A Sewing We Will Go

Meet Isabella

2012-01-15T10:40:00.000-05:00

Nothing much to report related to sewing right now. Been a really hectic time for the last few months - first grandchild (who of course is the most beautiful baby in the world), finding out that my job is being relocated and having to make a decision to move with it or face unemployment, family concerns, death of a beloved pet - all in the span of 3 weeks. I'm ready for things to be a little less stressed sometime soon, but who knows. A lot to deal with coming up this year also, but all we can do is move forward and make the best of it - taking it one hour at a time sometimes!

This is Isabella (aka Issie), who will be coming to live with us the middle of next week. It has been a long time since we've had a puppy in the house and we are so looking forward to having her. She is a Shorkie and cute as a button.

Some Cleaning and a Little Sewing

2011-11-14T06:20:00.000-05:00

Had a nice, sort of relaxing 3-day weekend. I needed it. I took the opportunity to stay at home and do some things around here that I've been putting off for a while now, such as cleaning out the kitchen pantry. It is amazing how many things got thrown out because of being out of date. You can sure tell I don't cook as much now as I used to. I'll be making up for that over Thanksgiving I'm sure, but it is nice to have my pantry organized so at least I can find things and know what I have.

I did do a little sewing, I made a Christmas stocking for my soon to be born first grandchild. I'm so excited and can't wait to welcome him into the world.

Everything on this except the sewing together was done on the Bernina 830 in the Jumbo Hoop. It turned out so darn cute. A friend took a regular Christmas stocking pattern with hand redwork embroidery and using Designer Plus software turned it all into a machine embroidery design, including the quilting. All I had to do was add the name where I wanted it.

Quilt Retreat

2011-10-31T06:40:00.000-04:00

I went to a small quilt retreat this past weekend put on by a local friend, Mariella. She does a retreat in the fall and spring each year, and I usually try to go to the fall one but haven't been able to go for the last several years. This year I made it a point to go so I could catch up with old friends and I needed a break. Mariella creates a new quilt pattern for each of her retreats, and it is so cool to see what people do with them. This is a picture of mine. All the blocks and sashing strips are done, and the rows are all done, just need to sew the rows together. By the time this is finished with borders, it will be queen-sized. I put it up on my design wall yesterday afternoon when I got home just to make sure I had things turned the correct way and I noticed I have one sashing strip that needs to have a set turned. Glad I saw it now instead of after I had the borders on.

There were a bazillion squares and half square triangles and star points in this quilt (or at least it felt like it). This is the first quilt I have completely cut with my Accuquilt Go! cutter, and I must say I don't think I will ever cut fabrics again for a quilt using anything but my Go! cutter.

A Good Weekend

2011-09-25T15:17:00.000-04:00

This has been a good weekend to stay inside, do little of anything, and just generally catch up on rest, TV shows, a little sewing, and generally relaxing.

This is the view out the window from my home office, and has been for most of the weekend. Overcast, raining off and on, a perfect time to stay inside. We really need the rain and I had absolutely nothing that I had to do this weekend.

I did do a bit of mindless sewing. I am working on a strata quilt and I have a quarter of the blocks done. I need to do the blue, green and purple sets, then can start putting together. I'm looking forward to getting more of this done, but no hurry, just a pattern I saw and liked and decided to do. I think this will end up being a quilt for me.

I love purses and bags!

2011-09-04T10:34:00.000-04:00

I am in love with making purses and bags. For the most part, they are pretty simple projects, don't take a ton of time, and I feel like I've accomplished something. Don't get me wrong, I love to sew anything and I love to piece and quilt, but with a limited amount of time, throwing in a simple or smaller project is just what I need to get that feeling of ACCOMPLISHMENT.

I participate in Bernina Software Sampler classes monthly at my Bernina dealer, Shiisa Quilts in Bloomington, Indiana. There were a multitude of techniques discussed in August's class featuring some of the vast array of things you can do with Designer Plus V6 software. The project was to do a raggy type bag using some of the designs we created. I'm not a raggy type person, so I elected to do a hobo style bag pattern called Carol's Purse Pattern from Creative Needlecraft. I purchased several of their patterns at various shows, but this was the first one I've made. The directions were good and I had no problem constructing the bag. I made several modifications to fit what I wanted to do, and I like the way it turned out.

I took an old pair of jeans to use for the fabric, in keeping with the techniques we were using. One of the great features of the software is the ability to scan in a pocket or a flap or whatever and then use that to create placement lines for doing the embroidery placement. It turned out perfectly. In addition to the embroidery designs, I embellished them with an all-purpose ink from Tsukineko in Champaign Mist. Love this and see many uses for it. It was easy to apply, dried fast and was ready to go with a little heat set from the iron.

The photos are some of my in process shots and then a few close-ups of the designs, and finally the finished bag!

The embroidery and construction was done on my Bernina 830.

