Check out the new Tab for the 2022 project list!

 Click on the tab at the top of the page for all the videos for each of the projects for the sampler! It will be updated regularly so check out the new projects and give them all a try!

2022 Basic Attachment Sampler Part 1

Welcome to the 221 basic attachment sampler project! I designed this to utilize the basic attachments and show the results off in a sampler that can be a wall hanging or a quilt. 

Supplies needed are: 1 yard each of dark and light solid fabrics and of a complimentary patterned fabric. 5-7 buttons, a sheer fabric or a flat lace, a yard of cording, a roll of thin ribbon, thread, scissors or cutting tools, iron and ironing surface, batting and backing fabric. 

For this block, we will use one of the six dark colored 13”x13” squares and a strip of light or patterned fabric cut or pieced to 5”x55”.

Tucker Attachment

Tucking and pin tucking can seem like a tedious task but is achievable with the tucker attachment. 

The unit has two bars before the needle hole. The first one makes a crease line in the fabric as you sew. The number settings are spaced by 1/4”. The next one is the distance the unit will sew the seam from the edge of the fabric. Its number settings are spaced 1/8” apart. Both are adjustable by turning their knobs for lots of versatility in how the tucks are formed. 

Sew beautiful, evenly spaced tucks!

Cleaning Experiment - Dried on Adhesive Goo

Sticky residue is a pain to remove on a good day. Forget it when you try to get it off after it's been dried on for months or even years! Sandpaper would do the trick but it's not always, or almost never, the answer because of the damage it does to surfaces.

Here's my window under my AC unit. That black stuff is adhesive left behind from plastic coverings from several winters of two sided tape that held it on the frame. 

Has it been six years?

Actually, yes it has. Time has a way of slipping by. The last time I played music at church was in 2012. Life threw us a curveball and I lost the creative passion for a while. These things happen. Seasons of life wave in and out and there are times that one needs a break. I finally felt like I could do this again! It was like getting back on the bike and went quite well. I'm thankful that my parents got to be there. I'll still have to decide if this something that I'll take back up on a regular basis. But at least for today, it was a good thing.

Simple Donation Quilt Pattern

Seeing footage ofthe hurricane devastation in Texas these past couple of weeks is nothing short of heartbreaking. As a sewer with a healthy stash of fabric and thread, I thought of a way I can help. By making youth or lap quilts to donate!

These quilts can be made bigger by adding more rows but this pattern is keeping quantity completion in mind. You can easily finish several a day. I think my record was 10 in one weekend. 

The lap size is nice for toddlers at home or in the car, or for adults to wrap around their legs or shoulders. Add a matching burp cloth with it and the set is even more useful for a baby!

Basically, the top is an exploded 9-patch. I sized it to fit nicely on a piece of flannel as the backing so you don't need to add batting. Sew down some lines to keep it together and you are done. Sasha likes them!

Let's get sewing!

The Material Gripper

Thank you for coming to my Fashion Accessory Skill Series! There are thousands of us who love our little 221s but need or want a little more "know-how" on using them to their fullest potential. I hope my posts and videos will help you get more know-how and confidence in using various sewing accessories with your beautiful Featherweight. This series will be different since I will be showing parts that may not even need a 221! Enjoy the classes!

Class #2 - Material Gripper

Class supply list:

The material gripper and fabric. 

Let's get sewing!

The Hand Pinker

Fashion Accessory Skill Series - 

Thank you for coming to my Fashion Accessory Skill Series! There are thousands of us who love our little 221s but need or want a little more "know-how" on using them to their fullest potential. I hope my posts and videos will help you get more know-how and confidence in using various sewing accessories with your beautiful Featherweight. This series will be different since I will be showing parts that may not even need a 221! Enjoy the classes!

Class #1 - Hand Pinker

Class supply list:

The hand pinker and a strips of fabric. 

Let's get sewing!

En Provence - Completed!

Completed quilt top day! What a great feeling! Instructions for this En Provence can be found at this blog. 

See everyone's quilts - http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2017/02/mystery-monday-link-up-finale.html

I think of all the quilts I've made, this is one of my favorites! Thanks, Bonnie Hunter, for a gorgeous pattern! 

#enprovence #bonniehunter #mysteryquilt

En Provence - Clues to the block reveal

Happy New Year, everyone! Here it is... The big reveal! Are you playing along? Instructions for this En Provence mystery clue can be found at this blog. See everyone's progress at this link.

I was getting behind on the clues as the holiday hit. Because I was very busy making fabulous, "proper British Christmas bakes" for family parties. I am a huge fan of Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood. Their recipes are terrific!

Back to the quilt........

It's amazing to me to see a box full of this

Turn into a block like this!

Next month, the full quilt will be done! I can't wait to see it!

En Provence - Clue 4

Things are moving right along with En Provence! Can you believe we've been at this for almost a month? If you want the instructions for this clue, go to this post for it! See what everyone else is doing at this post.

