Years ago, I could hardly wait to retire so that I could join the machine embroidery class. I had seen the projects that my friends had made. It looked exciting. On the first day, I was given a silk screen piece of fabric that had leaves. I was horrified that I had to take the presser foot off the machine, drop the feed dogs, and sew with a bare needle. Fortunately, I had a great, patient teacher. I was able to sew without sewing my fingers. The others were ahead of me with this project and their embroidery was wonderful. It was my first experience with metal thread. I sewed with gold, copper, and silver. When I finished the piece, I had it framed.
Another project was the little girl. She is in a shadow box in my bathroom. A fabric picture of the little girl was free motion stitched over the print. She has 3D clothes. She even has a “diamond” earing.
Another project was “The Tapestry”. I call the technique back door quilting. Each block was completed before it was put together. We used different techniques in each block. After all the blocks were finished, we laid them out several different ways until we liked what we saw. Then the blocks were sewn together and a backing put on the whole piece.
Neckties were added, along with lace and beads.
We had so much fun making this Tapestry. Each one was different, but they all had the same look. Looking at it again, makes me think about making another one with scraps. In the meantime, UFOs are calling.
Have a great day and happy quilting.
Miss Molly quilts 
this is directed to Beverley Mac Gowan: In today’s paper (Nov. 14) there was an abridged version of the article by Kevin Riordan he wrote for the “Philadelphia Inquirer” about your visit to the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza in Oaks, Pa last week. In other times, I would have been to that show since my Guild always ran a bus there pre-pandemic. It’s only 3 hours from where I live.
I enjoyed the article very much. While I do not possess the talent that you have, I have been quilting for over 30 years and am addicted to it!
Up until 2 years ago, my Guild, Eastern Long Island Quilt Guild, ran a yearly quilt show on Long Island. I also belong to a small group that meets weekly in our local Methodist Church called “The Friday Quilters”. We used to have 10 but moving away and passing away has reduced our ranks to 7. We have been meeting for 16 years and are now friends as well as quilters. We are a varied mix, Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Jewish. We are a mix of retired teachers, nurse, chemist, library clerk and other.
I am your age Beverley, I will be 86 in February. But I’m still making quilts, and don’t plan on stopping. I have told my children that they are not to fasten the lid on my coffin until I have put the last stitch in the last binding in the last quilt!!!!
Keep on quilting!
Barbara Downs
barbfam76@gmail.com
Living in Eastern Long Island!
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Hi Barbara
I’m so glad that you enjoyed my blog. My birthday is in February also. The 7th. Yes, quilting is an addiction. I started to quilt before rotary cutters and all the things that we think we need in order to quilt. Someday, I’m going to write an article called “Two pins and a needle.” That’s all I had when I started. Cut out cereal boxes were my templates. I pieced and quilted by hand. Actually, I finished a quilt before I started another. Now, I have so many ufos. There are too many ideas floating around in my head. But, I started a new quilt today. The program chair from my Guild wants me to write another mystery quilt and I have to make it so that I know it will work. I belong to the Krankie Qwilters and they will be my quality control inspectors to make sure the instructions are easy to read. After the instructions come out in the Guild newsletter, I’m going to post them to Miss Mollys blog. I hope that you clicked the follow button so we can keep in touch.
Beverley
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