Author: Lorrie Shore

sewing

Iron lady

Post author By Lorrie Shore
Post date April 5, 2022
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My wonderful mother-in-law gifted me this 1901 Singer sewing machine several years ago. I think it was in 2016. (That was the date on the receipt for the new belt.) At the time, I couldn’t get it to stitch. I gave up. My husband said that he has not seen this machine being used since before we were married…over 37 years ago.

It has the original treadle. Everything moves freely…squeaky, but moving. Did you know that the treadle gets oiled, too?

It makes me sad when people turn these into a table base.

Someone painted the machine a lovely copper color and added new decals. They did add a layer of clear coat over the decals to protect them.

This weekend I bought a book to help me get my iron lady stitching. The timing for the bobbin was WAY off. It only took two hours or so to figure that out.

Book of wisdom…lots of models…enough information for me…

Bobbin case …could use some cleaning, too.

Now she is stitching like a dream!

The bobbin winder is still being a little difficult. It turns and spins, but the bobbin doesn’t…hmm. I added a small scrap of cloth under the spinning end. Voila…temporary success.

Last evening, I used temporary 1/4″ marking tape on the throat plate to mark the seam allowance. Now I am ready to sew.

What machine are you sewing on today?

Later, Lorrie

quilting

Spring Flowers

Post author By Lorrie Shore
Post date April 2, 2022
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I just received the May/ June issue of McCall’s Quilting. Several of the quilts are appealing to me.

I am not crazy about paper piecing, but…I love this little flower table topper.

I spent a short while digging around in my block bins to find some flower petals and centers.

The original pattern uses a blue batik background. I found this small print in my scrap hap. I think it will work wonderfully with my flowers.

What project are you working on?

Later, Lorrie

tranquility

Spring Things

Post author By Lorrie Shore
Post date March 24, 2022
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Everything is blooming yellow here in West Virginia.

In front of my house, along the road. These keep the dust down in summer.

Well, not everything is yellow…

Our volunteer compost peach tree is blooming.

What is blooming in your yard?

Later, Lorrie

quilting rainbow scrap challenge sewing

Basted and Ready

Post author By Lorrie Shore
Post date March 20, 2022
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I meant to post this yesterday, but my motivation got lost along the way. Oh, well, it gave me something to do today!

This is block 11 of 12 for my dresden crumb block quilt.

Also works as part of this month’s rainbow scrap challenge…

I pieced this block last week. It was not a total success, but it was not an epic failure either! I thought I could piece this using shapes cut with an accuquilt die. You will notice that it is no quite square. I wish I could blame it on something…drunk quilting, maybe…but I can’t.

This is what I have learned about basting. Sometimes the prep work is well worth the time it takes to get it done. Thread basting is much less painful than pinning with applique pins. It is also quicker and easier than glue basting…no glue to wash out later.

Have you basted or appliqued anything recently?

Later, Lorrie

tranquility weather

Spring has sprung

Post author By Lorrie Shore
Post date March 17, 2022
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I have been waiting for the time change. More daylight during my waking hours!! Hallelujah! The birds are singing. The spring flowers are starting to pop.

I know it is not officially spring yet…but it’s on the way.

What are you enjoying about pre-spring?

Later, Lorrie

quilting

Big Block Update

Post author By Lorrie Shore
Post date March 10, 2022
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I wrote a blog about my big block quilt pattern rewrite here...over a year ago.

This quilt only takes nine big blocks…only nine! This weekend, I pieced block number 8…wahoo! ONLY one more to go!

Needless to say, these blocks take about 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours each to assemble.

I was running low on some of the fabrics, so I did what my pioneer ancestors would have done. I pieces the scraps to make the blocks that I needed.

This quilt is going to be big!

What project have you “restarted” recently?

Later,

Lorrie

rainbow scrap challenge

Gold at the End of the Rainbow

Post author By Lorrie Shore
Post date March 8, 2022
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I was hoping that the RSC color for the month of March would be green. Not my lucky month. The color for March is yellow/ gold…hopefully, that is what I will find at the end of the rainbow!

My scrap collection does not have much yellow/gold. So I dug in the tubs of yardage to find more…still lame. I seem to have a lot of solids.

Look what I found mixed in with the scraps!

Cute 2 1/2 inch blocks…a little baggie of them!

Hopefully, I will be able to get as many blocks as I have for the past two colors. We shall see!

How much do you have in your yellow scrap bin?

Later,

Lorrie

weather

Hope Springs Eternal

Post author By Lorrie Shore
Post date March 5, 2022
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This time of the year drives me crazy. I want to dig in the garden and play in the dirt, but I know in my heart that it is too early. If I uncover those tender plants, they could freeze. I am fairly certain that the groundhog was wrong about an early spring.

“Daisies” have leaf buds…glad I didn’t trim the dead looking stalks!

Tiger lilies are poking throthrough, too.

The time change is next week. I am eagerly anticipating the change…more daylight for being outside in the evenings!

My husband saw the first robin in our yard on February 8th, a good two full weeks early. Spring is coming…hope Springs eternal.

What signs of spring are you seeing?

Later,

Lorrie

quilting rainbow scrap challenge sewing

Monthly Goals: February

Post author By Lorrie Shore
Post date March 2, 2022
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I am revisiting my resolutions that I made in January…for better or worse.

Finish a quilt top every month…didn’t happen this month.
Post to blog twice a week…almost…I posted three times one week and 1 time the week before. I am counting that as on track, because it averages out to twice a week.
Sew 80% of the year…still on track for this.
Read to self…one book a month…more like half a book this month.
Read aloud twice a week…we are crushing this goal. This is much better than the crap that is on TV. We just finished an Agatha Christy mystery. Now we are reading John Jakes.

February is teal/aqua for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. This month I made several blocks.

Remember, I said that I was not the only maker. My DH made this for one of my sister’s co-workers, who just lost her 30 something son unexpectedly. Tragic. He graphed out a poem that she had written and added butterflies from another pattern. He is amazing.

How are your resolutions shaping up this month? or for the year so far?

Later,

Lorrie

quilting weather

Ice & Update

Post author By Lorrie Shore
Post date February 26, 2022
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We woke to ice in the trees and bushes on Friday. Thank goodness the temperatures were in the 60’s on Thursday, so the roads were still warm enough to not be super slick. The trees looked like they were encased in glass. Thank goodness it was a still day and the sun appeared to melt the ice with only a little damage to trees and branches…no power outages in our area.

Not enough to get school delayed or cancelled…beautiful!

We did have quite a bit of fog. The mountain was beautiful shrouded in ice and fog, but I did not get a picture of that.

I am working on block number 9 of my paper foundation dresden blocks. I need 12 to make the size quilt that I want. I have not decided what setting I will use for these blocks yet. They are approximately 14 1/2 unfinished.

I also have a couple of other teal/aqua blocks to make for the RSC. They are cut and ready to be sewn. February is quickly becoming history. I need to buckle down tomorrow and get blocks made.

What are you working on this weekend?

Later,

Lorrie