Old Fashioned Embroidery Patterns

I was looking through a stack of old, OLD, craft magazines that belonged to my grandmother and ran across a folded (and torn on fold) paper that had these iron-on transfer patterns of long ago.

No, this is not for my Giveaways....

but,

if any of you would like close up pictures of any of these as a go-by, you are welcome to them.  Here they are....

(1)  two flowers

(2)  circled lady

(3) flower basket

(4) horses

(5) tulips and heart

(6) cat softie

Hopefully some of you would be interested in bringing these old patterns back to life...

 If you cannot get the pictures copied from this blog, I'll be glad to e-mail the pictures to you, just let me know which ones you want. 

This would be quite an undertaking, but would love to see any results you have later.....

edited:  I added the picture of the cat softie after it was requested..

A Revealing Look....

My Goal regarding Giveaways at the first of this year was for them to last at least 12 months...and it looks like I will make it...

My other goal was to straighten up my sewing room and give away items I no longer had use for, or what I thought might interest someone else...

As for straightening my sewing room....well, on a scale of one to ten , one being as it looked in the beginning of last year....I rate about a 3...so you can imagine, as you look at these pictures what it looked like then...

Granted I have added a few items, large and small, to my room...and I still can't find some things needed that I know are there...and some of the same items are scattered in 2 or 3 different plastic bins, when they could be consolidated...

Anyway, enough of that....... Here are the pictures and the hopeful plans of yours truly.....

Where to begin,,,I guess with the first pictures I have...

Here is my sewing table, which was my mother's drop leaf dining room table.  I just added my featherweight to one end,  and hope that, with a little arranging when needed, it will stay. Yes, the ends of the table can be lowered for a smaller space, but I need every inch. 

In case any of you are worried that the leaf might accidently drop with my lovely on it, please note the sturdy supports underneath.  So unless I decide to sit on the leaf, it will more than likely hold this little jewel safely. 

Now to my notions "wall"...

Having 2 machines (I'm sure a lot of you have more), I realized that there are some items that I must keep separate due to possible confusion of which is which...Also, one cannot keep EVERYTHING right next to her work area/sewing machines.. So I have started gathering (and will label) the various drawers and other containers needed for such storage.  At least then I will know that what I need is Somewhere on these shelves... Of course, that means I will have to find other places to put the boxes, etc. that are there now.   I am still deciding about my templates...that grillwork is just begging for something to hang there, but hopefully not in the way of what is on the shelves....

This is another "wall" (they both are roll-around BTW).  I am going to try and dedicate this one to my fabric, except for an area where I will put my dies for my Go Baby.   I actually have started working on this also...In fact, this is where I stopped and started taking pictures so that Hopefully! I will be able to show you the results of my efforts in a few days/weeks/etc....

As you enter the sewing room (see door), there is evidence of my #3 rating on the wooden bookcase.  I also have a small number of baskets I hope to put to better use around the room later.  The stuff in the corner????....beginnings of Christmas presents...that's another job and another story.

Ahhh, my roll around cart.....my Jack of all Trades....it's use varies as I see fit...I am now envisioning it as a base for my small ironing board when needed.   Now it contains possible future giveaway items.....No, the Coke can is not on the list....

My cutting table is still in the middle of the room, but no picture of it here.  This is about storage...although it is piled up with stuff now....Naah...ya'll can imagine that.

Now to my closet....

This is where I keep my (again) roll around table I use when basting and sandwiching.  It acts as a semi-storage of some big items such as batting and portable sewing "baskets". 

But I have shelves here too....These hold some of my office supplies as well as odds and ends I want to keep, but use very seldom..at least that is my goal when I finish.  This is where I hope to really create some space...

as well as here....

So much wasted space that can be put to use!

Don't know what is under all this, but hope to find out....soon!

So there you have it...I will be sewing and quilting while I work on this,,I have to have some fun...but hopefully, I can soon show you some more results and go from a rating of 3 to maybe even 6 next time...who knows???

Also, I am finding more things for the giveaways.....maybe I can continue beyond the year...

Wonder how many of these posts I have to write before my room gets magically clean?????

Ranting over A Self - Made Situation----Parts 1 & 2

Why is it when you know you should do something in order for something else not to happen, you still don't get around to doing it until the thing that shouldn't happen happens.... again and again and again.....

