Ornament finished 11/29/17 post #3

Hi,
Well, I really, actually finished my ornament cross stitch project.  I always mean to finish projects it just seems that I start more than finish......
Here it is

I ended up putting a little poly stuffing in it to make it like a little pillow.  I love it and I hope whoever gets it in the ornament exchange loves it too.
Today I don't have much time for blogging, I just wanted to show my finished project and show a 'stitch along' I will be starting in December with Priscilla and Chelsea.  They are on the 'floss tube' you tube network and are a kick to watch.  I love their finished projects.  They are a mother/daughter and very fun to watch.
This is the project

It's a Country Cottage Needle works project called "Forest Snowfall".
It looks fun and not that hard to do.  I should complete this one.......if I just keep plugging away on them at night when I sit in my comfy chair.........if I don't fall asleep.  Well, sometimes 'you gotta do what you gotta do'.
I'm currently quilting some tree skirts on my long arm machine.  There are two of them and belong to a customer and are SUPER cute.

the design is an all over edge-to-edge I got from Urban Elementz called Prancer.
Love it!!!
Have a great day,
Michelle

Cross stitch ornament 11/28/17 post #2

Good Morning,
I have been doing a little bit of cross stitching at night.  The Old Dollies are getting together this Saturday and there is an ornament exchange.  I am working on a cross stitch for my ornament.
This one was very easy and fast. 

I found the pattern in this magazine.  I really liked it, there's a ton of ornament cross stitch patterns in here. 

Today I will finish putting it all together and show what it looks like tomorrow.   Even though ours is a quilting group many of us just sew on whatever we want to bring.  I believe cross stitch is also another favorite of some of the ladies too.
On to my sewing machines.  I started sewing, I believe when I was 7 or 8 years old on my mother's Singer 185K.  A little green machine that I loved very much.  I remember wanting to sew on her all the time but if my mom couldn't stand over me and watch me she didn't want me using it.  She told me 'your going to hurt yourself'.  You know how mom's can be.....anyway, my mom worked the second shift at the hospital and my dad was home with us kids.  My dad didn't have a problem letting me sew when mom was at work.  He would take the machine out for me and let me go....weeeeeee!!!  I learned a lot about that machine.  I would fix what I needed to.  At that point it was just figuring out why my thread was all bunched up underneath the fabric or why it wouldn't stitch right and replacing the needle.  But I did it.  About a year ago I found this little beauty at an auction and had to have her...

She is the spittin image of the one I learned on.  She is a little work horse.  I haven't named her as some people do.  I have so many machines and I'm real bad at remembering names so I just haven't named any of them.  It's so fun to sew on the older vintage machines.  They were made to do a straight stitch only and for quilting that is such a good thing for those 1/4" seam allowances.  That's why many people like the Singer Featherweights, they only weigh 11 pounds.  This Singer 185K  machine is a 3/4 size machine of the full size Singers but it weighs a ton.  Okay, 30 pounds, but that is a lot especially for a little kid.  Even now it's still heavy, but I love her.
All the machines I purchase I take apart, clean, replace what needs replacing and put them back together again.  My husband is an electrician so if I ever get stumped on the electrical he helps me out and changes the wiring if I can't do it.  This really helps! But most of the time I do it as I have really learned a lot about all my machines.  So that's my introduction to the first of many of my sewing machines.  The Singer 185k.
Anyway, I better go for today.  I need to finish up that ornament and I have customers quilts that need to be finished.  Aaaaahhhhh.......did I say that I LOVE my job?
Have a wonderful Tuesday and I will be back soon.
Happy Stitchin,
Michelle

The Scrappy Bee Michelle post #1 11/27/17

Hi,
My name is Michelle and I am a wife, sister, daughter, aunt, mother, grand mother and very recently became a great grand mother.  I am a quilter, an embroiderer by machine and hand.  I cross stitch and I am a tole painter.  Sometimes I have a lot to say, ok.....most of the time I have a lot to say and sometimes I don't have much to say.  This blog will be about my work, quilting.  I am a professional Long Arm Quilter.  I have been quilting for close to thirty years and got my first long arm machine in 2014.
I love it!!!  In 2016 I upgraded to a new machine, my Gammill Classic Plus.  Shortly after that I started my business here in Reno, NV called 'The Scrappy Bee Quilting Services'.
I belong to a group of quilters here in Reno and we call ourselves 'The Old Dollies'.  We are a fun group and meet once a month at my studio to visit, eat and sew the day away.  It's so much fun and I love all the wonderful ladies in our group.
I also LOVE sewing machines.  I have a healthy collection, some may call me crazy but I love collecting them.  I clean them, tune them, replace any parts that need replacing and use them each occasionally.  I will be introducing them to you as my blog progresses.  I believe I have.....hummmmm......40 machines here in my studio.  Crazy HUH?!?  I believe I have at least 6 or 7 more at home.  I told you, I LOVE my sewing machine.  I don't love any one over the other,  I don't have a preferred brand, I love them all.  I have been collecting them for many years.

I also love my dogs and my birds.  I have a bunch of Mini Schnauzers and an African Grey and a Double Yellow Headed Amazon.  There is never a dull moment in my house.
I have a few things I am currently working on and can't wait to share my progress with you.
Thank you for reading my blog, if you've stuck with me this far.  🙂
I will be posting when time allows, and to share my current projects.
Have a Wonderful day and "Keep On Stitchin".
Michelle