Are you looking for a tutor?

I am planning travel to the USA in 2014, and would be available to any shop or group that would like a digitising workshop.  

My plans will have me visiting the USA for the Pittsburg Spring Quilt Market, and then travelling to the Handi Quilter Academy. So I would be available around those dates (May 2014).

If you are interested just email me at michelleaitkendesigns76@gmail.com.
I teach all levels of digitising using 6D Embroidery Software, TruEmbroidery for Mac, and 5D Embroidery Software.  Students will be able to choose from any of my workshops, including those being taught at the 2014 Digitising Retreat being held in Melbourne, Australia.

I love to share my enjoyment of and passion for digitising and this is the first chance I've had to visit the USA for a number of years.

Sample Making Day's Announced

Help!

We need help to make our samples for 2014, so we are having some Sample Making Days. Can you help us?
Here's how it works ...

We have so many samples to get made and we just can't do it on our own. We have an offer for you .... come to one of our Sample making days and we will give you a $50 store gift voucher, or a free kit for the sample you make!

Michelle used to have Sample Making day's way back in the old shop, and they were always popular. We need to have 6 sample makers at each session, so let us know if you can help by emailing us at info.ringwoodsewingcentre@gmail.com.

Sample Dates are:
17 & 18 December 10am-4pm
14 & 15 January 10am-4pm

Christmas Countdown Lucky Draw

Our Countdown to Christmas Prize Draw continues until 24 December.  

To be in the draw to win one of our fantastic mystery prizes all you need to do is visit the shop and make a purchase, attend a class or workshop, or have one of our staff give you a demonstration on a new sewing machine!

There is a prize given away EVERY DAY!  So the more times you come into the shop the more chance you have to be one of our lucky winners.

Kellie was our first prize winner, she had purchased not one, but two great Pfaff machines in the last two weeks so we were doubly please she was a winner!

My health journey

It is that time of the year when we reflect on the year that was.  I hope that you had a brilliant 2013 ... I know I did!

After four years battling ill health, I finally got control over things in 2013.  The year started on a high with me feeling well enough to sell my Electric Wheelchair and begin driving again.  Off the high doses of pain killers I was thrilled to once again be able to participate in the world.  My GP has been wonderful, and we worked together to find the right dose of medication to control the Fibromyalgia that developed after failed hip surgery, and a diagnosis of aggressive Psoriatic Arthritis. At it's worst I was unable to function at all, and can now admit that I became quite suicidal.  What a difference a good specialist and a patient GP make.  A switch in specialist at the end of 2012 and a barrage of tests helped the doctors know what to do with me.  

It wasn't all good, as the Fibromyalgia medication now meant that I piled on weight!  So now the poor joints that were so inflamed with arthritis now has a heavy load to bear ... literally!  So in April I signed on at Weight Watchers at my local Myer, and so began the "big push".  My Weight Watchers Coach has been brilliant, encouraging me even when my loss was very small.  As the weight slowly came off I did a bit more walking, and then a bit more.  By October I had lost 10% of my body weight, and felt well enough to sign up for swimming lessons.  

Swimming lessons can certainly add humour (or was that horror?), especially since the only other "learners" at the pool were toddlers! 

I increased my walking bit by bit, and in the last few weeks I have been able to manage 2.5km - still with my walking stick and still in lots of pain, but I did it!

In 2014 my goal is to get down to my ideal weight, continue with swimming, and be fit enough to walk on the Great Wall of China!

If you are battling with health issues, take heart, sometimes it really does get better!

I seem to be taking a while to get into the swing of Christmas.  As I look outside instead of seeing the Australian sun beating down, I see cold rain!  I imagine that my friends in the northern hemisphere would find it hard to believe it but I just can't get into the Christmas mood without the sun!

The weather does provide a good excuse for me to sit and get on with work .. and I have been working like a crazy woman this last fortnight!  Although no sewing is being done, just a whole host of planning and working on the computer.  On Monday I'm hoping to finally start a new joint venture with Facebook, and that project goes for 30 days so I really must stay focused.

Meantime, back at Ringwood Sewing Centre it is time for our annual Food for Fabric Appeal.  Our Food for Fabric Appeal started a few years ago, and has become a regular event for us at the shop.  All customers need to do is bring in an item of non perishable food or toiletries and we will give them a Fat 1/8th of Patchwork fabric.  All donations are then taken to our neighbours, the Salvation Army.  Please bring in all donations before 22 December!

