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!

Hello fellow sewers! Check this out, there's a new place on the web to find anything and everything about sewing, www.WeAllSew.com. This is the best sewing stuff on the web, from blogs, Facebook pages, how-to videos, Flickr feeds and even Twitter handles, all sewn up in one place!

WeAllSew.com highlights Sew to Serve, connecting you directly with organizations and projects that need sewing volunteers. Marine Comfort Quilts (http://www.MarineComfortQuilts.us) is dedicated to bringing some comfort and love to families of military men and women lost in service to our country through quilts and quilting. Find many more worthy places to sew some love by clicking on Sew To Serve!

Free stuff! Yup, there's even a whole section of links to free sewing stuff, like these embroidery designs (http://FreeEmbroideryStuff.EmbroideryDesigns.com/), quilt patterns (http://www.FreeQuiltingPatterns.info/), and projects like these great fabric containers (http://TheLuckyDucks.blogspot.com/2009/10/scrap-buster-scrap-bags.html). And talk about fresh, new links are being added to WeAllSew.com weekly, so always expect to see the newest sewing stuff!

Stay in the sewing loop by joining us on our Facebook WeAllSew.com fanpage and our @weallsew Twitter feed, and enjoy the sewing love.

Because, after all, I sew, you sew, we all sew!

I barely got to start on all the sewing projects I had slated for Baby Kate - I thought I would have many more weeks to sew for her! Besides finishing up my diaper bag, the Amy Butler's Everything Bag, I managed to get a few things put together for the nursery.

These cute little birdies are from a free pattern at Spool Sewing, designed by Michael Fulkerson. I added wings to my birdies by cutting out teardrop shapes and tacking them on to the sides of the birds. The pattern calls for a 1/4" seam allowance, and I found that using the Patchwork Foot #37 made piecing together the small pattern pieces a breeze.

Once I finished sewing, turning, and stuffing the birdies, I picked out some good looking sticks and planned the positioning of the birds. My husband helped me to glue the birds to the sticks, and then he strung the sticks together with heavy fishing line.

The mobile hangs right over the rocking chair, and the baby can look up and watch the birds when we're rocking her. I also managed to finish sewing the curtains and a small clothes hamper for her room before her arrival.

Now I am looking forward to finishing some accessories for the crib, making a wall-hung growth chart, and of course sewing many, many little outfits - thank heaven for little girls!

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!

All you need is some soft, cozy cotton flannel in your choice of print or color (1 yard will do, but buying 1 1/4 yards makes the blanket into a perfect square). Step one, finish all four sides with a 1/2" hem; turn under and press 1" of fabric to the wrong side, then turn under and pin.

Step two, stitch along the edge to hem up the blanket using a straight stitch or a fancy, decorative stitch. If you're using a super-cool print or you want a plain blanket, then you're done! This is a blanket I made with a tea set design print, and I used the lettering stitch feature on my Bernina to add a little message to the hem.

These blankets are also great for embroidery! Here's a blanket I'm putting together for a Bernina project (which I'll let you in on a little later), using Oklahoma Embroidery Supply and Design's pack #12195 Baby 12.

And you don't have to stick to baby designs. This blanket is embroidered with a Hope Yoder design, Nashville Lace. I changed the thread colors to different shades of pink, and the corner will be perfect for a monogram (when we finally decide on a name!).

When embroidering on flannel, use a polymesh cut-away stabilizer next to the fabric - it will help to keep the stitching from distorting through many washes, and it will stay nice and soft for cuddling. It's also a good idea to use Isacord polyester thread on these blankets since it is made to be tough and colorfast. And most of all, have fun creating your one-of-a-kind gift that will surely be treasured and cuddled for a long time to come.

STEP 1: While wearing the T, have someone help you to mark the center back with a straight pin where the gather will go; it works best right below the bust line.

STEP 2: Take off the T, and turn it inside out - be carefull not to knock out that pin! Transfer the pin marking to the inside back of the shirt. Now, fold the shirt in half lengthwise, matching shoulders, sleeves, and bottom edges. Double check that the pin is on the center fold, and move it over if you need to. Using a ruler, measure over about 4" from that center pin, and mark with another pin.

