There is a new toy in my house. It is a Bernina Bernette Deco 340! A stand alone embroidery machine that is just gorgeous. I have wanted an embroidery machine for nearly a year now. I would keep looking, but not doing much else, as I thought it wasn't ever going to happen. So I decided to get brochures, and go to the shops and look. Hubby, bless him, decided this meant I was really serious.
I was happy to settle for a second hand machine, if I could get one that would do what I wanted. But I didn't want to pay full price for something that I could grow out of (ie: too small a hoop, restricted with designs, or how you tranfer them to the machine). So with all that criteria, I looked. Janome was good, but too pricey. Brother was the right price, but I didn't really like them when I saw them in real life. Thought a Bernina was wayyyyyyy out of my range, but stopped at the shop on the way home. Well they had a great deal on with the Deco - free software, a thread pack and the usb stick for $400 off the RRP! Beautiful, beautiful quality stitching (and I have always secretly wanted a Bernina lol). Armed with this information, I set off home to convince hubby - as the sale price only ran for another 3 days! Well, he told me to get back in the car and go and buy it. Just like that! Gotta love him!
He had the first go at stitching a design - the Linux penguin. He was in lovely bright colours as that was all I had to start with (the thread pack wasn't in store, I had to pick it up later). I also did a dragon for DS and a butterfly for DD.
And the penguin in his normal colours (or as close as).
I made up some school pants for DS a few weeks ago - not very exciting, but essential. And at least I know they fit. The pair I bought from the school were too long in the leg and too tight in the waist (and he is a slim boy). Plus I prefer the kids to be in 100% if at all possible. I based the pants on an Ottobre pattern, #23 from 6/2007. I used the hip pocket design from #20 in 3/2004. The pants pattern is actually for lined pants - something I realised after the fact! So they are a little baggy on DS, but because they have decent hems in them, I can let them down and lengthen the elastic when the time comes.
I made my first lot of bias binding! Woohoo! How much fun was that! It was a lot easier than I expected, and I ended up with about 15 metres of it lol I needed it for a pinny/apron I wanted to make for DD, but I didn't have any bought stuff on hand. So I used some old fabric from my Grandma, and made my own with the Clover bias maker.
Then I used it on the edges of an Enid Gilchrist pinny, from her Play Clothes book. You have to draft the patterns yourself, she just gives you the measurements, and a smaller diagram to work from. I don't think it is any harder than tracing an Ottobre pattern really. Plus, I figure I am stretching my brain slightly differently. So the pinny is made from an old sheet and some old fabric, plus some old lace from the oppy. Pretty cool - and I got it all sewn in one day! Even better :) DD loves it (even though it isn't pink lol).
Well that is about it for now.
Cheers!
1 comment:
That's fantastic Liz! Love your new toy and fabbo pants/pinnie. Don't you love Enid?
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