This is Bobby

This is Bobby, our 2 1/2 year old German Shorthair Pointer.   He is still allot of puppy, crawling into the chairs for some October sun - almost a Indian Summer day.   We adopted him through the GSP Rescue last year.   We have been adopting our dogs through the various rescue groups for the 25 years - I hope you will look into getting your next pet through adoption too.

How does your garden grow?

This year our gardens didn't do anything.   Nada, Zip.   The picture is from 2009.  We had a good year with our garden crops in 2009  but not in 2010.  This year the vegetables did very poorly, not a good crop of berries they just didn't ripen, the fruit the blossoms didn't get pollinated so there wasn't allot of fruit.  We had really nice weather at the end of January and early February - it was 60+ degrees and then it turned cold and rained, and rained some more. 

Sunflowers 2009

I love pies . . .

but I want cake for birthdays and our anniversary.  Derin made this cake for our Anniversary.  Such a sweetie - he knows I love anything made with real chocolate.  It is from Dorie Greenspan's  Baking - From my Home to Yours".   Our recommendation - we have made many of the recipes in this book and they are good.   If you like to bake I would buy it or put it on my gift list.  The recipe is The Devil's Food White-Out Cake, it is made with cocoa, bitterweet chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate.   The chocolate layers are filled and frosted a "billowy, sweet marshmallow" filling/frosting.   Dorie says "I've sometines thought that if my mother had been a baker (she wasn't), and if she had ever made me this cake (which she didn't), it would have been my childhood favorite."   I agree - it is one my favorites.

Happy Anniversay Cake

Devil's Food White-Out Cake

In the Hoop - Tissue Holders

I made these Tissue Holders for a Software/Embroidery Club.  We made Stitch recipes using the Pattern Run Stitches and Blackwork Run Stitches in the Bernina Embroidery Software.  Then we made the In the Hoop Tissue Holder Case in the software.  Would you like to see a free tutorial and design for this?  I'll probably write a tutorial - I need the practice writing tutorials anyway.

In the Hoop Project

Clean, oil and new needles for all

Before I get too far behind, I think and since I haven't used a couple of my machines for awhile, we'll clean, oil and pass out a round of new needles for all.  Finish a couple little projects with the 730 and send all of you on your way with the lace thread test sew outs.

I try to clean and oil my artista machines every other bobbin.  My 830 with every bobbin. 

With the oscillating  hook I take the hook out to oil by putting a drop of oil on  my finger tip and running it along the hook.  Also take the time to check with the tip of the hook with your finger nail for any burring.

With the rotary hook I turn the hook to see the little "V" and with just a little drop of oil going right there.  Sometimes these machines get one extra little drop of oil her in the back if they are still a little noisy.

For the 830 Series follow these instructions, except I think you should oil much more often with every new full bobbin seems to work for me. Go to the BerninaPhaff Sewing Center.

I've decided to use the 830 after all with the Isacord because of the large M class bobbin, the 630 with the Bottom Line mainly because some bobbins already wound with the red color, and the 200 & 730 with the Mettler 50 wt. thread, polyester and silk finish cotton.    I'll be using up Badge Master stabilizer for this thread test.

The Results are in

I embroidered out the Lace Christmas Pickle using different machines, different threads, and different stabilizers.   I made 2 FSL pickles at the original size and 2 FSL pickles at 20% larger.  Generally you should be very careful increasing the size of Free Standing Lace designs, sometimes the lace does not connect up becomes loose.  I used the same thread on the top and and in the bobbin.  I wish you could feel the difference the threads made.  I found that I really like using the OESD Aqua Mesh stabilizer for Free Standing Lace.  It dissolves easily and doesn't break away from the embroidery.

Bottom Line

I really like using Superior's Bottom Line Thread for Free Standing Lace.  It is finer, and looks very pretty.  I embroidered these samples on the artista 730E in the large Oval hoop with a Jeans needle 80/12 on OESD Aqua-Mesh and Romeo stabilizers.

Mettler Silk Finish Cotton

I like the different look  I got using Mettler Silk Finish Cotton thread.  It is a heavier thread and reminds me of using the cotton lace thread.  There was lots of lint, I needed to clean my machine after each one of the three sets of samples.   The results are a thicker lace design, with a nice soft feel.  I embroidered  these   samples on the artista 200E (upgraded) in the large Oval hoop with a Universal 80/12 needle on OESD Aqua-Mesh and Romeo stabilizers.

