A note from Linda Flynn, BERNINA Freelance Resource:

Last month I went to BERNINA University -- the annual meeting when dealers, store employees, and teachers get together with BERNINA of America and BERNINA International staff to have classes on great topics, share ideas, and learn about the latest things in the sewing world. Once again, this year was another great opportunity to chat with people from all over the US to see what's happening with sewing in their areas.

One subject kept coming up: how to introduce our passion for sewing to the future generations of sewers. Overwhelmingly, we all were interested in getting young (or not so young) people in our areas introduced to sewing and the gratification and delight that our own creations can bring. My efforts began at home years ago and continue with the technology talented generation, my children and their peers.

After my flight home I had an all-to-brief overnight stay in the home of my oldest daughter (one of my SewingKin v.1 sewers). There on her dining room table were two BERNINA sewing machines with projects that my two oldest granddaughters (the first two of my SewingKin v.2 sewers) were working on. Each girl was creating a new dress for herself. Now aged 16 and 14, these girls have been sewing for a number of years. The oldest, Katia, began when she was just shy of her 8th birthday, creating a "prairie girl" dress for herself as her first project. As she was just a little too short to reach the foot pedal, my brother Steve made a great wooden block with a fitted platform to keep the pedal from sliding off. Her sister, Natasha, got to share the block soon after, making a doll quilt. In these recent pictures, they were visiting me and each worked on a "re-purposing" project, refashioning old tee shirts and a stained nightgown into a new embellished tee shirt and a dress.

This summer, Joli (the oldest of my second daughter and third of my SewingKin v.2 sewers) is just shy of her 8th birthday. We have passed the "Uncle Steve block" along -- much to her delight, as you can see. Her sister Madi, two years younger, is impatiently awaiting her turn to use the block and create something wonderful.

Nine years ago my husband's dowry included another daughter for me... who now with her husbands wants to learn to sew. And there are two daughters in their house to watch us with anticipation of their debut in 3-4 years!

Lucky? You betcha!! I wish everyone could learn to sew on a BERNINA sewing machine. Even with my ready-made set of SewingKin I continue to find people who just don't know yet how much they love to sew! They need our help -- are you a helper?

By Debbi Lashbrook, Educator for BERNINA of America, Inc.

If you follow a few simple rules, you can combine patterns in BERNINA's My Label 3D Fashion Pattern Software to expand your pattern possibilities. When combinging tops and skirts or dresses and skirts, be sure to align both the grainlines and the waistlines of your pattern pieces. Next, use a curved ruler to blend the differences at the waistline. It is that simple!

To make a flared princess dress using the Flared Skirt and Princess Dress patterns:

• Make the desired property changes to the skirt for a finished length, hem opening (circumference at the hemline), and waist to hip measurement (to change the starting point of the flare).
• Print the upper portion of the Princess Dress just below the waistline of each pattern pieces. )The pattern pieces have notches at the waistline.)
• Trim the seam allowance from the upper skirt. Add a seam allowance to the center front pieces.

• Align the grainline of the skirt with the grainline of the appropriate skirt pattern pieces.
• Place the waistline of the skirt at the notches of the princess bodice. Tape in place.

• Blend the pattern pieces at the waistline to smooth the transition.

• Cut the pieces out and sew together following the directions included with the Princess Dress.

A note from Claire Shaeffer, BERNINA National Artisan, author, teacher, couture clothing specialist:

My sewing news is the release of my new Vogue Pattern #8652. It's a great pants pattern with a faced waist and fly placket.

I'm working on two book revisions: Couture Sewing Techniques and Sewing for the Apparel Industry. The couture book will include many new photographs and some new techniques. Sewing for the Apparel Industry will have four new chapters on sewing knits.

A new Taunton DVD - Couture Basics - will be available in the fall. The focus is primarily on hand-sewing, but there's also machine stitching - on my BERNINA sewing machine, of course!

My Tailoring Details Workshop begins June 3, and Couture Techniques is scheduled for January 2011. For details, e-mail sewfari@earthlink.net

A note from Jenny Raymond, quilt artist, author, speaker, teacher, and BERNINA National Artisan:

I recently finished a garment that I hope is juried into the Houston Quilt Show wearable division.

The motifs are a combination of several embroidery designs from OESD. All of the motifs were embroidered on a sandwich of water-soluble stabilizer with illusion (a semi-sheer net-like fabric) in the middle. Afterward I cut them out, dissolved the stabilizer, and machine appliqued each motif to the garment with 0.5 clear monofilament thread. I'm excited about the results!

It is machine quilted using YLI Silk #100 thread and Pellon's wool batting. I used several quilting stencils from Pepper Cory; the rest of the quilting is free-motion.

The jacket is lined in pale pink silk crepe de sheen, and narrow piping using the same fabric finishes off the jacket edge. The dress is a simple sheath, also lined with the same pale pink silk.

by Belinda Gibson, BERNINA of America Educator

My inspiration for this wrap was from an article in the Fall 2009 issue of Stitch magazine, a Quilting Arts publication. I wanted to find an elegant wrap to wear to the closing banquet at BERNINA University in Orlando. You just never know if the room is going to be too hot or cold!

Instead of making the wrap following the instructions in the article (the rebel in me coming out again), I chose to use my serger.

I used a 2-thread rolled hem with YLI's new Designer 7 thread in the looper to finish all the edges.

Then, instead of sewing the elastic by sewing machine, I used a serger chain stitch and changed to a 90/14 Topstitch needle for the chain stitch. I threaded the needle with Designer 7 and put Gutermann elastic thread in the chain stitch looper.

This elastic thread is super! I tried others, but without the same success I had with the Gutermann elastic thread. It comes in four colors: black, white, red, and navy. Check with your local BERNINA store; if they don't have it in stock they can order it for you.