One show done, one coming up!

Good morning, all.  It was a busy weekend doing the Mason flea market but I got to talk with lots of people about their featherweights and you all know, that's what I love to do.  Several people wanted to know the date their machine was made (well, released from the factory) so if you are reading this and are one of those people, be sure to email me and I'll look it up for you.  My email is:  jdquilts123@yahoo.com.

So, what's on the agenda this week?  Well, there will be a FW maintenace class on Wednesday this week.  If you've been wanting to know how to clean up your machine, call the Quilt Patch and get your name on the list.  Click on the class schedule tab over on the right to get the phone number and the list of things to bring to class.  I believe there are still a couple of spaces left but they might fill up quickly.

Then, Thursday, I'm flying off to Florida to visit a friend that was recently widowed.  I hope I'll be a help to her because I'm thinking that can't be easy.  I keep telling the big guy that I need to go first because I don't think I can handle not having him around.  Well, some days I think I might be able to do that.  But, most days, not so much.

But, I do have some FW machines for sale at the moment.  It's taken me some time to get them all cleaned up and things replaced that needed replacement.  I'll get them posted on the 'for sale' tab as soon as I can get the pictures.  And, I do have FW parts, oil, grease, motor lube, etc. for sale as well.  Contact me if you need something. Having your FW running well is what we want, right?

The next show in Jackson, Mi will be coming up a couple of days after I fly back from Florida so if you are able to stop by, I'll have more machines and parts and lubricants, etc. for sale.  Don't forget to email me if you have a question or need something.  You know I'm here to help out.

We've added a weekday FW Case Cover Class

Hi.  I hope you all are surviving this last snow storm.  We really got snowed in this time.  Thank goodness our neighbor brings his Bobcat and plows us out when it gets bad.  We got 12" of snow and there is more to come in the next couple of days.  This has been one snowy winter, hasn't it?

But, I'm getting off track here.  What I wanted to tell you is that we have a second FW Case Cover Class scheduled in March and April so if you want to sign up and take the class you can do that.  And, there are a few people that have signed up for the Sunday class that are willing to switch so that ladies that work during the week will have a chance to take the class as well.

I will send out an email this week with details about switching from Sunday to the new date or signing up for the new date.  I do want to make this available for everyone that wants to take the class.

And the additional class dates are:  (drum roll, please)

Wednesday, March 21, 1-3pm for part I of the FW Case Cover class and
Wednesday, April 4,  12-4pm for part II.

The existing class dates are: (that's full at the moment until I switch those that can come to the Wednesday classes)

Sunday, March 25, 1-3 pm for part I of the FW Case Cover class and
Sunday, April 15, 12-4pm for part II

It's HEART Month

Yup, it's February, only a little over a week away from Valentine's day and Woman's Heart Health month as well.  Don't you just think of hearts about this time every year?  I do.  I shared the paper pieced pattern for this cute little heart block at the FW Club class this time.  Some ladies aren't so excited about the PP style of quilting but many love it, like me.

This one is my go-to heart block and I've made it in so many baby quilts and pillow covers.  It's easy and uses little strips of fabric.

So, what's up this week?  Well, I want to tell you about a couple of flea markets I'll be at this month and then, next month.  I'm in a downsizing phase to pass along a few things that I no longer need.  You know what I'm talking about,  just flea market kinds of stuff.  But I also set up a table of Featherweight things, sewing machines, parts that people need from time to time and other sewing things that I'm willing to part with so I can make room for new things.  I'll have some new things and some vintage things. My hubby sells vintage hunting and fishing things so there will be things for guys, too.  My dear son may join us this year selling some vintage vinyl from the rock-n-roll era.  That's his thing.  Maybe if you are in the Michigan area you could stop by and say, hi.

The flea market this month is February 17th and 18th at the Ingham county fairgrounds in Mason, Michigan.  That's just south of Lansing, our state capitol.  This is an antique/flea/yard/craft sale that we have enjoyed in the past.  This is our 1st time selling here.  I expect it to be great fun.  Times are:  Saturday, the 17th from 9-5 and Sunday, the 18th from 10-3.

