Have you ever wondered what it's like to sew for a living? Well, that's not exactly true since I don't sew for a living, but I earn my keep by doing anything and everything related to sewing, quilting, teaching, and everything in between. This means that the amount of time I spend sitting at a sewing machine is minimal!
Yep, but this morning, I opted to sew instead of going to the gym (GASP). I know - but that's OK. I'll make up the gym time later. I have to do an errand today - getting my car detailed, and rather than come home, the gym is pretty close, so I can walk there and get a workout in. I have missed the spin class for weeks, so it's no big deal if I miss one more day!
Let's talk about Cabin in the Woods first. Here's the quilt top I mentioned yesterday. Because of her expertise in tagging photos, it was a snap for her to locate this. I believe it wasn't long after the class that she finished the top. She still has her Mom's to work on, but this one is quilted and bound!
Other than the base structure of the style, Helen changed almost all the components of the quilt! I highly encourage the participants to do that. This makes the quilt THEIRS and not just a replica of the original!
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| Helen Anne's version of Cabin in the Woods |
I'm working on the maple leaf blocks. As I mentioned, I'm working on both quilt tops at the same time. I can make the second one smaller than the first, so I'll contemplate that as I progress. But some components for both are made, and I want to use those up.
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| The maple leaf block |
Only one maple leaf block was made for one of the quilts, and I found a few other components. There was NO extra blue fabric in the box. However, I went to my batik stash, found the SAME fabric, and had just enough to finish the other two blocks. How cool is that?
Then, I chose a different blue fabric but the same leaf fabric for the second quilt. All the components are cut, the half-square triangles are trimmed, and I can quickly sew those three blocks together.
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| Components of the second set of maple leaf blocks |
Here's what Quilt number one looks like at the moment.
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| One of the Cabin in the Woods quilts |
I sewed the tree blocks together this morning, and OH BOY -- look at this edge. This was done when I was fairly new to quilting, and this seam is a mess. How the heck am I supposed to sew this to the main section. I'll have to fix that before I proceed. That's why I try to drill into people's heads -- DO NOT let this happen because you are asking for trouble later on. MAKE those sides meet!
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| A goof that needs to be fixed |
And there's the second quilt.
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| The second Cabin in the Woods quilt |
So I'm making progress, and well, I'll just stick with it, especially since this is my UFO homework, and I need to get it done!
I sewed the last seam on the flannel star quilt. Yeah!!! And I made the backing as well. The binding fabric is pressed and ready to cut into strips when I get a chance to get back to sewing.
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| The star flannel quilt from scraps |
I also made the final block for the Barn Star Sampler quilt and got a bit more of the sections completed. It won't take long, and getting it done for the final reveal in December shouldn't be an issue.
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| All the blocks are made for the Barn Star Sampler |
There are several things I want to highlight for you. I'm sure you are aware of Black Friday sales. Every email I open, every notice on Facebook -- it's all about Black Friday. In my world (SVP), we also have Black Friday sales. And the one I want to highlight is the EMBROIDERY SOFTWARE.
If you have been thinking how nice it would be to have access to machine embroidery software but were afraid or you think it's too expensive -- think AGAIN. Remember, the
mySewnet embroidery software works for ALL brands of embroidery machines.
ALL brands!!!
Here's the deal: if you are totally new and not sure whether you'll use the software, you can buy a ONE-year subscription to the Silver level (entry-level, but with TONS of features) for an extremely low price. They are practically giving it away. I believe it's less than $150 for the year. Don't quote me on that, but it's pretty low.
That is a fantastic price, and it would allow those who are "afraid" of the cost to get one year to dabble in the software. If you like it, you can buy the software outright or renew your subscription. That's a pretty impressive "try before you buy" deal.
I wish they had deals like this when I started because I spent hundreds of dollars on software I barely used!
Wait a minute -- I know you are saying if I buy the software, who will teach me? Well, it just so happens that I'll be teaching the mySewnet embroidery software at THREE different Husqvarna Viking dealers in 2024. Since the classes are on Zoom, you can be anywhere to get access to them. I'll be posting more information later.
So not only do you get a fantastic deal on the embroidery software, but you get lessons on how to use it! What are you waiting for? The cost of those lessons is extra - so you don't expect to get them for free. Remember, all this learning is MUCH cheaper than what you paid to send your kids to college or university!
I have to laugh because I have attempted to give a homework assignment in the past with the software classes. Rarely do they get done. Sigh............... Then, the other day, someone said - I need homework to motivate me to work with the software. Sigh............... So I gave them homework, and I want them to do it. What's the point of sitting in on a software class, or any class for that matter, if you're not going to do the work. You only learn 5% of what is talked about, and is that 5% worth your time? I don't think so! I even record the sessions now to allow the participants to go back and follow along.
But be mindful as well when you sign up for things for 2024. You don't want to overload your plate, so you have no time for yourself! I so enjoyed sewing for ME this morning that I must try to eke out at least one hour a day to sew. That's impossible when traveling, but I'll see what I can do! And I'm almost done traveling for this year.
Here's the other thing you want to keep in mind --- it's Virtual Retreat this weekend. I will be there on Saturday night and part of Sunday (maybe), then I'll be on a plane again! But just because I'm not there doesn't mean the event won't go on! It'll happen, and we always have some great conversations!
Here are the links.
Saturday, November 25th - Starting at 6 PM
Sunday, November 26th - Starting at NOON
It is interesting to see the SVG has a 'black Friday' sale but not a 'boxing day' sale. Don't they realize that many of their customers are Canadian?
ReplyDeleteThe wonders of the world and the lack of knowledge of life beyond borders!
DeleteI purchased the boxed version of My Sewnet, so ready try the lessons learned from you and to learn more! Thank you, Elaine, for making the classes so enjoyable
ReplyDeleteAwesome. So glad you took advantage of the sale! Look forward to seeing you in class! And if you have any questions -- let me know.
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