New Patterns are making me itch to Sew!

Yesterday Jim and I did a rush trip around the Australian Quilt Market (wholesale trade show), and we found some great new products.  The only problem now is that I need to find time to make some samples.  I think I will start with some of the toy's because they are sooooooo cute.
What do you all think of these great ones?

I think I will love the clothes patterns too.  The designer has allowed for a fuller bust size (D cup) and that will be absolutely brilliant.  So it is time to get off the computer and into the fabric stash, to at least get something cut out today!

Embroidery Bliss

I adore having uninterrupted time to sew!  I guess everyone does, and it is amazing how much more you can get done when the phone isn't ringing and there are no appointments to keep.

This picture is of a quilt called "Friends of Baltimore" which is simply beautiful.  Two years ago I started a group of embroidery digitisers who wanted to digitise the quilt so it could be sewn in their Embroidery Machines.  The group of 16 quickly dwindled, and now 2 years later just 4 of us are still on the journey.  All of us are up to the finally phase, of actually stitching out our designs and each one has taken a different direction.  One of the group has made her blocks true to size, and colour of the original version and it is beautiful.  Another shrunk her blocks, but otherwise stuck to similar colours and it too is beautiful.  The third member of our group took a totally different view and has gone to great pains to digitise her version as a white on white, relying on texture to create interest.  The blocks we have seen are truly remarkable.  Which brings me to me.  My quilt is a smaller scale, and is stitched on black homespun.  I've added bling and the blocks are looking very different from the original.

This block was one of the quickest to stitch, and to digitise.

At the last minute I realised I wanted to digitise these large birds using a technique that allows for the use of variegated thread, the resulting movement in the feathers is lovely in real life.

This was one of the first that I digitised and it took forever to stitch out, but has just this moment come off the machine so I will photograph it again.  I love it because I was able to have fun with gradient fills for some of the fruit.

I'm taking a pause in the blocks for a day or so while I test stitch the first block of a different quilt, and will also share these pictures really soon.

Sorry I've been missing for a while!

I can't believe how much time has gone since I last blogged!

In the shop it has been a whirl wind of activity with convention, then the launch of 6D and other products!  And now I look at the calendar and see that it is only about 4-5 weeks until Christmas.  Goodness there aren't enough hours in the day to get all my work done let alone remember to blog!

I am finding time to be creative though, and have recently purchased a new Pen Tablet.  My intention was to use it for creating my own digital artwork, but I have also come to love it for digitising, which was an unexpected bonus.  I paid a small fortune for mine, but have found some with the same specs that are a more reasonable price, and which I will be adding to my website as an item customers can purchase.  

The biggest project I have on right now is the Digitising Retreat in 2014.  I have only three months to write and test all the lessons, so I'd really like to get at least two of these done before Christmas.  It sounds like it should be easy until you see my calendar and the huge "To Do" list Jim has given me.  On Monday he went off to the "Think Big, Shop Small" business owners seminar and came back home totally fired up and full of ideas and enthusiasm.  The shop has picked up, sales wise and we are finding ourselves short staffed a lot of the time which is a great thing after the past few years I can tell you.

So I'm busy digitising, and writing lessons, and stitching out a big embroidered quilt, and making samples for the shop, and working on the Fabric Frolic (another quilt to make and instructions to write) and working on all the e-commerce stuff ... so I'm pretty busy.

I have made a new video which you might like.  The video is about how to make the bag (picture above) using a pattern template from the Pfaff website. We had a free workshop at Ringwood Sewing Centre for customers to make the bag on the new Pfaff Passport 2.0 sewing machine, and the girls were so impressed with this little rocket of a machine that they HAD to take one home!

On a personal note, by dam car brakes failed completely last week.  In a flustered state I phoned Jim to tell him that I'd had a near death experience only to have him not answer his mobile (cell) phone.  I made quite a number of attempts to reach him, and then ended up texting him.  Still no reply.
My next text "Ring me.  Serious Accident.  In hospital" should have been enough to get a response, but no another 3/4 of an hour elapsed.  Then the home phone rang. 
"Honey, are you ok?  How bad are you hurt?  What hospital are you at?" reels off a frantic Jim.
Errrr....
"I'm on the HOME phone!".

I hope you are as busy as I am ... if you want to be!

