Bits and Pieces

As promised, here is the newest addition to the home for unwed sewing machines (Thanks Gwen for that name...I love it!) She is going to a young girl who wants to make doggy raincoats. She is getting a horse today, so she may be preoccupied for awhile. I also found a home for the Singer Touchtronic. Our friends came last night for a visit and Annie brought 2 blankets she had made for the kids that she wanted their names embroidered on and the edges quilted around. She has wanted an embroidery machine so she could embellish and quilt, but that is not in the budget currently. She did an awesome job fusing the edges of the quilt and stitched stays in the body of the blanket by hand, but she didn't have a sewing machine to finish it how she wanted. She asked if I would do it. I said, "How about I give you a sewing machine and YOU do it?" Hayden's blanket was Thomas the Tank and when I showed her the machine, what do you know? There was a train stitch and I knew it was the perfect match! Annie actually had never sewn before, so I gave her a basic lesson to start and then let her play while I went upstairs to do the embroidery. She really caught on fast! She tried all the stitches and started putting quilt blocks together. I brought down my big tote full of quilting fabrics and let her take whatever she wanted and also gave her a packet of photo transfer fabric to do a memory quilt. I can't wait to see what she does with it! It is so gratifying to help someone get started in the craft that I love. I spent the rest of the day playing with Hayden so Mom could play with her new machine. He is such a busy guy...I am exhausted now! Checking my email I see that Fabric.com has a new free Hot Patterns download for the Cool, Calm and Cowl necked top...go check it out! NCIS on the TV and Tom in the recliner...life is good!