NEW Favorite LQS and NEW Project! Modern Baby Clam Shell Quilt

Okay, so the advice I got from you all from my last post was pretty evenly split down the middle between quilting another charity quilt for more practice versus attempting to custom quilt my Paint Me a Story bear paw quilt with my current skill set.  So last week I quilted nothing in real life and designed a compromise project in EQ8 software instead.  

The new project will be more interesting to piece than what I'd choose for a charity outreach project, but not nearly as complex as any of my WIPs that are anywhere near quilting stage.  This baby quilt is intended as a gift for baby whose arrival is anticipated within the next week, so that gives me a built-in "deadline."  [Just so we’re clear, that deadline is December of 2036.  I hope to finish the baby quilt before the baby turns 18].  Baby quilts are really perfect for developing custom quilting skills because if it looks great, the recipient will love it -- and if it DOESN'T look that great, no one will notice because everyone will be gushing over an adorable BABY! 

Behold, my new Modern Baby Clam Shell Quilt design:

Modern Baby Clam Shell Quilt, 40 x 40

Have I told you guys lately how much I love designing quilts in EQ?  And no, they don't pay me to say that, either (unfortunately!).  These clam shells will finish at 9.5" x 9.5", perfect for showing off large scale prints -- and perfect for piecing together relatively quickly, curved piecing challenges notwithstanding.  I chose this size clam shell because I already own this set of 9.5" clam shell acrylic templates:

Once I'd come up with this design I was so excited about making the quilt that I dragged my husband with me, in rush hour + holiday shopping traffic, to a quilt shop that is 37 miles away and located across the street from the giant Concord Mills outlet mall.  

Inside We're Sew Creative in Concord, NC

I hadn't been to this shop in years since it's a 40 minute drive even without traffic, but my husband thought the traffic would be even  worse if we went to my usual shop (Sew Much Fun in Lowell, NC, near Gastonia).  The two stores are about the same distance away from me but in opposite directions, and Bernie correctly anticipated that the heaviest traffic would be going in the opposite direction from us if we went to the store in Concord rather than to the store in Lowell.

And I am SO GLAD I went to We're Sew Creative in Concord, NC because, although they stock less fabric overall than Sew Much Fun, the lines they DO carry are some of my favorites -- and they also carry the following products that I did not know I could purchase locally and had been reluctantly ordering online:

• Groz-Beckert Industrial needles for my APQS longarm quilting machine

• Glide longarm quilting thread

• Bohin applique needles

• A complete line of Aurifil cotton threads in every color, even the thicker weights I've been dying to try

• Accuquilt GO! fabric cutters and a nice assortment of dies

I think this shop has been open for about 8 years, so it's not a new shop -- but it IS newly one of my favorites!  I will be changing my longarm needles and my applique needles more frequently now that I know I can get in my car and buy new ones any time I need them, and I am SUPER EXCITED that I can buy that gorgeous, strong, tension-friendly Glide thread in person, where I can lay strands of different colors across my fabric rather than guessing about colors that I see on a computer monitor.  I am GIDDY.

I ended up with a different color scheme for my Modern Baby Clam Shell quilt than what I originally designed in EQ:

My Real Life Selections for the Modern Baby Clam Shell Quilt

When I start out designing a quilt in EQ, I generally use fabric from a "virtual stash" -- images that are already loaded into the software's fabric library.  However, most of those fabrics do not exist "in real life" in my stash.  So, once I have my basic design, I look at real fabric that I own already or that is currently available for me to purchase, import those fabrics into my EQ8 software, and then recolor the design and do any additional tweaking until I'm happy with the way everything looks on my screen.