Michelle

ps the brakes are now fixed, and we are looking for a replacement car!

My first play with 6D Embroidery Software

I feel like I'm living out of a suitcase at the moment with my third stay away from home in four weeks!  Goodness knows how tutors who go on the road do this, because I am longing for my own bed, not to mention my own Internet access!

Today was day 1 of Certification for training for dealers wanting to sell 6D Embroidery Software and I've had a lovely day.  I've been sitting next to a dealer from Newcastle (Zig Zag Sewing Centre's Sally) and getting to know her more has been lovely, we even went to dinner together and broke our diets to have desert!

Well after much mucking around on the Internet with the hotel's connection being so weak it was useless (I ended up using my mobile phone to get online so that will blow the budget) I have produced a quick video on highlights from today.

I think I am in love with this software. Remember you can buy your box upgrade from the shop either in person or on line.  And of course if you don't own any software we can sell you the full version too.  

I teach software classes regularly and my students are the best in the world!!!

Take a look at my teaching site www.MichelleAitkenDesigns.com.au for tuition and details on the 2014 National Digitizing Retreat, and my retail site to buy software www.RingwoodSewingCentre.com.au.

An Eventful Day 2 at Convention

Gosh, we have just returned home yesterday after a fabulous Convention.

My Day 2 video is here:

Day 3 was really just a couple more business meetings, and an overview of 6D Embroidery Software.  Our actual certification will be next week.

In the afternoon of day 3 we headed off for the Airport only to find our flight delayed by "at least" 8 hrs because of a severe weather event in Victoria.  We elected to stay another night, rather than sit around the airport in the hope an over booked flight would be able to take off. It was a good solution and Jim and I enjoyed the extra night, and a lovely morning in the Queensland sun before heading home to what can only be described as horrible wintery weather here in Melbourne.

I hope you enjoy the video's.

Michelle

Day 1 of the Blessington Dealer Convention

Blessington's are the Australasian Distributor for Pfaff, Husqvarna Viking, Singer, Handi Quilter and AccuQuilt.  They have just launched a new alliance with Laura Star.

Watch my account of day 1 of the Dealer Convention being held in the Gold Coast, Australia.

Introduction to TruEmbroidery Software for Mac

A Week In the Sun

Last week Jim and I were on holiday.  Even better it was a free holiday provided by the distributor of the sewing machines we sell because we met their 2012/13 target.

So, bags packed we headed off to Dubai, a destination I would not have thought have going to before we earned the trip.  I knew little about this little piece of Middle Eastern paradise before we went, other than the details I found on Trip Advisor, so I knew to expect HOT weather, and to dress modestly to respect their religion. What we discovered was an ultra modern, safe and interesting city that I will definitely return to.

Everything about Dubai is fresh and upbeat from the soaring sky scrapers of New Dubai, to the bustling markets (known as souks) of "Old" Dubai.  While Dubai is not a democracy, the ruling family has provided the people with wonderful facilities, and everyone seemed very happy with every aspect of their live.  

Our holiday included two days of guided tours, which enabled us to learn more about the UAE and Dubai in particular.  Our guide was a fountain of information and it was a great way to be introduced to such an exotic holiday location.  On other days Blessington's (the distributor who organised the holiday) had the group of travellers busy and having fun.

Highlights of the holiday were being engulfed in a Sand Storm (a rare phenomenon in Dubai since there is little desert left due to rapid building) and then an even more rare rain and electrical storm!

At the time of the storms we were at the end of Day one, all set to go driving over the sand dunes in our 4WD vehicles.  We had left the populated areas of Dubai and into the desert in a convoy of 7 vehicles.  The storms struck as we approached the desert, and impressed everyone, even the owner of the tour company we were with who has lived in Dubai for 20 years!

After the excitement of the storm we head off over the sand dunes, in a wild and fun ride!  I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did, which just goes to show you should always try new things!

Another new thing was riding a camel, which we did at the campsite which was our destination for dinner.  Still in the desert we were enchanted by wonderful dancers, a henna tattooist and other desert delights.

During the day we had visited the outside of a beautiful mosque.  We were unable to go inside, which is fine as it is a holy place.  

We visited the Dubai Museum which is housed in an old fort.  It was very interesting and had exhibits that told the story of Dubai well.  I loved this bed, with its quilt.

Crossing the Dubai Creek (not at all what I would call a creek!) we visited the spice, gold and perfume souks.  It was terribly hot by now but enjoyable anyway.