Carefully flip the T over to the other side, and repeat.

STEP 3: Open up the shirt, and you will have three pin marks - one in the center, and one 4" on each side. Cut a piece of 1" wide soft, stretchy elastic to 4".

STEP 4: Remove that middle pin marking the center, and pin each end of the elastic to each of the remaining pins. Tack stitch each side of the elastic to the shirt using a narrow zig zag stitch on the sewing machine.

STEP 5: Now comes the fun part! To stitch the elastic down to the shirt, s-t-r-e-t-c-h out the shirt with both hands until the elastic is about even with the shirt.

Practice how it feels to hold the shirt stretched out with both hands a few times BEFORE you put it in the machine to sew. Use a standard zig-zag stitch (lenght about 1.5-2mm, width about 3-3.5mm), and sew right down the middle of the elastic strip, stretching as you sew. Here's what the finished stitching will look like:

STEP 6: Now, just sew two more rows of stitching the same way, one at each edge of the elastic, stretching the fabric out as you go. When you're done, turn the shirt back the right way and check out your stitching!

Now there's no excuse for wearing baggy T's!

And, here's a few extra tips to help you get started:

Don't forget to use a ballpoint needle for stitching with knits - a sharp needle will cut through the knit fibers making holes while a ballpoint needle will go in between the fibers to keep the fabric intact.

Use a really soft and stretchy elastic, it is easier to stretch when sewing and feels much better next to your back than the super stiff stuff made for waistbands.

The amount of fabric gathered in the back of the shirt depends on how much you measure and mark from the center. I used a very big shirt and gathered a total of 8", measuring 4" over from each side of the center back. For a shirt that is not as roomy, try gathering just 6" total, or 3" over from each side of the center back.

First, I start with a T roomy enough for the baby-belly, which means I'm swimming in it!

Then I pre-wash the T a couple of times to get all the shrinkage out. I hem up the bottom of the shirt and the sleeves with a 1" hem, making sure to leave a little extra length in the front of the sirt for my growing baby-belly. If you have a serger, you can use a blind hem stitch to neatly finish off the seams. If you have a sewing machine, use a stretch stitch or an elongated zig zag stitch.

I also used a technique out of the book Generation T by Megan Nicolay to add ties to the sleeves from extra fabric cut off of the bottom of the shirt. This helps to gather up some of the extra fabric from the large sleeves.

Then, the REAL FIT TRICK is adding an elastic gather in the back of the shirt - right below the bust line. This gathers in the top while leaving plenty of room everywhere else!

I'll post a step-by-step tutorial next week on how exactly to create the elastic gather in the back of the T, it's really easy!

Here are some of the other lucky people to sit and sew on an 830 at Bernina University.

The auto-threading is probably the coolest thing I've ever seen, you HAVE to see it in person. I also loved the new thread delivery system, located in an easy to reach location and making for the smoothest thread release ever. Oh, oh, oh, and the new bobbin winding system located right on the front of the machine, which means there's no need to stand up to wind a bobbin! And, have you seen the new bobbin on this baby? Talk about BIG, and let me tell you, when it comes to bobbins, size does matter.

And talk about embroidery, the jumbo hoop at 16" x 10" almost makes my Happy embroidery machine's 12" x 12" hoop look tiny. Not to mention that the 830 can embroider just as fast as the Happy machine at 1,000 stitches per minute - talk about SPEEDY!

Yes, it IS too good to be true, and I think I'm in love!

These are some small scraps of Benartex Woodstock fabric, and I followed Diana's instructions in the book to put these together.

These pincusions I made by making the pattern from Diana's book a little bigger, and then boxing out the corners. This is a bit of vintage barkcloth with a vintage button.

Here's another one made from a scrap of faux-fur, a scrap of ribbon, and a vintage button.

And, here is a pincushion made from a scrap of luscious silk & brocade fabric imported from India.

Now I hope you are inspired to take a look at some pincushion patterns or make up some of your own to make a dent in your scrap-stash!

This is a cool project - a notebook or sketchbook cover with a pocket. I added the monogrammed patch to the pocket before attaching it per the directions, I think it adds a nice touch! The pocket is big enough to hold an eraser and small pens and pencils, a bookmark, or even some post it notes. I used one of Alexander Henry's Tatsu fat quarters for this project with a coordinating solid cotton color for the lining.

