Quilting Marathon

On Friday, Sabra and I participated in what can only be described as a quilting marathon. We quilted with our friends, the Pattons and Shamblins, for 8 1/2 hours. By the time we finished, Sabra had completed the first 2 rows of her quilt. I pinned and ironed, but Sabra did the actual quilting.

I took some pictures of the girls while they quilted and then some of Sabra after we got home. When I tried to upload them, I discovered that I couldn't. I had been ignoring a "CF card error" message which kept popping up on my camera since Thursday. What it meant was: "There are almost 2,000 pictures on this compact flash card and you'd better clear it out." Fortunately, I learned my lesson the last time I did this when I lost a lot of photos. Now I upload them to my computer constantly, which is why I only lost photos from the end of this week. Hayden took a couple of pictures Sabra for me with her rows. I'm not sure why she looks so serious in the last one - probably something he said to her!

I'm really excited for Sabra about her quilt. When she finishes, she's going to have done something I've never done. Kids have a way of keeping us humble that way, when they surpass us in their knowledge or experience in a certain area. We will get together again on Wednesday and do another row, which will contain appliques.

Sew Memorable

Today has been a very full and memorable day, not the least of which being our first trip to Sew Memorable in Dawsonville. Sabra and I went on a very impromptu trip with our quilting bee friends. We met for a 9:30 Chick-fil-a breakfast, and then loaded up with our friends, the Pattons, in our van. Sew Memorable is an amazing fabric store with a rustic, mountain feel. Our other friends, the Shamblins, met us while we were there. The proprietor, Jeanne, made us feel right at home and spent 3 hours helping the girls choose just the right fabric for their quilts. This will be Sabra’s first, and it is a mix of blues, pinks, yellows, and greens, with a hint of red and a “bug” theme (cute bugs, like ladybugs and butterflies) running throughout.

Let me say here that I feel that I have found a kindred spirit in Tammy, in spite of the fact that we have different mediums of expression: I tend to use the computer as a creative outlet, and she is a master of the lost arts - quilting, cross-stitching, crocheting, and the like. I think it will be interesting to see if we can teach each other a little of what we know. We had a great time today sharing stories and driving down the road listening to Rascal Flatts! Terri, you are awesome – thank you for taking our sewing machine to Alabama. It is now up and running and Sabra is sewing everything in sight.

This post is dedicated to Tammy and Terri, our quilting coaches. Thank you and we’ll see you Friday!

Our first quilting bee, and rediscovering a little piece of family history...

Sabra and I were invited on Friday to join some other moms and daughters in our homeschool group who are interested in quilting. We will meet about every two weeks this summer and work on our individual quilts; in between meetings we will work at home on our own. We need to bring our own portable sewing machines, however I only have one that is built into its own cabinet. Or so I thought. When we got there we saw two new portable sewing machines and one old black Singer. As I looked at the Singer, I recognized it and remembered that I actually own one like it. It belonged to my Grandmother Weisinger, my dad's mom. I had not seen or even thought of this sewing machine in years, and I don't think I would have even remembered it if I hadn't seen this one. I called Bryan and asked him about it; he remembered the machine and its carrying case, however he hadn't seen it since we moved last August. The other ladies were very excited about it, too, and one knew of a gentleman in Alabama who could service it for a very reasonable cost. By the time we left this first bee, Sabra had completed her first square and has the fabric to make four more before our next meeting.

When we got home, Sabra went straight to the basement. A few minutes later, she returned beaming, with Christian behind her carrying the sewing machine in its original black carrying case. A musty odor wafted from inside as we opened the lid. It smelled of history, but more than that - my history. I've learned that our machine is a Singer Featherweight, which will only sew in a straight line, but is considered a gem for quilting. Based on the serial number, ours is a 1951 model. It has already made its journey to Alabama, since we discovered it just in time to hitch a ride with one of our quilting friends. In my online research, I've also discovered that the 1951 models are called "Centennials," since the company was founded in 1851. Here is a little Featherweight Centennial history:

Singer Featherweight Centennials

Singer, rightfully proud of its company history, decided to celebrate its centenary in 1951 by giving all machines made that year a special badge. This was the standard Singer emblem of the time but with the inscription "A Century of Sewing Service 1851-1951" around the outside of the oval. These "limited edition" models made for only one year are becoming increasingly difficult to find. Most have 1951 serial numbers but authenticated models with 1948 to 1952 serial numbers have been located - suggesting that the company held vast stocks and simply badged machines just prior to dispatch. The Centennial Featherweights are mechanically identical to the standard 221 - and only the badge identifies them cosmetically.

I learned this after my machine left on vacation, so I'll have to wait until it returns to check for the special centennial badge. How exciting! My friend was very impressed by the condition of our machine. It didn't look its 55 years!

As we left our first quilting bee, I felt that my horizons had just been expanded - so much new knowledge to assimilate! - and at the same time I felt drawn to my roots. The women from generations past in my family were quilters. I have family quilts which are some of my most treasured possessions and are priceless to me. At my wedding shower I was given a wedding quilt that was made for me by my great-grandmother, who was no longer living. In my basement I have at least five quilt tops which were hand-sewn but never pieced together with a back. Quilting is something that I really want to learn to do, and Sabra wants it, too. I hope that this is something that we can learn to do together, and in so doing preserve our family's quilting tradition and resurrect my grandmother's old sewing machine, a treasure in its own right.