In March, we'll be at the Jackson county fairgrounds for the Antique & Flea Market Show on Friday, March 2, and Saturday, March 3.  I'll post the times for this one soon.  It will be our 2nd year selling at this venue and we expect to have just as much fun this year as we did last year.  I sold a couple of sewing machines last year and I plan on having some this year as well.  Again, come to the show, have a fun time, and say, HI, when you pass by our booth.

So, I'm pretty busy getting machines cleaned up and ready to sell but I'm also wanting to pass along a couple of things you need to stay aware of when you're using your featherweight or any vintage machine.  I've had a couple of gals get threads wrapped around things where threads shouldn't be.  And, it made me start thinking that you might need a reminder about using your machine, especially if you're new to featherweights or just don't sew on her very often.

You probably have more than one machine.  I confess.  I have several.  Each machine needs bobbins in the bobbin case a certain way or the hand wheel gets turned toward or away from you differently for each one as well.  Unfortunately, the featherweight is especially fussy about every little thing.  If the needle isn't put in with the flat side to the left, she won't sew.  If the thread isn't threaded from the  right, she won't sew.  I know, this makes it hard to remember all these little things.  That's why some ladies are scared of their machines.  The biggest problem is when you do something that causes the thread to wind around the bobbin assembly or the shaft behind the bobbin assembly.  Then we're talking about me taking things apart and getting your sweet baby running smoothly once again.  Or, perhaps the machine will have to come home with me to get a bobbin assembly soak and some twisting and turning to get things unstuck.  I hope that doesn't happen.

How do these threads get in the wrong place?  It's usually 3 main things.  Either you didn't hold the threads at the beginning of a seam (by golly having leaders and enders does make sense here) or you've tried to get things unstuck by turning the hand wheel away from you.  That's a big NO-NO!  You can wiggle the hand wheel a bit but NEVER try to turn it away from you when there's thread on the machine. The third reason thread gets wound around things is that you might have pulled thread from your machine when the take up lever wasn't at it's top point.  Always, always, ALWAYS make sure that the take up lever is at the highest point before you pull the piece you were sewing on out of the machine.   Featherweights are notorious for getting threads wrapped around stuff.  Getting those threads unstuck takes some time and some skill.

Okay, one last thing.  One lady showed up at Club class last week and told me she took her machine into a machine repair shop because she got a thread wrapped around where a thread shouldn't be and she didn't know how to get it unstuck.  The shop charged her $95 to remove the thread and oil/grease the machine.  This lady had just learned how to oil and grease the machine so the machine didn't need that but it was part of the shop's policy to do that whenever a machine came into the shop.  Oh MY, this is highway robbery at it's finest.  We need to prevent this kind of thing happening.  Pay attention to those threads.  Listen to the sound of your machine as she runs.  Your machine will speak to you.  You know that, right?  STOP if anything sounds wrong.  And, let's continue to learn more and more about these precious gems that we want to keep sewing with forever.

Oh NO! The screw won't come loose?

Okay, that heading sounds just a little bit funny but those words are exactly what I've heard more than once this past couple of weeks.  One stubborn machine wouldn't release the screw that holds the spool pin cover plate on so there was no way to oil the metal and grease the gears there.  Another lady wanted to take the throat plate off to clean any lint and fuzz out from under that area but those screws just wouldn't come loose.

Well, we shouldn't be tightening up those screws so they are that stubborn but let's face it, sometimes we're not the ones that tightened like our lives depended on it so what should you do now?

I do love the Tri-Flo oil that I use for the featherweights partly because it is so good to squeeze between any two metal parts and that in itself will coax those screws to be turned.  The thing is that you have to be patient.

The screw that wouldn't allow us to get to the gears inside the spool cover plate took an overnight setting.  Once that penetration of oil happened it was easy to open that area up.  The throat plate screws took an overnight soak as well.  I took off the stitch length plate off another machine after those couple of stubborn screws had some Tri-Flo applied after only 2 hours.

So, patience is the key.  I hope you don't have such a problem with your sweet featherweight but if you do, try a Tri-Flo soak.  I think it will work.

FW Club Information

I have so much to share with you about the FW club things this week.  Okay, let's get started.

