 |
| A-6 |
 |
| M-12 |
 |
| B-13 |
 | |||||||
| M-10 |
Blessings,
Chris
Monday, September 29, 2014
New Bright Jane Quilt
I have started the new Dear Jane quilt and am now posting individual blocks on the new Quilting Jane at the Farm blog. I will not be linking to it every time because I do get some house work done once in a while. But here is a sample of what is to come over there.
Blessings,
Chris
Blessings,
Chris
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Really Old Sewing Machines
One of my quilting friends bought a portable machine from a Bible For Missions silent auction. Leslie had messaged me several weeks ago asking if $40 was a good price. I asked her how much it weighed. Robin, one of the other girls she messaged said it's a feather weight and $40 is a steal. Well. It's a 99K Singer portable and weighs 22 pounds, hums like a dream after she was oiled and dusted. Now, not to be outdone by her best friend, Daiva walked into a different recycle shop and picked up a similar machine for $35. We had so much fun and laughter the other night checking out the new toys. So, I came home and pulled out my 99K that was given to me quite a few years ago. I had it working at one time but had just bought a new Bernina.
I own several really old sewing machines. They mostly sit in some obscure place in my house, out of the way, since they are not in use. But are they usable? I have my husband's grandmother's Singer (I hesitate to call it portable) but have never tried using it since I had bought a new Brother 1500S to do my machine quilting. But look at the size of that opening! It's a bit bigger than my Brother. But does it work? It has that fancy dancy bullet bobbin winding apparatus on the front under the hand wheel. And it has 2 bobbins and a bullet shaped bobbin case. It hides out in the back kitchen along with the freezer, floor mops and all the other stuff most people hide in garages or basements
Now this one scares me. Never tried plugging it in. The cords look quite unsafe. But it makes a great door stop. Again, it has a bullet bobbin. Now if only I could figure out how to wind a bobbin?
I must have gone mad that year because I bought several old machines just because I could. This 1924 treadle had been beautifully restored and the cabinet is so beautiful. However, for the price I paid for it, it should have come with a bobbin and bobbin case. I always check for the bobbin case now before considering purchasing an old machine. And why do I need so many old machines? I don't. But I like them.
Right now, this one sits tucked away in the living room. I have a chair beside it and a lamp and sometimes do hand work while watching TV. But must remember that pins often fall out and my husband always find them in his foot. I have not figured out the rhythm of sewing of this treadle without getting my fingers caught in the wheel.
I could not resist purchasing this really old hand crank machine. It will never work since some vital part is missing. It is used as a door stop in the quilt room.
Ava started playing with this toy machine when she was barely 3. Turning that wheel by hand became the goal. Later she cut bits of fabric scraps with her tiny Dear Jane scissors with the one blunt end. My fingers are too large for those scissors. I did not put in any thread so she just fed the scraps in and let the machine "sew" them. She spent hours here in the quilt room occupied by this. But now, she is starting to use the big, real machine with thread.
This toy machine sat on an old bookshelf outside the guest rooms for years before I thought to bring it out to let Ava try it out. Turns out that it is much easier to use.
Elly is just starting to play in here and Devan will soon be following. And, Gramma has 2 toy machines for that day.
Blessings,
Chris
 |
| 99K Singer Portable 1954. |
I own several really old sewing machines. They mostly sit in some obscure place in my house, out of the way, since they are not in use. But are they usable? I have my husband's grandmother's Singer (I hesitate to call it portable) but have never tried using it since I had bought a new Brother 1500S to do my machine quilting. But look at the size of that opening! It's a bit bigger than my Brother. But does it work? It has that fancy dancy bullet bobbin winding apparatus on the front under the hand wheel. And it has 2 bobbins and a bullet shaped bobbin case. It hides out in the back kitchen along with the freezer, floor mops and all the other stuff most people hide in garages or basements
 |
| 1909 Singer Sewing Machine |
Now this one scares me. Never tried plugging it in. The cords look quite unsafe. But it makes a great door stop. Again, it has a bullet bobbin. Now if only I could figure out how to wind a bobbin?
 | |||
| 1898 Portable Singer Sewing Machine |
I must have gone mad that year because I bought several old machines just because I could. This 1924 treadle had been beautifully restored and the cabinet is so beautiful. However, for the price I paid for it, it should have come with a bobbin and bobbin case. I always check for the bobbin case now before considering purchasing an old machine. And why do I need so many old machines? I don't. But I like them.
