Today's the first day of International Quilt Festival in Houston. And here's the star of this year's show, the new 830. If you're at the show, stop by the BERNINA booth to meet our newest addition to the family! While you're there, send us a few lines telling us what you think of the 830, the booth, and the show.

Don't miss the BERNINA Fashion Show, Rendezvous, tonight at Festival, from 6:30-8:30. For those of you that aren't at the show, the next issue of BERNINA of America's Through The Needle magazine is the program for the show, with photos and descriptions of all the garments. And, once the show is over, I'll be able to show photos here at the blog!

All through this year's International Quilt Festival in Houston there will be computers in the BERNINA booth where attendees can comment on the new 830. To read or enter comments just click on the blue COMMENT link at the end of each day's post (just under Posted by). Tonight is Preview Night; the regular show runs Thursday-Sunday.

Here's a little quilt I designed for the occasion using the Quilter program in BERNINA Embroidery Software. It's easy to create blocks and add embroidery - just point and click - and much faster than actually stitching a quilt! Plus, if I decide to make my blocks, it's just another click to print pattern pieces and embroidery templates. This block uses Diane Gaudynski designs from the new 830, and Tuilleries fabrics from Benartex.

I'm looking forward to reading all the comments from show attendees!

As I am packing for International Quilt Festival in Houston, I wanted to tell you a little more about sewing for children on the BERNINA 830 and the embroidery and buttonholes on the Froggy Jacket. You can see the jacket as well as other inspirational 8 Series creations on www.bernina8series.com under the Inspirations tab.

The embroidery on the jacket consists of using one of the beautiful built-in motifs (150 total) on the back of the jacket in addition to importing sewing stitches into embroidery. I decreased the size of the flowers on the jacket back and duplicated the motif so I would have a garden of three.

When I imported the sewing stitches, I enlarged the stitches quite a bit which is why I love this feature. It enables so much more creative freedone! Another reason is because it is so easy.

You toggle from embroidery to sewing, select a stitch (you can also make alterations in sewing mode), toggle back to embroidery and access the My Designs folder - that there is your stitch - just waiting for you to bring it into the hoop of your choice!

When the jacket was embellished as I wished, it was time to make buttonholes. I had great frog buttons and I wanted to change the width of the buttonhole slit so that the button would slide through the buttonhole easily for little child fingers. The BERNINA 830 lets me choose the width of the slit with a simple turn of the knob. Then I widened the bead of the buttonhole as well and saved the alterations permanently for the next time I make the jacket. I put the buttonhole in one of four Personal Program files and named the file, "Frog." I love the control I have with the 830 buttonholes.

Well, my suitcase is packed and I'm taking my camera so I can send you photos from Houston. We are looking forward to a great event. If you are attending Festival, please stop by the booth to say "Hi" and to sew on the BERNINA machines. More later...

Just a few days to go! The doors will soon open at the George R. Brown Convention Center to welcome over 40,000 avid and creative sewers to the International Quilt Festival. We'll be ready in the BERNINA booth - #808 - with lots of reasons why you'll want to come see us. We'll have some give-aways, donations for the American Heart Association, stand 'n' stitch opportunities, great prices on machines and accessories, and the most knowledgeable staff to answer questions. Rest assured you'll find the machine just right for your creative pleasure! Come see us in Booth #808!

I've had a copy of Amy Butler's new book, Little Stitches for Little Ones for a couple of months, and have been marking the pages of all the projects I want to make for me and baby. I decided to start with "The Everything Bag" not only because it will make a great tote-around for baby, but it will also make a great hospital-go bag to hold CD's, I-Pod, toiletries, and any other small must-haves. I used 100% cotton Alexander Henry fabrics for this bag. Here's the result!

Check out all the extra pockets on the inside and the handy divider.

This bag uses fusible fleece and interfacing to help add body and shape. Since there were many layers of fabric, interfacing, and fleece to sew through, I used the Walking Foot #50 to help keep the layers from shifting during stitching. I also used the Edgestitch Foot #10 for all of the finishing edgestitching in the project.

Now I just need to decide on which project to make next!