15-88 Singer Treadle post #5

Hi Everyone,
Sorry I took a break from my blog but.....MAN O MAN have I been busy. I think you can agree that the holidays are just a very busy time and there are not enough hours in the day sometimes.
Anyway, I hopped a plane to Albuquerque, NM to meet my new Great Granddaughter.

She is just the cutest little bundle of joy and is such a wonderful addition to our family. I love her so much and I hate being so far away from her and my granddaughter, but with today's technology I can video chat with them anytime we wish.
I also had to get a cavity on one of my lower teeth taken care of. Don't you just hate having a tooth ache when it's Christmas time and there are so many goodies around?!?!? Ha Ha!
Then there's work, always busy with that even on days that aren't hectic.
Anyway, today I would like to introduce you to another one of the sewing machines in my arsenal. This one is a Singer 15-88 Treadle machine.  After looking up her serial number on the Singer site, it shows she was made in 1952 and there are 50,000 of these beauties out there from that year.  Very popular!!!

And...yes, I do use her.  I made a cover for the back seat in my truck with her.  Treadling takes a little practice but after a while it really is very easy.  After taking her out for pictures, I think I will do some paper piecing on her.  I don't remember when I got her, maybe 5 years ago......could be 8......but I purchased her at a local auction for somewhere in the vicinity of $30.  $30 can you BELIEVE it?!?!?  ONLY $30????  The wood for the table is messed up, why do people put plants on these tables then over water?  Anyway, someday I will get the wood refinished, but for now I will enjoy sewing on her.

She is in perfect condition and sews like a dream.  Perfect stitches and a great seam.  I did have to clean her up and get her fine tuned.  Now she's a little work horse.  Great for any kind of stitching, but knowing me......quilts, quilts and more quilts.
I have another new addition but it's not a sewing machine.  I've been bugging my husband for years that I want a little VW bug.  Well....now I have one.  Yes, we got it at an auction for a very good price.  A 1973 VW bug.  

This one needs lots of work, it will be striped down, painted, all the repairs made and then I'll have my little 'buggy' I've always wanted.
I hope Santa was as good to you as he was to me.  Happy New Year to all of you out there, take care.
Until next time,
Michelle

Monday December 4 post #4

Well, today is December 4th.  Wow, how this year has flown by!  We had the party for my sewing group the 'Old Dollies' on Saturday.  That was so much fun.  We played some games, the candy cane game, where you had to put a candy cane in your mouth and with the hook end pick up other candy canes and see how many you could put on your plate.  You were not allowed to use your hands.  They put us in teams of two and who ever won would play the winner in the next team and so on.  There was a Christmas tree made out of horse shoes.  It was really cute.  I didn't get a picture and I did not win.  But it was a real fun game. The lady who won it was so happy, she would have done anything to get that little horseshoe tree! 
We also played the 'fat quarter' game.  For those out there who have played this game, you know how fun it is.  You all start out with 3 fat quarters of fabric and by the end of the game they are all in the center but one.  The one who is holding the last fat quarter wins the entire pile in the center.  I didn't win that one either.  Alas......  The girl in our group who doesn't sew won it.  Huh!?!?!?!?!???  She loves to color on fabric with gel pens.  She heat sets them when she's finished and then they can be put into quilts or any project she likes.
We did a gift exchange, White Elephant style where you could steal someone gift.  That is always real fun.  Everyone got a wonderful gift and I'm sure we will play it again next year.
We also had a pot luck.  Yum!!!  Always love those pot lucks.  The only thing is we didn't sew at all, we just had our party in lieu of the monthly sewing get together.  I can't wait until next month when we will all be sewing again.  It was a nice trade off, I always love a good party. 
I do have multiple projects going tho.  I am going to quilt a donation quilt for a local animal rescue called "Res-Que".  A friend put it together and I'm going to put an E2E, (edge-to-edge), all over design of paw prints on it.

I'll finish it up with the binding too.  This will be raffled off so I hope it brings in a bunch of money for the animals who need it.
I've also got a couple of cross stitch projects I can't wait to start.  Here's a couple...

Aren't they just the cutest??? 
I love Christmas time and this year is going to be another wonderful Christmas.  I hope it is for all of you too.
Until later, keep on stitchin,
Michelle