Modern Baby Clam Shell in Grunge Sky with Painted Garden Layer Cake

I selected fabrics for this quilt with the new momma's personality in mind.  I was smitten by Crystal Manning's Painted Garden collection for Moda and picked up that layer cake first for the print clam shells:

I like the bold colors and "painterly" style of these florals especially, and the scale of the prints is perfect for my oversize clam shells:

10 Inch Painted Garden Layer Cake, Same Size as My Cut Clam Shells

I chose Moda Grunge Basics in Sky for my background fabric rather than the pale gray/white I was originally thinking of for two reasons.  First, this is a baby quilt and babies are messy.  Pale pastel and white baby quilts get stained and dingy looking very quickly, wheres bold, brightly colored fabrics continue to look good even as they fade from frequent laundering.  Second, there is a lot of hot pink and red and florals in my layer cake, and I wanted a background fabric that would tone down the hyper-girly-pink vibe a bit:
  

Moda Grunge Basics in Sky

I'll be using Kaffe Fassett's Rose Clouds fabric in Mint Green for my backing.  This is one of those fabrics that didn't wow me when I first saw it online, but it's FABULOUS in person.  The style of the rose print complements the Painted Garden layer cake print beautifully, but in a much larger scale that will look fantastic as the reverse side of my baby quilt.

Backing Fabric: Kaffe Fassett Rose Clouds in Mint Green, FreeSpirit Fabrics

Finally, for my binding, I'm using the same fabric I used on my Tabby Mountain Disco Kitties quilt earlier this year, Tula Pink's All Star Stripes in Peony.

Tula Pink's All Star Stripes in Peony, FreeSpirit Fabrics

(By the way, I'm including Etsy and Amazon (affiliate) links for y'all's convenience for all of my fabric and thread picks, but PLEASE support your local quilt shop if you're lucky enough to have one that caters to your taste!  Online shopping has come a long way for sure, but there's nothing like dragging bolts of fabric around a quilt shop in person and those quilt shops are precious treasures!)

I'll be quilting this with Glide monofilament polyester thread in color #37457 Cloud, which is a really close match to the Grunge-Sky background fabric.  That will help to camouflage the wobbles that are to be expected when learning new skills, and I know from experience that Glide thread is beginner friendly and easy to use with my longarm machine.  I even doodled some quilting ideas on my iPad last night:

Possible Quilting Design

Of course I have no idea whether I actually own the right curved quilting rulers to actually quilt that design, but I like the idea of it!  I'm considering a machine embroidered monogram in the center circle, but not 100% sure about that yet.

...And yet, with all of this designing and fabric shopping and quilt doodling, no actual sewing has been done...  Well, my main sewbaby, the 'Nina 750QE, was in the Bernina shop for her annual Well Baby visit last week, and I'm juggling several interior design projects for clients, just finished up a class I've been taking, and oh yeah -- only 23 days until Christmas.  I haven't even set foot in my studio.

And yet, on this first Sunday of Advent, what I think I'd most like to work on is my Jingle BOM quilt:

2013 Jingle BOM, Designed by Erin Russek, Hogging My Design Wall Since Late June

Two reasons: First, I need to get Jingle off my design wall in order to use the design wall for laying out my clam shell project.  This quilt has been mocking me from my design wall since late June, and I've been pointedly ignoring it.  Second, well...  Wouldn't it be fun to put an actual CHRISTMAS quilt on my frame to work on during Advent?  

And so, because I am a crazy person who likes to torture myself with unnecessary stress and anxiety around the holidays, I hereby declare that:

Finishing My Jingle Quilt Top is My OMG (One Monthly Goal) for December!

I'm linking this post with the December OMG linky party over at Elm Street Quilts, and I'm also linking up with:

• ·       Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework http://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com
• ·       Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts http://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com  
• ·       Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts http://www.cookingupquilts.com/
• ·       Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt http://lovelaughquilt.blogspot.com/
• ·       Moving it Forward at Em’s Scrap Bag: http://emsscrapbag.blogspot.com.au/
• ·       BOMs Away at Katie Mae Quilts: https://www.katiemaequilts.com/blog/  

New Year's Resolutions, 2018: I Resolve to Buy More Fabric. And I Resolve to Drink More Wine.