Another highlight for everyone was going to the Armani Hotel within the Burj Khalifa ... on the 123rd floor.  I am terrified of heights and unfortunately couldn't manage to stay on the 123rd floor, surrounded by glass, and so I waited in the lounge on the ground floor while everyone else enjoyed a wonderful High Tea.  I was delighted when Jim came back down with my High Tea packaged in a box.  While I missed out on sitting in that exclusive restaurant I did get to eat all the goodies, and they were really good!

On another day we went to souks in Sharjah, another of the emirates that make up the UAE.  It was quite different to Dubai, and the area around the Sharjah Creek (again not what I would call a creek) and some fantastic souks.  Much shopping and haggling was done!  Dinner at a Lebanese restaurant on the banks of the "creek" finished off the night.

We filled the rest of the week shopping at the Silk/Fabric souk in Dubai, and at the Dubai Mall and Mall of Emirates, and relaxing around the resort.  The pool was absolutely lovely, and I crossed another thing of my bucket list having a Strawberry Daiquiri at the swim up bar!

If you are looking for a wonderful, safe place for a holiday in the sun I can recommend Dubai.

Now that we are home though, it is back to business! This week I've managed to catch up on a whole lot of computer work, including finalising our new shop website, which you can find at www.ringwoodsewingcentre.com.au.

Have you tried Ice Dying Yet?

Do you like using hand dyed fabric?  I do, and I love the surprise of dying too.  It isn't a great thing to do in the cool of our winter, but I was so inspired by a recent Craftsy class that I did that I had to have a go. 

The first challenge was to find a tub to use.  After quizzing husband Jim, I realised I had the perfect thing for the job.  Then it was just a matter of making loads of ice and finding some wire mesh (in my case left over from making our chicken coupe). 

This is a picture of the tub with the wire mesh.  I took the picture after I finished dying so the dark stuff you see in the tub is the melted ice (now water) and dye mix before I cleaned up.

If you want to try it at home the first thing you will need to do is to collect all your equipment.

• Procion Dyes (I have my own dye kits which I wholesale and retail)
• Mask and gloves (an absolute must)
• Large tub that will hold the water/dye when the ice melts
• Wire that covers the top of the tub you plan to use
• Lectric soda (this is kinder to you than soda ash, but you need much more of it - I use 1/2 a bag in a very large bucket of warm water)
• Spoon that you won't use for anything else
• Fabric for dying.  I use a beautiful cotton poplin which means I need to wash it to remove the dressing that is put into the fabric when it is manufactured.  The great thing about this technique is that you can dye quite big pieces - you are only limited by the size of your tub.

1. You will need to prewash your fabric, then soak it in the Lectric Soda/water mix for at least 1hr.
2. Prepare your tub by laying the wire mesh on the top.  Make sure it won't move about otherwise you could make a bit of a mess.
3. Place the fabric onto the wire mesh.  I kind of scrunched it up a bit.  I have to tell you that the fabric I started with had already been dyed, and because I didn't like the colour I decided to over dye it.  I was able to dye to separate 1m pieces of fabric in totally different colours because my tub was large enough to hold them on the mesh, keeping them separate at all times.
4. Get all your ice cubes and absolutely cover the fabric with ice.
5. Now put on your mask and gloves because you don't want to breathe in the powder of the dye (it's toxic).
6. Open your powdered procion dye and use the spoon (never use it again for anything else) to sprinkle the dye powder over the ice.  You can use more than one colour, which is great because you get the primary and secondary colours on the colour wheel as the ice melts. Avoid using three or more colours (unless they are variations of the same colour) because this will result in brown fabric! (brown is made using yellow, red and blue).
7. Leave your tub in a nice warm room and close the door on it for at least 24hrs.
8. After 24 hrs you can take the dyed fabric and go ahead and rinse it until the water runs clear.  I usually go ahead at this time and stick the whole lot in the washing machine with a cup of salt to set the dye (just in case I didn't rinse real well).
9. Now dry your fabric and enjoy the wonder of Ice Dying.



Fabric drying on my back veranda

I'm going to make a quick video showing the whole process next week, and I will post the link when I get it done.

Now it is time to head to the breakfast table because Jim has made us bacon and eggs!

Knitting with Fabric

I've been knitting a bit lately. 

