Our new addition to the sewing room

A couple of weeks ago Keith and I stumbled across an embroidery machine on craig's list. Not just any e-machine but a Babylock Pro-Line embroidery machine. Yes I already have a Brother Disney machine but in reading the group emails some of the ladies were having issues with things and were having trouble getting replacement parts. Plus the deal really was too good to pass up. Along with the machine I got a Madeira treasure chest FULL of Rayon thread 200+ spools (If you have priced them online lets just say that I got the machine and thread for less than I could buy the treasure chest for). I got a similar deal on my Brother machine a few years ago the lady sold it to me with a box full of about 100 spools of thread.



So does loads and loads of thread count as stash? If it does I had better get to sewing .. Smiles. Using the embroidery machine right now is a bit easier than actually sewing. So I have been putting together my list of things to do using the embroidery machine. When I feel up to it of course. I have done a bit of work on EQ 6 but wasn't happy with the way things came out so all in all I have been non productive while on surgery leave. Thats okay though once I feel up to it I will be sewing to my hearts content.

Keith and I have talked and think that this year is going to be a hand made gift year for our families. If I start now I might actually get things done in time to mail them out to his family and not be sewing the night before Christmas eve for my family.

We will have to see what the new year and the new machine brings. Currently one of the swaps that I am participating in has a requirement of a hand towel and I am trying to decide on the perfect design to embroider on it. I had some issues with the machine this morning and realized that the lady that sold me the machine gave me a bag of the wrong bobbins which we all know can cause big problems.

Here are a couple of pictures of the towel that I was playing with this morning. It doesn't look too bad. Not very centered but it was the first thing that I tried with the new machine. I hope that my swap pals will like what ever it is that I finally decide on. Until later....

Projects

Well I promised pictures of the things that I have worked on and I have a few for everyone. I still participate in an online group called the Silly Gals and we recently did a challenge fabric block. I have done a couple of these previously and have mentioned them on my blog. Heres a picture of the latest:

That I believe was by far one of my best blocks that I have ever done. Tracey was the proud winner of this rounds blocks.. ENJOY!

The Silly Gals also recently had a pin cushion swap that I also participated in. I'm always on the lookout for cute pin cushions because they make great gifts for your crafty friends but always go back to my stand by chicken pin cushions. I love them.. if you do them in different colors they could be what ever bird you wanted them to be. Here are the ones that I made for my partner:

I already got confirmation that my partner recieved them and likes them so I was pretty excited.

Challenge Block Completed!!

I don't know if I ever mentioned my group that periodically does challenge quilt blocks? But we had a challenge this last month and I completed my block and actually took a picture to share this time before mailing it in. I had to use our camera at work because mine the battery died and I couldn't find my spare and didn't have time to wait for it to charge.

So here is the challenge concept. A central person chooses a fabric depending on how many people join/ sign up will depend on how much fabric you'll need (or if your using from your stash will determine how big a piece each person gets to work with). Everyone gets their square in the mail and you use that fabric to make a quilt block. Usually its any block you want but the last few challenges we have done different one it was any block that was considered to be 9- patch, another it was anything that was a star, and the last one the background fabric was white on white and we had to choose 2 other fabrics to go with the challenge fabric that was sent. Let me tell you the challenge fabric was very pretty. Once you have made your block you send it back (With a few stamps to offset the cost of the swap moderator mailing the squares to you and the winner) to the central person and they have a NON-quilty person/ friend choose from the blocks participating which one is their favorite. The person that made the favorite block gets all the blocks and any remaining fabric to put together for a quilt. Pretty neat huh? I won one last year I was so excited.

Here is my block. I thought I picked a pretty neat one. I even had enough fabric to make 2 so the lucky winner of these blocks will get another one from me to add to the mix. The yellow fabric with the flowers was the challenge. The picture really doesn't do the fabric justice the flowers are pink, purple and blue and of course the greenery.