Telecast Thursday Brings a New Playlist

Hi everyone:

It's Thursday again and you know what that means: Telecast Thursday and it's the last one for August 2014! 

This week I have some exciting news: a new series on my Youtube channel. You'll find a new playlist called "Vintage Sewing Machines" and today you'll be able to view the first video in this playlist.
I have several vintage Singer sewing machines and I thought it was about time that I shared their loveliness with my subscribers (that's you!). 
 

E.B., my first Featherweight acquisition

If you haven't already subscribed to my Youtube channel, be sure to do so to receive automatic notifications when new videos are posted. 

In this first video, you'll find out how I acquired my first vintage machine - or as my husband refers to it "how another obsession started". You can view the video below and find it on my Youtube channel. 

I have several playlists on my Youtube channel, so be sure to check them out.

Are you obsessed with vintage sewing machines as I am? Let me know about your vintage treasures in the comment below.

Quilt as You Go - Part 1

Hi everyone:

Before I went on vacation this summer, I was working on some Quilt As You Go (QAYG) projects. I was inspired to try this technique after enrolling in the Quilt As You Go Patchwork Bags class at Craftsy. While I didn't intend to make the bag – yet – I was intrigued by this technique and wanted to experiment with it a bit so I tried it a few different ways.

In the Craftsy class Tara Rebman is piecing her top and doing all the additional quilting at the same time. She is using a log cabin design and straight line quilting, so I thought I'd go through my scraps and try it Tara's way – top, batting and backing. Here are some photos of my process:

The straight line quilting gives a nice texture to the project and I liked the modern look.

It does take a bit of time though as you piece the top and then do the quilting right away. If your fabric piece is wide, you may have to quilt more than one straight line. Of course doing the quilting now saves you having to do it after the piecing is done. 

The piecing and quilting shows through on the back of the quilt and can be a bit messy (lots of starts and stops and some quilting lines overlapped and some didn't, so lots of thread).

PROS: 
Quilting is all done when you've finished piecing. 
Straight line quilting gives a nice texture to the project.

CONS: 
Extra thread on back of quilt may not be desirable. 
Have to bind the quilt when done (as opposed to doing a pillowcase binding method for smaller projects).

As I was working on the QAYG technique, I also wanted to experiment with piecing the top to the batting only and doing an overall quilting design later when I added the backing. Hopefully this would save me from having to pin the top before I quilted it - I hate pinning! I also thought I'd try doing a strip QAYG project for a table runner, rather than using a log cabin construction. I hoped that this method would keep the back of the quilt cleaner – you'd only see the quilting as in traditional methods. 

Next time I'll show you how this other method worked for me. 

Have you tried QAYG? Let me know your thoughts on this process in the comments below.

Telecast Thursday: Embroidery Inspiration

Hi everyone:

Welcome to Telecast Thursday! I've finished the videos about my Janome Horizon Memory Craft 8900 QCP sewing machine and am now switching from machine stitching to hand stitching, specifically hand embroidery. While I love working with my machines - and I have lots of machines - I also enjoy sitting down with a hand stitchery project. I find it relaxing and easy to do.

If you haven't already subscribed to my Youtube channel, be sure to do so to receive automatic notifications when new videos are posted. 

While there are many hand embroidery patterns available, I like to create my own. In this video, I discuss where I find my inspiration for my hand embroidery designs. You can watch the video on my Youtube channel or below.

 Subscribe to receive automatic notifications so you don't miss any of the latest videos.

Estate Sale Birthday

Hi everyone:

What could be better than going away for your birthday week-end? Stopping at an estate sale - twice - of course! Yes, my hubby and children indulged me and whisked me to Lethbridge for my birthday.

The high-level railway bridge in Lethbridge 

Enjoying a walk through Indian Battle Park in Lethbridge

On the way we stopped at an estate sale in the country and we picked up a few things. 

Even better than the treasures I found was the fact that we got them at 25% off on the way down to Lethbridge and 50% off the next day on our way back to Calgary. 

I got some antique hand-painted china, 

Teacups, saucers and small luncheon plates - yum!

Can hardly wait to use these

a Cornflower cream and sugar set,

This is what I went back for on Sunday and it was still waiting for me.

