New girl in the sewing room

 I bought a new sewing machine a couple weeks ago because my 175QE Bernina of 22 years died a whithering death.  I tried to turn her on and all I got was a weak pulse of light on the control panel followed by the smell of something hot in the electronics.  The part that fizzled and burned is no longer made so what could I do but buy a new machine.  Another Bernina this time the 475QE  I haven't taken the mastery courses from the shop but I will in the coming weeks.  I have watched a few of the youtube videos the shop makes, like the one on how to thread and put the bobbin in because it is so different from the other Berninas because it has a bigger bobbin!!!!  I have been playing with the machine and trying all the stitiches

Then I was so intent on finishing just one thing that day I forgot to take a photo  of the whole piece of fabric that I spend days stitching and I do mean days.  I used my dresden plate wedges to cut the panels for the trees some have three panels the one on the far right has four. I think I need to sew one seam up and the next one down for straighter trees.

I cut about a 7 inch strip off and extended the wedge to a triangle point for the trees, there was no waste except a little bit on each end.  These trees will find a place between my collection of Santas in a few weeks.  Learning something new --Ann--

Old faithful

 My old, 45 year old Elna, came out of the closet because I was going into sewing withdrawal.  She is so faithful and reliable and still makes perfect stitches.

Disclaimer the watercolor was done with the app. 

Half the columns of blocks are sewn and trimmed.

--Ann--

one more story

I finished sewing the long strips with my mother's old Elna and I think I will set it aside and keep it for speed sewing.  This pattern is from an old Fons and Porter book from 1995 American Country Scrap Quilts back before they got into selling kits and lines of fabrics.  Its 2 inch strips sewn in pairs then cut into triangles with a 60 degree angle.  I'm sewing them together as pin wheels but I can see lots of other possibilities but to do the tumbling blocks I need to plan the values of the fabrics, the optical illusion of the tumbling blocks is very confusing but fun.

One more story about my Elna. When the boys were in grade school and home computers were becoming common the oldest boy though we needed one.  We were living in a small house and the boys shared a room that was about 8 x 9 feet and baby daughter was sharing space in my sewing room until she got to the point where she couldn't sleep while I sewed.  I moved my machine to a corner of the dining room/ kitchen.  I asked the boys where we could put a computer because we really did not have a good spot for it.  They suggested it go where my sewing machine was.  Hubby said I would get rid of them before I got rid of my sewing machine.  They looked at me.  I said not really but close.  I was open minded about the computer so when we went to the library I let them have some computer time because I really didn’t know what they could do with a computer.  The librarian opened up a game called Oregon Trail, first they had to name all the characters, they named them after us. Then we headed west and one mishap after another we were attacked, robbed, injured etc then baby sister died. The boys were both in tears when we left and we didn't get a computer for a couple more years, by then we were in a bigger house with a built in desk in the perfect spot for a computer and I had a room just for sewing.

Getting ready for another snowstorm here  --Ann--
Linking to Off The Wall Friday

sewing machine

Last week I finished reading  The Sewing Machine by Natalie Fergie a good story for those of us who are emotionally attached to our sewing machines.  The story starts at the Singer sewing machine factory in Scotland and the young woman who tests the machines.  The story is told through her and the women who owned one of the machines she tested.  It was a delightful story about something dear to my heart.
Later in the week I pulled a coil of 2 inch strips out of the stash all set for the next quilt and whether it was nostalgia or my need for speed I set up my old Elna who can run 1200 perfect stitches per minute.  And when I have 80 some width of fabric strips to sew in pairs I like speed.  It was the speed more than nostalgia.  I got about 10 pairs sewn and my speedy hum turned into a whoosh and the needle stopped.  I was told the last couple times I had it serviced that the bushings or brushes or something that makes the needle go up and down were getting worn and replacement parts are hard to find.  I may have completely worn her out.  Forty some years of sewing garments, lingerie, jeans, doll clothes, crafts and quilts and more quilts with no harsh words.  She was the best machine ever.  --Ann--

A much better day

 Hubby Dear let me buy the Bernina 530 which is a wonderful domestic sewing machine with just enough bells and whistles for my needs.  Above is how some of the stitches looked before the surge protector with battery back up.  Not so good  not all the outlets in my house have adequate power to run the machine to her potential.

