Bernina Q16

I recently acquired a Bernina Q16 sit down quilter to add to my toy collection.  I had my doubts about my sanity when I first started using it and wondered if I had made a mistake getting this.  I did a lot of practicing, and found out that I really, really had to slow down, take my time and learn how to use the rulers.  The biggest challenge is trying to figure out where I'm going as I'm quilting.  

I finally finished a project that was on Bernina's Blog, We All Sew called Blossoms Sampler with Rulers.  I started it on my domestic machine, doing the in the ditch quilting with rulers, and then when I got my Q16, I did the remaining quilting on that, doing a combination of rulers and free motion.  I think it turned out pretty well.

Sewing Room - Fabric Organization/Storage

I recently took a re-look at my fabric organization and decided I needed to come up with something better.  I recently did a stash reduction, only keeping the fabrics I knew I would use in the future, and found new homes for everything else.  What you see below is about a third of what I had.  I used the comic book boards to wrap the fabric, and they fit perfectly on my shelves.

My next step was to figure out a way to organize my fat quarters.  Previously they were just stored open on the shelves, and I wanted some kind of bin or something to better organize them.  I searched high and low for something to store them in that would fit on my shelves, and stumbled upon linen closet organizers, that had the dimensions that I needed for my shelves.  These are what I ended up ordering from Amazon .  I was able to put 4 on each shelf and they worked perfectly.  I was able to get all of my fat quarters and precuts stored in these.  I organized the fat quarters by color, so I can just pull out the bin that I want.  So far it makes it a lot easier.

Happy 2013......

Boy, what a year 2012 was -- I'm glad it's over and I survived.  I'm so looking forward to the start of a new year, and one of the things I hope to keep up with this year is my blog.  It was just not high on my priority list of things that needed to be attended to last year.

I now have two sewing studios, one at home and one at our condo.  I am working out of town during the week and return home most weekends, so I needed to have a sewing room in both places.  I think I now have everything organized and have what I need in both places.  I have a ton of projects that I want to do this year, so here's hoping I can get some of them done.  

These are a couple of shots of my sewing studio at my home away from home:
 

This is a Christmas table runner I started early December, but couldn't get it finished before Christmas.  I only have a little more quilting to do and then the binding, so that's my project this week. 

Meet Isabella

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

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

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

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.