Inspiration–Windows

Windows can also be an inspiration source for quilters.
 
My in-laws lived in an old two story farm house before they built this ranch style home in the mid 1970s.  The old house had this lovely window set above a larger picture window in their dining room.  They saved it to use in the new house and installed it in a wall in their office.  You could see into the office from the hallway through this window.  When we remodeled, the office (very small at about 5 feet x 7 feet) became a closet for my fabric and other storage so we removed the window.  Our kitchen designer came up with the idea of installing it over our sink and I just love it there.  The window design is etched into the glass and I love looking at it and wonder how old it is.  John says he knows it is over 100 years old.  Isn’t the center design wonderful with the man on horseback riding towards the cabin.  I think the border designs could again be quilting designs or applique. 

Think of the beautiful stained glass windows in the churches and cathedrals as design inspiration.  I took this rose window photo at the Episcopalian Cathedral in Spokane, Washington in 2007 when we were on a trip.  The design in the glass is not clear but the design of the window framework is worth noting.  Wouldn’t that make a lovely quilting motif or an applique?
This photo was taken of the sidelight next to my front door.  I can see it in a pieced design with a little tweaking.  This window really is vertical in the wall but fits the blog post so much better when it is placed horizontally.

Look at the windows where you live and in the buildings of your community and snap some photos.  You never know when you might need this design inspiration. 

How do the photos look...too big?  Am experimenting with size and want to know how they come up on other computers.

Lynn

Inspiration

Have started doing a little sewing and it is working OK but it seems like life is getting in the way of me doing any quantity of sewing/quilting so I have nothing to show on that account.  Recently was looking though the quilt related files I have stored on my computer and came across a file called Inspiration.  I remember creating this file and putting photos in it quite a long time ago and now think this would be a good one to look at more often.

What I have in this file are photos of anything that could be used as a pieced quilt pattern, applique pattern, quilting design, etc.  You get the idea.  I took digital photos of anything and everything around my house that could be adapted to quilting in some form.  I decided to start posting some of these photos and maybe that will trigger an idea for you. 

This first photo is of the rim of an antique platter.  The edge decoration could be used for an applique design or a quilting design with a little tweaking.  It could be used straight or on curves by making the scallops a little different shape or at different angles.

I have a bunch of photos in this file so will post them occasionally.

Lynn

Brother's Pat On The Back!

A short post today.  Just wanted anyone who is interested in learning about how biotechnology in farming has changed, affected the farmer and affected the consumer read the post my brother Don wrote on his blog Platte Valley Farmer.  He talks about how biotechnology works and a little history of it in the agriculture area in this post.

We are both proud of our other brother C in his part in leading the research and development of  a biotec. corn, Enogen, that has the enzyme amylase inserted into it.  It was just released to be planted this year.  I am not a chemist like our brother C is so all I can tell you about this corn is that he and other scientists worked on this for 11 years and it is supposed to be a better corn for making ethanol.  It reduced the energy cost of making ethanol by around 10% and generally had unexpected benefits in running ethanol plants by using less water, lower maintenance and fewer plant shutdowns for cleaning.  This is what C says...I have a very unscientific brain so just nod my head and agree.   My brain is geared more to artistc efforts!

Lynn

My “Other” Sewing Machines

When I posted the other day about the sewing machines I used through the years I neglected to talk about my two antique machines.   I purchased the larger Singer on an auction because it reminded me of the one I learned to sew on, plus it sold really cheap.  It is the same model as my mother’s but it is a newer version.It is a straight stitch only machine that is gear driven not belt driven.

This larger machine is a 15-91 and was manufactured 1951 in a factory called Elizabethport in Elizabeth, New Jersey.  Isn’t it amazing I can pinpoint the year and the other information about my machines?  This website helped to id the machines and this one helped to find the manufacture date.   On this second web page I am not quite sure about the headings “Quantity Allotted, Date Allotted, and Year Allotted”  and what they mean.

		Singer 15-91 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

For my machine under Quantity Allotted it has 5000 – does that mean that 5000 were made?  On Date Allotted it has July 26, and Year Allotted it has 1951.  OK, I am wondering if 5000 machines were made on July 26, 1951 or were started then or finished then.  What do you think?  If anyone knows can they enlighten me please?

I purchased this machine in the wooden cabinet and that too looks similar to the one Mom had.  When I got the machine home I cleaned it up and oiled it then I sewed on it. It still has a very nice straight stitch.  I used it a little and then put it back down into the cabinet and have not run it again and have it setting as a table near my front door.  I am thinking I need to get it out and make a project on it.

		Singer Featherweight 221 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The Singer Featherweight machine I purchased is a 221 model made April 22, 1954 and 5000 allotted.  Thank goodness I bought it before the Featherweight prices went up, up, up.  I have used this machine many times but not so much in the last couple of years.  This is a lightweight machine that sews a beautiful straight stitch and as you can see from the photo at the beginning of the post it has a smaller harp area than the standard machine and came in a nice case with various attachments.  Being light weight makes it easier to carry to workshops and the case keeps everything together.  This is a belt driven machine and has smaller bobbins than a standard size machine.

I just need to get this one out and sew something on it too.   The problem is I love my 730 Bernina and want to use it all the time…what a dilemma!

I love the decals on both of these machines.  The Featherweight has almost no wear on it so don’t think it was stitched on much and the 15-91 has most of it’s decals too.  I think it is interesting that on the 15-91 machine the wear it does have is around the top of the harp and I wonder if the past owner had a pin cushion around it there.  I have seen photos of these old machines with a pin cushion in the very spot where the decal is wearing off.

Don’t you wonder about who the women were that owned these older machines?  Did they quilt or sew clothing?  Maybe they had the machine but didn’t like sewing so maybe that is why there is no or little wear on the decals.  It is just too bad the machines can’t talk to us and tell us their stories.  What will our newer machines say about us?  Will they be around years later like these machines are or will they be like all the computers we have and be junked out after a few years because the electronics and computer parts are not replaceable? 

Until Later,
Lynn