WIP- The Return of the Prairie Dolls

This week brought changes to my small life; changes that were somewhat expected and yet not. Rain and rumblings across my homestead left horrible humidity, sufferable mud, and plenty of painful biting flies and mosquitoes. It also found me facing the reality that my life is mostly alone. My children have moved- the last one is now in Alaska!- and my husband's job changed back to late shift. When the chores are done, the homestead can become a lonely place; I find myself melancholy and tired. To combat this, I have decided to revamp the sewing room and pull from the piles a few new projects- one of which is the prairie dolls.

Faceless dolls have always fascinated me and reminded me of my prairie home. Years ago I made them regularly, selling them at vendor events and online. The busyness of adjustment found the pattern at the bottom of the remnant pile where it has been waiting for some time.

This week I pull the bits and pieces of that life back to the surface and reacquaint myself to the feel of fabric and the hum of the sewing machine.  Calico prints, cotton stuffing, and homespun muslin line the tables; scissors find their fit in my hands; and deep within me the little barefoot prairie girl stirs. Once again, prairie dolls will come to life in the quite nights of my homestead life.

Welcome back, old friends!

A Little Stitch Therapy (or The Day I Murdered My Machine)

The cold has finally won, driving me into the house in search of some color and life. Quilting seemed like a great way to get a little spring of life in my day. Everything was quite zen until everything fell apart and died.

Let me just say, if you hear a weird sound when you are stitching- if you feel resistance from the thread- STOP everything... and call someone not emotionally involved in the situation (i.e. a man). I did not stop. I attempted to repair the situation by starting over a hundred times before the poor machine just stopped responding to me.

From there, I still couldn't leave things alone. Instead I linked on to the troubleshooter web page and went into a full on panic at their advice to take the bobbin area apart for a good cleaning. After a few cups of coffee and a brisk walk- you guessed it- I braced myself and dismembered the poor machine one screw at a time.

It seems a small lamb had taken up residence there in the bobbin chamber and died a sad, lonely death leaving behind his fleece. The trouble shooter web guy assured me this would solve my problems. Doubtful, but in desperate need of finishing what I started, I proceeded to do what the back of my mind told me not to do. You guessed it. I murdered my machine.

No one was home to see the look of horror that surely crossed my face when the bobbin cover leaped out from under the fabric, followed by the bobbin case jumping halfway out- setting somewhat askew under the fabric where the needed was jammed down in the machine resulting in a giant hole in the fabric. There are no words people. No words.

A few deep breaths and a web cam pic later the trouble shooter guy completely gave up on me advising I stop touching the poor thing and let a professional handle it. This put me in "how to tell the husband" mode. You know the one. "Hey, honey, I know the car is broke down but, guess what- I murdered the million dollar sewing machine today and need to take it in." I know my man- this will not bode well.

Defeated and lying on the floor in tears, my phone interrupted the melt down. My mom with a little
'what's up?' text. Thumbs flew as I confessed my sins. Over pops Dad; long time sewing machine savior, confident he could resurrect my poor thing.

After quite a time of painful machine surgery and a little scolding about making sure I am not sewing with a bent needle (which, of course, I argued I was not doing- sigh)... he assured me the machine was up, running, and in perfectly good help. No further medical attention necessary. I was doubtful, arguing that the second problem was fixed, but there was a first problem that he hadn't dealt with. Not deterred by my fit, he left me- confident in his work.

Shamefully I confess there was a time of sipping coffee and pouting- putting off the inevitable 'test run'. Here.. for the whole world to see.. he was right. Clean bobbin case, new needle, and the thing works like nothing ever happened. I paid him in cake- home made, from scratch, pound of butter in the batter cake (and a hearty confession that he was right). I will never live this down.

In the end, stitch therapy did happen... along with a hearty dose of humility.

Pardon the Interruption

     Please excuse the interruption as we hop over to the sewing room for a long awaited post. After several months struggling to get this little ditty quilted- it is finally done! Today we slip over and look at calculating for the bias in preparation to bind the quilt. Join me:
http://simplyhandquilting.blogspot.com/2013/12/calculating-bias.html

     On another note: our Etsy shop is temporarily 'closed' while we revamp our inventory and consider the direction we would like to take for 2014. Thank you.

Finally Back at It

    After a week in and out of the shop, an online part search, and a delivery date later we are finally back in blog land. These past several days found us prepping and planning as we start another year of home educating. Farm boy enters his junior year with great hesitation on my part, after all, precal is not my subject!
    To get us back in the groove we are in the sewing room preparing our machine for the task of machine quilting. While not my preference, machine quilting is a skill I have used over the years and still work to improve upon. Let's hop over and take a look.

Join Me

    Come join me in the sewing room for a special introduction. We are gathering supplies and looking into a new project. Join me, won't you?

Before We Begin

    Before we begin our quilt piecing journey there is a task that needs addressed. Join me in the sewing room for a quick tutorial for cleaning our machines.

Look at the Larger Set Up

  After many years of small space sewing my patience paid off allowing me a larger, more permanent set up. The room which once held my home classroom now contains fabric and notions rather than desks and curriculum. Let me first say any space, any machine, any location can be used for piecing and quilting a quilt; yes, any. Last week we looked at the smaller spaces I used for quilting; this week let's meet in the sewing room as we take a look at the larger set up.

The Start of Something New

    This week we step into the sewing room for a look at our up and coming project.

