making, learning & sharing a crafty life
Summer seems like a dream, but I’ve been meaning to tell you about three rainy days of sewing bliss I had at Jacqueline‘s cottage at the middle of August.
In a nutshell : 5 girls, 2 dogs, 4 Berninas, 2 irons, 14 rulers, 7 pairs of scissors, 5 rotary cutters, lots of good food and sewing from morning til night.
See all the photos here. Next summer can’t come soon enough.
At the workroom we sew on Bernina sewing machines and sergers. People ask me all the time what I sew on at home and now I can finally say ‘a Bernina Aurora 430‘!
I’ve been sewing for the past eight years on a machine called, ‘The Craftmaster’ which has now been passed on to my mom. I rationalized for a long time that I had 7 Berninas already (at the shop), so no need to have one at home. The truth is that I very rarely get to do any actual sewing at the shop. I’ve been wistfully dreaming of a Bernina of my own since I first tried one.
There’s a definite reason that I chose Bernina for the workroom. I believe it’s the best. I spend a lot of time talking to you about the things that I make and now I’d like to mix in talking about how I make them with Bernina. I’ll be talking now and then about special features, feet, accessories about all of the machines. (sewing machines & sergers!) Getting to know your sewing machine and what it can do for you will make you a better seamstress. If you have a Bernina, I bet you love it. I know that I am absolutely in love with mine already. I’m hoping to create a resource for Bernina owners to learn even more about their machines and love them even more!
The Aurora has been my ultimate machine for a while now and I think I’ve earned it. I plan on putting it through its paces and telling you all about it.
(OMG. Seriously. Sewing has never been this fun! This machine is heaven.)
I got lots of brilliant gift ideas from your comments yesterday. Yesterday’s winner was comment #11 from Lark. She said, “I plan to make a few sets of bias-trimmed placemats & napkins with funky fun fabrics similar to the ones on Purl Bee, maybe with hand-stitching. Also, a canning jar pincushion filled with a notions like few buttons & thread spools for my new-to-sewing daughter”
Today is Debbie‘s Crafty Wish List!
Since it seems to be on everybody’s list, today’s winner will win their choice of one metre of Liberty of London fabric or a fat quarter of each of the five prints we have in stock right now. Choose from ‘My Little Star‘, ‘Mirabelle‘, ‘Zain‘, ‘Little Mari‘, and ‘Fairford‘. Just leave a comment (with your email address) letting me know if you’d like the metre or the fat quarters and what you might do with it, if you won it. Contest closes at midnight tonight. I’ll announce the winner tomorrow with our final crafty wish list!
I’ve never shopped for a car, nor gone for a test drive in one. It seems like such a great concept though. Cruising around in various cars you may or may not buy. Deciding whether or not you love the custom leather, heated seats and turbo engine. I think my criteria for choosing a car would be rather superficial though, mostly based on cuteness and gas mileage.
Now a sewing machine is another story. While styling is always a priority for me, performance is key with my sewing equipment. Especially now that sewing and teaching sewing is my business. Right now I’m lucky enough to be doing a test drive on a Bernina Activa 220. I’ve heard only wonderful things about Berninas and I can already see why. My first impressions are impressive.
First off, the machine is quiet. I’ve never heard a bobbin wind so quietly and smoothly. The Activa sews strong, steady and with the most precise stitches I’ve even sewn. There is an optional sewing table which give you a larger surface to sew on. This machine is computerized and so far has been very intuitive to use. I’ve yet to tap into all the features and nuances of the machine. I’m working on dress 10 right now so I’ll report back with more details.
I can see now why the test drive is so desirable, it gives you just the right amount of time to develop a major crush. – sigh -
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