Spring is just around the corner! It has been a very cold winter here in sunny Florida and even I am looking forward to warmer weather. Here are some of the things I've been up to with my BERNINA aurora 440:

I reupholstered a chair I bought for a dollar. I'd never done that before.

I made a throw pillow with lots of 3D fabric work and lots of freemotion stitching.

I used everything but the kitchen sink in the needle punch piece. Velvet, cotton, wool felt, silk hankies, wool roving, silk fabrics, scrim or painted gauze - I punched it all into wool felt. To make the border I punched strips of different fabrics over felt and then cut them into strips. I then made my first attempt at free form machine embroidery to add some detail.

Artgirlz is now on facebook!

Layer paper, and use your machine stitches instead of glue to attach your layers. A great way to use your decorative stitches!

If your machine has the capability to create lettering, you can stitch a decorative message.

Get out some decorative paper and give it a try!

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!

Stitching cutwork designs with the embroidery machine is so much faster than the traditional cutwork technique. First, hoop a water-soluble stabilizer such as AquaMesh Plus (just stabilizer, no fabric). Score just the paper and peel away the paper backing to reveal the sticky surface. Attach the garment to the stabilizer and smooth in place. Attach the hoop to the embroidery machine and sew the guideline stitches. Remove the hoop from the machine and very carefully trim away the fabric from the area inside the stitches. Return the hoop to the machine and finish stitching out the design.

All of the cutwork designs in the Cutwork Bouquet collection come in two versions - one for cutting away the open areas with scissors as described above, and another for trimming away the fabric with the new BERNINA CutWork Accessory and Software. The CutWork tool does the cutting for you!

If you've taken a peek at the BERNINA 8 Series machines - the 820 and 830 - you know that the designers and engineers included every feature a seamster could dream of having. BERNINA collected feature requests for years and years, then incorporated all that information in the design of the 8 Series machines. Okay, they didn't include the espresso machine I asked for, but other than that I can't think of anything they missed. There's even an alarm clock to remind me when it's time to feed my dog! If you haven't seen the 8 Series machines, you can take one for a virtual tour by downloading the BERNINA 820 and 830 Simulators from the 8 Series website. Just look at all those buttons! One for securing seams, one for presser foot pressure, one that remembers all the stitches you've been using, one for stitching in 16 directions 720 directions in half degree increments (what was I thinking!), one for adjusting tension,... there's even one for setting up your screen exactly the way you want it!

But the contest isn't about the old 530 or the new 8 Series machines - it's about sewing machine features. Which feature on your sewing machine do you absolutely love? If you could design your own machine, what feature would you be sure to include? I learned to sew on a straight stitch machine, and later sewed on a machine that had a extra stitches for techniques like blindhemming and overcasting, but no decorative stitches. So when I bought my first machine, one of the features I really wanted was a feather stitch. That was a long time ago - before I knew about BERNINA's Free Hand System. Now I can't live without having that FHS lever for raising and lowering the presser foot without using my hands!

So tell us what your favorite sewing machine feature is, or think of something new and exciting that you'd like to have on your machine. To enter the contest, just leave a comment to this blog posting before midnight EST, April 11, 2010. The winner gets a box of fun stuff from BERNINA, OESD, Benartex, and Brewer!

I just discovered my new favorite toy! The AccuQuilt GO! Fabric Cutter. I've been hearing about it for quite some time and even saw a demo at Quilt Market last Fall but I just finally got around to trying it for myself. It is so much fun - and easy! One thing I love about it is that it is low-tech - no new software to learn, no uploading, downloading, or programming required! It works every time to give me clean, consistent cuts. I'm loving it for handling scraps and small pieces of fabric. I just cut my leftovers into squares, strips, and triangles, then store them for future sewing - ready to go. I can start sewing when I feel like it with all of the cutting behind me.

I tried one of the new dies - Alpha Baby - and created a sweet scrapbook page for a friend of mine. If you want to try it for yourself, download the instructions by clicking HERE. I can see how the GO! Fabric Cutter is going to save me time in cutting fabric shapes, money because I waste less fabric, and frustration because my pieces are consistent so my seams match and my points are sharp! What more could a stitcher want?!

Use the Circle tool to draw a circle.

Choose a decorative stitch from the wide variety found in the software - including many that are not on the sewing machine.