Right now, this one sits tucked away in the living room. I have a chair beside it and a lamp and sometimes do hand work while watching TV. But must remember that pins often fall out and my husband always find them in his foot. I have not figured out the rhythm of sewing of this treadle without getting my fingers caught in the wheel.
 |
| 1924 Singer Treadle |
I could not resist purchasing this really old hand crank machine. It will never work since some vital part is missing. It is used as a door stop in the quilt room.
 |
| Hand Crank Sewing Machine Unknown make or date |
Ava started playing with this toy machine when she was barely 3. Turning that wheel by hand became the goal. Later she cut bits of fabric scraps with her tiny Dear Jane scissors with the one blunt end. My fingers are too large for those scissors. I did not put in any thread so she just fed the scraps in and let the machine "sew" them. She spent hours here in the quilt room occupied by this. But now, she is starting to use the big, real machine with thread.
 |
| Toy Singer Sewing machine with Hand Crank |
This toy machine sat on an old bookshelf outside the guest rooms for years before I thought to bring it out to let Ava try it out. Turns out that it is much easier to use.
 |
| Toy Hand Crank Sewing machine made in USSR |
Elly is just starting to play in here and Devan will soon be following. And, Gramma has 2 toy machines for that day.
Blessings,
Chris
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Giveaway Winner
Marjorie from new Brunswick. Congratulations. I had 2 of my Quilting at the Farm friends come by today and they helped with the draw. I had the most wonderful comments about what quilters love about where they live from across Canada, the USA and Australia. This is so much fun I should have a giveaway more often.
I am taking a trip next week first to England to visit my sister. Then to Poland to visit my aunt and cousins.
I am toying with the idea of taking my Dear Jane top with me to show my sister who is also making one. But I can only check one bag now and might have to do without other essential, like clothes. But then, she was here a year ago and saw the center blocks completed and sewn together. That would leave me enough room to pack a warm sweater since it will be nearly 3 weeks in October. Decisions. Decisions. Or, I could take her some fabric which, by the way costs about double there than what I have to pay, and I often purchase mine in the States at half what I have to pay here in Canada.
I wonder what other patterns I might have laying around that I may never make in my cupboards? Not that I do my sewing in the cupboards, but that's where lots of my patterns are
Blessings,
Chris
Monday, September 22, 2014
World Blog Hop
Hi. My name is Chris and I am somewhat retired, mother of 2, grandmother of 4 delightfully wonderful children and married to one Sweet, Sweet farmer who allows me and encourages me to study and travel while he carries on milking cows here on our family farm in Southern Ontario, Canada.
Carole at wheels on the warrandyte bus tagged me and I immediately panicked wondering, "What am I going to write??" I discovered Carole's blog from Australia when I joined the chester criswell quilt BOM which I found through Esther Aliu . I was intrigued by the yellow buses lining the sides of Carole's blog and how she learned to do hand stitching on the bus commute everyday. Stitching or reading anything in a moving vehicle makes my stomach, um . . . unsettled. But what she stitches just blows me away! She finished her Morrell. Her What?? I thought? Her Sarah Morrell Sampler quilt. I tracked down the Di ford pattern from threadbear. It is on my one-of-these-days-I'll-get-to-it list. And she is presently working on the Di Ford Antique Sampler which is also on my to-do-some-day list.
What am I working on?