This project is called a Jewelry Pouch, but it can be used as a clutch or a carry-all for an I-pod (and all the cords, cases, and extra junk that comes with it). I used one fat quarter of Alexander Henry's Tattoo Too fabric, and added an extra layer of plain red cotton for contrast on the inside of the project. If you want to use the pouch as a clutch, I suggest also adding a layer of interfacing to give some extra support.

The project has three zipper pouches, which was a great way for me to use up some of those extra zippers in my stash.

You can see the red fabric I layered with the main fabric as a contrast when a pouch is open.

And, for the finishing touches, I added the ribbon closure and button before I completed the project, to make the clutch easier to carry.

These are both fun and simple projects to whip up - great for gifts - and a SUPERB way to use up some of those extra fat quarters!

These are two of my favorite Amy Butler patterns, the Swing Bag and the Drawstring Purse from the In Town Bags.

This is the Drawstring purse, and was made from four coordinating fat quarters of Benartex Woodstock fabrics plus a scrap of repurposed ribbon for trim. You can actually get enough fabric for TWO of these bags if you add another fat quarter for the lining of the second project! Super cute, and very suitable for summer.

I just love this project, the Swing Bag. I used different coordinating Benartex City Girl fat quarters for each side of the exterior, the interior, and the ouside and lining of the handles for a total of 6 fat quarters. This is actually a fun way to construct the bag, because you can make two coordinating but different sides to the bag, and just flip it over for a different look.

The Swing Bag is the perfect size for holding all your goodies at the farmer's market, the craft store, a day trip to the beach, or any other summer outing that requires a few extra props.

I hope this gives you a few ideas of other quick and easy things to do with those fat quarters. I have a few other fav's for using up those stocks of fat quarters that I'll post about soon!

The front of the bib overalls became this apron, and I used Benartex City Girl fabric for the ties and extras. The embroidery design on the pocket is an OESD design from the Go Retro! collection. I love all the pockets on this apron, small scissors, seam rippers, and seam guages fit perfectly in the nooks and crannies of the top pockets - all the tools I could ever need while working on a project!

The back of the bib overalls made this apron, and I used an Alexander Henry's Tatsu fabric for the ties, the trim, and the dragon applique.

I used a piece of plain red fabric underneath the dragon applique, and used the Bernina Stitch Regulator to stitch all around the shape. Then, I cut away more of the dragon fabric to leave some of the red to show all the way around, and left the edges raw. I used the Button Sew On Stitch on my artista 730 to attach the decorative buttons at the top of the apron and pockets.

These projects were a lot of fun to finish, especially since I salvaged the bib overalls from going into the trash!

Begin with a new, blank design in the software. To figure out where to place your lines, you can measure the project carefully and follow the grid in the software as you draw, or you can scan the project and import the image directly into the software to trace around.

In this picture, I am measuring my ribbon with the gridded template for the large oval hoop. The ribbon measures four squares across.

And in this picture, I scanned the ribbon and imported the image into the software. The ribbon fits into four squares across on the grid.

To draw the placement lines, I select the Open Object tool , making sure that the Single stitch is selected. Then, using left mouse clicks, I draw a line on each side of the ribbon, making sure to stay inside the hoop, and press the Enter key after each line that I draw. Pressing the Enter key is like telling the software, "Okay, I've finished drawing this line, you can turn it into stitches now!" When I've finished drawing, there are stitching outlines on each side of the ribbon inside the hoop.

(You will notice in these pictures that I removed the grid on the screen so you can see better; in the software, right click on the Show Grid button to take the grid away or bring it back.)

Next, I import the other design elements, using the placement lines as a guide to arrange the designs. I make sure that the designs are exactly where I want them inside those placement lines, keeping in mind that they represent my actual project.

The final step in the software is to make sure that the placement lines stitch out very first thing in your design. Use the Slow Redraw tool to watch how the design will stitch out in the software. If your placement lines are not stitching out first, move them to the beginning of the design by selecting the placement lines, and choosing Sequence to Start from the Arrange menu.

