Alzheimer Touch Quilt #2

In order to make this quilt more interesting to touch and fondle, I added ribbons around the outside squares and appliquéd this little lady bug ribbon on two blocks.

 

Some of the blocks have lots of texture.

The flower blocks are upholstery fabric which is quite sturdy but frays easily.

I used variegated metallic thread and practiced free motion quilting techniques on most of the blocks.

I really like the way this thread looks on the back. Most of the free motion quilting was done with my Pearl (my Singer 15-91).

Yeah its finished!  Some of the fabric was too thick to quilt,  Hence, the four buttons which again add interest.

 

 

This was so much fun, that I went back to the Alzheimer Touch Quilt #1 and added more quilting.

 

Later this week, these quilts will be delivered to the Manitoba Alzheimer Society.  Now five of my unfinished projects are complete.  There are only two more to go...dare I leave the last two to start something new?   Hmmmm... Halloween is coming up!

Touch Quilts for Alzheimer Patients

The Touch Quilt Project is an initiative of the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba, sponsored by Manitoba Blue Cross with funding from Manitoba Community Services Council.

The purpose of the Touch Quilt Project is to create a caring community throughout Manitoba that is responsive to the needs of people living with Dementia.

Each touch quilt kit contains:

• 36 - 6 inch squares of various different types of fabric, including polar fleece, fun fur, polyester, cotton and cotton blends.
• polyester batting
• one solid piece of fabric for backing

Sewing a touch quilt is quick and fun.  There is a bit of a challenge because of the variety of fabric types and weights.  Some pieces are stretchy. 

This kit had baby blue polyester lining for the backing.

The red block with the soccer ball on it is jogging fleece. 

The soft brown square below the yellow and green plaid square is fake fur. I trimmed one quarter inch of the fur off the edges so only the fabric bottom is in the seam allowance.

The first thing I did was lay out the squares and test each one for stretch.  If the square was stretchy, I used interfacing to stabilize it.

This lap quilt still needs to be sandwiched, quilted and have binding put on.

The kits do not including binding as it is optional.

This is my second kit.  Below are photos of the first touch quilt I sewed.  I added ribbons around the outside edge and a flannelette binding.

The white square is a big thick chunky piece of fleece.  Some of the squares are soft like velvet.  I may still add some buttons to further decorate it.

These little quilts are easy to make.  The label is iron on, I used Big Bertha my Pfaff QE 4 to embroider my initials and the year on it.

This backing is some sort of spandex that has sparkles!

For more information on this project please check out the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba. 

Bernard Stoewer Treadle Sewing Machine - threading the shuttle bobbin

taylamist said...

Hi Tammy, Can you help me, my hand crank turns smoothly, but doesn't pick up the bobbin thread to complete the stitch. I have replaced the needle but I'm concerned about the shuttle the spring piece is a little bent out as if someone has grabbed it to pull the shuttle out. Do you know of any that will fit. Sorry to trouble you but info is very scarce on these. PS I'm in Australia.

My experience with all sewing machines is that if either the upper needle or the bobbin is not threaded correctly, the machine will not sew period. This is what the shuttle bobbin looks like threaded in my treadle.

My finger is pointing at the lever to raise the shuttle to remove it from the machine.

The lever raises the shuttle from the top end of the bobbin casing.

I hope you can see from these photos that the wire spring device is bent.  There is quite a gap between the bobbin case and the metal spring.

 

The gap is at least as wide as a sewing machine needle is thick.

First fill the bobbin. Load the bobbin into the shuttle with the hole side of the rod bobbin first.  If there is no hole in your rod bobbin load the rod so that the thread comes off the bobbin counter clockwise.

 

Draw the thread from top down the slot in the bobbin shuttle.

Follow the thread path up, through and under the spring.

Put the bobbin shuttle into the shuttle track.

With the needle threaded, hold the end of the needle thread and turn the wheel towards you, the needle thread will pull up the bobbin thread.

Next, slide something (seam ripper) between the presser foot and the throad plate to separate the upper and lower threads and completely pull up the lower bobbin thread end.

 Check to ensure the upper needle thread is threaded correctly.

On this machine the needle must be threaded from left to right.  When replacing the needle the flat part of the needle faces the right.  Always test your stitches before sewing anything.

Top side. 

 Bottom

 

 Loaded bobbin.

Treadle in action.  For this blog post I was multitasking by running the sewing machine and camera at the same time.

I do not have a manual.  However, my Bernard Stoewer treadle is almost identical to the Singer 127, with the exceptions being the little hole on one side of the rod bobbin as well as Stoewer has a stitch length lever with a reverse, whereas the Singer has a screw to regulate stitch length and no reverse.  The Singer 127/128 manual is available as a pdf for free from ISMACS (International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society).  Page 8 and 9 of this manual provide excellent written instructions with illustrations on how to thread the bobbin shuttle.  Hope this helps!  Enjoy and have fun sewing.