Janome National Pediatric Cancer Foundation NPCF50 Computerized Sewing Machine

I just got an email about this new Janome Sewing Machine and thought I would bring it to my readers attention. I will admit to loving all the bells and whistles on a sewing machine and I have a couple of very good ones although I would love the Janome Skyline S9! To get it means saving lots of pennies and selling a lot of things out of my sewing room. If you don't want to save your pennies for one of the top of the line machines, you might want to consider this machine; Janome National Pediatric Cancer Foundation NPCF50 Computerized Sewing Machine. The link will take you to Janome's website and the page featuring the NPCF50.

When I saw the features on this machine, I was very surprised. As you can see it has 50 different stitches. All the basic 'utility' stitches that you really need including ones for both woven and knit fabrics. Three buttonholes - which is more than enough for me since I never make them anymore as buttons and buttonholes are hard for me to negotiate with arthritic hands. The machine includes some Quilting and Applique stitches, Heirloom and French machine sewing stitches as well as Satin stitches and Decorative stitches. It even has a satin stitch heart stitch which is important to me and many of the Janome machines were being produced without it. All in all a very nice selection of stitches for any kind of sewing that you might want to do. Since they don't have the manual for this machine up yet at the Janome website, I have copied the product description from the Amazon listing (which means it might not be completely correct).

Product Description:

The Janome NPCF-50 sewing machine has the features you need to complete any project, home decor, garment sewing, scrapbooking, or quilting. The Janome NPCF-50 features fifty stitches, including three buttonholes, which give essential variety for your diverse sewing needs. It also includes all of the features you always expect from a high end Janome Decor machine, allowing you to sew with computerized precision and confidence. Features • 50 built in stitches • Auto-Lock • Memorized Up/Down needle position • Auto-Declutch bobbin winder • Stitch number, width, and length buttons • Direct stitch selection buttons • Fully Automatic sensor buttonhole • Convertible free arm for circular sewing • SFS (superior feed system) • Built-in needle threader • Reverse Stitch button • Speed control slider Included Accessories • 1/4 Inch Presser Foot • Walking Foot • Satin Stitch Foot F • Spool Stand • Zipper Foot E • Automatic Buttonhole Foot R • Felt • Screwdriver • Set of Needles • Spool Holder (large) • Spool Holder (small) • Spool Pin • Hard Shell Carrying Case • Instruction Manual • Warranty Card See Optional Accessories Janome Company Warranty • 25 Years on Mechanical Parts • 2 Years on Electrical Parts • 1 Year Labor Offer Available On Orders Shipped To United States Destinations Only

If I was still sewing on my first machine, a Kenmore with only straight and zig zag stitches, I would be drooling over this machine as it would be a such a huge step up for me. Find your local dealer and take this machine for a test drive, which is the best way to determine if you and a machine are a good 'fit'. If you have no dealer, you can buy one at Amazon. Even those with a top of the line machine might like this one to take to classes and sewing retreats.

About the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation

The NPCF50 (National Pediatric Cancer Foundation) 50-stitch sewing machine commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Foundation, a not-for-profit dedicated to raising funds for pediatric cancer research. Janome will donate a portion of every sale to the NPCF.

With its national headquarters in Tampa, the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding research to eliminate childhood cancer through the Sunshine Project, the Foundation’s collaborative research initiative. By partnering with doctors and researchers from the country’s top institutions, the Sunshine Project is fast-tracking the development of new drugs and therapies that will ultimately lead to the cure of childhood cancers. For more information, go to www.NationalPCF.org

September is National Sewing Month! Get your Patterns 25% off!

Get some patterns and pull out your sewing machine if you haven't done any sewing for a while! Even if you have done some sewing, get some patterns that are on sale. It is National Sewing Month and we have put all our sewing patterns on sale 25% this month. We have never reduced our pattern prices this much. We have a huge collection of sewing patterns in all sizes and styles at Moonwishes Sewing and Crafts at our eCrater store. I'm not positive that I got Amazon discount correct yet, but you can see our or patterns here.

Shhhhh! a little secret, part of why the patterns have been reduced so much is I want this machine and the only way to get it is to sell LOTS and LOTS! Help me out here! This machine has several features that will make life easier for me and my arthritis while sewing even more so than my 7700 does.

