Look what followed me home!

The elementary school our children attended had a rummage sale last week.  Of course I stopped in. 

The Singer Featherweight seems to be the 'Holy Grail' for quilters.  I never expected to own one, and was not really looking.  But, what should I discover at the school sale?  Oh yes, you guessed it.

I debated.  Should I buy her?  Nope, I really don't need another sewing machine.  I don't use the vintage machines I have.  (You will notice that was a plural.)   I headed home for lunch. 

Then I checked prices for Featherweights on the internet, and reconsidered.  (Such a bad girl!)

She was not cheap mind you, but within the amount I would have donated to the school if I was asked for a donation.  So, back I went, and brought her home.  This little darling was made between August and October of 1950 in the St. John's Quebec factory.   She's missing her bobbin case, but it seems to be easy enough to order one on-line.  Hubby will repair her power cord and hopefully after a cleaning and oil she'll be up and running.

Six more blocks

Have you been sewing along with Kathleen Tracy's "Aunt Addie's Blue Ribbon Quilt"?  The final set of blocks was posted this month and here's what mine look like.

I'm looking forward to seeing how she puts the block sets all together on July 1st.

Sewing along on Cheddarback

So far there hasn't been much quilting going on this summer.  That seems fairly typical for me.  I'm really motivated and productive in the sewing room from January through March and then.... well, things just get in the way.

But, I've kept up with the Cheddarback monthly sew along from Gay at Sentimental Stitches.  Here are months 3 and 4.

Gay is doing a wonderful job drafting patterns from her vintage quilt.  It wouldn't look exactly the same, but it is easy to see where modern piecing methods would be easier on some of the 5-inch blocks. Especially that one on the lower right. Sometimes the math just doesn't work out nicely and clearly the original was hand pieced. 

The angles on that bow tie were hard to get right by machine.  On the basket blocks I just finally hacked off the base to make it all fit.  Why not?  No quilt police at my house!

It's a fun challenge.  I can see how Gay was particularly drawn to this quilt.  The way the quilt maker balanced a large block and four smaller ones using columns and rows is so creative.  This would be such a great layout for orphan blocks - and maybe that is just what it was for the original quilt maker.