Kate - 10 Months
Kate Update - She loves to walk/run around and around the coffee table while holding on. And we have two teeth!
Our EZ Wallets Take a Presidential White House Tour!
To tour the White House, you are very limited on what you can take in with you. Since no pictures or video are allowed you really only need your picture ID, ticket, cash and maybe a credit card. To breeze through security, everything else should be left in the car.
Recently we learned that one of our EZ Wallets took a Presidential White House tour. It was the perfect size for just the basic ID and money items! Tuck this compact holder into any pocket and enjoy the tour!
EZ Wallet kits are available from Heirloom Creations for only $3.00. Kit includes PRE-CUT fabric, interfacing and instructions. Sew up a couple for friends, family and have a few on hand to give out on a whim. **
**Another customer keeps a few extra in her purse to hand out to friends who comment that they like her EZ Wallet. They are thrilled when she takes one out of her purse and hands one to them. What an EZ way to make someone’s day!
Live outside our area?
We would be happy to select a kit for you and mail it. Call 605-332-4435 to order.
Bernina Firsts
As a leader in the development, design, and manufacture of sewing and embroidery machines, BERNINA not only represents precision, quality, and reliability, but is also known for innovation and originality. Over the 114-year history of the company, there have been many times that BERNINA has introduced machines with features never before seen on a home sewing or embroidery machines. These world-wide “firsts” are listed below.
1. First hemstitching machine invented by Friedrich Gegauf in 1893. It sewed 1,000 stitches per minute!
2. First home sewing free arm zigzag machine, Model 125 was introduced by BERNINA in 1943.
3. First knee-activated presser foot lifter that also drops the feed dog, now called FHS (Free Hand System) was introduced on Model 730 in 1963.
4. First sewing machine to have a built-in hopper mechanism, which keeps fabric from flagging (traveling up the needle) while free-motion stitching. This is still used in today’s Bernina machines!
5. First home sewing machine to locate the feed dog drop in a convenient, easy-to-reach place so the stitcher can easily access it without opening the machine or removing any covers.
6. First home sewing machine to have a bias binder attachment that attaches binding in one step, automatcally folding the edges of a bias strip under, wrapping it around raw edges of fabric, and holding it in place for stitching.
7. First sewing machine with a Needle Up/Down feature activated by pressing the back of the foot control, which allows the sewer to take one-half stitch at a time.
8. First mouse-controlled sewing machine, Model 1530 was introduced in 1992 with a ball tracking system for simplified and superior sewing control.
9. First sewing machine to have 16-directional stitching capabilities, allowing stitching in any of 16 directions without turning the fabric; this feature was introduced on the 1630 in 1993.
10. First computerized sewing machine that had the ability to proportionally change a stitch created in the a stitch designer (feature on the 1630) – 9mm, 18mm, 27mm, 36mm, and 45mm.
11. First sewing machine to have coded presser feet with sensors that “read” the difference between 5mm and 9mm feet, restricting the stitch width if a 5mm foot is being used so the needle will not strike the foot.
12. First method for customer to exchange stitch patterns between computer and machine, Customized Stitch Patterns (CPS) was introduced in the mid 1990’s with the virtuosa models of BERNINA sewing machines.
13. First embroidery machine to have an ART Engine, which enables the rescaling of designs, recalculating the number of stitches needed to enlarge or reduce the design while maintaining the same look.
14. First home embroidery machine to do free arm embroidery (with the use of a free arm adapter); great for small and/or tubular items such as baby clothes, socks, and pant legs—introduced on the artista 180 in 1998.
15. First home sewing machine to have a variety of Double Needle Limitation settings to restrict the stitch width, which aids in keeping a double needle from striking the foot and breaking—introduced on the artista 180 in 1998.
16. First home sewing machine to have a Wing Needle Limitation function to aid in keeping a Wing needle from striking the foot and breaking—also introduced on the artista 180 in 1998.
17. First home sewing machine to have a Double Wing Needle Limitation function to aid in keeping a Double Wing needle from striking the foot and breaking—introduced on the artista 200 in 2002.
18. First sewing machine to be Microsoft® Windows® powered, the artista 200E introduced in 2002 has a touch screen that activates and operates its features and functions.
19. First home sewing/embroidery machine to employ the use of a proprietary CD drive to access embroidery designs when the 2000E was introduced in 2002.
20. First home sewing machine to offer a detachable magnifying lens (optional feature) to offer greater visibility of the stitching area. The Lens Set has three lenses, each a different magnification and was introduced with the artista 200E in 2002.
