Something New and Something Old

Sometimes you just have to buy something new in order to organize your sewing room.  I have been looking at the different cabinets they have at Hobby Lobby for years and saying "Someday".  I finally decided to just save up and buy one!  This one is the perfect size and has 20 drawers!  I can finally empty all of the tins that I have stuff stored in.  Hobby Lobby always has the furniture on "sale" for 30%, however you can use a 40% off coupon on the original price instead of the sale price.  Just do a search on your smart phone for hobby lobby coupon.  This is my something new.

Here is my something old!  I'm still quilting on my cake quilt.  I have finished all of the pink sashing and anything pink or red on the cakes.  I now need to put in blue thread for the purple and blue areas and yellow thread for the yellow and green!  I am still deciding on how to quilt in the white areas around the cakes, I'm think white thread?  BTW, the machine is old, 120 years old!

I bought this pink poodle fabric years ago on clearance, waiting for the perfect project.  I knew it needed to be the backing for this quilt.

This shelf is something old that was new to me, to store my thimbles, thread spools, and pin cushions.

Of course I need a cat picture!  This is Tiger, my cuddle bug.

I have to admit that organization is not my strong point!  I have been trying to purge some items from my room as I organize.  What is your favorite organization tool?

Have a great sewing day!
Missy

Valentine Decisions

My student was sick on Tuesday and Wednesday which meant I had two unexpected vacation days.  I spent one of those days making valentines.  I had fun taking all of my lace and sewing them on my valentines.  I have not sewn the small hearts on the big hearts yet.  They are just pinned for now.

I'm thinking that some of the valentines might look better without the small hearts.

If I decide to leave the big hearts, as is, I could make the small hearts into pins I guess.

Which do you think look best?

I want to share my favorite "tool" for temporarily placing lace and ric rac on fabric.

 Washable Elmer's glue sticks.
Just make sure you do not use too much or it will gunk up your needle.

I was working on my hand crank Tuesday night.  It usually will sew through anything, however it was not happy about the layers of ric rac and fabric.  I think part of the problem was - I was not sewing very fast and the needle was not sharp.  I changed the needle and now it won't sew.  :(  I need to fiddle around with my machine and see if I maybe put the needle in wrong or something.

Singer 66 Red-Eye

I am usually able to figure out the problems on people powered machines pretty quickly, but I have not had a chance to figure it out.

Have a great day ya'll!

Missy

Check out the Cabin Fever Party at Lily Pad Quilting!

Fun Fabricating on Friday

I finally got some sewing done on Friday.  I wanted to quilt all day Thursday, but I had a terrible sinus headache that kept me in bed most of the day.  I finished the first Bee block of the year for Sew Sweet Bee.  Alicia asked for the rolling stones block from Fat Quarter Shop.  I didn't have the fabric she wanted, but found the closest color, to what she wanted, that was in my stash.  I bought this Lori Holt design board at my local quilt shop, Dogwood Quilting in Ava, MO.  It is the perfect size for these 12 inch blocks.  I keep saying that I am going to make some, but never get around to it.

 I sewed the block on my featherweight.  I won this seam guide, also from Lori Holt, with some other stuff a few months ago.  I finally decided to use it on this machine.  I can change the bobbin underneath the machine without having to take the seam guide off each time I want to change the bobbin.

 I hope the adhesive does not hurt the finish on my machine, since my machine is not plastic.  It is a pretty shape though and I love that the seam guide is on both sides.

 I wasted a lot of time trying to make my machine sew, just because I forgot that a feather weight threads from right to left.  Stupid mistake since with vintage machines, you know which side to thread the needle on, according to which side the thread guide is on.  If it's on the right, thread from the right, if it's on the left, thread from the left.

 I joined my local quilt guild this past summer.  I wish I had joined it sooner!  They make a lot of charity quilts.  We met Friday morning to sew the rows together on this quilt(someone was sewing the top corner already, when I took this picture). I did not do much on this quilt, I don't trust my sewing abilities against everyone else's.  I know that I am not very good at sewing at a straight seam.  One of the members saw this block, blew it up, and made it into a big quilt by using 10 1/2 inch blocks.  I'll get a picture when they have finished quilting it.  One of the longarmers took it home to quilt and another lady will bind it.  We are donating this quilt a group who raises awareness for child abuse.  All of our quilts go to local charities.

 Pippi was sitting in my lap and that look was "No, you cannot get up and sew, you have to hold me instead."