...And I'm not just saying that to be funny, either, y'all -- I am SERIOUS.  I have made up my mind, my resolve is firm, and no one's Sew Your Stash goals or Fiscal Frugal Fishy Business is going to stop me, either.  I am going to buy more fabric in 2018, and I'm going to do it ON PURPOSE.

JUBILATION!!! She's Sewing Again!

1927 Ticker Tape Parade for Charles Lindbergh's Transatlantic flight, photo from NPR

Well, I dropped my sickly 750  QE sewing machine off at my Bernina dealer yesterday morning, and told him that she was looping and could not get past the startup screen.  I asked him to go ahead and do the annual cleaning/maintenance and firmware update at the same time, and he indicated that it might be the end of the week before I got my machine back, which sounded more than reasonable to me.

 

Imagine my surprise today when the shop called to tell me that my machine was already finished and ready for pickup!  When I got to the store, my dealer explained that he ended up staying late last night to work on a number of machines and mine was one of them.  He also DID NOT CHARGE ME A DIME -- not even for the routine maintenance and cleaning, which I had been expecting to pay for, because it's the first one for this machine and he said the first "well-baby" visit is always on the house. 

 

I know that he won't always be able to service my machine and get it back to me within 24 hours, and not every service call will be free, but still -- how I feel about that big purchase, and how calmly I'm able to handle it when things go wrong with the machine, has so much to do with what a great dealer I have.  I don't have to panic because I know that whatever it is, he is going to take my problem seriously and resolve it fairly and as quickly as possible.  This dealer is conveniently located about 5 minutes from my home, in a busy upscale shopping center that I know for a fact charges hefty rents (so it costs my dealer more to do business there). 

There is another Bernina dealer located in the middle of nowhere, about 45 minutes away, and I know that her prices are lower than my just-around-the-corner dealer, but that initial purchase price isn't everything.  Some people on the Bernina 7 Series Yahoo users' group have reported that their dealers are charging them $100 or more just to do their firmware updates, which my dealer does at no charge.  Some dealers tell customers that their problems are all "user error," or that they are just too picky, or they are using the "wrong" thread, etc.  Some dealers honestly don't seem to know what they are doing and seem not just unwilling but UNABLE to diagnose and correct the issues that can crop up with high-tech machines.

I would like to remind those who are in the market for a new sewing machine that you should evaluate the dealer as thoroughly as the machine under consideration, whether you're looking at a Bernina or at another brand.  Sewing machine dealerships are independent businesses and they are not all the same.  Some just sell you a machine, while others throw in a tremendous amount of service, education, and knowledge as a value-add.  The difference between an outstanding, knowledgeable dealer with great customer service versus an inexperienced or indifferent dealer can make all the difference in the world in whether you love your new machine for years to come or end up feeling like a fool for getting suckered into buying it.

 

We all have a tendency to tell everyone when we have had unsatisfactory shopping experiences.  I think it's just as important to spread the word and let others know when you receive outstanding customer service.  So, for those of you in the Charlotte, North Carolina area, my wonderful dealer is Berry at Creative Sewing & Vacuum in the Stonecrest shopping center, Ballantyne area.  He also has locations in Shelby and in Hickory.  :-) 

Thanks, Berry, and happy stitching, everyone!

Do I Need To Start Wearing Garbage Bags, Or Will Someone Please Tell Me Where to Buy Normal Rise Jeans in 2013?

Catherine Sarah Young of The Perceptionalist Models Trash Bag Dress

No, this is not me wearing a plastic trash bag --yet.  I found that bit of fashion inspiration at The Perceptionalist, the science/design/art/environmentalism blog of Catherine Sarah Young, in a post entitled "Hacking a Garbage Bag as a Dress.  Because Apocalypse."  Aren't you just smitten already?   

Now, you may be wondering WHY I am scouring the Internet for fashionable ways to wear a Hefty bag.  Fine; fair question.  The answer is that I hate clothes and clothes shopping, yet I dislike being cold. 

