Doesn't Everyone Want a Beaver Dam Lake Towel?

So excited about a project that I am in the middle of!  The above photo is of Beaver Dam Lake, with  the depths in different colors.  I designed this using Bernina V6 software, so I not only have the outlines in vector format, but also in stitches, should I wish to embroider this out.  I printed the drawing on Transfer Artist Paper and then ironed it on a nice white dish towel.  It looks good, but I was limited by the 8.5" x 11" size of the paper.  Then it hit me! (An idea, not the towel)  I could upload a file to Spoonflower and have it printed there!  I did some research on the Spoonflower site and it seems as if most towels are printed on their linen/cotton fabric that is 54" wide.  I remembered that I ordered the fabric for our new shower curtain on that blend, so I made a towel out of some of the leftover fabric, washed and dried it, and was very pleased at the weight, and "wickiness" of the towel.  I am going to add the names of the bays of the lakes, and some of the nicknames of some of the spots...such as sunset and woodtick points.  Of course I won't be able to pinpoint where we live (red star in above shot), because I think other lake people might also think this is a fun idea.  I ordered a color chart from Spoonflower printed on the linen/cotton that will show the computer screen colors translated into print colors.  Once I get that, and the information from some locals on lake labels, I can upload and print.  I will not be limited by size, although four pretty good sized towels can be made from a yard.  That would leave plenty of room for a bigger map.  Placemats, tablecoths, even tee shirts made from the map printed on knit fabric.  This is fun.  Jerilynn

Detour

I am trying to come up with a Dresden Plate quilt block idea for a class at Sew Complete in Eau Claire, WI.  I have a new rotary ruler, fast2cut Dresden Plate Template created by Anelie Belden.  I have a few ideas that are bouncing around in my head, but, as usual, I took a side road.  I started to think about Woolfelt and then wondered how it would look if I combined the Dresden wedges with some embroidered wedges.  I went to my Bernina V6 and digitized a simple design and wreathed it 10 times.  I also added some straight placement lines for the felt wedges.  After the embroidering, I cut strips of Woolfelt, ironed them to some paper-backed fusible web, cut the wedges out with the template ruler, and ironed them in place.  I decided to blanket stitch around all the edges with my machine rather than digitize the embroidery for them.  I like how this turned out.  I think what I am going to do next is make two more squares,  maybe changing out background colors.  I will stitch them together and make some sort of runner.  This would also look good on a pillow, or on the front of a tote.  Just think of all the possibilities!  Different embroideries and different colors of felt would give a completely different look.  I need to get back to a class idea and stay a bit more focused.  Jerilynn

Snowflake Names

Last Christmas I made my mom one of the Snowflake Name Coasters.  She loved it and asked if I would make one for each of the aides that help her at the nursing home for the 2012 Christmas.  Sure!  It would be an inexpensive, yet personal little gift.  I didn't realize at the time that there is a crew of over 50 that take care of the 29 residents.  That doesn't even include the laundry staff, the kitchen crew, the housekeeping crew or the facilities guys.  I would say that explains the wonderful care she gets.  I am very thankful for these  angels in our lives.  So, I have started the coaster production.  I use the Bernina V6 software to digitize each name, mirror it, wreath it, and sew it out on Woolfelt using Superior Metallic thread in silver.  Forget all the stories you hear about embroidering with metallic thread - this stuff performs without a hitch!  I have 15 done, and the Christmas party is the 14th.  I think I am on track.  I ordered square silver envelopes to put each coaster in, and my mom wants to have me include a little  note in each.  She is pretty excited about this idea.  So, when I tried to find a Christmasy wreath to hang on her room door, I was coming up empty.  The decoration couldn't be too big.  Then, BAM, a great idea hit!  I would embroider a BIG snowflake with her name, Marge, and fasten it to some greenery.  She would have fun telling people to try to find her name, and that would then tie in to their little gift.  Do you see the name Lori in the coaster?  Do you see Marge in the snowflake?  This idea would make really cute snowflake decorations for a tree, don't you think?  I also bought some spray glitter to spray on all of them for extra cheer.  Martha would be proud.  Jerilynn