Really love the tray with the candlewick handles

a Beswick foal (I collect these),

This Beswick foal matches a larger one that I already have

a strand of cultured pearls, some old books, including a typing practise manual (I remember those days!), a manual typewriter for my daughter, a vintage dartboard and darts for my son, and a few sewing related items. 

I'm sure this typewriter manual will help Sarah with her typing skills

I also picked up two vintage children's aprons, one of which belonged to the daughter of the homeowner, who was also at the sale. I managed to snag a desk Ott-Lite, which I've been wanting to buy for some time now and a few vintage doilies - I always get the doilies. I also snagged these gas ration coupon booklets from WWII, just because I had never seen any of these and thought they were so cool.

Gas ration coupon booklets from WWII

They even had the licence plate number on them.

My best purchase was a wooden sewing basket that folds out. I had passed on one of these at a previous estate sale and I was glad I did, because this one was a treasure trove!

Look at all the goodies inside! 

Every layer full of vintage sewing supplies

Teeka inspecting the new addition to the studio

It's really large when you open it all out!

Teeka is as thrilled as I was with this discovery! 

Thread and perle cotton and needles and ... there was even some partially finished embroidery in the bottom of the basket. I was thrilled!

Lots of old thread and some Singer shears 

Perle cotton and some lace

Did I go a bit overboard? Well, maybe, but it was my birthday after all and the net proceeds from this sale were being used to fund a scholarship at the local high school, so I didn't feel too bad about my purchases. 

Of course there is always another estate sale just around the corner, or in my case, just a few miles away, and I'll let you know about the most recent sale that I attended and what followed me home from there in a future post.

Let me know about your best estate sale find in the comments below.

Quilt Kit Giveaway

Hi everyone:

Wouldn't you love to win a quilt kit? Of course you would and Craftsy is giving you that opportunity. You can enter to win one of two quilt kits and the choice is yours. 

Which quilt would you love to win? One randomly selected quilter will get to choose their prize, whether it's the starry True Blue Quilt Kit OR the elegant Blue Garden Quilt Kit. 

True Blue Quilt Kit
Photo Courtesy of Craftsy

Blue Garden Quilt Kit
Photo courtesy of Craftsy

The best part: the prize also comes with the coordinated backing for the quilt!

Enter to win here: Enter to Win a Quilt Kit from Craftsy 

**Please note that only residents of the U.S. and Canada are eligible to enter.** 

The contest is on now until August 27, so enter soon. Good luck!

Telecast Thursday - Janome Sewing Machine Operation

It's Telecast Thursday! This week is the conclusion of my videos on my Janome Horizon Memory Craft 8900 QCP sewing machine, at least for now. Maybe I'll have more videos once I have spent some more time with it and discovered more of its awesome abilities.

If you haven't already subscribed to my Youtube channel, be sure to do so to receive automatic notifications when new videos are posted. In addition to these videos on my latest sewing machine, there are many videos on quilting tutorials and tips.

This week I'm exploring the operation of my Janome Horizon Memory Craft 8900 QCP sewing machine and show you some of the helpful features on this machine. You can watch the video on my Youtube channel or below.

Subscribe to receive automatic notifications when new videos are available on my Youtube channel.

Wool in the Summer?

Hi everyone:

Since it's cooler in the basement than in the upper part of our house, I decided to tidy up some of my "almost ripe" fabrics. Wondering what I'm talking about? My "almost ripe" fabrics are woollen sweaters, suits and skirts that I have in large bins waiting to be "harvested" (cut apart so the fabric can be used in quilt projects). 

A partially harvested suit jacket

I have several bins of these and they take up a fair amount of room in the back room in our basement. I pulled out the bins and found that some of the suits had been cut up into large chunks, but they really weren't ready for any type of project. What to do with them? I thought that the quickest and easiest solution would be to cut them into squares and rectangles for quilt piecing. I got out my AccuQuilt GO! and some dies and started cutting.

Squares already cut

I had to iron a few pieces before they were ready for cutting, but things went quickly after that was done. I soon had a pile of squares and rectangles and thought that I might want some other shapes too. 

Rectangles done too!

Why shouldn't I have some wool appliqué shapes ready to go? Out came the circles and ovals dies. I used both the Big Shot Pro and my AccuQuilt GO! as I have dies from both AccuQuilt and Sizzix. I could've cut them all on the Big Shot Pro, but this involves using shims for the GO! dies and it was just easier to cut the circles on the AccuQuilt GO! and the ovals on the Big Shot Pro. 

