If you weren't able to attend the Houston Show, you'll find lots of videos at www.quilterstv.com, including one starring our own Jeanne Delpit and the new BERNINA 830! Just click on the Browse Video List button, select BERNINA 830, then click on the Play button. Check out the other videos, too!

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!

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!

The final preparations are underway for another action-packed International Fall Quilt Festival in Houston! Our BERNINA booth will be a happening place again. We'll have the full product line with some great special offers available only at Festival, October 30-November 2. And we'll even have 30 minute hands-on sessions with the new 830 sewing and embroidery system! The preparations have been crazy-fun, but every detail needs to be right on when our guests arrive! We can't wait until the doors open at the Convention Center in downtown Houston!