I see all these pictures about what  wonderful pressing boards people have (I now refuse to use the word beginning with an "i...." anymore,,,at least for awhile...).  They all have a sturdy base and one that is easily accessible in their work area.

I have mine easily accessible, except it is in the traffic flow between my computer, sewing machine and cutting table...hence the above happens on a regular basis...won't tell you how many "i...'s"  I have bought except to say the last time I bought one (this summer), I actually bought TWO!....and guess how many I have now....(not counting the little one that still works..)  ZERO! 

I can't run out right now and buy or look for a nice flat surface can be covered and that is large enough to accommodate larger pieces of fabric, but this can't go on.. 

I have a smaller board with small legs that can sit on a table....I actually measured it yesterday for batting and cover...I will finish it before I do Anything Else (except writing this post) and then maybe I can find something to use and a SAFE place to put it......Maybe in Another Room!!!!

Then and only then will I buy another "i.....".

Thanks for letting me discuss this situation with you....

I'm calm now.....

I'll pick up the object and see if it still works.    Sigh....

*******************************

*******************************

*******************************

Two Hours Later:

Almost deleted this post...Am so much better now...remind me never to post right after a "situation" happens again.

I have moved the table and ironing board (now I can say it,,,yea!) so that they are not competing anymore.

They are at right angles to each other, with space between.  I am still going to look for a better solution, but maybe this new arrangement will do for awhile.....

Now to sit back, cut, sew, enjoy my sewing, and watch Julie & Julia on my computer.......

Mini-Giveaway #17 Winner is..........

gill !!  Another international winner!  Congratulations!  I will be e-mailing her shortly with the good news....

Thanks so much for participating in the Christmas giveaway....

See ya'll again on the 1st....

I WON An Addition to my Sewing Room.......

My DH came into my sewing room the other day,,,wondering what all the commotion was about.  I had stopped my Hopeful Rain

Dance (dry, dry, Texas) and started chanting like a locomotive.....

Go!    Baby!      Go!      Baby!     GO!!!

I had WON this thanks to Linda at Stray Stitches. Such a surprise!  And it came so FAST!  This weekend will be so much fun....Hope DH knows he is going to have to cook for us...I will be turning into a cutting whirlygig!

I plan to make a lovely carrying bag for it, made of one of the dies I picked.  My scraps are going to really disappear now! 

I will have to decide where to put it permanently, or as permanent as one can place things in a sewing room.....in the meantime,  it will be used.....a lot.....

Thanks Linda.....you have put new life into this gal, and at my age, that's saying a lot!

One Quilt Finished, While I Wait By The Door

I finished it!  My Mystery Quilt is DONE~ 

It's only been about a year or so since I started....HQing does take awhile...especially when you are just stitching by the seat of your pants and don't have any particular design in mind. I just kinda "do my own thing" , but it stays together and looks okay.

This is called The DaChintzy Code Quilt.....It was on a forum that I frequent,,,every two weeks another step of the construction was revealed...I think they chose a lovely pattern. I am giving it away to a relative.......maybe the givee will like it as much as I do....

###################

IN THE MEANTIME... 

I am checking outside, waiting by the door, looking at the clock.  Waiting for that special package that UPS states, "...is out for delivery".

Just stepped outside...at 10:30am (our time) the temp. is about 74* ...this is waaayyyy different than the 100* + weather we have been having...don't know if this is the beginning of a trend, finally, or just a teasing hiccup, but I am heading for the front porch to drink a cup of coffee with my DH, 

while staring down the lane looking for that big Brown Van with that Special Package......... 

Ho, Ho, Ho = Mini-Giveaway #17

I had so much fun giving away the Christmas fabric that I am going to do it again!  Seems as if the timing is right for that.

So, I dug around and found these lovely pieces:

 There are various sizes,,, one is a very long narrow piece (14" wide x LONG), another is over 1 yard, and a couple I can't remember, but they are somewhere between 1/2 to 1 yard......

I am certain whoever gets these lovely pieces will create a lovely memory for someone special.

DH will draw the name of the lucky winner sometime after 10:00am on September 17th.  As usual, be sure and be available for contact. 

