A Lot of Stitches

After a weekend of torrential rain, the sun finally came back out on Monday and started drying everything out. Luckily, no water flooded into my workshop this time. The river was incredibly high when Nessie and I went for a walk. Instead of being a once in 20 years occurrence, it seems to happen annually now. 

I set myself ups for a busy week, knowing that I am going to Norfolk later this week. I did some online teaching, in person teaching and a couple of customer quilts. 

In a phone conversation with a Bernina Q-matic owner, she mentioned that her 1 year old machine had done 2 million stitches after 16 quilts which I thought sounded pretty high. Out of interest I checked my stitch counter, bearing in mind that I know it has been zeroed in the past and that I actually have another machine. I have had this machine since 2015, when it launched in the UK and it has done more than 51 million stitches! It is probably due for a spa experience;)

I don’t seem to go anywhere interesting most weeks but I did have an “outing” to Asda. I hate Asda because it is so big but it does have a really good “exotic” section of spices and foods from around the world. I stocked up on spices because I wanted to recreate the Art Masala mix that Nadia Hussain made on her latest BBC cooking programme. I made her jalfrezi recipe and it was was superb – almost as good as the fudge doughnuts that a client brought from St Andrews;)

Some Good, Bad and Ugly Stuff

The lingering cold that I had after my Glasgow trip turned out to be Covid. I was not especially unwell but lacking in energy and had no sense of taste. I hunkered down in the workshop and just got on with some quilting. It was not that easy actually, because my machine keeps conking out and giving me error messages which I tell it to ignore before starting again. New wiring has been ordered which should arrive in mid-October so hopefully we will keep limping along. 

I received a letter from Police Scotland informing me that I was caught by a speed camera on the motorway near Stirling. I really have no excuse because the car has cruise control. I hope I don’t receive a huge fine or have to appear in court!

I had to come up with firmer ideas and a list of requirements for the Quilt Retreat that I will be doing at Quilt Direct in Devon next June and it reminded me that I will have to be an absolute Q-Matic expert so I can answer any question that someone might ask. I have set myself the task of going through every single page in the ArtnStitch manual and have bought all of the advanced online classes. I did a couple of classes at Bernina University in 2019 but there is only so much you can learn in short sessions in a large class. I also took a couple of Zoom classes a while back but I confess that I did not really understand them at the time. The answer, just like with free motion quilting is PRACTISE!

Speaking of free motion – when I taught my class in Glasgow I noticed that one participant had a BSR (Bernina stitch regulator). I thought that would be a handy tool to have when I give demos or lessons on domestic quilting so I looked them up online. I was shocked to discover that they are currently priced at £625.00 and even on Ebay they are selling for over £300.00 plus postage from the USA. I spotted one for sale in the UK with no bidders and “won” my auction for considerably less than that:) 

I decided to spend my whole Saturday experimenting with ideas in my workshop. These are not necessarily ideas that will go anywhere but I wanted to see what would happen. As is often the case, gadgets and feet don’t always work as well as they say in their blurb and need some adjustments to be made. My current fascination is ruffles which are usually seen on garments, not quilts. I also wanted to have a go at making fringes and test out the BSR which arrived by post. By the end of the day I had not produced anything impressive but it was worth doing. I often think that is a useful exercise because some ideas turn out not to be good ones, while others need some developing. There was one good thing though – the “bargain” BSR works perfectly!

Festival of Quilts UK 2023 – Quilt Left Behind!

Well, Festival of Quilts 2023 has already been and gone! I arrived at lunchtime on Wednesday for set-up after an overnight stop in Glasgow. It takes quite a team effort to set up a longarm stand where we had 2 Bernina Q-Series frame machines and 6 sit-down machines. Things can be a bit fraught until everything is all sorted out. When you finally get dinner and a long awaited beverage you wonder if you will be able to get up bright and early the next day. Of course, you always do;)

Imagine my surprise the next day when people said they had been to look for my quilt in the show but it was not hanging where it should be. It had been moved to the Winners’ Wall! Readers will know that I always put my all into show quilts but it is fantastic when the judges recognise that effort. One of the judges was Linda Seward who is a legend in the quilt world for her expert books and columns in The Quilter. She awarded me a perfect score sheet and I could not actually believe it. I am so thrilled – what a comeback! Everyone was so complimentary and it was lovely to meet some long time readers of the blog. I had put an Apple AirTag into the quilt label and it was funny that Ehen I left the show my phone notified me that an item named Quilt had been left behind as it will go on to be displayed at shows in Harrogate, Dublin and Alexandra Palace.