One advantage of using the BERNINA Embroidery Software is that each circle is outlined with complete stitch patterns (no partial patterns or overlaps) and the layout for each piece of the jacket can be designed prior to stitching. (For instructions on planning embroidery for each section, see Judy Hahner's version of the jacket, also in Through the Needle #33.)

Hoop a layer of wash-away stabilizer such as OESD BadgeMaster in your largest hoop and use a spray adhesive such as 101 Quilt Basting Spray to hold the linen and stabilizer layers together during the embroidery process.

Open Art Canvas, select Basic Vector Shapes, and draw a "long" heart shape. Change the Fill Color to green and the Outline to "none."

Copy the heart and Paste to create a second heart shape. Change the angle to 90 degrees. Move this heart into place beneath and to the left of the first heart.

Copy and Paste another heart shape and change the angle to 270 degrees. Move this herat into place beneath and to the right of the first heart.

Select Basic Vector Shapes and add a trapezoid shape for the shamrock stem.

Select Arrange > Shaping, and the "weld" option. Select Convert to Embroidery.

Change fills and outline stitches to create your own unique shamrocks!

I hope you've had a chance to visit the WeAllSew.com website since my last visit here at the Bernina Blog. Did you know that you can keep up with We All Sew at our Twitter feed and Facebook fan page?

Working with the WeAllSew.com project has opened my eyes to the many charities that depend on help from sewers like us. In fact, there is a whole list of these organizations on the Sew to Serve page at WeAllSew.com. And, the list keeps growning as new charity organizations are added to the list weekly!

I decided it was time for me to start volunteering my sewing time and looked to the Sew to Serve list to get started. I found the American Patchwork & Quilting's 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge. What a great volunterring idea! Sew pillowcases (and after all, it's so easy anyone can do it!) and donate them to help make a difference. Check the 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge website for all kinds of great information, like the free pillowcase patterns, or how to find a participating shop near you. After you donate pillowcases, you can add how many pillowcases you made to help reach the goal of 1 million!

I downloaded the Pillowcase with Ruffled Trim PDF pattern and during my last craft group meet-up stitched 6 pillowcases, yay! The pillowcase went together so quickly, it was really fun! I am challenging everyone in my crafting group to sew up at least one pillowcase at our next meeting.

Why not get started sewing for others and stitch some pillowcases along with me? And while you're at it, join in on the We All Sew Facebook fan page creative pillowcase challenge to win a Bernina goody-bag full of sewing goodness! Just join us on the WeAllSew.com Facebook fanpage and post a picture of your most creative pillowcase made for charily between now and March 31st. The most creative pillowcase wins! Read more about the contest at the WeAllSew.com fanpage!

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).

As a garment sewer, I am a huge proponent of making sure that I machine stitch something only once (well, I do own several rippers, but I'd rather not use them). So I hand baste a lot. I like to use silk basting thread, and I especially like the Japanese brand that is included in the Project Sewing Workshop program of notions. It is extremely fine and smooth, and therefore comes out easily when I sew over it. And if I press over it, no impression of the thread line is left, which happens when I baste with cotton or polyester thread.

I am also using the Extra Fine Fusing Tape (also a Japanese product) more and more for basting. This product is the same concept as Steam-a-Seam, but it is a much sheerer line of "glue" and better for most fashion fabrics. Either way, hems, collars, cuffs and other details are held in place while I sew, and my rippers stay in my drawer.

A couple of things have happened since I wrote my last blog. First I had a birthday, so now I'm 7 years old, and second, I lost my two front teeth.

I want to start sewing on my ASG challenge project, but there are some things I need to do before I get to start on the fun stuff. My Nana showed me how to change my pattern to match the drawing of my idea. I always thought you had to make the pattern exactly like it was, but you don't. Changing it is fun.

Then I pinned my pattern to my fabric. I learned what grain was and that if I didn't keep my pattern on the grain that it would look funny and wouldn't fit.

Next I had to cut out the fabric. That was hard. My hands are little and the scissors were big. I do have some hits to make that easier. First make sure you have very sharp scissors and use them only for cutting out fabric, never use them for cutting paper. My fabric is pretty thick but having nice sharp scissors made it a lot easier than I thought. I have a pretty pair of pink scissors. If you have never cut out much before I think you need to practice your cutting skills. I used my paper scissors and practiced cutting on paper, even cardboard. Cutting curves is not easy, but you just need to practice.

