Free classes to help Donorschoose.com

Hi everyone:

Hope you've all had a great week and for my fellow Canadians, have a wonderful Victoria Day week-end. We're expecting rain in Calgary, but it's beautiful and sunny today, so I'm just going to pretend that the whole week-end is going to be the same.

I have exciting news today: Craftsy is hosting a Free Class Day tomorrow, Saturday, May 17, for all new members to help raise money for DonorsChoose. All new members can choose one FREE class with a value of up to $39.99 on Saturday only. Craftsy is trying to give away 10,000 free classes, and if they meet their goal, they will donate $5,000 to DonorsChoose to fund arts education in public schools across the U.S. I think this is a wonderful project and hope that you will help Craftsy attain their goal. Giving away 10,000 free classes - that's crazy, right? Donating $5,000 for arts education in public schools - that's fantastic!

If you are not yet a Craftsy member and haven't tried their classes, please consider enrolling tomorrow, May 17. You'll have all the benefits of a regular Craftsy membership - lifetime access to your course, ability to connect with other class members and the teacher, and professional instruction and course materials. And you'll learn something new, of course!

Existing members aren't eligible for this offer, but... they will receive a special treat!

Free class, a chance to learn something new, what's not to like? I hope you'll enjoy a FREE class from Craftsy and help them donate to DonorChoose.

Now back to enjoying that elusive sunshine!

Free Quilting Courses from Craftsy

Hi everyone:

I was looking through the new course offerings that Craftsy has recently posted and realized that some people might not know that they also offer mini-courses - for FREE. Yup, completely scot-free! 

I've already signed up for several of the free Craftsy mini-courses; two of which are:

1. Creative Quilt Backs I usually just cut and piece one fabric to make my quilt backs, so I'm looking forward to Elizabeth Hartman's ideas on creating more interesting backings for my projects.  

2. QuiltCon Lecture Series 2013 I couldn't be in Austin, Texas for the inaugural Quilt Con, but found that watching these lectures was even better. I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to make it to half of these lectures if I'd actually been there. I enjoyed the energy of Mary Fons (I think she can out talk me!) and found the panel discussion about fabric manufacturing very enlightening. 

Check out all of the other free Craftsy mini-courses by clicking here.

I hope you'll sign up for one of the mini-courses: it's a great way to preview the quality of the Craftsy courses and learn something while you're at it. 

How to Avoid Work

Hi everyone:

I've been very busy lately working on some new patterns involving appliqué and hand embroidery and they've been going very well, until... squirrel! 

I'm easily distracted (I can see my quilting friends nodding their heads) by bright, shiny objects (well, just about anything to do with quilting, sewing or fabric) and this occurred a couple of weeks ago. I read in one of my quilting Yahoo groups that there was a Singer Featherweight at the local Goodwill store. Well, that was enough to drag me out on a snowy, blowy Sunday to take a look. She was in very good condition, but missing all attachments and I couldn't get her to sew properly - bobbin tension was cranked way up and there was no screwdriver in sight. I decided to think about it - and someone snatched her up early the next morning. Okay, obviously not meant to be. I continued the search.

Charlie & Teeka checking out the new addition

I found an ad on kijiji for a Featherweight in Edmonton, about a three hour journey from Calgary. I contacted the seller and over the course of several emails and additional photos, we arranged for me to view the machine on the next Sunday (yes, this whole saga only spans a week!) as I had a wedding on the Saturday and couldn't drive up during the week - that three hour drive thing, remember? My hubby and I cleared our Sunday schedule so we could drive up until... I received an email from the seller on Thursday night that another person was going to be looking at the machine on Saturday and could I call her Saturday night to see if it was sold before I came up on Sunday. What?!! I was a bit upset, to say the least. Make arrangements with me first, but then let someone else see it before me? My momma always told me that you honour the first commitment, regardless of what else better may come along. I've sold items on kijiji myself and have always waited for the first person to check out the item before allowing anyone else the opportunity to view it. Just good manners. Anyway, I wrote that machine off and figured something else would come along, which it did. In the meantime I was busy helping do the flower arrangements for the Saturday wedding.

Table centrepieces all done!

On Saturday morning, I decided to check the kijiji listings to see if there might be another Featherweight closer to home. And guess what? There was! Yes, just minutes from my home was a Singer Featherweight 222K waiting for a new home. I called the seller, went to her house, checked out the machine, negotiated a better price and came home with E.B. (short for Evelyn Barbara: Evelyn for the seller and both names for my paternal grandmother). All this just hours before I had to attend the wedding (remember the flower arrangements?). I didn't have time to play with my new purchase, but brought her home and let her settle in until Sunday.

E.B. at home

I spent several hours Sunday cleaning up E.B., removing some tape and sticker residue with kerosene and then shining her up with car wax (no polishing agents, please!). I also oiled her all up, took off the stitch plate and cleaned out the bobbin area, which caused a bit of tension issues on Monday, but which I finally managed to resolve after much searching on the internet. She looked great! 

All shined up

The best thing about E.B. is that she is not your garden variety 221 Featherweight (no offense, 221 owners), but a 222K. If you're not familiar with these little guys, they are like the 221, but are a free arm machine and have the ability to drop the feed dogs. Sweet! She was made in Scotland at the Kilbowie plant in Clydebank in 1956 - the year my parents were married. 

Some metal polish cleaned up the face plate

Today I did some scrappy sewing with E.B. and we had a wonderful time together. Her stitches just melt into the fabric and there is something magical about sewing with a machine that is older than me, yet still runs so smoothly and quietly. They sure knew how to build machines in those days! I know that we're going to have many wonderful adventures together. 

Just another vanity shot

Now I just need to wait to hear about the price on that Featherweight in the Salvation Army store near my parents' house...