The Quilt Patch has gotten in the Robert Kaufman Singer fabric that we've been wanting.  It's just in time for the FW case cover class coming up in a couple of months.... Yippee.  Isn't this fabric just gorgeous.  I used the FW on white for my case but I'm thinking the lining in the black and gold would be stunning.  Stop by to get what you'll need.  Go over to the class schedule page here and check out what's posted at this point.  I'll get a little more posted soon.  I'm putting together some sample things for class and will update the materials list as I go along. I've posted the amount of fabric you'll need so you can get that before the shop is sold out.

You'll be able to purchase the double sided fusible Bosal that's needed for the case and webbing for straps and zippers at the Quilt Patch soon.  She's getting ready for us.  And, I think this class will fill up quickly so give the shop a call and get your name on the list.  (Quilt Patch  517-423-0053)

FW Club Class is coming up next week.  Again, go over to the Class Schedule page to see what you'll need to bring.  We're planning on polishing up our pretty FWs this month.  I can't wait to see all of them sparkly and shiny.

Okay, I'm so busy trying to get everything ready for the classes.  Send me an email if you have questions.  jdquilts123@yahoo.com.

Here's a little Binding tip

Good morning, my quilting friends.  I hope you are staying warm this fine day.  We're a chilly 1-degree at the moment.  If I were in Juneau, Alaska it would be 40-degrees outside.  Well, not to worry, when it's this cold I tend to hole up in my sewing corner and sew away.

But, this post is not about me, per se, it's about how to make the sewing on of the binding a little less stressful.

To start with, I always use bias binding.  There's lots of reasons for that.  Bias binding will curve if you need it to curve, or stretch just a bit to keep tucks from forming.  The main reason I like bias binding though is that it's so much more sturdy to protect the edge of the quilt.  When you put straight of grain binding on, there is just one thread running along the edge of your quilt where it gets the most wear.  I can't tell you how many vintage quilts I've seen where the binding has split apart along the edge due to our grandmothers and great aunts using straight of grain binding.  With bias, you have hundreds of threads criss-crossing that edge so they tend to hold together as a group so much better.  You remember that old phase don't you, 'strength in numbers'?  It's true here as well.

The problem I have with cutting bias for binding is that after I get enough binding cut for my quilt, I have this piece of fabric left with that big bias cut.  I know, I could do the bias in a tube thingy where you don't end up with that bias cut but I'm not so fond of that method.  It takes a bit longer for me to mark all those lines where you cut with your scissors but mostly I don't like the bias seams so close together and you can't avoid that with that method.  Anyway, I've solved the problem of having that strange bias cut piece by just using it all up to make more binding.  I'll probably use it on a donation preemie quilt or a small project.  Sometimes I'll cut a bunch of binding just because I use a lot of one color.  I use a lot of black binding so having a ton of it all ready to sew on makes it easier for me in the long run.

So, now is the time where I have to figure out how to store this extra made binding so it doesn't get wrinkled and tangled up.  Okay, you've seen those cute little 'binding buddies' for sale in a few places, right?  They look like a big wooden spool that has a ball on the end painted like a face.  They are cute but pricey and I'd have to buy a bunch of them for all the bindings that I've made up.  I tend to be a bit of a penny pincher so before I ever saw those binding buddies,  I had a brainstorm to use a toilet paper roll, a paper towel roll or, a wrapping paper roll.  I just wrap the paper roll with my binding and pin it in place. 

But here's my newest idea that I want to pass along.  Even with my neatly wrapped rolls of binding I still had the problem of managing the roll while I'm sewing on the binding.  ***  Idea***  Why not use one of those paper towel holders to put the binding roll on so it will unroll while I'm sewing?  Hey, it worked.  I didn't have a paper towel holder but I did find a little pewter condiment dish with a tall center pole that works just fine.  It's heavy enough to support my roll of binding and those little condiment bowls can hold something in my sewing corner that is useful, too.  Win-win I'd say.

Sorry but I don't have a tip about the hand stitching part.  Well, maybe I do.  I use those little clips to fold the binding all around the quilt before I sew.  I have a lot less needle pricks now than before I used those.

Okay, on to the sewing corner.  You have a great day.