More Sewing Studio Organization - Stabilizers

2011-08-21T22:46:00.000-04:00

I'm still on the quest for better organization in my sewing studio. The back leafs of my sewing tables are always in the up position and I have used several plastic drawer carts under them to store things. I had one larger three drawer cart that I used for stabilizer rolls, and then some of the smaller drawers in other carts for some of the smaller rolls. I've found that I tend not to be able to find what I am looking for easily, so I figured there had to be a better way to do this. I wanted something that would fit in the space I had, and help me get better organized for my stabilizer storage.
I was flipping through the Sunday paper today and Target had some laminate shoe cubbies on sale this week, and after checking the dimensions, I figured two of them would fit perfectly in the space I had and give me plenty of storage. I really wanted white, but all they had in stock was the wood color. Not bad at all. Below is a photo of the shoe cubbies with stabilizer in place. It was amazing how many rolls I had, and how many duplicates of some I have. Don't think I'll be needing to buy any stabilizer for a long time to come. I'm very pleased with the way this turned out!

Ecolux Lighting - New LED Add-On Lights

2011-08-14T13:39:00.000-04:00

On my Bernina 635, the work area lighting is not ideal. I use a lot of Ott lights in my sewing room, and I have two trained on the bed of my 635, but there is still not enough light on the working surface. I learned of a new add-on LED lighting system from CJ Tinkle by way of her Created By CJ blog in a recent post concerning Ecolux Lighting. I just had to click on the link and went and had a look see. I liked what I saw, and even though it might seem pricey, I decided to give it a try. I ordered and had within two days. Great service!

I finally got time today to install it on my 635. I got the six-light size, and it is perfect. I'm really liking this light and will not have to deal with aiming a light exactly where I want it to be. It was super easy to install. I've snapped two pictures, one with the light off and one with it on. All the shadows are gone!

Playing With Thread

2011-08-01T07:13:00.000-04:00

On July 22 I was able to go to Shiisa Quilts in Bloomington for an afternoon with Paula Reid that was put on for Shiisa's Crazy 8s group. This was a wonderful chance for us to play with some decorative threads and do some bobbin work. Bobbin work is great in the Bernina 830s and 820s because you can use a variety of threads in the bobbin and only have to do a simple adjustment for thicker threads. For the Superior Glitter thread that I used, no adjustment was even needed. I also added some decorative stitching using a thicker varigated thread in the needle.

I really enjoyed myself and below is my finished piece; when I got home I added a few glitz embellishments to the butterfly, but it is ready to be made into a journal/notebook cover. What a fun afternoon. The link above to Paula Reid is to her blog, and you can see some of the other classes that she gave at Shiisa's when she was there.

She will be back at Shiisa's in September 2012, so I'm looking forward to taking more classes with her.

Do Not Do This

2011-07-10T21:00:00.000-04:00

I would not recommend getting your finger in the way of the needle when you are doing machine embroidery. It is not pretty and doesn't feel very good either. I'd show a picture of the wound, but it would probably make your stomach turn, so I'll spare you. All I was doing was trying to smooth the fabric a little as it was going, didn't think I was that close, but unfortunately I got distracted and it surprised the heck out of me and went through my finger. If you need to do something like that, be sure and stop the machine first!

July 4 Time to Relax

2011-07-03T09:41:00.000-04:00

Not much new around here. I've been doing a little sewing, but nothing exciting enough to blog about. Did go to the International Quilt Show in Cincinnati in April. Had a wonderful time and will go back again next year. Cincinnati will be hosting it for at least 3 years. It is a wonderful venue and I hope it stays much longer than 3 years! Got some cool new tools that I need to write about; it's on my list of things to do!
I did teach two classes last Saturday for the Indianapolis Chapter of the American Sewing Guild. Both classes were for projects on the serger. The first was a jacket, and the second was a puzzle blouse. We had a great time. Below is the class sample that I made for the jacket. It is made out of rayon batik fabric. I really like the jacket and will wear it a lot.

This weekend I worked all day yesterday on the week 1 blocks for the HoopSisters 2011 Mystery Quilt. The mystery started June 1, so as usual I'm a little behind, but I am enjoying it. This is my first HoopSisters quilt, so it's a learning experience, too. I'll post pictures when allowed. Right now it's still a mystery so I have no idea what it is supposed to look like in the end.

Columbus NG March Sew-In

2011-04-24T12:40:00.000-04:00

On March 26-27, we held a sew-in for the Columbus Neighborhood Group. We are a local Neighborhood Group of the Indianapolis Chapter of the American Sewing Guild (www.indyasg.org; www.asg.org).

We had a wonderful time and plan on doing another one in the fall. We have a great facility (courtesy of the Bartholomew County REMC) that we are able to use for our meetings and they graciously allowed us to use it for an entire weekend. What made it extra special is there is a full kitchen so we had pitch-ins for lunches on both Saturday and Sunday. About three quarters of our members were able to come spend some time sewing for at least part of the weekend. I've posted pictures below.