And that's all there is too it! Don't forget to use a practice stitch out with your placement lines to see how the design fits within the lines. Also, you can hold your project up to the stitch out to see how your placement lines match up to your project. Make any adjustments needed before stitching out the real thing. Check back with my last post to see how I hooped and stitched out this project with the placement lines.

Placement lines are used with the un-hooped method of hooping, and create guide lines to help you in placing your project down in the hoop. I used this method to make this embroidered bookmark.

Here's an example of how it works. First, only the stabilizer is hooped and set on the machine. The placement line stitches out first, in this case I am embroidering a design on a piece of ribbon, and the lines show me where to line up the ribbon.

Once the placement line has been stitched, I remove the hoop and can easily lay down my project, lining it up exactly with the lines, using either temporary spray adhesive to hold the project down, or OESD's Stabil Stick stabilizer.

The hoop, project and all, goes back into the machine to finish stitching.

And look - it stitched PERFECTLY! Now how cool is that?

Not only does this method work for embroidery on ribbon, but it really helps with things like collars, cuffs, corners, pockets, and anything else that needs perfect placement.

Okay, so you're probably wondering how those placement lines got there, right? It's easier than you might think, and my next blog will have a quick description of making placement lines using the drawing tools in the Designer Plus V5 software.

I had no idea how to put in a zipper, or work with a fabric with a nap like corduroy, or even how to make gathers. My teacher was absolutely the best, and took time to work with me on all the details, even sewing in the zipper. I worked so hard on that skirt, and remember ripping out the gathered seams again and again until they were just right. I was so proud when I finished it, with a zipper and everything! I haven't seen that skirt since High School, and although I looked high and low, I couldn't even find a picture of myself in the skirt. But, let me assure you, it isn't forgotten! And neither is my teacher, who through her patience and kindness, helped me to learn to love to sew.

As an art student, I learned about color theory by spending countless hours (and hours, and hours!) mixing paint pigments and arranging coordinating colors on a paper grid. (And now you know why I love color!) Color Theory is the study of the relationship between colors that are arranged in a circular diagram called a color wheel. But, the color wheel is not just for artists anymore, and it is no longer a big mystery! Quilters, garment sewers, and even crafters have discovered the secrets of using this tool.

This is an example of a good, basic color wheel that is available through Quilter's Resource, Inc. and your local Bernina Dealer should be able to order it for you if they don't already have one in the store. One side of the wheel makes it super simple to pick out pleasing color combinations by helping you to identify color relationships - just keep turning the wheel until you find a combination that you like best. The other side of the wheel is a lesson on mixing colors together, and includes a neat little glossary of color related terms. I know I am a color nerd, but I love playing around with different color combinations on the wheel, and sometimes this process sparks a new project idea for me. So, this tool can help you in many ways; when you have a specific fabric that you need to find some coordinates for, helping you get started with color combinations when you have a huge hill o' colors to choose from, or even giving you some great ideas for color ways you never dreamed of. Either way, this is an awesome tool to have around.

I am having lots of fun playing with the Mirror-Merge Horizontal & Vertical tool in the Bernina Embroidery Software Version 5 (available in Designer Plus and Editor Plus). I used Mirror-Merge to put together the embroidery designs in my first quilt. This cool tool automatically duplicates a design, and mirror-images horizontal and vertical at the same time. The tool also lets you play with the positioning of the duplicated design, which means the possibilities are endless! Here is how it works - I have one design open in the software, and it is selected:

Next I select the Mirror-Merge Horizontal & Vertical Tool from the menu located at the bottom left of the screen, and three other outlines of the design appear on the screen. As I move the cursor around, it changes the position of the three other outllines.

When I have the outlines positioned EXACTLY where I want them, I can right click the mouse button or hit the enter key, and the designs will appear in place. Now I have a completely new design!

Now here's the really cool part; you have the option of creating a little embroidery collage using the Insert Design function before using the Mirror-Merge tool! I started with several of the Creative Genes designs, then used Mirror-Merge to create this final large design. I used the Happy machine to stitch it out in the 12" x 12" hoop, and turned the final product into a tote bag.

Keep your eyes out for the next issue of Through The Needle magazine for more information on this project!