Looking forward to another giveaway on October 1....be sure to watch.

#####################

I haven't mentioned this in awhile and since some of you have gotten on board since this began, I thought I would.

These giveaways started because I was trying different ways to clean out and clear out some of my unneeded items in my sewing room.  I schedule them on the 1st and 15th of every month and called them my Mini-Giveaways because they usually consist of only one or two items....and they don't ordinarily last long, only a couple of days or so, depending on the timing of the calendar.

Most of the time they are quilting items, but I have had non-quilty ones in the past...

My sewing room is definitely looking better, but nowhere near clean and efficient as some I have seen around Blogland...and probably Never will... It will always echo with the well-known phrase.....

 "Now where did I put that thing I was working on/looking for/saving/wandered through with? "

Keep Keepin' On .....I'm having Fun!

Weekend Progress (+ Monday)

I added the binding on the Mystery Quilt....now to hand stitch it down.

.....Gave the Cheater Top and Back to a LA quilter in our church group..she will do the quilting and then I will add the binding...

..... Have all 3 layers of the John Deere ready to sandwich and tack down, will be doing that at next meeting...maybe. (2 weeks away)...

############################

Picked out fabric for cuddle quilt (new project)..

########################

and Cut the strips for binding the Pink/Green/White quilt so I can play with the remaining fabric   without worrying....

See you next time with some finishes, I hope!



Things to do This Weekend.....Bind, Bind, Bind....

Use your imagination for a little while and picture these ready-to-work-on quilts.  I set them up with the ingredients....the final products are still in the oven....

With my one of my bi-monthly quilty meetings coming up next Monday...here is what I would like to get done....

.....Prepare the 3 layers of the tractor quilt so it can be tied...

 and take 2 layers of the cheater quilt (top and bottom) to see if they have anything to use in the middle (big, queen size + quilt)

========================

  I am planning to make a binding for my pink/green/white top for later use.  If I make the binding now, I will know how much fabric is left so I can play with it without worrying if I will have enough.  It's approximately 85 x 110 inches....that's practically 400+ inches needed for the binding....

All my Mystery Quilt needs now is.......another binding... do you begin to get the picture of when I slow down and what job I really don't like to do?????

But then, if I really didn't like to do it,,,I wouldn't be a quilter, would I???

Finally, the small Birthday Wall Hanging is also awaiting it's binding....a simple and quick job, once I decide what to use...

So, I really need to get started because after this Monday at least one of the first two will be ready to be bound also.

Besides, I am ready to start work on a couple of more projects.....

Always thinking ahead....

Pictures of the final two when everything is done....

We have a winner! Mini-Giveaway #16

 So many hopeful comments! This has been really a popular giveaway!   Thank you! 

This week's winner of the Christmas fabric is.....

PAM.....

Congratulations! 

I'll be contacting you very shortly!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I am glad I decided to give away more Christmas fabric next time.  Come again on 9/15 at 10:00am to see what else I plan to offer.   

Christmas Fabric - Mini-giveaway # 16

Welcome!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Added on just before posting:  Re: earlier post - John Deere top -  Just wanted you to know that I saw the picture on my blog....couldn't stand it.....ripped out the corners and put all the tractors right side up, as well as putting one "dark" and one "light" block on each side....It would have driven me nuts not to "correct" it!   Looks SO much better!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

NOW>>>>>>>>>

Did you ever have older Christmas wrapping paper that you really needed to use, but were tired of?  It got to the point where my family started saying, "Won't you ever run out of this?  We've seen it 2 or 3 Christmases in a row!"

Well, that is the way with my fabric this giveaway....this doesn't even start depleting the stash I have.  These may be 2, 3, or possibily 4 years old...a lot was from JoAnn's (I hadn't discovered my LQS then), and some may be from Michael's or Hobby Lobby..don't know for sure.

Anyway, here it is....

Sizes?

Two are a little over a yard, and the other two slightly over 1/2 yard in length. 

This giveaway will be over the holidays and I don't like to have you wait until after they are over....in this case, it would be almost a week....

so,,,,

I won't...

DH will pick the winner at 10:00am on September 4. I will wait a few days for the winner to confirm, in case someone is out of pocket or on vacation..

That's it for now....

************************

And the next time....

Some more Christmas....