I would recommend trying this for your Neighborhood Group if you can. It is a great opportunity for fellowship and sharing and just relaxing.

Thangles Buck a Block - Getting Closer to Finishing

2011-02-26T11:17:00.000-05:00

I had an opportunity this past weekend for some rest and relaxation and nonstop sewing. It was time once again for the quilt retreat hosted by Sharynn's Quilt Box (North Vernon, Indiana) at the Clifty Falls Inn in Madison, Indiana. I had a wonderful time, as usual, and look forward to going to her next one in September.

I worked mainly on this Thangles Buck a Block Program from 2008 (Series 5). I think this is probably the 4th retreat where I've worked on at least some portion of these blocks. Now all I need to do is the borders, but I haven't quite decided what I want to do yet. The finishing instructions call for an 11" border, but I really want to do something pieced. I'm thinking a small red border to start. I'll plug it into EQ and see what I can come up with. Maybe I'll have it figured out by the next retreat in September and can continue working on it, but I'd really like to get it done before then now that it is this far. Just once I would like to be able to show a "finished" project when they do show and tell!

I have no idea what I'll do with this once it is finished as I have nothing in my house that is red, white and black. Maybe I'll have to redecorate a room! I'm sure that would go over big with the husband!

Applique - Accuquilt Go! Cutter

2011-02-13T07:51:00.000-05:00

Things have gotten crazy nuts at work again, so I've been able to spend very little time sewing or creating. One of the little things I've been able to do is one small appliqué project. The heart was cut on the Accuquilt Go! cutter using the heart die. The Go! certainly speeds things up for applique, and if you have an embroidery machine, you can be done in no time. For the heart I used a pre-digitized design from the Shapes embroidery collection from Accuquilt. I did add lettering from the built-in letters on the Bernina 830 before I stitched the design out. Fabric was pre-fused with appliqué stabilizer before cutting. It took a total of about 5 minutes from beginning to the final embroidery stitch. The notebook cover took about an hour to complete.

I've also been playing some with digitizing some of the shapes myself in the Designer Plus Version 6 software. This is my final test stitch out for the Arabesque die. I plan to make a table runner using this design, but that will have to wait until there is more time.

Another Groovy Girls Club Project Completed

2011-01-22T10:50:00.001-05:00

Am I very late or am I very early? I prefer to think I'm very early. I recently completed a Halloween table topper using Atkinson Designs pattern called Happy Holidays. I bought fabric probably 4 years ago to make a Halloween table runner, and when I saw this pattern, I knew it was just perfect for this project.

The pattern gives directions for three sizes, small (20x23"), medium (30x35") and large (40x47"). The large is big enough to make into a tree skirt, and it gives the directions on how to do that. The size I made for my Halloween table topper is the medium.

I wanted to quilt it with some type of Halloween or fall quilting embroidery design on my Bernina 830, and found the perfect design in my collection. The one I used was from Designs Sew Fine from Quilt Collection 1. There are three sizes of the spider web, and I used the largest, which fit nicely into the Jumbo hoop. I used a metallic thread that was a black and silver twist. I was very happy with the results. The picture above is a closeup of the stitchout of the design. With the precise embroidery positioning of the Bernina 830, I was able to get my designs exactly where I wanted them.

Below is the finished topper, binding and all. This was a great, quick project, and only took a few hours to complete from beginning to end.

I really look forward to attending Groovy Girls Club meetings at Shiisa Quilts in Bloomington, Indiana. I always come away with great ideas and inspiration. The projects are small enough and don't require big chunks of time, which is perfect for me.

Small Projects

2011-01-14T06:34:00.000-05:00

Right now I am really loving doing small projects. It is such a sense of accomplishment in an otherwise too busy and hectic life. I hope to take on some larger projects before too long, and get back into some clothing making and finish some quilts. I certainly have enough projects lined up to keep me busy for the rest of the year (and beyond....) on that front.

The beauty of doing small projects is I can try different and new techniques, they don't take huge chunks of time, and I have something useful at the end. In the zippered bag below I've used new techniques for the zipper installation and for the machine appliquéd letter. I also did a little free motion quilting. This pattern is from Atkinson Designs book called Fat Quarter Fonts.

The drawstring bag below is also from Atkinson, and she uses a cool technique for doing the casing for the drawstring. I can see a lot of these in the future - they will make great gifts and are a canvas for some embroidery, an appliquéd design or decorative stitches before the final construction phase. This one I made for myself as a shoe bag out of fun fabric I had in the stash.

This past weekend I finished a Halloween table topper, and I'll post about it later. The inspiration for all came from the Groovy Girls Club meetings at Shiisa Quilts in Bloomington, Indiana.

Have a great weekend and do some sewing!