It was down right cold and snowy this past weekend where I live. The perfect time to stay inside and finish addressing our Christmas cards and getting some wrapping done.

I made another Cashmere Covered Pillow for a good friend. I still have to do one for me!

My favorite Featherweight got set up on the footstool so I could get going on Clue 4!

It's a good start! My box of mystery clues is pretty full! 

Can't wait to see it come together!

En Provence - Clue 3

Onwards to part three if this year's mystery quilt, En Provence! If you want the instructions for this pattern, go to this post for it! See what everyone else is doing at this post.

After my winter cold ran its course last week, I started feeling noticeably better on Thursday and managed to get clue two finished on time! This weekend was the kickoff of all things Christmas at my house. My sisters and I went to a breakfast and show given in the traditions of France. How appropriate! Joyeux noel, tout le monde!

I made some Cashmere Covered Pillows as gifts. I got my decorations out, played the Christmas Songs to the Burning Yule Log video, and revamped the house into rooms full of tinsel, lights, and holiday-print fabric. The chicken was roasted, the lists are made and the snow started to fall. 'Tis the season!

Back on track.... This week - Purple four patches! Think lavender fields. 

I grabbed a bunch of fabrics for my purples and started cutting strips from the smallest pieces in the pile and worked up into the larger pieces. I figured I need to use the scraps instead of making more scraps!

Featherweight Project - Cashmere Covered Pillows

Ever go through your closet and start to weed out the things that don't fit anymore, or are not things you wear much, or just need to get tossed? Sometimes those things are too good to toss and need a new purpose. I looked at some sorry looking pillows and stuffed them into the worn sweaters. Voila, the cashmere covered pillows started to come to life.

This is not a ground breaking discovery. There are many websites that show their way of making them. Here's the way I did mine.

I bought a couple 16" pillow forms. They fit nicely into the size sweaters I had to work with.

The first thing to do is turn the pillow inside out and line up the ruler along the side so you can cut off the sleeves. I was surprised at how easily the blade cut through the knitted fabric.

En Provence, Clue 2

The first week of Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt is done and week two is underway. How'd you do? Are you sewing or enjoying the project through the links?

Want to join in? It's not too late! Go to quiltville.blogspot.com and select the En Provence tab to find all you need to know. Here's the direct link for clue 2  and here's where you can see what other quilters are making!

A quick recap- Last week, we made our pile of four patches!

En Provence - Clue 1

It's that time of year again. Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt clues have begun! Thank you, Bonnie, for your generosity! Each of my posts can be found by my purple grin!

When I saw the luscious color palette, all of which I had in my stash, I figured I needed to participate. 

Want to join in? Go to quiltville.blogspot.com and select the En Provence tab to find all you need to know. Here's the direct link for clue 1 and the post to see everyone's progress!

When I saw this fabric, which I see as a neural, I thought it would add an interesting look to clue 1.

Featherweight Skill Series - Fashion Aids Kit

You never know what you'll find in an antique shop. There's a favorite one we peruse through 3-4 times a year. It's only about 45 minutes from our house so it's a nice day out. A couple of summers ago, I was hot on the trail for anything with the Singer name on it. I had 2 beautiful Featherweights by then and loved finding foot and accessories for them. If you've read this far, think you know what I mean!

Off we go to the shop on a bright summer morning. We went through the first floor. We went through the second floor. The place is messy. There's an area where things are brought in but not priced yet. Those things are piled in toppling mounds on the tables and floor. It calls you to explore, which is fine with the owner. She'll not say no to a sale opportunity!

I saw a funny looking box in the middle of a stack of random items. The handle was gone. It reminded me of our 1957 portable record player and my curiosity got the best of me. I carefully pulled it out Of the pile, taking care that nothing else fell to the floor.

I couldn't believe what I saw inside when I opened that box! 

A day in the life - November 8, 2016

What's this real estate agent up to today? Well, things are getting interesting, I have to admit. Tuesdays are Broker's Open House days and today I went to see one!

Into the car I go, driving down Route 9 to find Greyleaf Drive, proudly displaying the company banner on my car.

Hemming Silky Fabrics

One job that is tedious but becomes manageable with the right tool is sewing narrow hem seams on silky fabric.

Fortunately, the Foot Hemmer can help you sew a hem that you can be proud of!

I had a long evening dress with a lining that needed to be shortened 6 inches. Trimmed down to length, it was ready for hemming. 

The lining was made of satin. It was a firmer fabric and fed through the Foot Hemmer very well. 

Knitting on Hooks

Have you ever used a knitting machine? It has a bed of hooks that the yarn loops around. When the carriage runs over the hooks, it pushes and pulls them while running the yarn across them and forms the stitches. As much as I love hand knitting, these machines are terrific!

It's a finely tuned, complicated unit that does its job quite well. You actually can knit up a sweater in a weekend. I've done it!

Summer Jacket in Amethyst

Summer is soon coming to an end. The daytime highs are still up there but the air is getting cooler. Perfect days for a short sleeved jacket.