.

 

I sewed on her a little bit last night to make sure all bits and pieces moved well. Emptied all the bobbins of antique thread and put a new needle in. Not sure on the needle......I found 2 types in the drawer. One looked like a standard singer needle like we use now and the other was about 1/2" longer in old Boye needle cases. The manual stated 15x1 needles. I believe those are the standard ones, one day I will find out what those longer ones fit. Tomorrow I will thread it up and sew on it.

 

Here is a pic of our other treadle. Its a Singer 24-9. I bought it for my hubby for Christmas so he can sew leather and other heavy stuff.

 

 

It has a base, hubby removed the head so he could put it in the shop to work on it. It needs a bit of TLC yet, just waiting for nicer weather so he can degunk it.

 

Time to sew a bit today. With my new job I have alot less time so have to use what I do have well!

Another finish! Annika's quilt.

This is Annika's quilt. My new Great Niece born in January. Its 45" square with 6" mosaic blocks.
Here is some of the stitching. I used very lite colored thread so it does not show real well.

And here are some more.

Another one down and dozens to go <VBG>. My goal is to make quilts for many family members. It may take me 20+ years but its an expression of love that I can give. Several are in the planning stage. I have had 2 finishes the year! If I can continue at one a month that will make a very productive year.

Back to sewing!