Billie's Favorite Things - Update on Clip It Up

2011-01-10T08:00:00.004-05:00

I thought I'd give an update on one of my favorite things - my Clip It Up by Simply Renee. Since my original post, I have continued my organizing and I've added a lot more Clip It Ups. These things are so HABIT FORMING, you can't have just one! I have now added a mini, two more base units with upper tiers (one with an upper tier extension), a floor stand, and a ribbon holder. I have been trying over the last couple of years to really get my sewing/quilting space organized, and with the Clip It Ups, I can really say I think I'm there. I am so happy with how these worked out for my space and organization. I can't give them enough praise!

Below are some pictures of my additional units and what I've used them for.

This is a base unit and upper tier that I am using for my purse/tote/bag/wallet patterns on the bottom and my purse hardware/supplies on the upper tier.

Floor Model with an extra tier. These are larger sewing notions/patterns that are too big or bulky for the regular base unit.

Mini with miscellaneous sewing notions. This one is located in between my cutting table and ironing workstation.

Base unit with upper tier and extension. This one I am using for sewing patterns.

Ribbon organizer.

I have this on the wall over my ironing station.

Most everything pictured on these was in drawers or stuffed in plastic containers. They are now out and handy and I can find what I am looking for in an instant. I'm in heaven! It is amazing how much more creative you feel when you've got an organized space to work in. Now if I could just translate that to the rest of my life!

Atkinson Designs - Molten Chocolate Cake Mugs

2010-12-28T14:17:00.001-05:00

For the last two months I have been participating in the Groovy Girls Club at Shiisa Quilts in Bloomington, Indiana. The projects featured in the GGC are from Atkinson Designs. All of the projects have been super easy, super fast, and I love them. One of the ones featured at our December meeting was the Molten Chocolate Cake Mugs. The instructions are available here on Terry's Blog. Above are the ones I made up to give to the gals I work with, and they loved them!

There are all kinds of tutorials on Terry's Blog, so spend some time reading through the blog entries, and be sure you click next at the bottom of each screen.

Billie's Favorite Things - Clip It Up

2010-11-20T07:46:00.006-05:00

If Oprah can have her favorite things, I can have mine too. This is my latest favorite thing, the Clip It Up by Simply Renee. These originally started as organizers for scrapbookers, but they are great for us sewers and quilters, too. Check out the website by clicking the link above and see all of the cool items they have.

The pictures below are what I have so far, and I have all of my rulers, cutting gadgets, etc. on these. I have the base unit and an upper tier. I've already ordered another base unit because I think this will be my solution for my patterns. I have so many and I can never find what I am looking for.

All of the rulers I have on this are from 4 drawers that I used for my ruler collection, plus 1 drawer I used for all of my rotary cutters. As I was sorting things out to hang up, I came up with enough duplicate sizes of rulers to supply my tool case that I am working on that will be packed and ready to go for any classes or retreats I attend. I never seem to have what I need where I need it.

Clifty Falls Retreat

2010-11-15T06:30:00.002-05:00

I attended another great retreat at Clifty Falls State Park in Madison, Indiana the last weekend in October that was put on by Sharynn's Quilt Box in North Vernon. What a wonderful, relaxing time. I went with the idea that the only thing I was going to accomplish was to relax and de-stress, and that's exactly what I did. I worked on a few projects, came home with patterns and ideas for more projects, and generally just had a great time. This is one of the most amazing places to hold a sewing or quilting retreat.

The Indianapolis Chapter of the ASG will be holding their first retreat there in March. I can't wait. More information on the retreat can be found on the Indy ASG website (click the link above).

Where did September, October and Half of November GO???

2010-11-13T15:39:00.005-05:00

Whoa, I can't believe how fast time is slipping away. I've been busy with everything but sewing, but that should start to change shortly. The thing that took up the majority of my off time the last couple of months was planning the 2010 Annual Meeting for the Indianapolis Chapter of the American Sewing Guild. We had Mary Mulari as our guest speaker. The meeting was great, everything seemed to go smoothly - and all enjoyed Mary's presentation. I came home with tons of new ideas and the items needed to do some of them. I can't wait to get started, but first I really must clean my sewing room again and put everything away. I don't know how things can get so messed up when I'm not even sewing! The picture is what it should look like, but right now you can't even see any white space on this table or anywhere else. I'm too embarrassed to even snap a picture of it.

Ah - September - National Sewing Month

2010-09-02T05:55:00.002-04:00

September is National Sewing Month - I plan to do a lot of sewing this month. I hope the word "plan" turns into "did". I so need to re-bond with my sewing room and get creative!

New Serger!

2010-08-01T21:47:00.004-04:00

I'm back at it again - never satisfied. I have a perfectly good serger, but I've always wanted a Baby Lock. Went to a day with Margaret Tully, Baby Lock serger educator extrordinaire, at Select Sewing Service in Indianapolis last week and came home with a new Evolution. Can't wait to get up to speed with it and start accomplishing some projects! The ease of threading is what put me over the top. I'll share some projects when I get something done.

