Bernina Aurora 440 QE

I must be mad! Just placed an order for the Bernina 440 that costs me an arm and a couple of toes. So much for 'no big ticket items' for 2008!

How this madness started was when I took a machine quitling lesson with QNSF. First of all, the walking foot that came with my Singer was a high shank one (the shop gave me the wrong one), so that didn't work. And I realised how hard it is to control the speed when you need precise stiching on the drawn lines and also for free-motion quilting. The Singer (a quilter edition too) was simply put to shame when I asked that I try it on a Bernina 240 at the class. What a difference! Things I loved on the Bernina was the Free Hand System, needle down function, the great control (you can do one stitch at a time with the foot control!) and the fact that it was very smooth and quiet.

I was tempted by a Bernina when I started doing patchwork a couple of years back but decided that it was too huge an investment, and I could hand sew if I wanted. After the baby came, I really am not keen on handsewing because I don't want to risk needles misplaced and I really do not have the time/patience to wait for it to come together so slowly.

The Singer is a good machine for what it is. It is not the cheapest machine, but it is not as forgiving to a bad sewer like me as a Bernina would be. Decided to placed my crafty money on the 440 mainly because of the BSR (Benina Stitch Regulator). That would help a idiot sewer like me! And I'm going to justify this purchase with loads of projects!

Delivery for the new machine is end of March or early April. Can't wait for it to arrive. In the mean time, I will sew as little as possible (to save it for the new machine) and start cutting up my fabrics then! :>

A Quilt waiting to happen

I think the my 'domestic instinct' was super strong when I was pregnant with my son in 2006. After my 'pre-natal' holiday with my hubby in Dec, I signed up for a quilting class with Bridgette Lee from Quilts & Sew Forth.

It was all very exciting and fun! By the time the class started proper, I was already into my 3rd trimester. BUT I should have made it to my last lesson just about 2 weeks before my Estimated Due Date. My son, Benjamin, arrived 6 weeks before due date and of course, I was stuck with 4 completed blocks, and 3 more lessons to go! :p

Bridgette has been very understanding and after a year, I'm back in her workshop picking up where I left off. And already, I have a list of quilting projects that I'd like to complete in '08.

Here are the 6 completed blocks for the quilt top. Will be adding my sashing, border and binding soon. Think I will be machine quilting it.

I know I will take another year or so to complete this quilt if I'm going to quilt by hand :p

Think I will be done with this before end of April'08? I sure hope so! :>

Keeping track

Well, thinking back on the money spent on yarns, fabrics and the time taken working on projects, it is really sad that I have few things to show for.

I prefer to create things for others as I think it is easier to visualize what looks nice on them, and the idea of personalized gifts is always great! And because I'm a last minute type of girl, I end up working in the seams, packaging them, etc just right before I send them off. There's never a good opportunity for me to take some pictures at all!

Below is one of the belts I made for my girl friends for X'mas 07. Crochet, white linen yarn, and green colours ribbon yarn for the ties.


Hopefully I will find the discipline to keep a visual trail of my projects from start, through work-in-progress, to the completed state. :>

First time for everything!

My husband is probably laughing his head right off now if he is reading this post. A self-proclaimed anti-blogger, I often wonder who has the time to post and read blogs?!

That was before I started on craft blogs - looking for inspirations and finding great tips and knowledge shared by so many talented crafters in the blogging world. Through the blogs of many, I realised that there are many mommies who somehow find time to take care of their little (and not so little :>) one/s, keeping the house, posting interesting stories on their blogs and creating beautiful works of craft. Their stories motivate and make me want to get on with my project lists! :>

I have taken advice and recommendations through the entries of many wonderful blogs out there, and I'm not only inspired to start on new projects, but to share with you the crafty side of my life.