The Bernina UK longarm team taught 16 one hour quilting classes. We had all been secretly dreading it since we are all stand-up frame quilters but I pretended to be an old fashioned school PE teacher. They would put on the tracksuit, blow the whistle and make everyone jog around the field without breaking into a sweat as they just had to stand and “supervise”. The sessions were not designed to turn out master quilters after one lesson. It was an opportunity to experience the machines, pick up tips and techniques, and have fun. 

As a team we also had fun during the show and afterwards, uploading our photos into a Barbie generator, having a pizza pyjama party, going out for a posh dinner and keeping each other going with good humour. 

I caught up with old friends and made some new ones. I love seeing everyone, even if I am teaching and only manage to wave. 

As per usual I brought a selection of cameras and whizzed around the show. I have not had time to see if any of the footage is any good. I will attempt to make a YouTube tour when I get home. I wish I had taken one of the small video cameras with the gimbal head as well as the novelty camera that films in 360 degrees that I am not entirely sure how to edit. The internet connection at the show and hotel has been poor so any short videos that I had hoped to upload got stuck so they may crop up after the event. 

I wore 3 new outfits at the show which was fun because at home I live in dungarees ALL of the time. Maybe I should just unpack then repack for the next event.

For months I have been putting various things off until after FOQ but now that is over I will actually have to get them done. I definitely hope to make more YouTube videos, even if they are just quick tips. I will always keep weekly blogging though – after 15 years how could I possibly stop?!

A Week of Random Making

This week I got down to putting together some class specs and requirements. It has been a while since I came up with “lesson plans” so I struggled with the discipline. I usually aim to plan more than is required which is what most primary school teachers do to keep the fast workers occupied. I will be teaching my Northern Lights improv curves class in Glasgow next month but I decided to add another element which is improv bridges. I am experimenting with machine appliqué methods. The original class was just free-cut strips but I decided to give the pupils more options and offer some people more of a challenge. 

There were some foodie makes – English muffins, which were a success and vegan strawberry tarts which looked like triffids. 

Because I seemed to be so ahead of the game with my preparation for FoQ ( I am bound to have forgotten something) I managed to do a customer quilt that I said would not be done until later in August:)

Nella, Nessie and I had a day out in St Andrews and met 2 other Scotties. Nessie thought she was a celebrity when several American tourists stopped to talk to her. 

My FoQ samples looked pretty good once they were stuffed with cushion pads but I made myself practise sit-down quilting on another sample. My FMQ skills are very rusty and I will have to do a lot of secret playing to be a convincing teacher at FoQ;) The Bernina Q16 / Q20 is bound to be easier to use than my domestic machine as there is more table space and a stitch regulator! BUT I will be teaching domestic machine quilting next month so I need to hone my skills for that.

Because I seemed to be so ahead of the game with my preparation for FoQ ( I am bound to have forgotten something) I managed to do a customer quilt that I said would not be done until later in August:)

Scottish Quilting Show – Glasgow 2023

I have to admit that I was both excited but also dreading the Scottish Quilting Show at the SEC in Glasgow. It is a long time since I have had to set up a booth and do a talk. I had my checklist of things to take and felt very well prepared yet I managed to leave behind 2 big quilts! Luckily, I had spares so there were no gaps on the wall. I was glad that I had decided to take the old Mac computer with a rolling slideshow to let people see some of my other quilts and projects. 

It took me a sweary morning to hang my quilts and bunting* using a staple-gun and I was so pleased that Aberdeen Sewing Machines came and set up the Bernina Q20 on its 5ft frame. I can’t believe that I used to haul longarms to FoQ for several years and shudder when I remember the hassle of setting up the Yurt on several occasions!

Once my stand was organised I joined 3 other judges to select the best quilts out of 116 entries. It was an intense process that took us over 5 hours. It was like writing school reports at warp speed and by the end of the afternoon I doubt that my handwriting was legible. The judging team “clicked” and our choices all aligned so I think we selected well. There was a great variety of quilts, of differing standards and ideas but it was super to see so many entries. I took lots of photos but my internet connection is poor so I have not uploaded all of them, I’m afraid;)

I had not realised that I had to give my talk every day and to my disappointment the slideshow that I had made about competitive quilting and saved onto a USB stick got corrupted and would not play. In true primary school teacher mode, I just ad-libbed and felt like I was doing a stand-up comedy show. By day 3, Fergus managed to send me a new copy of the presentation. Despite the technical hitches, my audience was very appreciative. 