21. First sewing machine to connect to the internet via a private Portal that provides downloadable embroidery designs and other special content for the artista 200E and 730E sewing/embroidery systems.
22. First home embroidery machine to have the capability of adjusting the embroidery stitch spacing within the machine using on-screen editing—introduced on the artista 200E in 2002.
23. First home embroidery machine to offer the capability to change the embroidery speed using plus and minus indications making it easy to slow down when using specialty threads such as delicate metallics and heavy wools.
24. First home embroidery machine to replace zigzag stitches over a certain length with split stitches to avoid the possibility of objects accidentally getting caught on extra-long threads.
25. First home sewing machine to be equipped with a stitch regulator that produces even, consistent freemotion stitches regardless of the experience level of the stitcher. The BSR (BERNINA Stitch Regulator) was introduced on the aurora 440QE in 2005.
26. First on-screen “drag and drop” embroidery feature to make editing and positioning embroidery designs easier and faster.
27. First cutwork tool and software so you can digitize embroidery designs with cut-away areas. The cutwork tool cuts the programmed areas and the design is stitched as digitized.
28. First pattern fitting software with 3 D model, My Label lets you create well-fitting patterns based on your body measurements.
29. Micro Thread Control—this patented serger feature lets you fine-tune the stitch so the looper threads meet exactly on the edges, giving a nice, flat stitch.
Hearts Table Runner for Spring
Yes, I know it doesn’t feel like spring will ever get here, but the weather is keeping a lot of us indoors right now. Use this time to SEW before its time to plant your garden, go to the lake and, look out(!), take a summer vacation!
I found this fun table runner on the youcanmakethis.com website.
Download this free pattern today. The free PDF Tutorial and Pattern can be found by clicking here.
Enjoy!
Buy 2 Spools of Thread and Save Time!
When buying thread in neutral colors, buy two spools and one package of bobbins. Wind one entire spool of thread onto the bobbins and keep them handy for a quick change, rather than having to stop and wind up a bobbin while you are sewing.
Buy a extra Bobbin Saver too! (Shown in blue above, available in lavender and red also).
The 15 Minute Table Runner
We are completely serious! You CAN complete this table runner in 15 minutes. Actually you can complete two runners in about 20 minutes! We offered this mini workshop at our sewing retreat last weekend and at first they could not believe a table runner could be made in only 15 minutes. But as you can see from the pictures from the retreat, many retreat go-ers took a quick break from their sewing projects to whip up a couple!
If you want the free pattern come in to Heirloom Creations, purchase two 3/4 yard fabrics and receive the pattern. This fabric amount will make TWO table runners - each with opposite color placement.
This table runner has no batting and no binding. Make it out of ANY fabric - cotton, silk, satin or home decorator weight fabrics! The middle area is perfect to embellish with fusible appliqué, embroidery or even decorative stitches.
Depending on which way the ends are folded, you will achieve one the two following looks.
It’s perfect hostess gifts … co-worker gifts … church bizarre … raffle donation … the list goes on and on!
Kate - 9 Months Old
Our little Kate is now 9 months old! She is now crawling with purpose, exploring everything at her level, pulling herself up and we just saw her first tooth. Steve now says, “We live in a “gated community”. Enjoy the pictures!
Kate posing with the new Lamour fabric from Moda by Sandy Gervais.
Laundry basket races…
Helping with the laundry.
Mom playing dress up with me!
Heirloom Creations’ 5th Annual Royal Sewing Retreat
We all had a wonderful three day sewing weekend at Heirloom Creations’ 5th Annual Sewing Retreat at the Cedar Shore Resort in Chamberlain, SD. Twenty-eight people joined us this year for our “Royal Sewing Event” for 2010.
Click here to see all 125 pictures from the sewing retreat!
We all moved in on Friday arriving with sewing machines, sergers, embroidery machines, suitcases of fabric, pre-cut kits, and projects half started, all with high expectations to finish all of them in just three days. With three days of not having to cook, clean or do dishes, we really had no excuse not to sew all night if we wanted to!
Below are just a few of the projects that were completed during the weekend. Each evening we had show-n-tell with lots of laughter, stories and pictures!
Throughout the weekend, I demonstrated a variety of techniques with optional short projects to complete. The biggest hit was the 15 Minute Table Runners seen in many of the pictures. This FREE pattern is available from Heirloom Creations along with purchasing two 3/4 yard pieces which will complete TWO opposite table runners. The entire group will agree with the pattern’s name that is only takes 15 minutes to make!