The Days of Whine and Noses and Coasters for Hot Tea

Sometime last year I mentioned to someone that because I am getting old, I don't get so many colds.  I really shouldn't have said that...I think I have had more colds the last 12 months than I have had the last 12 years.  I am not sure where I picked up this recent doozy...the Oregon Coast?  Deadwood?  County Market in Cumberland, WI?  Hard to say, but this strain knocked me for a loop, and I very generously allowed Carl to share in its fun.  As usual, I had a bunch of stuff I wanted to get done, but mostly just felt like doing computer work, sleeping, reading, and watching tv.  What a life!  While I was in the Comfy Chair (as opposed to The Red Chair), I worked on the digitizing of the shaped Woolfelt coasters.  You may have seen these before, sharp-eyed readers.  All but the pumpkin were designed before, but the sew-out was clunky.  Fine for me, but I plan to package these designs and sell them so others can have some Woolfelt fun.  Since these were going to be going to houses all across America, I wanted the stitch-outs to be smooth and as jump-stitch free as possible.  It is amazing how long it takes even to take these simple designs and make them dollar worthy.  I can see why commercially digitized designs are so pricey!  Hours!  Anyway, they got stitched out today and I declare them good.  Now I need to convert them to popular formats for various machines, burn them to CDs, make an instruction sheet, photograph the coasters in good light (good luck with that one...it's been quite cloudy and rainy), make a cover sheet, and post them for sale on Etsy.  I will give the buyers a choice of a cd or a download.  I may even offer sets for sale.  I am not sure when all this will magically happen.  I am giving a talk to the Eau Claire Sewing Guild tomorrow night.  It will be a trunk show of things I have made along with instruction on some of the construction.  I hope along with the information I do not pass on any major germs.  I think I am getting better, though.  I am thinking Wine rather than Whine.  That is a good thing.  Jerilynn

Fish Window Panels Done!

Okay, readers, put on your high-power readers to see the detail in this shot!  I know, not a great photo.  I finished all three panels for the kitchen windows and wanted you to see them.  If you were standing in my kitchen (by the way, that would be fun), you could see that they turned out pretty cute.  To the left is the side window over the sink with the printed curtains.  These panels hook into little cup hooks and can be taken down easily and folded until needed.  The colored areas are applique and then the Funky Fish shapes are on top in black.  Next to-doare a couple of white dish towels.  I am thinking about "coloring" the shading behind the black stitches with some colored pencils and some textile medium.  Somewhere I read how to do that.  I am thinking for dishtowels that are going to get washed a lot, that the colored areas would wash better than an applique.  I will do a search to find out how to do this. In the meantime, until I take down these panels, just try to peek into the cabin to see what I am up to!  Oh, wait, all the other curtains are open right now.  Peek away.  Jerilynn

Pincushion Smiles

I have been OBSESSED with the image of the spool pincushion in the first image.  It is from here and the blog talks about how the pins are dyed using Tim Holz alcohol dyes.  Well, I researched the dyes and found out they are about $3.00 per color, mostly used for scrapbooking stamping.  I felt that I really couldn't afford all the colors I wanted just to dye the tips of egg-shaped corsage pins.  Let's not even consider that I would have to source the big wooden spool and the measurement printed ribbons (okay, I have the ribbons, but I would have to get some antique dye for them or tea dye them...).  You can see how I can sometimes lose hours just trying to figure out how to make something only to realize that it is just not a good idea.  I was still stuck on the colored pins, however, and took someone's advice (sorry, don't remember whose good idea it was!:(  and bought some permanent art markers and some white corsage pins.  Worked just great at a mere fraction of the cost - had a Michael's coupon!  I didn't have the spool pincushion, but I knew that the colored pins would come in handy.  Next obsession:  Sarah Vedeler!  I have loved her vibrant quilts and embroideries for some time now, and discovered on the Berninausa.com website, under "What's New" that she offered a free tutorial on how to make the heart ornaments that you see pictured in the third image.  Plus, the tutorial included a free machine embroidery file for the stitch-out.  So wonderful of her and Bernina!  I stitched out the heart and decided I didn't really need an ornament, but with a little bit of stitching and some crushed walnut shells, I could make a pincushion!  I colored me some big pins, stuck them in the cushion, and smiled.  Now my new heart pincushion (middle image) doesn't  resemble the first pincushion at all, but for now I am happy that I got to stitch out a free design and use some art markers.  Jerilynn