The show was a huge ego boost – it was fantastic to receive such positive feedback and admiration. I have never shown off a collection of my show quilts before and they were extremely well lit. For the first time ever, BzB was hung double-sided and many visitors actually thought they were looking at 2 entirely different quilts. I spoke to all sorts of people including some who had never made a quilt or even seen a longarm machine before. It was lovely to catch up and also make new friends in the quilting world. I was impressed by the dynamic representative of the Scottish Women’s Institute who was clearly not terribly into “Jam and Jerusalem”!

It was a most enjoyable 3 day show – friendly, accessible and fun. I stayed with my friend, Ellen and we had a great time chatting about all of the trips and shows we have done together over the past 15 years. It definitely gave me a much needed boost of confidence and reminded me why I am a Quilter and that I need to get on and make something new and exciting, even if it is not for a competition;)

*Either Pythagorus lied about hypotenuses or more likely, my maths is inadequate. I did not have enough bunting to create the 2 central swags that I had planned but at least nobody got tangled up in the end!

Why Would Anyone Paint a Ladder?

I bought a cheap, short step-ladder which was white. It was important to me that it should co-ordinate with my newly painted trolley so I painted it matt black to match – 3 coats so far. The trolley will be on show at the exhibition (Scottish Quilt Show) whereas the ladder does not need to be. It will enable me to hang the quilts, after which I could put it in my car or I could use it as a chair. I think I have assembled everything that I need now and I have made prompt cards for my talk on competitive quilting. Remembering another time where I dropped them all and got them muddled up, I have actually connected them together with a spiral binding. 

I was undecided as to whether or not to take the quilted Henge Totems but I think I will leave them behind. They have been to that show before in 2015 and they are so bloomin’ big to shift. My 2023 exhibition will comprise show quilts, a Mac slideshow and a small longarm frame which I hope will be enough!

Since I managed to prepare for the show without leaving everything to the last minute, I managed to get a small customer quilt done. I generally like to be up to date before I go away on a trip.

I worked my way through a checklist and felt that it was keeping me focussed – apart from time spent doing obsessive internet research. Which is the best wireless microphone for vlogging? How do you make acrylic resin letter key-rings? Is a tripod better than a monopod? What happened to the Brinks Mat gold? Why is my wifi printer not working? 

I had 2 teaching days on the Bernina Q24  longarm system, one here in my studio for a potential buyer and the other continuing staff training at Aberdeen Sewing Machines. Tracey had been very diligent since my last visit, practising her free-motion quilting.

I have been trying to get Nessie into the habit of daily hair-brushing. She still hates it but we are persevering so she does not get matted in between her professional grooming sessions – I wear Kevlar gloves just in case;) 

This week will mostly be about exhibiting at the show but I hope to get a chance to look around and see what is “in”, possibly make a couple of modest purchases, and definitely take my host out for dinner!

Try It and See

One of the reasons that I like Amazon so much is that it is possible to order something, try it out then return it easily if it is not suitable. It is also a very good place to go and look at reviews for stuff. Youtube is also helpful – to a point. I find that there is so much information that after a while there are too many conflicting opinions. For some time I have been hankering after a better monitor for my Mac Mini desktop computer. I had a small, basic Dell but I needed to use external speakers, an external webcam and had to press buttons underneath to change the HDMI port if I wanted to watch TV on the Amazon Firestick. I could hardly see the subtitles from across my room.The other annoying thing was that the text was always a bit fuzzy. 

What I really wanted was a Mac Studio display but it is more expensive than most other monitors. I spent ages researching which monitor to get instead of the Dell but I decided that I really wanted the Mac one. I could not find how I could watch TV on it since it has no HDMI ports. There was no clear information on Youtube as to whether an Apple TV or Amazon Firestick device would work properly so in the end I headed to the Apple Store for advice. After asking all of my questions we came up with a simple solution on how I could use the monitor to watch TV and not have to get up change the volume. I can sit on my sofa watching TV over the internet and use a wireless keyboard / mouse to choose different programmes, adjust volume and pause the action. 