 After seeing the Janome Skyline S9, I am in love with the machine and want to get one and sell my other machines as needed. It is a combination sewing/embroidery machine. It was nice to see that although The Skyline S9 doesn't have the biggest hoop possible, it's biggest hoop is 6.7" x 7.9" (170mm x 200mm) compared to my current 5.5” x 7.9” (200mm x 140mm). That bumps up the sizes I can download from Embroidery Library quite a bit. One of their new designs that comes in 5 sizes, the size that would fit the Skyline hoop is an inch bigger in both directions than what I can usually sew out which is great for making a quilt blocks etc. Anyhow I'm in love with this machine. It has some tremendous features that even their top of the line Janome 15000 doesn't have! If you haven't checked it out yet, here is a link to the page it is featured on in the Janome website: Skyline S9  I have been singing it's praises enough, I think I deserve a free one as a commission at this point!

Also don't foget to download your Embroidery Library September designs. There are three of them this month for a total of 15.

Me and My Sewing Room

For awhile other than to continue sorting out and cleaning up, I haven't gotten much done in my sewing room, then I had the chance to review some items from Amazon that were good 'blanks' for embroidering on. So I have been doing more sewing, but running out of time for posting. I'm not sure how others find time to post so much.

One of the first things that I got to embroider on were these lime green towels that if you are a regular customer you get your pick of colors, but if you are a Vine reviewer you get what you get. Of course I found that the lime green went great with the Project Linus frog quilts that I haven't gotten finished, but I embroidered the frogs from Embrodiery Library and used the lettering in my Janome 300e to write on the other end, Burp Baby Burp. I did this one in blue to go along with the quilt, and the next burp rag will be in pink lettering since the quilt will be more pink. I think I have enough of the frog fabric and coordinates to make at leat two more quilt tops and happy to say I have two more lime green towels too so I can make burp rags to include with those quilts as well! I know when my boys were little they were champion spit-up kings so spare burp rags are always welcome.

In the midst of the sewing I got another addition to my sewing room courtesy the Vine prgram. It is a bedside stand, but as far as I am concerned it is making a great stand to hold my Janome 300e at the proper level. No more stretching my arms up to thread it. Beautiful isn't it?

Then I got this great set of placemats and napkins. I didn't attempt trying to embroider the placemats as they were woven and seemed pretty thick, but I did embroider the napkins. With a niece getting married, it seemed appropriate to embroider their monograms on the napkins using a design that has been built into all Janome embroidery sewing machines since the first 8000. It isn't like I don't have more lettering and wreath styles to enclose them, but as the years have gone by, the software for manipulating designs on the 300e it has become harder and more time consuming to transfer designs to the machine. So I always end up with the default designs. If I had my druthers, I would upgrade, but don't have the finances to do so at this point in my life.

I also got a set of two black butcher aprons. I wasn't real impressed with the weight of the fabric or the construction, but sufficient if you need some colored aprons for a one or two time event. So for the newlyweds I embroidered their name on each apron, the letting again from the 300e and I appliqued the free-hand cut heart on each apron. Not even sure if either cooks but trying out their aprons might inspire them.

I also got in two different sets, one was a set of six purple tea towels and several weeks later a set of purple and white zig zag pot holder and oven mitt. This was great as I got some items that coordinated. This afternoon I embroidered the curvy lines on the towels using my Janome 7700 stitch #149 on the default settings. I used the cloth guide to keep me sewing straight as I didn't want these lines going all over. Some people complain about not being able to draw a straight line, I can't sew a straight line without a little help! I do wish that there was a stitch like this one only more pointy like the zig zags on the pot holder and oven mitt. Maybe some machine have them. Mine don't.

I also tried out Embroidery Library's Wild Rose Spray on one of the towels. These towels really embroidered easily, just be sure to use the right stabilizer behind it. I still have three more of these towels to embroider, but not quite sure what exactly to do with them.

I was just happy to be in my sewing room more than I had been in a very long time. I'm feeling much better than usual. I don't know if it is the Remicade IV I get every six weeks, the warmer summer weather or the fact that I have been cutting out a lot of chocolate out of my diet. Could be all of them or none of them, just happy for each day I feel fairly well. I'm even trying to push myself to take extra steps as much as possible each day. They say with RA it is important to exercise but it is so easy to go too far and end up not being able to move for the next couple of days, so I'm trying to 'sneak' the exercise in! Hey thanks for reading.

