Easy To Win

Here is a new contest at the Bernia web site and it's about sewing machine features. Which feature on your sewing machine do you absolutely love? If you could design your own machine, what feature would you be sure to include? So, go to the Bernina site and on the right side of the screen is a link to their blog. To enter all you do is post a message regarding your favorite sewing machine feature, or something new you would like to have on your machine. Look for the post dated March 10, 2010 and that is the message to post your comment on. The deadline is midnight EST April 11, 2010. The prize is a box of fun stuff from Bernina, OESD, Benartex and Brewer! How cool would that be to win!!

Don't delay and good luck to you all.

Do you have this foot?

I was browsing on the Berninausa site today - looking for #24. It's a foot that Harriet Hargrave mentioned specifically for the Berninas for the quilting class - #9 and #24. I think anyone with a Bernina knows what foot 9 is for. The foot is like a cat - it's had so many lives. With the 180E it was the first embroidery foot and when the 220 series came out it became the button sew on foot (there's still 18 for that but that's an additional accessory). Foot 9 I think comes with many of the Bernina machines. Prior to all this it was the darning foot. Darning? Well, that's just another name for mending. Very few people are into mending these days.

Back to 24. Well, look at you 9 foot and imagine half the circle portion of the foot cut off. If you have the BSR then you have the attachment that is basically the 24 foot.

One thing she didn't mention was the BSR. Well, I'm taking my BSR and that's all there is to it. Sorry Teach!

And We're Just Throwing This In The Trash?

Just think the selvedges that we just throw away are a gold mine! Just take a look at this chair, would you. I would like to see it when it's done. Here's a blog site that is just for the selvedges and here is a site for quilts made from selvedges. I'm telling you we're missing the boat here.

In looking at the web site on this I realized they had it spelled as SELVAGE. Wait, I thought the correct spellelling was SELVEDGE. Ok, open word and type them both in - no red line!? Can that be? So went to the wizards out on the internet and typed it in. Both spellings are right!!

SELVEDGEis the BRITISH  ENGLISH spelling and SELVAGE is the US ENGLISH spelling. Go figure. Please don't let me start collecting this, that's all I need!

St Patty's Day is near

Aren't these the cutest ?!! These are this week's sunbunnet designs which are available here.

Pacific Redwork

Here's a new site to me with some cute redwork artwork that can be used for digitizing in our Bernina embroidery software or for doing my hand. Check out her link on the left side too, it's a free Seasons All sew along group of patterns. This started in June 2009 but the designs are still posted and there remains 3 block designs to complete the designs needed for the top. My Mom actually said outloud that she's giving it some thought to learning how to digitize so she can get more these types of projects done. I thought that would be a good idea and while one is stitching she can be doing the companion block by hand! So we'll see if she really wants to tackle the software, not that she wouldn't be able to! Oh, and recognize the fabric used in the quilt above?

Embroidered Bubbles

If you received the recent Through the Needle magazine (issue #33) from Bernina you will recognize this jacket, created by Susan Fears. She has a recent post on the Bernina blog showing another way to create the circle designs or "bubbles" as she calls them. See it here.

I've started looking for some nice shirt weight linen to make this jacket. It would be great for summer wear here - with air conditioning you need a little something on the arms and less once you walk outside!

Shamrock Girl

Here is another nice design to digitize using your Bernina embroidery software. You can find it here and while there check out her other free patterns that are available for either handwork or digitizing using our software. She also has an Etsy site with more wonderful patterns available for a reasonable cost.

Bernina Blog

From this to this

The Bernina blog has a new posting just this morning. You will find it here and it is taking the heart that we have created through the V6 software classes we've had at the shop and the lesson walks you through using that heart to then create a shamrock which is perfect for St Patrick's day.
Good eye Patty Y!!

March Free Blog Patterns

Isn't this cute? This is the March pattern from willowberry designs - click here to go to the page to download. If you've not seen this before download January and February blocks while you are there.

I've always like starfish and seahorses so I'm enjoying these.

Windows 7

Should you become the owner of a new pc or laptop with the Windows7 operating system you need to know this. There is a new driver to operate your Bernina embroidery software. You can find this at the Bernina site here. The general instructions are right there on the page so should be painless!

Anyone interested in joining me this coming Monday am at Strawberry Patches for this webinar on the 830 WOW features? That is 8am for us in California time! Let me know and I'll set up the projector.