The Featherweight Shop: a Review

 Sometimes, folks do such a good job with serving the public in their business dealings that it is worth a few comments. The Featherweight Shop in Idaho is an outstanding business. I am the proud owner of a 1948 Singer Featherweight, Model 221. It is in great shape and sews beautifully. I have enjoyed adding accessories to it from the Featherweight Shop. I purchased an extension table, an LED light, a new electronics connection, and a kit to make a tiny Dresden Plate quilt block with a hole in the center to put on the spool holder to keep the spool from spinning too fast. In addition, I bought a new leather case, a red pouch in which to store the electronic component, and a "super belt" that we replaced today. 

The machine is humming along, making great stitches. Oh, and I also acquired some chrome needles, size 80 that I was told would be good to use with this machine. If you are in the market for anything for your machine, consider the Featherweight Shop. You won't be disappointed. The shop also offers great tutorials and information in their "Schoolhouse." 

The Featherweight Shop, LLC

P.O. Box 620

Kooskia, Idaho 83539

(208) 880-8887

The Featherweight Shop

Happy Sewing!

This has been an unpaid testimonial from a satisfied customer.

Patricia Cummings

Machine Appliqued Project

 Let me start by saying that I had never appliqued by machine until my latest project. My wish to do so started when I saw a very cute design by the whole country caboodle offered as a kit online. I don't often work from kits, usually preferring to design my own projects but this was too adorable to pass up and I was up for a learning challenge.

I did not realize what I was in for. After reading over the instructions multiple times, I realized that I needed to relax and take things one step at a time. First I had to make the pillow cover and order a pillow form online because of its odd size (14" x 20"). The material provided to make the pillow cover was a towel.

Next, I needed to fuse the yellow fabric to an adhesive, cushiony backing and then mark lines at 45 degree angles, going both ways. I then machine stitched those lines which form a grid background for the applique motif.

I had never pre-assembled appliques before and needed to buy a silicone mat for doing so. After carefully removing the paper from the pre-fused appliques and clipping the laser cuts of them, I was ready to do this work. I watched the tutorial provided by Leanne Anderson of the Whole Country Caboodle that shows how to layer the appliques, carefully fusing parts of them as I went. I then fused the pre-assembled unit to the background. 

An online video about doing machine applique on a Bernina machine was very helpful. I chose to do the buttonhole stitch to secure the pieces. Some of those pieces are very tiny and it was not an easy task, especially for a beginner. Oh! And I had to visit the quilt store to buy an open toe presser foot (#20) for my machine, and the threads mentioned in the video. The applique work is not perfect but I was pleased with it as a first effort.

To finish I needed to make a binding, sew it on, and sew on wide rick-rack, and Velcro on the ends of the pillow wrap. I think it is a very unusual project. I've never seen anything like it before. I would highly recommend it for anyone who wants a challenge or is really "into" machine applique.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing the completed work! That is my accomplishment of this summer. Now, on to other projects!

Happy Quilting!

Patricia Cummings