Groovy Traveler / Elna Update

I'm continuing my trip into the past with this quirky quilt. I browsed the scrap boxes for bright and colorful pieces to use with black and stone neutrals.

The original block, Arkansas Traveler or Traveler's Star, is usually laid out with four segments like a star. I decided to put single 6” blocks all on point instead. I think it looks both modern and retro. The fabric combinations remind me of peasant dresses, bell bottoms, and vests of the hippie era.

With the black print border, Groovy Traveler finished out at 52” square. I quilted using gray thread in a 4” grid pattern. Piecing was done on Elizabeth (Singer 404).

Blue Wren dies used:
6361 Traveler's Star
6720 Magic Strips (borders and binding)

Accuquilt dies:  (for corner/side pieces)  55001 HST 6" finished 

55002 Quarter Square Triangle 6" finished

Elna Update: I posted on Facebook last week about our latest sewing machine acquisition. Found on Ebay, the 1951 model bright green Elna 1 Grasshopper was in good condition with a few scratches. One of those was a Social Security number carved into the paint, on the front just under the free arm. Another is a curved deep scratch to the right of the needle plate. Otherwise, her paint just showed some oxidation. The case was awfully dirty, dry, and scuffed. She had the wrong belt and no power cord.

Those Swiss engineers were smart. I love that the case makes a sewing table! She's a cutie, and now runs well after a good clean and oil. We left the silver repair shop label and the SSN as that's part of her story. Jerold modified the power outlet to accept a modern grounded cord, replaced the capacitor in the motor, found a green belt and LED bulb. I did a lot of scrubbing and polishing with Goop hand cleaner, scratch out, and car wax.

Ivy: 1951 Elna 1 Grasshopper

She runs slower than the Singer Featherweight, but that's ok. Miss Ivy is a keeper, in great shape for her age.  I've already pieced a small project with her.  

Dancing Queen

Hot pink paisley batik, little lime green flowers, and bright teal are striking surrounded by white and black. Those stars just about dance off the quilt.

A Laura Wheeler block, originally called Gay Patches, was clipped from the Nashville Tennessean by Granny Rose. I found it in one of her sewing boxes, pinned to paper templates of the pieces, no date or instructions. I made a quilt in soft fall colors with it a couple of years ago.  Here's a link to that post.  

This time, I started by making a nine-patch star in a smaller size, then set it on point and added the corners. I enjoyed using Rockette (1962 Singer 500A) for piecing. Fabric on the back is a wild hot pink and white herringbone print, and binding repeats the hot pink paisley. I used white thread to quilt 2” apart in a straight stitch, on Janelle, a 2016 Janome MC9450.

Dancing Queen (Gay Patches block) 2022

The colors and paisley remind me of ABBA in the 70's. Dancing Queen measures 43” x 56” size. How cool to use an early pattern, vintage and new style fabric, old and new machines to recreate another Granny Rose quilt. I'm pretty sure she'd love cutting now with modern dies instead of scissors.

Accuquilt dies used:
55006 Square 3” finished
55027 Triangle in Square 3” finished
55735 Chisel 2¼” x 4½”
55395 Square 2¼”
55147 Half Square Triangle 2¼”
55017 Strip 2½”

Dancing queen

Feel the beat 

from the tambourine, 

oh yeah!

Endless Love

For this lovely beauty, I used nearly all of the red heart fabric from my cache. Red, white, and pink prints are a nice combination for a Valentine quilt.

I used the 10” Periwinkle die from Blue Wren to cut twenty-five blocks. These were stitched on my Singer Featherweight, Annie. Borders and backing feature a red on red small floral print.

I quilted using Janelle (Janome MC9450) with red thread, in a serpentine stitch along block seams, then free motion quilted scallops around the center star section. On the 5” borders I added a pretty heart stitch and a larger serpentine with white thread.

Endless Love is 60” square, nice size for snuggling on the couch with my sweet Valentine, Jerold.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Blue Wren dies used:
6077 10” Periwinkle
6720 Magic Strips (borders and binding)

 

Vintage Singer 404

Here she is: Elizabeth, a Singer model 404! I bought her online back in December, from Goodwill. The photos looked good and the price was right at $50. She was manufactured around May 1960 at the Elizabethport, New Jersey factory.

When she arrived, we were amazed. She has a couple of chips on the handwheel, but no scratches on the rest of the paint to speak of, and not a spot of rust. Even the bobbin tire and brown spool felts were in good shape and look original. She was a cabinet model, still had hinges attached and there was no drip pan or foot controller. We don't believe she was used much.

Jerold gave her a good clean and oil, replaced the top motor bearing, and ordered new spool pins (bent), a foot controller/cord, and some rubber feet. We polished and waxed her to a gleaming shine before I started sewing. No paint job needed for this two-tone cream and beige girl.

She stitches like a dream and is pretty quiet. I've already pieced a quilt with her. Elizabeth is a nice straight stitch machine to add to our collection. I'm on the lookout for a drip pan, or maybe I can get my resident handyman to build a wooden base.

More updates later on our ongoing vintage sewing machine addiction. I love sharing a hobby with my guy and thoroughly enjoy working with him to restore these machines.