I have come to realize that I am actively working on no less than large 5 reproduction quilts using about every technique available. I started the Dear Jane quilt 5 years ago trying to keep 10 blocks ahead of the 6 girls who joined my class here at Quilting at the Farm where we quilt most Saturday mornings. I was working on my masters at the time and then started a doctorate. I had all the 4 1/2 inch blocks completed in June 2013 as well as a few of the triangles. Back in April I started a month long blitz to complete as many triangles as I could, and finally finished them end of August. I added all the borders Sept 1. I plan to machine quilt the thing later this winter after I have practiced up my machine quilting skills on my Brother 1500S. I started a second one this week in very bright colours. I am planning to blog my journey through this at a pace of 10 blocks per month on my new blog Quilting Jane at the Farm.
In January Sentimental Stitches and Dear Jane offered the just takes 2 free for one month BOM and I could not resist, since I had enough left over reds and greens from CCCQ and just enough background fabric for this 100x100 wedding quilt from 1856 located now in an Indiana museum. There are 25 sixteen inch blocks and 4 borders with 10 or 11 swags. I was already doing a hand applique project, so I thought I would take the easy route and do this one by machine applique. I am using the wash away floriani fuseable web and turning under the edges. This is taking a lot longer than I had anticipated. There will be 4 corner buds in each block, eventually.
In the meantime, the beyond-the-cherry-trees-album-quilt patterns went on sale in Feb and I could not resist, since I had been eyeing them for a couple of years. I started needle turn hand appliqueing these in mid June. This has become my take along/babysitting/keeping my hands busy project this summer. Sad to say, but the hand work is getting done quicker than the machine work. I am really enjoying working with the Kona snow background fabric. I am giving serious thought to hand quilting this one.
I started this Go Real Fast Quilt quilt last year. I bought many of the GO dies and had some custom leaf dies made to hurry up the process. I am happy to announce that I am hosting and teaching the very first GORF Weekend Retreat here at the Farm in mid November. The plan is to make it in a weekend. Well, we should get all the blocks made using heat and bond lite fuseable for raw edged shapes cut with all my Accuquilt GO dies and hopefully get a lot of the machine appliqueing done. I am quilting each block individually and will connect them with strips. Why I decided to quilt them with 1 inch cross hatching I will never know. I am not enjoying it as much as I should since I am having trouble sewing a straight line some days.
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Others get their quilts completed and quilted. I keep starting new ones. I like the reproduction quilts and researching the historicity of quilting. I like the challenge.
Why do I write/create what I do?
Quilting is not the only thing I do. It is easier to write about my quilting progress than about my writing progress. I am working my way through a self paced online Doctorate in Christian Counseling. This means that I have no deadlines and so am taking way too long to do all the required assignments. I have written a book about my experience as a young mother with a profoundly handicapped child and am still working through the proofing process because, when publishing non-fiction, one has to be careful not to offend any real people who may be referenced in the story. I have a publisher on standby, waiting for me to commit to a contract.
I am also writing through my menopause journey which was a nightmare of anger, depression and thoughts of suicide that eventually turned to peace, joy and purpose. It appears that I cannot work through some of the doctoral studies without addressing and dealing with some of the things in my past that still bring me pain. But then, that is the whole purpose of the doing the degree, to better help others address the hurts and pain of their past and present by bringing issues to Jesus, who is the Word of God, and allowing the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to bring lasting healing to hearts and spirits to anyone willing to let go of those hurts and pains through forgiveness. In other words, I am still a work in progress and each course brings me closer to God. Quilting had often been a life line for me during those difficult times. So, quilting and writing go hand in hand in my life and experience.
How does my writing process work?
I usually just start writing and see where the words take me. I am often surprised by the outcome. Much of my professional writing is done long hand where I can think better, but then I still have to take the time to type it all out. I am constantly re-reading and proofing, but never quite enough, since I often find typos and errors after I hit publish. Sometimes I hit delete and start all over again another day. I am constantly thinking, "Is this what I really want to say?" "Does anyone care what I write?" Then I get comments and emails that make my heart sing with joy as readers share how my words affect them.