Weensie Feet

My youngest son's son, Benjamin, was born 8 or 9 weeks early two and a half years ago.  His feet were so weensie!  Son Peter had those tiny feet tattooed on his chest, over his heart.  I am not a tattoo fan, but I had to admit, those feet were precious!  So, I scanned the footprints from the hospital records and digitized them in my Bernina V6 software and used that embroidery for a few items - towel, bib...  When I was down helping with the newest baby, I took a copy of her brand-new footprints and now they, too, have been translated into stitches.  At under 3", they are just the right size for a corner of this tea towel.  I suppose I could design something with all the details  that could be framed, but having a simple dish towel that can be used over and over for many years is a practical way to remember just how tiny these kids start out!  Jerilynn

Through The Needle

Check out the article in the latest Through The Needle online magazine (free) here. I wrote an article on the Bernina V6 software and it is just hot off the press!  I am sure you will find it fascinating reading! Jerilynn  (It is the link to the BerninaUSA website and my design is the red circle design by the Through The Needle Issue Ten article>)

Let's All Welcome the New HBB Coaster

Joining his friends, the Cabin Star Blanket Coaster and the Swiss Army Blanket Coaster, is the Hudson Bay Blanket Coaster!  Ready for duty.  Jerilynn

Cabin Coffee

I loved reading The Boxcar Children series to my kids when they were young.  Something about kids on their own and finding a boxcar in the woods to live in...picking up furniture here and there, mismatched dishes and silverware  - and Benny finding a cracked pink cup that he used and treasured.  When we first got our cabin, I got that "boxcar" cozy feeling.  Certainly it was much larger than a boxcar, but we furnished it with some items that came with the place, some Ebay items, some Ikea, and some thrift store items.  I don't remember when I first got The Red Cup, but I use it every morning for my coffee, and I think about how much I love it.  Much the way Benny loved his cracked pink cup.  When I am at the condo, I have double-walled Bodum tall glass mugs that I drink my coffee from.  What is going to happen when we sell the place and move everything here?  What will make the cut?  What will the kids take?  What will we sell?  The mug rug that The Red Cup is on is a Bernina V6 software-designed interpretation of my new Cabin Star Table Runner pattern.  The picture is a bit distorted - the mug is actually more rectangle than square.  It is a friend of the Swiss Army Blanket coaster.  They both are expecting another friend any day  now...the Hudson Bay Blanket coaster.  So, back to the moving question:  glass mugs or The Red Mug?  I think you already know the answer.  Jerilynn  P.S.  There has been some discussion about the "cabin" name of this place.  I suppose it could be called the lake house.  I am reluctant to give the cabin name up, though, thinking maybe I will lose some of the feeling I get when I am here.  I suppose when we sell and move here permanently this place will just be called Home.  I guess that is a good name.

O Christmas Tree!

Last year, when our youngest grandson was one year old, I drew around his chubby little hand and made a quick felt wreath with the hands going every-which-way.  His parents, of course, loved it, and hung it proudly as a decoration.  I am happy to see it made the wall this year, too!  His mom, Katie, asked if maybe I could do another craft this year... It isn't quite as easy to draw around the hand of a two-year-old.  But, I got somewhat of a good outline.  I cut out a bunch from some woolfelt and asked Carl to cut a triangle shape out of some lightweight board.  I glued a piece of felt on top of the board, then glued just the tops of the hands to that.  You can't really see it too well, but I embroidered Benjamin's name and the year on the star in metallic thread.  For a bit more sparkle I got out my hot crystal wand and put on a bunch of multi-colored "lights".  Slap a hanger on the back and you've got yourself a dandy little decoration.  I will be on the look-out for a three-year-old hand idea for next year.  Jerilynn

She's Getting Lazy

Sharp and long-time Jerisew(s) blog readers will recognize the above shot of Christmas coasters from a 2010 post.  I am conserving my energy by posting the old photo, but today I made more new Christmas coasters.  You see, I am in my studio, at the cabin, and all my Christmas decorations are at our condo in a different town.  At some point we are moving to the cabin full-time, but until the condo is sold, I will have items in both places.  How in the world does Oprah handle as many houses as she has?  Does she have duplicate Christmas coasters, too?  This time, however, I used cream colored thread on the tree, holly, and ornament.  I think I like it better than the black.  I think I will use my Bernina V6 digitizing software and make a new design to add to the collection...maybe a pine cone or candy canes.  I am not sure how a candy cane shape will be a good, table-protecting coaster, but that is where the challenge begins!  Jerilynn

Wine Bag

The snowflakes on the wine bottle bag were digitized with the Bernina V6 Cross Stitch software. They were stitched with red thread on a natural colored osnaburg fabric. I put three rows of pintucking on each side and on top of the motifs. The lining is some leftover red snowflake fabric from my Christmas quilt. Pretty cute. I am working on another wine bottle holder that has the Soft and Stable inside as a padding. It is turning out pretty good so far. Jerilynn

Now, Where Did I Put That Card?

Last month at Bernina Software Club, Jessi, the teacher taught this in-the-hoop little card case. Loved it! So fun to design in the software. I wanted to sew some out right away, but forgot all about it once I got back home and distracted. I had a great dinner out with Meg tonight (her birthday!) and she mentioned the case we did in class and how much she liked it. Memory restored, I came home and stitched out the project. First go round, not so good. A triple piece of extra felt got caught underneath and I didn't know it until the whole thing stitched out. Darn it. So, I hooped more felt, carefully cleared out the extra folds, and pushed the "go" button. This time it turned out great. Thanks to Jessi for the lesson and thanks to Meg for the reminder! Jerilynn

Enough with the Stitches, Already!!!

I seem to get stuck on stuff. The fascination with rows of stitches, though, is almost coming to an end for a while. This one, a coin purse, was done on the embroidery machine. I designed it in Bernina V6 software, then stitched it out on my Pfaff Creative Vision. The advantage of doing this with an embroidery machine is that the stitches are more perfect. The downside is that you don't have the excitement of seeing if the chosen designs are going to match up in the corners. Like I said, I think I need to move on from this. The good news is that this is a stitched-today little project. I am feeling better, the sewing room is a bit back to normal, and Carl is upright, too. My parents' estate sale seemed to go well. Everything is pretty much gone. It was a sad couple of days, but I think we all feel some relief that it is over. It is a new week, the big snowstorm might miss us, and building goes on at the cabin. Jerilynn

More Hearts on Woolfelt

This sampler was, again, made in Bernina V6 software. I used the heart vector image from Corel in Art Canvas and filled it with different fills in the Embroidery screen. The first coaster I made I stitched it out on Tiffany Blue, but there is something about red and hearts that is just a great combination. I have three coasters stitched out and need to do one more for a set. Let me know if you need a last minute V-Day gift or two! Carl has been putting in long days putting in a new kitchen at Peter and Katie's house. He says it is looking mighty good! The timing was perfect for his help. The cabin addition is not quite at the point that he can start doing the interior work, so this side job is keeping him out of trouble. I have been sewing for a few days at a neighbor's house, which is keeping me out of trouble, too! I need to do some more stuff for my folks, so I should spend a little time tomorrow and this weekend getting more things done. The designing and watching the stitch-out is a welcome diversion. Jerilynn

What We Love

This coaster was a breeze to make. The letters are from the built-in fonts in Bernina V6, and the heart was made using the heart vector drawing tool in Corel (also part of the V6). Add a couple of borders to make the coaster look more like a Valentine, and...time to stitch. If any of you would like to have this design, let me know and I will get it to you in plenty of time to stitch out a Valentine of your own! If you don't have an embroidery machine, yet really want one, also let me know....I just may be able to make one for you. Two? That will cost you. Benjamin's last night is tonight. His folks get in really late and coming straight here. I have already been informed that Katie hopes he wakes up when they go into the room he is sleeping in. The first time away is always the hardest. Carl and I love it now when we can get away without any of the kids! Oh, wait, they don't live with us. We always are without the kids. LOVE it! (But, we really love them, too!) Jerilynn

What Does This Picture Mean?

I found my camera! I had taken a few new shots of my parents' apartment and the camera slipped out of my bag. I thought of looking on the car floor after I was cozily in bed...a quick, cold check of the car confirmed my thought. So, today when I designed this new coaster on the Bernina V6 software, I could take a picture and show you what I made! I didn't design it to be an applique, but I thought it might look good. The first step was to hoop the cream and charcoal felt and place a square of red felt on top. Then I stitched the red stitching. I removed the hoop, trimmed close to the stitching and put the hoop back on the machine. I then placed a square of green felt on the top and stitched with the green thread. Remove from machine, trim, replace on machine. From that point, I could just keep stitching, changing colors as necessary. When all finished, I trimmed the cream felt close to the blanket stitch and let the charcoal felt show a little. I plan to use this in my sewing room. I have made tons of coasters, but I have noticed that I don't have one currently to use while sewing. What is that all about? Charity begins at home, you know. Jerilynn

Molas, Hmongs, Hugs, and Kisses

Molas are sometimes used to describe a type of reverse applique from the Panama region of the world. Hmong, originally from China, applique is also a reverse applique technique. What is that? That is where you build up layers of fabric and cut away the top layers to reveal the color underneath. The heart coaster in the picture (made out of woolfelt, of course) was made by putting three layers of felt together, the white was on the top. After designing and stitching the simple swirly heart and zig-zaggy border, I cut away most of the white to reveal the red and charcoal grey layers. I started out trying to make a Swedish looking design. Oops. Guess I didn't quite get the look right. But, I could say I wanted to make a Hmong heart mola coaster, and I would have been pretty spot on. The other coaster needs no explanation. I am still on that tilted "O" kick, and I love doing cross stitch on the embroidery machine. Crazy how entertaining it is to watch a machine automatically make perfect little "x's". Oh!!! X's and O's!! Hugs and Kisses. I like the coaster even better now! Jerilynn

Duck! Another Coaster!

Really loving the cross stitch program on the Bernina V6. Super, super easy! Now that Christmas is over, I am starting to think spring. I supposed I should do some Valentine or St. Pat's stuff first, but this little quacker just caught my fancy. The idea came from a dish towel that my sister bought me from the Coffee Grounds. We went there to get a coffee and were hoping their cute Christmas towels were on sale. Hmm, nope, no reductions. So, we had a coffee (our choices weren't the best tasting) and then looked around. I got another pair of cute socks - thanks, Sandy! - and the duck towel. They also had some word pictures, with the letters made out of pictures of things that look like the letter. I am sure you have seen the idea around. Anyway, I am thinking that I might make some kind of word for above the cupboards when I take down the NOEL from Christmas. Not sure what word or words I am going to do...open for ideas, here, folks. Jerilynn