Stupid Jeans In Stores Everywhere, Photo Courtesy The New York Times

Suddenly that trash bag dress is looking pretty chic, isn't it?  I desperately need to buy jeans, but the Fashion Fascists are still dictating the stupid low-rise pants mandate and I refuse to buy another pair of jeans that won't stay up without the help of a bulky, uncomfortable belt.  Hello, jeans designers!  My WAIST is actually SMALLER than my hips!  If the top of my jeans didn't end at the widest part of my butt, my pants would stay up all by themselves, even after stretching out a bit throughout the day!  Yes, I know what you're thinking -- the helpful sales twits have explained to me that, if I would just consent to buy my jeans in a smaller size, perhaps we could get them to fit tight enough around my hips to stay up sans belt -- kind of like how a tourniquet stays in place when it's so tight that it cuts off your circulation.  This, of course, leads to the unpleasant phenomenon of Upsqueeze, more commonly known as The Muffin Top:

Nakedness is not an option at this time of year due to the cold factor -- never mind the accompanying societal disapproval and laws against exhibitionism; my objections are all about comfort.  As unflattering as the trash bag dress may be, it does look more comfortable than sausage-casing jeans, and the plastic bag might actually make a good insulator and windbreaker.  Unless anyone has other options that I should consider???

Scissorlicious!

Harriet's Dovo 3 1/2" Hardanger Embroidery Scissors, from Sassy2Stitch

Lately I've been obsessed with scissors.  Not the little plastic kind the kids use, not the ones from Office Depot that I use to open packages -- I've been searching for embroidery scissors.

What are embroidery scissors, you may ask?  Well, they are about 4" long, and they have long, thin, razor-sharp points that enable you to clip fabric very precisely, with single-thread accuracy.  This is very important for clipping concave curves and inside points of applique shapes, because if your clip goes too deep your applique shape will fray, but if it doesn't go deep enough, you won't be able to get a sharp inside point. 

Dovo 6" Stork Embroidery scissors available here from Sassy2Stitch

I began by hunting for Dovo Solingen embroidery scissors, a German brand that I've heard lots of Serious Quilters raving about, (including Harriet Hargrave, whose machine applique class I was fortunate to take last month).   However, if I'm going to pay $50 or more for a 4" pair of scissors, it's not enough that they are meticulously crafted and perform flawlessly.  They must also be beautiful!  Dovo has some fancier embroidery scissors, like the Stork scissors at left.  Hmmm...  There are too many knock-off versions of the stork scissors for my taste.  I want something special, that I don't see everywhere.  I kind of like the Scalloped embroidery scissors (below), but the scissor blades look a little squattier to me, not as thin as the others:




Dovo 3 1/2" Scalloped Embroidery Scissors, available here from Sassy2Stitch

Soon, however, I stumbled upon Sajou, a line of French scissors that are entirely handmade in small ateliers near Versailles.  My favorites are their historical reissue designs:



Sajou Langres 4" Embroidery Scissors

Ooh la la!  Look at the cute little embroidered twill label!  Look at the darling little BOX!  Are you swooning?  If not, you would be if I told you how expensive they are.  It will suffice to say that Sajou scissors make the Dovos look like an economical option.  But I'm remembering all of the breathtaking vintage and antique embroidered textiles I saw at the Marche aux Puces in Paris -- can't you just imagine that the embroiderers who created such beauty might have been using beautifully made tools like these?

Embroidered Detail of Early 18th Century MAN'S Jacket

Vintage Embroidered Collar Spied at the Paris Flea Market in 2011

I am convinced that I could easily execute exquisite embroideries like those, if only I had a pair of lovely, decadent Sajou scissors in my sewing basket.  Sajou even has an Eiffel Tower embroidery scissors, a reissue from the late 19th century: 


Sajou Eiffel Tower Embroidery Scissors

No, I didn't buy the Sajou scissors... yet.  As gorgeous as they are, and as seductive as their fancy French pedigree may be, I don't know anyone who uses them and I have never seen them in person.  Next time I get to Paris, I will definitely seek them out.  After all, when you're on vacation and you're shopping with Euros, it's kind of like Monopoly money and it doesn't really count.  Or so I tell myself.

