Jumping out of the Hoop

I am a woman of great contradiction.. and that can be a bit confusing at times and at others the combination of my love of technology and love of handwork come together is a way that really rocks my world. 

Anyone who knows me knows I am obsessed with  DMC Pearl Cotton  Honestly there should be a 12 step program for me, it's just that bad.   I own every color... and that is a LOT of Pearl cotton, but it makes me oh so happy.  I love to stitch with the stuff and use it everywhere that anyone else would just x-stitch floss. 

 Now to combine it with all my pretty machine embroidery threads is a dream come true! I have spent many a happy moment of late adding  hand stitches to a new group of embroidery designs. Adding little hand touches is a fast refreshing way to freshen up your embroidery that anyone has time for!

It's just a couple of stitches but wow... what a punch it gives any project!

I can't wait to share this with you!!!

Be Still My Heart

Have you ever seen a  fabric collection that made every little tiny part of your soul just sing??

For me it's Meadow Sweet 2

Lordy.. it makes me happy just looking at it and I must must must make it mine.  And opposed to my usual random acquisition of fabric I have a PLAN for this fabric.. ( I sure you a relieved to hear that!)  I have a chair in my living room that is uber comfy but no longer matches anything and I am going to re-do the chair with  the fabric after I quilt it up!  I think it's going to be smashing!

Wish me luck!

Studio Time

I took some time today to make a cover for my Studio... want to make one too?.. follow along.

Do You Know Your Fabric Sweets?

A Layer Cake contains 40 or 42 10" squares (always at least 40, regardless of the number of pieces in the line, so you could have duplicates or have a few pieces of the line left out).

A Candy Bar contains at four collections of 2 1/2" x 5" strips of each fabric included in the fabric lines. In some instances, we have "broken" our candy bars up and you can purchase "Snack Size Candy Bars" of individual fabrics.


A Charm Pack contains at least one 5" square of each fabric included in that fabric line. However, the newer Moda Charm Packs now include at 40-42 squares, so you could have duplicates.


Turnovers contains 80 triangles (40 squares). Join 2 triangles to make a 5" half square triangle block.



A Jelly Roll contains 40 strips, 2 1/2" x width of fabric (always 40, regardless of the number of pieces in the line, so you could have duplicates or have a few pieces of the line left out).



A Honey Bun contains 40 strips, 1 1/2" x width of fabric (always 40, regardless of the number of pieces in the line, so you could have duplicates or have a few pieces of the line left out).



A Jelly Cake contains one Layer Cake AND one Jelly Roll!



A Charming Jelly Cake contains one Layer Cake, one Jelly Roll & one Charm Pack!



A Dessert Roll contains 10 precut 5" x WOF strips


I LOVE THEM ALL!!!!

More NOEL

Well its' pieced and I have to decide how to quilt it. I know I will be ditch stitching on the bigger lines..  but after than i am drawing a blank.. of course that is why it's on the wall not on the machine right now :)

 Zensiprations stitched out great.. the Fairy Frost was just right...  come on quilting  inspiration!

What do you think???

The First Noel

Dare I say it?... but yes its time to be sewing for the holidays, if not a bit late if  you have a really long list. I am just getting started and first out of the shoot is this wall-hanging in process.  Done with the OESD Zenspiration collection this is a modern take on an age old holiday sentiment.  The letters are 7inches high and the blocks are 9.5inches.

I have not as of yet decided how I am going to sash these but will be messing around with ideas today.   Ater piecing I think I will stipple quilt the background... but who knows.. hopefully inspiration will strike me.

While not traditional  in color the fabric is Fairy Frost and has a slight metallic sparkle to it helping with that holiday feeling.

The letters are wild and lavish.. really pretty much over the top but grounded by intense lines. I am really grooving on it.

Kit-reffic

A simple little kit to solve a big PIA!

For those with Bernina 820 and 830's that are not able to use your guide on your walking foot I have come up with a small fit enable you to once again use your guide with ease.

This little kit contains 6 snug washers ( 3 nylon, 3 rubber) and a length of rubber tubing that can be cut to size for your spacing needs.

Just thread the cut to length tubing onto the guide first.. put the guide through your walking foot and then use one of the nylon or rubber washers to hold it snug up against the walking foot. It's that easy!

When done it should look like this

To order ..

CLICK HERE and it will take you to my storefront ( yep.. it's open again!)

Bernina boo-boo- walking foot guide problem.