My latest on my wish list of machines I would like to have. They also have a new Janome 9400 out but doesn't look like it is currently for sale at Amazon. What can I say, I love sewing machines and the fancier the better. With our current family economics, these are just dreams. I'm fortunate to have a great dealer in my town where I would buy my machines from, Super Stitch in North East, PA, but for those that aren't that fortunate isn't it great to be able to buy something like this on line?

Embroidery Library Pillow Party Look Book

 

Embroidery Library Pillow Party Look Book

 

 

Embroidery Library does it yet again with a wealth of design ideas. If you are already crafting presents for the holidays for your home or to give as gifts, you will want to look at this Pillow Party Look Book . It not only has an abundant showing of great pillow ideas, you can also find the instructions on how to make each of these pillows. There is no charge for the Look Book or the instructions and if you have been collecting embroidery designs, you might already have some of the designs that you would like to use. Currently a lot of the pillow embroidery designs are on sale with the sale ending today (9-13-15) but the designs won't disappear. You can always find them to buy on Embroidery Library and if price is a factor, Embroidery Library has frequent sales and monthly freebies.

 

 

And folks for those of you that don't know, Janome is coming out with a new embroidery machine, the Memory Craft 500e. The MC500E has a maximum embroidery size of 7.9”x11”! and it comes with 4 embroidery hoops; RE28b 7.9" x 11", SQ20b 7.9" x 7.9", RE20b 5.5" x 7.9" and SQ14b 5.5" x 5.5". Designs are easily imported through a USB and edited through the machine's advanced on-screen editing functions. Navigation through all of these features has become easier with the MC500E’s new LCD color touchscreen. And Yes, I'm drooling! Can't you just imagine embroidering large designs and quilting in one go a 8" X 8" quilt block which is one of my favorite sizes to work with using my 2 x 4 pre-cuts that I make myself. One of these days I would like to make one of these machines mine and this is why I always encourage downloading free embroidery designs that you find even if you don't have the capacity to do it yet. Some day your prince, er. machine will come!.

Janome Purple Tip Sewing Machine Needles

I belong to a Janome sewing digest and have seen the ladies on the board (could be men as well, hard to see through the monitor screen) asking where they can find Janome Purple Tip Sewing Machine Needles . While I haven't used them as yet, I do know where you can find them as well as the Red Tip and Blue Tip Needles. the folks on the digest that have used the purple tipped needles swear by them to help prevent skipped stitches.

Here is some more information about the Purple Tip Needles from Amazon:

Janome Purple Tip Sewing Machine Needles are designed to prevent skipped stitches when sewing on stretch fabrics.

The Janome Purple Tip Sewing Machine Needles are great for sewing quilt layers and also for sewing across the hem.

The Janome Purple Tip Sewing Machine Needles are in size 90/14 and are 5 needles per pack.

Here is some more information about the Blue Tip Needles from Amazon:

• The Blue Tip needle is specially designed for Janome machines. The unique design has a slightly longer than normal scarf to cure skipped stitches and puckering in any problem fabrics especially synthetics. Size 75/11 Highly recommended for all Janome embroidery machines.

Here is some more information about the Red Tip Needles from Amazon:

• Janome Size 14 Red Tip Sewing and Embroidery Needles are designed for denser embroidery. Created in the same style as the classic Blue Tip needle, the Janome Size 14 Red Tip Sewing and Embroidery Needles provide the extra strength and durability needed for denser embroidery and thicker fabrics. This Janome Size 14 Red Tip Sewing and Embroidery Needles are equipped with a larger eye, which helps to prevent the thread breakage that can occur when working with tricky threads, such as metallic.

I would love to hear from those who have used these needles. Are they worth it? Did you have any trouble with them? Do your skipped stitches disappear when using them? Any comments that can help out your fellow sewers would be appreciated.

Last chance for Embroidery Library's Free May Designs!

Today is your last chance to 'buy' your Free May 2015 machine embroidery designs from Embroidery Library. This month there was three of them. One set was Suzani Butterfly with Flowers and also a Suzani butterfly on it's own. There is also a fun vintage sewing machine with birds and flowers.  Lots of places that these designs can be used.

While you are there picking up your May designs, you can grab the June designs already as well. There is a basket of lovely red roses in two sizes, and a Spice it up sampler also in two sizes. It is certainly worth your while to go get these designs.