Field Trip to Vogue Fabrics - Chicago (Roosevelt Road)

2010-07-03T11:00:00.005-04:00

The Indianapolis Chapter of the American Sewing Guild had their annual bus trip last Saturday. This year's trip was up to the Roosevelt Road area of Chicago. We had a wonderful time and came home with lots of goodies.

Our main stop of the day was at Vogue Fabrics. Who wouldn't love that store? If you love fabric and you are in the area, you owe it to yourself to stop in and see them! The customer service was the best!

Sole Cool Hot Iron Bag

2010-06-13T10:23:00.004-04:00

A while back I got the Quickie Chick's SOLE COOL HOT IRON BAG pattern from my local quilt shop. I have now made 4 of these bags, one for me, and as gifts my mother, sister-in-law and a friend. The bag is a great way to carry your iron to/from retreats, workshops, classes, etc. The pattern was very clear and easy to follow.

The pattern is for 2 sizes, large and small. The bags I made were the large ones, but I will probably make a small one for my small travel iron.

I've now used the bag several times and it is so nice not to have to wait for your iron to cool when you are packing up just so you can transport it. The only modification I made to the pattern was in additional to the InsulBright and batting, I also added a layer of teflon material. No particular reason, I just wanted to be double sure.

Bernina Endless Embroidery - Table Runner

2010-06-05T15:28:00.004-04:00

I made a table runner last week using the project from Bernina (Bernina USA Projects - Ode to Ireland Table Runner) for the 830 to learn how to use the endless embroidery feature. I was hesitant tackling this, but in the end it came out great. It took a little practice to figure out how to adjust to get the designs lined up, but now that I've got it, I can't wait to try more projects using the Endless Embroidery feature of the 830.

The photo below is a closeup of the designs.

Every time I do something new on this machine, I love it more and more.

Wedding is History - I'm Back Again

2010-05-29T12:46:00.010-04:00

I've been busy the last few months making my daughter-in-law's wedding dress, so I haven't been able to post much. Now that the wedding is over, I thought I'd share some pictures of the dress in progress and then the finished dress.

Next is the finished dress with the beautiful bride and groom.

I had a blast making it (even though it stressed me out to the max) and learned a lot of new things along the way, including how to install an invisible zipper. In all the years I've been sewing, I've never done one, and can't believe how easy it was; there will be plenty more invisible zipper installations in the future!

And Sew On....Part 4 - Finished Jacket

2010-01-03T12:18:00.004-05:00

This is a picture of the finished jacket. I actually finished it in time to wear to the Indianapolis Chapter ASG Annual meeting the first part of November, but just haven't gotten around to updating the blog with the finished jacket.

I love this jacket, it is so comfortable and very flattering to wear. This is the second one I have made from this pattern (Kwik Sew 2801). The pattern lends itself to a lot of different design possibilities for using embellishments. I think I may try doing something out of denim with it next.

I have a whole lot of projects that I want to tackle this year, in addition to all of the commitments I've made to do some projects (not the least of which is my soon-to-be daughter-in-law's wedding dress), so this will be a busy and productive year, I hope.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-24T17:58:00.003-05:00

Wishing everyone a joyous Christmas and love, peace and less stress in the New Year!

And Sew On....Part 3

2009-10-17T14:00:00.004-04:00

And then there were sleeves!!!

I've finally mustered up enough energy to finally get back to my sewing. What a wild couple of weeks. I won't go into the details, but I wouldn't wish the trauma with work that I've been through on anyone. I'm starting to feel like I'm getting back to my old self emotionally, especially when I woke up this morning and I looked forward to getting back in my sewing studio.

All I have left to do is the facing and collar, so I should have this done tomorrow, probably with the exception of the buttons and button holes, just depends on how industrious I feel. I'm thinking self-covered buttons out of the jacket fabric. I love the embroidery and think that will work well instead of trying to find something suitable that wouldn't detract from the embroidery.

I don't usually do shoulder pads, but I think this one is going to need a little something. I typically don't like shoulder pads, and typically take them out of anything I buy that has them in, but I think the shoulder lines will fit me better with a little padding. I've noticed as I've aged (YIKES!) that my shoulders seem to droop a little now.

I've also been trying to sew with my left foot on the foot pedal of my 830 (not an easy feat for someone who has sewn all their life with their right foot). It is taking some getting used to, but I think I actually do a little better sewing that way, leaving my right knee free for the free-hand system. It also makes me slow down -- I have a tendancy to sew way too fast -- and I have better results.

And Sew On....Part 2

2009-09-07T11:24:00.002-04:00

Spent most of the day yesterday getting my pattern cut out and embroidering the panels for the front. Looking good so far. I certainly didn't buy too much fabric, I was sweating whether I was going to get it all out of the 2 yards I bought. I only have little inch scraps left. Next time I'll make sure I get 2 1/2 yards for a jacket. Need to make sure I don't mess anything up or I'll have to go and get more.