I started with four embroidered squares that I had made while demonstrating the Happy machine at the Houston Quilt Festival. I added hand-dyed fabrics that I made, and came up with the design on the fly.

I used the Bernina Stitch Regulator to free motion quilt, and I was really getting the hang of it when I finished! I used the clear foot attachment for the BSR to guide my echo quilting. I also used the Walking Foot for the first time when I applied the binding, and I can't believe I have been sewing so long without it! Holy cow does it make sewing through several layers a breeze!

The embroidery designs are combinations of the Bernina Creative Genes collection and some other lacy designs. I'll post about how I made these kaleidescope designs in the Bernina Embroidery Software soon!

1. The Ruffler Attachment #86, my absolute favorite Bernina foot! The perfect stitch quality of the Bernina sewing machine means that all the ruffles made with this attachment will be perfect, too! I use this foot for adding all kinds of ribbon and trims to garments and crafts - from heavy grosgrain ribbon to delicate strips of tulle.

Not only did I attach the tulle trim to the edge of this apron with the Ruffler Attachment, I also used it to gather the body of the apron to the band.

2. The Edgestitching Foot #10/10C is a lifesaver when I am finishing garments with edge stitching - even when stitching next to a seam. The metal guide helps to keep my fabric feeding through the machine nice and straight, and can even guide you when stitching in the ditch.

I used the #10 Edgestitching presser foot to stitch on the edge of this bow trim - nice and straight!

3. The Bernina Stitch Regulator foot. I've onlyl just begun to play with the BSR, as I am quilting my very first quilt ever. I don't know what I'd do without it, the BSR keeps all my stitches even as I move the fabric around, which is really helpful for a beginner. And it's not just for quilting, look here to see other project ideas for your BSR!

The Bernina Stitch Regulator was a hit with the teachrers, and here is an "I CAN DO IT!" moment as student Kathy Delaney of Fabric Crayon Designs discovers the fun of BSR'ing - Bernina Educators Nina McVeigh, Susan Fears, and Debbie Lashbook check out Kathy's stitching.

These teachers were all a great inspiration! You may recognize some of their names - but if you don't, click on any name to see that teacher's special contribution to the sewing community.

This year's National Teacher's Retreat students are in order of appearance:

Back Row: Kathy Delaney, Cindy Walter, Nancy Eha, Barb Vlack, Denise Holguin, Hope Yoder , June Jaeger, Louise Cutting

Middle Row: Janie Donaldson, Elizabeth Spannring, Linda Stewart , Barb Sunderlage, Connie Crawford

Front Row: Mary Jo Hiney, Tracy Stilwell, Allison Stilwell, Bobbi Bullard, Debra Green, Kay Hickman

As a brand new National Educator for Bernina, it was my job at the Festival to show off the Happy embroidery machine. This machine is fascinating to watch, and lots of folks stopped to watch it stitching out embroidery designs. For those of you new to machine embroidery, the Happy uses 12 needles, allowing you to use 12 different colors at once - and will even cut threads and change between colors automatically. Yes, it is exactly as cool as it sounds!

Here I am with Alice Voss, Marketing Assistant for Bernina of America in front of the Happy machines.

The Bernina booth was a constant buzz of activity throughout the Festival, it was great fun to meet all of the sewing, quilting and Bernina enthusiasts that came to visit. Not only did guests get to play hands-on with any Bernina in the booth, but those that visited us on preview night got to share in anniversary cake and punch!

AND! I was so inspired by all that I saw that I am making my FIRST QUILT EVER with samples that I stitched at the Festival! Check back later for pictures of my first quilt - and tell what you think!

Greetings from Bernina-land! And welcome to the first block at berninaUSAblog.com. We're Jo & Erika and we'll be posting about our favorite obsession - sewing! We'll be sharing inspiration and expertise, and telling you about happenings in Bernina-land - events, contests, new products. We want to hear from you, too - what you've been making, things you'd like to learn, questions you have. Think of us as your sewing fairy-godmothers, here to spark your creativity and provide the expertise you need to make your sewing dreams come true.

If you're not familiar with blogging, it's sort of like an online journal - except that readers can add their own comments to each post. See the little green/blue View or leave a comment link under this post? Click on it to add your own comments and/or to read those left by others.