Potholders and a baby quilt

Visiting friends gave me an excuse to shop in our small town full of gift shops and one small quilty store. Pinetree Patchworks offers classes and gift items but not a lot of fabric. One cute potholder pattern caught my friends interest though. So I bought the pattern and made some potholders with the apples she likes in her kitchen. Then made some easier square ones for DH and another friend.

 

Here's a picture of the pattern by Eva Holen for Classic Crafts.

 

 

I don't find a website on the pattern but here's a spot where it is also sold.  The pattern calls for using the packaged extra wide double fold bias tape but of course, I wanted to use fabric...and not bother with bias cutting! It worked with the straight just as well I am happy to say. These are VERY thick with a layer of Insul-bright and 2 more layers of regular quilt batting. The blue square ones were made with fabric from a fat quarter that I don't know where I got :-) and quilted so it looks like it was pieced. Perfect use for this "cheater" fabric.

The baby quilt is for a co-worker. I was working the day of the baby shower but was able to get some pictures (as I forgot to take them before I sent the present in!) The first picture is of the one I made. This new mama is lucky in that she got 2 more quilts from other co-workers too. We didn't coordinate but they sure look cute together.

 

Old sewing machines

Inspired by Bonnie Hunter again, I finally took a closer look at a treadle sewing machine that I bought back in 1980. The original purpose was to find a sewing table for the machine I was using back then. At some point, I bought a new belt for it but never put it on....still haven't :-/ 
But I did find out that it is a Sphinx Singer 127 (or 27) and was made in 1910.

The front needle plate was missing and I found a reproduction that fits perfectly...after a little sanding anyway. I have ordered a manual to see where to oil and will then attach the belt and hopefully learn to treadle!
Another machine I purchased a few years back has been sitting idle as well. I purchased it because it looked like the machine I learned to sew on. My mom had traded ours in for a zig zag in the 60's. I finally learned that this one is a 15-91 and was made in 1948. This one has already been serviced so I just started sewing on her and found that perfect straight stitch that the older Singers seem to provide.

Sandman Collectibles was the site that helped me figure out exactly what models my machines were and the Singer site gave me their manufacturing years in relation to their serial numbers.
On the actual sewing front...I've been making pot holders as requested by some friends and by DH as well.  And today I purchased fabric to sew another baby quilt. Pictures to follow :-)
Today was the day that Google Reader was to be gone.  I still found all the blogs I follow available on Blogger but I noted in my "stats" that I had no page views. So this post is also a test! Anybody still able to read this?!!
I would love to have some comments letting me know if you are :-)
more later, I hope!