And Sew On....

2009-09-06T12:36:00.004-04:00

Finally, two days that I don't need to go anywhere, and I can finally work on some projects. I have plenty that I could work on, but decided that I wanted to do a jacket for fall, so that's what I'm doing.

The pattern is Kwik Sew 2801, and I'm doing View A, but in one fabric only. I picked up a piece of polyester ultrasuede last week in a mossy green.

I am embroidering a design down each side of the front. I had a perfect varigated thread, and decided on some pumpkin leaves from OESD's Shades of Fall Collection #12218. I'll post more pictures as I make some progress.

Moda Bake Shop - Tote Bag Project

2009-08-18T08:40:00.004-04:00

Another great project today on the Moda Bake Shop blog:
LINK: Moda Bake Shop
Mill House Inn Tote Bag.
I'm always excited to see what's new on this blog - lots of good inspiration.

New Toy - ASUS Eee PC

2009-08-15T11:03:00.004-04:00

This is my newest toy. I've been looking at Netbooks since they first came out, and decided I couldn't live without this one. It is so cute and does everything. It will even run all of my embroidery software, which is a real bonus, because then I won't have to pack the big laptop around if I don't want to. It actually has more memory and a larger hard disk than my laptop. I've only had it since Thursday, so I'm anxious to work with it some more and get things figured out. I did get my embroidery software loaded last night (I got the external CD drive with it), and hooked it up to my sewing machines and it worked perfectly.

I'm off today to the Indiana State Fair to work in the ASG booth. I always look forward to doing that, I get to meet so many nice people.

Have a great day!

Completed a Project!!!

2009-07-05T22:11:00.008-04:00

I've finally finished something. This jacket went together very nicely. It is a mock jeans jacket, with lots of topstitching. I love the Bernina Dual Feed on the 830.

My New Toy - Bernina 830

2009-07-03T08:24:00.006-04:00

I'm finally have some free time and am going to spend the next couple of days working on some sewing projects on my new machine (Billie's BB), the Bernina 830. I took delivery of it the first of June, and really haven't had time to do anything more than just do some test sewing and figuring out what all the different buttons do, so now I'm on to doing some project specific work.

I am going to make covers for both the machine and the embroidery module, so I got busy and did an embroidery design which I will add into the covers as I'm working on them. I love the embroidery functions of the machine. These turned out great. I've got to work on the Absolute Embroidery Check feature of the machine. The fabric with the band was not hooped straight, so I was able to compensate for that by checking and moving the design positioning to get it where it needed to go, but I went a little too far on the slant on one end. All in all, a good learning experience for me. I have my machine mastery class on the embroidery part next Saturday, so I'll get better at this (at least I hope). The quality of the lettering is beautiful - the B's are 2.5 inches in height.

Shipshewana Indiana

2009-06-21T10:17:00.004-04:00

The Indy Chapter of the American Sewing Guild did our annual bus trip yesterday. We headed up to Shipshewana, Indiana for a day of shopping/eating/shopping. For those of you who are not familiar with Shipshewana, it is in northern Indiana in the heart of Amish country. I was the coordinator for this year's trip (or ringleader), and we all had a great time. If you are ever in the area, I would highly recommend stopping and spending the day.

This is a picture of a few of my finds from Yoder's and Lolly's.

Don't have a clue what I'm going to do with any of it other than the gold fabric. The fabric is a polyester/lycra blend, and the texture is much like suede. That is going into a jean's jacket. The other beige and brown shinny fabrics, and the two rolls of fat quarters on it are Radiance by Robert Kaufman, which is 55% cotton, 45% silk. The texture is just lucious and I just want to pet it when I see it. Just going to keep it around until I figure out what to do with it.

The aqua and off white fat quarter rolls are a new fabric also by Robert Kaufman called Marbleous. It is 100% cotton, but has a wonderful textured shine to it. I'll need to figure out what to use it in.

The Quilt Show Block of the Month 2009 - Part 3

2009-05-31T09:41:00.004-04:00

I've finally finished Month 3 (March) of The Quilt Show's Block of the Month for 2009. Today I feel pretty good about it, I'm only two months behind, but tomorrow will be another story when I will be THREE MONTHS BEHIND! Maybe I can spend more time in the sewing studio over the next few months and totally be caught up and current, waiting for the next month's instructions to be released - but for those of you who know me, you know that I never get caught up with anything until it absolutely has to be done.

I really do love the look of this quilt so far!