What if you don't have an embroidery machine yet but are planning eventually to get one? Get those designs now anyhow so that when the day comes that you have an embroidery machine you won't be dependent on just the designs that come with your machine. I have been downloading free designs for years and I probably have maybe 4-5 thousand ones. I even download designs that are larger than my machine can cope with, but I want to have them just in case. In the meantime study up on brands you are interested in. I do recommend Janome machines, and no they don't pay me to say that! I've been using their brand of machines for close to 35 years at this point and they never disappoint. You can either buy a stand alone embroidery machine or choose from several different machines at different price points that are combination sewing and embroidery machines. While I do recommend that you support your local dealer, if you are so unfortunate to have a dealer that is a 'pill' or they are so far away, you may want to consider buying on line.

Great Little Sewing Light

I have the privilege of being on Amazon's Vine Review Program (sorry you can't ask to be in this program). Besides lots of books that I get to read and review, I also get all sorts of items to use and review. This little light I just got to review. It can clamp onto an embroidery hoop if you need extra light for part of a design. With the arthritis in my hands, I can't continually hold onto my embroidery hoop with even this little bit of extra weight added on. But if you are in a tiny very technical spot, and need extra good lighting this little light will do the job. I have also checked, and if I clamp it onto the accessory table that came with my Janome 7700, and then point the light to any unsewing I have to do. Don't you just hate unsewing? I know I do and with this little light I'll be able to see those stitches that are hard to focus on with bifocals.


 

Artful Machine Embroidery: A Visual Guide to Creating Clothing You'll Love to Wear

I just saw this book on a embroidery design site. I'm not sure how this book got past me as it was published in 2012. It looks like a terrific book to help you learn some principles and design settings for using machine embroidery designs to make your garments just that much better. The book is Artful Machine Embroidery: A Visual Guide to Creating Clothing You'll Love to Wear by Bobbi Bullard. The book is 227 pages with ISBN 13 - 978-1607055822 and is a softcover. It also come with a bonus CD with 20 machine embroidery designs. I always love getting some of the designs that are used in a book so that I can recreate the look. 

Back when I had my first sewing-embroidery machine, the Janome 8000, you could only buy designs from Janome and they cost almost $100 for 8-9 designs, all smaller than 4" x 4". Since Janome was the first out with a sewing-embroidery machine combo for home sewers, no wonder new designs were so expensive and would entail a wait of anywhere up to around 6 months before the next Memory Card would come out! We are so fortunate now that we have an abundance of machine embroidery designs and no waiting or extraordinary high expense to purchase them! I have probably several thousands designs that I got for free from the different companies so that you can test their designs before purchase. Way back in the early 1990's I would never have conceived of being able to get designs for free! I post many of the ones that I find on a Pinterest page and just in the last two years since I started Pinning I have over 400 free designs posted!

 

The Janome 12000 is my current dream machine!
 


Don't have a ton of money for a dream machine (which is why it is a dream machine!) The Janome 350 is a nice stand alone embroidery machine that can be used to embroider while you sew on your regular sewing machine.
 

Machine Savvy: Tips for Creative Sewing

I just discovered a Craftsy class last night that I hadn't seen before. It is called Machine Savvy: Tips for Creative Sewing . The teacher is Linda McGehee. She uses Janome sewing machines for what she is sewing and teaching. Best of all the mini class is FREE! I love finding instructions for doing things based on the brand of sewing machine that I have, although I don't see Janome projects very often except on their website http://janome.com/ so I am extra excited about this class! Most of the projects for this class provides a foundation for making bags of all sorts and who doesn't need another bag?

If you have a Janome sewing machine, or any machine for that matter (although you may have 'transpose' some of the instruction to fit with your machine) this should be a great class to learn some of the techniques to take your sewing and crafting to the next level!

Here is a book that might be of help to you as you do the projects in the class and then want to finish the samples into bags. This book isn't written specifically to go with the class, but should provide some good guidance in making your bags.

Free Machine Embroidery Designs - Christmas

Since they opened their business, Embroidery Library has been my absolute favorite machine embroidery design site. Not only do they give bountiful free embroidery designs monthly, but I know when I buy a design or use one of the free design it will sew out perfectly. They also have a color match page where you can tell them which threads you have and they will tell you what color threads to subsitute for the Madeira threads that they use in their deisgns. this is great for when the color is 'honeysuckle'--what does that mean? They also publish many of their designs in multiple sizes so you don't normally have to take a 2 inch square design and try to increase it's size to 6 inchs in your software. If you haven't signed up for their weekly news flash of latest designs and latest freebies, you should now so that if they do the Christmas Club as they usually do each year you can take advantage of it. Club members get lots of Free Christmas designs, generally all coordinated, but you also earn points towards more designs.