One of the major tasks that I had set myself this week was to come up with a couple of L890 projects to make and film. I thought I could make ruffled denim strips into patchwork and possibly use the coverstitch to make rope bowls. It was not particularly successful trying to make denim ruffles since the fabric is too heavy to gather just by altering the differential feed. A ruffler or gathering foot on a domestic machine would give more pleasing results. Similarly, I wondered if using 2 or 3 coverstitch needles would be a speedy way of rattling through rope bowl construction but after experimenting for a while I decided that a basic zigzag on a domestic machine did a far better job. Although I did not have anything to show for a full day of trying things out in my workshop, it was a worthwhile exercise of discovery. Sometimes you have to have a go at things to find out what ideas works and which ones do not;)

Another time-wasting / useful activity this week included tidying out my tech drawers. Really it allowed me to see how many different mini tripods I own and which items needed recharging. As usual I have forgotten which cameras and mic combos I like to use to film videos so I will probably need to remind myself for at least half a day and maybe I will make a note of what works best. 

I spent a day at Aberdeen Sewing Machines teaching the staff there how to get started with the Bernina Q24. They were delighted by how quickly they could get quilting on a real quilt. I will go back in a couple of weeks to see how they are getting on.

At the weekend I bought another dodgy old lamp that will need some replacement parts. I took Nessie for a partial hair-do but have to go back next week to finish it off because I had let her hair get too long – she hates being brushed so it was a tad tuggy. Freya came to visit and celebrate my birthday by making me a cake and going for a walk on the beach. 

I have added a bit more of my awful hand-stitching on my patchwork coat. I did not originally plan to add so much hand work but that seems to be the way it is going now. I might use the L890 to apply some chain-stitched lines. I still have some Indian ribbon that I have never used so I could add some of that. It will definitely be a “maximalist” type of coat – I just hope will I like it and wear it!

Under and Over

There goes another week! Admittedly, most days are the same these days. The unseasonably warm autumn weather seems to be finished – there was a bit of a storm midweek which blew off the last of the leaves off the cherry trees which are now bare for winter. I was trying to make a video but the rain was hammering loudly on my workshop’s tin roof.

I did a couple of customer quilts, using a favourite pattern, “Stacked Snails” which looks like a modern Baptist Fan.

I came up with another project on the L890 overlocker / coverstitch machine. I fed scraps of binding into the binding attachment and made a lot of straps or belt loops. I wove these to make new fabric which could be turned into mats, purses or even a sunhat. I might make some more and see how they turn out as quilt blocks.

I scrounged an old wooden box from Mo to upcycle into a footstool for Nessie. I added castors which came with ridiculously large screws so each one is only attached by 2 screws instead of 4. The screws have gone through to the inside of the box but I don’t intend to keep anything inside. I have painted it black and will cover it with a pink sheepskin rug (which I am not convinced is real) and if Nessie turns her nose up I will put my feet up on it instead;)

Nella and Freya travelled to Paris separately to see their favourite band, “Wolf Alice”. Nella was very apprehensive to be flying solo via Schipol but she made it despite a long delay. They had a great time even though it was a short trip so that is another milestone in Nella’s new life!

Videography Vanquished

Considering that I own a plethora of cameras, I should be ashamed at the lack of photos documenting my week! I spent all day Sunday filming how to place and stitch a whole cloth quilt using Qmatic. It took me all of Monday to edit my feature-length movie into 2 halves, each approximately one hour long. My computer suddenly decided that its memory was full and could not cope with saving all that work so we had “words”, deleted some junk, reduced the quality and eventually stored the files. I decided to invest in another external hard drive so I ordered one meant to be “like new” from Amazon – except it wasn’t since it was all scratched so I returned it. 

An attachment for one of my cameras arrived from Ebay and was not at all as described so that also needs to go back which means I will have to drive into Banchory again, park my car and queue for ages in the back of the Co-Op where the Post Office is hidden these days. 

I watched Bake Off the other day and was amazed by Prue’s crazy-patch duster coat. I have found a quilt on Ebay that is not exactly crazy-patch but could be worked on. However, it is from the USA – do I or do I not want to take a chance?!