It seems that on some of the new Bernina 830 machines that the dual feed gets in the way of the bracket on the walking foot that you would use to keep metered spacing between your rows.  My personal machine is plagued with this bothersome feature and I know of others in the same boat.  there are other who are able to use their guides with no problem.

For those with the problem it looks something like this.

Can you see how the downward prongs on the dual feed are hitting my bracket on my guide bar?.. this interferes with me lifting the foot all the way on the cone and locking it in place..

Same here

knocking again ~sigh~

With the dual feed foot lifted up out of the way you can see how my walking foot it not even centred on those prongs..

Totally wack-a-doo.. the bracket will not fit on....

but I am not a woman easily daunted.. I am a woman who wanted to use her guide for some channel quilting!

Thus a trip to my hardware store brought me delight!

( I will take a moment here to praise the small town hardware store where they guy there is willing.. neigh happy to drag you all over the store looking for ways to solve your problem...thanks ROY!)

My Solution

Rubber vacuum tubing and nylon washers... not exactly pretty but it works like a charm!

I purchased tubing that was a snug but not an impossible fit on the rod as well as matching  nylon washers. I cut the tubing to size for the gap I wanted to have between rows and slipped it on the guide arm.. slide the guide through and then slid on the washer to hold it snug.  It works like a  charm!

I am putting together a few kits for those who might have the same problem.

The teeny-tiny fix it kit will contain

1 small length of tubing enough to cut a couple of buffers

6 washers, 3 nylon, 3 rubber

and instructions

I will send them out via the post office and the kit cost will be $5, including shipping.

If you need one ( if your guide works you do not need one!)

Just drop me a line at

maddie6@bellsouth.net

and I will send you a Pay-Pal invoice and then get the little kit into the mail this week!

Boosting sewing room productivity!

It's getting sort of crowded in my studio with the arrival of my new STUDIO from Accquilt.  For those who don't know this machine or it's portable little sister sidekick The Go!.. these are die cut machines, both big and small. They make short work of cutting fabric into quick shapes for faster and more accurately cut quilt blocks.

On my end while I will be using it for quilting I have some ideas for combining the die cuts with in the hoop embroidery, with hopes of some awesome results!

Lovies for the Cause

Once again I am partnering with my husband  to raise money for The Susan Komen 5k Run for the Cure. On my Longarm Virgin blog I am quilting for the cure and over here at Fresh Thread I am offering a complete set of Lovies Embroidery files ( as seen in my header) for a donation of $10 or more to my husband's race donation page.   This offer begins on August 9th and runs through the race date Sept. 26th

Take advantage of this offer you will need to go to my husband's race page and make your donation and then drop me a line at maddie6@bellsouth.net. I will then check the race donation confirmation page for your donation and  send your files via e-mail. 

  This will be my husband's second year to run the race after rehabbing from two leg fractures and heart surgery. I could not be more proud of him and his running to support multiple different charities each year.

Thank you for helping support his mission to run in support of the women in his life!

To access the race page click

HERE

Serging ahead

Today the mamas at SEW MAMA SEW ask why I would want another serger.. in fact they are so serious about the knowing our thoughts that they are giving away a serger!

As for me... i love my serger  but adding a second serger to my studio would mean being able to keep one threaded up with dark thread and another with light thread... or to have one set up for doing the ever so wonderful rolled edge while the other would be set up for regular serging.

Don't get me wrong.. I am blessed to have 1 serger but I used to have two and when I did it was SUCH a blessing to be able to bop between the two machines.. making sewing even faster and more fun.  Since no matter how easy a serger is to thread ( with some being easier than others!) it still takes time and totally kicks my sewing mojo in the tail when I have to switch back and forth a bunch of times.  When my second serger ( which use to be my first.. follow that?) died it was a sad day but I did  not understand how much it had added to my productivity.. I would LOVE to have that option back!

Now for something totally differnt!

Anyone who knows me will not be surprised that in my head there are very many drawers.. and while some of the drawers are related to one another many of them are quite divergent!  I go through my day mentally opening and sorting through each one. taking stuff out.. putting stuff in and acting ideas that spring from them. This can make for a rather chaotic through process but also makes for some really cool ideas, one of which I am working on right now. - Wish me luck!

My Modern Victorian Heart

While I always admire that cool spare design you see in modern  mags my heart beats faster with color and detail. Couple that with a nod to the modern with somewhat cleaner lines and progressive

 technique and you get ...

 My Modern Victorian Heart. 

 Coming this Fall.

Start gathering those silks, satins and velvets.. you are going to love this!