It's official - I have a collection!

It is time to admit that I have a growing collection of sewing machines – large to small and old to new.

Apart from my amazing Handiquilter Avante 18 (longarm machine), I now have two working modern machines; my beloved Bernina Virtuosa and my brand new ‘portable’ Brother Innov-is 350 (best eBay bargain ever!).

Last year I acquired a pretty antique Singer handcrank machine (model 28k - 1902).

I had wanted one because they are so beautiful and as a reminder of my sewing lessons at school where I always chose the hand operated machines as I was scared of the electric ones running away from me! I got it on eBay and drove right across central London to Tooting to pick it up on a busy Saturday afternoon. 

Since then I have recently found a perfect little treadle table with three drawers either side. It had been converted with a decoupaged top, so I’m not able to treadle with it. But that was never my intention, as I have always wanted one just as a piece of furniture. I had only had the model 28k on it for a few weeks when my oldest friend’s mother sadly passed away and my friend passed on her old Singer to me, saying that her Mum would be happy to think of it going to a loving home. 

A little research identified it as a model 27k – 1905. This machine is a fair bit bigger and the decals are in even better condition, more complete, brighter and with a lovely sphinx motif. It now has pride of place on the treadle table and I’ve had to move the furniture around a bit to re-situate the smaller machine.

Towards the end of last year a friend remarked on the 28k and said she had an old machine that she was going to put on a skip. I couldn’t bear the thought of that and took it off her hands with the intention of listing it on eBay. I figured that, even if it only went for 99p, if someone was willing to collect it, they would have a real purpose for it and not just throw it away. I’ve still not got around to it, but I will soon.

It is a Vickers (as in WW1 aircraft and ammunitions) machine and in a comparatively poorly state, with no lid. The online information is not as comprehensive as for Singers, but I would date it from the 1920s. The history of the company makes interesting reading though.


So that’s six machines in the house. I don’t have space for any more so I’m not actually collecting them (like I don’t really collect china !)

Happy Quilting Everyone!

Janet

www.englishquilter.co.uk   

Fabric - What Fabric?

I didn’t buy much really!

Apart from the obligatory 2 half kilos of white sheeting off-cuts from Empress Mills which I had to lug around all day; a fully justifiable pack of hand-dyed cottons for Sheena’s Convergence workshop next month (which I’m now thinking won’t be enough) and 6 (mainly pink) Fat Quarters for £10 which I just couldn’t pass up – that’s all the fabric I bought at the Festival of Quilts at NEC Birmingham on Saturday. 

I did however find a few things that were on my wish list, including some new Westalee Rulers specifically for the long arm, and a gadget called Flex-Gauge for dividing up spaces evenly which will be helpful for marking up border designs. I am looking forward to trying these out.

But best of all, I think I should win the prize (if there is one) for buying the smallest ruler at the show – one of three Bloc-Loc Rulers I got for making Flying Geese units. It makes a finished size unit of 1/2 inch x 1 inch!

Now I really can’t throw anything away!!

But maybe I will reserve it for my most treasured scraps. Isn’t it the cutest thing ever? I haven’t dared try it out yet.

Apart from all the shopping, I donated 6 of my quilts and a few more from Studio Quilters to Project Linus, who seemed really pleased to take them.

The quilts on display were as inspiring as ever. I rather regret not entering my Hunter’s Star now- but maybe next year. I might even make a miniature quilt with my new rulers. But as always I came away with an extended mental ‘to do’ list – things I’ve been meaning to try out - maybe some hand stitching. I could use the practice if my calendar block for the Studio Quilters challenge is anything to go by – I’m not even going to post a picture of it on here!

Happy Quilting Everyone!

Janet

www.englishquilter.co.uk   

Downton Abbey Splendour

Lovely Fussy Cut

Sandra came over today to see what I’d done with her Downton Abbey quilt and to decide on the binding fabric. I’m happy to say she was pleased with it – it’s a bit scary sometimes to be entrusted with someone else’s precious project.

This was her first full scale quilt top and quite an ambitious pattern. Sandra had made a lovely job of the pretty appliqué, with some tricky curves to go round with satin stitch. (She tells me that she does a lot of machine embroidery).

There were some issues with different dimensions at the top and bottom ends but I managed to straighten it up to some extent and quilt out the extra fullness with a feather design flowing up through the quilt. I so enjoy filling in blank spaces like this.

The fabrics were from the Downton Abbey range from Makower, in really classy shades of black, grey, purple, mauve and beige, with a good balance of different scale prints. For the large sections in the centre of the 6 blocks, Sandra had carefully fussy cut matching patterns which I accentuated by quilting around the main motifs. 

Between us I think we’ve made a lovely quilt!

Next on my to do list is the calendar block challenge for Studio Quilters which is due back for the August meeting. I will get on with it next week if I’m not too distracted by what I see at the Festival of Quilts on Saturday!

Until then – Happy Quilting!

Janet

www.englishquilter.co.uk   

Four Patch Frenzy

Method in my Madness (or maybe just a Basket Case!)

Having got as far as I can with Sandra’s Downton Abbey quilt (around 23 hours so far) until she brings the binding fabric, I’ve turned my attention back to my own ‘Four in One’ project.

I’ve been assembling rows in between times over the past week and as you can see from my sewing table, I’ve got pieces all over the place – but it’s all organised, right? Then I found I had an odd number of rows assembled to split between 2 vertical strips. It wasn’t down the back of the table, so I had to make an extra one!

Next job was the setting triangles in this lovely little basket design from the Kindred Spirits range by Bunny Hill Designs. I cut a nice stack of quarter square triangles and remembered just as I began joining them, that it was a directional print and it mattered which way round you place them. Half the baskets go up, the others go sideways. So I spent a good hour deciding which rows would go in which strip to balance out the ‘random’ look.

I defy anyone to be truly random when it comes to placement!

Tonight I’ve got as far as joining 11 diagonal rows for the first strip and then (in true make it up as you go along style) realised I needed 2 more little Square in a Square blocks to level off the strip at each end. Somehow I just couldn’t get my head round the direction of the final corner triangles, but finally made it!

If I try to start the second strip tonight I will make mistakes, so I thought I’d better stop now and update my blog instead.

Here are some sneak previews of Sandra’s quilt. I went for a soft feathery filler design in the end so as not draw attention to the slight difference in dimensions at the bottom end and to ‘soak up’ the extra fullness. I hope she likes it!

Check back soon to see it off the frame and with the binding on.

Until then – Happy Quilting!

Janet

www.englishquilter.co.uk