When I finished cutting the fabric also had a lot of fuzz on the edges so I shook it off.

Next time I come to Nana's I get to sew on her BERNINA Fashionista sewing machine!! Yea!!

Signed, "The Fashionista," Tori

Tori's Hint: Always wash your hands before you start sewing!

Ed: Linda Stewart is a couture fashion designer, member of the American Sewing Guild, and proud grandmother of Tori, age 7.

You know when you're trying to balance tension on the loopers of your serger and no matter how hard you try, you can never find tune the stitches? Well, MTC takes care of that for you! One you have the tension close to being balanced, you can use the Micro Thread Control knob to fine tune the seam. It's super easy to use and makes those tension headaches go away. I think I'll have to use my serger more for decorative things from now on!

Ed. Learn more about Paula's serging adventures in BERNINA of America's Through the Needle issue #33 - "Jacket x 3."

Over the last three months I have developed an overwhelming appetite for craft books from my local library. "Li honey, did you know you have over 70 books out?" asked the librarian (don't even get me started on libary cutbacks!). "Uh, um, well, my mother gets a lot of these" I say as I am thinking "Can she see how tall that pile of hogwash is, oh dear...." They are all, of course, for me... Tho' to be fair, my mother DOES get one or two large printers out at a time.

Why in the world does someone who has rooms of books need more? And I don't just get reading material on all kinds of different sewing and crafts; I get several on each subject. For instance, I fell in love with Kaleidoscope quilts recently. So off to the library I went. I sat on the floor and started leafing here and there. "Wow, they are all so lovely, but lets see, maybe I should limit myself to 2, yes... oh, but look at this! And this, oh, art quilts, ummmm now, that really IS my thing." How many? Six! And I am not even a quilter!

As luck would have it, a woman standing innocently in the knitting section was watching my pile grow with slight amusement. She asked, "Are you a quilter?" Ah, big mistake, I LOVE talking to strangers, especially ones that have sought ME out! Off I went, explaining how little "real quilting" I have done, what I had in mind for this quilt, the story of my life interspersed with commentary on making dolls, art and science. Finally she said, "I just happen to be president of The Northeast Ohio Regional Quilt Council." Nice, huh? (Of course, she uses a BERNINA!) Starting right at the top! She suggested several other books and mentioned the stack-n-whack method as well as the work of Paula Nadelstern - the lioness of Stacking and Whacking. WOW! Off I went again, this time on-line... read, read, read, think, think, ponder, think...

But (listen up, fellow bookies), have I DONE a quilt? Have I even started stacking? Have I explored whacking? No. Is there a lesson here? Yes indeedy-do!

When I have a beautiful, color-filled, rich, new book in hand, it seems like there are possibilities galore and my apparently limited time will infinitely expand the moment I open it - Magic will burst forth and my house of creative blocks will tumble! This is a wonderful feeling... It lasts at least as long as the book is open and in my hands, but it doesn't see to push the needle into the fabric or turn on the machine. I have to do that.

And... So do you.

SO, get to it! Grab a book, grab some fabric, grab some time and don't let yourself be distracted by the pictures, or the dishes or the kids. Once we get started, we will wonder why we ever dilly-dallied with our snoots in the books for so long! I know this is true, yes, here I go...

BERNINA National Artisan, Karen Spector, recently hosted boy scouts from Troop 321 and taught basic sewing techniques on the BERNINA aurora 440QE. The scouts created a dozen fleece-lined dog and cat beds for Pets in Need, a local animal shelter!

Step 1 - Pinning, Step 2 - Cutting.

Step 3 - Sewing on the lines!

Finished!

Happiness is a warm puppy!

something about cats

Hello BERNINA fans! I would like to share with your my latest quilt, "Music of the Spheres." It is inspired by an acrylic painting that I created for my art class. I painted two canvases, one mainly black and one mainly white. I then cut them up and sewed them back together with the zigzag on my wonderful BERNINA. I liked it so much that I wanted it to be more than a constructed painting, so I placed a piece of matte acetate over it and drew with a pen all of the paint strokes and splots. That drawing was enlarged to make the templates, and I recreated the painting in fabric. I then collaged on the center of the painting in the upper right corner to complete the design. It was a lot of fun and the BERNINA sewed through the canvas while I was quilting like a charm. Ahhhh so nice to have a machine that can do anything without any trouble!