So, what did I end up ordering?  I went with the Dovos, just not the plain ones:


Dovo 3 1/2" Embroidery Scissors, Coming Soon to a Mailbox Near Me, available here from Sassy2Stitch

I also ordered a second pair of rounded tip Dovo embroidery scissors for trimming away the backing fabric behind my applique shapes.  I already have one of those unwieldy Gingher "duckbilled" applique scissors, but that big old duck bill gets in my way and makes me feel like I'm trimming with a lawn mower or a hatchet.

Dovo Rounded Tip Embroidery Scissors, Also Headed My Way and available here from Sassy2Stitch

I also ordered this pretty beaded scissor chatelaine, basically a fancy-yet-functional necklace for keeping track of my scissors and needle threader when I'm wandering around town with my little hand sewing projects, which I seem to be doing more and more often lately:

Scissor Chatelaine, Because I'm Fancy, available here from Sassy2Stitch

Incidentally, Jenny the Quilt Skipper must have a spy cam in my office.  Her Scissor Lust post appeared today, just as I'm impatiently awaiting my own package of scissorlicious lovelies. 

Do you have a favorite pair of scissors?

Versace Must Be a Quilter, Or The Coolest Handbags That I Did NOT Buy

At Versace, Stilettos + Free-Motion Quilting + Naked = Sexy!

Hello, Dahlings!  Have you missed me?  Here I was counting down the days until school ended, thinking summer would bring some relaxation our way, but so far the first week of the kids' summer vacation has been pretty hectic.  The boys have had Vacation Bible School every morning this week, plus we had a new member orientation dinner at church last night, a couple of discouraging estimates for improving our wreck of a back yard, and a fender-bender for Bernie yesterday morning (not his fault).  I've also been busy working on a project for a design client, and we're about to drive Lars to an audition for a summer teen production of Godspell.  But I won't bore you with the details of any of that right now.  Today, we're going to talk about Shopping, Fashion, Couture Handbags, and Free-Motion Quilting. 

Sneaky Peaky from Versace -- Keep Reading!

A few weeks ago I spent several hours going through the entire South Park Mall, looking at every single handbag in just about every store, and (to the despair of many a defeated salesperson) I could not find a single bag that fit what I wanted for the summer.  I didn't want the hassle of having to switch handbags depending on my outfit and my plans for the day; that doesn't work for me.  I typically don't even know what I'm wearing until 5 minutes before I leave the house, and I'm lucky to make it out the door with shoes on my feet!  So I wanted a handbag that was neutral or at least versatile, but not boring; something that straddled the fence between casual and dressier days, something that didn't have anyone's logo plastered all over it, and something fun and unique that I would not see tons of other women carrying around this summer.  I wanted it to be big enough for my wallet, checkbook, keys, and clunky sunglasses case, but not so big that I could overload it to the point of throwing my back out.  Now, is this too much to ask of a handbag? 



Floral Python Bag from Jimmy Choo, $4,695

Apparently, yes it is.  After coming up empty handed at the mall, I spent a couple more hours searching online, and EUREKA!  I found several fabulous -- but not-so-affordable-- options, and I did not buy any of them.  Instead, I'm going to share them with you so we can enjoy them together.  Everything is connected to everything else where art, design, and fashion converge, so please indulge me even if you're not a handbag person.