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I finally got around to making a video demonstrating how a Quilter can use the L890 overlocker / Coverstitch machine to bind a quilt using a binding attachment. I thought I had everything all set up nicely but my practice pieces just would not co-operate. I was frustrated that I had “wasted” a day but in fact it was all useful research, working out exactly how wide to cut the strips and choosing the right fabric. The next day I started again and everything worked out fine. My finished Youtube video is 15 minutes long – it does not have background music, or a beautifully coiffed and manicured presenter;)

Since I am off to Norwich for Nella’s birthday in the coming week, I spent some time on admin which was dull but necessary. Nessie got her hair cut, I bought plenty of cat food and I gathered together the stuff that Nella requested I should take for her. I will try to make an effort to actually USE my cameras when I am away!

Tech Trials

Like many quilters, I am acutely aware that I accumulate far too much stuff that I don’t use so I sold my Bernette Funlock (coverstitch machine) on Ebay and sent it off to its new owner with a courier. The new owner tried it out but the handwheel was jammed. Since it worked perfectly before dispatch, I think it got dropped in transit. Now I have to waste time and do battle with the courier to get compensation. 

I was encouraged to purchase a gimbal for my camera by some enthusiastic YouTube videographers. I followed the tricky procedure to balance the camera on 3 axes, watched countless videos, read the manual but could not get the gimbal to do what it was meant to do. I was determined not to be beaten but in the end I decided that it was all a bit much of a palaver so I returned it. I also bought a wide angle lens that attached to the camera with sticky stuff but it kept falling off so that went back too.

I finished painting my filing cabinets then staged them to look nice in the background of videos. As part of a challenge by Bernina UK to find ways that Quilters can use the L890 coverstitch/overlock machine, I spent 2 days making a video on how to do Quilt As You Go. First I had to figure out how to make the technique work then I had to film the process using 2 cameras. I use a GoPro to show what happens  at the sewing machine. I tried to mount it to the top of the L890 with a bendy arm but it kept coming unstuck. The other camera was on a tripod that kept threatening to topple over. I got it done in the end then edited the 2 lots of footage (without sweary bloopers) and will upload it to Youtube when everyone is out and does not need to use the already sluggish internet.

Other activities for the week included working on a large hexagon quilt for a customer and not getting around to making bramble jelly.

Freya paid us a surprise visit for a few days to see Nella before she sets off for Norwich. She is up to her eyes trying to get her Masters dissertation finished but we did manage to find time to go out for tea and have a bonfire. 

I still have not been hit by inspiration for a new project or been led to complete something already considered. I should probably just lose myself in the making of an everyday quilt for the time being.

Inspector Gadget

I have been busy figuring out how things work. I felt that the time was right to go back to posting my silly short daily news videos and I have been attempting to film demos on the Bernina L890 that are aimed at quilters rather than garment makers. Because I have not used all of this techie stuff for a while, I am a bit rusty and had forgotten that I could use a wireless mic with my phone. My Gopro was annoying me because it seemed to drain the battery in just a few minutes. Hopefully I will see an improvement after giving it an update and by using a separate remote control, rather than my phone. 

I was amazed to discover that my caravan fridge can have 3 different methods of power – gas, battery and mains electricity. Since I always intend to stay in places with power this means I can take more fresh food, even ice-lollies:)

I got 2 customer quilts done using Q-matic for a customer who likes wool wadding because it really shows off the texture. The bright quilt was also backed in purple Minky which gave it a most luxurious feel on the back.

I almost fell out with the L890 when I tried to get it to do a decorative chain-stitch. I thought that I carefully followed all of the video demos for correct set-up but after almost an entire afternoon I could not get it to stitch. Eventually I realised that I was not using the correct needle position – there are 5 of them after all! I managed to get a heavy, sparkly thread (Razzle-Dazzle) to run through the looper. I turned my small Warli quilts over and sewed along the straight line of the binding’s blanket stitch so the sparkly chain showed on the correct side of the quilt. To stop it from unravelling I later secured it with a tiny zig-zag. The 4 complementary quilts are almost complete, apart from the hanging sleeves – unless I start any further embellishment which I promised myself I would not…

A Mini Break

Don’t tell Nicola but we paid Freya a quick mid-week visit in Glasgow… Nella’s doctor said it was a good idea since she had never seen where Freya moved to last September. We were very careful to avoid busy areas. Nella and I have both had two doses of Covid vaccine and we always wear face-masks. The studenty flat is great, although on the top floor, up 77 steps and counting when you have to take a Scottie dog out for a wee. It is in the West End and even has a Waitrose about 2 minutes walk away. The surrounding streets are actually quiet and rather posh. There are super cafes and shops, selling everything from organic veg to vintage clothes. The Botanic Gardens are close by, which is where we went three times a day with Nessie. She encountered a bold squirrel and a bagpipe player for the first time. 

