Embroidery Filled Weekend

This last weekend of January has been filled with experiences using my new Bernina 830 embroidery module.

My first introduction to making my own embroidery designs was about this time a year ago. My dear husband bought me a Janome 350E which I really enjoyed, but then this past fall I upgraded to the Bernina 830. This is a sewing machine, embroidery machine and a quilting machine. It didn't take me long to get the hang of the sewing module, but working with the embroidery module was another thing. I have only had one hands-on lesson from the Bernina Sewing Center here in Kansas City, but I have taken a couple of webinars. What I am learning is that I still have a lot to learn! lol
I had been asked by an online group that I belong to...to make a special quilt label for a dear friend that has been very ill. With this request, I had to learn to incorporate lettering into a design, but it took some time to figure out how to add multiple lines of text. Well, now I am a pro! (NOT!)

Once I completed this request, it was then on to making a Thimbleberries name tag which we were challenged to do at our last Thimbleberries monthly club meeting. Well, since I am also a member of another online group, the "ThimbleBees", I wanted a bee on the name tag. What do you think?

The embroidery projects didn't stop there. I also used the lettering techinques to create hand towels for my daughter and daughter-in-law with the initial of their last names. That accomplished, I then wanted to add a little extra to a miniature that I have made for our local quilt guilds 2010 Quilt Show this next September. The miniature was one of Lynette Jensen's designs, a Tisket A Tasket, from one of her pint-sized quilt books. But the little baskets looked a little plain and I thought some embroidery work added to them might help to increase the bidding price for our silent auction. So, off to embroidery websites to find the perfect flower design for the tiny baskets. Once again, I chose a Lynette Jensen design. Not wanting to fill every basket, I had to decide which baskets to fill and it made the most sense to place the design in the two center baskets.

Next weekend, I will be teaching a class at one of our local quilt shops, The Wooden Spool, and won't have time to spend in my sewing room. But the best part of my weekend will be getting to spend time with my Aunt Margaret and my cousin Cherry. More about that to come.