 

In The Works

    Tonight I sit with pen in hand scribbling notes and notions; my mind bouncing from one thing to another. This week several things are 'in the works' so to speak..and all of them are rolling around my head.
     The farm boy and I have decided to work on flex-recipes that coincide with current harvest foods. Right now we have some flex variations on sauerkraut; one has quite a kick! In regards to flex recipes, the farm boy and I are also considering a recipe ebook. We have been playing with the idea for a year now..it seems publishing one is trickier than it seems.

     I am putting together both a cheese making class as well as a soap making class for this summer..choosing just one to demo and work through is quite a challenge! For now I am making outlines and testing some ideas regarding molding. We'll see how it works out. I would love to teach things like this regularly, but the demand just doesn't seem to be here in my area.

    With the hand quilting motif sampler pretty much complete, it's time for a new project in the sewing room. Right now I am working on setting an online class series using a traditional split rail design. This is simple and so pretty..hoping to spark interest in new quilters with an easy and fun start pattern. A basic jelly roll will give a nice picnic size quilt for a great beginner project.

    Finally, in an effort to spark interest in my poor little Etsy shop I am creating a pattern and working on some baby items based on this cute little dress. Hidden among old polyester items in an antique shop, this little dress caught my eye and grabbed my heart. Maybe this will take off..maybe.

    There you have it..the musings and musterings of my simple mind. These are the things that cause me to lug a spiral notebook every where I go jotting and sketching at will. Even my poor farm boy's practice driving sessions become frantic idea frenzies (keeps my mind off the fact my little teen is behind the wheel!).

Sewing in the Border

 

   A quilt is a beautiful work of art pieced in love and worked in fiber. The borders of a quilt offer a dose of stability as well as a finishing framework showcasing our creativity and hard work. Once a quilt top is complete, choosing a design leads us to the question..what about the borders?

Join me in the sewing room as we take a look at the borders of our quilt and the design elements for them.

Caring for Our Quilts

Quilts are a precious gift filled with love and comfort. Join me in the sewing room while we share our methods for caring and cleaning these priceless treasures.

Let's Stitch in the Blank

   Every quilter defines blank space differently..this quilter believes a blank space is any space that causes my mind to draw a blank. Sometimes the hardest part of quilting is choosing the 'right design for the space.' I confess, I do not quilt like other quilters do, so blank spaces don't scare me. As for 'the right design', every design is a right design..the only limitation is your own imagination.

Join me in the sewing room.

Oh the Quilting....

    Quilting design and motif varies from quilter to quilter..ask three quilters how to best enhance a quilt top and you will get three very different answers. My quilting designs tend to fall into one of three main design categories. I call them echo/outline, all over, and artistic.

Grab a thimble and hurry to a comfy seat. Today we are in the sewing room exploring the types of quilt designs and adding a new design to our sampler. 

 

Stitching and Planning

    Sometimes planning the quilting design is the biggest challenge of all. Do we want it all over or artistically laid out? Let's grab our thimbles and threads and head over to the sewing room for design dilemmas and a look at this week's design..the Baptist Fan.

Meet Me In the Sewing Room

    Sometimes getting started is the hardest part of any project; hand quilting is no exception. In the video today we take hand quilting step by step: threading, stitching and ending, while addressing a few tips and trouble spots along the way.

Let's meet in the sewing room and stitch something wonderful!

 

A Look at Gauge and Clamshell

    I hope each of you had a wonderful weekend of blessings and gatherings, I know I did. Monday arrived all to quickly bringing with it a sink load of dishes and plenty of 'need my attention' items. With my final garden planting push complete and rain in the forecast, stitching is on the agenda. Join me today in the sewing room as we explore the gauge, marking and the clam shell design. 

Working A Sampler

   Today we are in the sewing room with a new video to help anyone interested in making the quilt design sampler I have been using in the tutorials. Join us there as we discuss the process, measurements, and a place to share your inspiration.

 

This post was shared on Dolly's Designs.

A New Distraction

   I had been browsing..drooling, really..at the notion of a newer sewing machine. Recent classes on machine quilting have put a serious strain on my current machine..one it may not recover from. While quilting small projects on my Singer was going fine, it seemed more dense or dramatic stitch work was causing some motor dysfunction..thus my browsing.
   Today upon a strange system of events a blessed bargain came across my path..one just too amazing to pass on. At my husband's urging we became the proud owners of a second hand Janome Horizon complete with all kinds of extras.
   While excitement courses through my veins, it is mixed with intimidation. I completely dislike the unfamiliarness of a new machine..it takes me a while to find that comfortable place. Tonight it sits, tucked in a travel case under the sewing table, waiting for me to read the manual cover to cover a dozen times before plugging it in for a first time go.
   What about you? How do you familiarize yourself with a new machine? Share your experience!

Let's Work A Stitch

   Of the many people who talk to me about hand quilting, the most commonly expressed concern is the method. It's too hard..it causes pain...it's tedious. That very well may be, and the reason that may be is just not being taught. Until someone sat down with me, hand quilting was a struggle that often found me holding my breath until the end of the row. It shouldn't be that way.

Find a comfortable set, grab your quilt sandwich and join me in the sewing room to work a stitch or two. 

 

Let's Talk About Cheater Cloth

   I'm in the sewing room today sharing my thoughts on cheater cloth. Have you ever been in the fabric store and seen beautiful printed panels that looked like a quilt top? Hop over and join the discussion on the possibilities and passionate opinions quilters share.