There was an exciting parcel waiting for me when I got home. I felt compelled to copy a Facebook friend who recently purchased a 1980’s Bernina Nova machine. I just happened to look them up on Ebay, put in a bid and bought one myself. I am delighted with my purchase. It is a simple, small, mechanical machine and it arrived in a clean, well maintained condition, although it was missing a few of its original feet and the outer plastic case had yellowed in the sun. After a little internet research, I discovered that you can coat the plastic with peroxide solution, cover it with clingfilm and “develop” it in sunlight. Amazingly, it has lightened quite a bit so I will give that method a go on other suntanned plastic, such as my overlocker. I would like to keep this handy machine in the house so I need to think of a small, easy project;)

I hosted a Zoom lesson for a Qmatic customer which worked without any technical hitches. I was able to screen-share my Qmatic computer and let her see the whole quilt frame plus my rear view using the Go-Pro on livestream. I expect I could add another camera to talk to the pupil face-to-face. I would like to record some basic processes such as setting up a quilt so the participant can re-watch those sessions later. 

This week I hope to keep up with customer quilts, enjoy the better weather and take Nessie for a pre-summer hair-do. If I can also fit in some German practice and some sort of mini project, it will be a good week:)

Some Productivity

Another week has gone by and I wonder what I did to faff my way through it! There was one big, colourful customer quilt. I tried to quilt rainbows onto it but the pattern kept crashing the system so I used a substitute pattern called “Dizzy Izzy”.

Nessie tried out her new, fleece rain suit. She was not altogether pleased at putting it on and taking it off but once it was on she did not mind at all and it kept her clean on a muddy walk.

Freya and I both made new sourdough starters for bread making.  I was excited when my KitchenAid pasta press finally arrived after months of back order and I made some vegan macaroni, substituting egg for a paste of ground flaxseed. This dried successfully in the dehydrator which is more than I can say for my semi-dried tomatoes and blueberries which obviously should have been vacuum packed since both went horribly mouldy in their soft state. 

I made 2 wearable pyjama tops using the simple and voluminous Athina pattern. My overlocker decided that it did not want to sew properly so I spent most of a day servicing it, panicking that it might have to be sent away for weeks

or be replaced. I tipped it upside down to clear out fluff, changed needles and the blade, before finally realising that

a tiny spring had jumped out of place. That was enormously satisfying. My next challenge was remembering how to thread the cover-lock machine to finish the hems. It is not actually complicated, just fiddly and would not have taken so long if I had consulted the instruction manual sooner rather than later.

After months of procrastinating, I got Freya to film an off-the-cuff workshop/studio tour that I have uploaded to YouTube. It was really just to check that I could make a half decent video and see if it would spur me on to having a go at some instructional videos. I had forgotten how much I enjoy making informal, short clips so despite the dark clouds of Covid and Nella’s illness, I hope to go ahead and make some more. It is quite surprising what people watch on YouTube – this week (for research) we have watched videos on garden tours, grinding flour at home, macrame bags, spice jar organisation and even stationery shopping. 

There has been a nip of autumn in the air so I guess summer is “officially” over. I need to do what I have not done in months and make some To-Do lists. Apart from getting brave enough to make more videos I need a proper project of some sort as I have not quilted in earnest for ages.

Bernina University – Jax to the Max

 

I had a 3 flight journey to Jacksonville, Florida from Aberdeen – Manchester – JFK New York, arriving at the hotel just before midnight. All went fairly smoothly despite my trans-Atlantic seat neighbour man-spreading, gripping the seat arms and trying to persuade me to love Jesus. Clearing passport control and customs took forever at JFK, possibly even longer than I have experienced at Paris Charles de Gaulle!

We had an early start on Monday morning at the opening launch of Bernina University. It was a huge event with hundreds of dealers and educators from Bernina of America. There was a lot of razzmatazz loud music and disco lights, followed by announcements of forthcoming new Bernina machines and accessories. I was surprised to see a large contingent of Mennonite attendees who had travelled from Pennsylvania by bus. Apparently, they are among the most successful dealers of Bernina sewing machines in the whole of the USA.

