It was revolutionary! I'm talking about the invention of the sewing machine way back in the mid-1800s. It made the entire ready-to-wear clothing market possible and it transformed home sewing among other impacts. This quilt is an ode to our sewing machines. It began with a layer cake of 10" squares and then, when I ran out of fabric, a sewing friend handed me the print with the old sewing machines on it. They got incorporated in the design, and here we have "The Mechanical Muse." A muse is defined as "a source of artistic inspiration". Yes, sewing machines can be our muse.
How many machines do you have? I have three currently, and they all have jobs to do. This Elna Excellence 730 is my newest. I purchased it from a sewing friend who was ready to buy new machine. It's pretty, reliable, and a versatile workhorse. It's my primary machine. And I love how well lit the sewing area is. It took a bit to get used to the push button start feature, but now I've put the foot pedal away and use the button exclusively.
The second machine resides at our home in town. I really appreciate having a machine in each location to say nothing of a sewing room to go with! This Bernina 440 QE is also one I purchased from another quilting friend who was upgrading her machine. This is the one on which I do free-motion quilting on smaller projects. There's one of my Selvage Queens on the throat plate. I'll show you more about those in an upcoming post.
Bernina even has her own dust cover for when she's not in use. This wacky face is one I made in a workshop with quilting legend Yvonne Porcella. It was great fun, but what to do with the class project? Turn it into the dust cover, of course! Now I smile whenever I see it.
And my third machine is a lightweight, portable Eversewn Sparrow. It's been with me for nearly a decade and it's the go-to machine for classes and retreats. The other two are just too heavy to lug with all the other supplies. This photo was taken on our guild retreat last year and the Eversewn is hard at work. In the foreground you can even see a glimpse of everybody's favorite machine- the Singer Featherweight! Those sturdy little vintage machines often show up at retreats. They are reliable, even if not fancy with bells and whistles, and so portable. And speaking of bells and whistles... aren't today's machines right over the top with all they can do?!
The same quilting friend who gave me the sewing machine print also added some sewing machine panels in case they'd be of use in the project. They were a little too golden for the quilt, but one of them made a dandy book cover. While I was at it, I also made two covers using Riley Blake panels by artist J Wecker Frisch.
Here are the backsides. And don't you find that quilters are so generous? The Riley Blake panels and companion fabrics were also given to me by yet another quilting friend. Jackpot!
7 comments:
I love your vibe wit Mechanical Muse! The vintage print fabrics were the perfect add! I like your selvage queen too. I have three main machines. A 790 Bernina that I use for mainly embroidery, free motion quilting and projects that need a zigzag, needle adjustment etc. My 1630 Bernina is my back up machine. My 1947 Featherweight is for piecing. I have a hand crank, a treadle which was a great grandmother's and a Singer 301which was a grandmother's.
What an amazing quilt. I love how you added the sewing machines in various places.
I have my grandmother's New Home treadle machine she sewed on till the day she died. I bought her an electric machine and she refused to use it. I have a Singer that is so basic it doesn't even have feed dogs. I mostly sew paper to paper, so I don't need much. Love all that fabric, though.
What a great quilt, Nancy! I love that you made this with a sewing machine theme. And I appreciate your review of sewing machines. They truly revolutionized what makers can create. It's great to see your machines. I'm grateful to have the machines that I do - five in total (three are Berninas; one being a 440 like yours), and a serger. I use all my machines except my Bernina 830 (in the red case). It's a tried-and-true workhorse, but is a beast to lift and set up. I must learn more about your selvedge queen! It's so cute! It's important to have sewing machine covers, and yours is adorable - that face! So whimsical. I'm not familiar with an Eversewn Sparrow, but if it's portable, it's great. Your book covers are nice and practical. Do you use a journal yourself? I've been gifted a number of them made with fabric covers and have used only a couple pages in each because I don't know what to use them for. I enjoyed your blog post.
A sewing machine can absolutely be our muse, and I am ever so grateful for them! Your Mechanical Muse quilt finished beautifully, how large is it and do you have plans for its use? Thank you so much for linking up with Favorite Quilt Finish!
Fun to hear the stories behind your three machines! Love your finished quilt in honor of our friend, the sewing machine!!!
What a lovely blog you have! I love your quilt, and the sewing machine prints are so cute! You have some really nice machines, and that Elna is a beauty and looks to have nice throat space.
I've been a Janome gal since I started quilting in 2010. Although I've had a couple new ones, I really prefer to buy used from other quilters. My current one is a workhorse I got for $300! The lady felt badly because the screen backlight no longer works. I just take a little flashlight and I can see just fine. Would I like one with a working backlight? Sure but I don't want to pay for the motherboard that provides it. I don't mind the little quirks of used!
Ode to the Sewing machine! love it - can you imagine how long quilts would take today with out them?
Post a Comment