I am tagging Marjorie at marjories busy corner. I first met Marjorie on line last winter through needle and thread network where Canadians are invited to link to others who quilt and sew and knit and do other creative things. She lives in beautiful New Brunswick and says, "it is the open space and fresh air of the country . Everything is green right now and soon the leaves will change with Fall weather. What's not to love, eh?" I am amazed at what Marjorie accomplishes in a 24 hour day. Not only does she do her own quilting, but she quilts for others all day. Now I have only completed a Dear Jane top. Marjorie has hand quilted one for someone else!!
Don't forget that I am giving away a Rosemary Makhan pattern to celebrate my 1 year blogging anniversary. Just leave a comment about where you live and what you love about where you live. The draw will take place this Thurs Sept 25th.
Blessings,
Chris
Carole at wheels on the warrandyte bus tagged me and I immediately panicked wondering, "What am I going to write??" I discovered Carole's blog from Australia when I joined the chester criswell quilt BOM which I found through Esther Aliu . I was intrigued by the yellow buses lining the sides of Carole's blog and how she learned to do hand stitching on the bus commute everyday. Stitching or reading anything in a moving vehicle makes my stomach, um . . . unsettled. But what she stitches just blows me away! She finished her Morrell. Her What?? I thought? Her Sarah Morrell Sampler quilt. I tracked down the Di ford pattern from threadbear. It is on my one-of-these-days-I'll-get-to-it list. And she is presently working on the Di Ford Antique Sampler which is also on my to-do-some-day list.
What am I working on?
I have come to realize that I am actively working on no less than large 5 reproduction quilts using about every technique available. I started the Dear Jane quilt 5 years ago trying to keep 10 blocks ahead of the 6 girls who joined my class here at Quilting at the Farm where we quilt most Saturday mornings. I was working on my masters at the time and then started a doctorate. I had all the 4 1/2 inch blocks completed in June 2013 as well as a few of the triangles. Back in April I started a month long blitz to complete as many triangles as I could, and finally finished them end of August. I added all the borders Sept 1. I plan to machine quilt the thing later this winter after I have practiced up my machine quilting skills on my Brother 1500S. I started a second one this week in very bright colours. I am planning to blog my journey through this at a pace of 10 blocks per month on my new blog Quilting Jane at the Farm.
 | ||||
| Dear Jane Quilt |
One year ago I bought year 1 and 2 of the Chester County Criswell Quilt, a BOM from Sharon Barnes
I was born in 1952, 100 years after the original quilt was made as a wedding quilt in 1852 for a distant relative of Sharon's. And, my father's name was Chester so that was enough of a coincidence to get me on board. I added a few reds and greens to the left overs from the Dear Jane project. I started needle turn applique over freezer paper and quickly abandoned that to straight up needle turn cut away after drawing the the design onto the fabric from a freezer paper pattern.Since many of these are paper cut designs, that was the simplest way to prep the blocks. I packed these as hand work when I traveled or babysat. Each block finished at 12 inches. Year 3 has just been just released.
 |
| Chester County Criswell Quilt |
 |
| Benjamin Biggs Wedding Quilt |
In the meantime, the beyond-the-cherry-trees-album-quilt patterns went on sale in Feb and I could not resist, since I had been eyeing them for a couple of years. I started needle turn hand appliqueing these in mid June. This has become my take along/babysitting/keeping my hands busy project this summer. Sad to say, but the hand work is getting done quicker than the machine work. I am really enjoying working with the Kona snow background fabric. I am giving serious thought to hand quilting this one.
 |
| Beyond the Cherry Trees Quilt |
I started this Go Real Fast Quilt quilt last year. I bought many of the GO dies and had some custom leaf dies made to hurry up the process. I am happy to announce that I am hosting and teaching the very first GORF Weekend Retreat here at the Farm in mid November. The plan is to make it in a weekend. Well, we should get all the blocks made using heat and bond lite fuseable for raw edged shapes cut with all my Accuquilt GO dies and hopefully get a lot of the machine appliqueing done. I am quilting each block individually and will connect them with strips. Why I decided to quilt them with 1 inch cross hatching I will never know. I am not enjoying it as much as I should since I am having trouble sewing a straight line some days.
 |
| GO Real Fast Quilt |
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Others get their quilts completed and quilted. I keep starting new ones. I like the reproduction quilts and researching the historicity of quilting. I like the challenge.