Actually it isn't "real" knitting, but a bit more of a free style approach!  I have been messing around with knitting fabric, and although I love the look, I really do need much bigger needles so I can make something a bit more flowing.  This means I'll be unpicking my stuff and trying again.

If you've never had a go at knitting with fabric it is great fun, all you need to do is cut your fabric so that it is in one long continuous piece.  I know it sounds tricky but it isn't all you do is fold the fabric in half so that the selvage is together, then cut through the folded edge, but stop before you cut through the selvage.  I make mine about 1/2 wide, and roll it into a ball or onto some cardboard tubes when I'm done.  When you knit it means that you get a little "tab" when you come to the selvedge but that just adds a bit of texture.

1/2 strips cut into one long continuous piece and then wound onto cardboard ready to knit.

When it is knitted you end up with a really organic looking piece of knitted fabric.

Then it is just a matter of knitting it up.

I've knitted all this using a variety of stitches.  I think that batik fabric looks great as knitted fabric!

At the recent show at Jeff's Shed I brought a book from a favourite designer of mine, the book is "I Knitted My Way" by Teresa Dair.  You can get it on her website (as well as her funky yarns).  I will modify her designs to allow me to use my fabric "yarn", but meantime I am knitting one design in fine crochet cotton. I will ice dye it when I am done.

So that is what I'm doing each evening by the fire.

Now, do you remember that I went to a business lunch with Jane Caro as the speaker the other day?  Well she had a collection of funny ads, and here is another one of them .....

I hope it made you smile!!!

When the Going Get's Tough ... Step out in Purple Pumps!

The past weeks have been such a hectic time for me and my shop.  We had a big show in Melbourne, and that always stretches us all as we have staff split between the show and the shop.

I caught the train into the show to take a look around and was rewarded with buying a signed book from a fantastic designer ... more on that next blog!!!

Now at last things are settling down, and I can tell you I've made three quilts since I last blogged!  Yes 3 and one of them was a Double Wedding Ring!  Does that get me an award?

Today I've made great progress on yet another quilt, which I hope to finish on Friday, then I have two appliqué quilts to do and my deadline is 30th August.  the quilts are all for our AccuQuilt Launch Party and I've enjoyed every minute making them.

And so to my beautiful Purple Pumps .....
this time last year I was still largely wheelchair bound, so imagine how thrilled I was today to step out for a business lunch wearing these glorious shoes.  I've never worn them (although I brought them probably 2 years ago), and with my improved health and weight loss (over 8kg so far thanks to my great Weight Watchers Leader Julie Ann at Myer Eastland) I was thrilled to stride out today.

The lunch was one of a whole series of events run by our local council, Maroondah.  I'm attending workshops tomorrow, but today was an inspirational talk by Jane Caro of Gruen Transfer a brilliant program on the ABC!.  She had a wonderful talk, that really set me to thinking and then finished with some absolutely wonderfully funny ad's (she is in the marketing field amongst a whole  lot of other things!).

Here is my favourite one:

Maybe that is the theme of today - When the Going Get's Tough Step out in Purple Pumps!  .....
....... and be careful that nothing is lost in translation!

Quilting Inspiration

I'm very exited!

A week or two ago we finally took delivery of a Handi Quilter Fusion for the shop.  We are authorised dealers, and the up side of that is that we can use our demonstration stock!  Previously we've only had the frames set up really small (our shop space is so limited) and we couldn't actually quilt anything much bigger than a fat quarter!  I'd tried to convince Jim that we could set a frame up larger, but he was never convinced enough to try it.

The great news is that for a whole lot of complicated reasons we can now set the frame up as 8 foot, which is just enough to quilt most of my sample quilts. Even better it has Pro Stitcher on it (so I can design something using software and let Pro Stitcher do the work), and Jim is becoming really good at free motion quilting.  So I don't need to worry about standing up for hours quilting a quilt top, I will just be able to get Jim to do it for me!  ... assuming he has time!

Anyway I found this great video on creating swirling free motion quilting on your machine, take a look ... 

Working out the Values of your Fabrics

Do you suffer from “colour envy”?

For many sewists (quilters and dressmakers) the desire to balance the colours of their fabric choices is a battle that they have lost before they have even begun.  The great news is that you no longer need to fear your colour choices ... just use smart technology to set you on the right path!

