And, the Christmas season begins

How many maintenance classes did I teach last month?  Was it 4 or 5?  I know it kept me super busy and now I just have the Club Class this next week.  It is the Christmas season after all, and you know how busy we all get this month.

There will be Case cover classes in January and the retreat in February.  You all keep me so busy when I'm down here in the winter.

And, I've scheduled a 2nd retreat in August.  I'll give more information about that in the coming weeks.

How are all of you doing?  Have you had a chance to sew with your sweet FW lately?  I tend to use Sweet Baby Jane, my first FW, a lot.  I'm ready to sit down and look at my UFO list of quilts to see if I can possibly finish one more before the end of the year.  Do you all make a list of UFOs at the beginning of the new year?  I wonder which one of you has the most or the fewest UFOs.

Okay, I'll try to post again this week.  I know I've not been very good at getting a post made as often as I'd like.  That will be a new year resolution, I guess.

Do you know someone that needs a FW Maintenance class?

Whew!  It's been a busy couple of weeks getting everything loaded at the summer house, moved, and unloaded at the winter house.  I've found muscles that I didn't know I had.  There are piles everywhere needing to be gone through and put away and I'm being careful not to trip over something to break a bone or two.  I did that once.  I tripped over a FW machine in its case and broke my upper arm a few years ago.  I put the sewing machines away when I bring them into the house now. I don't need another broken arm.

But, the reason for this post is to let you know about a few FW maintenance classes I'll be teaching in the next couple of months.  If you need a class or know of someone that needs a class in the SE Michigan area or near Columbus, Ohio, here are the details about those classes.

There will be 3 maintenance classes at the Quilt Patch in Tecumseh, Mi this fall.  They will be Saturday, Oct 27, Tuesday, Oct 30, and Friday, Nov 9.  The class runs from 10:30-3:30 and the cost is $50 plus oil and grease.  You need to call the Quilt Patch at 517-423-0053 to get on the class list.

The last class for this fall will be at the Heavenly Stitches Quilt Shop in Lima, Ohio.  That one will be Saturday Nov 17 from 10:30-3:30.  The cost is $75 and that includes the oil and grease.  The phone number for the Heavenly Stitches shop is 419-979-0218.  I talked with the owner yesterday and there are only 2 spots open for that class.  Again, call to get your name on the class list.

You can look over in my Class Schedule section to see what you'll need to bring and you know you can email me if you have any questions as well.  I hope you will let others know about these classes if they've been looking for one to get those beautiful FWs up and running properly.

Introducing Queen Anne

Good morning, all.  This is packing and moving week so I don't have a lot of time for a post.  I wanted to show off the poor Ugly Betty featherweight that I worked so hard to get sewing again now that she's been transformed to a beautiful Queen Anne.

I know, there are some people that don't want any machine painted.  They want the original color, the original finish and the original everything.  Well, I like all the small imperfections on an original machine, too.  I don't want to make a whole lot of changes if there's just a scratch or two that just shows the machine was loved.

But this poor machine was beat to death.  She had died.  She didn't work and she was an ugly mess.  So, it's been about a year since I rescued her and brought her back to life.  She has a whole lot of new things from new wiring to new rubber feet, bed plate felt and more.  And, now she has a face lift, too.

Introducing Queen Anne, the reborn FW.

This picture is from the painter in his shop.  I have the machine now but there was a slight imprint of the packing towel on the extension plate so that is back at the shop being fixed.  When I get back to the winter house, the plate will be put back on and Queen Anne will be ready to make her debut at the first FW Club class coming up in November.  I welcome you all to come see her.  She'll have center stage that day.

Another top done and an auction to tell you about

Good day, all.  Well, I got another quilt top done yesterday and I'd love to show it to all of you.  This one is the t-shirt quilt for my youngest son.  He travels all over and has collected quite a few shirts that he's nearly worn out.  He brought me the t-shirts in June but I couldn't get to working on it until after the elephant quilt was done.  It's ready to go back to the winter house now and be quilted on the LA.  I can't give my featherweight up here enough praise because she sewed through different layers of t-shirt and cotton fabric like she was using a hot knife to cut through soft butter.  It was SWEET!

