Local Shopping

When we got to Florida in January, I began my scrap stitching using my newer, smaller Bernina 220. By mid-February, I'd used it so much that it began giving me troubles - you know the typical problems: broken threads, bobbin snafus, poor stitch quality.

 

Fortunately, because I had anticipated trouble (neither machine had been recently serviced), I had both machines with me. I wrapped up the little one and brought out the trusty old Bernina 1010, finishing out March with this 35-year-old model.

 

Back now in Ohio, I needed that machine serviced. In nearby Chillicothe we have a sweet, full-service quilt shop that sells and services Bernina. One of my first orders of business was to take my little 220 to Old Town Fabric Shop for a thorough cleaning and servicing. Store manager and co-owner Kelly is a former student of mine (11th grade English!), so we go waaayyy back. Kelly is trained by Bernina to do the mechanical, technical stuff. I love that I have a convenient place to have my machines serviced. The store is a spacious former canal warehouse. Kelly and her mom Cindy have created a quilter's paradise featuring filled-to-the-brim shelves and cubbies packed with scrumptious fabrics for every quilter’s taste.

 

Because it'd been awhile since I last stopped in, the current store samples were a delight for the eye. I thought I'd give you all a peek at the gorgeous offerings on display. Perhaps you'd be tempted to take a visit yourself?

 

In the foreground of this bottom picture is an Around The World quilt that caught my eye both when I dropped off my machine and again when I picked it up. Gosh, I would love to make one, but the intimidation factor is way off the chart. What a labor! Those fabrics, though, make it entirely too tempting. If only you could see it in person! The pattern is called Wildflower by Laundry Basket Quilts. Maybe...

Why not consider a little drive to southern Ohio? This shop is a great place to while away a few hours! I did a bit of shopping - not much - but a few little bits to enhance the stash. Some I've already cut and sewn, if you can believe that!

Hope you enjoyed the little shop tour! 

I will share a brand new quilt top in the very near future. Hope you'll come back for the big reveal.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Bernina Spa Day at the LQS

My 'younger' Bernina needed some servicing and a good cleaning, so in she went to Old Town Fabrics, one of Chillicothe's two local quilt shops. As a Bernina dealer, they provide convenience for quilters needing machine service and maintenance.

I picked her up on Friday, and she is now humming a happy tune. I opened her up over the weekend to attach the binding to Hettie's baby quilt. 

While I was in the shop, I took a moment to snap some pictures of the extensive fabric collection available at Old Town. The options are nothing short of luscious.

The shop is located in downtown Chillicothe, in an historic old warehouse. The owners have painstakingly salvaged the building and it's historic charm. Take a look at the beams, the brick walls, and the floors. So much character. 

Besides checking out the building, you should also check out the display samples. I don't often buy kits, but I sure do like to be inspired by the variety of options. 

If you ever find yourself in Chillicothe - Ohio's first capital! - you will have to check out this shop!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Fresh From the Spa

I finally got around to going to Chillicothe on Friday morning to get my Berninas. Best buddy Sharon had taken them to Old Town Fabric Shop for me. We were so busy getting ready to leave for vacation, it saved me a trip. I wanted both machines to get the full treatment while we were away on vacation. When we got back, I picked them up after their total spa experience- deep cleaning, oiling, replacing small parts, and miscellaneous whatnot.

Believe it or not, I took them upstairs, sat them down in the middle of the sewing room, and there they still sit. I have not even set them up, let alone sewn on them. Maybe later today. I'm sure they will purr like kittens.

I did do additional shopping while at Old Town. One purchase I made will be shared in an upcoming post. The other bits are nothing too special - just "must have" pieces that will enhance my current stash. *grin* I suffered a weak moment.*

We are having a glorious day here in south central Ohio. I have done my 2 miles this morning with DH; now to clean up and get on with my day!

Hope you make your day awesome!
Happy Quilting, Friends!

 

A sewing Machine Upgrade

I have hemmed and hawed for more than 6 weeks about buying a sewing machine. My current machine, my beloved Miss Bernina, model 1010, is closing in on age 27. She still sews beautifully, and I wouldn't give her up easily. However, I have had to be more diligent in servicing and babying her, and I have felt for some time that having a backup machine was becoming a necessity.

Well, the sewing machine gods were listening to that nagging voice in my head. A friend, Debbie, had a nearly-new Bernina that she wanted to sell as she had upgraded to a fancier model. She lent it to me to use for awhile -- sort of a test-drive period.

This is Bernina's Activa 220. I've sewn a couple of things on it, and we are quite compatible. Debbie had all the books, accessories and manuals, so whenever I've had to figure something out, I've been able to do it.

Debbie, if you are reading this, expect a call! I am ready to seal the deal! *happy face*

The most exciting thing: it comes with a walking foot! I can machine quilt!! I experimented on that pretty little table runner, and it worked beautifully. Oh, the possibilities -- be still, my heart!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Abundance Is Pieced

Every year, Lori at Humble Quilts blog does a doll quilt-along with her followers. I have made Cheddar and Crackers, Starry Night, and Pink Lemonade with her. All those are still just quilt tops; I think I need to make quilting them a priority.

Now to join those 3, I have Abundance. It is 12.5 inches square, and was a fun quilt to make. It uses lot - I mean LOTS - of scraps, so that is how I approached this. I tried to keep the idea of pioneer mothers "making do" for little projects like this.

If I were to remake any  part of this, I would choose a different pink that forms the flying geese units on the brown geese.It is too dark, in my opinion. All the rest of the fabrics are quite pleasing to me. But, I'm not changing it; it will stay as is.

If you'd like to see more Abundance doll quilts, check out this link to Humble Quilts. There are dozens of them shown there made by people just like me who followed along with Lori's quilt-along.

What did I sew with, you ask? Miss Bernina was sent away to be fixed, so I have a loaner machine from Old Town Fabrics, and it works quite well!

 

Bernina 350, gently used, was traded in for a fancier, bigger model, I'm told. She is doing wonders for me.

Well, I'm going to get some sewing done today and I will tell you all about it in my next post.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Sewing and Snow

I'll show the snow parts first. Here is our dog Steve frolicking in the 10" of snow we had on Friday. Thankfully, our power has stayed on, and we have been able to get out of our driveway. We are situated on a rural piece of land and have a very long driveway, one in which we frequently get stuck if we have any significant snowfalls. To prevent that, we bought our first 4WD vehicle last month; well-timed purchase, I'd say.

Here's a shot looking down our driveway:

And a shot of the woods around our house:

Okay, enough of that; let's get back to the important stuff: sewing and quilting progress!

Miss Bernina is a happy, humming machine once again. It took a trip to Columbus and a 4-hour session with Beth's Creative Stitchery in order to get her back to pristine condition, but it was so, so worth it.

I've been steadily working on two projects. The Kaffe Fassett Broken Dishes quilt continues to keep me captivated with all the interesting combinations of fabrics. Here's the one that's under construction right now:

And, because of the down time without my machine, I spent more focused time on Cheddar Cheese and Crackers, which I'm hand-piecing. I've finished all the interior cheese blocks, and nearly all the border blocks.

In between ball games today, I hope to get this doll quilt top close to finished. I'll finish off the triangle cheese blocks, and I'll machine piece the 4-patch blocks.

Right now I'm watching my beloved Ohio State Buckeyes and later, of course, there's the Super Bowl. I don't have a favorite in this one; I'll just enjoy a good  game.