Why do I write/create what I do?
Quilting is not the only thing I do. It is easier to write about my quilting progress than about my writing progress. I am working my way through a self paced online Doctorate in Christian Counseling. This means that I have no deadlines and so am taking way too long to do all the required assignments. I have written a book about my experience as a young mother with a profoundly handicapped child and am still working through the proofing process because, when publishing non-fiction, one has to be careful not to offend any real people who may be referenced in the story. I have a publisher on standby, waiting for me to commit to a contract.
I am also writing through my menopause journey which was a nightmare of anger, depression and thoughts of suicide that eventually turned to peace, joy and purpose. It appears that I cannot work through some of the doctoral studies without addressing and dealing with some of the things in my past that still bring me pain. But then, that is the whole purpose of the doing the degree, to better help others address the hurts and pain of their past and present by bringing issues to Jesus, who is the Word of God, and allowing the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to bring lasting healing to hearts and spirits to anyone willing to let go of those hurts and pains through forgiveness. In other words, I am still a work in progress and each course brings me closer to God. Quilting had often been a life line for me during those difficult times. So, quilting and writing go hand in hand in my life and experience.
How does my writing process work?
I usually just start writing and see where the words take me. I am often surprised by the outcome. Much of my professional writing is done long hand where I can think better, but then I still have to take the time to type it all out. I am constantly re-reading and proofing, but never quite enough, since I often find typos and errors after I hit publish. Sometimes I hit delete and start all over again another day. I am constantly thinking, "Is this what I really want to say?" "Does anyone care what I write?" Then I get comments and emails that make my heart sing with joy as readers share how my words affect them.
I am tagging Marjorie at marjories busy corner. I first met Marjorie on line last winter through needle and thread network where Canadians are invited to link to others who quilt and sew and knit and do other creative things. She lives in beautiful New Brunswick and says, "it is the open space and fresh air of the country . Everything is green right now and soon the leaves will change with Fall weather. What's not to love, eh?" I am amazed at what Marjorie accomplishes in a 24 hour day. Not only does she do her own quilting, but she quilts for others all day. Now I have only completed a Dear Jane top. Marjorie has hand quilted one for someone else!!
Don't forget that I am giving away a Rosemary Makhan pattern to celebrate my 1 year blogging anniversary. Just leave a comment about where you live and what you love about where you live. The draw will take place this Thurs Sept 25th.
Blessings,
Chris
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Slow Stitching Sunday
I had my eye on this 1850s era red and green quilt from Sentimental Stitches for a couple of years and finally bought it when it went on sale back in Feb. I started stitching on it mid June. It is my take along hand work when I travel, babysit, listen to online lectures for school and any other time I am avoiding doing any real work. I prepped a lot of 1/4 inch bias strips. They are easiest to stitch down because there is no turning under the edges like with all those leaves. I tried glue basting with a tiny drop of quilter's glue, but still have to stitch through a dry lump. I usually pin with tiny applique pins. I am needle turning the edges of the leaves and flowers.
I cut some of the leaves with my GO cutter. On the original, many of the leaves are floating beside the stems and others lay on top. This makes placing them simple. And, since every block is different and an original, I do not have to be too, too perfect in the layout.
I am linking to Slow Stitching Sunday.
Blessings,
Chris
 |
| BTCT |
I am linking to Slow Stitching Sunday.
Blessings,
Chris
Sunday, September 14, 2014
One Year of Blogging Giveaway
Hearts and Flowers pattern by Rosemary Makhan. I took several quilt classes with Rosemary and even attended one of her weekend retreats which inspired me to start hosting small retreats here at the Farm.The quilting world misses her since her unexpected death in January. I have many of her patterns and even completed a few. Somehow, I forgot about this one. So now I am giving it away.