And, I thought I'd tell you about an auction my hubby saw in his auction paper this week.  It's located in Clare, Mi so I can't go.  Well, I could but I don't want to drive 8 hours there and  8 hours back.  But for some of you it wouldn't be such a difficult hike to see a bunch of featherweights, lots of quilting fabric and books, quilting frames and other quilting stuff get sold. You might be able to take home a treasure or two.  I don't have a clue what things will sell for.  I never know what people are willing to pay at an auction.  But if someone gets to go, let me know how you faired out. The date is Saturday, Sept 29.   Here's the link:
  https://www.estatesale.com/sales/view/196939.html

It's turned pretty chilly here in the northwoods.  A friend over in Wisconsin tells me we might get a snow flake or two on Thursday.  Brrrr!!  I guess it's time to go back to SE Mich.  I'll get to see so many of my quilting friends down there.  That's a good thing.

The top is DONE!! Yeah!!

I told you I'd post more pictures so here you are.

I finished the top a few days ago and I'm on to another project already.  I plan on putting something in those corner blocks, maybe the bride and groom's names and the wedding date.  I need to check with the couple before I do that.  But, it's packed up now for the move and I'll do the quilting this winter between teaching classes and doing my usual things.  Every little stitch on that elephant and the borders around it were done on my sweet little Skanie.  That's the name of the FW here at the cabin.  She's a trooper and sews like there's no tomorrow.

I've started a t-shirt quilt for my dear youngest son so the sweet little FW here at the cabin is not feeling lonely.  She'll be sewing until I oil her, grease her gears and replace her motor lube for the long winter ahead.  She'll get cold but be ready for another summer of hot and heavy sewing when I come back next spring.  I'll tell you the other things I do to make sure she's safe for sewing after sitting 6 months.  That story will be coming in a few weeks.

You know how I tell you to use leaders and enders when you're sewing so you have less of a chance to get those thread tangles under your stitching?  Well, this is what I'm talking about when I tell you about doing that.  I have a little pile of 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares that I was given in a stuffed gallon bag.  I'm making some little 16 x 16 blocks that measure finished 8" x 8".  They will be made into a donation quilt of some sort.  But, the beauty of it is that I don't get tangles by staying aware of them and actually using them.  You can't imagine how quickly I get that pile of twozies ready to sew together and make the bigger blocks.  Easy---Peezy!

Fall is upon us here in the UP.  It won't be long now and I'll be busy planning the FW Club days and gathering up things for classes.  Keep watching.  I'll have more hints and stories again soon.

Progress on the Elephant Quilt

Good morning!  I bet you think I've forgotten all about that elephant quilt.  I haven't mentioned it in ages because we've had a busy summer with company and more company.  Then, I taught a FW maintenance class and went back down state for the retreat.  I still have company coming but I've had a chance to get back to sewing and I thought you might like to see how I'm doing.

I got all the 97 templates finished and started sewing together the sections.  There's the left elephant ear.

The right elephant ear.

The left and right legs.

The trunk.

And, last, but not least, the elephant's feet.  And, that's it!!

 Now, the next step is to sew these big sections together and start thinking about the borders that have to go around this huge pachyderm.  I haven't sewn them yet but laying them out helps you to see how it will look when it's done. I guess I'd better go get busy!

Stop by again soon.  I hope to get more pictures and let you see more progress.  I'll take the top home to do the quilting on my long arm when we go back downstate next month.  That's another whole event when I do that.

And, for those interested in the FW retreats next year.  The February retreat is now full but I'm accepting names for the waiting list.  There are a few more spaces available for the August retreat.  There's more teaching in me..... and you know I love teaching about the FWs.