The term “Value” relates to the lightness or darkness of a colour, and is relative.  That is to say that the value of a colour depends on the value of the other colours surrounding with it.  Whenever you contrast the Value you create depth in your quilt or clothing.

There are several tools a sewist can use to determine the value of colour.  The first is to look at the fabric through a red coloured piece of cellophane.  The red colour of the cellophane cancels out the other colours allowing you to see only value in greyscale, just like the photo above (use a piece of green cellophane for viewing red colours).  

If you are working somewhere where you have access to a printer, you can lay your fabrics on top of the printers bed and simply print a black and white “picture”.

More often you will not have these things with you when shopping, so another great way to view fabrics in black and white is to use your smart phone.  Check to see if the camera in your smart phone has “effects”.  You may need to go to your camera, and then tap “settings” to view your options.  On my Galaxy I simply had to drag the “Effects” button to the top tool bar of the camera.  Now when I need to take a black and white photo I simply tap “Effects” and select “Greyscale”.  Alternatively you can search the iStore or Google Play to find an app that will produce a black and white picture of your fabric.  Then all you need to do is take a quick picture using this app.

Whichever method you use to change the way you see your fabric you are sure to improve your skill to judge the value of your fabrics.  Your new found knowledge will help you next time you are selecting fabrics!

Do You Use A Colour Wheel?

Are you intimidated by the idea of using a Colour Wheel to assist you in organizing colours in your wardrobe, home or quilts?  

Finding wonderful colour combinations need not be a task that makes your blood run cold.  The secret is to learn to use a Colour Wheel.  My favourite Colour Wheel is not a wheel at all, but a wonderful resource tool from C&T Publishing.  The tool comes complete with instructions and makes choosing colour combinations a breeze.  You simply identify your starting colour, then flip the tool over to see the colours that work.  All colour schemes are shown including Monochromatic, Complementary, Analogous, Split-Complimentary and Triadic.


Of course none of that will make sense to you with out a little colour theory.  You can source this information on the internet, a wonderful site is    http://www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/basic-color-theory.

If you’d like a more fun way to learn about a colour wheel, how it is made and how it is used, you could take a look at this You Tube Video  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGrGkJtSLsk

It is not surprising that there are smart phone apps for both Android and iPhones which are free or cheap.  

From the Android shop “Google Play” I found “Colour Wheel”.  This app allows you to select a colour on the wheel, and will then advise you on the colours to fit with your chosen colour scheme.  The “Clean Colour Wheel 2.0” (also from Google Play) is a little simpler, allowing you to select a primary colour and then the colour scheme (three choices) which will reveal the colours you need. 

If you have an iPhone you will love the Colour Play app, because this app also allows you to take a photo of the colour, which it then uses to advise you on a colour scheme. Palettes, available for both iPad and iPhone has similar functions, and is available in 3 levels, one for free so you can try before you buy.

Whichever tool you use learning more about colour schemes will help you create more vibrant quilts!

End of Week and Mid Winter Solstice!

Our daughter lives and teaches in London, and I know that today will be a big day for her.  She teaches Kindergarten at Rudolf Steiner school in Greenwich, and they will be enjoying a summer solstice.

Down here in Australia it is a different story.  It is very cold this winter, and we've had a lot of rain, which is a good thing for a country that is so drought prone.  Here it is the Winter Solstice and the shortest day of the year.

My home town in Melbourne, a city at the bottom of mainland Australia.  The city itself is unique, with an amazing arts and cafe culture.  With so many immigrants from all over the world there is so much going on and happening at any time.  We are also sports mad, and it becomes part of you when you live here.  Growing up in New Zealand, I would never have dreamed of following sport, or going to watch live sport!  Within a couple of years of living here I became an avid watcher of many different sports, and a tragic Basketball fan.

The arts are also a vital part of life in Melbourne, and there is a massive street art culture. Qantas have a great article about it, click here to read it.

Have a great weekend everyone!

So Much Going On!

It has been ages since I posted to my blog and I know why, I've been so busy.

Thankfully there have been a whole mix of things I've been doing.  On a personal note, I've been able to halve my medication, and since it caused me to pile on more than 20 kg in just a few months it is a blessed relief.  I've joined Weight watchers and am now working hard on getting rid of all of those extra kilos!

After 5 weeks I've lost nearly 6kg, so there is a long way to go, but I'm glad to be getting there.  My Weight Watchers consultant is so lovely, and I really enjoy going for my weigh-in's and consolation.  I'm doing the program at one of the Weight Watchers Myer Centres and it suits me well.