Classes started later that day and continued through to Thursday. It was a tremendous opportunity to take lectures and hands-on classes ranging from technical training, getting to grips with Qmatic and using social media to promote business. There was the opportunity to meet with Bernina brand ambassadors and teachers such as Christa Watson and Tula Pink. It was a very busy time and with the chilly air-con, easy to forget that there was hot weather outside. The hotel was situated downtown which really means within an area of offices so not much else to see in the immediate vicinity.

We found a quaint Italian restaurant a couple of blocks away which could easily have been featured on the TV show, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” but the service, wine and food was excellent.

 

The closing dinner was a glitzy affair with a Caribbean band, disco and dealership awards. There was great anticipation of where BU would take place in 2020 and great excitement when Palm Springs, California was revealed as the destination. My room-mate, Merete Ellingsen, from Norway and I are both very keen to attend again to take more classes or even offer project based classes on the Q24/Qmatic. We will have to come up with something unusual and fun.

 

We had 2 free days after the convention so decided to use Uber cabs to visit Jacksonville Beach and an outdoor shopping mall, both approximately 30 minutes away. Merete could easily cope with lying out in the sun all day but I bought a brolly with SPF50 because otherwise I would have fried. Even when there was a thunderstorm it was still far warmer than a really hot day in Scotland. 

I felt that my trip was really worthwhile and I did not add significantly to my luggage apart from Amanda Murphy’s ruler collection. It was great to spend time with the BoA educators to revise and learn techniques that I will be able to pass on with renewed confidence to Qseries users in the UK, Germany and India. 

Truly Thwarted!

There was much that did not go according to plan this week! I downloaded a pattern for a pair of dungarees/overalls from Helen’s Closet and set to making a toile to check that I had picked suitable size. I traced off the pattern a size bigger than my dress size but the fit was too small. Rather depressed by my measurements I then made a much larger size to accommodate my hip measurements but found that this time the fit was enormous. I will have to either make a size in between or work out how to adjust the pattern. It feels like a job  beyond my dress-making capabilities, particularly when it is meant to be a simple unstructured garment.

I decided to twin-needle stitch the organza Warli figures prior to quilting so I could burn away some of the organza with a soldering iron. The next day when I went to finish the job my Bernina 710 would not start up as normal. It came on, then switched itself off then attempted to restart. I tried updating the firmware but the problem continued. After calling Bernina UK for advice, it was decided that it had to be sent to Cardiff for a fix, potentially having suffered a CPU failure. I wanted to finish off the twin-needle stitching but was hit by the realisation that I had recently sold my solid Husqvarna and Freya’s Brother is away at Uni. I had a go with my vintage Elna lotus but it looks like the tension spring needs replacing and the Singer Featherweight only has a straight stitch plate. I felt bereft without the Bernina that is normally so reliable and copes with everything. I now see the need for an emergency machine that will do basic sewing but has no electronics to go wrong so I am watching several mechanical 1000 series mechanical Berninas on Ebay.

I had the bright idea of personalising my luggage for my forthcoming trip to the USA for Bernina University so I used the Scanncut to cut out my name onto heat transfer glitter vinyl. I balanced my big suitcase from India under the heat press and successfully printed my name but I had more trouble with my trusty Kipling cabin bag with bulky zips. To my horror I discovered that the metal zips must be coated in plastic because I completely melted them and have now ruined the capacious, sturdy, small bag that has been all over the place since 2008. An identical model is no longer made and they are rather expensive so I wasted much time on Amazon choosing a new cabin bag which I hope will arrive on time.

I was beginning to think that the whole week was a write off. I was struggling to hand-stitch the shisha mirrors onto small squares of fabric but in the end I found that perseverance pays off and I have now worked out how to build up a couple of layers of stitching so I can get up close to the mirror with the longarm without hitting the metal ring. Spurred on by that small success, I had one more attempt at woodblock printing with silver ink. I mixed silver powder and metallic binder with opaque silver Speedball ink and spread it into a dense sponge. I coated some of the fabric squares with Odicoat gel to create an impermeable, waxy barrier and found that folded kitchen paper was better than a foam pad underneath when pressing the stamps down. Finally, I had some prints that were crisp and now I am impatient to start joining the blocks together just as soon as I can decide how the finished quilt should be displayed. 

 

My suitcase is packed, complete with travel kettle and gin, I have made an instructional video on to to use the washing machine, there is plenty of pet-food and once I have printed off my tickets I will be all set for my next adventure to… Florida!