Yesterday they came out with three Christmas designs that are only free this weekend, through August 24, 2014. There are three designs and all come in 5 different sizes. I'm pretty sure I have mentioned this before, but I take advantage of downloading all sizes even if my embroidery machine can't accomodate them since I never know when Santa might bring me a Janome 12000 which could take all sizes. Hmm, maybe I could just save my Amazon reward points for the next 1000 years and then I could buy the machine myself. Anyhow, the point being, just because you don't have the capacity NOW for sewing out all the different sizes, download them just in case next year you  or the year after you move up to that bigger capacity machine.

                                                                

 

 

Quilting organization.

Interweave Press is having a contest and wanted to know about tips for organizing your stash. There will be a random drawing for the prize winner, so I figure there is no chance I will win, but thought I should post some of the things I do for those that might be interested.
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I have to agree that you need to use the system that works for you. Mine is storing fabric in boxes that paper came in. They fit on my shelves just great. I do not sort my fabrics by color, but I try to keep some by fabric theme such as juvenile prints so it is easier to grab what I need when making a baby or Project Linus quilt. I also keep all Christmas fabrics together in one box so that I don't have to root through boxes to find what I'm looking for. Otherwise I love going through my stash looking for just the right color and falling in love with my fabrics all over again. That is part of the joy of quilt making for me.

My best organizational tip, is whenever you are finished with a project, cut the scraps down into workable size squares and rectangles and now that I'm into making hexagons, those as well. I cut up as much as I can into 2.5 " x 2.5" squares, 4.5" x 4.5" squares, and a 2.5" x 4.5" rectangles. I call these my 2 by 4's as to me they are the same as the 2 by 4's that constructions workers use to frame out a house. I can make hundreds of styles of quilts with these three shapes. Anything smaller goes in the trash and pieces that are bigger get folded back up neatly with the rest of the fabric unless all that is left is a strip and I cut that into a 2.5", 2" or 1.5" strip. So I have been ahead of the jelly rolls, etc. for years!

Whenever I get a new quilting magazine, as I look through it, if I see a project that can be made out of my pre-cuts, I will flag it with a Post-it note and the same with easy baby quilts I will flag as well. That way when I need a new idea I don't have to look at the whole magazine, just the pages that are flagged.

I have a disabling chronic health problem so anything that I can do to make things easier truly benefits me, such as I have a Janome 7700 with an automatic thread cutter (much easier than picking up and manipulating scissors to trim off threads), an acrylic table that allows me to rest my forearms and hands on while piecing and I always do chain piecing, push 'buttons' to set my settings so no manipulating dials (I never use the jog dial on the machine).

No matter what the world is doing in their sewing spaces, do what makes you comfortable. I love the look of all those fabrics that are setting open on the shelves, but I also know what dust and sunshine can do to fabric, especially on the folds. So mine is packed away. Oh yes, fashion fabric is in boxes separate from quilting fabric.

Janome 15000

Available October 1, 2013, Janome's latest "baby" the new Janome Memory Craft 15000 sewing/embroidery/quilting machine. From what I've seen, I'm getting that "Be still my heart" feeling, especially when I saw it quilting. Although my machine set up is very good at this point, quilting by machine using embroidery/quilting designs is still difficult for me as I only have approximately a 5" x 7" area before I have to re-hoop which ends up with puckers and designs that aren't always precise when coming together. I generally end up doing a modified stitch in the ditch with decorative stitches, especially on my Project Linus quilts. I would love to see what I could do with them with this machine.

I just have to face it. I love Janome sewing machines and the more do-dads and features the better I like them. I am however, waiting for the day they come with the ability to cut fabric and also dispense chocolate! LOL

If you are interested in seeing what this machine can do, here are some links to  YouTube videos of it in action. I'm sure you will be as impressed as I am.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSqhK8MNHTc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miLr0Nqo3lU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Oaj0yvQ_rY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PprjWENH9XE

Practicing Circular Stitching

My hubby got me a circular stitcher accessory for my Janome 7700 for Christmas. I had been wanting one since this machine has all sorts of decorative stitches. I had a bit of a difficult time installing it on my machine but that could have very well been weakness in my hands form the arthritis. I had found on the Bernina website a project for learning to use their circular stitcher. I don't care where I find ideas, if my machine can do them, I will try them out. So I printed out the instructions and photo of the project and went to town. What fun! You can do some amazing things with a circular stitcher, but it pays to practice. You have to learn not only how to set up the design, you have to learn which designs work well in circles and how to hold the fabric. Here is part of the sample that I made.