Great Blog/Website - Moda Bake Shop

2009-05-09T07:03:00.005-04:00

Ever wondered what a layer cake is, a jelly roll? Check out the Moda Bake Shop (http://www.modabakeshop.com/). It is a wonderful blog that is a division of Moda Fabrics and provides online recipes which you can use with the Moda Pre-cuts. All sizes and types of projects are featured from various designers and shops, as well as tutorials for various moda projects sheets which are illustrated with step by step pictures. Today's featured project is "The Bookkeeper." Be sure and check it out and bookmark the site to visit often to see what they are up to. Also check on the left pane on the site for previous projects. This is a great place for inspriation and what to do with some of that fabric and pre-cuts in our stash!

Have a great day, everyone! - Billie

A Weekend to SEW!

2009-05-02T08:13:00.003-04:00

Heading out to the Columbus Neighborhood Group meeting (Indianapolis ASG: http://www.indyasg.org/) this morning. Then home for the rest of the weekend to do nothing but rest and sew (and maybe a little cleaning). The only blip on the radar is I have no groceries in the house, so I'll need to hit the grocery store sometime today.

This is a project that I think I'll start sometime this weekend - a blouse using rayon batik fabric. I love the feel of the fabric - I've got it prewashed, ironed, and ready to go. I'll post pictures of my progress as this one moves along. I haven't done any garment sewing in a while so I may need to relearn things like collars and facings!

-Billie

ASG Community Sewing Project for 2009

2009-04-28T06:21:00.003-04:00

The American Sewing Guild's (www.asg.org) community sewing project for 2009 is making pillowcases for Ronald McDonald houses. Our neighborhood group worked on this project at our April meeting. We decided that as a group we would make 50 to donate to the Ronald McDonald house in Indianapolis, which is our chapter home (check us out at www.indyasg.org). By the time we got through with our sewing at the meeting, we had 30 pillowcases already made. I have six finished to take back in to our next meeting on Saturday.

I loved making these pillowcases. They were great fun and went together quickly. It also gave me a chance to use some of my decorative stitches, which I use very seldom.

-Billie

Field Trip to Ady's in Morgantown

2009-04-26T07:26:00.004-04:00

Took a couple of hours yesterday and went to visit a nearby quilt shop, Ady's Fabrics and Notions (http://www.adysfabrics.com/) in Morgantown, Indiana. The weather yesterday was absolutely gorgeous - spring is finally here, and I love spring. Met a friend and off we went to Ady's. I haven't been over there since she moved her shop next door into a larger space. The new space is wonderful and I like the way it is laid out. Check out their website for some pictures of the new store.

-Billie

I'm Back........

2009-04-25T07:52:00.003-04:00

It didn't seem like it had been that long since I've posted, but I guess it has.

The last weekend in March we headed to Oklahoma City to attend my nephew's wedding. Had a great time, but, boy, is that a long trip from Indiana. The wedding was beautiful, and we had a great time seeing family and getting to unwind a little.

The weather was quite interesting. The weekend before it had been 80 degrees in Oklahoma City. When we arrived on Thursday, they were predicting a blizzard for Friday night into Saturday, with up to 12 inches of snow! Needless to say, I packed for the 80-degree weather, and not snow weather. It was cold and rainy and snowy and windy. Luckily, the snow accumulations went all around us, up to 23" to the west of us and around 10" northeast. We had a few inches and only on the grassy areas where we were staying. Started the trip home on Sunday and had no problems, most of it was cleared off the interstate.

I did get an opportunity on Saturday before the wedding festivities to hit a quilt shop with my mom. We visited Oklahoma Quiltworks located at 9323 N Pennsylvania in Oklahoma City. The shop was lovely and everyone was so friendly. It is a definite must-see if you are in Oklahoma City. They even have a table and chairs with newspapers for the guys who accompany their wives. Great idea, and my husband and father made good use of it.

I bought this fabric while there. It is one I've not seen before, and kind of reminds me of a seersucker type fabric. Have no idea what I'll do with it yet, but I'm thinking either a blouse or a light jacket.

When we got back, had a lot to do and work got crazy. It is just starting to calm down again so maybe I can get back to normal, whatever that might be.

The Quilt Show Block of the Month 2009 - Part 2

2009-03-22T18:18:00.006-04:00

Just finished The Quilt Show's 2009 BOM month 2. Now I'm only a little behind, but I doubt I'll get March's portion done before the end of the month. I'll just keep plugging away.

I'm loving this so far, but it is a challenge and really stretches my piecing skills! Lot's of pinwheels for the next round. Haven't decided on the fabric for the next round, but it'll be a variation of what I've used so far.

Billie

Newest Find: Matilda's Own Revolving Rotary Cutting Mat

2009-03-14T07:47:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago while visiting a local quilt shop, I came across a new tool. It is a revolving rotary cutting mat made by Matilda's Own (an Australian company). I've purchased and used a lot of rotating cutting mats, but always had problems with them. What I really liked about this one was that it was large, measuring 15" across, so could accommodate large blocks.

When I got it home and used it, I fell in love with it. It stays wherever I put it, and it rotates like a dream. It is now a fixture next to my sewing machine when I am working on piecing blocks. It was fairly expensive (retails for around $50), but well worth it. I noticed that Nancy's Notions is now carrying them, and has them on sale. This mat is great for working with plastic templates and paper cutting guides!

