Last Chance for April

Last day of April. Hopefully it's all May flowers from here on out.

I'm just popping in to offer you one final chance to enter the April Giveaway for the Think Spring paper piecing pattern. I'll be in a short workshop with Mimi Dietrich tomorrow afternoon so I'll try to announce the winner tomorrow evening.

My daughter and I went to Filene's Running of the Brides yesterday....I was not impressed, and we did not leave with a dress. It was definitely interesting....a bunch of women standing around in their underwear in the middle of Filene's Basement while guys who worked there and guys who did not were walking about. Seriously, you just flung off your clothes and had your friends load you into dresses. Dresses that were in various states of clean, some missing parts, some without sizes, hung in  plastic zip up bags on about 59 rolling racks,  in no specific order of size or style (and I use the word 'style' rather loosely) . Most were $499.99...marked down from anywhere from $1500-$6000 (and honestly, I was having a hard time believing that some of them actually ever sold for those prices, which might explain why they are at Filene's...think wedding gown outlet store. )

The important thing to remember was 'no refunds/no exchanges', and while I don't know a whole lot about wedding gowns, and have yet to go to a 'real' bridal store, I have to think there's something nicer for our $500 in an actual bridal store...along with a woman who will bring my daughter dresses in a dressing room (where she doesn't have to try them on over a pair of shorts her friend has run to the Jr.s department to snag so she doesn't have to stand out in the middle of the store in her panties). A 'boobologist' who will stick enhancements in her strapless bra to provide the necessary cleavage, while her friends and I sit in upholstered furniture sipping wine. (do ya think I might watch too much reality TV (Jersey Couture)?  I'm going to wind up driving her to Jersey to Diane & Co., I know it!). Sigh....

Well, she did have fun, and got to try on some dresses to give her some idea of the dress type she's looking for.  All was not lost. (Except the $9.00 we had to pay to park at Filene's Basement....seriously, what's up with that???!!! Since I'm shopping at a discount store, I can afford to pay $9.00 to park? Whatever!)

Today I picked up my circular embroidery attachment and I am dying to use it, but tomorrow's another day, and right now I need to take my Tylenol and put myself to bed.

Have a lovely Sunday....good luck in the drawing!

Final April OPAM Finish

Sorry, I've been a little under the weather the past couple days, but I wanted to post a quick update and give you another chance to enter the giveaway for the paper piecing pattern.


Let's start with my OPAM finish (Hi Peg!) No name yet, but it will somehow include 'Mexican Star' I really liked this pattern and the whole curving thing it's got going on (nope, not an illusion, there are actually pieces that are dimensional that have been bowed and stitched into curves)

What's left on the design wall are these pieces from the 'WInding Ways' experiment in non-contrast. I'm wondering if there's some way to somehow use those on their own?

Of course, I was feeling well enough to go on a strip piecing jag for the rest of the Winding Ways last night.

Last, but not least, leaving you with a photo of our Easter desserts. I made the bunny cake (tuxedo Peeps and choc dipped berries...which were leftover from my contribution to Happy Night last weekend), my daughter made the cake pops.

The wedding planning has had it's ups and downs (more like working in a mine). We've made a little progress and tomorrow is Filene's crazy bridal gown madness event, which I've encouraged my daughter to attend, even if it's not until  after work that she can finally get there . Who knows, she might find something. She's bringing two friends, so I'm not sure I need to attend, though she has said I need to go because I'll tell her if something looks bad on her or not. Ummm.....let's see, after the last week sharing my feelings about venue and costs, and wondering if the resulting backlash isn't somehow related to my need for medical attention, I can assure you that I most definitely am not going to tell my daughter that the bustle on this dress makes her butt look big, or that this bustier makes it look like she has back fat. Her friends can do that with far less drama.

I hope to be in tip top form for the weekend as I've got the first of a monthly mini-workshop on Baltimore Applique with Mimi Dietrich on Sunday and I'm also hoping to get in a little garden clean-up. It's been pretty hot here for a few days and I was forced to turn on the A/C (yep, furnace/heat pump was finally fixed). A/C in April!!!!! Outrageous!!!! Forecast for the weekend is reasonable, so I'll be shutting it off tomorrow.

What are your plans? Anyone planning to watch the Royal Wedding?

Another Day, Another Venue, Another Chance to Enter the Giveaway

Another reminder to comment for your chance to win this cute paper piecing pattern. This includes the tissue paper foundation to make four 15-1/2x18-1/2" quilts...one for you, and three for your friends and family. As long as you're a follower, every comment you make on any post counts as an entry in this month's Follower Appreciation Giveaway. Don't know what to say? Well, I always want to hear what projects you are working on, and which fabrics you've got on your wish list. I'm always looking for inspiration.

So last night I took the new walking foot sole plate for a spin. Here's a better photo...I managed to figure out how to use the macro setting on my camera for the one photo, and then it just went way over my head, so this is the one shot that is postable.

The blade you see down the center is part of the soleplate. It sits in the seam and your needle goes into the fabric behind it, and your stitches drop perfectly into the seam and are just about invisible. It's interesting, but it's going to take a bit of getting used to. Those of you with Berninas know that two soleplates come with the walking foot, and one of those is more open so you can see the needle movement and exactly where it's going into the fabric. Well, this new soleplate has really low visibility. It's a little awkward bringing your bobbin thread up through the top fabric when you begin to sew (I used a small pair of scissors to slide under the foot and catch the threads so I could pull them up and to the side so that I didn't start out with any birds nests on the backside.) It's going to take some getting used to, but I'm sure I'll use it often. And, if you've got a Bernina and you don't already have a walking foot, the new walking feet are packaged with all three soleplates, and the price has not increased with the addition of the new soleplate. If you've already got a walking foot, you just need to order the soleplate, and it ranges in price from $24-$36 depending on your dealer. Right now they're hard to come by, so your best bet is to place an order and be patient.

Our little thread fairy looks extremely patient, don't you think? She must be waiting for her Stitch in the Ditch Walking Foot Sole Plate....or maybe she's been hitting the Svedka a little hard this evening. Gotta say, if I don't wash mine tomorrow, she won't be the only one in this house rocking that hairstyle.


If you're with me on Facebook, you've seen these photos, but I needed to take a break from sewing to try out something crafty, so Sunday we Peeped...

The blue Peep? Come on, every family has at least one Black Peep (black sheep), right?

And these are going to join some lemons and chocolate and whatever else I'm feeling, on a white cake pedestal for a centerpiece. But for now, I like to refer to them as: "This is what you get when you don't check the expiration date on the package before you buy."

Two more venues to visit tomorrow (so far), so I'll save the wedding prep talk for another post. Have a wonnerful, wonnerful Wednesday...it's supposed to be a beautiful Spring day...Enjoy it!