On a sewing note, we are now AccuQuilter Dealers, and I have to say WOW!  I never dreamed that cutting my fabric could be so fast.  I've made three small samples for the shop, and am itching to do something bigger!

I have also had a promotional video made for the shop.  It turned out so great, but I have to say I hate the wobble of belly fat, and can't wait to loose it all. The video will be a good reminder to stay healthy! 

 I've also finished the latest shop newsletter which I'm very proud of. Writing this takes so much time, and I try to cram in as much useful info as I can. 

Now my big project is to finalise the new look website for my Sewing Machine and Fabric Shop, Michelle's Sewing Basket.  The trouble is every time I sit down on the computer I get a bit distracted.  Today I've resolved to finish my Facebook stuff and get down to the work so that is all from me for today.  Hope you are sewing up a storm!

Where has the time gone?

I cannot believe it is June already.  I've been so busy and had no time to blog at all but I promise to rectify that situation!

Meantime, one of the things I've been doing is organising a professional video of the business, so here is the link: 

Making the video was such fun, although I was so embarrassed at my rolls of fat!  I've put on more than 20 kg in the six months that I've been on new medication, and I am determined to do something about it.  Three weeks ago I joined the local Weight Watchers at our local Myer.  My personal consultant is fab, and I am loving the diet.  At last weeks weigh in I'd lost 3.6 kg, which isn't bad since I'm still on the med's that caused the weight gain.  I am hoping to be down another kg when I weigh in this week.

 

To treat myself, and stay motivated I've booked in to have my hair done on Monday afternoon, and my nails on Tuesday morning!

 

One great thing about WW (if you've never done it) is the way it get's you into the kitchen cooking. I've brought three of their cook books and have fun planning the menu's.  I've fallen in love with lots of healthy eating.  Two weeks ago I invested in a pressure cooker, and the meals I've been making in it are to die for.

 

Enough ranting about food, time to feed the family, and finish writing my shop newsletter!

 



Finally Back to Normal

The past two weeks have been so busy.  Lucky we had a holiday here in Australia yesterday.  It was Anzac Day, and holiday shared with New Zealand, to remember those soldiers that have fought, and died preserving both of our democracies and way of life.  We spent the day as a family, visiting our adult son James who lives about 50 minutes away in a country town called "Warburton".

I'm dying to tell you all about our new product range, AccuQuilter.  This product is a range of portable cutting machines and dies especially for cutting fabric.  We had training this week and I was fortunate to be able to bring one of the cutting machines home with me, along with a few dies that enabled me to get started on some samples for the shop.  Jim has promised that he and Julie will quilt them for me on the Avante 18 using Pro Stitcher (He is so multi skilled!) which will be great, because as you know quilting does take a while!

There isn't much waste at all since you can easily line up your fabric with the blades in the die cutter.

I decided that I wanted to make a quilt using the Parallelogram die, in a zig zag pattern, so last night I set up the Go! Cutter and found some scraps of fabric.   My son Kevin, who is 13 (and is intellectually disabled), was in charge of cutting and did a great job!

This morning I was able to get my columns pieced, and pressed so that I will be able to pin them ready for assembly either later today or sometime over the weekend.

I used the AccuQuilt Parallelogram 3 1/4" W x 3 1/2" H (Product # 5004) to cut the parallelograms.  To make this design you need equal quantities of mirror image parallelograms.  Simply cut the parallelograms using the AccuQuilt (yes this die can fit on the Baby Go!  too).

Place one white Parallelogram on top of one printed parallelogram.  Notice that there will be a small "ear" at the end of the raw edge that will be the seam line. 

This small ear will mean that the edges of the blocks form a straight line when stitched and pressed.

I assembled the parallelogram's in pairs, then sewed the pairs together to form columns.

I pressed all my seams towards the darker fabric (no the white), and this did make the columns more tricky to piece, so take time to pin the columns well so that you get neat points, or press your seams so that one column runs up and one runs down.  This will make getting good points easier.

 

As you see it isn't finished yet, and if I was making it to keep rather than as a sample for the shop, I would have made it much bigger (I needed to make a sample that will hang in the shop).  Hopefully it will be all finished by Monday ready for quilting next week.

All AccuQuilter product will be added to the shop website www.michellessewingbasket.com.au over the coming week or so.