BERNINA is a backer of my Alegre Retreat that I do in Gateway, Colorado. It is an art quilters retreat where they study with one teacher for five days, hear lectures from all four teachers, and eat wonderful food, take inspirational walks in the morings, and share in the love of quilting and sewing. Jeff Vogel of Hi Fashion Fabrics in Grand Junction, CO supplies us with all of the wonderful BERNINAs to sew with in class. This is so great to use the best machines and not to have to lug your own machine across country. He has several techs there to help you work with the machines without any stress. He also sets up a great booth, bringing many fabrics for us to shop for from his store.

The teachers for this year's five day retreat are myself, Katie Pasquini Masopust, Carol Shinn, Jane Dunnewold, and Sue Benner followed by two days with the sane teachers, except that Sue Benner will be going home and Patty Hawkins will take her room. The dates are June 6-13, 2010. Please visit the website at www.gatewaycanyons.com to learn more. You can also become a fan of Alegre Retreat on facebook. I post pictures and updates there often. Just type in Alegre Retreat and you can become a fan.

This is my latest My Label jacket. I used the Belted Jacket pattern from the My Lable 3D Fashion Pattern Software and shortened the sleeves to 3/4 length. It is still in process, but I'm applying a very delicate black lace trim around the collar and the ends of the sleeves. The delicate lace contrasts nicely with the large yarns of the plaid tweed fabric.

Do you have any unusual combinations that you would like to share?

Talking about quilting actually rivals quilting for intensity and passion in my life. I love the opportunity to get together with other quilters and talk about the process of quilting. From each of these opportunities, particularly teaching, I learn something new. My recent trip to Cleveland, OH to tape a segment on machine quilting for Quilting Arts TV (episode #503) proved yet another opportunity to talk about quilting and to grow as a quilter. Meeting Pokey Bolton, Jeanne Cook Delpit, Kathie Stull, Sarah Vedeler, Susan Brubaker Knapp and other artists and quilters was the highlight of the trip. Pokey and Jeanne are warm, welcoming and full of energy!

At home I quilt on a BERNINA 1080 and we do some good work together. I understand her sounds and rhythms and I have learned how to achieve an even, consisten stitch. In machine quilting class a few years ago I tried the BERNINA Stitch Regulator as part of the class - my reaction - "training wheels." I could not get the BSR to work with my hand movement. While I never discouraged anyone from getting or using it I just knew the BSR would not be part of my quilting life.

When I arrived for my practice time on the aurora 440QE Jeanne asked me if I'd be willing to demo the BERNINA Stitch Regulator on camera. I don't even use the BSR, how can I possibly demo on camera? After a brief conversation about how I quilt, Jeanne asked if she set up the BSR a bit differently would I just give it one more try? She set it up in BSR 2 mode with the foot pedal turning the BSR on and off - within 15 minutes I felt comfortable enough with the BSR to demo on camera. What a huge change! Now as I look down the road toward purchasing a new machine I can see a BERNINA Stitch Regulator adding to how I quilt.

Use the Pattern Repeat function to set the number of patterns prior to moving to the embroidery screen. The entire stitch combination will act as one unit and becomes easier to manipulate. However, the original set cannot be taken apart again.

• In the sewing screen, select stitch #501. Set Pattern Repeat at 3.

• Touch the embroidery module icon. The pattern thumbnail shows the 3-repeat pattern.

• Select the pattern just created from the My Designs folder.

• When selected, select the Oval Hoop and set the hoop to fill with 2 patterns.

Now that the weather is cold and the days are short you're probably spending more time inside. Considering how busy our schedules tend to be, how would you like a little extra time to enjoy sewing on your BERNINA and less time cooking in the kitchen? If so, I've got a fast, fun, (inexpensive) luxurious pillow project just perfect for gift-giving and a delicious slow cooker recipe you've got to try! (Recipe at the end of this blog.)

You can whip up this luxurious, yet quick-to-stitch pillow in just a few hours on your BERNINA and it will look like something from an expensive designer showroom. Perfect to give to someone special for a birthday, shower, or house-warming gift. Many furniture stores will give you their upholstery samples and remnants when they have been discontinued. Just ask the next time you're out shopping for furniture, or give the manager of your favorite store a call.

1) I combined all the soup ingredients and put them in the slow cooker.

2) I sorted through upholstery fabric samples and came up with an eye-catching palette.