This bag is my absolute favorite.  It's the Biker Multi Floral Python from Jimmy Choo, yours for just $4,695...  The floral print superimposed on natural python has a fun, fresh, contemporary feel -- I'm getting a very Parisian vibe here.  I wear a lot of solid clothing rather than prints, so this would actually work with more of my wardrobe than you'd expect.  Here's a closeup:



Fun Luxe from Jimmy Choo

As you've probably noticed, python is a Big Deal Trend right now, and every line seems to be using some of it.  Not just in fashion, either -- interior designer Mary McDonald has a gorgeous python print linen fabric in her collection for F. Schumacher & Co.:
 


F. Schumacher Park Avenue Python in Greige, 100% Linen, $196 per yard

It's a heavier-weight linen fabric, suitable for draperies, light upholstery, or wall applications...  And it would also be the perfect weight for a casual summer handbag.

After the Jimmy Choo, my second-favorite python bags are these lovelies from Gucci:


Gucci Multi Python Tote, $3,500



Multi Python Tote on Model -- Why Are These Bags So BIG?!



Gucci Jackie Malachite Green Python, $3,800 -- Pantone's Color of the Year



Gucci Jackie Warm Sand Python, $5,990 -- Love the Tassels

That last one is the most practical, from a "neutral color" perspective, anyway, and I love those big tassels.  They remind me of drapery tassels.

Just in case you're thinking that these are outrageously expensive handbags, let's look at a REALLY expensive handbag next:


Gucci Soft Stirrup Bag in Crocodile, $29,900

Crocodile Bag with Model -- These Bags Are All TOO BIG!

Umm, that bag costs more than my first car...  Granted, this is a rather large bag, and it's a gorgeous neutral that would work with just about anything, but I do like being married, so I think I'll pass.

What's with this supersized handbag thing, anyway?  Is it a purse, or a giant diaper bag? 

If you're looking for something smaller than a bowling bag, check out this lovely from Fendi:

Fendi Embroidered Leather Baguette, $2,450

Don't you just love the embroidery on the Fendi Embroidered Leather Baguette?  The size is much more sensible, and you know I love ANY color, as long as it's red...  This bag really got me thinking.  If Fendi can embroider on leather, why can't I?  Just google "how to embroider leather" and a whole slew of tutorials and videos will pop up.  The possibilities are endless!

 

Meanwhile, last but certainly not least, the folks at Versace have obviously been snooping around at the quilt shows:

 

Versace Vanitas Soft Quilted Tote, $2,295

 

It looks like someone has been practicing free-motion quilting designs on the Vanitas Soft Quilted Tote, doesn't it?  Chanel has been doing quilted leather forever (along with scores of imitators), but I've never seen THIS kind of quilting on a handbag before!  Hmmm...  I don't think I know anyone who does free-motion quilting on leather.  It would have to be really lightweight, smooth glove leather, NOT the upholstery stuff, and I'd need to work out the right needle and stitch length to get good definition for the quilting designs without perforating the leather...  I've never felt the urge to sew a handbag before, but this would be a really fun idea to play with.

Versace's Inspiration: Free-Motion Quilt Doodling by Rebecca

 

Oryany Whitney Bag, $325

So, what did I end up with after all that?  Sadly, I had to settle.  I bought this Oryany (I've never heard of them before, either) Whitney Colorblock handbag online from Nieman Marcus.  I don't love it, but I haven't seen anyone else with it, it works with just about any color, and it was inexpensive enough that I didn't HAVE to love it.  It's way too big, for one thing, a little less structured than I would prefer, and I'm annoyed by and had hoped to avoid the ubiquitous brass-plated hardware fad.  The best thing about this bag is the fun lining fabric:

It's not as exciting as the Versace or the Jimmy Choo, but the much lower price point doesn't cut into my fabric shopping budget!





Ready-to-Wear Inspiration: Decorative Machine Stitches at Lucky Brand and Quilt Block Bodices at Anthropologie

Riley Schiffli Shorts from Lucky Brand, $79.50

A couple of catalogs caught my eye yesterday as I was tossing them into the recycle bin.  You know all those decorative stitches programmed into our sewing machines -- hundreds and hundreds of them?  What to my wondering eyes should appear, but cutoff jean shorts at Lucky Brand Jeans that have been decorated with decorative machine stitches along the cut edge to look like eyelet.  How cute is that? 

