Is it really mid-October?

Will this election ever be over?

Like the whole country, I feel like I have had enough.  And when I’ve had enough of anything, I turn to sewing.  Usually, I find something completely new to occupy my mind…an outlet to create something I haven’t before.  But the past few weeks have been spent mainly finishing projects, working, taking walks, and finding mindless sewing work from time to time to de-stress.

Here is a little gallery of images showing some of the things I’ve been working on.

Cross stitch work for halloween

Cross stitch to be made into tiny ornaments

October morning.

Fall 2016.

In the hoop bags.

In the hoop bags completed. I have dozens of these.

All four chairs finished!

In late September, I attended training at the Creative Center at Bernina. They are introducing some new products and I am excited about them.

Bernina 700 Embroidery Machine

Without a doubt, one of the coolest machines Bernina has introduced in a while. It has all the same features as the 790, with these new features:

• Pinpoint Placement – you’ll never have to worry about hooping something crooked again. (This is cool…and easy.)
• Thread Away – Never stitch over those loose threads.
• Programmable jump stitch cutting – it will cut jump stitches as small as 1 mm…no more cutting those tiny jump stitches!
• Multiple Spool Holder – Put all the threads for a design in one place.
• 320 designs included
• 18 alphabets (I love them.)
• New Monogram Alphabet with ornaments (gorgeous!)

Honestly, I loved this machine.  The engineers definitely had heart to heart conversations with actual people who embroider. Everything we could have asked for is right here. LOVE!

Pinpoint Placement.

Thread Away Mode.

Bernina Embroidery Software 8

The improvements to the software are worth the upgrade.  Even if you don’t use some of the main new features, just the improvements to existing features is worthwhile. For instance, when choosing your hoops, now you tell the software what machine you have and it will only display hoops for that machine.  Remember when you had to scroll that long list just to find your hoop? Not any more.  Also, for newbies, you can turn on labels for all the icons..how helpful is that in learning the software?? (Very, for those who are not familiar.)

Features:

• New! Color Photostitch – This is a vast improvement on Photosnap which was pretty particular in the types of images that would work.
• 3D Globe Effect – Great graphic effect.
• Alternating Pattern Fills
• One-click Auto Digitizing – Simplified and made easier to use.
• Couching
• Quilt Layouts
• Automatic Quilt Backgrounds
• 3D fonts

Prepping an image for Photostitch.

Photostitch design ready to stitch.

3D Globe Effect.

Alternating Pattern Fills.

I spend a lot of time in software, so for those of you who use the software a great deal, it’s completely worth the cost to upgrade.  For those of you who use it only occasionally, only you can decide if you need these new features.  It is still a very familiar layout, with colors moved to the bottom.

If you are someone who has held out from upgrading for a few versions, especially if you have been holding out with version 5 or 6, now is the time to move up.  Version 7 was a big change, and was a very user friendly upgrade. It made the software much easier to use.  Software 8 builds on that.

That’s all I have for the moment, with a few new ideas brewing.  More to come, as always!