Featherwieght

Thanks to a South Asheville neighbor, this sweet little Featherweight now lives at my house.  The neighbor had the machine in her car, ready to take to Good Will, for a couple of weeks. She drove around with it but just couldn't bring herself to leave her grandmother's sewing machine at Good Will.  Sarah and Winnie were walking up the street and the neighbor asked whether they sewed, and Sarah said that her mother did.  It needs just a few tiny repairs, otherwise it's in great shape.

The serial number tells me that it was made in 1956.  It looks totally at home in my house, built in 1953. 

Busy Week

It's been a busy week.  Sarah and Winnie came to visit and to celebrate Sarah's 40th birthday.  Along with the happy busyness of visiting, Reds game, birthday party, and landscaping, it was also the last Sunday for my church's much-loved pastor.

Among the gifts for the pastor family, I was asked to make a wallhanging, shown above.  It's called Roots and Journeys and represents the roots we put down and the journeys we take throughout our lives.

 

 

Bright colors seemed appropriate for a family that includes three young girls.  The machine quilting is dense, both for contrast and to help the fine line piecing lay flat.

 

As always, there is a period of readjustment following the fun of a Sarah/Winnie visit.  The house and my life are too quiet. 



Reds Fan

My grandgirl Nora is usually a little reserved,

but that doesn't apply to Reds games, when she gets ever so happy

and does some serious cheering.

Her brother did some serious cotton candy eating.

It was a great night at the ball park, good weather, full stadium, Reds win, fireworks-watching from the bridge.

Maple Helicopters

Yesterday Carrye and I worked on her blog and now she's ready to start posting again.  You can find Carrye's blog here.

When I left her house, we admired these little maple "helicopters" outside her door.  Each one must feel so hopeful, hypothetically, to grow into a tree.

Occasionally, I finish an intense project, followed by a frenzy of cleaning and doing laundry and dishes plus picking up things that have flown around my studio.  In a few hours . . . that's going to happen. 

Last Bit

I'm working on the last bit of piecing, looking forward to making a few circles today, then putting the quilt together tomorrow.  I don't have a plan about how it will all work, just trusting that it will come together like it should.  I have to admit that I'm looking at all those bright colors and feeling just a little nervous, but I did want those brights, after all.

Nora after practice last night:  "I love softball."  She heard one of the girls say, "She's really a good hitter," and the coach waved the outfielders back when she came to bat.  She was proud that one of the knees on her long shorts had a big grass stain and the other had a spot of blood from fielding adventures.  I'm so delighted that this little academic-oriented girl has a team sport that she really enjoys.

After practice we walked to the concession stand for icy drinks, then picked up pizza and salad from Gramma's Pizza, which has really awesome cheese pizza.  It's located right across the street from the road leading to the ball fields, great location for them. 

Things to be grateful for today:  waking up early to bird sounds, that my computer had security software added during the night, stumbling on to a new simple quilt pattern that I love.  That I have all that mulch in my back yard. 

Fine Line Piecing

A few years ago I was able to take a Kathy Loomis workshop on fine line piecing.  You can see her tutorial here.  I really enjoyed the concept and have used it numerous times since, for quilts and quilted purses. 
 

Recently, I've been playing with different fabrics for the fine lines.  Stripes work great,

and in my most recent project, I've tried large florals too.  The further I go with trying different fabrics, the more I like it.  You'll see the fnished project in a couple of weeks.

Happiness

Just maybe . . . happiness is waking up with your dog whose hair color matches yours.