Hmmm..  Somewhere I have a pair of beloved jeans with a ripped knee that I couldn't bear to throw away.  Maybe I'll try to create a longer version of these shorts?  The only thing that I haven't worked out in my head is that bulky double-felled side seam.  I might have to completely open up that seam to do the embroidery stitches, then resew it with matching jeans thread, because I can't imagine decorative stitches would form properly if I tried to stitch them across that thick seam.



Sunburst Maxi Dress from Anthropologie, $228

The other interesting piece I saw was in an Anthropologie catalog.  At first glance, I thought the bodice of this summer maxi dress was made from a paper-pieced quilt block.  Closer inspection indicates that the starburst design is embroidered and beaded, but still -- why NOT make a dress bodice out of quilt blocks?  I'm not sure I like the bib-like shape of this dress, but there's no reason any pattern for a woven fabric couldn't be cut from quilt blocks that were made just a bit larger than the pattern pieces.  I think I'd line the bodice to make sure the raw edges of the seam allowances don't unravel and come apart as the dress was washed. 

Well, I'm in dire and desperate need of a haircut and my appointment is at noon.  I have several errands to run beforehand, so I'd best step away from the computer and get on with the day.  Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

New Sewing Goodies & Studio Remodeling Update

I'm not usually one for broadcasting personal information about myself via car decals.  In fact, I only put the kids' school magnet on my car because they give these out when you contribute to the capital fundraising campaign, and I wanted to show support for the school and encourage other parents to contribute as well.  The little star on the other side of my license plate is from the police benevolent fund, another cause that I support.  However, you will never see stick figure families, monogram decals, or magnets advertising where we go on vacation, which sports teams we support, or which activities the kids participate in emblazoned all over the back of my car.  I was firmly anti-decal...  Until I saw this at a quilt shop yesterday:

Decorated: Quilt or Die!

Look what I got for my car!! Isn't that hysterical?  Skull and crossbones from a distance, but when you get closer you see that it's a skull-shaped pin cushion with button eyes, a bow on its head, and an open scissors instead of bones.  I love it!  My boys got a kick out of it, too.  My mother is the only one who doesn't like it; she thinks it's "weird."  Bernie put it on for me, and assured me that he can get it off later if I ever get tired of it.

I found this at the 2nd closest Bernina dealer to me, Sew Much Fun in Lowell, NC.  I bought my machine from the Bernina dealer 5 minutes from where I live, but he's more of a sew-and-vac shop, whereas Sew Much Fun is a full-on quilt shop with lots and lots of beautiful fabric, specialty notions and threads, embroidery stabilizers, etc.  Sew Much Fun is only about 30 minutes away from me as long as I time the trip to avoid rush hour, and I went there yesterday armed with a list of fabrics and hand applique supplies for Erin Russek's Jingle Block of the Month quilt. 

I was disappointed that Sew Much Fun didn't have many Christmas fabrics left to choose from for my Jingle project, but I did find most of the applique supplies I needed as well as several different interfacing and stabilizing options for my silk machine embroidery project.  To my delight, they did have the Bernina Deco 330 Adapter in stock that I needed for attaching my Multiple Spool Holder to my new 750 QE sewing machine.  She also had the little rubber gripper part to retrofit my #18 Button Sew On presser foot (this part comes standard on the new #18 feet as shown at left, and it prevents the button from sliding out of position while you're sewing it on by machine).  I have saved my favorite purchase of the day for last: a lovely new sewing throne:

It's the Bernina sewing chair, and honestly, I had to have it because it's red.  Even if it wasn't extremely comfortable and more fully adjustable than any other sewing chair I've tried, its redness alone would have ensured that one of these chairs eventually made it home to my studio.  The teal one I had previously looked terrible with my red cabinet, and I had considered reupholstering or slipcovering it.  A slipcover might slide around and annoy me on a sewing chair and really, reupholstering would cost more than a new chair.  Bernie had been complaining about sitting on a hard plastic folding chair in my studio, so I moved the teal chair over to the workstation shared by my serger and laptop, where my husband camps out with his iPad while I'm sewing.  Perfect solution!

