UPDATE: If you were, you are too late for this one. It found a happy home :-).
Steve Schlesinger, who I’ve written about before, has his mom’s BERNINA 1130 online and priced at $799. I have Linda’s 1130 and I can say that the 1120 is a sweet sewing machine. Click here for the details on Steve’s mom’s machine.
I went to San Francisco last weekend to visit my friend, Amy. One of the things we did was to go shopping for ‘the dress’ with the daughter, Laura, of one of Amy’s long-time friends. I took my camera and shot nearly 300 photos. I didn’t really know any of the wedding party so I did my best (with limited success) to be quiet and just take photos.
This place is full of one-of-a- kind runway dresses. It’s first come first served and Laura was the first bride of the day. She was given a little bag with 8 clips to mark the dresses she wanted to try on. It’s a good system.
She let others in the party make some choices as well.
(I took lots of photos with peoples faces but I’m not posting them because that is a choice to leave up to the bride.)
The dressing room began to fill, with a well-used dress form standing guard.
I did my best to stay out of the shots but there were so very many mirrors! I didn’t exactly dress to fade into the background (what was I thinking?!)
All 8 dresses were lovely, but Laura did not find ‘the dress’. However, if she has as much fun looking for it as I did taking pictures, she is sure to enjoy the hunt!
FYI: Laura is an actress, stand-up comic, and she has some hilarious videos on youtube. Click here to find GinBlo Productions on youtube.
Lorraine D. emailed recently asking me how to remove the white chalk lines that she’d used to mark her quilting design. I don’t mark tops often and when I have, the lines are usually gone by the time I’ve finished quilting so this isn’t something that I’ve had to deal with in a long time.
I do know that trying to erase the lines can mar the fabric so I wouldn’t recommend that. Washing can work but isn’t always an option. I suggested shaking it out like a rug, as long as that wouldn’t hurt the quilt. What I could picture in my head was the chalk dust flying out of the quilt. (Hanging the quilt on a line and whacking it with a broom also came to mind but that seemed extreme.)
But Lorraine came up with a better idea:
As I couldn’t sleep one night, I thought of placing it in the dryer with several bath towels, on no heat. I now have an almost perfect quilt.
That is a trick I’m going to remember!
I think it looks perfect as it is :-).
Karen de Glanville sent me a photo of her quilt and the story that goes with it. I think you will enjoy it just as she wrote it:
Some years ago when I visited the States (I live in the UK), I purchased your Anniversary Quilt pattern. It sat in my drawer for quite a while as a pending project and then I forgot about it.
Back in February I looked on Pinterest for an oak leaf and acorn inspiration for a wall hanging to make as a wedding present for my niece and found just the thing. When I attempted to track the pattern down, I realised it was one of yours and that I had purchased it all those years ago!
Below is a photograph of my finished result. I have made the quilt in wool on a cotton background, with the happy couple’s names – Erin and Howard – and the date – 20th August, 2016 – embroidered in linen in the centre with two entwined acorns above their names.
A friend, Sandy Chandler, machine quilted oak leaves and acorns on it. Her work is amazing and she recently won Best in Show at the UK Festival of Quilts.
I’m so grateful for your wonderful design. It was so appropriate for this couple. Howard is a tree surgeon with a company called Quercus and their marriage was blessed under an old oak tree. They met in the Middle East, so the pomegranates are perfect. Finally, the French word for acorn is gland, and our family name is de Glanville, derived from that word. How amazing is all that?!
Kind regards and many thanks for all the pleasure this has given us in both the making and receiving. Erin was totally overwhelmed.
Isn’t this a great story — and a beautiful quilt! Thank you, Karen, for sharing both. Happy stitching!
UPDATE: I sold my Sweet Sixteen to Carolyn in south Texas. We are both happy and excited!
I am upgrading so my 2010 Handi Quilter Sweet Sixteen needs a new home, along with the 30″ x 46″ table it sits in. Steve custom built this table and it is both prettier and sturdier than the table that came with the machine (which I no longer have).
Just so you know, I live in Sherman, TX (north of Dallas) and you’ll need to come get it. Or, if your are close, Steve and/or I might be able to bring it to you in the pickup.
Included are:
I took this photo showing the number of stitches yesterday. I have to quilt a couple of very small quilts so the stitch count will be a little higher.
This is what the touch display looks like.
I am asking $1500. If that doesn’t seem fair, please do let me know. If you are interested, please do email me at becky.pieceocake@gmail.com. Include your phone number and I can call you back. FYI: I can bill you via Paypal so you can pay with a credit card if you wish.
Here are some more pictures:
Joanne O sent me this photo of her Fresh Picked Posies. I love it!
Joanne says
…this was my first attempt at a full size hand appliquéd quilt…to prepare for this undertaking I watched your U- tube videos on the Piece of Cake Way for hand appliqué . I found the pattern easy to follow & the larger pieces were great for a first go at hand stitching . It was machine quilted on a long arm by my friend Karen C. I am so pleased with how it turned out. …love love love this pattern. Thank you so much.
Joanne, you made a great quilt! Way to go, you!
Piece O Cake Blog 