Favorite Sewing and Quilting Blogs - Links Added

2009-03-05T07:09:00.003-05:00

I've just added a new section to my blog that will contain some of my favorite quilting and sewing blogs. So far I've just added two, so watch for more to come.

Quilter Blogs is one where you can read dozens of quilting-related blogs from dozens of quilters in one place! It scans the blogs in its database many times a day and displays snippets of the quilting-related blog on their updates page. Gain inspiration from quilters all over the world. Quilter Blogs also features a search engine for online quilt stores. You can search hundreds of sites for specific fabric, thread, quilt patterns, projects, and notions.

Mother Superior's Blog from Superior Threads is great for those fans of Superior Threads.

I'll be adding more and more links as I have time. There are some great blogs out there!

The Quilt Show Block of the Month 2009 - Part 1

2009-03-01T20:54:00.009-05:00

I decided to tackle The Quilt Show's block of the month for 2009. I love feathered stars but never was brave enough to try them. The pattern is very well written. The center section is paper-pieced. I am really challenged doing paper piecing -- I think it's a spacial thing -- but I was able to do it and it came out perfectly. I think it was easier because you cut the basic shapes first, so I didn't have gaps when I flipped the piece over and it didn't cover the next area.

I am using batiks, which are my favorite fabrics. I can't wait to see this whole thing finished.

Here's a picture of each of the individual pieces and then the units as I put them together.

Ta-Da - Month 1 done. I'm only two months behind now. Maybe I'll get caught up.

Latest Project - Handbag for Charity Auction

2009-02-14T08:52:00.006-05:00

I just finished my latest project, a handbag that I am going to be donating to DSI for a straw auction that they will be having at their upcoming charity event (February 28), D'Vine Winter Wine Festival (get more informaiton here: http://www.dsiservices.org/).

This was a fun bag to make. I used the Clover/Nancy Zieman Trace'N'Create bag template for the first time. I really liked using it and it made making the bag super fast and simple. I will definitely use again.

I used an upholstery fabric for the outside, and lined it with a batik. The emboridery was done on my Janome 11000SE, combining two designs from Hatched In Africa (Elegant Scrolls), and I added hot-fix crystals to give it some more bling.

I also made a matching zipper pouch (using my sample stitch out with no bling).

Here are more pictures:

About My Stash

2009-02-05T10:36:00.003-05:00

Sew, Mama, Sew is one of the sewing/quilting blogs that I follow. They posed a challenge today to tell about your stash! Here are my answers:

What do you usually sew? Anything and everything. I love to sew, be it garments, lingerie, home dec or quilting. I’m more into smaller projects that I can actually accomplish given my busy work schedule and activity with the American Sewing Guild (Indianapolis Chapter).
When you shop for fabric, what size cuts do you usually buy? (i.e. If you see something beautiful, but you don’t have a use for it right away, how much do you buy?) My rule is always 3 yards. I’d rather have too much than be a little short.
Do you buy on impulse or do you go out looking for something you need? A little of both.
Are you a pre-washer? If you are, do you wash your fabric before you need it, or only when you’re ready to use it? Don’t usually prewash, but it depends on the project/intended use.
Do you iron it? Only before I am cutting for a project (unless it is really wrinkled before I store it.
How do you sort it? (color, print size, collection, etc.) Color.
Do you have any special folding techniques? Fold and store on fabric sheets to store vertically in cabinet.
How do you store your fabric? Vertically in cabinet. (See pictures from previous entry.)
What tips do you have for building up a well-rounded stash? Blenders, tone-on-tone and batiks are always good to have on hand.
When do you say enough is enough? I’m not sure I know the meaning of “enough.” There’s never enough!

Time for Cleaning! Whew!

2009-01-31T15:09:00.000-05:00

I could not stand the mess in my sewing studio one more second. I had things everywhere after having gotten back last weekend from a quilt retreat in Kentucky. If you ever have a chance to go to the retreat in Jabez, I would highly recommend it.

I'll try to post some pics of the projects I worked on while there later. Many are still works in progress, but I'm happy with what I did accomplish and the new techniques that I learned.

Anyway, everything was strewn all over the place because I needed to pack a lot of things to take for the classes I signed up for, and then when I got back, it just got dumped. Finally got around to putting it all away this morning, and in the process decided that maybe I should rearrange some things. Me and my big ideas!!!!!

Many hours later, I'm done (and sore and tired), but it is much better. I can feel my creative juices returning.

My First Blog!

2009-01-19T15:54:00.000-05:00

Amazing. I love to sew, any kind of sewing - garments, home dec, quilts (piecing and quilting). I am a member of the American Sewing Guild (ASG), and currently serve as the VP-Special Events for the Indianapolis, Indiana chapter. More to come.......