While we're on that topic, here's what my studio looks like today:

Stalled Studio Remodeling Project  :-(

...And here's what still needs to happen before I can stop nagging my husband about it:

As you can see, I have already attached the Multiple Spool Holder with the adapter bracket.  Yippee!  The next thing that needs to happen is the building of the permanent cutting table.  Right now I have a temporary setup with a kitchen drawer base between metal wire mesh drawer units, with an old Pottery Barn dining table top for the surface.  The surface is too small, and although I like the wire mesh bins for fabric storage, I don't like the way they slide off the rails to the back and front and land on the floor.  I'd rather have them in sturdy wood or MDF cubbies, sized to fit, with additional storage built in all the way around the new, larger cutting table surface.  I've decided on masonite for the cutting table surface, which is what the existing sewing cabinet surface is made of, and I think it needs to be about 48" x 76".  I find the masontie not quite slippery enough for free-motion quilting, but it would be perfect on the cutting table to prevent my cutting mats from slipping.

Once the permanent cutting table has been built, I'll be able to determine whether my sewing cabinet can move any closer to the cutting table without it getting too cramped.  Bernie can install a floor outlet for cords beneath the sewing cabinet once we're sure that's where it's going to stay.  I hate that plastic folding table behind my cabinet, but I need the extra surface area to support large quilts and for staging and planning purposes.  What I dislike about the plastic table is its ugliness and wasted space beneath, where I pile all sorts of supplies and equipment that has no other home -- creating a lot of visual clutter.  So the sewing cabinet will be expanded to the back with additional built in storage for my embroidery module and other items built in.  The new sewing cabinet surface will NOT be masonite as I indicated on my rendering; that was a typo.  I think it will be MDF with some kind of Formica laminate top, and I want it to have breadboard-style pullouts on the front, to the left and right of the sewing machine, that can be used as mini cut and press stations for paper piecing projects.  I also want to go back to the airlift I was using before with my Artista 200/730E.  With the old machine, I had to lean on top of the machine in order to get the lift to move from one position to another, but I think it will work better with the heavier, 30 pound 750 QE machine.  In any case, the new electric lift we installed is driving me nuts because it doesn't have the capability to program stop positions.  So it lifts the machine shelf too high, then too low, then too high... 

We'll try to get as much storage as we can beneath the sewing cabinet and cutting table, and then address any leftover storage needs that remain.  The wooden unit that you see to the left of the cutting table now needs to go.  The shelves are not useful sizes for storing the items that I need to find homes for, and the length of this bookshelf extends too far to the left, getting in the way of the large design wall that I want on that wall.  It's the only wall where I can do a design wall because of the steeply sloped ceiling and the window on the opposite wall.  Pegboard will go on the wall to the right and/or to the left of the cutting table for ruler storage, and hooks will go on one side of my sewing cabinet for hanging my embroidery hoops.

Scalamandre Stravagante in Color 01, a 24-screen print, $399 per yard

I'm kidding about the Scalamandre drapery valance. Probably. Well, we'll see. I do love that fabric -- the colors and details are so gloriously vivid, and look at that vase! -- but the price point is way out of whack, even for me, considering this is the sewing room...  If I did use this fabric in my sewing room, I'd do a different kind of window treatment so the fabric could be applied flat instead of gathered into swags.  That way I would need just a yard or two, and the gorgeous print would be much better appreciated on a flat fabric treatment as opposed to gathering it up in swags.  In any event, we're a LONG way from window treatments for this room -- I just couldn't bear to leave the window naked in my little design picture.

We're off to church for Good Friday soon.  Lars is the acolyte, so we can't be late -- and that means I'd better figure out what I'M going to be wearing, as opposed to what my windows will be wearing! 

Happy Easter, Happy Passover, and Happy Spring, everyone!