I decided that the smaller circle would look good with a button and since I had just found a little bag of buttons at my thrift store and one was the perfect color, I used it. I have had machines that have had the capability to sew on a button with the included button foot for at least 20+ years and have never sewed a button on with the machine before. I think I was always sure I would break a needle or in some way damage something. Instead I have either avoided buttons altogether or sewed them on by hand, making a mess of knots in the back. I do quite nice embroidery but buttons baffle me. With some directions from The Sewing Machine Accessory Bible, which is a great book on presser feet by the way, I attached that button foot and did a little adjusting and in no time I had sewn on a button. No snarls , knots or tangles on the back either. The only problem that I had was getting the button exactly where I wanted it. It was supposed to be in the center of the circle yet it is off center.

The circle that the button is in is fringe I made with the circular attachment by sewing a close zigzag at 7mm and then sewing on the far left of the satin stitch with a straight stitch. I did get a little wobbly, so yet another thing to practice. After sewing the satin stitch and then the stitch to hold them down, go to the back of the fabric and snip the bobbin thread and if you did it right, you end up with fringe which would make a great flower.

Latest Quilt

Now that Christmas has been here and the presents are opened, I can now share my latest quilt project that I made for my son Steve. Steve is 6'2" I believe, so the quilt had to be pretty large to fit over him. I made it approximately 7' x 5'. I used plenty of scraps in it that were already pre-cut in the 4 and 2" squares and the 4x2" rectangles that I have mentioned before. See what a help that can be to have those cut out ahead of time? Some of the scraps in this quilt are from Ron and Savannah's wedding tablecloths that I snitched with permission, and also scraps from just about every special person I have made a quilt for including an old boyfriend that remains a friend to this day. Steve may not know all the memories, but they are there. I put this quilt together in a quilt as you go technique that I keep trying to improve on (at least my technique) so that it doesn't kill me with my arthritis to make a large quilt, but at this point, I think I am going to cry 'uncle'. Even with doing the quilt in sections, when I finally put the last two together (which was the whole bulk of the quilt) the muscles in my neck, shoulders and hands were cramping up like crazy. One thing I did do that was a huge help was binding the long edges and mitering the corners before putting all the sections together so I wasn't having to manipulate all that fabric and batting. It was just quick work to finish the binding on the top and bottom when I put all the sections together. I even MITERED the corners! A first for me thanks to a Nancy Zieman video that I watched enough times that dyslexic me could figure out which way to bend the binding strips.

 

 

I reference Sharon Pedersons' Reversible Quilts books each time I do a quilt as you go quilt and they are a big help. Until just a few minutes ago I didn't realize that she had a DVD out, but I bet it would be a really big help. The back of each of the blocks in Steve's quilt is a different fabric so he can use it either direction. It is such a bright quilt, I called it Steve's Happy Quilt, becuase how can you wake up sad after sleeping under it? this quilt was made entirely on my Janome 7700 Horizon sewing machine.

 

 

 

 



 

The Sewing Machine Accessory Bible by Wendy Gardiner & Lorna Knight

The Sewing Machine Accessory Bible by Wendy Gardiner & Lorna Knight  ISBN 9780312676582
I purchased this book the other day and am very pleased that I did. It is certainly a book to keep near your sewing machine, especially if you have a Janome sewing machine. Most of the illustrations feature Janome presser feet which is a rarity to see in sewing books. Other brands of machine feet are also shown so you don't have to be afraid that the book won't be of help to you.
This book is very well set up with Chapter 1 on sewing essentials including anatomy of a sewing machine and the different notions and gadgets now available to help you achieve sewing success.
Chapter 2 presents Basic feet with pictures of each foot being discussed, ideas for at least 6 sewing techniques that the foot can do and step by step instructions on the basic use of the foot. Each different foot section is 2-3 pages long in full color with pictures that are large enough to follow techniques. Chapters 3, 4 and 5 are set up the same way only they deal with Specialty fabric and technique feet, Pretty edges and Fancy Stitching. The last chapter of the book is a buying guide for machines.
Chapters 2-5 are the meat of the book and show many excellent ways to achieve different looks. If you don't have one type foot, you might find that you do have one that can mimic the same thing. You also might find that you will see feet that you want to put on your wish list or go buy immediately, as they will solve a particular sewing difficulty that you might have. I know I saw several feet that are on my wish list and seeing what they do and how they work helps me to know if they is something I really want. Some presser feet can be pricey so you want to be sure they are what you need to purchase.