When I told my sweet husband that I was planning a giveaway to celebrate one year of blogging, he asked what the winner was going to have to do to get it. I said I was going to ask for a comment telling me where they live. He said that's not enough. So, I am asking blog visitors to leave a comment telling me where you live and what you love about where you live. I have google translate so you can comment in any language. I will send it anywhere in the world, even Australia if it costs me $30, but I won't tell him that. The draw will take place after my World Blog Hop post next week.
Blessings,
Chris
When I told my sweet husband that I was planning a giveaway to celebrate one year of blogging, he asked what the winner was going to have to do to get it. I said I was going to ask for a comment telling me where they live. He said that's not enough. So, I am asking blog visitors to leave a comment telling me where you live and what you love about where you live. I have google translate so you can comment in any language. I will send it anywhere in the world, even Australia if it costs me $30, but I won't tell him that. The draw will take place after my World Blog Hop post next week.
Blessings,
Chris
Saturday, September 6, 2014
I've Been Tagged
I am honoured to have been tagged for the Around the World Blog Hop. I will be posting Sept 22. Now to figure out what to write since I usually just start typing and see where the words take me.
I have been reluctant to post again so soon and bump my completed Dear Jane top to second place. I joined a facebook group called Jane Stickle Quilt Group where I found great inspiration and encouragement to finally complete my top.
I think I have been in an end-of-the-massive-project-and-I-can't-believe-I-did-it-and-cannot-seem-to-focus-on-the-next-thing state. So, I am cleaning and reorganizing my quilt room and getting it back in order to welcome my Quilting at the Farm friends who will be returning next Sat. This is what part of it looked like last week.
Blessings,
Chris
I have been reluctant to post again so soon and bump my completed Dear Jane top to second place. I joined a facebook group called Jane Stickle Quilt Group where I found great inspiration and encouragement to finally complete my top.
I think I have been in an end-of-the-massive-project-and-I-can't-believe-I-did-it-and-cannot-seem-to-focus-on-the-next-thing state. So, I am cleaning and reorganizing my quilt room and getting it back in order to welcome my Quilting at the Farm friends who will be returning next Sat. This is what part of it looked like last week.
Blessings,
Chris
Monday, September 1, 2014
Dear Jane Flimsy
There is definitely a difference between MAKING a Dear Jane Quilt and COMPLETING a Dear Jane quilt.
 |
| Dear Jane top completed Sept 2014 |
The picture here has a light shining on the bottom right corner making those blues a bit brighter than they look on my wall.
Blessings,
Chris
Sept 2014 Quilting Goals.
I completed 2/6 of the Aug goals.
I completed the Dear Jane top and now have a flimsy.
I attended the AQS QuiltWeek in Grand Rapids Michigan.
September Quilting Goals:
1. Begin Dear Jane 2. Ava tells me I should call it Dear Devan.
2. Begin Dear Jane 3. This one could be Dear Elly.
3. Launch my new blog "Quilting Jane at the Farm". I plan to chronicle the DJ2 journey one block at a time. but first have to figure out how to make a special button for it. Any suggestions?
4. Not gloat too much about completing the Dear Jane top. There is life after DJ. After all, I am in the midst of 2 doctoral courses that have been neglected for the past 2 months.
5. Have a giveaway to celebrate my one year anniversary blogging.
Blessings,
Chris
I completed the Dear Jane top and now have a flimsy.
I attended the AQS QuiltWeek in Grand Rapids Michigan.
September Quilting Goals:
1. Begin Dear Jane 2. Ava tells me I should call it Dear Devan.
2. Begin Dear Jane 3. This one could be Dear Elly.
3. Launch my new blog "Quilting Jane at the Farm". I plan to chronicle the DJ2 journey one block at a time. but first have to figure out how to make a special button for it. Any suggestions?
4. Not gloat too much about completing the Dear Jane top. There is life after DJ. After all, I am in the midst of 2 doctoral courses that have been neglected for the past 2 months.
5. Have a giveaway to celebrate my one year anniversary blogging.
Blessings,
Chris
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)