We also completed Cathedral Window Pincushions and played around with the “Sharpie Experiment”. We will be showing off many of these items at the upcoming Sewtopia Sewing Club on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 10am, 2pm or 6:30pm. Click here to read more.
I even got to work on a HOLY SNOWBALL quilt - another FREE pattern available at Heirloom Creations with the purchase of 15 fat quarters. Just to need add borders and a fourth image in the lower right corner. This quilt was made to hang in Kate’s room.
A big thanks goes to everyone at Cedar Shore Resort who once again took very good care of us. They brought us meals every 4 hours, made our beds and treated us like a “Queens of the Royal Sewing Court”!
Is There a Move in Your future?
Whether you plan to move across town, across the US, or even overseas, a little planning and and proper packing will ensure your sewing machine arrives at your new destination in perfect condition ready for you to sew!
Even if you hire a moving company to pack your household items, pack your sewing machine or serger yourself. The most important thing is to use the original box and foam packing material in which your sewing machine was shipped. It may seem a little tricky to get everything in place like it was packed at the factory, but if you have any questions, your friendly, local sewing machine dealer will be able to show you how everything goes together.
Take photographs of your machine from various angles before it is packed.
If there is a lot of lint build-up in the bobbin casing area, now is a good time to clean it properly. Lower the presser foot onto a piece of fabric (which also protects the feed dogs) and put the needle in the down position into the fabric.
Gather all your accessories and most importantly, be sure to pack the power cord!
If you are moving overseas, you will need to know if your machine has dual (110/220) voltage and dual (50/60) hertz. This is IMPORTANT! Some of the newer machines are dual voltage, but not all. In fact, many of the older models are not. If your sewing machine is NOT dual voltage / dual hertz, you should not run it using a transformer in foreign countries with 220v. Not sure? Check with your local dealer and be sure.
Don’t seal the box! You must be willing to show the movers (or moving foreman) your machine and the box contents to make sure your sewing machine is actually inside the box. There are many liability issues involved here, and the foreman should record the serial number and other information on your machine. This is good protection for both you and the moving company.
If you have the original sales receipt for your machine, hand carry it with you along with your other important documents.
Watch the movers load the box with your precious cargo (I’m talking about your sewing machine, not the wedding china. OK, maybe the china too). Make sure they keep the box right side up as indicated on the box. Don’t allow them to pack it upside down.
When your shipment is delivered at your new destination, I’m sure your sewing machine box will be one of the first you’ll unpack. First, check for signs of damage on the outside of the box. Take photos of any signs of damage or water marks. Unpack the box and plug in your sewing machine. Give it a test run to test for problems or trauma (seriously). Most moving companies only have a limited window of time for you to file a claim (such as 90 days) so you’ll want to make sure your machine is working just as it did when you packed it as soon after your move as possible. Don’t wait until later to sew a few test patterns or use the embroidery unit if you have one.
If there is a problem, take it to your new sewing dealer for some TLC (this is a good time to establish a rapport with your new dealer anyway). Tell them you moved and ask them to write in detail any service they perform on your machine on the receipt. You’ll need a copy of this receipt if you file a claim.
Nothing makes a new residence feel like home as much as getting your sewing space set up and ready to go. I hope these tips help you if and when you find you are relocating. Good luck with your move, and just remember it will soon feel like home once you’re sitting behind your sewing machine stitching again!
Sewers Are Very Resourceful
After the Christmas Blizzard of ’09 in Sioux Falls, SD, we have been hearing how some of our customers spent their holiday, alone with their sewing machine. Whether you live blocks or miles from the closest sewing or fabric store, Mother Nature can shut everything down for days on end. Even a holiday weekend closes your favorite store for a day or two. We are learning of sewers who are very resourceful.
After digging out from the 18” of snow and even higher snow drifts, we have heard some wonderful stories of how people spent Christmas. Many of them beamed when they described an entire day of sewing. They were thankful for their fabric stash and UFO projects, and they had plenty to pick from!
But, sometimes certain items ran short. We heard from one customer that she raided her kitchen plastic cutting board collection and sacrificed one of them to make templates when she ran out of template plastic. Ingenious!
Have you been is such a situation and have a great suggestion of an item that you used for sewing that originally had another purpose? Send it to info@heirloomcreations.net.
One we have heard of, and do keep in mind that not everything you read on the Internet is true, is that just last week I read a tip which stated I should cut through tinfoil or sand paper to sharpen scissors. Really? I don’t think so! NOT MY SCISSORS!