Do you have a sewing group you are involved in?  I love being a part of a group, it helps me to get things done.

Missy

"How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.
 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course."
Psalms 82:2-5

I believe this verse tells us to defend children who are being abused, these poor children have no one else to help.

Valentines

My homemaker's group is having a Valentine's Day party in February.  I decided to make valentines for everyone when I saw this tutorial from Fat Quarter Shop.  I did not have the templates, so I just printed off two hearts and used them for templates.  

 I sewed the bows on tonight.

 I love hand stitching small things.

 I have a ton of lace and decided to add lace to some of my hearts.  All of them will look different.

 This is what I started with.  I need to make about 12?

 I had this batting with the backing fabric, from my cake quilt, already sprayed together, so I just popped the heart fabric on top and used it for the back of my valentines.  It helps that it was pink.

Good thing I have an early start, I still have a lot to go!

Have you ever made homemade valentines?

Missy

"  O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.
  Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD."
Psalms 31:23, 24

Quilting the Cake Quilt

I've been slowly working on the cake quilt.  So far I have quilted anything that was pink or red on the cakes.  I did not feel like changing the thread.  I hope I have enough pink thread left to quilt the sashing.  Of course Cupcake decided that she needed to help me quilt.

She can see out the window from that spot.  My Lilac tree is full of birds that the cats like to watch.

 I moved her to the top of my sewing machine case.  There is a hunter green Japanese clone in there.  The cats think it is there for them to sit on and watch "cat tv".

 At least Oreo found a "nest" in the rocking chair and had curled up there to sleep.

The thinner "tiers" on the cakes are getting scallops.  I thougt it looked kind of like frosting.

I have Thursday off, I'm hoping to get a lot more quilting done, but first I need to finish sewing my Sew Sweet Bee block, it is all cut out, just needs to be sewn together.

This weather is crazy right now, it should be in the 60's for the next couple of days.  What is the weather like in your area?

Missy

I'll be linking up for Feline Friday on Friday.
Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Fabric Frenzy

A New Year Poem

A New Year Poem

A new year has begun

Time to reflect,

On all that we have done.

Did we work for the Lord,

Serving Him,

With more than we could afford?

Determine in the new year,

To give Him our best,

Showing that we care.

The Bible is our Sword,

We need to sharpen,

To know our Lord.

Make this your goal,

Every day of this year,

Give Him your whole soul.

By Missy Shay

Vintage Quilts

I had to share these vintage quilts I saw at a friend's house.  We take turns meeting at each other's house in my homemaker's group.  I joined this summer and this was my first time at Nadine's house.  After the meeting I asked her if I could take pictures of her quilts.  She told me that her mother hand quilted all of these quilts.

I love the secondary pattern in this star quilt.  She said it was not one of her favorites.

 I love this Lone Star quilt!

 Can you see the awesome quilting on the back?  It was all done by hand!

 The classic fan quilt.  Don't these fabrics look like they are from the eighties?

 The top of the quilt is straight and the other three sides are scalloped.

 Feedsacks were used on the next two quilts.  I love this Jacob's ladder quilt.

 Sorry about the rocking chair being in the way.

 She did not the lady who made this quilt, it was a nephew's grandmother on the other side.  Nobody wanted it in his family, so he asked her if she wanted it.  She said it is at least 100 years old.  She said she did not know the name of this quilt.  I think it is a circle upon circle quilt, like mine.  What do you think?  She said the blue was hand dyed.

 Of course she has a Grandmother's Flower Garden!  I love the feedsacks in this quilt!

I asked Nadine if she had made any quilts, she said she never needed to learn ecause she had plenty of quilts from her Mom.  She did make this pillow in the homemaker's group years ago!

 This was another pillow made.  Remember those yarn pom poms we made back in the eighties?  She used the same principal to make this.

 This pillow was crocheted.

She promised to show me more quilts next time we meet at her house, that will be in August.

Don't you just love vintage quilts?

Have a blessed day!
Missy

 "And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God."
II Corinthians 5:15-20

Feline Friday

Calico sisters curled up asleep

Oreo sound asleep

Muffin first thing in the morning

Cupcake crawled under the covers to stay warm.

Custard is enjoying the heater.

What an easy life these cats live!

Missy aka Redheaded Cat Lady

P.S. Tena, I'm sorry I have not replied to any of your messages, but you are a "no-reply blogger" and I'm not able to.