  

Mettler Polyester

These samples made with the Mettler Polyester looked like the Mettler Silk Finish Cotton thread samples with the exception they are not as soft to the touch.  Almost no lint - more like normal sewing with this thread.  I embroidered these samples on the artista 630E in the large Oval hoop with a Embroidery needle 80/12 on OESD Aqua-Mesh and Romeo stabilizers.





 

Isacord

These samples were embroidered using Isacord thread.  They looked very nice when finished, not as heavy and thick as either of the Mettler threads.  I embroidered these samples on the 830 in the large Oval hoop with a Top-Stitch needle 90/14 on OESD Aqua-Mesh and Romeo stabilizers.  The Top-Stitch needle was too big and caused the Romeo stabilizer to break-away.  By adding a layer of Aqua-Film there were no more stabilizer breaking away.  There was no problem using Aqua-Mesh.

Threads for Lace - Winter Pictures

I decided to use Sew Weird 's Christmas Pickle design --- it just sorta tickled me knowing I'd probably not get any made before Christmas (and I didn't)  so the lace pickles designs will now be my test for different threads.

I will be making 4 sets of these little cuties using Isacord 40 wt., Bottom Line 60 wt and I've decided to use Mettler Silk Finish Cotton 50 wt and another set with Mettler Metrosene Plus Polyester 50 wt.  OK,  I can hear you out there wondering why I would try some of these threads, well, these threads are readily available in this area and I have them in my thread collections with the exception of the pickle green which I'll pick some up this week.  So it should be interesting.  

Winter View  2009/2010

Winter Front View 2009/2010

I wanted to get some more pictures but my little old Kodak EasyShare that has been mostly mistreated by me wouldn't open up its lens today.  I should look into getting a new camera but I tend to do bad things to them, like dropping and letting them fall off of things and leaving them in the rain.  Maybe I can get this little camera working again this week with some help.  The light on the trees without their leaves was very pretty and things just look so different in the winter. 

Looking forward to next week as cousins and their son will be here for a few days.  Should be fun and it will tie in with my B-day so hubby will have a good excuse for cooking.  I'm luck as my husband is not only a good cook but has taken over cooking since he retired and  (should I be feelin' a little guilty - heck no!)  I just let him.

BOM - Oh what have gotten myself in to

O.K.  it seemed like a good thing to do at the time, but then life didn't go as expected and my Nov/Dec time line fell apart.  In October (in the past I waited and the classes were filled so I missed out) I joined two BOM Clubs at my closest quilt shop Gathering Fabric.  I got started in October with Green Piece by Moda.  It is 20 pieced and 20 appliqued blocks.  OOOh what fun!  Yes, the applique blocks can be done with machine embroidery - they even have embroidery files for them or more traditional by hand or machine.

See I'm talking to myself, so yesterday I went to pick up the first block for the other BOM - Saturday Sampler 2010 -  My Secret Garden.  The fabrics are from the Robin Pandolph Fabric Collection from RJR called Roses D'Noel --- very pretty, makes me think of springtime, also beautiful on Christmas projects.  I haven't really done much applique so this will be a fun  learning experience.  There are 4 additional kits - I think I might get more than one of them to use as fillers rather than using so many plain fabrics strips.

This next week I'm going to start on FSL samples using different types of threads, I'll post the results.

Once in a Blue Moon

 Yesterday and today I spent cleaning up and cleaning out my sewing loft. Guess there is a truth to the once in a blue moon . . . cleaning the sewing loft. All of my other errands have been run and chores done. I wanted to sew but decided it would be nice to sort out and through projects that will be finished and not. Put away stabilizers, threads by color number and even made of list of Isacord colors I'm missing,- amazing I’m only missing 7 colors, but I have lots of duplicates that I sorted out hopefully to be used first. Re-organized and put away fabrics. Whew!!! Feels good!!! Wouldn't it be nice if I could keep it this way --- hohohoho!!! Took some new pictures, who know when things may be this neat again??? My sewing loft is good sized, it measures 18'9" x 17'8" and overlooks the living room. I should be ready to start sewing and embroidery 2010. Two of the sewing tables have quilters leafs that are not opened up in the pictures. I keep my embroidery threads organized – at least for now – in 4 cabinets (you can only see 3 of them) under the opened quilters leaf.

 


New Years Eve blue moon is the first one since 1990 and won't roll around for another 19 years. So tonight I'll celebrate the New Year and blue moon shining down. Blessings for a Happy, Healthy New Year.

PS: I made a mistake on this post and short of deleting this post and replacing it, I decided to leave it for now. So see if you can find the Easter-Egg photo in this post. It may not show up in some browsers.