My sister and I left Oklahoma for Texas on Thursday and got back home Monday night. That left us Friday, Saturday and Sunday for lots of crafty stuff. I found a great rental to use for our retreat.
The dining room table was big enough for 3 sewing machines. Just mine and my sister's are set up in the photo. We were able to use the center island for cutting and pressing. It was a very user friendly set up.
Grad Girl had stuff going on for most of Friday, so she wasn't able to take off as she'd planned. But she joined us by early evening with a new to her sewing machine.
It's a Singer Start. It's pretty basic, but that's pretty much what she wanted, basic. Grad Girl had never wound a bobbin or threaded a machine. We started with those basics. Learning to control the speed with the foot pedal was probably the hardest thing for her to get used to. That's a practice makes perfect thing.
She really wanted to make a pin cushion. I have a pattern that I really wanted to make, Meadow Mist Design's Cathedral Window Pincushions. So we went to Joann's bought some fabric and made a couple of pin cushions.
This probably wasn't the easiest pattern to start Grad Girl off with, but she really enjoyed it and liked the challenge. Learning to top stitch while trying to master the foot pedal was challenging, but she got better as we went along. Neither pin cushion is perfect, but that's OK, we had a blast making them. I had once thought to make a quilt using Cathedral Window blocks. Making one block may be enough to fulfill that need.
I found a rental that allowed cats, so Queenie came to spend the weekend with us.
She's not had the chance to be a sewing room kitty and decided that anything hanging off the ironing board was a toy. She especially liked my yellow measuring tape when I was measuring borders for String Lights.
I delivered Grad Girl's quilt and she got a photo of both her Shadow Demons.
Both Grad Girl and Queenie tested out the "nap on the couch" worthiness of the quilt. I think it passed that test.
That was our girl's weekend. It was a lot of fun and we decided we definitely need to do another one in the next year or two. Linking up with Monday Design Wall (just a little late).
10 comments:
What a sweet place to retreat with your sister and daughter!! The pin cushions turned out great. I was looking at that same machine as a good beginner machine for granddaughter Sophia. But grandpa intervened and we "upgraded" a bit. LOL
What fun! My mother made me a cathedral window quilt using fabrics she had saved from all the clothes she had made for me. Such a memory piece! And such a labor of love. I wouldn't even want to try a pincushion!
What a fun weekend for you all! I still think top stitching is a really tough skill to make look good even after all these years. Your pincushions look great! I love the photo of Queenie on the cat quilt, too. Priceless!
This looks like so much fun! I love that last picture of Queenie. Very cute. Every sewing person needs a kitty helper. Grad girl is well stocked.
A friend had a vintage Cathedral Windows quilt in her guest room. I thought I'd like to make one, but when I found directions, decided I'd never get it done. The foot pedals on many starter sewing machines don't have much control, so Grad Girl did well for her first try.
Pat
Looks like a great weekend of sewing and fun time together. How wonderful that you are teaching Grad Girl how to use a sewing machine.
That looks like a neat place to stay! So glad you got to do this. Queenie fits right in and looks quite happy on "her" quilt.
I don't think you could have found a better model than Queenie to show off the Halloween Quilt. Since pin cushions are mostly covered with pins in any case, their appearance is overrated :-)
Sounds like a great weekend. You have to take time for those trips or they never happen.
What a fun weekend! I had to laugh at your comment about a cathedral windows quilt, I don’t think you will ever find me making one of them. Love Queenie playing by the ironing board too!
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