3) I cut them into 5" squares...

4) ... and stitched them together in a simple patchwork pattern using a 1/2" seam allowance.

5) After pressing, I used a lightweight, fusible interfacing to keep the seams open and to keep the fraying edges from raveling too much.

6) I topstitched the seams using a variety of decorative stitches on my BERNINA 730E with rayon thread. I added fringe for a special touch. Perfect - fast and fun!

7) Now, I'm off to enjoy a bowl of delicious Yummy Cheeseburger Soup!

Prep Time: 20 minutes; cook 8-10 hours (low) or 4-5 hours (high); makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 to 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tbsps minced garlic
• 1 small bag frozen cut carrots
• 1 large potato, cubed (optional)
• Two 10.75 cans condensed cheddar cheese soup
• Two 14 ounce cans beef broth
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 dill pickle, diced (optional)

Brown the ground beef, onion and garlic in a skillet and drain off excess fat.

In your slow cooker, add beef mixture and all remaining ingredients except shredded cheddar cheese and pickle.

Cover and cook on low or high heat as directed above.

Now go sew until the soup is ready!

Top each serving with shredded cheese and pickle. Serve and enjoy!

I scanned the pattern pieces of the upper front, lower front, and upper back panels into v6 DesignerPlus BERNINA Embroidery Software, then used them as templates for combining designs and auditioning placement before sending the completed arrangements to the embroidery system. No more guessing - it's just that simple!

The knit jacket was constructed with exposed seams using a three-thread serger stitch and threads that matched the embroidery designs and color of the jacket. I love the serger - it adds such a professional look to garments and really made this jacket quick and easy to assemble. This pattern lends itself to many possibilities and I can't wait to serge up another!

Use your BERNINA Embroidery Software to create a unique Valentine's Day card with printed three-dimensional embroidery and drop shadow text.

File > Open > C: My Designs > Embroidery Software 6 > Seasons > Hd215.ART60.

Select the Art Canvas tab and Zoom Out (F3)

Drag a guideline from the ruler on the top of the screen out to the page center. Look for the "0" on the left ruler indicating the center of the page; click. Now drag a guideline out from the ruler to the left, to the page center. Look for the "0" on the top ruler; click.

Select the Text icon, click an empty area of the workspace, and type "Be My Valentine." Drag your cursor over the text to select it, and choose a text that appeals to you from the dropdown menu at the top of the page. (I used Cooper Black.)

Click on the Select icon. Select and then move the text into the bottom right panel.

I added a drop shadow to the text. Click on the drop shadow icon and follow the directions in the Hints Docker Panel to click and drag a shadow.

To correctly position the embroidery, select the Embroidery Canvas tab. Select the design and move into position beneath the text. Select the Art Canvas tab to preview the card.

Select File > Print. The 3D embroidery and drop shadow print beautifully!

Fold the card in half and in half again. Fits a standard No. 5 1/2 envelope.

I had so much fun using the BERNINA Embroidery Software Quilter program to create "Going in Circles." The pattern I chose was the Drunkard's Path, and I used the software to audition how I wanted the blocks to go together.

I used a 4-thread overlock stitch to piece the quilt together, and a combination of chain- and cover-stitching to quilt the blocks. "Going in Circles" was stitched on a BERNINA 1300 MDC, but other sergers with these stitches could also be used. King Tut by Superior Threads was used in the needles and coverstitch looper, with Pearl Crown Rayon by YLI in the chainstitch looper.

Ed: Instructions for this quilt will be posted at www.berninausa.com in the near future.

Be sure and save all your leather scraps since you can always use the small scraps to make small purses or accessory totes. I think that I might make a patchwork tote and use some of my decorative stitches to piece the patches together. Do you have other ideas for projects with leather scraps?

Ed: For even more tips on sewing leather, see Debbi's article - "Embroidered Leather Vest" in issue #33 of BERNINA of America's Through the Needle magazine.

What a great time I had at the BERNINA Sewing Station at Cool Spring in Brentwood, Tennessee. With a full class of students we had four hours of great fun. This project was totally different from my usual children's sewing. We learned about so many accessory feet while making this Sewing Notions Bottle Cozy. I kept them hopping so they all went home with their completed cozies wrapped around cold bottles of water!

Download instructions for your own Sewing Notions Bottle Cozy by clicking HERE.