Finally done

I finally finished my quilt top and dropped it off at Piece by Piece to be machine quilted.  Since it took me so long to find a pattern that would showcase the yellow Hibiscus I am thrilled that it came out the way I envisioned it.  Chose a very nice medium green leafy pattern for the backing.  Now I need some patience to wait for it to be quilted and bound.  I really need this nice bright cheerful quilt to get through the remainder of this winter which  seems too long already.

Soon I will have to clean up the quilt room and make room for Heidi's puppies.  I think there is just enough time to do a few small projects.  We'll see.

A Slight Delay in Plans

 Have you ever heard "Be careful what you wish for"?

In my last post I wished for snow so I had some time to quilt.  Big mistake!  Now 3 weeks later I wish I hadn't written that and I now wish for Spring...way too much snow, cold & ice.

Shortly after cutting the pieces for my new quilt I experienced some back pain/spasms.  So I took off a little time.  Then 2 weeks ago I spent a Sunday piecing the cross strips...more back pain.  Now I'm working in small increments as it seems the pinning, sewing & pressing the quilt pieces are still aggravting the mid-lower back.

Pictured here is 2/3s of the quilt top.  The colors (wish my camera would capture them more accurately) have me wishing for an early Spring.  They really are quite cheerful while we are faced with a winter wonderland ;-( .  Will try the last 1/3 tomorrow as we are supposed to get more freezing rain and possibly some snow.  Then in a few days I will put on the borders of dark green or maybe the light green and more of the Hibiscus floral. 

Oh, yeah, I should tell you that the light blue in the photo is another quilt under the new quilt top.

To me much of quilting is all about the colors.   It took me months to find a pattern that would do justice to my wonderful Hibiscus flowers.  I'm so excited to watch it come together.

Reversible Wine Bags for GSP Rescue of PA

One dozen reversible wine bags finished today for GSP Rescue of PA.  Each reverses to the solid color of the handle.

Add 1 bottle of wine

  + a ribbon bow

          and GO !!

My New Toy & My Next Project

A few adjustments to the tension and my new toy, a Singer Featherweight sewing machine, is ready to play.  I tested a few pieces of fabric and am quite happy with the stitching.  For 74 years old, this little machine is amazingly quiet and smooth.  It reminds me so much of the Singer I learned to sew on.  It was a bigger machine, one of the first electrics made after the treadle machines were fazed out but it was built bery similar in style and it was black.  But that old machine was not friendly to velvet and velveteen...I got so mad at it one day that I went out and bought a 1965 Singer that I used for 20 years.

I have had that beautiful Hibiscus floral fabric for some time and I finally found a pattern that will set it off.  The coordinating greens and yellows (two of the yellows look faded in the photo, but they are actually equal to the third yellow - camera does funny things) will be used throughout the quilt.  I can't wait to start cutting and sewing as I have been wanting those Hisbiscus flowers on my bed.  I will be documenting my progress on this quilt.

Oh yeah, and I have to make one dozen reversible wine bags for GSP Rescue of PA in the next few weeks.  Busy - I may need some snow to keep me home.

JACKPOT

I am so excited. I just returned from an auction where I scored a 1936 Singer Featherweight sewing machine for less than 1/2 of what it would sell for retail. These machines weigh only about 11 lbs and are treasured by quilters. I am so lucky. Now I can take classes where I would have to provide my own sewing machine.