Circles added to the cut group

By noon I had several piles of geometric shapes and a large bag of bits and pieces of wool. Now I have to decide if it is worth saving these small bits of seams and interfaced pieces or if they should be trashed. 

The remains of the day

Any suggestions? I'd love to hear what uses you may have for this type of material.

Telecast Thursday: Janome Sewing Machine Features

Hi everyone:

It's Telecast Thursday, the best day of the week! I hope you're ready for a new video, where I'll be giving you more information about my Janome Horizon Memory Craft 8900 QCP sewing machine.

If you haven't already subscribed to my Youtube channel, be sure to do so to receive automatic notifications when new videos are posted. There are tutorials and tips and you have the opportunity to see what I'm currently working on - or buying.

This week I'm exploring the features of my Janome Horizon Memory Craft 8900 QCP sewing machine and discuss the ones that I find especially helpful. You can watch the video on my Youtube channel or below.

Subscribe to receive automatic notifications when new videos are available on my Youtube channel.

Summer Days and Savings

Hi everyone:

Welcome to August and the dog days of summer! No need to fret though, while August brings us closer to September - and the start of school and the end of warmer days - it also brings good things, such as Craftsy's Dog Days of Summer Sale, which is happening now. 

All classes are on sale and you can enjoy up to 50% off ALL online classes! Take advantage of big savings today. Shop now and save (you'll be already to start classes once September is here).

Even new classes, such as Quick Quilted Gifts with Tammy Silvers and Ultimate Free-Motion Quilting with Patsy Thompson are on sale, so it's a great time to save some $$$ on even the newest quilting classes. You can also save money on Craftsy's other classes, so check out the Cooking, Knitting and Photography categories. 

Hurry, offer expires August 11, 2014 at 11:59 PM MT. 

Hi everyone:

Happy Civic Holiday to all my Canadian friends! Hope you enjoyed your long week-end and beautiful summer weather.

Now that I'm back from vacation I've been going through the photos we took and looking for quilt inspiration. 

Hootie enjoying a rest while in Orlando

I can't go anywhere without noticing designs or colours that I think would make great quilt designs. While this causes great annoyance for my children – not another quilt idea! – I find it adds an extra element to our vacations. Will I see something that inspires me? Surprisingly enough, the answer is always an emphatic "yes!"

Compass on the cobblestones in Hogsmeade
This was a spot that could be activated with the special wands you could purchase there

While driving in Orlando, I noticed these hexagon shapes on the side of some of the overpasses. Was the designer a quilter or just fascinated with geometric shapes? I think you know the answer!

Hexagons on an underpass in Orlando

Geometrics were also prevalent in the Morocco pavilion in Disney's Epcot Centre. Lots of intricate mosaics and beautiful colours. While I'm not really a fan of English paper piecing, I could certainly see lots of design possibilities for this technique in any of these photos.

Fountain in the Morocco pavilion at Epcot

Mosaic detail on fountain at Epcot

More mosaic detail around the fountain

I found lots of ideas for colour combinations, even at the Kennedy Space Centre. There was a Saturn 5 rocket suspended in one of the buildings and I thought that the combination of grey, aqua, white, red and a splash of yellow (never want too much yellow!) would be great in a modern quilt design.

Lots of colours around the Saturn 5 rocket at the Kennedy Space Centre

The colours in this photo in the Africa section of Disney's Animal Kingdom were so lush and brilliant; I loved the contrast of the yellow flowers on the tree with the blue sky and the cream of the adjacent building.

Would love one of these trees in my backyard!

Apart from the colours and shapes that I discovered on our trip, there were also some quilty, stitchy items such as the tape measure cat in the window in Hogsmeade in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, 

Tape measure cat in Hogsmeade shop
Sorry about the quality; I had to press my camera
against the window to avoid the glare

the vintage sewing machine (apparently even Wizards have to do some sewing from time to time), also in Hogsmeade, 

Tailor's shop in Hogsmeade

and the patchwork placemats in the Moroccan section of Disney's Epcot Centre.

Some of the textiles for sale in the Morocco pavilion

Have you noticed any quilt inspirations when you've been on vacation? Please share them in the comments below.