I have always loved sewing since I was a little girl at about 10 and started making Barbie clothes on my Mother's treadle Singer sewing machine. Actually this machine was originally my great grandmother. My uncle had installed a motor on the machine but I was not allowed to use the motor until I was a little older. Mom made almost all the clothes for herself, my sister and myself on this machine. I remember standing in the middle of the kitchen table so Mom could use the hem guide to hem our dresses. When the dresses were done we would spin in the living room to see how far out the skirt would go. That was of course after we sometimes found a wayward pin in the waistline. Not only was Mom an inspiration for my sewing but also my Aunt Kate. If Mom didn't have a solution to a problem with a pattern, Aunt Kate surely did. And then there was my friend's Mom, Mrs. Muir who lived up the street that was always helpful when I needed it. They all encouraged me to keep sewing and I continued to use the old Singer machine. When I got my first full time job, I bought my own new sewing machine. It was a Pfaff cabinet model and I bought it at Witherill's from Mr. Thorne. And, this machine went in reverse! I soon upgraded to a Pfaff free arm machine and then to a Pfaff 1471. I am fortunate to have three beautiful daughters and I can't begin to tell you how many hours are on that 1471 making them clothes from infancy right up to adulthood. Play clothes, dress, coats, 1st Communion dresses, dozens of Halloween costumes - even in high school and prom dresses. For many years I did little sewing and missed what I call "my therapy". There is nothing more relaxing to me than to spend an evening sewing. So, last Spring I bought a used machine. I said, I don't want a fancy one - I don't do embroidery but the 2170 fit the bill for the features I wanted and it did embroidery. Well, I was soon taking classes at Knecht's and have found a love of machine embroidery. I was jealous of the other sewers with their Creative Visions and soon upgraded to one. I am having so much fun with this machine and have found a whole new world of sewing in embroidery. I thought that I would share some of my projects as I go along. I don't profess to be and expert seamstress but I love sewing and I love sharing these with you. Hope you enjoy them too! Thanks for looking.

REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN CLICK ON ANY PICTURE FOR A LARGER IMAGE!

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Original Sewing & Quilt Expo



 Once again this year I traveled to Northern Virginia to the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo at the Dulles Expo Center in Sterling, Virgina.  My sister Anne and my friend Glenda went with me and my daughter Kris came up from Charlotte, NC to join the fun.  There were lots of venders selling and demonstrating so many interesting products and projects.   I purchased a few things  and got some good ideas.  We had a great time.  On the way there Thursday, we stopped at Wilson's Quilt Shop in Hagerstown, MD and did they have beautiful quilts.  Oh my.  Then it was on to one of my favorite shops - Web Fabrics in Purcelleville, VA..  Friday we spent all day at the show with a stop at G Street  Fabrics in Centreville, VA. before heading back to the hotel.  Saturday was kind of a free day and after a stop at the Jinny Beyer Studio in Great Falls, Va. for Glenda it was off to the Metro and a ride into Washington D.C. for the day.  Anne and Glenda have never been to D.C. so it was fun to show them around the museums and monuments.   Kris' friend from college was in the area and joined us for the afternoon. 

I made this wonderful travel bag from a pattern by Amy Butler and the matching travel roll for the trip.  The bag came home full of fabric and goodies from the trip.



Here we are in Washington, D.C. in front of "my" monument - The Washington Monument.  I call it "my" monument because the first time my daughter took us to DC it was the first thing I saw when we came up from the Metro.  I was so taken that it was real - not just a picture in a book or on TV, that I actually stood there and cried.  And my kids were like - jeeze Mom - but it was a special moment for me.   Ever since when we go to DC I have to see it.  After reading the history of it, I wanted to see the plagues on the interior walls and not just the glimpse from the glass doors in the elevator.  But alas, the stairs are no longer allowed to be used.   But, my wish was to come true!  The second time we visited, we were all -l-l-l the way at the top of the monument when sirens started blaring.  Over the intercom came "Please go to the stairway. Do not go to the elevator"   They told us it was a false alarm, a malfunction but we would have to walk down, to take our time.  YES!!!  Everyone was very calm since  this was after 911 after all.   And my daughter and I took our time.  We took pictures all the way down and we were the last ones out of the building.   Would I do it again?  Maybe not. My legs were like rubber when I reached the ground level.  It is 500 feet to the top or 50 stories and 896 stairs!  But, I did it!!   Now the monument is closed due to cracks from the earthquake last year.  I hope it can be repaired so I can go to the top again! We also visited the WW II Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Viet Nam Memorial, National Museum of American History - I won't go on about the Flag right now and saw the dinosaurs and the Hope Diamond and the Museum of Natural History.  That pretty much filled the day! That's Glenda, my sister Anne and myself in front of the monument.   Kristin's friend Taber and my daughter Kristin in the middle on right.   Did you know that all the monuments and Smitsonian Museums are FREE!!! You should go!
I'm still  stitching away on the Patrick Lose designs when I don't have another project on the machine.  I love this Apple and Pear design for fall. 
This beautiful Fall table runner was in the Quilting Celebrations magazine by Patrick Lose that I bought last year.  It sucked me into his designs and have doing them every since.   Most are quick and easy and make nice gifts.  I never got to this one last year but am sure glad I just made it.   I love it.
Another nice Fall table mat.


And onto Halloween decorations. More from Quilting Celebrations and Party with Patrick.  Love them!  And cousin Kathy - watch your mailbox next week so you'll stop whining!




Thanksgiving - we can't forget Thanksgiving - that's the holiday between Halloween and Christmas.  It seems to get lost somehow.  I can remember as a kid how we enjoyed Thanksgiving as a kid with all the family gathering at our house for a feast.  I think there was about 25 of us with all the aunts and uncles and cousins.  And of course, there was the kids table cause we couldn't all fit around the big table.  I remember there was a time that Mom would put a table leaf  between two chairs to fit some of us little ones at the big table.
And so begins the Christmas sewing.  This wonderful snowman table runner was a fun project from the monthly collection and is sparkled with heat set rhinestones. Thanks Nadine for the sparkle!
You all know that since my daughters have gone that I took over the large bedroom upstairs for a sewing room.  What to do when my granddaughter is sleeping?    I couldn't bear to get rid of this old Singer treadle machine and cabinet that I learned to sew on.  After all, it belonged to my Great Grandmother Sarah and she supported herself and two young children as a dressmaker in the very early 1900's.  Imagine making all those intricate floor length dresses on a treadle machine!  Anyway so  I brought down my non embroidery machine and set it on the cabinet.  Shades of Yesteryear just like when I was a kid sewing in the dining room in front of the windows.  So now when Kira is snoozing - I can be a stitching!



What's next - well - I've been taking lessons on pleating and machine smocking and I have a beautiful little jumper in pinwhale corduroy for Kira with a smocked yoke.  Watch for it!
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)