I have many sewing books and this one is the best for discussion of sewing feet attachments. This book is a keeper. For logical set up, great pictures, and thoroughness, this book gets five stars from me.

Janome Life

I have added a new link on my sewing and quilting page here. It is for Janome Life . It was brought to my attention for her article on using the Janome quilt binder for mitering corners, apparently something that doesn't come with the instructions. I love savings these links and having them handy for everyone because I know if I ever get the money to buy the quilt binder, I will have forgotten otherwise where to find the article.

I also got some great news today. One of my sewing tips that I sent into Threads magazine is to be published! That put a little spark in my step to get that news. Look for issue #153, which is the one it should be in.

Happy Sewing Everyone!

Project Linus Quilt

Well I am done with my Project Linus quilt for this year. It is about 40" x 40" square with slightly ripply edges--OOPS! I used yellow and white gingham that I had picked up one day at a yard sale for $2 for over 4 yards. The Iris design is from Janome Memory card 121 Floral designs, design #12. The swirling butterfly was purchased from Embroidery Library for $1. The threads were from my stash of Robison-anton and Sulky threads. I used a yellow and white varigated thread for the stippling.

After prewashing the fabric, I squared up the gingham by tearing it along crosswise grain. This left me with a square of fabric and great directional lines for placing the designs. I found it was much easier to get the machine embroidered iris designs just right when placing them in the hoop by following the fabric colored line and I didn't need to use fabric markers that I'm never sure will come off right. The butterflies, I just put randomly on the quilt top. If you have never attempted a machine embroidered whole cloth quilt before, I would suggest that you use a woven gingham fabric if at all possible as it really does add in placement. A printed design won't have the same effect especially if the fabric got printed off grain.

I enjoyed this project and hope the baby and parents that receive this quilt will enjoy it also. I don't generally get a chance to do much 'girly' sewing, so this was especially fun for me to do.

Cooper's Stitches

I ran into another machine embroidery site today. They have a small but growing site with a lot of sample projects, examples of how to combine designs to make a larger design or quilt block. They have some lovely floral designs (which I'm always a sucker for), animal and holiday designs. There is also a nice selection of FREE sample designs so you can do some stitch outs of their designs before you pay to buy one of their sets.

I think it is very important for machine embroidery design sites to have a good selection of freebies as money is too tight for some of us to buy something that isn't what we thought it would be. I have collected a massive amount of free designs and have also bought sets. I have never, however, bought a set from a digitizer that I haven't been able to do a sew out for free first. Probably one of the reasons I have been using and promoting Embroidery Library since it opened up. They give out free designs every month and they are very well stitched out. I also have bought many designs from them. Currently I'm just finishing up a Project Linus quilt that has a Butterfly in Flight design which was just perfect to go with the iris designs from one of my Janome memory cards. I'm almost done with the quilt and will be posting pictures as soon as possible.

Apron Magic

I’ve never been the type of woman that thrilled to be doing housework. You kniw, the dusting, vacuuming and dishes. I always preferred reading a book or sewing. The one night I couldn’t sleep and at 3 in the morning found myself sewing a pink apron with white eyelet ruffles on the pockets. It was a butcher style apron that covered my whole front in case of splashes.

The first time I put that apron on something strange happened. I became Betty Crocker, June cleaver and the happy homemaker all rolled into one. I found myself cooking up a storm, thinking nutritious thoughts, cleaning and sweeping. I couldn’t stop myself. Every day that apron got more and more splashes and splats and I knew it was time to throw it in the laundry.

Now what? The old me started creeping back. What to do until laundry day? I went up to my sewing room and made another apron. This one had a white background with blue roses print. A pocket with lace and a blue rose embroidered from Janome’s Victorian Rose collection. I put that apron on and the magic returned.

I realize now that if I make a couple more pretty aprons I’m going to have a clean, neat house and lots of savory smells emanating from the kitchen. There’s just something magic about wearing aprons.