 This is how the stitches look with full power.  Perfect even stitches.  After playing with the stitches just to see how they look I sewed a pair of pajamas for me from my stash of fabrics.  These interlock knits must be 30 years old,  I bought them when my boys were little and I was sewing little  t shirts and placket front shirts for them.
 As much as I love piecing quilts its fun to use some other stitches once in a while and play with the many different feet for the machine.  The blind hem foot was a whiz for hems and the waist band.  The stretch stitch with a ball point needle and the edging foot made the seams a breeze. And an overcast stitch to make the scalloped edge on the neck and sleeves. Practical application certainly helps the memory the next time I need to turn a hem.  Three mastery sewing classes were included with the purchase of the machine.  One more class on Friday.  I learned so much about the features of the machine and little bit of information that just make some sewing chores easy, super easy.  And a refresher course on choosing the right needle for the fabric and task.  Did you know the quilting needle is for piecing not quilting and you should use a larger needle for binding because you are going through more thicknesses of fabric and batting?  I had forgotten a lot of important information. The classes are on line  at sewingmastery.com taking them in person has been the best.  I hadn't sewn a knit for so long that I had forgotten how much I needed to pin to keep the seams from rolling.  You know my mantra with quilting is its not for 4-H 

but I was beginning to think it could be for 4-H
if I were a few decades younger because I was having so much fun and the inside was looking almost as good as the outside.  
Just enjoying the process.  --Ann--

Sewing Machine Woes

 Last week I finished machine quilting all those quilts posted the past couple weeks.  After each quilt I sewed the binding with my Bernina and the walking foot.  I always use the walking foot for binding because then you don't get the stretch marks, I hate stretch marks especially on my clothes and quilt bindings and thighs.  Anyway the Bernina was making a lot of noise to the point where I was thinking about a new machine.    I went into the shop with the pretense of just getting some thread,  I had to linger over the machines.  Hubby Dear the Scottsman suggested I have it looked it after he saw the sale tags.   So another trip to Sioux Falls this time with my machine which I left for 11 long days.........they found a needle fragment in  the bobbin casing.  In the mean time I sewed the final binding on the last quilt with my old Elna SU which I have had for 40 years almost to the day.  I bought it at the South Dakota State Fair in 1977 the year before we got married because I knew he would never let me spend that much money on a sewing machine.  I think she was about $600. She has had a squeak but the squeak has turned into a screech like brakes on a car in need of replacing.  I'm taking her down to Sioux Falls when I pick up the Bernina.  I was without a sewing machine over the weekend so I couldn't do any piecing and my pile of quilts was all quilted so I couldn't machine quilt.  Then I thought go get Mom's old Elna super it's only been sitting the last 15 years fortunately it was under a dust cover.  She groaned at first so I oiled the red dots then I took apart the bobbin case lint was packed in like felt and I oiled it a little more to loosen up her joints and gears.  She's five years older than mine and I don't think my mother had her serviced as often as I did.  She's not purring like a kitten but she works and she is going to go to the shop too for a tune up just in case mine is past repair.  In the words of John Wayne in True Grit when he was eulogizing his dying horse "She never gave me a reason to cuss."  --Ann--

Snail Trail

 A sunny calm day and a good day for photos. This has been complete for a couple weeks.--Ann--

Sewing room arranged Let's Play

 I managed to find a happy place for everyone in my sewing room. Sweet 16 is where Elna used to sit, I took the leaf out of the table to make a new spot for her. Now the Bernina drawers do double duty for both machines. It is easier to move chairs around than machines because my first thought was to put Elna in the Bernina table when I wanted to use her. I think this arrangement will work very nicely.

The new challenge in the sewing room is to keep this table for writing and sketching instead of a catch all. In the process of making room and tidying up I found all kinds dumb thing I unwittingly collect.......shopping bags especially if they have an interesting logo....I might use it for a project bag......small plastic containers, small glass jars and little cardboard boxes which are all very handy for little things in the sewing room, and postage stamps!?! why? because they are pretty and my mother did.
New Rules for the sewing room
1. I can't put anything new in the closets unless I get rid of something of equal size or greater. The key word there is new. Old stuff can go in and out.
2. Stop collecting bags, jars, boxes and small plastic containers unless it is really really unique or I know exactly what to put in it.
3. Buy fabric only for specific current projects or I absolutely can't live without it. I've never stopped breathing or had heart palpitations after leaving a fabric store with a small bag rather than a large bag.

I have been practicing with my Sweet 16. She sews so smooth and nice and all the space!!!!!! I have just been trying a variety of things on this quilt; echo quilting, grids, loops, arcs, and outlining and unfortunately the pastel thread does not show up on a pastel quilt. Let me sew, let me sew, let me sew and if it snows that's ok too.--Ann--

New girl in the sewing room

Here's the new girl in the sewing room, Sweet 16. Thank you hubby dearest.  Now to get things organized and workable. Clear the table and the top of the book shelf, find room in the closets and throw away some stuff.  My Elna, who has been my faithful and reliable companion since 1977, used to sit where I put the new girl. The Elna will fit in the Bernina table but I'm having a real hard time setting her aside and making them take turns piecing quilts. It just feels wrong to retire her. I want her available any time I want. I don't want to switch them back and forth in the Bernina table.  I need a make it fit button. Back to the sewing room.  --Ann--