February is a short month, if you count the days, but for me it was the longest month away from my cozy bed in Michigan. While out and about traveling across the country, my schedule ended in Puyallup, Washington where I had the priviledge of teaching at Sew Expo. During one of the classes I was chit-chatting with a new sewer who was sharing her latest project with me. She had a challenging time doing a ruffle for the skirt of a dress she was making for her daughter. While listening to her describe this experience, I recalled many a dress I also sewed for my daughter not too many years past. She loved ruffles, and the more the dress had, the prettier she felt, coupled with a slight coy shyness. A princess-like feeling that young girls have when they wear something that is pink and frilly.

Memories of the piles of fabric that I would have to gather into a skirt reminded me of a technique that my BERNINA Mastery Class teacher taught me long ago - gathering over a cord using Buttonhole Foot #3/3C. As I sat and ate my lunch at Sew Expo later that day I realized that one of my most versatile BERNINA presser feet is Buttonhole Foot #3/3C and that I use that foot for "3" different techniques. So over the next three months, I will uncover each of these techniques - starting with gathering using a double cord.

To start, you need a cord that is twice as long as the piece of fabric you will be gathering. I also add about 6" so I have a bit extra at the start and finish. I like to use crochet cotton because it is easy to find at most craft stores.

Attach Buttonhole Foot #3/3C to your machine.

Assuming your final seam will be 5/8", line up your fabric on the 1/2" mark on the needle plate. With your needle in the center position, lower the needle into the fabric but do not lower the presser foot.

Fold the cord in half and place it around the needle, one strand at each side of the needle.

Then tie the two ends in a knot behind the needle.

Pull the cord all the way to the back and place the loop at the end over the center toe of Buttonhole #3/3C.

Lower the presser foot. Once the foot is lowered, make sure the cord is LAYING in the grooves under the foot. Then pull the cord back TOWARDS you. The knot you made at the back will act as a stopper when it hits the back of the foot.

Select the gathering stitch on your machine. (Did you know there was a gathering stitch?)

As you sew, hold the cord slightly above the foot, keeping the two strands of cord separated behind the center toe. The two grooves in the sole of Buttonhole Foot #3/3C will help keep the cords separated.

Because of the anatomy of the stitch, it will sew over one strand of cord and then the other. The even spacing allows for more uniform spaces as you gather the fabric. It is also easier to stitch as you join the gathered piece to another fabric.

Remove the fabric from the machine. Holding one end of the cord, slide the fabric along the cord to form gathers. Adjust to fit the flat piece of fabric you are attaching the gathered piece to. Stitch using a 5/8" seam allowance. Done!

I have been experimenting with the new BERNINA CutWork Tool and Software, and have been cutting out shapes. The first shapes were flowers out of felt and most recently I am cutting Apple Core block shapes for a quilt. I'm still cutting and will share that later. But the felt flower shapes were starting to accumulate, so I came up with this easy-to-assemble carry-all made out of placemats, felt flowers, embellishment yarn and fabric from the scrap bin.

First I created the stems using an embellishment yarn from YLI called Multi's. I couched the yarn to the surface of the fabric using Freemotion Couching Foot #43. This foot has a guide in the side - insert the yarn or cord through the guide and it will be perfectly positioned so that the needle thread stitches it in place.

It was really fun to embellish the flower shapes with thread-painting using variegated thread and the BERNINA Stitch Regulator #42 - it made my stitches look so good! I loved not having to worry about regulating my stitching - I could just focus on the creative stitching.

These two accessories were the perfect tools for making the felt flowers the focal point of this Thread-Painted Carry-All. Look for instructions for this project in BERNINA of America's Through the Needle magazine Issue #33 (January 2010).

A note about stitching velvet from Linda Lee, The Sewing Workshop and Project Sewing Workshop:

One of my favorite fabrics to wear is velvet, not just for dressy occasions, but for casual tops and blouses, too. Sewing with velvet used to intimidate me because it was so slippery and would creep and crawl, and it just plain drove me crazy. So after many futile attempts, I researched all the methods of basting velvet and even wrote an article for Threads magazine which described five methods of basting. And then I discovered OESD's 505 Temporary Spray Adhesive and it changed my life! I no longer baste velvets, in fact I don't even pin them together. I spray a light mist of adhesive on the seam allowance, put the two pieces together, and stitch away. By the time I take the fabric to my pressing surface to steam the seam, the adhesive has dissapated. It's a miracle!

I remember as a child my mother using liquis starch. It was messy, stiff, and hard to iron, even though the end result was a smooth, free-standing shirt or pillowcase (yes, we ironed our pillowcases but not our sheets). Then spray starch came along and it was soooo much better. Even with the clogged sprayer, white flakes, and spotty coverage, it was fast, convenient, and easy. Today we have something even better - Mary Ellen's Best Press.

It's called the clear starch alternative, and it doesn't clog, flake off, or leave a residue. I use it for pressing wrinkled fabrics and clothing, and for some sewing situations. It makes a great stabilizer for lightweight fabrics such as batiste. Just spray a light layer and press, repeating until the fabric is as "stiff" as you want. It's also great for small pressing jobs such as flattening wrinkled ribbon; just spray the ribbon, place the iron on top of it near one end, and then hold the iron down while dragging the ribbon from under it. Best Press if perfect for giving a final press to finished projects, especially linens, kid's clothes, and stitched embroidery.

Besides making it easy to press fabric and clothing, Best Press has a special stain shield that protects fabrics, and helps the fabric resist future wrinkles. If that's not enough, it comes in a variety of scents (including non-scented) and is in a non-aerosol spray bottle that doesn't hurt the Earth. It comes in two sizes, 6 oz. and 16 oz. Once you try it, you'll want to start pressing your pillowcases and your sheets!

My name is Marsha McClintock and I am a BERNINA Artisan. I am the owner of SAF-T-POCKETS Patterns and Sew Many Options Tours. I am always making samples for my pattern company and my BERNINA artista 630 makes the process so much easier. My favorite foot is Edgestitch Foot #10 as it helps me to stitch precisely. I absolutely love the Presser Foot Lifter (Free Hand System) on my BERNINA sewing machine. I sew with the needle down so when I need to pivot at a corner it's so easy to lift the presser foot with my leg. It's hard to remember what I did before I had that feature!

Since both of my businesses revolve around travel, I often make travel accessories. I was honored to have my Stitch Sampler Jewelry Roll project featured in the July Through the Needle magazine (Issue #31). I hope some of you made this little project!