Illusion Block Table Runner

Wooo Hooo- 

Just finished another great

sew-along from Sweet Pea Designs. 

I created this Illusion Block Table Runner 

with assorted fabric “strips” 

in 7” block size. 

After I created the 10 blocks ITH 

on my Bernina 880 machine… 

it was wild to see the designs morph 

as the blocks twisted and turned 

until I finally decided on this layout. 

Alas… then came the tricky binding. 

(There is a lot to be said for the ease 

of a straight edge- 

oh well- I think it was worth the extra time!) #sweetpeadesigns #sweetpeamachineembroiderydesigns #illusionblockstablerunner #bernina880plus

After I completed a few blocks, 

I started to play around with the 

different patterns it morphed

 in to with manipulation.

Then I came up with the idea

 of swapping out a few scraps

 to change the whole thing!!!

On 2 blocks... I nixed the red and

I added 2 orange, 2 yellows,

 and 2 black squares.

The final 2 blocks looked like this.

When joined with the other two... 

the magic would occur.

The next day I joined the blocks 

& quilted it simply.

Next day I dealt with the bias binding.

It was tedious- but I love the results.

After stitching binding 

on the runner front by machine,

I hand stitched it to the back... 

allowing a tighter bind around corners of runner.

Whilst I wish seams had matched up a bit better,

I am real happy with the end result.

UPDATE: May 31, 2022

FIRST PLACE!!!

and here is where my quilt was posted 

in an expanded photo layout for extra random winners...

"How do we pick the winners of our SweetPea monthly sew along???

We have 12 winners in total ,

3x1st place ,

3x 2nd place ,

3x3rd place

and 3x randomly picked winners.

It is very difficult to pick the winners as we only have the photo to judge, we can’t pick up the project in our hands and examine it closely.

We try to pick the winners on a combination of execution of the sewing , the creativeness of the project , and overall appearance of the project.

We have a program that automatically scrolls through all the entries to pick the 3 x random winners.

The entrants must follow the sewalong competition rules that we post at the start of every month’s sewalong.

We have a very difficult time in choosing the winners but we try to be fair and thorough in our decisions

If you have a question regarding eligibility of your project in

a sew along please email us at customer.service@swpea.com Thanks

Good luck everyone"

Bunny Lovies for my Luvies

Creating Bunny Lovies 

for the grandbabies.

I love these completed snuggle bunnies- 

BUT, the chaotic threads now 

everywhere from the 

minky, plush, and flannel 

is another story! 

Hopefully the snuggles 

will be worth the now 

FUZZ everywhere! 

#designsbyjuju #ithbunnybabyblanketlovie

#ithembroidery #bernina880plus 

First stop was embroidering 

names for blankie fronts:

I sewed around 3 Lovie points 

and left 4th open to stuff topper

Next up came the ITH Bunnies

After completing front of face, 

I discovered my machine coped 

better NOT having to balance 

over all the minky layers... 

so after that first one, 

I machine stitched ears 

and backing out of hoop on the next 2.

Heads and paws had to be hand stitched...

The twins were born 3 days ago!!!

March 31, 2022

Anastasia Rachel 

debuted at 10:54PM 

weighing in at 6 lbs 5oz 

and 18.5 inches.

Margaret Jane 

took full advantage of her 

hard work and had easy exit

 at 11PM 

weighing in at 5 lbs 

and 18.25 inches. 

I can hardly wait to hand deliver!

Homeward Bound 4/2/22

Meet Anastasia!

Meet Margaret

And Of course... heeere's HAM!

Creating a Stitch Book for Bernina 880 Plus

I LOVE my new Bernina 880 Plus 

Crystal Edition. 

It is bedazzlingly inviting to sew 

and embroider the hours away. 

But for me- 

getting to know a new machine 

MUST ALWAYS 

start with creating a stitch book

to take it on a true test drive. 

This superhero has 

1,764 stitches 

I had to explore- 

(honestly- there were a few times,

I thought I’d never finish!)… 

but now I am ready! 

Let the projects begin!!!

Each piece is a 10 X 10" 

piece of fabric folded in half

9 days later:

I cut each "sheet" down 

to 4 1/4" and put them in order 

and organized my book...

Wooohooo!

Let the embroidery 

escapades begin!!!

A First Embroidery on my Bernina 880

We did it... We got my dream machine!

I now own a Bernina 880 Crystal Edition. 

The stitches and embroidery 

are to die for and the crystal bedazzle 

embellishment cracks me up...

It came with all the bells 

and whistles this girl could want

 and I am thrilled!

AND

WAYYYYYYYYY

WAYYYYYYYY

WAYYYYYYY

OVER MY HEAD.

So, I knew I had to 

start at the very beginning-

a very good place to start...)

I took 2 days worth of classes at A NIMBLE THIMBLE in Tyler, Texas

and I am watching every online video I can to absorb all I can.

I had already stitched 25 pages 

of folded in half 10 X 10 sheets 

of stitches for my 

stitch sampling book 

when I decided to jump on the 

embroidery project of the month band wagon.

Just putting on the hoop- 

it was magic!

And now... 

back to my stitch book...

The safety device has been activated :(

I have completed so many more 

special baby items for the twins 

as I continued to obsessively nest

 since my last posting. 

BUT... with the obsessive sewing, 

and current use of fleece 

and flannel- my machine 

has been fighting back- 

even more than it had been. 

Honestly, I am beginning to fear she is terminal.

Her current status:

!!!The safety device has been activated. Is 

the thread tangled? Is the needle bent? !!!

Alas, No and No... 

I have replaced everything multiple times. 

I have disassembled and cleaned every accessible inch of my machine repeated times.

I got her in 2011. I'm not quite sure what the life span is on a modern machine? But she was in repair shop in December for 3 weeks and had a total tuneup.

Perhaps I should be surprised that I’ve managed to make a modern, overly-plastic domestic sewing machine last for almost 12 years! I’ve had to sew things I knew would abuse my poor little machine many times. And the past 2 years I have been on it for hours daily. (Not like covid allowed one much else to do!)

Still, I have had it serviced regularly, and been real good to it compared to machines of my past! So, I expected it to hold on, at least a bit longer...

But then came yesterday...the 6 hour bib day. 

In and out of the hoop with layers of flannel between the sticky stabilizer. And after bib 9... she just refused to go on :( 

I took her apart again 4 times today without any recovery... something I have always eventually been rewarded with in the past.

Finally, I had no choice but give up.

She is locked in place... On her screen of refusal :(

I no longer have a shop in town... so it will be a 1 hour drive to attempt repair. (& of course, there is the added frustration... I can't drive anymore).

I suppose my machine picked the most convenient time give up – I did get to finish both baptismal gowns... all their accompaniments. And then moved on to burp cloths and bibs.

Alas... one granddaughter shall have 3 less bibs... and thus will begin the start of one sibling getting more than the other.

... to be continued...

The bibs that did the final demise

And here is all I actually created with the embroidery!

And here are the Baptism gowns: