Getting Ready to Sew!

I am so excited!  So are 8 other ladies, I'm told.

Today I will start a two-day Advent Bell Pull class at my local Bernina dealer. 
I've got all my goodies together.  CD's with designs, instruction print-outs, my mega hoop to loan to one of the ladies who doesn't have one, my camera (whenever am I without it?!) and all the packs I've made for each lady.

They will bring their own embroidery machines to Bernina Cedar Square today and we will start the first phase of the Advent Bell Pull.  Then they will have some homework to do over the week and we will finish up their projects next Saturday - when I will post another load of photo's... of course!

I've also given each lady a little Christmas Gift of a voucher which she can redeem at Sew 'n Sew.  Perhaps she'll make some of the great projects we have at Sew 'n Sew to add to her Christmas stocking stuffer lists?

So keep a look out - this post will be updated later.  Have a Great Saturday everyone!

Kitties Do It For Themselves

In my book, Kaleidoscope, I wrote,
The cats gave me a seriously disdainful look, as only cats know how to do.   Tucking their heads back up their bums, shielding their eyes from the light with their tails, they cuddled up once again between my knees.   Which, if you must know, were spread apart in a very, very unladylike fashion.   But we do what we must for the kitties.

And how true - we do what we must for the kitties.

Which is why I found myself packing away the applique work I was doing because my darling white furry baby, Ponchielli, decided my scrap box was just too good to pass up on!

She spent the entire day sleeping on scraps I'd saved from projects such as the Sewing Mat and Caddy I made to pop under my Bernina and the Halloween Mug Rugs which you can see in the photo at left.

So I'm working on a bell pull for Christmas.  I've never made one before, but I've always admired the one my Mom-in-Law made years ago.  It will have angels and wise men and the baby Jesus in the manger.  I'm thinking of embroidering some words like Noel and Peace on it too, but we'll see as I get stitching this weekend.

Here's a sneak preview of the Angel block - what do you think?  I'd love to have you post comments (good and bad) as constructive criticism is exactly what makes digitizers like myself do better work for our customers.

I do hope you all have a great weekend sewing and embroidering, quilting and crafting!

Speak to you all soon!